Philipe Ndong to Marquette

[The Sultan]

With 15 roster spots, every single player brought in should have a "clear, defined role?!" So, just have an 8-9 player roster?

Shaka should not ditch recruiting high school players. That'd be awful. He also should continue hitting the portal. Which means most of the freshman he recruits will not be coming in with a spot in the rotation. Players retained and added in the portal will make up a large majority of the rotation. Freshman should hopefully develop into those retained players who fit into the rotation in future years.

He obviously should not ditch recruiting high school students. But offering a project in September when you have 12 more months to put together next year's team, feels like a relic in this era of roster building.

Obviously would love to be proven wrong.

[wadesworld]

I guess it depends on how a "project" is defined. He pretty clearly isn't going to come in and start day 1. Again, not every guy you bring into the program is going to with a 15 man roster.

He clearly needs to add weight. Most 17 year olds will need to to be ready for Big East basketball.

But just because Adam Finklestein made one comment about it doesn't mean he should be compared to Josh Clark and Caedin Hamilton, or even Amadou or Keeyan.

First, the games are not remotely similar. Second, yes one site has him ranked 144. But composite scores put him in the low 90s. Nigel James was 89. That "project" has worked out okay.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Rivals Jamie Shaw report from July 10


4-star F Philipe Ndong (2027) had perhaps the performance of the day in his second game of the Under Armour Next Live period. The 6-foot-10 forward is thin, but he is a fluid mover. He knocked down multiple threes, both off movement and off the bounce. He also attacked the basket from the wing. The Rivals four-star will need strength and to continue to streamline his game, but the upside here is massive. Marquette's Shaka Smart was in to watch as he finished with a game-high 16 points on three threes in the Middlesex Magic win. He is Rivals' No. 95 overall player in 2027  

Is he 6'8" or 6'10"?

[Uncle Rico]

Is he 6'8" or 6'10"?

6'9"

[GoldenEagles03]

Is he 6'8" or 6'10"?

Probably

[Stretchdeltsig]

My mark reported 6'10".

[Uncle Rico]

My mark reported 6'10".

6' 9"

[Mu8891]

Probably 6' 7"

[Uncle Rico]

Probably 6' 7"

6'9"

[MU82]

But this program clearly isn't comfortable running guys off even when it's clear they aren't HM players.

brew: Didn't this program "run off" Lowery, Norman and Jones earlier this year and replace them on the roster with better players from the transfer portal?

Don't you think some of the likely-not-good-enough players you mentioned could be similarly run off next year to accommodate better players from the portal?

[JTJ3]

brew: Didn't this program "run off" Lowery, Norman and Jones earlier this year and replace them on the roster with better players from the transfer portal?

Don't you think some of the likely-not-good-enough players you mentioned could be similarly run off next year to accommodate better players from the portal?

Sean Jones and Tre were told they didnt have spots anymore back in like February.  Im not worried about the staff not doing the same to some bench guys who dont develop this year and going forward.

[MU82]

Sean Jones and Tre were told they didnt have spots anymore back in like February.  Im not worried about the staff not doing the same to some bench guys who dont develop this year and going forward.

Yup. I'm not certain Shaka will do it again because who knows ... but the precedent certainly seemed to have been set this past season.

[brewcity77]

brew: Didn't this program "run off" Lowery, Norman and Jones earlier this year and replace them on the roster with better players from the transfer portal?

Don't you think some of the likely-not-good-enough players you mentioned could be similarly run off next year to accommodate better players from the portal?

Lowery left on his own. Norman & Jones, yes. But it was the bare minimum they had to do. They didn't have the stomach to tell either big to move on and weren't willing to pivot to add another big when Sheek left.

They picked at the bandaid, but when it started to sting, they refused to pull it all the way off.