Transfers - 2023

[billikenfan05]

10 minutes ago, willie said:

I think the fact that he hasn’t yet declared for the portal says something. 

A lot of people are still announcing, still a bunch of time left in the portal window.

[dlarry]

4 hours ago, Box and Won said:

Olean, obviously.  The opportunity to ride snowmobiles and a dog sled would be too hard to pass up.

Well yeah! Not sure where else in New York you’d want to go.

[brianstl]

2 hours ago, billikenfan05 said:

I think TJ could very much play the 4 in the A10, in fact I'd love to see him be a stretch 4. If nothing else he's got the length to protect the paint on defense, he's also added strength. He absolutely could face up an opposing 4 and take him off the dribble or be a stretch 4.

Someone TJ’s size negates the whole purpose of a stretch 4 or 5 which is forcing an opponent’s big out of the low post out to defend on the perimeter. They just rotate a wing onto TJ and you don’t open the driving lanes. 

[Aquinas]

2 hours ago, billikenfan05 said:

I think TJ could very much play the 4 in the A10, in fact I'd love to see him be a stretch 4. If nothing else he's got the length to protect the paint on defense, he's also added strength. He absolutely could face up an opposing 4 and take him off the dribble or be a stretch 4.

If our goal is 4th in the A10, then play TJ at the 4. But if our goal is to be 1st in he A10 and have a shot at the sweet 16, then we need to be able to play with teams that have legit 4s. 

TJ, Picket and Perkins played the 4 last year and we struggled. We need a tenacious rebounder who can hold their ground under the basket. We need a 4 who can take pressure off of our stable of inexperienced bigs. 

TJ can jump, but he is only 6-4, 215. In 20 min a game last year, he got 3.7 rebounds and .3 steals. 

The 4 was our weakest position last year and it must be upgraded if we are to have any hopes of a better team.

[DOC]

5 hours ago, billikenfan05 said:

I think TJ could very much play the 4 in the A10, in fact I'd love to see him be a stretch 4. If nothing else he's got the length to protect the paint on defense, he's also added strength. He absolutely could face up an opposing 4 and take him off the dribble or be a stretch 4.

TJ has played the 4 in the A10. If he’s more than a role player next year we have no chance to win the A10. 

[gabriel]

https://twitter.com/RJGetBuckets/status/1643817914384932864?s=20

not good

[billikenfan05]

7 hours ago, DOC said:

TJ has played the 4 in the A10. If he’s more than a role player next year we have no chance to win the A10. 

This post is projecting that his being a 4 as a reason we didn't win the A10 in 2023. I'm also not suggesting he get major minutes at that position.

[VeniceMenace]

2 hours ago, billikenfan05 said:

This post is projecting that his being a 4 as a reason we didn't win the A10 in 2023. I'm also not suggesting he get major minutes at that position.

If there’s one player on this team who is NOT the reason for an underachieving season, it’s TJ — dudes a winner and brings a positive, infectious attitude every time. Not perfect but one of my all time favorite Billikens.

[billiken_roy]

TJ is his own worst enemy.   i dont understand that with his fantastic attitude and effort he typically comes to work with, why hasnt he worked on his ball handling and passing skills more?   as stated above he is obviously a fantastic athlete, but because he lacks guard skills and he is small to be a power forward, he has throughout his billiken career been held back from playing time that someone with his athleticism should be able to capitalize on..

he's got a summer to work on it.   we all witnessed the amazing transformation billiken legend, Brian Conklin, had the summer before his senior year.   that was accomplished imo by hard work that summer to become more effective, consistent and stronger, which made him an amazing power forward.   he was the difference maker on that team.  

Hargrove has to decide if he is a power forward or a wing.   i personally believe his greatest potential is as a wing.   but if he isnt going to improve his guard skills he might as well do all he can to get stronger and perfect the skills of a power forward.   God knows this team does not currently have a power forward for this upcoming season.  we will need a presence to guard the bigs and rebound.  

hargrove has options.   how he capitalizes on his opportunities (or not) is up to him.

[billikenfan05]

27 minutes ago, VeniceMenace said:

If there’s one player on this team who is NOT the reason for an underachieving season, it’s TJ — dudes a winner and brings a positive, infectious attitude every time. Not perfect but one of my all time favorite Billikens.

Nailed it.

