Transfer Portal w IU Interest

[HoosierHuddle]

"In contact with" does not mean much, at least in my opinion. IU is going to be "in contact with" north of 50 players during this portal cycle. Some of the players they contact will have no reciprocal interest and things will not progress past the first initial text message or DM. Some of those players will tell IU what they are expecting in terms of role or NIL deal or whatever and it will not make any sense for IU and will not progress any further. Everyone is guessing, guys like Trilly and Rabjohns included, but reading between the lines on the information they have shared has me believing the following is IU's current plan:

-PG: serious pursuits right now are Tony Perkins, Sears from UT-Martin, Leland Walker from EKU (unofficial visit this coming Monday)

-Guards: Connor Hickman (visit this weekend), Ryan Conwell (has not entered yet but is going to after ISU's season ends...IU has already made him aware that he is a priority as he should be)

-Wings: Bryson Tucker (it would be very surprising if he was not at IU for the 2024-2025 season, hopefully with Mackenzie Mgbako staying as well)

-Bigs: no clue

I am hoping that there are more guys that are currently not public but that IU has traction with...really hoping. If this was it and IU successfully added Perkins, Sears, Conwell, Hickman and Tucker plus a serviceable big man that would be a very unexpected (on paper) successful portal season. I'm not expecting it but it is hypothetically possible I guess.

[Magisterium]

3 hours ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Enfield leaving USC for SMU. Someone get in contact of Bronny LOL.

Is the big man IU recruited out there? Arrinten? maybe he’ll consider the portal

[str8baller]

1 hour ago, HoosierHuddle said:

"In contact with" does not mean much, at least in my opinion. IU is going to be "in contact with" north of 50 players during this portal cycle. Some of the players they contact will have no reciprocal interest and things will not progress past the first initial text message or DM. Some of those players will tell IU what they are expecting in terms of role or NIL deal or whatever and it will not make any sense for IU and will not progress any further. Everyone is guessing, guys like Trilly and Rabjohns included, but reading between the lines on the information they have shared has me believing the following is IU's current plan:

-PG: serious pursuits right now are Tony Perkins, Sears from UT-Martin, Leland Walker from EKU (unofficial visit this coming Monday)

-Guards: Connor Hickman (visit this weekend), Ryan Conwell (has not entered yet but is going to after ISU's season ends...IU has already made him aware that he is a priority as he should be)

-Wings: Bryson Tucker (it would be very surprising if he was not at IU for the 2024-2025 season, hopefully with Mackenzie Mgbako staying as well)

-Bigs: no clue

I am hoping that there are more guys that are currently not public but that IU has traction with...really hoping. If this was it and IU successfully added Perkins, Sears, Conwell, Hickman and Tucker plus a serviceable big man that would be a very unexpected (on paper) successful portal season. I'm not expecting it but it is hypothetically possible I guess.

Thanks for the summary. I can’t keep half the time so it’s appreciated.  
 

Question for the group: do we think this new recruit signals Mbako is gone or that Woody will in fact attempt a 4 out style offense? I think both would impact how and who we approach in the portal. 

[Go_Hoosiers]

Just now, str8baller said:

Thanks for the summary. I can’t keep half the time so it’s appreciated.  
 

Quotation for the group: do we think this new recruit signals Mbako is gone or that Woody will in fact attempt a 4 out style offense? I think both would impact how and who we approach in the portal. 

Everything I've read/heard (no inside sources) is that Mgbako is going to test the draft waters. If he decides to play another year of college basketball, it will be at Indiana. I don't think he will get a Round 1 or 2 guarantee - so I think the safe bet for him will ultimately be to take a nice big NIL check and return to IU. I would say 70/30 in favor of staying at IU right now. Again, no inside sources - just thinking through it logically.

[DChoosier]

17 minutes ago, HoosierHuddle said:

-Guards: Connor Hickman (visit this weekend), Ryan Conwell (has not entered yet but is going to after ISU's season ends...IU has already made him aware that he is a priority as he should be)

I haven’t watched ISU at all.
Does Conwell’s game look like it would transfer to the BT? I love the fact that he is 6’4” and from the field/3/FT he shot 49%, 42%, 86%. That would be GREAT if he could do something close to that in the BT.

[Hovadipo]

1 minute ago, DChoosier said:

I haven’t watched ISU at all.
Does Conwell’s game look like it would transfer to the BT? I love the fact that he is 6’4” and from the field/3/FT he shot 49%, 42%, 86%. That would be GREAT if he could do something close to that in the BT.

President of the Ryan Conwell Fan Club checking in. Absolutely. He would've been our best guard this season and it wouldn't have been particularly close, not that the bar was sky high. Big, strong lefty at 6'4 195 and I'd buy a little heavier than that. Can pull up from anywhere, catch and shoot, drive, has a solid handle. Trees aren't known for locking anyone up this season, but his physicals don't give me much pause as far as guarding at this level. In the NIT he's played against 3 P6 schools (counting SMU going to the ACC next year) that featured big, long athletes and has taken over all 3 games at certain points.

