NCAA MBB Transfer Portal

[WayneFleekHoosier 47,511]

I don’t get it.  If nothing else, get a 6’10” big body to hold down the bench as an emergency option if Ballou gets hurt

Me neither. Hatton is their backup big. They’re content. They don’t want chemistry problems and playing time problems. I think you can navigate that or at least I think you should be able to. Our drop off from starter to backup is about as big as you’ll see. I get Ballo gets 1.0 million so you don’t want to threaten his PT but it’s a potential weak spot. So much rides on him this year. I guess, maybe Woody goes Reneau at 5 in those circumstances but Reneau will have a lot of problems with legit 5s out there defensively. My hope was, get a better backup. But with Hatton I’d say get a different, defensive type big guy that could log specific type minutes. This is all pointless as we are set but I’ve got my fingers crossed.


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[Hardwood83 4,661]

49 minutes ago, RaceToTheTop said:

Coleman Hawkins withdraws from NBA draft and says he will go to a new program.

Bidding war to commence.  I want say North Carolina could be the destination.

I'm glad he's leaving Illinois, but these are the transfers I don't get. Obviously each situation is unique, but multi-year starter on a winning team? Same for guys leaving Alabama etc. It's not PT and probably not NIL $$....grass is always greener? I don't understand why this is so wide-spread. 

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

6 hours ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Me neither. Hatton is their backup big. They’re content. They don’t want chemistry problems and playing time problems. I think you can navigate that or at least I think you should be able to. Our drop off from starter to backup is about as big as you’ll see. I get Ballo gets 1.0 million so you don’t want to threaten his PT but it’s a potential weak spot. So much rides on him this year. I guess, maybe Woody goes Reneau at 5 in those circumstances but Reneau will have a lot of problems with legit 5s out there defensively. My hope was, get a better backup. But with Hatton I’d say get a different, defensive type big guy that could log specific type minutes. This is all pointless as we are set but I’ve got my fingers crossed.


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I doubt we are going to get a guy that would be coming in expecting to actually see the court unless outside of an injury.  I threw the name Zach Loveday out as someone who I thought was a realistic option — not because he’s good but because he fits the bill of the kind of player who would be an emergency big who seems to be a good locker room guy.  Did a little research on him and he’s a business major as well.

[Blue 2 Green 10]

10 hours ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Me neither. Hatton is their backup big. They’re content. They don’t want chemistry problems and playing time problems. I think you can navigate that or at least I think you should be able to. Our drop off from starter to backup is about as big as you’ll see. I get Ballo gets 1.0 million so you don’t want to threaten his PT but it’s a potential weak spot. So much rides on him this year. I guess, maybe Woody goes Reneau at 5 in those circumstances but Reneau will have a lot of problems with legit 5s out there defensively. My hope was, get a better backup. But with Hatton I’d say get a different, defensive type big guy that could log specific type minutes. This is all pointless as we are set but I’ve got my fingers crossed.


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I concur.  My fondness for NIL rivals Dane Fife's but now that the ship has sailed IU should go all in.  Michael Durr only averaged 7 minutes a game but IU probably wouldn't have split with Purdue in 2021/22 without him. 

Has anyone brought up Javonte Brown-Ferguson?  Is he still available?  He's never lived up to his potential but Hurley was once pretty excited to get him.  I don't know the story with his redshirts but he originally reclassified like Ballo and has two years of eligibility remaining.  He and Kenya were pretty tight.  A kid getting fifteen minutes a game coming off the bench at Western Michigan shouldn't throw the locker room into turmoil.

Another option would be to "hire" a kid like Favour Aire to come and fill Payton Sparks's role?  That is - without all of the playing time.  Why not buy a kid's redshirt year?

I don't think he's committed anywhere.  Why not recruit him to be a practice body for Ballo and let him come in and work on his body and his free throw shooting?  The caveat would be if IU were hit with a major injury in the front court his redshirt would get burned.

Aire's a major project but he's long and athletic and was expected to be a good rebounder and rim protector.  There's not much film to look at but Larranaga and Rhoades both saw something they liked, as did Kenya.  Anthony Walker might be helpful in selling a bench role.   

Neither of these guys are used to getting a lot of minutes and neither would scare off Malachi Moreno or any of the bigs in the 2025 class. Why let that 13th scholarship go fallow or give it to a walk-on who won't ever see the floor?  It makes a lot more sense to bring in someone like one of these two and let them audition for a future roster spot, knowing Johnny Dawkins will take him off your hands if it doesn't work out.

Edited May 30 by Blue 2 Green

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

6 hours ago, Blue 2 Green said:

I concur.  My fondness for NIL rivals Dane Fife's but now that the ship has sailed IU should go all in.  Michael Durr only averaged 7 minutes a game but IU probably wouldn't have split with Purdue in 2021/22 without him. 

Has anyone brought up Javonte Brown-Ferguson?  Is he still available?  He's never lived up to his potential but Hurley was once pretty excited to get him.  I don't know the story with his redshirts but he originally reclassified like Ballo and has two years of eligibility remaining.  He and Kenya were pretty tight.  A kid getting fifteen minutes a game coming off the bench at Western Michigan shouldn't throw the locker room into turmoil.

Another option would be to "hire" a kid like Favour Aire to come and fill Payton Sparks's role?  That is - without all of the playing time.  Why not buy a kid's redshirt year?

I don't think he's committed anywhere.  Why not recruit him to be a practice body for Ballo and let him come in and work on his body and his free throw shooting?  The caveat would be if IU were hit with a major injury in the front court his redshirt would get burned.

