Transfers

[Kevin Reilly]

Here is a look at the players we lost from last years team. Abou Ousmane is getting 12 points and 5.4 rebounds a game for Oklahoma State. Kam Craft is averaging 15 points a game and is shouting 42% from the three point line for Miami Ohio. Gytis Nemeiksa is averaging 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds for Hawaii .Everybody's favorite Lazar Djokovic ( except me LOL) is averaging 9 points and 4.8 rebounds for Charleston . My favorite Sasa Ciani is averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds a game for UIC. Des Claude is averaging 14.5 and around 4 rebounds and 4 assists a game. Claude was the best of them but got greedy. I think the coach had a very fast trigger on Nemeiksa, Ciani and Craft. Not sure why they all left? Bringing in that many new guys in one year is risky. Team chemistry probably was poor .Not sure if Foster is a up grade over Nemeiksa. They should have had a lot more patience with Ciani. Not sure if Foster is a better player than Craft. We would kill for Ciani and Abo this season. I'm sure the insiders know why they all left. They all play in easier conferences than the Big East but man it would be nice if we had even half those guys.

[Anti-Homer]

KR,

I love your takes, though we often disagree, and this is no exception. Foster is a definite upgrade over Craft and Nemeiksa, and it ain’t even close, though both are quality players. Foster’s stats ytd: 25 min/gm, 9 pts, 4+ boards, 3:1 A /T.O. %, and 47% from 3. He is also a good and versatile defender, often guarding guys who have a 3-4 inch height advantage. I do agree with what your post underscores overall, though. Miller has been horrendous with his management of NIL, H.S. recruiting, player development, and roster construction, an unwanted Superfecta.

Last year, Hunter was the only surprise injury. Free missed ½ of 22-23, and you don’t miss another one unless you were highly unlikely like last year. Then, Miller brought in 3 ¾ contributors in McKnight, Olivari. Swain, and Green, though his development has been disappointing, a recurrent theme with Miller. He then swings and misses with the other 5 or 6 players he brought in. Sorry, I lost count. Adam Cohen was supposed to be an int’l recruiting savant, and the only player from Europe that showed any real ability to contribute last year was Djoko, another player Miller mismanaged. Ciani may develop into a BE caliber player but was clearly a project.

However, no worries, because Miller targeted the Big 12’s 13 best center in Abou, very early in the process. This shows that it wasn’t out of desperation but was highly coveted. No, not Hunter Dickinson, but Abou. No, not Jesses Edwards, Will Baker, Efton Reid, or the 100+ centers who were still available, but Abou. Oh, but wait! Miller did land that diamond in the rough, in 0.0 contributor in Logan D from Indiana. Zero.Zero. I do understand the pickup though, as he did average 2 points a game with NIT bound I.U. Did Sean let Amy manage the transfer portal last year?

So, after taking X to the SW 16 with STEELE’S recruits, SM is hitting well below the Mendoza line with recruits and transfers. Even at full strength, with Traore and Free, this team still has a bunch of really good shooters, and exactly one guy, McKnight, who can create their own shot, and exactly one guy, who can consistently score in the post, in Free. He also picked up possibly the worst transfer big in Hugley. Another swing and a miss.
Traore is a rebounding machine but seems to have the offensive skillset of Rashid Gaston. That’s like drafting 4 good QBs, and one good RB and WR. Miller’s last two teams remind me of the roster construction of middling A-10 teams.

The guy can still coach, though he is still not aware that you’re allowed to change defenses, or that pulling guys after 23 seconds (see Tandy, Green, Djokovich, Maddox, and everyone else not named Claude or Swain) doesn’t instill confidence or effective play. That Huggin’s influence is hard to shed.

Another snafu was his brilliant scheduling philosophy that mirrors UC's, with one of the worst OOC schedules in the country, where a 10-point win against the bottom feeders still results in a 20-point drop in the NET. Brilliant! Losing by 2 to a top-75 team would probably have dropped them only 2-3 spots. I thought Steele’s years were an anomaly, and 22-23 the norm, but unfortunately, the latter seems to be the anomaly. X’s brand is starting to suffer under his watch, a continuation of Steele’s freefall.

