2025 Transfer Portal

[Scoop Snoop]

I think we are being a bit hyperbolic here. What if a Robert Jackson-type was available for a year with Shaka thinking that he could do a Gold, Jackson, Parham type rotation. Who would decommit because of that? Would Clark or Hamilton really skip town? And if they did, would that just be another Keeyan or Emarion where in the end it was probably for the best?

I completely understand why Shaka shies away from the portal in general. But I don't think the entire structure of what he is building will fall down around him if he decides to fill a hole that way.

Hyperbole is a time-honored tradition on scoop.

A hole? Sure. But when the bar is lowered to "improving the team", anything goes. Big difference.

[BCHoopster]

Next year, you have 4 freshman coming in, then you have 4 kids that maybe are not up to this level, so that leaves 6 kids that are good but have some question marks?  How can you not want to add an experienced player?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Next year, you have 4 freshman coming in, then you have 4 kids that maybe are not up to this level, so that leaves 6 kids that are good but have some question marks?  How can you not want to add an experienced player?

Show your math

[MuMark]

I'm old enough to remember when Stevie Mitchell didn't start and played 10 minutes a game as a freshman and averaged 2.8 points

The next season he started every game for a team that won the big east and earned a 2 seed.

Omax averaged 9 minutes a game at Clemson as a frosh and scored 2.5 points a game.....Shaka recruited him anyway.

Sophomore season.....6.6 points a game

Junior season.........12.5 .....first round pick.

[tower912]

I'm old enough to remember when Stevie Mitchell didn't start and played 10 minutes a game as a freshman and averaged 2.8 points

The next season he started every game for a team that won the big east and earned a 2 seed.

Omax averaged 9 minutes a game at Clemson as a frost and scored 2.5 points a game.....Shaka recruited him anyway.

Sophomore season.....6.6 points a game

Junior season.........12.5 .....first round pick.

You neglected to mention what Oso and Kam were like as freshmen.

[MuMark]

You neglected to mention what Oso and Kam were like as freshmen.

Ok.....Kam was a one dimensional chucker who could shoot but showed not much else.......

Oso played so little and then got hurt that  I looked for his picture on the milk carton when I went to the grocery store.

I was trying to be succinct but you talked me out of it.......

[tower912]

Thank you.

[Jockey]

Hyperbole is a time-honored tradition on scoop.

A hole? Sure. But when the bar is lowered to "improving the team", anything goes. Big difference.

You called sultan an a hole?

[DoctorV]

Golden Eagles notes Big South Frosh of the Year, Mister Dean of USU Upsate.

Make your calls on who you want here or shut up next year about the roster

Cooper Flagg

[Newsdreams]

I'm old enough to remember when Stevie Mitchell didn't start and played 10 minutes a game as a freshman and averaged 2.8 points

The next season he started every game for a team that won the big east and earned a 2 seed.

Omax averaged 9 minutes a game at Clemson as a frosh and scored 2.5 points a game.....Shaka recruited him anyway.

Sophomore season.....6.6 points a game

Junior season.........12.5 .....first round pick.

Facts are no fun, alternative facts are the thing now.

[Shooter McGavin]

The problem is the sophomore class doesn't fit into the Stevie, Joplin and Kam development scenarios.  Maybe Zaide?   But he seems to have freshman averages not sophomore Stevie, Kam, Joplin averages.  Tre much much worse.  Al, hasn't even played. These are apples and oranges comparisons.

Royce has a freshman year comparison that is legit.  Owens maybe. 

MU seems to be a stage behind in similar development with the new guys.  Oso may fit the bill for this sophomore group. 

Can we expect the same level of development.  Are these players as good as Stevie, Jop and Kam?  TBD.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

The problem is the sophomore class doesn't fit into the Stevie, Joplin and Kam development scenarios.  Maybe Zaide?   But he seems to have freshman averages not sophomore Stevie, Kam, Joplin averages.  Tre much much worse.  Al, hasn't even played. These are apples and oranges comparisons.

Royce has a freshman year comparison that is legit.  Owens maybe. 

MU seems to be a stage behind in similar development with the new guys.  Oso may fit the bill for this sophomore group. 

Can we expect the same level of development.  Are these players as good as Stevie, Jop and Kam?  TBD.

Our leading returning scorer going into the 22-23 season was Kam at 7.4 followed by TK at 6.7 and OMax at 6.6.

Let's not alter history regarding the uncertainty of what we had going into that season.

