Re: 2024 Recruiting

by UP24 Mon Apr 08, 2024 1:32 pm

Could this mean he is breaking his NLI?

by DoubleDipper Mon Apr 08, 2024 3:54 pm

It has been a concern of the UP staff that Rapp would decide to turn professional in Australia instead of coming to UP but Rapp's father, an American by birth and college basketball experience, has encouraged him to develop his game at UP.

Rapp has not yet signed a NLI, but has simply given his verbal commitment to UP that he would sign in later this month.

The article sighted in the previous post is from over a month ago, and I believe the staff has been reassured by Rapp that he is coming to UP since that article was written.

by DoubleDipper Mon Apr 08, 2024 4:11 pm

Wingman, great observations! But maybe I think they are great because I am complete agreement with your assessment on all counts!! Very Happy

Yes, the piece of the puzzle still missing is a transfer BIG, but this time it will be someone the staff already has a recruiting relationship with, not like this past season when the staff didn't really know Koroma before he came to town but not to class.

You are correct, "Juanse had a lot to offer the program," but as much as we will miss his personality and on-court attitude, his numbers can be replaced.

Laughed at your reference to Chika. We all loved him, but the team could not be a consistent winner with a 6-5 center.

Many of us expect great things from Gebbers and Delano coming off their redshirt years, but Harris is a question mark for me unless he can play through injury as most successful college athletes do.

by DoubleDipper Mon Apr 08, 2024 4:19 pm

From Tacoma, Ervin put up 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists & 37% 3PT in conference play at Peninsula JC is in Port Angeles this past season.

by DoubleDipper Mon Apr 08, 2024 5:46 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:From Tacoma, Ervin put up 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists & 37% 3PT in conference play at Peninsula JC is in Port Angeles this past season.

To me, Ervin could be a useful to the Pilots because he is a point guard, and the roster currently lists just one true point guard, Delano.

by DoubleDipper Tue Apr 09, 2024 3:47 pm

The Wingman wrote: We still have work to do to land a quality transfer big, which is tough to do.

Hearing from various sources that the current going price for a 6-10/240 BIG is $200,000 in NIL money.

Anyone out there know someone who would like to sponsor/employ/assist a transfer center?

by up7587 Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:36 pm

I sent some money to BacktheBluff, but it'll only pay for a 5-10/140 BIG.

by up7587 Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:39 pm

Something we know on Saturday, now reported on X.

@PDTScouting wrote:Elon’s Max Mackinnon tells me he’s Committing to Portland

Averaged: 12.6 PPG and 2.7 APG as a sophomore

by DoubleDipper Tue Apr 09, 2024 9:06 pm

up7587 wrote:
@PDTScouting wrote:Elon’s Max Mackinnon tells me he’s Committing to Portland

Averaged: 12.6 PPG and 2.7 APG as a sophomore

#3 - Yuto's previous jersey and McKinnon's number at Elon.

by UP24 Wed Apr 10, 2024 12:56 pm

Sophomore 7’1 center - UH

4.0 pts 2.9 reb in 12.8 min/game

by up7587 Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:11 pm

In the game against the Pilots, he played 11 minutes, made two FTs and got 3 rebounds and one block.

I forgot Hawai'i was Matija Swetozaravic's new team. He played a token one minute against his former team. He rarely sees action, but at least it is "someplace warm".

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 11, 2024 4:34 pm

up7587 wrote:
@ThePortalReport wrote:Seattle transfer Brandton Chatfield has received interest from the following programs:
Clemson
Iowa State
Bowling Green
Rice
Charlotte
Portland

Chatfield committed to Iowa St.

by NoPoNeighbor Thu Apr 11, 2024 8:40 pm

UP24 wrote:

Sophomore 7’1 center - UH

4.0 pts 2.9 reb in 12.8 min/game

Has attempted zero 3-pointers in his career. If he does even a little bit of research into Legans' aversion to playing interior-oriented big guys, he'll steer clear of UP. Hard to understand why Legans is going after a guy like this, just to spend a roster spot on a guy who is destined to ride the bench.

Not to mention... if Illinois is interested, seems like an offer from Portland would be largely irrelevant...

by DoubleDipper Mon Apr 15, 2024 11:59 am

MBB is allowed to 13 scholarship players...

With the regular signing period beginning tomorrow, April 16, how many scholarships do the Pilots need to fill after the news that Chris Austin will return and the recent departures through graduation and the transfer portal?

I believe that number is only two!

UP loses eight scholarship players Robinson, Gorosito, Oosterbroek, Yamanouchi-Williams, Jordan, Hyde, Koroma, and Vucinic.

