I Get the Portal Now

Dave, Bryan, and Tom recap all of the changes to the Ramblers rosters. This was recorded before like 80,000 newsworthy things happened so sorry for that.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and welcome to the first off-season episode of Talk and Blurs. I'm your host Dave. As always, I'm joined by Brian and Thomas. In this episode, we're going to talk mostly about the men's basketball team, all the ins and outs of how the portal has been navigated, both in terms of our losses from an after a nine-win season and the gets after that. But before that, I do want to do a little bit of housekeeping with uh some off-season news just in terms of the rest of Rambler basketball and Rambler sports in general. Men's volleyball lost their Viva Championship game to Ball State at Ball State in straight sets. However, they were able to get an at-large bid in the national championship tournament on Sunday. They will face off against St. Francis in their play-in game before having to face off against Long Beach State if they win that game. Long Beach State is the three seed in the tournament. They only seed one through four. So Loyal will be out in California for their first game Friday against St. Francis. And if they win, then they will play Long Beach State. It is nice that you know back-to-back year since Shane Davis has come back, we're in the tournament right back where we want to be.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Yeah, definitely. That's gotta be really gratifying if you're him, too. Seeing the effort that you make on a team.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

Yeah, I think right away I was like, oh, we're just gonna go back to the national championship. And I think even since we've won, other programs have gotten stronger, a little bit more consistent. So I think just getting that consistency and yeah, this year it helps the expansion, but I think the reason for the expansion is because of that deep with the entire league. So yeah, again, I think it's nice to see someone come back home and just keep doing what they they did before. So absolutely excited.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Yeah, and I will say the Miva this year was probably the strongest it's ever been. I think at one point there were five or six ranked teams where you include the likes of, you know, Lewis had always been around there, Ohio State, previous national champion, Ball State and Loyola led the pack. But then you also had teams like Purdue Fort Wayne get ranked in the middle of the year, and then also McKendry end up getting ranked at some point this year. Both of them are in the bubble conversation. Always fun to get to talk about a bubble. But yeah, I guess every single NCAA tournament has some sort of bubble conversation. But yeah, the Meeva was really stacked this year. Let's shift over to women's basketball because so much has happened since the season ended for the women's team. After their loss in the I believe they call it the Super 16 in the WNIT, Allison Gooth stepped away from the program. She is no longer the head coach of Rambler basketball, and she is now the chief of staff for Northwestern women's basketball. She stepped away for family reasons, and this position seems like it'll be no travel required, so she can spend a lot more time with her family, and she gets to go back to, you know, she has roots at Northwestern. So really happy that she's able to find a situation where she can still be involved in women's college basketball and still be able to spend time with her family like she wanted to.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

It's an unfortunate change, obviously, given where they ended the season and the excitement that was going into the program, but it sounds like Coach Gooth landed in a spot where it's more doable considering, you know, her current family circumstances. I'm excited about the future of the team because I think that's the one upside of the portal, is just as quickly as you lose assets, you gain new assets.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Yeah, it definitely is a shame after her four-year tenure at Loyola, last year being one of the most successful ones in program history. It felt like, at least in terms of postseason success, and you know, finishing 500 in conference play is no small feat for this program. However, I'm a really big fan of the new hire that we made. Uh Morgan Page, the former associate head coach at Kansas, now is the is at the helm of the women's basketball program. In terms of assistance, she's still building her staff, but she has retained assistant coach Jordan McCann. He's been a longtime assistant under Gooth, so it's really nice to have that continuity. And even though they were hit pretty hard by the portal, like everyone is, they were able to still retain some pretty key pieces from last year, including Audrey Deptoula, Rosalie Mercil, Kendall Hendricks, and Brooklyn Vaughn. They also retained uh Clara Joko. You have a really good core there. Even though you do lose players like Alexa Kinnis to Tulsa and Alex Anbissette to Iowa State, your two best players still hit the portal. You aren't starting from square one. You have some nice continuity there. I was really happy to see that Coach Page was able to come in, bring back those pieces, and immediately get to work in the portal. Yeah, so with the portal with the women's team, so far I believe there's only three players that were have been brought in so far. I might butcher some of these pronunciations, so please forgive me if you're if you're listening.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

