Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2860
Reg: 03-02-08
|
 06-01-23 08:44 AM - Post#356533
Nweke, Arop and Romanelli. Unless I am mistaken Romanelli is a new name—Australian 6’2” PG. Not sure what to make of Arop, whose statistics are modest for a 6’11” string bean, or Nweke, a 6’8” PF.
|
Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2085
Reg: 02-14-06
|
06-01-23 09:36 AM - Post#356536
In response to Chet Forte
What "official announcement?"
|
Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2860
Reg: 03-02-08
|
06-01-23 10:49 AM - Post#356537
In response to Columbia 37P6
Check the Engles email to the alumni base
|
Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2085
Reg: 02-14-06
|
06-01-23 11:33 AM - Post#356539
In response to Chet Forte
Thanks--I am glad to hear that there is still an "alumni base" that Engles communicates with by e-email. Another three-man recruiting class should guarantee Columbia unprecedented fourth straight finish in the Ivy League cellar next season.
|
SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6302
Reg: 11-22-04
|
Re: Official announcement is out
06-01-23 12:48 PM - Post#356541
In response to Chet Forte
Is it Antonio Romanelli? If so, he appears to be a transfer from UT Arlington.
|
hoopsfan
Masters Student
Posts: 634
Reg: 12-26-04
|
Re: Official announcement is out
06-01-23 03:19 PM - Post#356545
In response to SomeGuy
It is Nicolo Romanelli, the younger brother of Antonio.
Nic played at the same school in Texas as Geronimo and Bedri. He then did a post-grad year at the DME Academy in Florida.
|
Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2860
Reg: 03-02-08
|
06-01-23 04:52 PM - Post#356547
In response to hoopsfan
How does this class compare to the other Ivy incoming classes? Did any of the three have any stars?
|
Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2085
Reg: 02-14-06
|
06-01-23 08:51 PM - Post#356557
In response to Chet Forte
Unless the only two big men in the incoming class, Arop and Nweke, can make a huge immediate positive impact, I do not see how this meager three man recruiting class is likely to lift the Lions out of the Ivy League cellar. Engles continues to recruit players from only one prep school in California and one or two prep schools in New England. Apparently, the All New York City guard who was interested in Columbia chose instead to attend Northern Illinois University.
|
SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6302
Reg: 11-22-04
|
06-01-23 09:35 PM - Post#356560
In response to Chet Forte
Seems kind of middle of the pack to me. Better than the Dartmouth or Cornell classes on paper (though Cornell often surprises). Nobody’s class seems to blow the doors off this year. Maybe Princeton best for quantity + quality, and Yale for quality (but only got 2 announced).
Arop had some nice offers. I think between the last two classes, Columbia has done really well. Engles hasn’t gotten the mix right thus far, but maybe things start to look different with experience and just a couple more pieces.
|
cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2111
Reg: 10-09-09
|
06-02-23 07:27 AM - Post#356562
In response to SomeGuy
Based on his very modest stats, I am not sure that Romanelli will help much. But over time, I am cautiously optimistic that Arop and Nweke might.
|
Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2085
Reg: 02-14-06
|
06-02-23 07:28 AM - Post#356563
In response to SomeGuy
Engles' record speaks for itself. Simply stated, he's a terrible college basketball coach and should have been terminated a long time ago. When one of the worst basketball teams in the country only has two quality incoming recruits you know that nothing significant has changed and it is foolish to expect any improvement.
|
SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6302
Reg: 11-22-04
|
06-03-23 07:36 AM - Post#356597
In response to Columbia 37P6
Well, it is probably hard to get another big class of kids who can play right away after last year’s haul, particularly at guard. Last year, they could tell Brown and company that they were going to play immediately. You can’t tell recruits that every year (at least not truthfully).
As for Engles being a terrible coach, he sure did well at NJIT. That was an increasingly long time ago, but he has had success, arguably under more difficult circumstances.
|
Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2860
Reg: 03-02-08
|
06-03-23 07:45 AM - Post#356598
In response to SomeGuy
Forget NJIT; no comparison in recruiting criteria. The simple fact is that there is a back story as to why Engles is still here and it is more closely guarded than the formula for Coca Cola.
|
Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2085
Reg: 02-14-06
|
06-03-23 02:51 PM - Post#356610
In response to Chet Forte
In the absence of any explanation from the Columbia Athletic Department, or anyone else in the Columbia Administration, I assume the secret "back story" you are intimating at involves something inappropriate that may have happened during President Bollinger's tenure and was covered up during his tenure to protect President Bollinger or other higher-ups in the Columbia Administration. Of course, until that secret is disclosed, Columbia fans have to assume that Bollinger and/or other higher-ups actually believe in Engles' competency as a coach which makes no sense at all given his Columbia record.
|
Chet Forte
Postdoc
Posts: 2860
Reg: 03-02-08
|
06-05-23 08:35 PM - Post#356678
In response to Columbia 37P6
On reflection I think we ma be missing the point about Engles. I don’t think he is a bad coach. His shortcoming is that he simply cannot recruit a competitive roster. Give him the Harvard roster and he would probably do as well as Amaker.What he cannot do is take the roster he has and make his players play above their talent level.
|
Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2085
Reg: 02-14-06
|
06-14-23 12:23 PM - Post#356784
In response to Chet Forte
I do agree with you that Engles is not a "bad coach." The adjective "bad" does not properly reflect how "bad" his record has been at Columbia so it is much too generous to describe him as just a "bad coach." However, being positive, I do believe that the Lions have a chance to improve upon their record last season when they finished 7-22 overall including victories over Division III powerhouses Sarah Lawrence and SUNY Maritime. It may be more difficult for the Lions to improve upon their 2-12 record in the Ivy League which was their most wins in the last three years.
|
Columbia 37P6
Postdoc
Posts: 2085
Reg: 02-14-06
|
06-14-23 12:25 PM - Post#356785
In response to Columbia 37P6
I do agree with you that Engles is not a "bad coach." The adjective "bad" does not properly reflect how "bad" his record has been at Columbia so it is much too generous to describe him as just a "bad coach." However, being positive, I do believe that the Lions have a chance to improve upon their record last season when they finished 7-22 overall including victories over Division III powerhouses Sarah Lawrence and SUNY Maritime. It may be more difficult for the Lions to improve upon their 2-12 record in the Ivy League which was their most wins in the last three years.
|
