daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on May 2, 2024 18:21:06 GMT -5
I think if you land one of the aforementioned two guys, the group plus Williams is pretty good for a program that has has won 4 conference games out of its last 60. Arguably as good as anyone else in the BE. If it weren’t for decent NIL money do we even come close to a class with 3-4 of the best 120 options? Especially since many on this list are seeking to go to a place to win / make the tournament, which requires a leap of faith if you’re coming here. Now if this is it, then I agree it’s a bit underwhelming given the noise headed into the offseason. To me in the unlikely case we get Cliff then it’s an A grade. If it’s just Stewart it’s a A-/B+. You have to factor in the incoming class and it’s a delicate balance to not chase a one year kid and not alienate someone else. I do think some overplayed the fact we’d have a Kansas or Kentucky like budget, which we clearly don’t. But our class rivals most T25 caliber programs, and all our peers in the BE.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on May 1, 2024 7:18:07 GMT -5
Funny how they got a transfer commit from Miami within 24 hours of putting his name in the portal. Surely he didn’t contact him prior? According to a Google search, Joseph entered the portal on March 18th and committed to PC on April 5th. This isn't to say English didn't tamper but your timeline seems to be off by a lot. Apologies. I should have googled myself to confirm. Maybe I’m confusing this with one of their other transfers? I swore one of them was literally immediate? Could be wrong / relying on shaky twitter intel.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on May 1, 2024 7:02:03 GMT -5
Is this real? I need a translator He's whining about tampering, acting like he owns Bryce Hopkins, probably complained to the conference. An assistant Big East Conference Commissioner replied (and then deleted) a response to this post, with a "That will suffice" telling him to knock it off. Funny how they got a transfer commit from Miami within 24 hours of putting his name in the portal. Surely he didn’t contact him prior?
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on May 1, 2024 7:00:47 GMT -5
I’d assume news begins to flood the twittersphere later tonight as the portal closes?
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 29, 2024 18:33:00 GMT -5
Not saying I expect Stewart (even if he were to come) to turn into Bryce Hopkins, nor are the skill sets exactly the same, but the similarities are there: Measurables: Stewart (6’9”, 227) / Hopkins (6’7”, 220) 247 HS Rank & Grade: Stewart (22, 97) / Hopkins (44, 96) Freshman MPG: Stewart (8.4) / Hopkins (6.4) Freshman PPG: Stewart (2.6) / Hopkins (2.1) Freshman RPG: Stewart (3.2) / Hopkins (1.4) Perhaps Cooley can sell his experience developing Hopkins after a less than fulfilling first season at a Blue Blood. I think it’s certainly a risk worth taking for both sides. We can definitely land the kid, that's not really the question. And he has some talent and is a nice piece in college as a 6'8" athletic rim-runner. The question is do you upset the apple cart with Fielder and Sorber to bring in Stewart. And why bring in somebody like Stewart whose skills are very duplicative with Fielder/Sorber while continuing to have a hole in the "true 5" category? We would have no shot blocking rim presence defensively on the roster. We also wouldn't have much girth inside, we'd likely get killed on the boards. I'm a hard pass on Stewart unless there are other Hoya departures expected prior to the portal deadline. Fair point. Right now I’m all about acquiring talent. Nothing is given with Fielder or Sorber. I also don’t think getting Stewart precludes you from getting a traditional 5 either.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 29, 2024 17:58:59 GMT -5
Not saying I expect Stewart (even if he were to come) to turn into Bryce Hopkins, nor are the skill sets exactly the same, but the similarities are there:
Measurables: Stewart (6’9”, 227) / Hopkins (6’7”, 220) 247 HS Rank & Grade: Stewart (22, 97) / Hopkins (44, 96) Freshman MPG: Stewart (8.4) / Hopkins (6.4) Freshman PPG: Stewart (2.6) / Hopkins (2.1) Freshman RPG: Stewart (3.2) / Hopkins (1.4)
Perhaps Cooley can sell his experience developing Hopkins after a less than fulfilling first season at a Blue Blood. I think it’s certainly a risk worth taking for both sides.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 24, 2024 15:20:05 GMT -5
Wonder what was in play with the timing here. Did he want to stay if we didn't land another big? Or did he see the demand for bigs elsewhere and thought he could fetch more $ elsewhere? Can never know his effort, as someone who goes back to following him from his Fairfield days. I wish him well and hope he lands in a spot where his talents can be best used. I hope for the Hoyas' sake that a replacement is en route and/or the staff wasn't taken off guard by this. He graduated from Fairfield right Dave? Well wishes to the young man, maybe Seton Hall would be a decent landing spot for a bruiser like Cook. No he left with one year of eligibility remaining I believe. I'm assuming he's graduating from GU this May? Then using a grad year elsewhere...
