Can we have both? 

GW0509 wrote:

FWIW I think it's Akingbola but it's interesting to think who would be better for the team:

1. Grad transfer.  Short term help, doesn't hold up a scholarship, more experienced.
2. RS Freshman Transfer.  Long term help, means we don't have to go back into the portal for a big next year, can develop in CC's system.

At this point give me the grad transfer. We have one year of Bishop left and I’d rather not waste it worrying about our big men 3 years from now. I’d like to see CC and co. push for a top 4 A-10 finish this year and focus on bringing in a long term big next offseason.

Thanks GWRising.. Great info as always

DC Native wrote:

You guys do realize that we play in the Smith Center, right?

haha!  true.  I stand corrected.
 

GW73 wrote:

I like recruiting and building for the long term as much as anyone, but it rarely works that way now. Those days are mostly over. Take last year's team where there wasn't a player other than walk-ons, Daniel Nixon and Noel Brown who wasn't a transfer.  And both Nixon and Brown have now transferred Coaches know you mostly recruit each year for that year's team. 

The reality of the NIL world is that big money teams will take fewer freshman, but more transfers.  That means we should be able to recruit better freshmen than maybe we could a few years ago.  We certainly will lose some of them as we go, but if we can keep guys (like we did with Bishop this year, but didn’t with Dean) that’ll really help us develop within a couple years.

Moreover, I think CC has done something smart in landing talented redshirt freshmen like Shroder and Buchanan.  Because of the new rules, they can’t transfer until they’ve graduated without sitting out a year so they have some experience and should be with us at least 3 years. 

Seems like a smart way for us to develop when we can’t just go buy a team of stars who’ve already developed in college.    Especially when we fill in holes with grad transfers like Smith.

Good find.
Hopefully, he gets a chance to talk to James Bishop, who couldn't get a chance to unleash his talents in the SEC--and now is likely the preseason Player of the Year in the A-10. And who is poised to for a career that
can make a lot of money overseas.
   It wouldn't have happened without GW.
   And James and our three talented freshmen are skilled at passing the ball to a big man.

Would hate to lose out on his.03 ppg and .065 rpg.

If past patterns hold, he will commit to Houston probably due to NIL money.   The numbers that make him intriguing to me is his 25 blocked shots in 295 minutes in 2020-21 in the the SEC.

The real problem it seems to me is that we are actually in a bidding war for someone with less than one point
and one rebound a game.I know it’s the SEC but really?I assume he could be coached up-but if NIL wars 
are fought on this terrain we are in trouble for a legit big man.

 

Akingbola commits via IG!

Last edited by GW0509 (6/17/2023 2:04 pm)