2026 Transfer Portal

[Jay Bee]

I'm speculating a team paid big money for a redshirt 18 year old who hasn't played a second of college basketball as if he's a proven stud. Tough to believe he transfered for slightly higher offer.

No. He was worried about minutes next year bc others were staying, including the teacher's favorite.

A nice year this year - be it at a HM or MM - would help his $$$ in 2027-28. Worried about sitting while 18 plays, it becomes looking forward, not just 2026-27.

There's no illegal tampering monster $$$ waiting for him. He just saw what a couple of us saw as the disappointing reality.

[Uncle Rico]

No. He was worried about minutes next year bc others were staying, including the teacher's favorite.

A nice year this year - be it at a HM or MM - would help his $$$ in 2027-28. Worried about sitting while 18 plays, it becomes looking forward, not just 2026-27.

There's no illegal tampering monster $$$ waiting for him. He just saw what a couple of us saw as the disappointing reality.

Bingo.  Coaches don't tamper because that would be breaking the rules and the NCAA doesn't allow it.  Way too risky, imo.

I could see it as the season went along, Hamilton was getting more and more minutes each game.  It's bleak city for a kid like Pearson knowing he'd be riding pine.

[jfp61]

Not much of an advertisement for RGV if, after a year in the program, a top 50 recruit is still an additional 2-3 years from being good.

Never was truly a top 50 recruit.

If we're being honest he was about the 170th best freshman the year he decided to come out. And bigs take longer to develop.

[wadesworld]

If the theory is that Sheek got a better offer, then did carrying (read: paying) multiple players who won't play affect MU's ability to match?

This is like when Scoopers thought Sean and Tre wouldn't leave because they get paid too much.

[wadesworld]

its possible i guess. ive heard people on here MU pay is based on class not just performance. Still..... hard to belive 18 is getting paid so much that it would prevent MU from paying a bit more to keep sheek. Whomever is dropping a bag to get sheek is taking quite a gamble.

Yeah, people think Shaka is now using the portal but not changing how players are paid.

If they think we kept Nigel and signed Fru while paying Caedin more money than those two, well...

[wadesworld]

Never was truly a top 50 recruit.

If we're being honest he was about the 170th best freshman the year he decided to come out. And bigs take longer to develop.

He was 63 at 247 and 66 at ESPN before he reclassified.

[Uncle Rico]

He was 63 at 247 and 66 at ESPN before he reclassified.

Yeah, the idea that he isn't a good player all of a sudden is absurd.  He would have been a valuable member of this team this upcoming season.  No one was saying he was the next Don Kojis but he could have given them good minutes.

[wadesworld]

Yeah, the idea that he isn't a good player all of a sudden is absurd.  He would have been a valuable member of this team this upcoming season.  No one was saying he was the next Don Kojis but he could have given them good minutes.

And he's the exact type of big Shaka put in the NBA over and over at Texas (plus Oso). Hope it works out for Sheek because I'm confident Shaka could've developed him like he did Oso.

[muwarrior69]

Get use to it.  This is the new world.  More than likely to have one like this, if not more on a yearly basis. 

Time for the staff to put on there big boy pants and get to work.

Wisblue and Johnny hit it on the head

Well if it's always raining this is a cloud burst. You're right, Wisblue and Johnny hit it on the head. Time will tell if Marquette has the resources to compete at the high D1 level. Let's see who they get to replace Sheek, but holding onto Hamilton and Clark and letting Sheek go is not an encouraging sign going forward.

[Uncle Rico]

Well if it's always raining this is a cloud burst. You're right, Wisblue and Johnny hit it on the head. Time will tell if Marquette has the resources to compete at the high D1 level. Let's see who they get to replace Sheek, but holding onto Hamilton and Clark and letting Sheek go is not an encouraging sign going forward.

⛈️

[Markusquette]

Timing is a bit odd. Sheek leaves last minute and MU officially announces their transfers beforehand. Did Shaka and co. have a clue it was happening? Will they go back and look for a replacement despite intending to be done with the portal?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Well if it's always raining this is a cloud burst. You're right, Wisblue and Johnny hit it on the head. Time will tell if Marquette has the resources to compete at the high D1 level. Let's see who they get to replace Sheek, but holding onto Hamilton and Clark and letting Sheek go is not an encouraging sign going forward.

They did not choose Hamilton and Clark over Sheek.

