Transfers in/out 2025-2026

[SchnitzelBoy]

The issue of eligibility is less important to me than experience. We need guys who have been there before. We need physically and emotionally mature hoopers who can navigate game situations. I also think we have so many young pieces that it suits us better to sign a senior that raises our floor/ceiling while not standing in the way of these good recruits long-term. Zaide was expected back for his senior season, he should be replaced with a senior. It helps with the flow of the roster + recruiting.

Caedin had a decent game, but I'm worried that he's starting to convince the staff that the center position isn't a portal priority... It absolutely should be.

[MU82]

On the other hand, it's apparent Shaka's plan was not to start two freshmen and a sophomore this year. Circumstances kind of forced his hand on that.

Non-top-50 freshmen are rarely expected to start for a P5 team coming off consecutive NCAA tournament appearances with most of its roster returning. James and Stevens were expected to be in the rotation right away, and they were.

The circumstance that led Stevens to start was him outplaying and/or outpracticing Lowery. The circumstance that led James to start was Jones' injury ... but there were Scoopers who were convinced that Jones would be handed his starting job back as soon as he was healthy because "Shaka is too loyal to older guys and doesn't start freshmen"; they were wrong. I don't know what Shaka was thinking when he didn't start Parham; that decision seems especially ridiculous.

[muwarrior69]

Shaka recruits over players all the time. This team starts two freshman and a sophomore. That doesn't happen if you don't recruit over upper classmen.

Not hard to do with our current senior and junior classes. Our current sophomore class with the exception of RP is nothing to sing home about either. The point is you shouldn't have to recruit over players, especially senior and juniors, as they should be performing at the high D1 level already.