OK, let me preface this post by saying that I completely understood, and agreed with, the rationale for moving the Elite Camp back to the middle of July to try to get more CA kids to attend. With that said, the news (or lack thereof) has me thinking we need to move the camp back ASAP.
The recruiting game has changed. With pressure on prospects to commit earlier and earlier, the talent pool is already starting to be thinned out by July. Also, the camp is so late, that there aren't nearly as many "undiscovered" talents out there. Most of the kids have already made the rounds on the camp circuit, attracting offers from, and building relationships with, other schools. Finally, the California kids still didn't attend. From what I've gathered, there weren't more than 2 or 3 out of state kids who had the coaches attention, and one of those (Liufao) has been committed for months. Again, so many of the kids have been hitting camps up and down the West Coast, so what's the incentive to spend the money to travel to Boulder for another camp at the end of a long summer? And to make matters worse, we didn't even have a big in-state turnout from the rising seniors. If we aren't going to see the California prospects, I would've at least liked to have seen Lisella, Golditch and Nowland battling for a scholarship offer.
I do like the San Diego camp, and would like to see the staff try to work out a reciprocal arrangement, at least as long as the NCAA allows it. Even if it's later in the summer, the shorter travel will draw a few more unknown prospects than a trip to Boulder will. And at the very least, it helps the staff's presence in SoCal. But as much as a disadvantage as the camps are becoming for a school like CU, I think we need to scrap the idea of drawing a big California turnout to the Elite Camp and focus on making it a solid regional event in the early summer. In either case, we won't increase the turnout until the on-field performance improves and, in that case, I don't think it matters when it is, prospects will find a way to be there.
The recruiting game has changed. With pressure on prospects to commit earlier and earlier, the talent pool is already starting to be thinned out by July. Also, the camp is so late, that there aren't nearly as many "undiscovered" talents out there. Most of the kids have already made the rounds on the camp circuit, attracting offers from, and building relationships with, other schools. Finally, the California kids still didn't attend. From what I've gathered, there weren't more than 2 or 3 out of state kids who had the coaches attention, and one of those (Liufao) has been committed for months. Again, so many of the kids have been hitting camps up and down the West Coast, so what's the incentive to spend the money to travel to Boulder for another camp at the end of a long summer? And to make matters worse, we didn't even have a big in-state turnout from the rising seniors. If we aren't going to see the California prospects, I would've at least liked to have seen Lisella, Golditch and Nowland battling for a scholarship offer.
I do like the San Diego camp, and would like to see the staff try to work out a reciprocal arrangement, at least as long as the NCAA allows it. Even if it's later in the summer, the shorter travel will draw a few more unknown prospects than a trip to Boulder will. And at the very least, it helps the staff's presence in SoCal. But as much as a disadvantage as the camps are becoming for a school like CU, I think we need to scrap the idea of drawing a big California turnout to the Elite Camp and focus on making it a solid regional event in the early summer. In either case, we won't increase the turnout until the on-field performance improves and, in that case, I don't think it matters when it is, prospects will find a way to be there.