2023 Transfer Portal

I can’t find it now but it was one of the transfer list I follow on Twitter and news just broke about a hour ago that Roce transfer Olivari is going to Xavier. I hate to say it but it look bad like real bad right now for us. Not saying it can’t get better but it look bad like not even .500 bad, like not make tournament bad.
 
Sincerely hookem said:
I hate to say it but it looks bad like real bad right now for us. Not saying it can’t get better
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Thanks SH. My hope was Abmas would sign which would then entice a cascade of other good players to come. Would help if we could lock Disu in. I'm sure players want to go some place they can play big minutes and win, but without a supporting cast I'm not sure we look very attractive right now. Still lots of players out there, I know we were looking at a couple of shooters from VCU and Montana State. It's time for some luck to come our way.
 
longhornlegend said:
Coach is like qb, you get praise not deserved and blame not deserved. Maybe rt gets both here like the coaching stats I posted, you dont like his stats and therefore you disregard them. Losing Morris is a big deal. Losing the recruit Johnson is a big deal. Now Mitchell has declared for the draft which is a big mistake in my opinion. Like my original post stated, you and jj love rt not on his record but on hope and like I said, good for you. I just think 3m +/yr deserves more than hope.
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When I said "sometimes it's not about the coach", I wasn't defending RT, nor trying to trash Scott Drew.

Kids today get tons of coaching they never got before, playing club/AAU ball almost year round, then HS, personal trainers, all that crap. Maybe the college coach is a bigger part of the selection process coming out of HS for many, but when transferring it seems it is very often a question of where the player feels he can build his "brand", and for the transfers who are already proven at the college level, monetize his talents most effectively.

Can you see how a kid might transfer from Baylor to UT in order to better monetize his talents, rather than thinking " @longhornlegend thinks Scott Drew is a good coach and Rodney Terry sux donkey ballz, so I won't even consider Texas"?
 
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247Sports has Abmas to us. He's a good pickup and I hope others follow suit.

A ton of people think Shedrick is a done deal but I'm not sure because I haven't seen anything on the social media about it.

The Pigs signed Mark, so their big swing guy (Dunning) entered the portal. I'd take him as a body but I don't know much about him.

We're going to need to take fliers on a couple of unheralded portal guys. There are a bunch that announced in the past week who are the "zero-star" variety and maybe played in like 3 mpg, but if we can get some evaluations going, there's gotta be at least one or two who can fill a bench role for us.
 
Common sense (our eyes) told many of us that Terry was the adult in the room and was able to right the ship and take this team to the final eight. That is a fact. The team improved as the season passed, especially Disu. It was a great year and he took the team as far as I thought they might go under Beard. I wasn't sure we were a final four team.

Variables for 2023:

1) NIL $$$
2) The belief that any "good" coach could have won with Beard's team
3) Great coaches reasserting themselves on the portal
4) Terry recruiting for himself and not selling a great coach as he was selling Beard and Barnes in the past

But my feeling is that I'm pretty surprised at the current situation. I didn't see this coming. I'm especially bothered by Morris leaving after the university took the hits on character issues by keeping him around. I said it before and it bears repeating. I don't know if Morris was pouting about playing time and stuck it Terry or what. But having him back would have been huge.

I get the going pro route for the incoming 5-star. I believe that will continue to happen and the college game is on notice.
 
Horns11 said:
247Sports has Abmas to us. He's a good pickup and I hope others follow suit.

A ton of people think Shedrick is a done deal but I'm not sure because I haven't seen anything on the social media about it.

The Pigs signed Mark, so their big swing guy (Dunning) entered the portal. I'd take him as a body but I don't know much about him.

We're going to need to take fliers on a couple of unheralded portal guys. There are a bunch that announced in the past week who are the "zero-star" variety and maybe played in like 3 mpg, but if we can get some evaluations going, there's gotta be at least one or two who can fill a bench role for us.
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Googled all over and didn't see any announcement to the good guys. I do see a crystal ball projection as 100% Texas.
 
bystander said:
Googled all over and didn't see any announcement to the good guys. I do see a crystal ball projection as 100% Texas.
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That's my fear, I have yet to see anything from a reliable source and he was supposed to commit last Thursday. The longer it drags out the worse I feel. And it just seems like with the NIL $ Texas "should" have we should be doing much better.

I would just feel a lot better if I saw a confirmed commit from Abmas and Shedick. I know when the transfers committed the last couple of years, but the top players have committed much earlier this year.
 
I can't imagine a transfer looking at an Elite-8 program in the Power-5 who is dying for player-minutes and thinking "meh..."

And, contrary to the sunshine pumpers, there is something to be said about why we don't seem to be a destination.
 
bystander said:
Variables for 2023:
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1) New Head Coach

All of the other variables you listed were already in play when Beard and staff successfully built the team that went to the Elite 8. Good coaches can sell a vision that get players to come whether HS recruits or top tier transfers. Terry claims he had a big role in recruiting that team so we'll see how this plays out this time around.
 
