IU - Kaulie

Newton was very highly regarded before he got injured. He hasn’t played in two years. He needs minutes in live game action. I agree with your top 7 and Cupps is going to play. Leal idk we will see. I’m not saying Newton is going to play a lot of minutes. Who knows what he will look like, but I do think he needs to see the court imo. If he can get back to where he was he will most certainly get minutes, probably a lot of them.

I think he is very good. I would put him 4th best in the conference.

Anybody left at Hillsdale College? We need that 3 point specialist.

I’m so excited we got Ballo! I’m not too concerned about lineups and who gets the last starting spot. Those things usually work themselves out. If we do have Carlyle the top 6 are going to play big minutes. Cupps is going to play and Newton needs to play. I think we probably leave one scholarship open, so assuming Carlyle is in the fold that’s three more spots to fill. I hope one of them is Humrichous. We obviously need a backup big and a sniper to round things out. What is the date the portal closes to enter? There will most likely be some late additions and you never know who might enter.

If we are trying to win a game right now I’m going with Conwell over Carlyle. I think this team has potential next year with some of our other pieces/possibilities and I want Conwell. Like @Stuhoosaid though we might not be in a position to just choose. Carlyle has seemed to show legitimate interest and maybe not so much from Conwell I don’t know. We will find out.

Yeah you said it better than me lol.

I have not got to see him play in person, but he does have something to him for sure.

I have said I like Rice and Carlyle lol. I have wanted Rice and happy he is a Hoosier. But if I’m choosing between Carlyle and Conwell I’m choosing Conwell every single time. I don’t mean that as some sort of slight against Carlyle. I just really like Ryan Conwell.

I love Rice. He is a Hoosier now. I would just prefer Conwell over Carlyle. It’s just a personal preference. I have seen how Conwell plays at both ends. He is very impressive. I have only seen Carlyle on short video clips. I imagine Carlyle still has a lot of potential and he is already a very good player right now. However, my personal choice is Conwell.

Personal preference. I prefer Conwell to anyone.

He is definitely my top choice. I love Rice and super excited to get him. If Carlyle wants to come too that’s awesome, but Conwell is the bigger play here. Conwell is the big fish. I can’t see anyone like Carlyle, Hickman, or Humrichous coming here to play off the bench but would be obviously ecstatic if that were somehow to happen. I just don’t see it, plus you factor in Gallo who is playing HEAVY minutes starting or not.

I like Rice and Carlyle individually, and like you said they both can score and both like to get to the rim but you have to have spacing to make that work. Ballo clogging the paint with MR doesn’t do that unless Malik improves a lot away from the basket which is possible. If we are going Rice and Carlyle that’s fine but I don’t want Ballo. MR needs to play the 5 and you add a shooter like Humrichous. Rebounding will be a concern but I think we could get around it. Ballo sounds like he is coming so I would strongly prefer Conwell as Rice’s running mate. Conwell provides a lot on both ends that doesn’t get talked about enough. If not Conwell, go hard after Hickman. We need shooters. If Ballo is coming we need even more shooters. My personal preference is Rice, Conwell, Mgbako, Humrichous, and MR. It sure sounds like it’s going to be Rice, Carlyle, Mgbako, MR, and Ballo. I don’t love it, and we have to hope Rice and Carlyle up their percentages and MR can play more away from the basket because Ballo isn’t Ware and he will clog the paint and spacing is going to be an issue with explosive driving guards. It’s a lot to ask for. I like the players being talked about individually, but it has to work as a team. None of the above names are coming here to come off the bench so you have to prioritize. Right now, as it currently stands, there are two starting positions that are open. Not going HARD after Conwell is a mistake, unless he has let it be known he isn’t interested.

I haven’t been on in a couple days so trying to catch up. It looks like a lot of Rice, Carlyle, and Ballo. A lot of talk about how good we are going to be, and just wait, because we have never had any guards or wings outside JHS. Miller Kopp says hello. Rice moves the needle, but the three I really liked remains. So what about Conwell, Hickman, and Humrichous? If we are prioritizing other guards over Conwell and Hickman, who I think could be had, I think that’s a mistake.

Maybe. Some run away from competition. Some seek it, embrace it, and see it as a challenge. I think Cupps is wired a little different but we will see.

I wish I was still on campus sometimes lol.

I agree, Conwell is at the top of my wish list. As much as I want to stock top tier talent, that’s hard to do in this NIL world. Kids want to go somewhere where they can start and play big minutes and that’s completely reasonable. So the staff has to prioritize who they go after. MM and MR have starting spots locked down and if the Rice rumors are true he has a spot locked down. Gallo is going to play heavy minutes whether he starts are not. Tucker is going to play. The puzzle board starts shrinking. Nothing Woodson has shown or said suggests he won’t get someone like Ballo/Williams. As much as I would love to have Rice, Carlyle, Conwell, Hickman, and Humrichous it’s just not realistic. But yes, Conwell should be first priority.

Unfortunately, I think who he targets/prioritize and who he should target/prioritize are two very different things.

The videos of him shooting the ball makes my eyes happy. I know it was against some weaker competition, but the tape on him shooting the ball doesn’t lie. The same problem I keep coming back to, not just with him but several others, is can CMW and his staff put these players in a position to take advantage of their skill sets? Rice and a Ballo type probably. A shooter as skilled as Humrichous, I have my doubts.

That’s the same thought I had. That would be the lineup but it’s hard to see CMW not getting a big starter so I believe IU asking him to come off the bench is probably accurate. Again, he is not going anywhere to come off the bench. Have to believe he would have other offers, but I want him.

I agree, it has taken me awhile to go through page after page with the same posters arguing about the current roster and former players that really doesn’t pertain to the portal. But why quote Chris who was not one of those posters? I like Humrichous too and he isn’t going anywhere to come off the bench.

Here come the stats I was talking about. Predictable lol. I don’t want to get in trouble with @Class of '66 Old Fart for being off topic so I won’t post anymore about it here after this. Anyone (well especially @Class of '66 Old Fart) can PM me. When he played over 20 minutes we didn’t lose. Game winning buckets. Game winning plays. Some people know how to play and are winners. Some are not.

Cam Spencer best player on the floor so far and letting them know about it lol.

When he played big minutes we won. He hit two game winning buckets. When teams tried to iso him and go after him on defense he held up and made big plays. Game winning plays. He won in high school. It won’t fit some people’s narratives that like to look at individual stats, but the bottom line is he is a winner. Some people are and some people are not. Leal is.

I think I can speak for the sandwich person on here, who I agree with, when I say this….. If we are playing to win games - Leal needs to play.

Not even close. He has size and can shoot the ball. Also a really good athlete.