I'm sorry for beating a dead horse. Please tell me where I am wrong, if wrong. We (Canes, Coach L, Caputo, etc) get who we can get. Recruiting may be average, optimistic, super, I don't know, but whatever our recruiting quality is gets us who we get.
Obviously we don't get many 1-and-dones, far from it. Most obviously have potential. And are recruited (given offers) by 4-8 other teams of various renown. Coach & staff - their ability to teach, maybe get someone closer to being an NBA prospect, and their reputation is part of why these guys choose over someone else in the 4-8 making offers. Integrity is very important. You tell prospect xyz you will play unless there is someone better than you in the wings ready to go. You may also tell "we treat our experienced seniors the best; we don't rebuild, i won't play some freshmen that are 1-2 years away from ripeness just to help us in the future -at YOUR expense. Thats my philosophy" (And i think it is Coach L's philosophy - right or wrong.)
So these guys sign, they know the word is Coach L means what he says. Many turn out to be duds, Sam and Miller and Lykes and others. They aren't hopeless but they are very disappointing. But they are still somewhat more adequate than the freshmen - full of energy and enthusiasm and hopes and dreams - that are a year or so off from reliability.
So Coach L doesnt play the up and comers as much, keeping his word to Sam and DJ and Lykes and such... assuming when he tries to recruit another XYZ next year, he can say the same promise, hopefully which helps, and his word will not be questioned because he went back on it with Sam and Lykes. No? So as much as we mostly crave seeing these young guys play more, and play into ACC adequacy, it aint gonna happen while Coach L is here.