We should start to hear soon
Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2023 6:02 pm
As Sean and the staff hold their end-of-season futures discussion with players, we should start to hear who is staying and who is leaving. I am sure Sean has a good idea of who might go and is working hard to fill the team's needs. Ten players have the option to return next year, but I am sure ten will not stay, given the present state of the transfer portal.
SO let's play the who stays and who goes. College basketball allows for 13 scholarships, but X has used 12 and sometimes given the 13th to a walk-on that has been on the squad for several years.
MY OPINION
Let's start with Freemantle because he has been the on-again-off-again story for the last couple of years. With the injury, I doubt that too many colleges take a chance that he would be available next season to hang one of their 13 'ship on for next season. I know he doesn't want a reduced rule, but next year, he will not be a pro overseas without a good finish next season. So the question is? Is he smart enough to come back and compete, or are his people and him too stubborn in their beliefs and try and go through the transfer portal? We thought he was gone last year too! My take, he is gone.
Jack Nunge. Married and having been in college for six years would tell me he will leave. That being said, I know his wife has a good job and is satisfied living in Cincy, so what would make Jack stay? Maybe a decent NIL package. Perhaps his tears after the Texas game were that he knew his chances had passed him by, but it will perhaps be used to say stay, and next year we will have the team that could make those memories disappear. I think it is 60-40 60% go and 40% stay, and I think stay might be losing traction. I put him in the gone classification.
Jerome Hunter...the intriguing one of the bunch. Once a goat, that is a scapegoat to the fan's goat of the year, from rag to riches. He would be welcomed, and the team could be his. Can he make money professionally? Not in the NBA, but maybe overseas... Maybe overseas owes us a few of their players. After all, X has sent them many of our players that have become champions, from Mike Hawkins to Matt Stainbrook and many in between. The question is, if he stays might he enhance his ability to play pro ball and win something with one more year at X. Again, my opinion is 50-50 and depends on who has his ear besides Sean.
Colby Jones... Has his appetite for college success increased, or will he take the chance to be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft? The last mock draft I saw had him in the 40s, which is not the first round, I believe. So can Sean convince or want to convince him that one more year pushes him into that first round, or do the people in his ear go along with his desire to leave and make big bucks? X had a guy everyone thought would leave for the big time, but as my post "Were you there, did you hear" David stayed, and how did he do as a Senior? My bet is he declares but reserves the right to come back.
Dieonte Miles was 4th in the depth chart and got some minutes but didn't shine enough to climb into the rotation. He has two years left, so I bet he transfers, but I thought the same last year. I don't know if Sean looks at him like a guy that might work out in the previous year of his two years, like players in the past he coached. You can't coach size, but that seems to be all he has at the D1 level. My best guess is that he is gone
Kyky Tandy is pretty much the same as Miles, except he has been given more chances to become meaningful and only halfway succeed, which is a generous critique. He leaves unless he likes being a bench player
Cesare Edwards what can I say that hasn't been said? He was third on the depth chart and got little time before Zach's injury. He got more time when Zack went down but not much more. He has some production but not enough to say he had a good year. Does he look at Jack and Zack and say if one or both leave will I have a chance on this team. Sean said some nice things about him but also alluded to some weaknesses without mentioning him by name. Here is the question does Sean think he can upgrade from Edwards? He has Dailyn Swain and Kachi Nachi coming in, one 6'8" and one 6'10" reported, and sure he is looking for some big guys from everything I have heard...might even have a few in the fold after decisions are made on this years team that could start, I am thinking of at least two guys. I can't call this one, so I will say 50-50 because I am a softy
Kam Craft not much playing time but started to click and had his best game against St Johns I believe. He showed he could score and rebound in that game, but shortly after, he was shut down with a knee injury. If he fits the Miller OKG, he stays, and I think with three years and the X strength coach, he can become what Sean wants and a player that can fill up the basket. If he stays, I hope he spends his summer working on his game
Desmond Claude played minutes and became a solid player by the end of the year. He needs to make that sophomore jump, but it is Sean's best bet to be a star. Now how do you convince him that X is where it is at? Sean did it last year, and I think of everyone, this is the guy that will stay. I just hope it is more than just next year.
Elijah Tuckerwith three years left and based on what has happened to him at X and how X has stuck with him and to add that Sean saw enough in his improvement to play him in a game or two, I hope he stays. Hey, with 13 scholarships, we can use one for this guy with the long arms and the excitement when he does play. I hope Sean thinks he is worth the chance with his physical tools because he is one of my favorites and has improved in practice as the year progressed. I would explain to him it seems like the grass is greener, but you are starting to know the system; give it one more year. Now, who is talking to him outside the staff, telling him that he can be a star somewhere else? My heart and head are at odds, so I will leave this one to the next week or so.
Remember, we have 13 'ships and now only using 12. We lose two for sure, and how many do you think will leave?
