Re: 2021 Offseason

by StudentPilot Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:11 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:They’re both grad transfers, DD. As long as they get that piece of paper from UP, transferable credits and number of previous transfers can all be thrown out the window. They’ll be good to go.

I don’t know, DD might be correct on this…Ali may not be able to grad-transfer...because last time I talked to him he said he would not graduate until December 2021.

Regardless, Ahmed is not coming back to UP to play basketball!

Texting with two of his former teammates, they tell me he might try to work something out with UP and the NCAA to continue playing college basketball somewhere or he might turn pro.

by DoubleDipper Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:47 pm

Tommy Lloyd had a written guarantee that he would be the next head coach at Gonzaga when and if Mark Few either moved on or retired, but today he accepted the offer to become the new head coach at Arizona.

Lloyd has been an assistant coach under Few for the past two decades and is best-known as the premier international recruiter in college basketball for bringing in guys like Domantas Sabonis, Kevin Pangos, Kelly Olynyk, Killian Tillie, Rui Hachimura and Joel Ayayi. But he’s also crushed it on the transfer market, landing Brandon Clarke (San Jose State), Kyle Wiltjer (Kentucky), and Andrew Nembhard (Florida), and has been able to land top high school players such as incoming freshman guard Hunter Sallis — the Omaha native who is ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Gonzaga will be fine without him now that the program is humming along, but his void will be tough to fill on the GU bench.

by lomiton Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:25 pm

StudentPilot wrote:
Dean Murdoch wrote:They’re both grad transfers, DD. As long as they get that piece of paper from UP, transferable credits and number of previous transfers can all be thrown out the window. They’ll be good to go.
I don’t know, DD might be correct on this…Ali may not be able to grad-transfer...because last time I talked to him he said he would not graduate until December 2021

Hard to be a grad transfer without the "grad."

If he's not going to play at Portland and he thinks he's got the skill to get paid to play, he honestly should just do that. Less hassle and less regulation.

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:04 am

StudentPilot wrote:The portal is on fire, and it's not just Pilots who are looking to transfer...coaches are on the move too.

There are currently at least 16 D1 head coach positions open...will that number double by April 5th?

It is now April 15th, and the coaching and player transfer portals are still on fire, and the number has more than trebled since your post four weeks ago.

There are 357 D1 men’s basketball programs, and after the recent firing of Sean Miller at Arizona and John Brannen at Cincinnati, there are 56 D1 head coaching positions that have opened since early February when Terry Porter was fired, including some that opened because head coaches were moving to more lucrative and stable assistant coach positions.

Although approximately 16% of D1 head coaching positions have or will change hands in 2021, almost 26% (1370) of the 5,350 D1 scholarship and walk-on basketball players have entered the transfer portal so far this offseason, and if the past is any indication, some will not find another D1 school to play for.

John Goodman wrote:There have been 56 jobs open - 10 remain unfilled - 25 of the 46 (54 percent) have been filled by black coaches.

With the filling of four open head coaching positions today, including Cincinnati and Arizona, there are now just 6 open D1 positions.

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:50 am

After receiving zero offers out of high school except for EWU, it seems pretty apparent Mr. Groves is enjoying the adulation and attention and wants everyone else know it! Cool

There are a few of additions to this picture that were not on his previous list, but the most notable is Oklahoma...

by Sound Voltex Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:17 pm

And then there was four.

Eastern Washington transfer Tanner Groves told @Stadium he has cut his list to four finalists:

Oklahoma, Portland, Texas, Washington State.

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1382805995575984134

by Dean Murdoch Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:22 pm

Sound Voltex wrote:And then there was four.

Eastern Washington transfer Tanner Groves told @Stadium he has cut his list to four finalists:

Oklahoma, Portland, Texas, Washington State.

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1382805995575984134

Incredibly exciting. Tanner and Jacob would be absolute game changers for this squad. Fingers crossed!!

by Stonehouse Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:35 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:Incredibly exciting. Tanner and Jacob would be absolute game changers for this squad. Fingers crossed!!

Yes indeed!

I would encourage everyone to show Tanner some love on his Tweet about this... too many Texas fans in his replies!

https://twitter.com/tannergroves/status/1382807785553809408

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:38 pm

After a long wait for the rules to change, all Division I student-athletes will have a one-time opportunity to transfer and compete immediately in all sports beginning in the 2021-22 academic year.