As of today Chase is at 10.6, Ben at 7.5 and Royce at 5.3. I get that PG is a question mark right now but history shows these guys plus Zaide and Owens will likely step up.

[Shooter McGavin]

I want that to be true.  And I hope you are right.  Just seems they are all one year behind the last developmental curve. 

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I want that to be true.  And I hope you are right.  Just seems they are all one year behind the last developmental curve. 

Just my opinion but I don't think it works like that. Development isn't always linear.

[Newsdreams]

I want that to be true.  And I hope you are right.  Just seems they are all one year behind the last developmental curve. 

LOL

[Shooter McGavin]

LOL

LOL

[Small Orange Soda]

I understand not wanting to recruit over guys already in the program, but when guys don't pan out and either transfer to a lower level (Itejere) or apparently change positions and have to unexpectedly RS (Amadou), the benefit of the portal is that you can try and go out and replace those guys with players who are at the level you anticipated the aforementioned to be at when constructing the roster. We've got a thin frontcourt with the two backups being a true freshman and a redshirt project freshman because we didn't. I'd rather hit the portal in those situations than hit the reset button with a HS recruit because then you have an experience gap.

[muwarrior69]

With the roster now expanded to 15, one or even two transfers couldn't hurt and would not send the wrong message to existing players. Might even light a fire under players who want more playing time.

NIL is here to stay, and the bidding wars have only just begun.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I understand not wanting to recruit over guys already in the program, but when guys don't pan out and either transfer to a lower level (Itejere) or apparently change positions and have to unexpectedly RS (Amadou), the benefit of the portal is that you can try and go out and replace those guys with players who are at the level you anticipated the aforementioned to be at when constructing the roster. We've got a thin frontcourt with the two backups being a true freshman and a redshirt project freshman because we didn't. I'd rather hit the portal in those situations than hit the reset button with a HS recruit because then you have an experience gap.

It's not about replacing an Amadou. Do you really think having modest upgrades on the bench for Norman and Hamilton would have made much difference?

And again, doing so would make Shaka look disingenuous to the rest of the team.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

With the roster now expanded to 15, one or even two transfers couldn't hurt and would not send the wrong message to existing players. Might even light a fire under players who want more playing time.

NIL is here to stay, and the bidding wars have only just begun.

The roster expansion also gives you the opportunity to redshirt a guy like Amadou and take a flyer on a guy like Clark. So Shaka is using that extra flexibility there instead of on transfers.

[Captain Quette]

You take a transfer or two when you have recruits not panning out or not developing (it doesn'ttake multi years to figure this out). Fill in the misses with proven D1 players, this doesn't destroy our culture. Still have 90% of the team, home grown recruits. I am ok calling a recruit a miss and bringing in new players at the expense of losing some culture. The goal is to win and if we need a portaler or two to do it, let it be. Our program, is high level D1, nit interested in finishing 5th in BE and feeling good because we didn't use any transfers. Just upgrade the talent on the roster. The other stuff will work itself out. Lastly, watching Norman and Hamilton, cannot say how much they look like MAC players. Hope my instincts are wrong.

[tower912]

Unless there are unexpected departures (multiple), I do not see Shaka bringing in any players from the portal.  14 scholarships spoken for.  With only 2 2026 guaranteed departures, I think they pocket the last scholarship in order to have a 3 player recruiting class in 2026.

[The Sultan]

Unless there are unexpected departures (multiple), I do not see Shaka bringing in any players from the portal.  14 scholarships spoken for.  With only 2 2026 guaranteed departures, I think they pocket the last scholarship in order to have a 3 player recruiting class in 2026.

While I agree with your conclusion, I would not be opposed to a one year big however.

[tower912]

Oso still has his COVID year.

[Small Orange Soda]

It's not about replacing an Amadou.

Why not? We were supposed to have a frontcourt player with a year of experience off the bench in Amadou. We don't.

Do you really think having modest upgrades on the bench for Norman and Hamilton would have made much difference?

It doesn't seem like the plan was for Sean to redshirt. Had Shaka known, might he have been more aggressive in the portal? Maybe. Could they have made a difference? Maybe. We don't know for sure. Again, we don't have a backup big with experience. I don't see how one could just dismiss the possibility of that helping.

And again, doing so would make Shaka look disingenuous to the rest of the team.

Why? We're talking about backups. The guys in front of them didn't graduate, they got hurt and/or didn't pan out. Their position on the depth chart wouldn't change, just the guy in front of them would. Disingenuous would be recruiting over a guy like Zaide who's in line to start next year.