Please, if you respond, no bad-mouthing a player still here or wishing that they would leave. Remember that last few years, the number of times fans had wished a player would go and were embarrassed by those words after this year's team performance. Keep it classy
SO let's play the who stays and who goes. College basketball allows for 13 scholarships, but X has used 12 and sometimes given the 13th to a walk-on that has been on the squad for several years.
MY OPINION
Let's start with Freemantle because he has been the on-again-off-again story for the last couple of years. With the injury, I doubt that too many colleges take a chance that he would be available next season to hang one of their 13 'ship on for next season. I know he doesn't want a reduced rule, but next year, he will not be a pro overseas without a good finish next season. So the question is? Is he smart enough to come back and compete, or are his people and him too stubborn in their beliefs and try and go through the transfer portal? We thought he was gone last year too! My take, he is gone.
Jack Nunge. Married and having been in college for six years would tell me he will leave. That being said, I know his wife has a good job and is satisfied living in Cincy, so what would make Jack stay? Maybe a decent NIL package. Perhaps his tears after the Texas game were that he knew his chances had passed him by, but it will perhaps be used to say stay, and next year we will have the team that could make those memories disappear. I think it is 60-40 60% go and 40% stay, and I think stay might be losing traction. I put him in the gone classification.
Jerome Hunter...the intriguing one of the bunch. Once a goat, that is a scapegoat to the fan's goat of the year, from rag to riches. He would be welcomed, and the team could be his. Can he make money professionally? Not in the NBA, but maybe overseas... Maybe overseas owes us a few of their players. After all, X has sent them many of our players that have become champions, from Mike Hawkins to Matt Stainbrook and many in between. The question is, if he stays might he enhance his ability to play pro ball and win something with one more year at X. Again, my opinion is 50-50 and depends on who has his ear besides Sean.
Colby Jones... Has his appetite for college success increased, or will he take the chance to be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft? The last mock draft I saw had him in the 40s, which is not the first round, I believe. So can Sean convince or want to convince him that one more year pushes him into that first round, or do the people in his ear go along with his desire to leave and make big bucks? X had a guy everyone thought would leave for the big time, but as my post "Were you there, did you hear" David stayed, and how did he do as a Senior? My bet is he declares but reserves the right to come back.
Dieonte Miles was 4th in the depth chart and got some minutes but didn't shine enough to climb into the rotation. He has two years left, so I bet he transfers, but I thought the same last year. I don't know if Sean looks at him like a guy that might work out in the previous year of his two years, like players in the past he coached. You can't coach size, but that seems to be all he has at the D1 level. My best guess is that he is gone
Kyky Tandy is pretty much the same as Miles, except he has been given more chances to become meaningful and only halfway succeed, which is a generous critique. He leaves unless he likes being a bench player
Cesare Edwards what can I say that hasn't been said? He was third on the depth chart and got little time before Zach's injury. He got more time when Zack went down but not much more. He has some production but not enough to say he had a good year. Does he look at Jack and Zack and say if one or both leave will I have a chance on this team. Sean said some nice things about him but also alluded to some weaknesses without mentioning him by name. Here is the question does Sean think he can upgrade from Edwards? He has Dailyn Swain and Kachi Nachi coming in, one 6'8" and one 6'10" reported, and sure he is looking for some big guys from everything I have heard...might even have a few in the fold after decisions are made on this years team that could start, I am thinking of at least two guys. I can't call this one, so I will say 50-50 because I am a softy
Kam Craft not much playing time but started to click and had his best game against St Johns I believe. He showed he could score and rebound in that game, but shortly after, he was shut down with a knee injury. If he fits the Miller OKG, he stays, and I think with three years and the X strength coach, he can become what Sean wants and a player that can fill up the basket. If he stays, I hope he spends his summer working on his game
Desmond Claude played minutes and became a solid player by the end of the year. He needs to make that sophomore jump, but it is Sean's best bet to be a star. Now how do you convince him that X is where it is at? Sean did it last year, and I think of everyone, this is the guy that will stay. I just hope it is more than just next year.
Elijah Tuckerwith three years left and based on what has happened to him at X and how X has stuck with him and to add that Sean saw enough in his improvement to play him in a game or two, I hope he stays. Hey, with 13 scholarships, we can use one for this guy with the long arms and the excitement when he does play. I hope Sean thinks he is worth the chance with his physical tools because he is one of my favorites and has improved in practice as the year progressed. I would explain to him it seems like the grass is greener, but you are starting to know the system; give it one more year. Now, who is talking to him outside the staff, telling him that he can be a star somewhere else? My heart and head are at odds, so I will leave this one to the next week or so.
Remember, we have 13 'ships and now only using 12. We lose two for sure, and how many do you think will leave?
Please, if you respond, no bad-mouthing a player still here or wishing that they would leave. Remember that last few years, the number of times fans had wished a player would go and were embarrassed by those words after this year's team performance. Keep it classy