2020 Jalen Suggs: Verbal Commit on 1/3/20

[Gonzagit]

I'm super excited about Suggs, and I know he is a young kid, but IMO he (And his dad) needs to tone it down a little bit. This is an established program that was 90 seconds from winning a national title before we even starting recruiting him. A basketball savant? Come on. He has the chance to be a lottery pick, but how about come in and do whatever the team needs to win, and everything else will take care of itself? That seems like the approach every other great Zag player has had. Zach Collins didn't even start and never had an attitude about it and went #10 in the draft.

We are venturing in to new space with these one and done types, so let's hope it works out. I really hope Kispert is back to provide these young guys the leadership they need.

[JPtheBeasta]

I suppose the opportunity to play for money straight out of high school and all of the high school accolades would leave me feeling pretty high on myself, too, but I wish he would have toned it down a bit. Perhaps he was just repeating what the coaching staff told him in his recruitment... what he is saying isn’t untrue (at least from my perspective). I don’t know him, and even saying the right thing in an interview can be a false humility. I won’t know until I see him as a Zag, I suppose. The staff has done a good job at finding selfless guys, so I’m assuming Suggs is level-headed and humble enough until proven otherwise.

[bigblahla]

Confidence is not arrogance... seems like good responses to good questions... not worried about young Mr. Suggs at all.... I'm here for the incredible ride and my love for GU....

Go!! Zags!!!

[jazzdelmar]

Geez. “They’ve always just been missing that one big superstar, that one big missing piece. I feel like I’d come in, fill that role and bring the Zags to a championship,” Suggs says. As soon as Suggsy makes an NBA all star game, give me a call.

[zagfan08]

Geez. “They’ve always just been missing that one big superstar, that one big missing piece. I feel like I’d come in, fill that role and bring the Zags to a championship,” Suggs says. As soon as Suggsy makes an NBA all star game, give me a call.

Whether it’s true or not, and I’d say it probably is if we’re talking truly getting over the hump, it seems very possible this was a line he was told during the recruiting process and is repeating.

[jazzdelmar]

Whether it’s true or not, and I’d say it probably is if we’re talking truly getting over the hump, it seems very possible this was a line he was told during the recruiting process and is repeating.

I cannot imagine anyone on the staff uttering words remotely like that to Suggsy. It's all about heritage with them, so it makes no sense to me. Getting over the hump, sure, I can see that. But saying we have never had a superstar -- when we've had a number of them -- doesn't seem possible.

Sorry '08, i read your post hastily. Sounds like we agree.

[GonzagasaurusFlex]

I’m with Gonzagit and Jazz, Suggs comes across as a few feet over the confident vs arrogant line. Hopefully the coaches and veteran players can help the youngsters fully embrace the we over me attitude / team spirit that is certainly a huge, albeit immeasurable, part of Coach Few’s success.

[Hooray4Daye&Gray]

Jalen has OD swag.

A ton of you are going to talk trash about him because of it.

The talk only fuels his fire as he gives it back twice as loud.

It’d be nice if the trash talk was coming from the other side instead of as friendly fire.

He’s absolutely one of those guys that you want on your side because you hate him being on the other side.

Those that embrace it will have an awful lot of fun for the next 12 months.

Those that want to fight it are going to be met by plenty of posters ready to speak up on behalf of his side... aka “our side,” the one with ZAGS across the chest.

[zagssuperfan]

Jalen has OD swag.

A ton of you are going to talk trash about him because of it.

The talk only fuels his fire as he gives it back twice as loud.

It’d be nice if the trash talk was coming from the other side instead of as friendly fire.

He’s absolutely one of those guys that you want on your side because you hate him being on the other side.

Those that embrace it will have an awful lot of fun for the next 12 months.

Those that want to fight it are going to be met by plenty of posters ready to speak up on behalf of his side... aka “our side,” the one with ZAGS across the chest.

I've heard of OG, what is "OD"?

[Gonzagit]

Jalen has OD swag.

A ton of you are going to talk trash about him because of it.

The talk only fuels his fire as he gives it back twice as loud.

It’d be nice if the trash talk was coming from the other side instead of as friendly fire.

He’s absolutely one of those guys that you want on your side because you hate him being on the other side.

Those that embrace it will have an awful lot of fun for the next 12 months.

Those that want to fight it are going to be met by plenty of posters ready to speak up on behalf of his side... aka “our side,” the one with ZAGS across the chest.

W in T actual F....

[Hooray4Daye&Gray]

I already anticipated this when I posted this exactly 1 month ago:

“I look forward to your negativity surrounding him being "cocky", "brash" and "emotional". Because I'll know that it's his confidence, swagger and passion that will drive him to prove his doubters wrong and bring Zag Nation the championship we all deserve.”

His mentality is what has allowed him to become the great player he is. Why would anyone try to change that?

Listen to the “Winning is not everything” podcasts featuring him and his dad if you want to do some research.

If you’re going to criticize his words, you might have your words criticized back.

[ZagRecruitWatch]

What is going on this morning? Gonzaga delivers on the highest ranked recruit to ever come to Gonzaga and people are worried about him being over confident? Was there something in peoples cereal this morning? I don't get it

[sonuvazag]

Suggs' confidence in himself is a reflection of this board's confidence about winning a national championship in 2020-21. There are nine other Top 10 recruits in the class and I doubt any of the fans at their schools are half as confident as Zags fans generally are about national title hopes.