Aire's a major project but he's long and athletic and was expected to be a good rebounder and rim protector.  There's not much film to look at but Larranaga and Rhoades both saw something they liked, as did Kenya.  Anthony Walker might be helpful in selling a bench role.   

Neither of these guys are used to getting a lot of minutes and neither would scare off Malachi Moreno or any of the bigs in the 2025 class. Why let that 13th scholarship go fallow or give it to a walk-on who won't ever see the floor?  It makes a lot more sense to bring in someone like one of these two and let them audition for a future roster spot, knowing Johnny Dawkins will take him off your hands if it doesn't work out.

I brought up Brown-Ferguson when he hit the portal.  Anyway, he signed with Texas A&M back in early April.

Aire would be a no from me.  He's been a washout at two schools now -- Miami and Penn State.  Rather take a flyer elsewhere or just get a big that has one season level and a low ceiling but is steady.

 

[ebridges24 2,393]

On 5/29/2024 at 12:35 PM, RaceToTheTop said:

On3 tracking of transfers:

2022 transfers:  866 entered the portal;  660 transferred, 11 withdrew.  That leaves 189 that did not find a new place to play (22%)

2023 transfers:  1,115 entered, 536 transferred, 10 withdrew.  That leaves 569 that did not find a new place to play (51%)

2024 transfers:  1,089 entered, 789 transferred, 10 withdrew.  That leaves 290 that haven't found a new place to play (yet) (27%)

My guess is 2024 will become the norm -- lots of transfers with most finding new homes.  2023 there were still a lot of players with their extra covid year left so fewer spots to fill.

All these kids stuck in a portal and nobody helps them at all. Heck, some of them have been in there since 2022.

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

Mawat Mag (Rutgers) commits to BYU.

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky), 6'11" C, commits to Kansas State.  On3 ranks him  as the 12th best center in the portal and the only center in the top 40 centers that had not committed yet.

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

Trevon Brazile returning to Arkansas.  Razorbacks should be loaded.

[Demo 18,881]

KU signs former Miss St CG Shakeel Moore less than 24 hours after losing Elmarko Jackson for the season. Moore’s a talent downgrade but he’s played a ton of HM ball and he’s  a pretty good get this late. 

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

13 minutes ago, Demo said:

KU signs former Miss St CG Shakeel Moore less than 24 hours after losing Elmarko Jackson for the season. Moore’s a talent downgrade but he’s played a ton of HM ball and he’s  a pretty good get this late. 

Another really good late get today, this one by Villanova as Miami's Wooga Poplar signs.  6'5" wing, 13.1 pts, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and shot 43/39/86.  Bulk three point shooter.

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

Yacine Toumi (Evansville), 6'10" F/C, 10.5 pts, 6.5 reb, commits to Seton Hall.

We are at a time in the portal where those signings will will be among the biggest of the week.

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

Strange to call it this, but a Big Ten in-conference transfer today:  Wesley Yates (Washington) transfers to USC.  6'4" combo guard.  Ranked #53 in the class of 2023, missed his freshman year at Washington due to a leg injury.  Will have all four years of eligibility left.

[Demo 18,881]

26 minutes ago, RaceToTheTop said:

Strange to call it this, but a Big Ten in-conference transfer today:  Wesley Yates (Washington) transfers to USC.  6'4" combo guard.  Ranked #53 in the class of 2023, missed his freshman year at Washington due to a leg injury.  Will have all four years of eligibility left.

God, that sounds so strange. 
Side note: watched Yates play in a holiday tournament final his junior year against Newton(GA) HS. Pretty impressive kid. Also played with Terrance Arceneaux(Houston) and Newton , of course, had Stephon Castle(UConn) and the best player on the floor by a mile and the MVP of the event with multiple nationally ranked schools was…..Jakai Newton.  
Just sayin’

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

Late get:  Ken Evans, Jr (Jackson State), 6'5" guard/wing, commits to Florida Atlantic.  Averaged 18.8 pts, 5.4 reb, and 2.9 assists.  Shot 41/39/78.

Against P5 competition last year, he scored 20 points against Missouri, 20 against Georgetown, 6 against Houston, and 23 against Northwestern.  Throw in 25 points against Gonzaga and he scored 94 points in 5 against against high majors.

[RaceToTheTop 24,524]

Four signings in the last few days, none Earth shattering.  

Dontaie Allen (Western Kentucky), 6'6" SF, signs with Wyoming.  Averaged 8.2 points in 21 minutes at Western Kentucky last year.  Spent two seasons at Kentucky before moving on to Western Kentucky.  Top 100 recruit out of high school.

Jonnivius Smith (Buffalo, 6'9" PF/C) transfers to Texas San-Antonio.  Might have been looking to move up but didn't find a suitor.  Started his career at Seton Hall but only played in ten games.  Played at Buffalo the last two seasons.  Steady but unspectular big.  Good rebounder and efficient scorer on a low workload. 8 points and 8.3 rebounds last year;  did make 15 of 42 from three.

[Hovadipo 53,947]

Man...the market is what someone is willing to pay, but.......man.......

[Demo 18,881]

36 minutes ago, Hovadipo said:

Man...the market is what someone is willing to pay, but.......man.......

Speechless. Nice player, but I would think if you’re gonna reset the market it would be for a guy who’s good enough to be the best player on a NC contending team and Hawkins just flat isn’t.

[Hovadipo 53,947]

Going to be some really expensive stupid technicals and flagrants.

[Demo 18,881]

12 minutes ago, Hovadipo said:

Going to be some really expensive stupid technicals and flagrants.

And don’t forget they brought in Dug McDaniel, though I imagine K-State’s academics are a little different animal than UM’s.