[cheeseman]

33 minutes ago, VeniceMenace said:

If there’s one player on this team who is NOT the reason for an underachieving season, it’s TJ — dudes a winner and brings a positive, infectious attitude every time. Not perfect but one of my all time favorite Billikens.

I agree but we have to remember that TJ is who he is.  He has limitations but also a lot of pluses.  Whether he works on improving his game I have no idea although I will agree that he has improved his defense.  He is nice asset but he has his time and place on the floor at least so far.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

10 hours ago, gabriel said:

https://twitter.com/RJGetBuckets/status/1643817914384932864?s=20

not good

[DOC]

5 hours ago, billikenfan05 said:

This post is projecting that his being a 4 as a reason we didn't win the A10 in 2023. I'm also not suggesting he get major minutes at that position.

No, it's not. There were a lot of reasons we failed this year and TJ wasn't one of them. Not sure where you got that out of me saying if he was our 4 next year we couldn't win the A10. I stand by that. 

[billikenfan05]

33 minutes ago, DOC said:

No, it's not. There were a lot of reasons we failed this year and TJ wasn't one of them. Not sure where you got that out of me saying if he was our 4 next year we couldn't win the A10. I stand by that. 

And I'm not sure where you got the idea that I was saying he would be OUR 4. I clearly was saying that I would like to see TJ play more as a 4 than he did this year. 

[willie]

13 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

And I'm not sure where you got the idea that I was saying he would be OUR 4. I clearly was saying that I would like to see TJ play more as a 4 than he did this year. 

But that is where he played most of the year. He and Pickett split time. Yes they occasionally played together. I am also in the camp for us to be good we need a bigger 4 and I am TJ's biggest fan. 

[billikenfan05]

9 minutes ago, willie said:

But that is where he played most of the year. He and Pickett split time. Yes they occasionally played together. I am also in the camp for us to be good we need a bigger 4 and I am TJ's biggest fan. 

I'm also in that camp. I want to see TJ develop his game over this summer to fit that position better.

[GoSluBills]

I think there are times when TJ is placed in a bad matchup at the 4 on defense if we're playing a team that is big at the 4 (see Dayton and VCU this past year), but if it's a team also playing small then I'm good with him at the 4. Otherwise I think he's better as guarding a wing/guard type. 

[billiken_roy]

i think hargrove trying to be a power forward is a bad physical match.   there is no doubt hargrove lost weight this past season from the covid years.   i thought he looked slow in those heavier years while this past year he moved around the floor so much better.   the only reason i say he is playing the power forward position is he doesnt possess the skills to be an effective wing, especially if we dont play fast all the time.   if we did play fast, he would be perfect running down the floor or trapping on defense, but too often those opportunities to play that way are few and far between in fordball.   particularly at the end of games.  

so to increase his playing time as i said before, he really needs to concentrate on ball handling, passing and maybe a quicker shot that goes in more often.   being a better wing imo is better served to utilize hargrove than putting him at such a physical disadvantage as the power forward. 

[wgstl]

Momo has entered the Portal. opens up a spot

 

https://twitter.com/c1sse_momo4/status/1644033142397759499?s=20

 

 

[Slowry]

4 hours ago, billiken_roy said:

TJ is his own worst enemy.   i dont understand that with his fantastic attitude and effort he typically comes to work with, why hasnt he worked on his ball handling and passing skills more?   as stated above he is obviously a fantastic athlete, but because he lacks guard skills and he is small to be a power forward, he has throughout his billiken career been held back from playing time that someone with his athleticism should be able to capitalize on..

 

What makes you think he hasn’t?  Maybe he has and he’s at his best in that department. I would be surprised if he hasn’t worked on that.  Not saying it doesn’t need to improve for him to play more and have more of an impact.  But he could be at the top of what he’s capable of.  

[gabriel]

Wish Momo nothing but the best, I think this is a good move though for both parties.

[Bills By 40]

HOPEFULLY Momo entering the portal is a push from the staff because they have someone lined up to take his place. Nothing against Momo, I too wish him the best, but filling his gap in the very near future with a day-1 center would be more than ideal.  

[ARon]

We didn't actually think a freshman big was going to stay with Ford did we?

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

13 minutes ago, wgstl said:

Momo has entered the Portal. opens up a spot

 

https://twitter.com/c1sse_momo4/status/1644033142397759499?s=20

 

 

I did not know he was married.

[Dr. Holly Hills]

We need bigs (good bigs), in a bad way!!  Sh1t is getting interesting!!