Not sure where, but I read a quote a few months back about the portal being full of kids making “Twitter decisions, and not business decisions”. I look at each portal announcement through that lens now. It doesn’t help me feel less sad/angry, but it does remind me that these are kids making decisions, and I’m too old or too old school for it to make sense to me.
 
Sincerely hookem said:
I can’t find it now but it was one of the transfer list I follow on Twitter and news just broke about a hour ago that Roce transfer Olivari is going to Xavier. I hate to say it but it look bad like real bad right now for us. Not saying it can’t get better but it look bad like not even .500 bad, like not make tournament bad.
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We lost out on Rice guard Quincy Olivari to Xavier? A school with an enrollment of only 6,129 located in Cincinnati? Here is what Olivari told On3:
“Sean Miller and his staff made me a priority from day one and they showed this through their words and actions, . . . they expressed their belief in me that I could come in and take my game to the next level while playing on the biggest stage. Sean Miller has a great track record. The staff and players in the program are amazing. I’m excited to play in the NCAA tournament and advance. Everything felt right.”
Wow - that's the same team RT beat handily in the Sweet16 this year. If we made him a priority and lost this recruiting battle, things are even worse than I thought (if that is possible).
 
You can actually watch and hear it from Quincy himself. He says Sean Miller's phone call "gave him chills" and "spoke life into him".
Former Rice Owl Quincy Olivari announces transfer to Xavier

This one is actually pretty puzzling. Quincy is going to convert what would have been a degree from Rice (ranked #15 in US, acceptance rate of only 9%) to Xavier (ranked #166, acceptance rate of 84%). And he allegedly had 40 schools contact him. I guess the degree didn't matter much.
 
Horns11 said:
I can't imagine a transfer looking at an Elite-8 program in the Power-5 who is dying for player-minutes and thinking "meh..."

And, contrary to the sunshine pumpers, there is something to be said about why we don't seem to be a destination.
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Is it RT?
 
My two cents. First, RT says he was the lead recruiter for three of the starters last year, which is undoubtedly true, but was he the "closer" or was that Beard? Second, we are now in a horrible situation. The core of this years team in Carr, Rice, and Allen are gone. Morris and Brumbaugh transfer. Disu, Hunter, and Mithell potentially could leave or could come back, who knows. There is now one HS recruit coming in this year. RT absolutely needed a strong start in the transfer portal to attract others and possibly have those testing the pro waters return. That didn't happen, so what "vision" can RT sell right now. I would think the highly sought after portal players seek out a team where they can fit in with a solid team that will maximize and possibly showcase their skills. A big man needs solid guards that can get them the ball and can also shoot to open up down low. What can RT tell a big man about who the guards will be? Wings and scorers don't want to be the only realistic scoring option on the floor where they draw multiple defenders every night and who is a point guard going to pass it to. Can RT tell them how they will fit in and flourish with the other players on the team? As for Disu, Hunter and Mitchell, why come back now when you are looking at a team with no depth and as it stands now, a realistic chance of finishing in the bottom third of the conference and not making the tournament. Disu is probably better served in the g-league working on his three point shot and using the nba type spacing. Mitchell is the same. I doubt Disu will be drafted, Mitchell may be in the second round because of his athleticism. Hunter should return, but he faces the same dilemma of what will the team look like and if it is going to be a team that is not very good, he may choose to go to the g-league as well and who could blame him. As the song says, its not too late, because its never too late, but RT really needs to pull a few rabbits out of the magic hat.
 
Good analysis Bystander. Many of us "doubters" were label as "haters" because we feared that RT would revert back to what his record says he is, an average HC but an excellent assistant coach. I remember when Beard was hired there was a flurry of transfers almost immediately. RT inherited those players and got us to to the Elite Eight and I still believe that the refs kept us from making the Final Four. I support RT because he is our coach. I still, however, have my doubts, hope I am wrong and we do not go back into the desert again, looking for another HC to take us to the promise land.

I fear we may have to draft a cheerleader to practice and field a team.
 
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I was one of the ones that was all calm and it’s not that bad. So I apologize, but right now it looks bad like there is 0 buzz around them, no news of even a visit. As we stand right now we legit only have 2 scholarship athletes. Cunningham and Alex and the Walk-On’s and 1 freshman. We legit don’t have a team to play 5v5. Out of all the portal entries the name Texas is good for 1-3 ok players but nothing is a hard pill to swallow.
 