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 24, 2024 13:40:08 GMT -5
Wonder what was in play with the timing here. Did he want to stay if we didn't land another big? Or did he see the demand for bigs elsewhere and thought he could fetch more $ elsewhere?
Can never know his effort, as someone who goes back to following him from his Fairfield days. I wish him well and hope he lands in a spot where his talents can be best used. I hope for the Hoyas' sake that a replacement is en route and/or the staff wasn't taken off guard by this.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 23, 2024 9:36:01 GMT -5
Guy is looking for the highest bidder and is asking for a small fortune. Wouldn't say we're out - but I'd also be surprised if he ended up at GU. Probably a pretty good strategy for a kid who likely is a good college player and needs to cash in. Maybe our price & opportunity is right but if not, I am sure we are pursuing a few other avenues. The era of money ball is officially here. Hope the staff is not holding out and not pivoting to other targets. It’s a tough game to play, but think they can’t hold out in my opinion.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 22, 2024 20:11:23 GMT -5
Cliff setting up visits with Alabama and KSU. Safe to say we are probably out of the running here unfortunately…
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 21, 2024 17:38:33 GMT -5
I'm not really sure what you expect for someone who will be 11-13 in your rotation and probably your 5 guard. He showed promise in HS and had a good % beyond the arc at least his junior year. He has size for a guard which is always a plus. That's fine if he is the 11-13 man on this team I have absolutely no issue with the pickup... To be clear our 11th man last year was Austin Montgomery who averaged 2 minutes a game over 9 games played... Williams was the 7th man at Louisville averaging 18 minutes a game and started 4 of their 32 games (which he appeared in all of them) If Cooley has convinced/told a former top 100 kid he is fighting Montgomery for scrap minutes in blowouts then I am totally onboard... My guess is his playing time / role is something between Bristol and Bacote. I think 4th guard with a chance for more less playing time depending the game and/or how Mulready is contributing (or not contributing).
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 21, 2024 12:56:21 GMT -5
247sports.com/Season/2024-Basketball/OverallTeamRankings/This combines freshmen and transfer incoming players. Some pretty good company, and best in the conference, despite a 4-55 record the last 3 seasons. #12 UNC #13 Georgetown#14 Purdue Other BE Teams in Top 50: #24 UConn #32 Creighton #34 Villanova #41 Xavier #48 Providence Landing Cliff would put us at #6! For reference, last year (which many of us were content with it at the time) we were #45. So this certainly is another level. If this thing ever gets going, it can open the floodgates.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 21, 2024 5:56:44 GMT -5
247sports.com/Season/2024-Basketball/OverallTeamRankings/This combines freshmen and transfer incoming players. Some pretty good company, and best in the conference, despite a 4-55 record the last 3 seasons. #12 UNC #13 Georgetown#14 Purdue Other BE Teams in Top 50: #24 UConn #32 Creighton #34 Villanova #41 Xavier #48 Providence Landing Cliff would put us at #6! For reference, last year (which many of us were content with it at the time) we were #45. So this certainly is another level.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 20, 2024 21:56:15 GMT -5
It all just depends what the other reasonable options were. A shooter was an area of clear need. If we didn't have a good read on a top tier shooter, this makes perfect sense. A still young player, with size, that reputationally can shoot, likely didn't require much NIL, and doesn't scare off any of our current players. In some sense, this is an example of the staff perhaps learning from last year and locking in what may be a good growth option rather than swinging for the fences and getting left with really bad options ^^^ This. Any proven commodity is not going to be attracted to this situation given Mack and Epp’s role and Mulready waiting in the wings. As a bench piece with upside potential, let’s hope we can catch lightning in a bottle. If not, low risk add that didn’t pan out.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 20, 2024 21:53:08 GMT -5
