Transfer Portal

[JonathanW]

I know it's (too) early. And if Cal stays and certain players return, we (Cats) might not have much portal interest this summer.
But I took a quick look at who might be out there of interest.
I suppose (if Cal stays), depending on what players return, about the only guys we might want would be a good 3pt shooter, or a PF with some beef/muscle.

E.Freeman	Akron	6'7 - 206	16.2, 11.1	61% - 33%
D.Jones	Weber St	6'6 - 235	16.6, 11.0	49% - 33%
C.Daniels	New Hamp.	6'6 - 225	15.2, 10.7	44% - 40%
Bandaogo	Utah Valley	7'0 - 215	11.3, 10.6	60% - 31%	2.8blk
L.Traore	LB St	6'10 - 230	12.6, 10.3	54%
Mostafa	Coas. Car.	6'9 - 250	12.4, 10.0	55%
Handlogten (FR)	Marshall	7'1 - 227	7.7, 9.9	68%	2.3blk
NJ Joseph	Iona	6'9 - 240	15.6, 9.9	56%
Podziemski (SO)	Santa Clara	6'5 - 205 G	19.9, 8.8	49% - 44%
J.Minor	Merrimack	6'8 - 240	17.3, 9.3	51%	2.4blk
A.Williams	Drexel	6'10 - 250	13.6, 8.8	52%, 27%	2.4blk
Vanover	ORU	7'5 - 227	12.6, 7.1	51%, 34%	3.3blk
K.Tynes	Maine	6'3 - 175	14.4, 4.6, 3.8	51%, 30%	3.3stl
House	New Mexico	6'0 - 170	17.0, 4.0, 4.7	44%, 38%	2.6stl
J.Nelson	Delaware	6'1 - 200	20.5, 4.8, 3.6	45%, 31%	2.5stl
Y.Collins	StL	6'0 - 190	11.3, 3.3, 10.1	44%, 36%
I.Stevens	Col. St.	6'0 - 185	18.0, 3.3, 6.5	49%, 39%
E.Hawkins (SO)	Howard	5'11 - 152	13.4, 3.6, 5.9	45%, 48%
R.Dennis	Toledo	6'2 - 180	19.0, 4.4, 5.9	48%, 37%
J.Johnson	New Orleans	6'1 - 170	17.7, 2.3, 3.9	45%, 48%

The guys that interest me most are Podziemski, seems like a do-it-all guy like Schzeiserman that went to Creighton. After him, maybe Daniels.
A coach of a new P5 team with a bare cupboard, could really have some interesting "shopping".
PG Collins 6'0 11pt, 10ast, 36% 3pt
SG J.Johnson 6'1 18pt, 48% 3pt
SF Podziemski 6'5 20pt, 9reb, 44% 3pt
PF Minor 6'8-240, 17pt, 9reb, 2.4 blk
C Bandaogo 7'1 11pt, 11reb, 60%, 30% 3pt, 2.8blk
then say Daniels and House for your top 2 subs.

Note, I think Nelson is former Temple standout Jameer Nelson's son. (Jameer Jr)

 

[Jjohnb5393]

If Cal LEAVES is when this would be crucial . We’d lose about our whole current roster ( probably will , anyway ) , and all our recruits ...Save possibly Reed Shepherd. We could literally end up with one or two guys and have to add 10-12

 

[JonathanW]

If Cal LEAVES is when this would be crucial . We’d lose about our whole current roster ( probably will , anyway ) , and all our recruits ...Save possibly Reed Shepherd. We could literally end up with one or two guys and have to add 10-12

I think that is worst case (wrt how many we could lose). While no one is a lock to return, I think only maybe Wallace is a lock to leave. I'd give the guys the following probability to leave (Cal as coach / Cal not coach):
Wallace 99% / 99%
Wheeler 95% / 80% (might see himself getting a new chance w/ a new coach, especially if Wagner & Dilly both did not come)
Toppin 90% / 90%
Oscar 80% / 80%
Ware 35% / 30% (maybe a little less likely if we lost Bradshaw)
Livingston 30% / 30%
Collins 30% / 30% (to be closer to his mom)
Reeves 30% / 25% (maybe a little less likely if not all three 5* guards come)
Theiro 20% / 20%
Fredrick 20% / 20% (the 20% would be that he's just done playing)
Onyenso 10% / 10%
And if Cal left, I bet better than 50% chance at least 1 recruit (not Wagner, probably Edwards or Dillingham) other than Shepard would come.