The no-brainiest of all no-brainers.

[Hoosierfanyuh]

11 minutes ago, DChoosier said:

I haven’t watched ISU at all.
Does Conwell’s game look like it would transfer to the BT? I love the fact that he is 6’4” and from the field/3/FT he shot 49%, 42%, 86%. That would be GREAT if he could do something close to that in the BT.

Conwell is a STUD 

[Hoosierfanyuh]

30 minutes ago, Magisterium said:

Is the big man IU recruited out there? Arrinten? maybe he’ll consider the portal

Page as our backup big would be nice 

[DChoosier]

4 minutes ago, Hovadipo said:

President of the Ryan Conwell Fan Club checking in. Absolutely. He would've been our best guard this season and it wouldn't have been particularly close, not that the bar was sky high. Big, strong lefty at 6'4 195 and I'd buy a little heavier than that. Can pull up from anywhere, catch and shoot, drive, has a solid handle. Trees aren't known for locking anyone up this season, but his physicals don't give me much pause as far as guarding at this level. In the NIT he's played against 3 P6 schools (counting SMU going to the ACC next year) that featured big, long athletes and has taken over all 3 games at certain points.

The no-brainiest of all no-brainers.

And he is from Indy which hopefully/might help us.  
Hope we go at him with a 39 gallon lawn and leaf hefty bag

[HoosierHuddle]

6 minutes ago, DChoosier said:

I haven’t watched ISU at all.
Does Conwell’s game look like it would transfer to the BT? I love the fact that he is 6’4” and from the field/3/FT he shot 49%, 42%, 86%. That would be GREAT if he could do something close to that in the BT.

Good question. I am not an expert on Ryan Conwell and don't know as much as someone like Tony Adragna or the guys at Peegs or several other posters on this board so my opinion should be taken with a mountain of salt. That written, I love Ryan Conwell's game and think he would be a really good addition to Indiana. He's 6'4" and well-built with good length. He shoots it well at nearly 42% from three and more than 85% from the line. Conwell is a good rebounder for a guard, a good passer, a plus-defender on the perimeter and a tough player that, to my untrained eyes, is always going full tilt. As a bonus, he has two years of eligibility remaining. Does he average those numbers in the Big Ten? I have no idea. I do think he would be very successful at IU and have a positive impact on winning. 

We want IU to land a guys that would allow Trey Galloway to be a player that could come in off the bench and I think Conwell would do just that. If Woodson would do it and if those players came to Indiana, we could play lineups like the following: Perkins, Conwell, Bryson Tucker, Mgbako and Reneau with Galloway-Sears or Walker-Hickman-Cupps-portal big off the bench or you could put Galloway in as a third guard and play Mgbako and Malik together, etc. It would be interesting and Conwell would allow for a lot of that. I have yet to see another 2-guard enter the portal or be rumored as a possible IU option that would move Galloway to the bench, making Conwell a major priority (if he enters).

[Hovadipo]

6 minutes ago, DChoosier said:

And he is from Indy which hopefully/might help us.  
Hope we go at him with a 39 gallon lawn and leaf hefty bag

I think we're in a great place with him. I normally wouldn't be wishing for a kid to leave ISU, but realistically he's outta there so it might as well be to Indiana.

If I haven't been clear, I would literally die for Ryan Conwell.

[DChoosier]

1 minute ago, HoosierHuddle said:

making Conwell a major priority (if he enters).

Thanks for the response.

In regards to him entering the portal…I have no idea (and hadn’t really heard of him until a couple of hours ago LOL) but the odds of a mid-major “star” entering the portal are extremely high when their coach leaves and he has a chance to play at a P5 school.  
Not to mention that his NIL at ISU probably consisted of free pizza and the use of a bicycle while a P5 school will offer him 250k-500k+ or so.  Based on the feedback I  hope we get him

[IndyHoops]

15 minutes ago, DChoosier said:

Thanks for the response.

In regards to him entering the portal…I have no idea (and hadn’t really heard of him until a couple of hours ago LOL) but the odds of a mid-major “star” entering the portal are extremely high when their coach leaves and he has a chance to play at a P5 school.  
Not to mention that his NIL at ISU probably consisted of free pizza and the use of a bicycle while a P5 school will offer him 250k-500k+ or so.  Based on the feedback I  hope we get him

What kind of pizza?

[DChoosier]

4 minutes ago, IndyHoops said:

What kind of pizza?

He is a good player so I’m going to guess he is being given a supreme from whichever pizza place he prefers.
Bench guys get Dominos cheese only.

[ap2345]

30 minutes ago, HoosierHuddle said:

Good question. I am not an expert on Ryan Conwell and don't know as much as someone like Tony Adragna or the guys at Peegs or several other posters on this board so my opinion should be taken with a mountain of salt. That written, I love Ryan Conwell's game and think he would be a really good addition to Indiana. He's 6'4" and well-built with good length. He shoots it well at nearly 42% from three and more than 85% from the line. Conwell is a good rebounder for a guard, a good passer, a plus-defender on the perimeter and a tough player that, to my untrained eyes, is always going full tilt. As a bonus, he has two years of eligibility remaining. Does he average those numbers in the Big Ten? I have no idea. I do think he would be very successful at IU and have a positive impact on winning. 