Why not add a Top 100 talent? One who will make defenses guard on the perimeter. And yes I know his % wasn’t stellar last year, but he had multiple games with 4+ makes. This strikes me as a typical Cooley PC kid who flourishes after an inauspicious start elsewhere. Take all the talent we can get here and hope to strike gold (a la Devin Carter or Tyler Kolek) taking a flier. I guess I don't argue w/the "talent" aspect but yes he was a top 125 kid that was let's be honest dreadful... This is not meant to be a shot at you Dave but not stellar is being kind...he shot 31% from the floor and 28% from 3 and seemed to fall out of favor on an awful Louisville team... We do need shooters so agree he possibly fills a need and maybe just needs a change of scenery but we better hope he finds that form he had only 40 rebounds and 20 assist all season...that's pretty one dimensional Personally I feel like there would have been better options still this early in the portal...hope I am wrong No offense taken. I can’t disagree with your points, but think he’s a low risk / high reward option for us. Not sure we are in position to attract a top sniper who wants 30 mins a game given Mack and Epps’ presence. Plus you have Mulready commanding minutes. I think as a bench piece with upside this is a worthy use of the spot to see if you can catch lightning in a bottle.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 20, 2024 21:29:31 GMT -5
Former Top 100 kid. In fact was once Top 30 early in his HS career. Finished 2nd for Mr Michigan his senior year. Capable 3 pt shooter (multiple games with 4+ makes last year) who played in every Louisville game last year as a freshman, and when he got minutes he generally produced.
As I said on the recruiting sub, he strikes me as a typical Cooley PC transfer, someone who maybe needed a change of scenery and is worth a flier on. I think at this point, a shot worth taking. Could be a 3 year player for us. I’d expect him to get a shot at 10-15 mins a game based on lineups.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 20, 2024 21:25:07 GMT -5
Curtis Williams just committed I don't get this look at all... Why not add a Top 100 talent? One who will make defenses guard on the perimeter. And yes I know his % wasn’t stellar last year, but he had multiple games with 4+ makes. This strikes me as a typical Cooley PC kid who flourishes after an inauspicious start elsewhere. Take all the talent we can get here and hope to strike gold (a la Devin Carter or Tyler Kolek) taking a flier.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 17, 2024 11:24:43 GMT -5
Perhaps Fielder can help fill the gap, but we lost our #2 (Heath) and #3 (Styles) and #4 (Ish) leaders in 3PTM from last year. Mack's freshmen stats (44-27) equate pretty similar to what Heath and Styles provided, which by no means is prolific. Peavy we know is not a shooter, nor would I expect any one of Sorber, McKenna, Mulready, or Williams to fill this void.
A Center / PF rim protector is an obvious need, but I think you have to get one more threat from deep (a la a Malinowski type) to round out this roster. And that commodity is probably easier (and less NIL $ required )to find than the rim protector. But I really hope the staff doesn't think we are done with perimeter players.
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 17, 2024 9:57:08 GMT -5
Beautiful to see the Mack commitment affirmed (seems like nothing is real in CBB until Tipton posts it). Obviously we are also in the hunt for a rim protector, with Cliff Omoruyi perhaps our top target. And we have a newfound alliance with Team Takeover, while hopefully achieving at least detente with Team Durant. Once we find a center, assuming nobody else breaks for the portal in the meantime—no guarantee of that, clearly—that would leave us with a roster of: Guards: Mack, Epps, Mulready, Guard TBD (Ben Hammond?) Wings: Peavy, McKenna, Fielder, Williams Bigs: Center TBD, Cook, Mutombo?? Where are the remaining gaps? [deleted, transfer speculation] If Cliff O turns down our NIL bag, what other big men could we target/are we targeting? Is Hammond the right fit assuming he’d want to stick with Kenny J? I am guessing you see 2 bigs and we leave one scholly open just in case. I think we need a little more shooting #hoyabaxa
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daveg023
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Post by daveg023 on Apr 17, 2024 9:50:06 GMT -5
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