BUT, I hope our coaching staff (any team's) has (or will before May) put together a list of guys they might want IF entered the Portal. If you wait until they enter to decide, by the time you decide and contact them, someone else may have them nearly wrapped up. These mid-major players are good players who took longer to develop, maybe are undersized so had to prove they could "do it", and so did not get the attention as HS players, so they probably want to "be wanted" now.

 

[Jjohnb5393]

I think that is worst case (wrt how many we could lose). While no one is a lock to return, I think only maybe Wallace is a lock to leave. I'd give the guys the following probability to leave (Cal as coach / Cal not coach):
Wallace 99% / 99%
Wheeler 95% / 80% (might see himself getting a new chance w/ a new coach, especially if Wagner & Dilly both did not come)
Toppin 90% / 90%
Oscar 80% / 80%
Ware 35% / 30% (maybe a little less likely if we lost Bradshaw)
Livingston 30% / 30%
Collins 30% / 30% (to be closer to his mom)
Reeves 30% / 25% (maybe a little less likely if not all three 5* guards come)
Theiro 20% / 20%
Fredrick 20% / 20% (the 20% would be that he's just done playing)
Onyenso 10% / 10%
And if Cal left, I bet better than 50% chance at least 1 recruit (not Wagner, probably Edwards or Dillingham) other than Shepard would come.

BUT, I hope our coaching staff (any team's) has (or will before May) put together a list of guys they might want IF entered the Portal. If you wait until they enter to decide, by the time you decide and contact them, someone else may have them nearly wrapped up. These mid-major players are good players who took longer to develop, maybe are undersized so had to prove they could "do it", and so did not get the attention as HS players, so they probably want to "be wanted" now.

You can only transfer once under the immediate eligibility rule now , as of a couple months ago …so Reeves , Fredrick and Wheeler are UK or pro . Those are the most likely to stay ( wheeler would only stay if cal left ) . I think Thiero would follow Cal …his dad
played for him . Collins and Ware go find their level , in my opinion . A place where they start or play significant minutes …Onyenso may fit this idea as well . Livingston might stay , or he might go somewhere where he puts up video game numbers for one year , then goes pro

 

[crawfords corner]

Bandaogo seems to fit Calipari perfectly. An athletic shot blocking big man. He, like Podziemski though, have both already transfered once. Im not fully versed on the transfer rule so Im not quite sure if they'd have to sit out a year or not.

 

[Jjohnb5393]

Bandaogo seems to fit Calipari perfectly. An athletic shot blocking big man. He, like Podziemski though, have both already transfered once. Im not fully versed on the transfer rule so Im not quite sure if they'd have to sit out a year or not.

Everyone now gets one transfer with immediate eligibility , no questions asked . Just be in good shape academically . If you’re in the portal , I think you’re good to go ( pending academics in good order) . Those that have already used the ’one time ‘ transfer , aren’t in the portal I‘m pretty sure , but can still transfer and sit out

 

[bucsrule8872]

I don’t really want any mid-major guys. I’ll take a P5 transfer.

 

[JonathanW]

I don’t really want any mid-major guys. I’ll take a P5 transfer.

You pick the right guys, and you have a top 20, maybe top 10, team. But whatever, if you want to be dumb, I can't stop you.

Mid-major guys that are playing well for P5 schools this year include:
Reeves (UK, 2nd leading scorer even though 5th in min/gm)
Davis (Memphis, best player on a NCAA-T team)
Mosley (Mizzo, good contributor on NCAA-T team)
Broome (Auburn, best player on NCAA-T team)
Williams (LSU, by far best player on team)
Smith (Gonzaga, good contributor on top 25 team)
Omier (Miami, maybe best player on top 25 team)
Newton (UConn, starter for top 25 team)
Schlierman (Creighton, starter for top 25 team)
Sears (Alabama, 2nd leading scorer on #1 team in country)
Aimaq (Texas Tech, before injury was starting)
And there are others playing well.

