RaceToTheTop

Anyway, it is a big positive that we landed Tucker. Let’s see where we go from here

Point is that lots of high ranked incoming freshman don’t get promises any more because it’s so easy to get a ready made player in the portal. Ware was a top ten recruit at Oregon and didn’t start. Nothing ever said about him being promised a starting role there. in terms of portal players, it’s a mixed bag in terms of what they are looking for.

Promises all depend on need and player. Also very easy to tell a player what you envision their role being with it not being a lie if it doesn’t work out. And some coaches (Self) will flat out lie about it to get guys in. Remember in Bates’ case that he Decommitted after Shaka Smart was fired at Texas and wanted to play for an African American coach.

You totally glossed over my first point about Tucker. BTW, Tamar Bates was a high ranked incoming freshman at IU and he wasn’t a starter and he was here two years.

Tucker isn’t a guard. If he’s promised a starting job and MM is back, if they are both starting then MM is the 4. The assumption that freshman coming in are automatically promised starting jobs is false. TONS of high ranked players have went to Michigan State and not started and that is where Tucker was assumed to be going. Think Booker was promised a starting position there?

He is visiting this weekend.

I know, and I'm all for Hickman coming to IU. Don't know the exact level of interest there is in between Perkins and IU, but Hickman is a guy that really fits a need.

If Perkins were to land at IU, hopefully the staff turns their attention to guards and wings that are spot up shooters. Perkins is a quality player — great defender, can drive and has handles — but shooting is still a need.

Still frame from the Ant Wright video. Don’t have any idea about what his hand looks like but is said to have a 42” vertical…that looks like it might be legit.

If nothing else….this kid can jump out of the gym. https://x.com/itsAntWright/status/1773110279687041316?s=20

Bryson played on the U16 team in the FIBA Americas Games in which the US won gold. He averaged 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. He's young for his class -- will turn 18 the summer after he graduates. His dad was a good college player. Started his career at NC State then transferred to George Mason. Averaged 21 points as a senior. Review of his game from Eric Bossi: Tucker is a big wing who has a pretty polished game on the offensive end of the floor. He is able to use his size to finish in the lane where he is also a very functional athlete who can get off the floor quickly in small spaces, changes direction well in traffic and has a great frame to build on in a college weight room. Where he really stands out, though, is with his ability to score from the mid range. Tucker gets to his spots without wasting dribbles, elevates and is problematic for defenses trying to stop him from scoring from between 12 and 17 feet. As Tucker gets away from the rim and shoots deeper jumpers, his shot does tend to flatten out a bit so while he's not a poor shooter from beyond the three-point line, there's still plenty of room for him to improve out there. While he's able to quickly get to his spots for one and two dribble pull-ups, Tucker could also benefit from developing his handle a bit more. Because of his size and ability to carry more muscle on his lean frame, he should be able to make the adjustment to the college game relatively quickly.

FWIW, the crystal ball came from a Maryland University contributor. Tucker is from Arlington, Virginia --- literally 20 miles from Maryland University.

Absolutely a priority, but that doesn't mean it would necessarily be a reality. Sometimes kids are set on going to the draft regardless of where/if they think they will be drafted. To me, it makes financial sense for MM to come back for another year IMO unless you can get a guarantee from a team that you are going to locked on a roster and not in the G league. I don't see him getting that guarantee and not sure he would get drafted. Could be a possibility that the staff knows or -- in my opinion -- simply have reason to believe that they feel that MM isn't sure and is waiting to hear from scouts. Teams simply don't have the luxury of waiting around now and its probably best to go ahead and try to build a roster assuming they aren't coming back and then adjust if they do. I still think MM's best path to pros is as a stretch 4 but I'm not sure he feels that way.

If IU really wants him, they need to have him commit on campus.

Mason Faslev, Utah State. 6'3" freshman. 11.3 points, 4.4 reb, 2.4 ast. Shot 56/31/64. Was a good football prospect as well coming out of high school C.J. Wilcher, Nebraska. Interesting. Shooting specialist. Averaged about 8 points all three seasons in Nebraska. 154 of 418 from three for his career (37%). Shot 39% from three last season.

All-MAC first team guard Marcus Hill in the portal. 6'1", averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Shot 44/29/74. Came to Bowling Green via the JUCO route. One year of eligibility.

Question: Belmont has three pretty high in demand players in the portal -- Gillespie, Tyson, and Dia. The three sophomores combined for over 50 points/game last year at Belmont, which finished fourth in the MVC last year. Is this indicative of Belmont underperforming in the MVC or is it indicative of how underrated the MVC was last year?

Timing would seem that it’s Tucker.

I don’t disagree that they need 25 recruits but we’re talking what to do for the upcoming season.

So what should IU do since they need to build through the portal, cast a small net? I don’t like the lack of 24 recruits but you can linger on what you don’t have or try to advance forward. The net should be a broad one.

Joshua Ola-Joseph, Minnesota, in the portal. 6'7" forward. Two years eligibility. Started 43 games in two seasons with the Gophers. 57/40/65 shooter over two season. Not a tremenously high volume three point shooter but about 1/4th of his shots are threes. Over two seasons, averaged 19 mpg, 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds.

If Louisville hires Pat Kelsey, he's going to have his work cut out for him. Everybody hitting the portal there. Skyy Clark and Mike James already in, now Tre White and Brandon Huntley Hatfield join. White: 6'7" wing. Played his freshman year at USC. 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds last year at Louisille. Poor perimeter shooter, decent slasher. 35th ranked player in class of 2022. Huntley-Hatfield, 6''10" post. Played his freshman year at Tennessee, last two years at Louisville. 12.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg.

I think if you followed any P5 division 1 program as closely as you followed IU you'd see the same approach in the portal. IMO, IU contacted too few portal players last year and didn't have any plan B in mind and this season IU has to replace more spots than in the past. Take a look at Kansas, for example. They've contacted (probably more than just this list, but these have been public): Michael Ajayi, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Jeff Nwanko, Jayden Stone, Leland Walker, Jalen Leach, Brandon Garrison, Clark Slajchert, Amari Williams, Gibson Jimerson. Of note is that I believe two of those have already committed to other schools now, one is a JUCO player and another played for one win Detroit Mercy.

Transferred last year to Colorado from TCU. Had some mental health issues at TCU that led him to quit playing before the end of the year. Might be better suited to a less basketball obsessed

Could be, but might be this years Nick Timberlake if he does.