2020 Recruiting

DoubleDipper wrote:3. ...are we waiting to see who else decides on going elsewhere? Yes, it's likely the staff is continuing to recruit. There is little prospect the team will get together and  bond anytime soon and there's a good possibility that some current players will drift away as they realize they are enjoying being home or they are being influenced by others to change schools while they are at home.

What kind of window would current UP players have on transferring to a new school?  Wouldn't most teams have full rosters pretty quickly?  Seems like a game a musical chairs; if you don't jump quickly you get left without a seat.

up7587 wrote:What kind of window would current UP players have on transferring to a new school?  Wouldn't most teams have full rosters pretty quickly?  Seems like a game a musical chairs; if you don't jump quickly you get left without a seat.

Exactly, it is a game of musical chairs...and when the music stops some college players may find themselves at lower divisions or at a junior college.

I'm in touch with only a couple of my former classmates at UP, and none have indicated they are leaving except Malcolm, but a random and quick look at various D1 rosters around the country show that almost all schools have at least one open scholarship remaining.

For some, dropping from a D1 seat on the bench to playing-time at a D2 school could make basketball fun again, and it's my experience that few care about what school their degree is from...that's something their parents care about.

NOTE: Please look at my post under PilotNation Updates...it might save you some grief.

It feels like there are pieces to the puzzle that have yet to fall into place... hopefully only of the positive variety

Courtside Kev wrote:Call me crazy, but I like this Dasher kid more than Tipler!

Okay, you're crazy!!

I have no problem with Tipler going to Coastal Carolina, the coach there has an incredible NCAA record, and there's nothing much worse than having someone on the Pilots' team who'd rather be elsewhere...

However, Dasher is not a PG, and Tipler is...and most teams, including the Pilots, need to have three point guards on the roster.

Fortunately for UP, Clythus Griffith, although listed as a SG, is a very good PG, and may be the best overall talent of the  inbound players.  Griffith played PG in high school in Canada and at his JUCO in New York, but visa issues forced him back home where he worked two jobs while taking a year off from basketball...and it wasn't until he got to Florida that he played SG.

It will certainly be an interesting mix of new players that are likely going to be hampered by not being able to work together during the summer due to COVID-19 precautions.  Fingers still crossed that Summer Session 2 will be face-to-face beginning June 22nd (decision to be made on May 1st)...if not, it will likely be mid-August before students can return to campus for the new school year beginning August 24th.

DoubleDipper wrote:

SoCalPilot wrote:So did all the commitments listed above sign LOIs?  I’ve seen no announcement. Are they officially in the program or are we waiting to see who else decides on going elsewhere?

2. I've seen no announcement. Are they officially in the program...? Yes, I'm sure there will be an announcement from the athletic department just as soon as all the signed documents are received, reviewed and processed.  UP has generally stuck to this format in the past...introduce everyone at once, not individually.

Here you go, it just took awhile to sort out the paperwork, I guess...

Men’s Hoops Announces the Signing of Six Players to NLI’s

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2020/4/22/mens-basketball-mens-hoops-announces-the-signing-of-six-players-to-nli-s.aspx

@AdamZagoria wrote: Monmouth grad transfer Ray Salnave had a FaceTime today with DePaul

Loyola Chicago, William and Mary and Portland also reached out.

Pretty good 6-3 guard out of Monmouth. Probably a long shot as far as the Pilots are concerned.

The one thing we definitely have going for us is the promise that you'll be able to compete for playing time, the key is finding guys where that is priority number 1 so to speak.

Dean Murdoch wrote:

@AdamZagoria wrote: Monmouth grad transfer Ray Salnave had a FaceTime today with DePaul

Loyola Chicago, William and Mary and Portland also reached out.

Pretty good 6-3 guard out of Monmouth. Probably a long shot as far as the Pilots are concerned.

A. Aren't the Pilots out of scholarships?
B. If a scholarship were to suddenly appear, does the team really need another guard?

