lillurk

Guessing fashion stylist Dan Solomon, @dan.solomon_ on IG? He’s mentioned here: https://www.cnn.com/style/amp/nba-tunnel-walks-fashion-bof/index.html Certainly the type of guy who might be able to provide a little NIL$, or in-kind benefits of designer clothes?

Yep, the best UM football coverage site, mgoblog, wrote earlier this year that scholarship limits don’t matter at UM with respect to football, which obviously has more $ and many more rostered players. Now I’m not sure that’s true everywhere for football, at least not to the degree it’s true at UM. But surely that tells us something about whether it’s important. (and yeah — Cuffe wasn’t just pushed over the line based on Dickinson and/or Mgbako)

Yep, and even if you do the Isaiah Wong thing and end up staying, you can probably squeeze them for more with the threat

“I am not reclassifying.” https://247sports.com/Article/Top-5-junior-Flory-Bidunga-updates-his-recruitment-209325340/

Very quiet publicly on the Jordan Dingle front.

Any time a visit is unscheduled I get curious about whether it’s gonna happen or not. Always seemed like he’d take all 4 but for awhile the KU and UL ones weren’t scheduled; still not sure if the UL one has a date

Declared for the draft and I’ve heard credible rumors he’ll transfer for weeks. Good college player but not an impact pro. I’d heard him linked to Illinois but I don’t think he’s even in the portal yet

I’m as likely to point to stats as anyone but there’s something to be said for a player who plays hard, knows the scheme on both ends, and doesn’t make you pull your hair out. Especially a backup at the college level, sometimes that’s all you can ask. If Ware/Reneau play 70 or more of the 80 PF & C minutes in the biggest games, it’s alright for the backup 4 to be someone like that.

As of now it looks like he’d be their primary backup in the frontcourt. I’m a little surprised he didn’t end up somewhere with a more obvious starting spot open. Good luck to him.

I don’t really see anyone assuming CJ Gunn will even start next year, and that aside, CJ played 150 minutes total last year. Jordan has played almost 1000 minutes across three years at IU and is 25 months older than CJ. So…yes, seems reasonable to be more optimistic about the younger player than the one who is basically still the same player he was when he stepped on campus.

It’s easy to overrate depth but there’s something to be said for having guys who you can rely on when you need to. I think of this most recent Michigan team: capable frosh PG, big minute guys in Bufkin, Jett, Dickinson, and a massive hole at PF much of the year. Walker could’ve been the sort of guy who was the difference in a couple games and got them to the tournament.

Athletic 4, can bounce it and get to the tin. Willing jump shooter but not a good one. Very good in transition and a strong finisher (75% at the rim per Torvik’s play-by-play data). Capable defender, with the quickness to guard on the perimeter. Upped his block% to over 5% last year (Race Thompson territory). Two recent Rutgers PFs show up in player comps: Montez Mathis and Mawot Mag. He’s better than them off the dribble but I think those are fair for type.

Much like Sparks, clearly A Dude, as far as backups go. So: starting caliber dudes: X, Ware, Reneau, Trey reserve caliber dudes: Sparks, Walker probably dudes of some variety in ‘23-24: Gunn, Banks …and two spots to fill, with some strong prospects.

Relevant in re: Gunn’s shooting: https://johngasaway.com/2019/11/01/one-shooting-forecast-for-tre-jones-and-his-statistical-cohorts/

I think his “Indiana.gif” tweet was about this. Someone else was saying UL was a mess, and where did that come from. Not sure the source is Trilly but he said the same.

Trillydonovan said as much on Twitter, not sure if that’s @Ngw7183’s source too. (Truly has emerged this transfer/coaching carousel season as maybe the most truly plugged in of the various pseudonymous sources around.)

Mgbako seems a very likely one and done. UL’s situation is less attractive if you’re good enough to expect to play big minutes anywhere.

If he wants money and to win, Kansas and IU are clearly his best bets. Bates, then Reneau, then Mgbako would make a nice little spring recruiting pattern, going up the list each time

Yes, this right here is the fit. Thanks Demo

I like it more than DeLoach, who I like as a player but doesn’t fit IU’s roster very well. He can also credibly guard on the wing. The shot hasn’t been good but if he’d hit ~3 more 3s per year he’d be a ~30% shooter and suddenly he looks like a decent option at the 3.

@ PU this year, Smith started hot and was peacocking at the first timeout. He was basically done producing, though. JHS was terrific, no doubt, but the game turned when Trey put Smith in a vice after halftime. X and Trey together…Loyer won’t get a clean catch or handoff. Far be it from me to help PU but if Painter is going to play Loyer and Smith big minutes at guard they need JHS/Ivey/Carsten Edwards/Terrence Shannon-type production at the 3 IMO

X, Trey, and Ware is a great defensive foundation. Banks, Reneau, and Gunn have good athletic tools and want-to on that end… My hunch is CMW is licking his chops about the level that sets the floor any given night.

I recommend the latest Moving Screen pod here, where Dylan and Brendan run down the off-seasons of every B1G team so far. Both are good analysts and B1G ball knowers. I don’t agree with them about everything, not least of which everything IU, but it’s nice to get out of the IU-centric filter sometimes and get outsiders’ or non-fan’s perspectives. Their tl;dr take on IU at the moment: first two adds are good, both frosh are interesting, the nucleus is a good start. They think IU needs at least a 3-and-D wing, perhaps ideally a guy with more shot creation/volume than that, but there’s some optimism that will happen. There’s also some good discussion near the top about the fact that some fringe draft players will get feedback and opt to return to college, and either they’ll transfer OR their returns will cause domino transfers. https://twitter.com/movingscreenpod/status/1650829816197783552?s=20

Best quality footage I’ve seen of him — really strong frame

Ant played at Michigan and then Toledo about 12-13 years ago