TheChosenOne

Feels like a fit, no? This is the kid who threw shade at Pitino, right? It is something to get someone to transfer following you to your new program and then recruit over them and have to ask them to move along.

I had someone who seemed to know tell me that is in fact still the rule regarding the number of players who can dress for a particular game (didn't get into the number that can be on the roster though), so I believe you are correct (or you are both idiots and wrong jk, I just assume if I hear two different people say the same that they are likely correct).

I was just making a joke. The value of preseason computer rankings of teams with so many new players and roles is unlikely to be overly precise like you said.

Are we arguing with computer rankings and analytics now? At least give the computer a chance to defend itself.

Is this real? His recruitment might actually come to an end!?!? Anyone know if it could be us or has Michigan given him a better offer?

Yeah, French had a really good career, but was largely the same player as a senior as he was when he walked on campus. I am starting to think that is becoming the case for most players as the prep level and basketball specific training has progressed so much over the past ten years. A couple of years ago I had this same thought and wanted to deep dive on it, but then realized I didn't overly care.

I forgot about this! They have St. Joe’s at #126 and #6 in the Atlantic 10.

The young man has taken advantage of every opportunity he has earned to this point in his professional career, this is shaping up to be a big one! We are all pulling for you, Jordan! And thanks for posting that picture of a young Jordan with his mom and Beal, something most of us can relate to, so funny.

I think it will get there, but I don’t think many coaches would agree it has created a level playing field yet as programs are rapidly adapting to and changing based on what other programs are doing with some states (Missouri being one) even creating legislation for NIL that benefit the in-state schools. On the front end was still the idea that NIL cannot be a recruiting inducement or pay for play (and at one point I thought I saw something about deals needing to be fair market value and the NCAA appears to still be saying some of these things despite the environment clearly not following any of that) and there was an initial thought that coaches could not be involved. With it evolving by the recruiting cycle and not because of the rules changing, but how other programs are stretching it without concern for any rules, I don’t think it has quite hit the point of creating a level playing field. I think/hope it will get to that point, but it does not appear to be currently. Any chance Ford with his time at Oklahoma State and having played at Kentucky benefited from the seedier under the table environment?

That's right. The only athlete I am seeing that is truly utilizing NIL as I think it was intended is Luther Burden who had DJ (RIP) helping him get lined up with various local businesses. In a very short period of time it became exactly what it was said to not be. I think A&M started the ball moving in the wrong direction on the football side and then everyone had to follow suit to keep up and then it got to basketball and now here we are with the transfer market exploding.

Who all have we offered from that Vashon team?

That second part is a valid concern and certainly how he has handled this recruitment doesn’t alleviate those concerns. With regards to your first part, it would be much easier to tell him to buzz off if we knew Ezewiro would be eligible. Does anyone know when the NCAA will get to winter athletes? I don’t have the Tweet in front of me from Goodman, but I recall he Tweeted that the majority of second time undergrad transfers were being denied waivers with minimal exceptions. Assuming Ezewiro is even 50/50, that puts us in a much tougher spot. Remember in early June when folks were questioning our lack of success in the transfer portal and those in the know hinted at Rucker and Dandridge coming on board in the near future? I assume the past 5+ weeks and this spring/summer as a whole has not gone as planned.

Does anyone know what Dandridge is currently doing with regards to working out and training? For a guy who has battled injury and fitness issues, you hope he is prioritizing that along with this free agent hunt he is on.

Those are some key questions right now, completely agree. And I don’t know anything beyond what is on this board and the optics of Dandridge’s recruitment since he entered the portal back in May (since his visit over a month ago it has felt like we are his safety school while holding out for better offers), so do not take me as a credible source, just a moron.

Ezewiro not being a certainty is also something to factor into the discussion on your 2nd point. With so many waivers being denied on the football side, there seems to at least be a chance Ezewiro won’t be playing in November. I think his situation makes it a bit tougher to actually just move along from Dandridge and with it being mid-July I tend to think the coaches are comfortable letting him play it out no matter how annoying it is. He has strung us along this long, what’s another few weeks (that would be the argument). Personally I would have already told him to pound sand shortly after his visit over a month ago and moved onto other targets, but we’ve rode it out this long. At this point I also have no idea what else is even out there, we kind of hitched our wagon to him when he entered the portal back in late May. The bigger question might be whether the folks willing to pay him are now adequately fed up. On that final note, did Bradford commit anywhere?

With it being July 14th, we are kind of at the point it is Dandridge or bust. That likely needed to be the communication a month ago.

I think you and Pistol have both posted this for seemingly the past month or so. I thought it was kind of bs when Ford said it initially, but for it to be demonstrated so soon afterwards as bs has been surprising to me. The fact that we continue to recruit the guy after being eliminated from his top schools once early on, getting back in once his options dried up, and allowing him to continue to play games with us makes a mockery of that statement. And I also don't particularly care (give me the best players who are program fits), but I never would have made a comment like that. Also, not much in Ford's time at SLU support that being a chief concern with some of the known risks we have taken on, so it was a bit odd for it to become one now.

I know I am. I get frustrated when we miss on a recruit, but at least I am not financially invested in it and am now having a much tougher time being critical of Ford and company for missing on recruits (I wouldn't send $250k to Jimmy Bell either!). I couldn't imagine being a rich/successful in some other field SLU fan having to negotiate with high school and college dudes or those representing them. I suppose one could argue with Ezewiro being at least potentially uncertain that we need him, but damn it would be hard for me not to tell him to pound sand.

While I have no sense how the squad is bonding (I do think the guys returning seem to be without drama and seem like positive kids), I do think that is going to be important for Ford and company to emphasize this summer and fall with so many new faces. Maybe generally in college athletics with the way rosters are turning over year to year. We have guys coming in from different countries who will be going through a big adjustment not only on the court, but off the court as well being in college and living in the US, so a lot of change for them. And then we have transfers in the case of Dalger and Dandridge who are 5th year guys and in the case of Ezewiro playing for his 3rd team in 3 seasons who you need to make sure get bought in (and it sounds like Dalger is a real positive in that area). I find myself excited for the season because I do not know what to expect, but it feels like a fresh start with roles and playing time out there to be earned which I tend to like. With the league being down, why not surprise us with a dominating winter! I don't see any force in the league this coming winter, why not us?!?!

Glad I was able to smoke them out of their hole.

Does anyone else receive aggressive messages from Big Bill Fan? I don’t pay much attention to posters or if I have a private message, but noticed I had back to back private messages from him calling me a d!ckhead, a loser, and I should be ashamed of myself. I don’t know what I would have posted, but was curious if anyone else is fortunate enough to receive similar messages from that poster. Maybe chill out a bit BBF, it’s a message board.

Are we even recruiting in the class of 2024? Maybe instead of paying for our coaches to hit the road this summer we are just adding to the pile for Dandridge?!?!

You get an A-10 starting caliber center at this point in time, it is hard to be overly disappointed with it. I could see debating it two plus months ago, but at this point you aren’t doing any better than this and depending on the Georgetown kid we could be a bit desperate. I hope he stays healthy and is motivated, he has a big opportunity here in his final season of college basketball.

It’s about damn time! But, I’ll take it!

My primary question is if one of the workarounds for paying International players is if the income is completely passive as in they don’t promote anything or the like, isn’t that how most of the NIL deals are?