@JonRothstein wrote:2020 prospect Greg Brown has committed to Texas, he announced.

5-star recruit.

Big get for Shaka Smart.

I’m into “throwing darts blindfolded” territory here, but what does this mean for Kamaka Hepa? And is there any chance he’d consider UP is he transfers from Texas?

Dean Murdoch wrote:

@JonRothstein wrote:2020 prospect Greg Brown has committed to Texas, he announced.

5-star recruit.

Big get for Shaka Smart.

I’m into “throwing darts blindfolded” territory here, but what does this mean for Kamaka Hepa? And is there any chance he’d consider UP is he transfers from Texas?

When Kamaka committed to Texas the coaches were of the opinion he wouldn't be happy there and they'd be ready for him to rebound to Portland...

But, as mentioned, UP is out of scholarships for this season, and if they were to have one suddenly open up, I'm of the opinion that TP wants recruits NOW, not one that has to sit a year.

I was thinking the one-time transfer exemption might very well be put into place this summer?

Dean Murdoch wrote:I was thinking the one-time transfer exemption might very well be put into place this summer?

Good point! I learned yesterday that the new one-time "free agency" exception rule will now likely go into effect this summer instead of the originally proposed 2021-22 season.

As I recall, all the other NCAA sports except men's and women's basketball, football, and baseball already have the one-time transfer exception.

I am very excited about UP's signings last week, but as I watch BIGs transfer to others schools each day, I do wish the staff would have left one open scholarship for that one program changing "banger" the Pilots so badly need.

Dean Murdoch wrote:I was thinking the one-time transfer exemption might very well be put into place this summer?

From an article on O-Live:

The NCAA Division I Council denied a request to temporarily waive the minimum number of sports required to be a Division I member and delayed a decision on allowing all college athletes to be immediately eligible one time after transferring.

https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/2020/04/ncaa-denies-request-to-drop-division-i-sport-minimum.html

The Pilots are still scouring the transfer portal. Good to see.

@GoodmanHoops wrote: Nebraska’s Cam Mack will not put declare for the NBA Draft, and will instead transfer. Sophomore point guard averaged 12 points and 6.4 assists last season.

Mack said that Portland, UTEP, URI, Portland State, ECU and New Mexico State are all involved.

@GoodmanHoops wrote: Northwestern State grad transfer Chudier Bile (14.3 ppg) announced he will head to Georgetown.

Said he also drew interest from Arkansas, Georgia Southern, Portland, Cal State Northridge, Georgia and DePaul.

More on Cam Mack, who was ranked #3 in last year’s JUCO top 100.

https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/mens-basketball/husker-point-guard-cam-mack-announces-his-transfer-from-nebraska-basketball/article_1ebc871a-2450-5e6f-8784-b7f8d88ada23.html

Obviously an incredible basketball talent but needs to reel in the off-the-court stuff.

Agreed, but seems like a guy that the Pilots should take a flyer on, in part because at the moment no guy who can play at that level is coming to Portland under normal circumstances

GoPilots19 wrote:Agreed, but seems like a guy that the Pilots should take a flyer on, in part because at the moment no guy who can play at that level is coming to Portland under normal circumstances

No way he comes to Portland!

Not because he's not a good player, but because Coach Porter will absolutely not put up with someone who disrupts team chemistry because he doesn't put the team first...a concept of which Mack has no understanding based upon his off-court behavior, regardless of his number of assists on the court.

The incoming group of JUCO players the staff has recruited will make next season's team (or the 21-22 team if COVID-19 shuts down this coming season) the most athletic Pilots team since the '80's, I'm told...they don't need someone like Mack.

I agree with others, if a scholarship were to magically open up, bring in an big/athletic transfer...someone who rebounds!!

I think the major problem with Porter as a coach is he doesn't know **** about team chemistry. My observation has been the trans start it with good chemistry from summer and prior to games... And then it starts slowly degrading as the season goes on coming in terrible chemistry during the conference season leasing to inability to win conference games. My guess is if conference games were early season we'd win some but still not many.