 

[Philstat]

We don’t need any of these guys, Cal has the number one class in the nation coming to Lexington.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

I think that is worst case (wrt how many we could lose). While no one is a lock to return, I think only maybe Wallace is a lock to leave. I'd give the guys the following probability to leave (Cal as coach / Cal not coach):
Wallace 99% / 99%
Wheeler 95% / 80% (might see himself getting a new chance w/ a new coach, especially if Wagner & Dilly both did not come)
Toppin 90% / 90%
Oscar 80% / 80%
Ware 35% / 30% (maybe a little less likely if we lost Bradshaw)
Livingston 30% / 30%
Collins 30% / 30% (to be closer to his mom)
Reeves 30% / 25% (maybe a little less likely if not all three 5* guards come)
Theiro 20% / 20%
Fredrick 20% / 20% (the 20% would be that he's just done playing)
Onyenso 10% / 10%
And if Cal left, I bet better than 50% chance at least 1 recruit (not Wagner, probably Edwards or Dillingham) other than Shepard would come.

BUT, I hope our coaching staff (any team's) has (or will before May) put together a list of guys they might want IF entered the Portal. If you wait until they enter to decide, by the time you decide and contact them, someone else may have them nearly wrapped up. These mid-major players are good players who took longer to develop, maybe are undersized so had to prove they could "do it", and so did not get the attention as HS players, so they probably want to "be wanted" now.

Would podz have to sit out

 

[JonathanW]

Would podz have to sit out

I think so. I did not realize when I started this he started his career at Illinois.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

I think so. I did not realize when I started this he started his career at Illinois.

No worries, the ncaa may change the duke I didn’t know, but the Utah valley guy would be a cal type of player

 

[JonathanW]

We don’t need any of these guys, Cal has the number one class in the nation coming to Lexington.

1) there may still be gaps. Espeically if say CJ and Reeves left (no shooters), but also Ware is the closest thing to frontline beef, so a strong PF maybe. The portal probably isn't where you get your best 3 players, but you can get some nice pieces for the 4-8 spots in your rotation to fill missing gaps.

But also, there's that chance Cal isn't our coach next year.

 

[JonathanW]

No worries, the ncaa may change the duke I didn’t know, but the Utah valley guy would be a cal type of player

Tall C's impress me less at mid-majors. Because they have an advantage, often playing vs 6'8 C's on other teams.
Look at Onyenso, vs mid-majors he was putting up good numbers. So I think him or Bradshaw or Collins could match what the Utah Valley guy did. But if Cal left, and we lost say 2 of the 3, then yeah, he would interest me too.
When I look at these guys, I'm looking for guys who can contribute in more ways than one, i.e. assists and 3's, steals and 3's, 3's and scoring, rebounds and blocks, etc... At the UK level, you can't be one dimensional in how you contribute (like Wheeler).

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Tall C's impress me less at mid-majors. Because they have an advantage, often playing vs 6'8 C's on other teams.
Look at Onyenso, vs mid-majors he was putting up good numbers. So I think him or Bradshaw or Collins could match what the Utah Valley guy did. But if Cal left, and we lost say 2 of the 3, then yeah, he would interest me too.
When I look at these guys, I'm looking for guys who can contribute in more ways than one, i.e. assists and 3's, steals and 3's, 3's and scoring, rebounds and blocks, etc... At the UK level, you can't be one dimensional in how you contribute (like Wheeler).

Good thing about the portal is there will a lot more options, but hopefully oneyso develops over the summer and bradshaw is ready to come in play

 

[bucsrule8872]

You pick the right guys, and you have a top 20, maybe top 10, team. But whatever, if you want to be dumb, I can't stop you.

Mid-major guys that are playing well for P5 schools this year include:
Reeves (UK, 2nd leading scorer even though 5th in min/gm)
Davis (Memphis, best player on a NCAA-T team)
Mosley (Mizzo, good contributor on NCAA-T team)
Broome (Auburn, best player on NCAA-T team)
Williams (LSU, by far best player on team)
Smith (Gonzaga, good contributor on top 25 team)
Omier (Miami, maybe best player on top 25 team)
Newton (UConn, starter for top 25 team)
Schlierman (Creighton, starter for top 25 team)
Sears (Alabama, 2nd leading scorer on #1 team in country)
Aimaq (Texas Tech, before injury was starting)
And there are others playing well.