As a grad, avid fan, and board moderator of one of the most prestigious message boards in the country, I will always be, All-IN, even if the coach isn’t, as evidenced by Miller not arguing the blatant trip of Conwell, because he wanted to get to the pizza in the locker room. As a recruit, that’s not exactly the kind of advocate I would want to play for. I am becoming more resigned to the realization that without a change in philosophy, or stewardship, I won’t look forward to March as I used to pre-Steele…..and now, pre-Miller.

[Kevin Reilly]

Anti-homer I know you know your B-_Ball and I enjoy reading your posts. I think you may over rate Foster. He's a good solid player but to me he doesn't play hard enough. Mr. Muscles doesn't play like Mr. Muscles. In 25 minutes a game he averages 8.8 points a game and 4.2 rebounds. I think he's average on defense at best. Nemeiska in 18 minutes a game averaged 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds and was one bad play away from getting pulled in every game. Plus even though Nemieska was light he battled a lot harder than Foster does . Foster just kind of disappears in the corner. Nemieska got knocked down and jumped right back up in every game. Craft is averaging 15 points a game and shooting 42% from the three point line on 83 attempts. He's averaging 15 points and 3.5 rebounds a game. Miami is not Xavier but those are pretty good numbers. Craft was a top 100 recruit who came in on a stacked team his freshman year. Than he got hurt his 2nd year. I don't see enough from Foster. I'd like to see him get more involved physically. As far as Miller I may be his number one fan but the injuries and transfers have hurt us

[skyhops]

I watched Gytis drop 27 and 11 a few days ago and don’t think Foster could ever do that. Foster is a good mid major player but an undersized slow footed BE small forward. I was wrong about Ciani, who I also have watched succeed this year. Miller pushed Craft out for some reason same with Reid. Letting any combination of Abu, Lazar and Ciani was a huge mistake. A small team that can’t beat anyone off the dribble will make it tough to get six wins.

[Thor in 204]

Not exactly a transfer out but a decommit, Jonathan Powell played 31 minutes today for West Virginia in a 62-61 victory at Kansas, scoring 11, 4 rebounds, no turnovers, 2 steals.
Perhaps his move to WVU was unavoidable given who we brought in, but it sounds like he would have done very well here.

[XU_2011]

Ousmane scored 27 (!) on Tuesday lol.

I have a soft spot for Miller because he led X to an E8 my freshman year - this was one of the best two-week periods of my life - but I feel like he's lost the mojo. Maybe Arizona broke him.

The talent hasn't been the best the past two years but does it feel like he's getting the most out of his players? Is it not a bad look that guys who looked utterly lost last year are having nice seasons this year? How do you justify so many underclassmen leaving?

[skyhops]

Rumblings about issues in the locker room that are obvious to see on the court.

[Kevin Reilly]

A lot of transfers and lot of losing and you end up with a team that is not really a team. A lot of guys looking out for themselves and not buying into the team concept. It has to be tough managing all the ego's , agents, family, N.I.L. money , portal and fans. Hell that's why Nick Saban quit. I know a lot of us are not happy with the team and the coaching and the recruiting. I do know we are so lucky to have Miller and he will get this program turned around. I can't believe Maddox is happy or anyone not getting much time. Don't know if that is the case but I did notice that Conwell had very bad body posture last game. Reality is we are not a very good team for a lot of reasons and the players look like they are not a very close team.

[Kevin Reilly]

I watched the USC vs Illinois B_Ball game and Des Claude made himself some money today. USC beat them and Claude had 31 points and 5 TO's and not much defense LOL. Same guy he was here . Very hard to stop him on his drives to the basket from the right side. Happy to see him play well.. Also he is a point guard now who doesn't pass. LOL Doesn't take many threes this year too.

[skyhops]

I’d take Claude over any of our guards