Next Season

[Anti-Homer]

I’m not convinced that Freemantle won’t be back next year. But I also think that Sean will be active in the transfer portal towards bringing in at least one Big, possibly two, that have talent and experience against top competition. I don’t expect them to bring in bigs from lower level programs as much as I look for them to bring them in from top 6 conference schools.

I don’t expect them to bring in bigs from lower level programs as much as I look for them to bring them in from top 6 conference schools.

Actually, X has gotten major contributors from lower tier schools more than big names. Just off the top of my head, in the last decade plus:

Lower tier:
Boum, Kantner, Hankins, Bernard, Kunkel, CJ Anderson, Taylor,

Upper:
Crawford, Lavendar, Nunge

That's a Top 5 team.

[Jesseandrippers]

Should pause this thread for a bit. Live in the moment folks.

[longliveskip]

Should pause this thread for a bit. Live in the moment folks.

kind of agree but i'll just say this: only two guys who i think are GUARANTEED to be back are Claude and Hunter. if Colby isn't guaranteed to go in at least the top of the 2nd round then he should stay and be a 1st round pick next year.

everyone else will most likely be GONE via the portal, graduation, etc. and if anyone i didn't mention chooses to stay, they aren't seeing the court much.

Miller will get out in the portal HARD along with one international player, i believe.

[kyzrex]

Actually, X has gotten major contributors from lower tier schools more than big names. Just off the top of my head, in the last decade plus:

Lower tier:
Boum, Kantner, Hankins, Bernard, Kunkel, CJ Anderson, Taylor,

Upper:
Crawford, Lavendar, Nunge

That's a Top 5 team.

I agree that X has brought in some talent from lower tier schools that have had success. (They’ve also brought some in that had zero success.) But that’s not the reason I think they will pursue top tier talent more. The reason I think that is because of who won’t be here next year. Unless Free and Hunter come back (optimistic but not 100% certain that will happen), they will have very little experience down low. Only what Edwards brings to the party. They will need not only a couple of players that experienced, but they will need players that are experienced playing against the kind of talent that X faces game in and game out against the non-Com and BE teams they will face. Players that won’t be intimidated by the school name on a players jersey. That’s really hard to find from someone in the transfer portal that has generally played against lower tier teams, no matter how well they have done against that competition. At least that’s my prediction.

[Xavier2005]

In the most recent times it is very hard to impossible to predict who is going where and how any major team might do. The portal openings are more and more each year. Players being paid over or under the tables has increased greatly. Getting the so called best players means nothing if they cannot play together and have a chemistry to win. Just 2 recent examples: North Carolina was the pre season number one team...they did not make the field of 68 this year. Kentucky thinks they get the best players in the country, but Calipari has one National Championship team and has missed March Madness 3 times. Many players commit to schools and then take back their commitment to a school and never show up. Fans have to wait and see who really shows up to play for a school and then ...do they stay or leave to the portal. The whole process TODAY is a shot gun blast that moves in every direction.

[gym from delhi]

The joys of mercenary basketball. One of the fun things over the years has been watching kids develop, and getting a fondness for them. Sadly that will be largely gone in the new landscape.