Has there ever been a bigger flop - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

Goatnapper'96 · 12-04-2007, 07:59 PM

of a recruiting class than the BYU Class of 2000?

Garner Meads
Jessie Pinegar
Derrick Dawes
Jacob Chrisman
Austin Ainge

Garner was a 5 * hummmmmmdoggy recruit. Micky D's All American and right sexy. He was the coup that came when Cleveland finally showed the world that he could beat an injury depleted Utah squad, barely. He had offers from whomever he wanted.

Jesse Pinegar was a 4* beauty who had multi Pac-10 and other big time program offers. One recruiting rag went as far to say that Jesse's early verbal to BYU "was proof that BYU was back as a regional player." He was an offensive wizard.

Derrick Dawes was a recognized project, but he was a beefy 6'11" 260 lb kid with offers from many Pac-10 and Big-10 Schools. Not the crown jewel of the class but certainly a higher recruit than BYU usually gets.

Jacob Chrisman had some offers from mid-majors and appeared to be a solid recruit. In fact Cleveland thought Chrisman the best rebounder of the class and the most likely to be able to contribute as true freshman.

Austin Ainge stunk and was only offered a scholarship because his cousin was a good qb and nobody wanted to offend his cult like figure daddy.

Fast forward...Meads shows some potential, but not mickey D's AA like potential, but he is injured 60% of his brief two year career.

Pinegar was unable to guard a water cooler and lacks testicular fortitude. There was a reason Majerus didn't want him. He does even less than Meads for one year and then transfers to some parochial school in Malibu with a rubber court.

Dawes is a backup as a freshman and looks like a big stiff. But he is our big stiff so we ignore it and convince ourselves that even Mark Eaton impacted games, right? He comes back from a mission and plays, not very well, on the worst team BYU has had since it's mid 90's meltdown. After starting on that team he is benched for a group of freshman and JC transfers and then is transitioned seamlessly to injury scholarship status.

Chrisman has a decent freshman season and then decides to be the next Randy Johnson. Upon discovering that the show ain't looking for a kid with a double digit ERA against such baseball juggernauts as Air Force, Utah and New Mexico he goes to the north shore to hoop it up for one of God's other universities.

Austin Ainge....the kid who sucked and was only given a scholarship because of his high profile cousin and father actually makes it through 4 years of elgibility and.......leads BYU to its first outright MWC championship since I was in high school...Is it nature or nurture?

MikeWaters · 12-04-2007, 08:04 PM

rubber court, LOL.

myboynoah · 12-04-2007, 08:09 PM

Not in my recent memory. But don't forget that this class came upon the heels of The Big Guy firing Juddy. Suddenly BYU makes an in-state haul not seen since Ezra Taft Benson matriculated from Utah State Agricultural College.

While most didn't pan out, this class was a harbinger of things to transpire in and at Utah.

Goatnapper'96 · 12-04-2007, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myboynoah

Not in my recent memory. But don't forget that this class came upon the heels of The Big Guy firing Juddy. Suddenly BYU makes an in-state haul not seen since Ezra Taft Benson matriculated from Utah State Agricultural College.

While most didn't pan out, this class was a harbinger of things to transpire in and at Utah.

That is the saliant point. Jessie Pinegar didn't "do a damn thing" on the court but the buzz that his verbal created about the BYU program was pretty instrumental. Same with Garner. That short time when that recruiting class was finalized and signed got BYU all sorts of top 25 recruiting class publicity. Then the team had its first winning season in years, finally beat Utah on the court, went to the NIT quarterfinals and filled up the MC for the first and second round games and then landed Garner gave the program a boost in publicity and goodwill that it sorely needed as folks had totally tuned out the hoop program for a number of years.

Indy Coug · 12-04-2007, 09:09 PM

Believe it or not, Roger Reid's class of 2006-2007 was ranked in the top 25. Eric Nielsen and Matt Montague were the cream of that crop and the other 5 or so completely crapped out.

12-04-2007, 07:59 PM	#1
Goatnapper'96 Recruiting Coordinator/Bosom Inspector Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,412	Has there ever been a bigger flop of a recruiting class than the BYU Class of 2000? Garner Meads Jessie Pinegar Derrick Dawes Jacob Chrisman Austin Ainge Garner was a 5 * hummmmmmdoggy recruit. Micky D's All American and right sexy. He was the coup that came when Cleveland finally showed the world that he could beat an injury depleted Utah squad, barely. He had offers from whomever he wanted. Jesse Pinegar was a 4* beauty who had multi Pac-10 and other big time program offers. One recruiting rag went as far to say that Jesse's early verbal to BYU "was proof that BYU was back as a regional player." He was an offensive wizard. Derrick Dawes was a recognized project, but he was a beefy 6'11" 260 lb kid with offers from many Pac-10 and Big-10 Schools. Not the crown jewel of the class but certainly a higher recruit than BYU usually gets. Jacob Chrisman had some offers from mid-majors and appeared to be a solid recruit. In fact Cleveland thought Chrisman the best rebounder of the class and the most likely to be able to contribute as true freshman. Austin Ainge stunk and was only offered a scholarship because his cousin was a good qb and nobody wanted to offend his cult like figure daddy. Fast forward...Meads shows some potential, but not mickey D's AA like potential, but he is injured 60% of his brief two year career. Pinegar was unable to guard a water cooler and lacks testicular fortitude. There was a reason Majerus didn't want him. He does even less than Meads for one year and then transfers to some parochial school in Malibu with a rubber court. Dawes is a backup as a freshman and looks like a big stiff. But he is our big stiff so we ignore it and convince ourselves that even Mark Eaton impacted games, right? He comes back from a mission and plays, not very well, on the worst team BYU has had since it's mid 90's meltdown. After starting on that team he is benched for a group of freshman and JC transfers and then is transitioned seamlessly to injury scholarship status. Chrisman has a decent freshman season and then decides to be the next Randy Johnson. Upon discovering that the show ain't looking for a kid with a double digit ERA against such baseball juggernauts as Air Force, Utah and New Mexico he goes to the north shore to hoop it up for one of God's other universities. Austin Ainge....the kid who sucked and was only given a scholarship because of his high profile cousin and father actually makes it through 4 years of elgibility and.......leads BYU to its first outright MWC championship since I was in high school...Is it nature or nurture? __________________ She had a psychiatrist who said because I didn't trust the water system, the school system, the government, I was paranoid," he said. "I had a psychiatrist who said her psychiatrist was stupid."

12-04-2007, 08:09 PM	#3
myboynoah Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Memphis freakin' Tennessee!!!!! Posts: 4,530	Not in my recent memory. But don't forget that this class came upon the heels of The Big Guy firing Juddy. Suddenly BYU makes an in-state haul not seen since Ezra Taft Benson matriculated from Utah State Agricultural College. While most didn't pan out, this class was a harbinger of things to transpire in and at Utah. __________________ Give 'em Hell, Cougars!!! Religion rises inevitably from our apprehension of our own death. To give meaning to meaninglessness is the endless quest of all religion. When death becomes the center of our consciousness, then religion authentically begins. Of all religions that I know, the one that most vehemently and persuasively defies and denies the reality of death is the original Mormonism of the Prophet, Seer and Revelator, Joseph Smith.

12-04-2007, 08:04 PM	#2
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	rubber court, LOL.

12-04-2007, 09:09 PM	#5
Indy Coug Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Between Iraq and a hard place Posts: 7,569	Believe it or not, Roger Reid's class of 2006-2007 was ranked in the top 25. Eric Nielsen and Matt Montague were the cream of that crop and the other 5 or so completely crapped out.