They did not let go of Sheek. He chose to leave.

Why is this so f'n complicated for some of you?

[Galway Eagle]

They're not. So we got Caedin. One of the worst players in the Big East. But Shaka thinks he's the best defender on the team.

Right I'm as upset as you that caedins back in the primary rotation but unless shaka knew that Sheek was going to transfer (highly doubtful) it sounds like you're saying we should've wasted a scholarship recruiting a 5th center and I'm just not understanding that logic because by your own admission people aren't exactly lining up to be center option number 3.

[Pakuni]

This is like when Scoopers thought Sean and Tre wouldn't leave because they get paid too much.

No, it's nothing like that at all.
If MU couldn't match a better offer for Sheek - which some here are sure is the reason he left - it means the staff either lacked the resources to do so or decided they could manage without him.
If it's the latter ... gross.
If it's the former ... maybe don't spend money on multiple scholarship players who never see the court and you might have more available for those who do.

[Uncle Rico]

They did not choose Hamilton and Clark over Sheek.

They did not let go of Sheek. He chose to leave.

Why is this so f'n complicated for some of you?

I think worrier is correct.  It was clearly an either or situation and Marquette chose Clark and Hamilton because:

A. They were cheaper

B. RVG only applied to those two and not Sheek

C. The Big East is doomed

[Uncle Rico]

No, it's nothing like that at all.
If MU couldn't match a better offer for Sheek - which some here are sure is the reason he left - it means the staff either lacked the resources to do so or decided they could manage without him.
If it's the latter ... gross.
If it's the former ... maybe don't spend money on multiple scholarship players who never see the court and you might have more available for those who do.

Or, Sheek is getting a number that exceeds what everyone else on the roster is getting.

[panda]

There are a lot of folks here speaking definitively with what happened. So what happened?

[Pakuni]

Nope

Then why didn't MU match?
Weird to develop a kid as a redshirt for a year then let him walk out the door without trying to retain him.
Is he so bad that the staff feels comfortable going into another season with Hamilton and/or Clark as a major part of the rotation?

[Uncle Rico]

There are a lot of folks here speaking definitively with what happened. So what happened?

Getting a bigger bag from a school that pivoted to him after losing an expected transfer to another school.

[TallTitan34]

Then why didn't MU match?

Or, Sheek is getting a number that exceeds what everyone else on the roster is getting.

[Shooter McGavin]

Don't redshirt players, wasted a years worth of resources on this kid

Yep.  Players/agents are going to take the largest sum of money possible as soon as they can.  Developing talent for other teams is not smart.  Might as well get as much out of them as possible while they are on your roster. 

Might have been interesting to see Sheek play last year.  If he had performed moderately well he may have had more buy in, gotten a better offer from MU after the season and his parents may have had more buy in.  As it stands, "thanks for paying us to train our kid".

[Uncle Rico]

Then why didn't MU match?
Weird to develop a kid as a redshirt for a year then let him walk out the door without trying to retain him.
Is he so bad that the staff feels comfortable going into another season with Hamilton and/or Clark as a major part of the rotation?

If it's a number they weren't comfortable with and exceeded what others on the roster were getting, they chose to let him walk.

[Pakuni]

Or, Sheek is getting a number that exceeds what everyone else on the roster is getting.

Someone is dropping $2-3 million on a player that I've just been told wasn't even a top 50 recruit and won't be good for another 2-3 years?
That feels like cope.

[Scoop Snoop]

They did not choose Hamilton and Clark over Sheek.

They did not let go of Sheek. He chose to leave.

Why is this so f'n complicated for some of you?

FIFY. (But yes, he is not alone). Muwarriors 69 is just being himself. He LOVES the "cloudburst" and I think was really hoping for a hurricane. Willie also has weighed in with his take this morning.

[The Sultan]

No, it's nothing like that at all.
If MU couldn't match a better offer for Sheek - which some here are sure is the reason he left - it means the staff either lacked the resources to do so or decided they could manage without him.
If it's the latter ... gross.
If it's the former ... maybe don't spend money on multiple scholarship players who never see the court and you might have more available for those who do.

It's not that black and white. They had an agreement in place. Likely someone came in and offered a bunch more - an offer that Marquette wasn't willing to match, not because they don't have the money, but because it would screw up their whole compensation structure. So they said "good luck."