2021 Offseason

Lavar Harewood, who played just one year for the Pilots ('19-'20) as a grad-transfer from South Carolina St., finished his MBA at UP in May, and he tells me he is done with basketball, has returned to Brooklyn, and will use his MBA education to carve out a good living.

Known for his all-out toughness on the court, I am sure those sitting courtside will rest a bit easier knowing Lavar will no longer be a threat to their well-being while he dives for loose balls.  

When asked to send a graduation picture ...he assured me this was him graduating, but it was a few years ago.

@VerbalCommits wrote: Washington State F Andrej Jakimovski (FR) has entered the transfer portal.

Let’s go!

Dean Murdoch wrote:

@VerbalCommits wrote: Washington State F Andrej Jakimovski (FR) has entered the transfer portal.

Let’s go!

Word on the street is the kid is not exactly a team player...

Wants to be guaranteed 30+ minutes of playing time every time.

I shouldn’t be surprised you have a “word on the street” on this guy already, an hour after he hit the portal

Hunter Seymour ends up at D2 Cal State Dominguez Hills...

Not too surprising as the DH staff watched him play down the road a Cabrillo College for two years.

If Dominguez Hills sounds familiar, it is where Xavier Hallinan went to school for a few minutes before transferring back to UP.

DoubleDipper wrote:"D" (Tahirou Diabate) wants his friends to know he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from UP last month and is now off to grad school and basketball at San Diego St.

A review of the transfers going to San Diego St., including Diabate.
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2021/5/26/22453975/san-diego-state-aztecs-brian-dutcher-transfers-matt-bradley-chad-baker

DoubleDipper wrote:

Wants to be guaranteed 30+ minutes of playing time every time.  

I wouldn’t be concerned with promising Jakimovski 30 minutes. I may be underestimating the players already committed to the roster, but I’d say he would be the team’s best player if he were to  make his way to UP. I watch a decent amount of WSU games and that kid is a starting caliber player at a high major. He is a very good shooter, has decent ball skills, and is  a competitive  defender. There were a few games last year where the Cougs’ starting PG went down and he served as their point forward with pretty  good results.

All of this is probably a non issue because it is not likely that Jakimovski commits to UP, but I would consider it a major coup if he did.

I have listened to quite a few Coach Legans interviews, and his emphasis is on TEAM and "team culture," and I can see how he would be turned off by individuals making demands, regardless of their potential star quality.

Zac Triplett turns pro by signing with NBL Champion Melbourne United.

Melbourne United wrote:Melbourne United have also signed local 19-year-old Zac Triplett to a long-term deal. Triplett will start his tenure at United as a Development Player.

The 198cm guard has represented Victoria on state teams at the Under-18 and Under-20 Australian National Championships, and has most recently been suiting up for the Portland Pilots in the NCAA’s West Coast Division 1 Conference.

https://www.melbourneutd.com.au/news/nbl-champions-begin-off-season-by-re-signing-ili-and-signing-triplett

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2021/6/29/mens-basketball-pilots-hold-first-official-team-practice-of-the-summer.aspx

up7587 wrote:https://portlandpilots.com/news/2021/6/29/mens-basketball-pilots-hold-first-official-team-practice-of-the-summer.aspx

I looked through the pictures, and after seeing UP’s 6-8/250 DOBO, Aleks Abrams, banging bodies with the young guys, it seems he was a good pick-up in many ways…

All the scholarship players we know of were in the pictures except Moses Wood, who is apparently finishing summer school classes at UNLV to graduate.  Coming to UP as a grad transfer is his only option without waivers.

The walk-ons, including new players Coleman Lemke and Chika Nduka were pictured.  At EWU Coach Legans gave walk-ons an opportunity to play (Meadows, J. Groves) and they eventually became starters.

The one player I did not expect to see on the court was Cly Griffith, a JUCO transfer on Porter’s squad last season. He is taking classes at UP and is working out with the team so the staff can help him find another school to attend. I am told there is no current plan to keep him on the team once school starts.

Dean Murdoch wrote:I shouldn’t be surprised you have a “word on the street” on this guy already, an hour after he hit the portal

The street word is Jakimovski got his 30 minute guarantee from Loyola...the one in Maryland, but I haven't seen it in writing yet.

DoubleDipper wrote:The walk-ons, including new players Coleman Lemke and Chika Nduka were pictured.  At EWU Coach Legans gave walk-ons an opportunity to play (Meadows, J. Groves) and they eventually became starters.

In the short video from the team's first practice https://twitter.com/i/status/1410360627084681221, #21 displayed a nice stroke hitting a 3-pointer.

Turns out that was walk-on Coleman Lemke, and from this video from his sophomore year, he has the ability to stroke-it time after time.  Could play a role as a come-from-behind late game threat?

DoubleDipper wrote:

Dean Murdoch wrote:I shouldn’t be surprised you have a “word on the street” on this guy already, an hour after he hit the portal

The street word is Jakimovski got his 30 minute guarantee from Loyola...the one in Maryland, but I haven't seen it in writing yet.

Finally, two weeks later, it is in writing...Jakimovski has committed to Loyola-Maryland.

https://247sports.com/Article/Andrej-Jakimovski-commitment-Loyola-Maryland-transfer-Washington-State-167690783/

DoubleDipper wrote:All the scholarship players we know of were in the pictures except Moses Wood, who is apparently finishing summer school classes at UNLV to graduate.  Coming to UP as a grad transfer is his only option without waivers.

Moses is here!!

But this time he arrived in a Runnin’ Rebels Red Mustang convertible, and instead of a stone tablet, he has his brand-new UNLV bachelor’s degree in his hand.

