I think that we all need to realize that graduate transfers have managed to accumulate their institution's equivalent of 180 units and have had an exposure to the "college experience". They are much better able to know what they want to be when they "grow up", as they basically have :-). Some grads will want to get admitted to a Stanford graduate program and get a degree from Stanford. Those players don't need "selling", and we have had several in other sports. There are others that would like to go to Stanford grad school but can't get in or Stanford doesn't have the program they want. Those students aren't coming because they basically can't.
There are also a whole lot of other students who don't much care if they get another degree and are just going to school to play more basketball and to have some fun along the way. The last thing they want is any kind of academically rigorous program and a "restrictive" social environment. They may want to make "contacts", but those contacts are more as internet influencers than venture capitalists. Stanford is not attractive to those in that situation, and nothing the coaches can say or do will change that. They have "been around" enough that you can't bamboozle them into thinking Stanford is the place for them, given their goals. That is just reality. Some years, we can get a few good grad transfers. Many other years, we can't. Just the nature of the beast.
There are also a whole lot of other students who don't much care if they get another degree and are just going to school to play more basketball and to have some fun along the way. The last thing they want is any kind of academically rigorous program and a "restrictive" social environment. They may want to make "contacts", but those contacts are more as internet influencers than venture capitalists. Stanford is not attractive to those in that situation, and nothing the coaches can say or do will change that. They have "been around" enough that you can't bamboozle them into thinking Stanford is the place for them, given their goals. That is just reality. Some years, we can get a few good grad transfers. Many other years, we can't. Just the nature of the beast.