I have a lot of faith in Pope’s ability to recruit the portal, and I actually think it’ll be a lot easier for him after this year (since he’ll be less of an unknown and our system is obviously extremely fun to play in). Feel like everyone we’ve gotten in the portal has been better than expected other than Robinson (who he brought from BYU) and Williams (at times).
Next year
- Thread starter K_TIME
- Start date
13 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks on the road at a physical Ole Miss. This was their last game before us.
My only point is that you need talent. Every year is different, but normally, the top 15- 20 HS are better than 99% of the portal guys. You just can’t do it with Freshman alone. They need a strong leadership to help them through the ups and downs of the season.
I agree. And it appears that we have talented freshman coming in. That’s why I say we need some good portal veterans.
Based on Lewis’ comments about what Pope told him to expect, the team will look something like this:
G Portal/Lewis/Perry
G Johnson/Portal
G Oweh/Chandler/Noah
F Wilson/Portal
F Garrsion/Moreno
If Kriisa doesn’t return this year and is back next season:
G Portal/Kriisa/Perry
G Johnson/Lewis
G Oweh/Chandler/Noah
F Wilson/Portal
F Garrison/Moreno
The portal PG has to be a home run, IMHO.
That’s the most important piece to the puzzle next season, IMHO. I don’t think Lewis is going to be the answer at PG. Not as a Freshman.
G Portal/Lewis/Perry
G Johnson/Portal
G Oweh/Chandler/Noah
F Wilson/Portal
F Garrsion/Moreno
If Kriisa doesn’t return this year and is back next season:
G Portal/Kriisa/Perry
G Johnson/Lewis
G Oweh/Chandler/Noah
F Wilson/Portal
F Garrison/Moreno
The portal PG has to be a home run, IMHO.
That’s the most important piece to the puzzle next season, IMHO. I don’t think Lewis is going to be the answer at PG. Not as a Freshman.
You act like we’re 6-6. We’ve been ranked in the top 10 since middle of November.
As nicely as I can put it, I haven’t seen anything to be confident in Chandler in that spot.
Rather have a proven shooter(not star, someone comfortable coming off the bench) in that slot. Whether that means Chandler is pushed down the order or goes elsewhere would just be up to him.
I think pope will have his pick at point from the portal with the system we play, plus with the staff. Stud point from the portal and that team is arguably ranked first preseason
How so ? I think we’ve been pretty dang good. That’s why it’s going to take a lot to have a better team next year.
Pope is going to want Garrison back. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. I’ll be pretty surprised if he’s not starting next year. He can pass and Pope trusts him enough as a shooter for him to have the green light. He’s a critical piece.
Maybe I haven’t been clear. I really, REALLY want Wilson here .
I am not concerned about next year. Still a lot of this year left. I am going to enjoy the current team.
Pope will have a roster that is 2 deep at all 5 positions with a mix of veterans and Freshmen. Next year.
Pope will have a roster that is 2 deep at all 5 positions with a mix of veterans and Freshmen. Next year.
Bare minimum Pope will approach the transfer portal for this coming season with more time, fewer spots to fill, and a better resume to sell compared to what he had last year AND he will be able to fill two more scholarship spots for whatever that’s worth. Obviously we have questions about how it will all shake out because we’re not time travelers. But there are no particular reasons why we should expect to wind up with an inferior or even an equal roster compared to this year.
There are several particular reasons why we should expect to wind up with a superior one.
Edit: Well, okay I lied. There’s the fact of no more covid-year super seniors available anymore. But I think that doesn’t outweigh the extra advantages Pope will have in terms of roster building. And that lack of super seniors is league wide, so it’s debatable how much of a net downgrade it will be for us compared to the field anyway.
There are several particular reasons why we should expect to wind up with a superior one.
Edit: Well, okay I lied. There’s the fact of no more covid-year super seniors available anymore. But I think that doesn’t outweigh the extra advantages Pope will have in terms of roster building. And that lack of super seniors is league wide, so it’s debatable how much of a net downgrade it will be for us compared to the field anyway.
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This goes back to the blatant whole of not having many, if not any, playmakers on this team that many of us had been saying in the offseason. The void of such players that can create offense for not only themselves, but for other guys, was a huge disappointment and will hold this team back.
Well there’s no prohibition on recruiting overseas pros now, so you may have some super freshmen on the roster.
One positive note to this incredibly difficult sec slate is that pope will surely know what he needs in the upcoming transfer portal. As pope ups the talent level the less clunkers we'll have.
I said at the beginning of the year that Chandler was not going to play a bunch.
You don’t shake off the rust of not playing organized basketball for two years that quickly.
I think he will be better next season. Good enough to give us 10-15 productive minutes a game behind Oweh at the 3.
He’s athletic and smart. He just needs to shake off the rust.
Should get a starter caliber frontcourt player who can provide physically, good rebounding and make some smart plays.
Hope we can get a daniel wolf caliber frontcourt player in next year. Then hope Garrison can make progress to be solid frontcourt player in SEC. Then we have three starter caliber frontcourt players (assume Wilson comes) with talented Moreno provides some limited minutes
Hope we can get a daniel wolf caliber frontcourt player in next year. Then hope Garrison can make progress to be solid frontcourt player in SEC. Then we have three starter caliber frontcourt players (assume Wilson comes) with talented Moreno provides some limited minutes
Pope pulled this team together without any returning players and without any elite incoming recruits. Next season he'll start with 3-4 high level incoming recruits as well as a few returning contributors and it's hard to imagine him not finding success in the transfer portal again. In fact, he'll be able to focus in more on needs since he will only need a few transfers and not 10-12 to build a whole new team. we just won't know how next years squad will shape up though until he gets all of his transfer portal pieces.