Beginning of last season has greatly improved paying and good team work... As the season progressed passing went away and more one on one offense started occurring. Your team should come together and improve passing over the season, not get worse.

If the team chemistry is already going to be **** it might as well be ****, but with good athletes

StudentPilot wrote:I agree with others, if a scholarship were to magically open up, bring in an big/athletic transfer...someone who rebounds!!

With UP slated to have seven new players on the roster whenever basketball begins again, I was curious to see how our crosstown rival, PSU, was doing for new players, and if they were getting any BIG transfers...

It turns out they also have seven new players, including one JUCO and four transfers:

JUCO Jacob Eyman, F/C, 6-10, 225, SO, Los Alamitos, CA (Los Alamitos HS/Fullerton College)
Grad Transfer Khalid Thomas, F, 6-9, 210, West Linn, OR (West Linn HS/College of Southern Idaho/Arizona State)
Grad Transfer John Hall, F, 6-7, 215, Philadelphia, PA (Standard of Excellence Academy/Evansville)
Transfer Charles Jones, G, 6-2, 200, SR, Portland, OR (David Douglas HS/College of Southern Idaho/Utah)
Transfer Elijah Hardy, G, 6-2, 170, JR, Oakland, CA (Bishop O'Dowd HS/Washington)
Paris Dawson, G, 6-0, 160, FR, Corona, CA (Centennial HS)
Kiimani Holt, G, 6-4, 200, FR, Phoenix, AZ (PHH Prep)

I meant to post about it at some point, but PSU has had an outstanding offseason. It seems like they're mentioned on virtually every "teams that have reached out" list when a decent transfer hits the portal, besides the ones that are obviously headed to high-major destinations. And it's worked out for them in a big way.

Does Hardy need to sit a year with everyone else eligible right away?

Yes, 3-star Malik Hardy will have to sit a year unless the rule is changed later this summer, and everyone else can play now!!

You can add a really BIG BIG to the PSU transfer list as Amari McCray will be transferring from UOP to PSU...listed as 6-9/300 by Verbal Commits, McCray is immediately eligible as a grad transfer.  

I remember McCray in the Chiles Center this past season...moved pretty darn good for Big Mc, but he was more like 270 when we saw him.

Next year in Chiles -

UP: no one over 6'4"
PSU: no one under 6'7"

Dean Murdoch wrote:Next year in Chiles -

UP: no one over 6'4"
PSU: no one under 6'7"

I'm assuming this is an exaggeration because we have Diabate haha, but even still I would have to think there is going to be a need for a strategic shift to unlock the full ability of this team.

Lots of 4-around-1 and plenty of full court pressure.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Next year in Chiles -

UP: no one over 6'4"
PSU: no one under 6'7"

UP - New guys only: 6-2, 6-3, 6-5, 6-5, 6-6, 6-8, 6-9 = 542"
PSU - New guys only: 6-0, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-9, 6-10 = 538"

StudentPilot wrote:

GoPilots19 wrote:Agreed, but seems like a guy that the Pilots should take a flyer on, in part because at the moment no guy who can play at that level is coming to Portland under normal circumstances

No way he comes to Portland!

Not because he's not a good player, but because Coach Porter will absolutely not put up with someone who disrupts team chemistry because he doesn't put the team first...a concept of which Mack has no understanding based upon his off-court behavior, regardless of his number of assists on the court.

The incoming group of JUCO players the staff has recruited will make next season's team (or the 21-22 team if COVID-19 shuts down this coming season) the most athletic Pilots team since the '80's, I'm told...they don't need someone like Mack.

I agree with others, if a scholarship were to magically open up, bring in an big/athletic transfer...someone who rebounds!!

Mack isn't just an athlete though, the guy averaged over 6 assists a game and double digit points, the Pilots haven't had anyone produce close to that since Alec.
Your point about his character is valid but that also seems to be TP's strong point as a coach, if he has one, in terms of developing young men and holding them to a certain level of behavior.