It’s just a personal preference, don’t take it personally. LOL!

 

[bnewt]

I don’t really want any mid-major guys. I’ll take a P5 transfer.

exactly

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I'm a little bit surprised we haven't had a single UK player decide to transfer yet.

I think the choice of which school to go to takes weeks, sometimes longer. But the decision whether to stay or leave usually comes pretty quick after the teams season ends.

We won't get them all back, but starting to feel a little confident we will get some of them to return. Which i figured we'd lose 5 or 6 when this season was in the dumps.

 

[JonathanW]

They probably want to meet w/ the coach, and see "where they stand" for PT next year. Unless just truly unhappy here / homesick (like the CA kids usually are).

I think people exaggerate how many we lose to transfers. Although the (1-time-no-penalty) Portal certainly does change that some! But I wouldn't expect more than 1 transfer, if that many.

 

[SkyPrince1]

I think so. I did not realize when I started this he started his career at Illinois.

He blew up big time this year after doing next to nothing his frosh year at Illinois.
UK was in contact in hs.
Don't know what he would use to get a waiver.
I look for him to enter the draft to get feedback. He has legit NBA interest.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

You would think that Cal would already be hitting the fix button as fast as possible. NC is already hosting Timberlake and there are other schools already trying to improve their teams. Why get go out and get any proven college player that is available while they are still there? Just the way I think wanting to win a championship. Can't hope that all the frosh are ready day 1 to win. Most will not be. Hate sacrificing wins the first half of the season to get the frosh ready for late season and tournament because by then our seeding is already so far down for the tournament.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

You would think that Cal would already be hitting the fix button as fast as possible. NC is already hosting Timberlake and there are other schools already trying to improve their teams. Why get go out and get any proven college player that is available while they are still there? Just the way I think wanting to win a championship. Can't hope that all the frosh are ready day 1 to win. Most will not be. Hate sacrificing wins the first half of the season to get the frosh ready for late season and tournament because by then our seeding is already so far down for the tournament.

NC as in UNC? Well they had an extra week or two to prepare for transfers.

 

[SkyPrince1]

You would think that Cal would already be hitting the fix button as fast as possible. NC is already hosting Timberlake and there are other schools already trying to improve their teams. Why get go out and get any proven college player that is available while they are still there? Just the way I think wanting to win a championship. Can't hope that all the frosh are ready day 1 to win. Most will not be. Hate sacrificing wins the first half of the season to get the frosh ready for late season and tournament because by then our seeding is already so far down for the tournament.

Timberlake has had injuries. He's not the player he was coming out of HS.
UNC needs bodies.

 

[SkyPrince1]

You would think that Cal would already be hitting the fix button as fast as possible. NC is already hosting Timberlake and there are other schools already trying to improve their teams. Why get go out and get any proven college player that is available while they are still there? Just the way I think wanting to win a championship. Can't hope that all the frosh are ready day 1 to win. Most will not be. Hate sacrificing wins the first half of the season to get the frosh ready for late season and tournament because by then our seeding is already so far down for the tournament.

Would you not agree that grad transfer Travis was about equal to freshman PJ Washington?
Both Grady and Reeves were solid players but neither were as good as freshman Lamb who wasn't as good as freshmen Murray and Monk.
If our FR class flops then so be it but history says top 10 freshmen are better than anything in the portal.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Would you not agree that grad transfer Travis was about equal to freshman PJ Washington?
Both Grady and Reeves were solid players but neither were as good as freshman Lamb who wasn't as good as freshmen Murray and Monk.
If our FR class flops then so be it but history says top 10 freshmen are better than anything in the portal.

Travis was the best I have seen getting into rebounding position.

Our frosh dominated rosters are good for glamour and potential and occassionally we get one here and there that is ready from the get go to play winning basketball. It is proven not the best thing these days with the portal around for teams to pick from. Just have to look at how poorly we do in the tournament now. You are just going on us getting a good transfer here or there, I am talking about with the way these frosh want in and out of here day one I would rather have a veteran team with a sprinkling in of a few top frosh.