We want IU to land a guys that would allow Trey Galloway to be a player that could come in off the bench and I think Conwell would do just that. If Woodson would do it and if those players came to Indiana, we could play lineups like the following: Perkins, Conwell, Bryson Tucker, Mgbako and Reneau with Galloway-Sears or Walker-Hickman-Cupps-portal big off the bench or you could put Galloway in as a third guard and play Mgbako and Malik together, etc. It would be interesting and Conwell would allow for a lot of that. I have yet to see another 2-guard enter the portal or be rumored as a possible IU option that would move Galloway to the bench, making Conwell a major priority (if he enters).

IU will make him a priority when he enters. He will certainly enter

[Home Jersey]

Obviously just speculation because we're filling in blanks based on reports, and haven't actually landed anyone yet... but for the sake of conversation, I'm squinting really hard to envision an outline for the roster and what a best case scenario would look like...

1. Retain Mgbako. 
2. In the backcourt, land: Conwell, Perkins, Hickman (who knows if possible to get all 3? I tend to doubt it but would love to be pleasantly surprised). Play Gallo heavily in the rotation, with Leal and Cupps playing spot minutes. 
3. On the wing, add Bryson Tucker - hopefully without overcommitting on playing time. I'd like to see him get similar minutes to Malik's first year, not that they are similar players, but I'd anticipate a similar level of impact from him as a freshman, albeit done differently on the court. From the little bit I've seen (ie, I could be very wrong - not a professional basketball scout), I'd be surprised if he is an instant starter type of freshman. Have Newton and Tucker compete for minutes on the wing alongside/behind MM.  
4. Find a role playing 5 that can help protect the rim and you're comfortable playing up to 25-30mpg based on match ups (I'm sure easier said than done but of the thousands of players in the portal, there have to be some out there... Bradshaw and Booker come to mind). 

Conway, Perkins, Hickman, Gallo, Leal, Cupps, Newton, MM, BT, MR, AB or XB would be eleven.

Two spots to fill... ideal to find a sharpshooting wing and a back up big... hard for any program to fill a roster with 13 players who could come in and instantly contribute though. I will reiterate - that's a "best case" scenario, not what I think is necessarily likely at all. 

Your top 8 would probably Conway, Perkins, Hickman, Gallo, MM, MR, the portal 5 and IMO either Tucker, portal wing/big. I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst when it comes to Newton's recovery from his knee surgeries. 

Not sure how that roster would stack up in the CBB landscape, but it would look much improved from this year. Here's to hoping the #TrueFanClub has something to be happy about soon. Be careful though... if you said anything negative on Twitter, NGW and his buddies have let everyone know they're "keeping receipts" for when you "switch up" lmao. Gimme a break

[Jeff Flabjohns]

Amari Williams from Drexel would be a home run in the front court. He has to be in super high demand. 3-time DPOY in the CAA used to playing 20-25 mpg . 
would be just what we need

+ 2 of Perkins, Connell, Hickman, Mack

+ Tucker

+ MM back

id be excited. 

[FW Hoosier]

47 minutes ago, HoosierHuddle said:

Good question. I am not an expert on Ryan Conwell and don't know as much as someone like Tony Adragna or the guys at Peegs or several other posters on this board so my opinion should be taken with a mountain of salt. That written, I love Ryan Conwell's game and think he would be a really good addition to Indiana. He's 6'4" and well-built with good length. He shoots it well at nearly 42% from three and more than 85% from the line. Conwell is a good rebounder for a guard, a good passer, a plus-defender on the perimeter and a tough player that, to my untrained eyes, is always going full tilt. As a bonus, he has two years of eligibility remaining. Does he average those numbers in the Big Ten? I have no idea. I do think he would be very successful at IU and have a positive impact on winning. 

We want IU to land a guys that would allow Trey Galloway to be a player that could come in off the bench and I think Conwell would do just that. If Woodson would do it and if those players came to Indiana, we could play lineups like the following: Perkins, Conwell, Bryson Tucker, Mgbako and Reneau with Galloway-Sears or Walker-Hickman-Cupps-portal big off the bench or you could put Galloway in as a third guard and play Mgbako and Malik together, etc. It would be interesting and Conwell would allow for a lot of that. I have yet to see another 2-guard enter the portal or be rumored as a possible IU option that would move Galloway to the bench, making Conwell a major priority (if he enters).

This!!!  as much as we all want 3 pt. shooters, i also want the dogs who have grit and winning mindsets.  When we have guards who have the ability to create their shot and drive it'll do wonders for 3 pt shooting.   

[FW Hoosier]

22 minutes ago, DChoosier said:

He is a good player so I’m going to guess he is being given a supreme from whichever pizza place he prefers.
Bench guys get Dominos cheese only.

Purdue players get Hawaiin pizza.

[IUc2016]

AJ Storr in the portal. Also declared for the draft.