lillurk

Really like the fit, curious about his rim protection #s. Fun fact: the top comp for his most recent season on Torvik is…Race Thompson from 2021-2022.

One of the NBA draftniks I trust really likes Elyjah Freeman…I already like him but I hope he’s a Hoosier.

Yeah he was an undersized 2 putting up almost 7 3PA a game, they had a bigger PG tandem, two 6’3” guys

As far as I can tell the conventional wisdom is that Lendeborg is probably going pro, and Stirtz isn’t.

I don’t think this would’ve gotten as far as it did if the connection there was a hangup. Ya didn’t have a show cause but was also named in the investigation and that didn’t keep him away.

I’d noticed this too, and DDV’s teams have been quite good at avoiding TOs. This is shaping up to project as a very good offense.

I like him a lot but this is just a google A.I. summary being fooled by an Instagram account posting a Twitter rumor. Also, I think he’s more of an undersized 2 than a true 1, maybe he’ll develop more creation skills. Really like him, not a knock

I’d also bookmarked the quoted tweet here, though a silver lining is I wouldn't think of Bailey quite the same as a “true” big. I’m sure he’ll play at least A LITTLE 5, how much remains to be seen. But my guess is he’s at the 4 at least as much, maybe more. Torvik’s site uses all its inputs to assign one of various positions to players and it calls Bailey a “Wing F;” all the other guys he gets compared to (Wolf, Basile, Carr) are either PF/C or Stretch 4.

I wonder if there was some strategy to adding these pieces before a rim protector and another PG. Pitch the 5 that they’ll have lots of space with all this shooting, great passers to get them the ball and they can finish. And then similarly, a lot of space to operate for a PG and a chance to rack up plenty of assists, get to the rim, get open jumpers since there are other good passers.

No, Bailey’s more like Danny Wolf of UM as a best-case, basically a wing in a 6’10” body. Rebounds pretty well, very skilled with the ball, shot well from 3 on low volume.

I don’t know the answer to your question but I don’t believe Andersen is actually in the portal (at least not yet?).

Assume he’ll follow Frazier to VT. I know he’s a good defender who plays hard but I would really want to make sure this wasn’t a persistent issue…not sure what he’s laughing about and don’t really care. Role player who’s been at two schools in two years and is following an assistant coach who ALSO likes to stir the pot everywhere? That seems like a potential powder keg

Thinking aloud: we’re going to see some late game offense/defense subbing. Goode and Pack(?) on for offense/FT%, Enright and [rim protecting 5 like Bidunga] on for defense

I’ve been thinking about Pack since it trickled out that IU had made contact — I actually really like the fit assuming there are some pieces put around the roster we haven’t seen yet: bigger, dogged perimeter defender, and rim protecting center. Being able to stagger minutes w/DeVries, and theoretically Bailey and Pack should give your offense a really high floor for shot quality and TO avoidance

Yeah would say he’s a skilled 4 big enough to play some spot 5 — interesting fit, given the rim protection #s. Think you probably still roster two 5s with Bailey, DeVries, Sisley, and Goode.

One thing worth thinking about as the transfer portal matures is that in other sports’ free agency markets, the places where you get the most value for your dollar are the very top of the market, and then much farther down the scale. This is true in leagues largely regardless of the nature of their salary rules — Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Nikola Jokic, SGA, Pat Mahomes, and Saquon Barkley all provide surplus value per dollar to their teams than they actually make versus the average win/dollar in their league, even though they’re among the highest paid in their sport (ps — not an argument about athletes’ salaries, just a point about relative value vs. their peers on the field). But the non-superstars who get paid at the top of the market often end up as a “bad investment” on a win/dollar evaluation. Think about Zach LaVine, late-career Dame Lillard, Paul George: inarguably good basketball players, paid beyond what they contribute to winning. Below the highest tier, you’ve got to scout (draft), identify underperformers who will thrive in other circumstances, develop, capitalize where others where too deep or whatever — think of the Cubs getting Cody Bellinger cheaply two years ago, the Knicks realizing Jalen Brunson could be a superstar while the Mavs wouldn’t even pay him like a 3rd banana, the Pacers turning Aaron Nesmith into a guy who won’t get cooked out of a playoff rotation at wayyy below market for wings, etc. Not totally clear how that’ll work given the strange idiosyncrasies of the transfer portal but I think there’s still a lot of truth in the principles.

Andersen was originally part of Michigan’s ‘24 class under Howard. Don’t survive their coaching transition last year.

Up thread someone ( @Herotime(?)) asked who to watch since some of the early deciders went another way. I’m sure the final roster won’t all be represented here but I’ve been keeping my own notes to track where everyone ends up and here’s who’s on it right now. It includes some folks I’m confident are going elsewhere but who haven’t landed yet. On the bus: Tucker DeVries and Luke Goode, pending waivers; Conner Enright, Trent Sisley Of interest: freshmen — Harun Zrno, former IU commit. Braydon Hawthorne, Kelvin Odih, and Trent MacLean, former WVU commits. Nyk Lewis, former Xavier commit. Transfers: Amani Hansberry and Sencire Harris, former WVU players (think these guys are more likely to follow Chester Frazier to VT). Flory Bidunga, Elyjah Freeman.

Sure, I may have been sloppy with my phrasing. Your HC and 3 ACs can recruit off campus; if someone is unable to a la Woody while he rehabbed a surgery, you can assign that to someone else. What I was trying to say: Moikobu and Adams seem likely to be two of the three full/normal ACs. They’re not leaving AC roles elsewhere to be in lesser roles. Norton is going to be in some role. If they get, say, Murphy (or an equivalent if that dream is over), then Norton’s role is not going to be one of the three bench/off-campus recruiting ACs. Surely he can sub until the 3rd assistant is hired, or someone’s health prevents them, etc. If those options above Norton don’t materialize, he’ll be in a full assistant role (and not “player development” or whatever).

I inferred this might be the case from announcing Norton last night without a secondary title (e.g. asst coach and director of player development). That’s what WVU did under DDV for the Cheaney/Hulls types who couldn’t recruit off campus. Obviously they could always change later but to me that says the three traditional assistants will be Adams, Achoki Moikobu, and Norton

Right, IMO this works defensively if you play Dix/DeVries with two guards. Woody’s predilection would’ve been to have them alongside a PG, another forward, and a C, and then we would’ve given up tons of dribble penetration

Might’ve missed this discussion but I think there’s a good case that Fran may do pretty well at Penn. Punched above his resources at Iowa, has an eye for less heralded talent, seemed to work well in his region at Iowa, he’s a Penn alum so there could be some fundraising upside, probably a more level playing field with the other Ivies, really prioritizes shooting and it’s likely the athleticism sacrifices he made at Iowa will bite him less there… IDK. Not convinced it’ll work, but also wouldn’t be shocked if they’re competitive and even win the Ivy a couple times before he hangs them up.

Not ignoring your question but they’re also watching uncommitted Dante Allen, right? Not sure if there’s mutual interest.

My guess is he’s your fourth forward behind Tucker DeVries, Transfer Starting 3, and Luke Goode. Others would know better but he seems well suited for that.

Bummed to miss Conwell but there are no shortage of efficient scoring 2s. Not a criticism of him but it’s who you get that matters, not who you miss