Good analysis, as always.
I tend to align with your concern about Smith, namely can he reel in big fish in recruiting? I agree that CSU has more overall talent, and USU beat them anyway, but you have to ask why USU has less talent to start with. Is it Logan, or is there something missing with Smith's or his staff's abilities or approach? That said and as others have noted, he's got a great personality, and his love of the game oozes out of his pores, so he ought to be able to connect with young basketball players.
No matter: I'm a Smith guy; I've seen enough. I'd pay good money to watch that brand of basketball on a regular basis...and I WILL be doing that if the U hires him. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: I want my team to make their free throws, rebound the ball, and make the other team make difficult shots. That's what I see when I watch Aggie basketball. Like the best in any business, Smith has learned a lot from everyone he's been around and worked with, and he's formulated his own approaches as well. And he does it in a positive, nurturing way that challenges his players but doesn't beat them down.
Back to recruiting, and back to another thing I've said many times: the formula for programs like Minnesota--like our neighbors to the east and south--is to be a well-coached team that makes the most of their roster and develops players to their potential. Whatever people say about Fran, listen to Luka Garza talk about how he went from a heralded (4*) but not elite recruit to the top scorer in program history. His story and experience will get Iowa more players like him. That's how it's done. That's why they probably have the inside track for Eli King. That's how UW has developed their Lakeville North pipeline, who will keep pumping out more good players for them unless and until Minnesota shows they can coach and develop. There's no way top-5 recruit Joel Pryzbilla signs with the Gophers if Clem hadn't shown that he can get players to the next level and make deep postseason runs.
Build a solid foundation, and the players will come. A P5 job gets you into living rooms that you'd never get invited into otherwise. Look at the players on Iowa's roster and tell me the Gophers can't assemble that same caliber of squad with our resources and quality of institution. And that's a legitimate top-10 team who I wouldn't be surprised to see in the Final Four. That's why I'm glad for their and Wisconsin's successes: otherwise the loser conventional wisdom around here would perpetually be how everything is impossible so we should just give up.