Coaches and the players returning next year are getting a cram course in SEC basketball, that should be very helpful.
PG - Portal starter / Lewis / Perry -- I would love a Butler clone! I have enjoyed watching him so much this year!
SG - Oweh / Johnson -- Hopefully Oweh develops into a 1st Team All SEC guy.
SF - Portal starter / Chandler / Noah -- Need a proven three level scorer here.
PF - Portal starter / Wilson -- Would love a player in the mold of PJ Washington.
C - Garrison / Moreno / portal reserve -- Need another body that can give 5 fouls and can pass like Pope wants.
The bulk of post minutes would go to Garrison, Wilson and the player I have slotted as starting PF. I think Moreno will need time and whoever we can grab as a reserve center won't be playing a ton.
The wing minutes will be split between Oweh, Johnson, and the player I have slotted to start at SF. Chandler has looked like a work in progress so far.
Point guard will be a key portal recruit and one that will need to be backed up by whoever is most ready between Lewis and Perry.
I hope we can find some more players like Oweh who have played 2 years in college and are ready to breakout.
The 8-man rotation would be like this. Let Perry, Chandler, Noah, Moreno and the portal reserve center fight for the next two spots.
Portal PG / Lewis
Oweh / Johnson
Portal SF
Portal PF / Wilson
Garrison
I would love to see Perry or Noah demand minutes at some point.
SG - Oweh / Johnson -- Hopefully Oweh develops into a 1st Team All SEC guy.
SF - Portal starter / Chandler / Noah -- Need a proven three level scorer here.
PF - Portal starter / Wilson -- Would love a player in the mold of PJ Washington.
C - Garrison / Moreno / portal reserve -- Need another body that can give 5 fouls and can pass like Pope wants.
The bulk of post minutes would go to Garrison, Wilson and the player I have slotted as starting PF. I think Moreno will need time and whoever we can grab as a reserve center won't be playing a ton.
The wing minutes will be split between Oweh, Johnson, and the player I have slotted to start at SF. Chandler has looked like a work in progress so far.
Point guard will be a key portal recruit and one that will need to be backed up by whoever is most ready between Lewis and Perry.
I hope we can find some more players like Oweh who have played 2 years in college and are ready to breakout.
The 8-man rotation would be like this. Let Perry, Chandler, Noah, Moreno and the portal reserve center fight for the next two spots.
Portal PG / Lewis
Oweh / Johnson
Portal SF
Portal PF / Wilson
Garrison
I would love to see Perry or Noah demand minutes at some point.
Johnson and Wilson are not likely to sit. I predict 25 minutes each for them, both starting. You are not paying them over $1m each to set on the bench and your not likely to find better in the portal.
I just want Wilson and shot in the dark Hail Mary throw for Ament.
I simply don't care for betting on the portal. Those players are not consistent value adds. And all have low ceilings.
Also don't think any of our current 3 freshman will be ready to play next year and have doubts if they're UK level rotational players.
I simply don't care for betting on the portal. Those players are not consistent value adds. And all have low ceilings.
Also don't think any of our current 3 freshman will be ready to play next year and have doubts if they're UK level rotational players.
Robinson is our SF. Oweh is our 2G. And no way would Johnson play ahead of Oweh!
I think you may too much in the Cal-way-of-thinking that almost every 5* should play starter minutes.
NO!!!! Only the best of the best.
Wilson, who hasn't committed yet, fits that, but Johnson does not.
Portal players are more easy to predict how successful they will be than are FR recruits.
He will ask for a pay raise though. We will have to re recruit him. Such is the nature of NIL
The sky is not falling. We will build another very good roster. It is going to be plugging holes in the dike from the portal until Pope gets his people in place. Year 3 and year 4 will look different. We will be more reliant on our own returning players and hopefully cherry picking players from the portal that want to play this style. We are fine. Cal is gone and Pope will be building teams again that will be consistent threats to win around 4 games in the NCAA tournament yearly. If you are always a threat, eventually the stars line up for you and you win 6.
The 2 and 3 spots are pretty much interchangeable. Most teams play three guards now anyway.
Johnson will replace Robinson as the starter alongside Oweh. Call him a SG or a SF. Doesn’t matter. They are both 6’4, so it’s not like either is undersized as a college 3.
Goose Givens and Derek Anderson were 6’4 SFs and they were pretty good at that position, if memory serves.
Of course, if we get a 6’6-6’7 Portal guy that is good enough to keep Johnson on the bench, I’m good with that as well.
But I expect the 5-star McD’s AA to start considering the size of the investment that Pope reportedly put into him.
I would be very happy if we got Ament, but if we are going HS for a SF/big 2G, give me Alijah Arenas. That dude can ball. He can’t swing to the PF like Ament, so that would be one thing in Ament’s favor. But I think he is a much better option specifically for the SF. He looks every bit 6’6” especially when standing next to Tahj Ariza who is supposed to be legit 6’8”, maybe 6’9”.
Having said all this, that would only be if we needed a SF. Of course, that means Oweh went somewhere - Pro or another school. If he is here, it is going to be difficult to get either, IMO.
I think Pope wants to get taller/longer as well. So that would be another thing in Ament’s favor.
We will see. You could be right. If so, Johnson is getting minutes at the point for sure.
Not big on Alijah. I worry about the competition he plays. He also just got washed by Jason Crowe Jr who I really want for 2026.
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