6-8 power forward Moses Wood will begin graduate school at UP next month, and will have three years of college eligibility remaining after transferring from both Tulane and UNLV.

Not sure his car has ever seen rain or cold weather...

Is it a rule that all players connected with UP and UNLV drive fancy sports cars?

Geezaldinho wrote:Is it a rule that all players connected with UP and UNLV drive fancy sports cars?

Well, to be fair to Greg Anthony, he returned to his hometown when he left UP for UNLV, and as I recall, he was making so much money in his T-shirt and silk screening business he could afford a fancy car.

I think he even gave up his athletic scholarship at UNLV and paid his own tuition to play basketball there...of course "Tark the Shark" was his coach, so who knows what was actually going on...

DoubleDipper wrote:

Geezaldinho wrote:Is it a rule that all players connected with UP and UNLV drive fancy sports cars?

Well, to be fair to Greg Anthony, he returned to his hometown when he left UP for UNLV, and as I recall, he was making so much money in his T-shirt and silk screening business he could afford a fancy car.

I think he even gave up his athletic scholarship at UNLV and paid his own tuition to play basketball there...of course "Tark the Shark" was his coach, so who knows what was actually going on...

Are you saying Anthony made money on his Name Image, and Likeness and maintained his college eligibility?

DoubleDipper wrote:

Geezaldinho wrote:Is it a rule that all players connected with UP and UNLV drive fancy sports cars?

Well, to be fair to Greg Anthony, he returned to his hometown when he left UP for UNLV, and as I recall, he was making so much money in his T-shirt and silk screening business he could afford a fancy car.

I think he even gave up his athletic scholarship at UNLV and paid his own tuition to play basketball there...of course "Tark the Shark" was his coach, so who knows what was actually going on...

THIS IS THE STORY I HEARD...

GA has a good HS senior season but Tark does not want to take local kids on to his program (more influences outside the UNLV program). However, after GA's freshman year on the Bluff (WCAC freshman of the year) and Vegas's need for a PG, Tark relents. Word gets to GA that if transfers and sits out a year, his mom will be offered a very nice, well paying job at one of the local casinos.

According to the story, GA ends up in a face-to-face meeting with Fr. Otto (UP Prez) and basically tells him that if you can meet or beat I will stick around. Otherwise I am going to transfer. The story teller relates that Fr. Otto wouldn't even entertain the offer and told GA on the spot to hit the road.

The story teller (CSC and probably in the know although I doubt he would ever have been at that meeting) made it clear that University of Portland doesn't breech those ethical lines. On the other hand, the folks I was with at the time wondered if a) UP was so naïve that they did not know that was the way the recruiting game was played or b) the amount asked for was out of our "retainment" budget for a point guard, even one of GA's talent?  

Greg may or may not be an entrepreneur back in the day, but as any business person knows it certainly helps matters if you are selling what people want.

As a side note, glad the NIL day has arrived so all this activity can come to the surface and be accounted for. It's deserved and it's been long past time to treat these players like they couldn't be trusted to make money (like every other kid at school).

Anyone watching The Basketball Tournament on ESPN? https://thetournament.com/

It is like the NCAA Tournament in that it is a 64-team single-elimination tournament in five different locations, but it is VERY dissimilar in that the winning team gets a $1,000,000 prize to divide amongst the players and coaches.

My interest was piqued when I learned UP MBB Assistant Coach Jeremy Pope is the Head Coach of Boeheim’s Army…a team ostensibly made up of former Syracuse U. players, but there are players from other schools too. https://thetournament.com/teams/

Coach Pope and his Boeheim’s Army team are a #3 seed and play their first game this coming Saturday (7/24) at 9am PDT on ESPN against #14 Forces of Seoul. (No, the Sandrin brothers, Lee Seung-Jun and Lee Dong-Jun, are not on the team   ).  https://bracket.thetournament.com/

DoubleDipper wrote:Coach Pope and his Boeheim’s Army team are a #3 seed and play their first game this coming Saturday (7/24) at 9am PDT on ESPN

Excellent article on the abilities and advancement of Coach Pope...

http://dailyorange.com/2021/07/jeremy-pope-transition-to-boeheims-army-head-coach/

DoubleDipper wrote:

Geezaldinho wrote:Is it a rule that all players connected with UP and UNLV drive fancy sports cars?

I think he even gave up his athletic scholarship at UNLV and paid his own tuition to play basketball there...of course "Tark the Shark" was his coach, so who knows what was actually going on...

The rumor is there are still a couple hundred cases of Anthony T-shirts in the Shark estate.

DoubleDipper wrote:Anyone watching The Basketball Tournament on ESPN? https://thetournament.com/

I think Coach Pope will agree his Boeheim's Army team looked a little ragged for much of the game, but they outscored their opponent 22-3 in the 4th quarter to win their first game.

It will take a total of 6 wins to earn the $1,000,000.  

Next game is tomorrow, Monday @ 4pm on ESPN2.

http://dailyorange.com/2021/07/boeheims-army-first-round-win-over-forces-of-seoul-in-the-basketball-tournament/

DoubleDipper wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:Anyone watching The Basketball Tournament on ESPN? https://thetournament.com/

I think Coach Pope will agree his Boeheim's Army team looked a little ragged for much of the game...

Again they came from behind for the win, but I have to say the style of basketball is too physical/pro for my liking.

I really like college basketball, but have never been a fan of the NBA/pro style...The Basketball Tournament does not look like college ball at all.

Two wins and needing four more to secure the $1,000,000.

Next game tomorrow, Wednesday, at 6pm PDT on ESPN2.