2025 Transfer Portal

[Zog from Margo]

If you're saying Dickinson is part of a poorly constructed roster, I agree with that. If you're saying that the same roster would fare better with some replacement-level guy in there instead, that's got "Are the Cowboys better without Dak?" vibes.

Kansas' issues, IMO, seem to revolve around a large number of recruiting misses and a group of players that don't play well together.

As Shaka has said, culture is important. Wojo was not great at recruiting guys who fit a culture. The Hausers and Howard had a falling out, UNC players were not upset when Garcia left, Aidoo went for the money, etc. Ironically, in Kam and Stevie he got guys who were cultural fits for Shaka. They likely wouldn't have experienced anywhere near their current level of success under Wojo.

Shaka's also said that loyalty is a two-way street and coaches tend to be hypocrites in that regard. If you want the player to stick it out at MU, then you have to be willing to stick it out with the player.

It seems like the biggest criticism about Shaka is that people want MU to be UConn and they see the portal as an easy path that has no risk. That's not the case.

No coach is perfect, but Shaka is the best coach MU has had in many years.

[Pakuni]

I disagree with your premise.  I watched 20ish IU games this season.  IU was at their worst when Woodson played Ballo and Reneau together.  Both operated the best in the same space.  And neither could guard in the perimeter.  Think a combination of Theo/Garcia and Otule/Gardner.  IU was at their best with one on the bench playing 4 out. Since ultimately IU missed the tourney and Woodson is out, I am comfortable saying Ballo did not make IU better.

What you're describing is a coaching problem, not a player problem. And I'm not sure why you'd want your 7-foot, 265-pound center guarding the perimeter.

Anyhow, Ballo led the team in win shares, win shares per 40, offensive win shares, defensive win shares, player efficiency rating, minutes played and points produced. But Indiana would have been a better team without him?

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

It's not that I oppose transfers, or think Shaka can do no wrong.  I would have been glad if Shaka had added a PG this year for depth. Especially with Sean Jones out with injury, we could have used one.

But I can also understand Shaka's viewpoint based on what Shaka's saying in interviews, and what our recruits are saying in interviews. Regardless of my own personal opinion, I mostly know what Shaka's going to do. And that's focus on HS recruiting, retention, and development. If Shaka goes to the portal, he will be very selective.

Sometimes Shaka's approach will yield a breakout star, like Tyler or Oso.  Other times will yield solid starters that aren't quite stars, like Stevie or Chase. And sometimes players won't develop like we all hope they do. Such is the nature of college basketball.

Plus, there's a lot of confirmation bias with the portal. The pro portal crowd will cite any successful team with a transfer, but ignore the teams that use the portal and fail. They point to transfers as a simple solution for Marquette's ails.  Just know the portal can be hit or miss just as much as Shaka's approach.

[Pakuni]

So you don't think a team with a poorly constructed roster might be better with someone else on that roster?

I don't think you improve your roster construction by removing your best player. Seems like a better idea is to surround your best player(s) with complementary pieces.
We all recognized Wojo was bad at roster construction. Only the dolts here suggested the problem was having Markus Howard on the team.

[The Sultan]

I don't think you improve your roster construction by removing your best player. Seems like a better idea is to surround your best player(s) with complementary pieces.
We all recognized Wojo was bad at roster construction. Only the dolts here suggested the problem was having Markus Howard on the team.

I guess. If Hunter Dickinson is your best player, I guess you have bigger problems than roster construction.

[Pakuni]

I guess. If Hunter Dickinson is your best player, I guess you have bigger problems than roster construction.

He's no Ben Gold, but he is a two-time consensus All-American and four-time first-team all-conference, with a career 17.4 ppg and 9.0 rpg.
You could do worse.

[tower912]

What you're describing is a coaching problem, not a player problem. And I'm not sure why you'd want your 7-foot, 265-pound center guarding the perimeter.

Anyhow, Ballo led the team in win shares, win shares per 40, offensive win shares, defensive win shares, player efficiency rating, minutes played and points produced. But Indiana would have been a better team without him?

In his 6th year of college at his third school getting a reported cool $1 million, his school did not make the tournament and his coach is gone.  Not worth the investment.

[Zog from Margo]

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/ncaa-tournament/2025/03/21/marquette-transfer-portal-shaka-smart/82589640007/

[The Sultan]

He's no Ben Gold, but he is a two-time consensus All-American and four-time first-team all-conference, with a career 17.4 ppg and 9.0 rpg.
You could do worse.

Of course you could do worse. You could also do a lot better. And Self and Kansas have.

[MurphysTillClose]

He's no Ben Gold, but he is a two-time consensus All-American and four-time first-team all-conference, with a career 17.4 ppg and 9.0 rpg.
You could do worse.