 

[JonathanW]

Would you not agree that grad transfer Travis was about equal to freshman PJ Washington?
Both Grady and Reeves were solid players but neither were as good as freshman Lamb who wasn't as good as freshmen Murray and Monk.
If our FR class flops then so be it but history says top 10 freshmen are better than anything in the portal.

On average, yes well maybe, top 10 FR are better than guys out of the portal. But you would be surprised how often that is not the case. Just this past year, the 1, 3, 4, 7 & 10 ranked Rivals FR all were pretty mediocre (comparable to Livingston).

 

[SkyPrince1]

On average, yes well maybe, top 10 FR are better than guys out of the portal. But you would be surprised how often that is not the case. Just this past year, the 1, 3, 4, 7 & 10 ranked Rivals FR all were pretty mediocre (comparable to Livingston).

I agree that production from the top 15 frosh was historically low.

 

[G-PIP]

I know it's (too) early. And if Cal stays and certain players return, we (Cats) might not have much portal interest this summer.
But I took a quick look at who might be out there of interest.
I suppose (if Cal stays), depending on what players return, about the only guys we might want would be a good 3pt shooter, or a PF with some beef/muscle.

E.Freeman	Akron	6'7 - 206	16.2, 11.1	61% - 33%
D.Jones	Weber St	6'6 - 235	16.6, 11.0	49% - 33%
C.Daniels	New Hamp.	6'6 - 225	15.2, 10.7	44% - 40%
Bandaogo	Utah Valley	7'0 - 215	11.3, 10.6	60% - 31%	2.8blk
L.Traore	LB St	6'10 - 230	12.6, 10.3	54%
Mostafa	Coas. Car.	6'9 - 250	12.4, 10.0	55%
Handlogten (FR)	Marshall	7'1 - 227	7.7, 9.9	68%	2.3blk
NJ Joseph	Iona	6'9 - 240	15.6, 9.9	56%
Podziemski (SO)	Santa Clara	6'5 - 205 G	19.9, 8.8	49% - 44%
J.Minor	Merrimack	6'8 - 240	17.3, 9.3	51%	2.4blk
A.Williams	Drexel	6'10 - 250	13.6, 8.8	52%, 27%	2.4blk
Vanover	ORU	7'5 - 227	12.6, 7.1	51%, 34%	3.3blk
K.Tynes	Maine	6'3 - 175	14.4, 4.6, 3.8	51%, 30%	3.3stl
House	New Mexico	6'0 - 170	17.0, 4.0, 4.7	44%, 38%	2.6stl
J.Nelson	Delaware	6'1 - 200	20.5, 4.8, 3.6	45%, 31%	2.5stl
Y.Collins	StL	6'0 - 190	11.3, 3.3, 10.1	44%, 36%
I.Stevens	Col. St.	6'0 - 185	18.0, 3.3, 6.5	49%, 39%
E.Hawkins (SO)	Howard	5'11 - 152	13.4, 3.6, 5.9	45%, 48%
R.Dennis	Toledo	6'2 - 180	19.0, 4.4, 5.9	48%, 37%
J.Johnson	New Orleans	6'1 - 170	17.7, 2.3, 3.9	45%, 48%

The guys that interest me most are Podziemski, seems like a do-it-all guy like Schzeiserman that went to Creighton. After him, maybe Daniels.
A coach of a new P5 team with a bare cupboard, could really have some interesting "shopping".
PG Collins 6'0 11pt, 10ast, 36% 3pt
SG J.Johnson 6'1 18pt, 48% 3pt
SF Podziemski 6'5 20pt, 9reb, 44% 3pt
PF Minor 6'8-240, 17pt, 9reb, 2.4 blk
C Bandaogo 7'1 11pt, 11reb, 60%, 30% 3pt, 2.8blk
then say Daniels and House for your top 2 subs.