[jazzdelmar]

Better heighten the doorway to the locker room.

[caldwellzag]

Better heighten the doorway to the locker room.

I think us casual fans should just chill. By the end of next season he will be many of our favorite Zags of all time, this April everyone is couped up inside and getting upset about an interview with an 18 year old with a ton of confidence. How many of you in here trust the staff? If you said yes, then it's time to move on from this and truly trust the staff!!!

[LTownZag]

What is going on this morning? Gonzaga delivers on the highest ranked recruit to ever come to Gonzaga and people are worried about him being over confident? Was there something in peoples cereal this morning? I don't get it

My complaint or issue (last post, prior page) was not about Sugg's view of himself (call it humble, or arrogant, or whatever, I didn't address or pretend to know his views of himself).

My disagreement with Suggs' assessment that not having a singular more elite or superstar college player is what has kept GU from winning a championship. As other have said, we were 90 seconds away, and it took some TERRIBLE play, worst officiating, and a sprained ankle to lose a heartbreaker. That year was had an all-american point guard. In 2013, 2015, and 2019 I felt like our team was also a legit contender. Those years included 3 NBA lottery picks, including another all-american college player. Furthermore, we don't see a requirement for final 4, title game, or champion teams to even include lottery picks or all americans.

So while I'm excited about Suggs, and I am not making any judgements about his confidence, I think he's mistaken in saying that lack of a single star player has kept GU from a title. And I hope he doesn't rely on that mistaken belief to try and play the role of a bigger single star than GU has had before.

Here are the last 8 teams to play for a title. Who was the star college guy any better than NWG or Olynyk or Brandon Clarke?

UNC/Villanova '16
UNC/GU '17
Villanova/MIchigan '18
T-Tech/Virginia '19
Baylor/GU/Kansas/SDSU?/FSU? '20

Last year, with 3 lottery picks and maybe the best single college bball player/season in (ever?) Duke barely barely got out of the S16 vs Vtech, and it took some terrible whistles and crazy luck to survive the R32 vs UCF. They didn't play for the title or make the final 4, losing to an MSU team with a bunch of reality nobodies.

[jazzdelmar]

I'd be over the moon if Suggsy is as good as DD, Ammo, KO, the Bonus, NWG, Rui or Clarkie.

[zagfan08]

This is probably not a topic for this board but the reality is we have a top regular season offense and every time we lose in the tournament we don't score in the second half of a big game. Happens over and over and over. Look at all our losses and we couldn't buy a bucket when it got tight. That comes from a lack of guys who can just go to work and create a bucket. This claim from Suggs isn't wrong if we're talking about our recent history in close tournament games.

Points are not the best example especially because you get extra possessions in the final minute and free throws but I don't have time to dig up advanced stats or shooting percentages. Sweet 16 and on the last five years:

UCLA 2015: 39 points 2H (very good!)
Duke 2015: 26 points 2H
Syracuse 2016: 31 points 2H
West Virginia 2017: 31 points 2H
Xavier 2017: 34 points 2H (who cares, controlled the game)
South Carolina 2017: 32 points 2H
UNC 2017: 30 points 2H
Florida State 2018: 28 points 2H
Florida State 2019: 34 points 2H
Texas Tech 2019: 32 points 2H

We need star offensive players who can take over in the second half of tournament games.

[jazzdelmar]

This is probably not a topic for this board but the reality is we have a top regular season offense and every time we lose in the tournament we don't score in the second half of a big game. Happens over and over and over. Look at all our losses and we couldn't buy a bucket when it got tight. That comes from a lack of guys who can just go to work and create a bucket. This claim from Suggs isn't wrong if we're talking about our recent history in close tournament games.

Points are not the best example especially because you get extra possessions in the final minute and free throws but I don't have time to dig up advanced stats or shooting percentages. Sweet 16 and on the last five years:

UCLA 2015: 39 points 2H (very good!)
Duke 2015: 26 points 2H
Syracuse 2016: 31 points 2H
West Virginia 2017: 31 points 2H
Xavier 2017: 34 points 2H (who cares, controlled the game)
South Carolina 2017: 32 points 2H
UNC 2017: 30 points 2H
Florida State 2018: 28 points 2H
Florida State 2019: 34 points 2H
Texas Tech 2019: 32 points 2H

We need star offensive players who can take over in the second half of tournament games.

Welllllll, I think our end of game, offensive impotence goes a little deeper than that, but this board can’t bear that conversation now.

[TheOtherGreatOne]

I feel like a small school will never be allowed to win the ncaa championship. There is to much money to be made when one of the big boys win. The ncaa is about how much money they can make instead of who has the best team.

[zagsfanforlife]

I feel like a small school will never be allowed to win the ncaa championship. There is to much money to be made when one of the big boys win. The ncaa is about how much money they can make instead of who has the best team.

Also didnt think the NCAA would ever cancel a NCAA Tournament.. and yet here we are..

[scrooner]

I do wonder whether a small school would ever be allowed to get away with the crap they allow a Big 12 team to get away with.

[jazzdelmar]

Butler and GU came a couple of plays short.

[Bogozags]

Isn’t signing day Wednesday?

[sonuvazag]

Villanova's enrollment isn't much more than Gonzaga's.