The change is in effect for student-athletes who have not transferred before and want to compete at a new school as early as this fall.

The deadline for student-athletes to provide written notification of their intent to transfer will by May 1 for fall and winter sport student-athletes and July 1 for spring sport student-athletes. (For this year only, the deadline for fall and winter athletes will be July 1).

Additionally, a waiver process will be available for students who do not meet the criteria of the one-time transfer exception or who wish to transfer more than once.

(These new rules still need ratification by the NCAA Board on April 28).

https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/di-council-adopts-new-transfer-legislation

by Geezaldinho Sat Apr 17, 2021 9:57 am

This should be interesting.

Even before the rule goes into effect 30% of men’s D1 basketball and 18% of D1 women’s basketball players are in the transfer portal.

Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

And there is a proposal on the books that will essentially throttle the grad transfer exception by docking programs a scholarship if a student athlete does get the graduate degree within a year.

Oh, sure. All of a sudden they want grad students to study? scratch

by DoubleDipper Sat Apr 17, 2021 5:55 pm

Sound Voltex wrote:And then there was four.
Eastern Washington transfer Tanner Groves told @Stadium he has cut his list to four finalists:
Oklahoma, Portland, Texas, Washington State.

It is rumored the Groves Brothers will be choosing their next destination on Monday.

For me, the big question for them is the one I posed when they went into the portal, do they want to continue to play together? If so, Portland is the best place to go because Jacob would see his playing time decreased considerably at Texas, WSU, and Oklahoma, and Tanner would not get the minutes he got in his third year at EWU...although his exposure would be greatly enhanced at those schools.

Although there is really nothing substantive here, this writer gives his opinion of how Tanner will fit at his final-four.

https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/04/17/transfer-tanner-groves-texas-oklahoma-portland-washington-state/

by DoubleDipper Sun Apr 18, 2021 5:59 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:There are a few of additions to this picture that were not on his previous list, but the most notable is Oklahoma...

The reason I put the emphasis on Oklahoma in an earlier post is because it has scholarships available and a new coach that could design his Big XII offense to run through Tanner.

Not only that, but consider Tanner's exposure to the entire country and the NBA scouts at a Power 5/6 school...it could literally be worth multi-millions of dollars compared to playing in the WCC with very little national TV coverage.

The Groves Bros. would be a game changer for Portland, but Oklahoma would be a game changer for them and their future.

UPDATE: Shocked

Jeff Borzello wrote:Eastern Washington transfer Tanner Groves has committed to Oklahoma, sources told ESPN.

There is no mention of Jacob Groves, but IMO it has to be a package deal.

by DoubleDipper Sun Apr 18, 2021 6:15 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:
@VerbalCommits wrote:West Virginia G Emmitt Matthews, Jr. (JR) has entered the transfer portal. https://verbalcommits.com/players/emmitt-matthews-jr

Been eight years since the Pilots had a transfer from WVU so we're about due for another, right?

I'm only posting this in here because he's from Tacoma, but I would assume he will be commanding attention from high majors across the country.

Matthews committed to Washington today...

by Sound Voltex Sun Apr 18, 2021 6:33 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:There is no mention of Jacob Groves, but IMO it has to be a package deal.

@jakelieberman2 wrote:Jacob, Tanner’s brother is also committing to Oklahoma.

Averaged 9.3 PPG this season.

https://twitter.com/jakelieberman2/status/1383935992948617221

welp

by StudentPilot Mon Apr 19, 2021 8:14 am

DoubleDipper wrote:UPDATE:
Jeff Borzello wrote:Eastern Washington transfer Tanner Groves has committed to Oklahoma, sources told ESPN.

With four freshmen already signed and returning 6-9 sophomore Hayden Curtiss the most experienced post player on the roster, Coach Legans better be working the phones looking for at least one experienced 6-10+ player who can defend the boards and post-up inside.

There are no transfers within UP’s reach that would match what Tanner Groves could have brought to the team, but with a roster replete in guards, the Pilots will continue to be non-competitive in the WCC unless the staff can bring in someone to shore up the middle/inside.

In Coach Legans we (have to) trust!

by StudentPilot Mon Apr 19, 2021 12:26 pm

I've been watching a little of the NJCAA Tournament (my roommate had to pay for streaming), and I saw at least 10 D1 caliber players in just the one game I watched...apparently there are six games today, all in Hutchinson, Kansas.