Note, I think Nelson is former Temple standout Jameer Nelson's son. (Jameer Jr)

You remember Podziemski don't you, JW? We recruited him out of high school. I really wanted him as a development guy who had a chance to be a really good shooting SF/2G as an upperclassman. But he went to Illinois (I think played his freshmen year there when Coleman was on that staff). I wanted him last year after he transferred from IL. Why again is he able to transfer a 2nd time without sitting out?

 

[G-PIP]

Would you not agree that grad transfer Travis was about equal to freshman PJ Washington?
Both Grady and Reeves were solid players but neither were as good as freshman Lamb who wasn't as good as freshmen Murray and Monk.
If our FR class flops then so be it but history says top 10 freshmen are better than anything in the portal.

I just wonder why incoming freshmen and transfers have to be mutually exclusive. And maybe they are. But if you can convince both to come with the promise that the best guy starts and the other plays his understudy, wouldn't that be the best for winning? Again, you would probably say that wouldn't realistically happen. But I've seen/played for some coaches that could convince guys of about anything.

 

[bigbluedon]

1) there may still be gaps. Espeically if say CJ and Reeves left (no shooters), but also Ware is the closest thing to frontline beef, so a strong PF maybe. The portal probably isn't where you get your best 3 players, but you can get some nice pieces for the 4-8 spots in your rotation to fill missing gaps.

But also, there's that chance Cal isn't our coach next year.

🙏🙏

 

[Catfanlou]

We don’t need any of these guys, Cal has the number one class in the nation coming to Lexington.

dont know if you are being sarcastic or serious. You can’t win it with just freshmen. The human body matures so much both mentally and physically in four or in this case five years a team of talented Four Star guys three or four years older can beat any team made up of five star freshmen.

 

[JonathanW]

I agree that production from the top 15 frosh was historically low.

And next year's class is supposedly worse.

 

[JonathanW]

I just wonder why incoming freshmen and transfers have to be mutually exclusive. And maybe they are. But if you can convince both to come with the promise that the best guy starts and the other plays his understudy, wouldn't that be the best for winning? Again, you would probably say that wouldn't realistically happen. But I've seen/played for some coaches that could convince guys of about anything.

I don't think they are mutually exclusive, A or B. But I think this generation of kids w/ a bigger need for instant gratification than ever before, added to the new transfer portal that allows you to change your mind once with no consequence, does cause it to be a big challenge to get both.
If a kid gets significantly less minutes than he is expecting, then in a lot of cases he will go elsewhere. This is where many UK fans (those who say Theiro and UKO will leave) I think are wrong, because the consensus last summer was that neither would play/contribute much this year (so the expectation by the player may not have been there).
So I don't think it has to be a promise to start or to play 30mpg. But I do think players want to hear something like, "I see you playing an important role as a FR" or "I see you competing with X at the 3-spot", and not wanting to hear "I see you competing with X & Y at the 3-spot" or "how much you play depends on how hard you work".

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

If he enters the portal, guarantee Kentucky will be interested

 

[JonathanW]

View embedded media

If he enters the portal, guarantee Kentucky will be interested

I hope not. He reminds me of Diallo.
Great athlete. Cannot shoot!
Actually, Diallo was a better shooter (33.8% from 3, compared to 26.7%)

 

[Padsfs07]

You can only transfer once under the immediate eligibility rule now , as of a couple months ago …so Reeves , Fredrick and Wheeler are UK or pro . Those are the most likely to stay ( wheeler would only stay if cal left ) . I think Thiero would follow Cal …his dad
played for him . Collins and Ware go find their level , in my opinion . A place where they start or play significant minutes …Onyenso may fit this idea as well . Livingston might stay , or he might go somewhere where he puts up video game numbers for one year , then goes pro

That may be the case if something has changed between last offseason and now, but the guys you mentioned could all fall under the graduate transfer route, similar to Mays, Mintz, Travis, Sestina.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

I hope not. He reminds me of Diallo.
Great athlete. Cannot shoot!
Actually, Diallo was a better shooter (33.8% from 3, compared to 26.7%)

I’m not high on him either, but he is the exact type of player cal loves

 

[track42]

I’m not high on him either, but he is the exact type of player cal loves

No more Georgia guards please.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

No more Georgia guards please.

Agreed

 

[bucsrule8872]

The portal is not the answer. It should be used to supplement your roster, not build it.