Walking Boss said:
RT absolutely needed a strong start in the transfer portal to attract others and possibly have those testing the pro waters return. That didn't happen,could blame him. As the song says, its not too late, because its never too late, but RT really needs to pull a few rabbits out of the magic hat.
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I agree Walking Boss, the recruiting/retention has been a disaster up to now. I think the rabbit in RT's hat would be Abmas picking Texas. Players want to win and I don't know why he would look at what we have left and say he wants to play here, but it appears our chances are good. If he signs that should attract other decent players but that remains to be seen. If Abmas is lost, hope is dead.
 
Welp, one of our top targets VCU transfer Jayden Nunn just committed to Baylor. It was down to us or them. Cunningham must be getting pretty lonely at this point.
 
Couple of tidbits about guys who recently entered the portal:

Jaylon Tyson: Texas/Texas Tech
I wouldn't take him back because of how he left us, but he's the most talented guy in this post.

Quincy Guerrier: Syracuse/Oregon
A Timmy Allen type with maybe not quite as much upside. He looked REALLY good as a sophomore for the Orange but wasn't used in quite the same way at UO. They made him shoot more 3's in Eugene and that hurt his FG%. 6'7", 220, has some good handles. One-year rental.

Ali Ali: Akron/Butler
A much-needed big man who plays outside. He was tearing up the MAC at Akron, transferred to Butler, and then kind of mellowed out against tough competition. He'd be a good one-year replacement for Mitchell if Mitchell left.

Daeshun Ruffin: Ole Miss
The fact that he's leaving Beard is kind of concerning, but he's a little guy with great speed and fast break ability. Can't shoot outside but if we find someone else who can do that, he can pass well on the drive.

Omar Payne: UF, Illini, Jacksonville
Three schools in 4 years is concerning, but the man is a body who can play down low. Over a block/game and shoots 65%.

Ven-Allen Lubin: Notre Dame
I think he should be highly prized. 6 pts, 4 boards, 1 block doesn't seem like much until you consider it was in very limited action. He shot well in the paint and wasn't pushed around on D.

Woody Newton: Syracuse/OK State
Wasn't getting much playing time. Didn't do anything remarkable against us, so I don't know much about him. He's a pretty tall swing guy who seemed to have a couple of "hey now" games per season but never really got going.
 
Horns11 said:
Couple of tidbits about guys who recently entered the portal:

Jaylon Tyson: Texas/Texas Tech
I wouldn't take him back because of how he left us, but he's the most talented guy in this post.

Quincy Guerrier: Syracuse/Oregon
A Timmy Allen type with maybe not quite as much upside. He looked REALLY good as a sophomore for the Orange but wasn't used in quite the same way at UO. They made him shoot more 3's in Eugene and that hurt his FG%. 6'7", 220, has some good handles. One-year rental.

Ali Ali: Akron/Butler
A much-needed big man who plays outside. He was tearing up the MAC at Akron, transferred to Butler, and then kind of mellowed out against tough competition. He'd be a good one-year replacement for Mitchell if Mitchell left.

Daeshun Ruffin: Ole Miss
The fact that he's leaving Beard is kind of concerning, but he's a little guy with great speed and fast break ability. Can't shoot outside but if we find someone else who can do that, he can pass well on the drive.

Omar Payne: UF, Illini, Jacksonville
Three schools in 4 years is concerning, but the man is a body who can play down low. Over a block/game and shoots 65%.

Ven-Allen Lubin: Notre Dame
I think he should be highly prized. 6 pts, 4 boards, 1 block doesn't seem like much until you consider it was in very limited action. He shot well in the paint and wasn't pushed around on D.

Woody Newton: Syracuse/OK State
Wasn't getting much playing time. Didn't do anything remarkable against us, so I don't know much about him. He's a pretty tall swing guy who seemed to have a couple of "hey now" games per season but never really got going.
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Thanks for the research, but I do not see one player on the list that is going to keep us out of the desert.
 
Man, the crickets are deafening on the recruiting. Did we enter a dead period on portal recruiting that no one told me about.
 
UrsusArctos said:
I agree Walking Boss, the recruiting/retention has been a disaster up to now. I think the rabbit in RT's hat would be Abmas picking Texas. Players want to win and I don't know why he would look at what we have left and say he wants to play here, but it appears our chances are good. If he signs that should attract other decent players but that remains to be seen. If Abmas is lost, hope is dead.
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On3 has Abmas at 95% to K-State.
 
Walking Boss said:
On3 has Abmas at 95% to K-State.
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They have for a long time now. He visited KSU over the weekend and is in Austin today. Tylor Perry did not have KSU in his top 8 previously but they are in his top 4 now, which I optimistically took to mean they(KSU) don't think they are getting Abmas and are recruiting Perry heavily now. Could be just my burnt-orange glasses though. :e-face-shades:
 
bystander said:
Not surprised. If the money is equal then I'd probably go to a school with some talent on the roster.
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I agree. You would want to be on a team that could win and advance in the tourney to build your brand. Hopefully RT has some guys he can throw out there that "we are about to sign". Shedrick just visited but does go to Duke soon.
 
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