One of the players, Deshawn Davis, who led his team to a 96-91 victory, is headed to Oregon State.

Hope Coach Legans is watching...

by DoubleDipper Mon Apr 19, 2021 10:48 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:
@Sean02MTM wrote:BREAKING: Portland forward Mikey Henn tells me he plans to enter the transfer portal on Monday. Averaged 7.8 PPG while shooting 39.7% from deep. 6’8 forward.

Mikey joins new coach Jeff Wulbrun at Denver of the Summit League...great move, IMO.

by Geezaldinho Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:20 am

StudentPilot wrote:I've been watching a little of the NJCAA Tournament (my roommate had to pay for streaming), and I saw at least 10 D1 caliber players in just the one game I watched...apparently there are six games today, all in Hutchinson, Kansas.

One of the players, Deshawn Davis, who led his team to a 96-91 victory, is headed to Oregon State.

Hope Coach Legans is watching...

96-91

Any of these D1 players play defence?

by DoubleDipper Tue Apr 20, 2021 4:40 pm

StudentPilot wrote:Coach Legans better be working the phones looking for at least one experienced 6-10+ player who can defend the boards and post-up inside.

Coach Legans is attempting to make your wish come true...today he offered 6-10/220 Nikita Konstantynovsky from Ukraine, who just completed two years at NE Oklahoma A&M.

There are at least 14 other schools asking Nikita to play for them, so odds he comes to UP are thin, but he says he'll let everyone know his decision at 5pm this coming Saturday.

by DoubleDipper Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:06 am

DoubleDipper wrote: There are at least 14 other schools asking Nikita to play for them, so odds he comes to UP are thin, but he says he'll let everyone know his decision at 5pm this coming Saturday.

Riccardo DeAngelis wrote:Nikita Konstantynovskyi has received 15 D-I offers: Canisius, Cleveland State, Coastal Carolina, CSU Bakersfield, FGCU, Maine, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Portland, Southern Utah, Stetson, Tulsa, UCSB, UIC, Wagner

by DoubleDipper Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:30 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:
Sound Voltex wrote:Aiken has picked Arizona.

Well hold the phone now, Arizona just fired Sean Miller. Could that put Kim Aiken back in play?

Yes, it did put Aiken back in play...he has now committed to WSU! Rolling Eyes

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:41 am

Riccardo DeAngelis wrote:Nikita Konstantynovskyi has received 15 D-I offers: Canisius, Cleveland State, Coastal Carolina, CSU Bakersfield, FGCU, Maine, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Portland, Southern Utah, Stetson, Tulsa, UCSB, UIC, Wagner

It appears from various sources that Konstantynovskyi has narrowed his choices to Tulsa and Milwaukee.

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:09 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:
@VerbalCommits wrote:PORTAL: Washington G Marcus Tsohonis (SO) has entered. https://verbalcommits.com/players/marcus-tsohonis

Intead of making the short drive to The Bluff, Tsohonis has decided to travel 2900 miles (about 39 hours) to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to go to school and continue his basketball.

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:48 pm

DoubleDipper wrote: ...29.5% (1370) of the 4,641 D1 scholarship basketball players have entered the transfer portal so far this offseason...and if the past is any indication, some will not find another D1 school to play for.

The number of student-athletes who have entered the portal is now 1440 (31% of scholarship players), still far short of the 3,000 that some expected, but still...

Of the 12 Pilots who entered the portal, not counting Hayden Curtiss who bounced back, only Mikey Henn has found a spot to land. Fingers crossed for the remaining 11.

EDIT: I was reminded that I earlier reported that Isiah Dasher transferred to St. Peter's. Embarassed

Ten Pilots still looking for new schools...

by Sound Voltex Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:52 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:
Dean Murdoch wrote:
Sound Voltex wrote:Aiken has picked Arizona.

Well hold the phone now, Arizona just fired Sean Miller. Could that put Kim Aiken back in play?
Yes, it did put Aiken back in play...he has now committed to WSU!

When I called Aiken Jr., he was in Portland helping Shantay Legans move boxes into his new house.

"Leaving #EWU was really hard. We're really family, as you can see. I'm helping Shantay move right now and he's helped me with a lot of stuff, so I feel like I owe him that much."

https://twitter.com/TheoLawson_SR/status/1384978470002827264