There are currently 11 players either on scholarship or committed and expected to sign in the coming weeks:

1. Chris Austin
2. Vukasin Masic
3. Max McKinnon (committed)
4. Tyler Harris
5. Bol Dengdit
6. Vince Delano
7. Kelson Gebbers (a walk-on last season)
8. Mikah Ballew (signed in November)
9. Jinup Dobuol (committed)
10. Todd Jones (committed)
11. Aussie (Austin) Rapp (committed)

I do not recall a Pilots team this young and inexperienced, ever! Only Austin, Masic, and McKinnon have more than one year of college ball experience. Harris and Dengdit have one year of experience and everyone else is a "rookie."

What position to the Pilots need to fill to round out the team?

1. An experienced big to mentor and compete with Rapp, Dobuol, and Dengdit.
2. An experienced point guard to compete with redshirt freshman Vince Delano for the starting position.

by up7587 Mon Apr 15, 2024 12:09 pm

Is every portal entry committed to depart? Do any have an option to return if they do not find something better? Does the staff want them back?

by DoubleDipper Tue Apr 16, 2024 8:12 am

up7587 wrote:Is every portal entry committed to depart? Do any have an option to return if they do not find something better? Does the staff want them back?

1. No; 2. Probably just one; 3. Perhaps

We hear of both MBB and WBB players withdrawing their names from the portal each day as many are simply looking for NIL money or some other incentive to leave and realize they are better off staying at their current school.

Because of his close relationship with Coach Legans and the team's need of an experienced point guard, I would guess that Juanse Gorosito would be welcome back...if he doesn't wait too much longer. Juanse has said he wants to say but his "advisor" is telling him he can "do better elsewhere."

(The cynic in me says his advisor will find some NIL money somewhere and then pocket it for himself).

While at a baseball game this past weekend I noticed MBB was hosting a forward or post player. I have no idea who he was, but it would indicate the staff is moving on from the defection of Hyde and Vucinic.

by DoubleDipper Tue Apr 16, 2024 11:43 am

DoubleDipper wrote:7-0/240 from Denmark with two years to play...

Lots of competition for this young man who could be a "game changer" for a program like Portland.

(Don't know about that left knee).

Committed!

by Dean Murdoch Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:20 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:Committed!

Uhh just to confirm, he has committed to UP??

by DoubleDipper Tue Apr 16, 2024 2:00 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:Uhh just to confirm, he has committed to UP??

Yes!

Ballisager Webb did not get a lot of playing time at American, averaging just 13 minutes per game playing behind the best player and leading scorer on the team who is returning for one more year.

A true center, he did not attempt any 3-point shots during his two years at American U but did shoot close to 60% on the inside while averaging over 7 ppg and 4 rpg this past season.

A native of Denmark, his mother's home country, he attended high school at Montverde Academy in Florida.

by UP24 Tue Apr 16, 2024 2:53 pm

Nice addition to the roster!

by DoubleDipper Wed Apr 17, 2024 10:13 am

DoubleDipper wrote:
Dean Murdoch wrote:Uhh just to confirm, he has committed to UP??
Yes!

by Dean Murdoch Wed Apr 17, 2024 10:47 am

DoubleDipper wrote:2. An experienced point guard to compete with redshirt freshman Vince Delano for the starting position.

Can Gorosito just come back? I really enjoyed watching him the last two years and he may have more of an opportunity to be a distributor now that T-Rob is gone.

by DoubleDipper Wed Apr 17, 2024 11:02 am

Dean Murdoch wrote:
DoubleDipper wrote:2. An experienced point guard to compete with redshirt freshman Vince Delano for the starting position.

Can Gorosito just come back? I really enjoyed watching him the last two years and he may have more of an opportunity to be a distributor now that T-Rob is gone.

Yes, I guess he can, but apparently he won't.

Last I heard, he was setting up a visit to Ball St.

Hey, it shouldn't be more than about a 20-hour drive for you to see him play in Muncie... Razz

by Dean Murdoch Wed Apr 17, 2024 11:05 am

We got Ball State out here dropping bags now?

by up7587 Wed Apr 17, 2024 11:09 am

Much easier to find a point guard than a center. I entered a PG who graduated from h.s. in 2022-2024, minimum 6'0" tall, and available. Verbal Commits came back with 688 players.

I changed the parameters to graduating h.s. in 2021-2023 (for some experience), still 6'+ PG, and got 925 players.

With that many PGs available, hard to imagine a ton of NIL money is needed.