He'll be great on the Shanghai Sharks

[Pakuni]

In his 6th year of college at his third school getting a reported cool $1 million, his school did not make the tournament and his coach is gone.  Not worth the investment.

You're shifting the goalposts, tower.

[The Sultan]

You're shifting the goalposts, tower.

No he isn't. He literally has made the same point three times.

[tower912]

Not at all.  My point is, and always has been in this thread, that whenever someone talks about aircraft carriers and bag drops, I will think about Dickinson and Ballo.  I am of the opinion that these two were not worth it.
  A better argument against mine would be Ejiofor, as he went from 11 minutes per game last season and grew into a beast this season.

[forgetful]

Not at all.  My point is, and always has been in this thread, that whenever someone talks about aircraft carriers and bag drops, I will think about Dickinson and Ballo.  I am of the opinion that these two were not worth it.
  A better argument against mine would be Ejiofor, as he went from 11 minutes per game last season and grew into a beast this season.

The argument against Dickinson and Gallo, and for Ejiofor comes down to team culture.

Shaka has had success because he recruits to his culture. I'm certain that if a player was available in the Portal, that he and the team thought was a good fit to their culture, they'd pursue them.

But they aren't going to take someone because it fits a perceived hole in the roster. A round hole filled with a square peg does not a good fit make.

[Pakuni]

No he isn't. He literally has made the same point three times.

He went from suggesting that IU and KU weren't better teams because of Ballo and Dickinson to making some ROI argument based on a coach getting fired.
Whether they were worth the investment is pretty subjective, but a fair argument. It's hard to argue (though I'm sure some will try) that Kansas and Indiana would have been better teams this year without those players.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Not at all.  My point is, and always has been in this thread, that whenever someone talks about aircraft carriers and bag drops, I will think about Dickinson and Ballo.  I am of the opinion that these two were not worth it.
  A better argument against mine would be Ejiofor, as he went from 11 minutes per game last season and grew into a beast this season.

Interesting that the guy who left Kansas two years ago is winning more than the high profile transfer they added.

Or the guy who left Wisconsin for Kansas being outperformed by player that missed almost the entire year at Mizzou and previously was far from a superstar at Colorado State.

[wadesworld]

Are you the under the mistaken impression that KU would have been better without Dickinson or IU would have been better without Ballo?

Guessing Kansas has Ejifor if Dickinson never shows up. So I'd say a resounding yes to that.

[BCHoopster]

Looking at the roster next year, I do not see one consistent scorer on this team, so with 2000 kids in the portal you should be able to find one, hopefully a grad transfer, so he can use 3 scholarships the next year.  But Shaka is very committed to what he is doing so I doubt it

[RJax55]

Interesting that the guy who left Kansas two years ago is winning more than the high profile transfer they added.

Or the guy who left Wisconsin for Kansas being outperformed by player that missed almost the entire year at Mizzou and previously was far from a superstar at Colorado State.

Yep. It is not as straightforward as add some talent in the portal and boom problem solved.

Anyway, many of the voices complaining about Shaka's strategy would be bitching the other way if Shaka was in the portal and then struggling to retain guys year over year. Even with the exact same results. Some people live to complain.

[jfp61]

Guessing Kansas has Ejifor if Dickinson never shows up. So I'd say a resounding yes to that.

I am not a Dickinson fan. But literally every other player on that team was a bigger issue than him.

[tower912]

Yep. It is not as straightforward as add some talent in the portal and boom problem solved.

Any more than it is a guarantee every player that signs with MU ends up in the NBA.  To choose, to not choose, regardless, there is risk.

If MU had 4 players transfer out this spring and Shaka was forced to go to the portal, would that be a guarantee that the 25-26 team would be better than it would be if everybody stayed?

[wadesworld]

I am not a Dickinson fan. But literally every other player on that team was a bigger issue than him.

Nobody who has Hunter Dickinson on the defensive end is winning anything important. And one of their other problems is AJ Storr stinks. Another transfer.

Kansas won the portal the last 2 years, and as a result was ranked 1 in the preseason poll both years. And Self has had his 2 worst seasons of his Kansas career.

[BCHoopster]

Any more than it is a guarantee every player that signs with MU ends up in the NBA.  To choose, to not choose, regardless, there is risk.

If MU had 4 players transfer out this spring and Shaka was forced to go to the portal, would that be a guarantee that the 25-26 team would be better than it would be if everybody stayed?

If you lost Norman, Amadou and Hamilton, you for sure can find 3 better players easily!

[The Sultan]

If you lost Norman, Amadou and Hamilton, you for sure can find 3 better players easily!

Not really the point, but OK.

[tower912]

If you lost Norman, Amadou and Hamilton, you for sure can find 3 better players easily!

But could you find players who would look at the rest of the roster and then come to MU with no bag drop and no guarantee of playing time?