They don't have to write the official pronunciations on the team website for James Defense. No, no, no, they don't. They don't.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

You're in the clear for now. Moreia Urado, a sophomore guard out of Spain, has agreed to join the team. Angela Lafay, a French forward, who I believe is 6'5, so really good size for her. I believe she played at Arizona last year. And then we also brought in Gabby Wilk, a junior forward from the Midwest. And then Coach Page was able to retain Retrift freshman Jasmine Perry and our freshman commit Gemma Wickman from Cleveland. So right now you have 10 spots out of 15. That's a really good start given that you just got the job, what, like two weeks ago?

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Yeah, I mean she's hitting the ground running for sure. I know that they we didn't give her much of a runway, but she's she's making the best of it.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Yeah, I'm I'm excited to see how this season turns out. Obviously, first year, it's gonna be tough. You're trying to put together the roster that you really envisioned. You were hired after the portal opened officially when you could sign players. So she might have like, you know, she was starting at a little bit of a disadvantage, but I'm interested to see how her first her first shot at a head coaching job goes. Because, you know, going the associate head coach route from a power four program, usually that's not the MO that we do for the women's basketball program. We usually go for a low major or in Goose case Ivy League head coach, bring them to the 8-10 and see what happens. I like the change in pace here with giving someone their first shot.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

I I was very kind of not taking it back, but I'm very like, this is two hires, again, the men's basketball and then the women's basketball, that no head coaching experience. And again, there's uh one more experience with the program in Drew with his time there, and then Paige, uh, I would say with that high major experience, of course, right there at Kansas, right? So um, yeah, I'm really excited. Also kind of young staff, and I think that can uh really make an interesting development for a program, right? Uh I think we've had some unfortunate kind of turnover from the head coaching space for the women's team. Uh again, and nothing they just they we've had a handful of changes in leadership, and this one kind of more came surprising. So I think this hire was again definitely not in the radar by any on the athletic staff. Uh, but I do think it's a very interesting hire that fits almost maybe the direction they're trying to test out might not be the right word, but really just develop, right? Even as an athletic department, you want to see, hey, is this the right fit? Can we find coaches that, especially in a like we've said, in a turmoil way of building rosters, right? Find a new way and kind of that new rhythm. So, yeah, really excited. Um, really again, a young coach, I think, can bring a lot more kind of maybe energy or a new perspective to a program. And and and again, maybe we'll see uh someone's famous brother uh swing by. So another coach with another famous college basketball brother. Look at that. Maybe that's another criteria we have when we hire head coaches. I didn't I didn't put two and two together until I just said it. So there we go.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

For those who don't know, Morgan Page's brother is Marcus Page from uh the UNC Tar Heels. He had almost the best shot in college basketball history with a double clutch three-pointer to tie the game against Villanova in the championship game in 2016, only to be outdone by what is widely considered the greatest shot in college basketball, which is Chris Jenkins hitting a buzzer beater three to win the win the title over North Carolina as a response to Marcus Page's double clutch three, where maybe he was trying to get fouled, maybe not. Still an amazing.

SPEAKER_02 8:59

Still don't know how he got it off. Still don't know how he got it off.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

He almost single-handedly got UNC that title because at the end of the game in those that last minute, he went on like a 7-0 personal run against Villanova. But can't outdo can't outdo the Wildcats, I guess. Jay Wright just had him a little bit better. My Philly bias showing, but you know, whatever. It's okay. Um but yeah, I I didn't make the connection either when until you just said it. Yeah, with yeah, maybe Denzel and Marcus can yeah, meet up and start doing like a you know, a Rambler basketball fan club for their own.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

I thought you were gonna say podcast. I was like, no way we can make it. I want this note. They have far too much information.

SPEAKER_02 9:45

They can be guests, they can be guests, they can be guests, yeah. Anytime. Yeah, yeah. Anytime, anytime. That's so funny. That's awesome. Well, yeah, congrats uh Paige. Uh exact, exactly happy to see the program in a new new direction.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Yeah. Um, now let's get to the men's side. So much has happened since our last episode. After a nine-win season, you expect seismic changes like this. Let's start with the coaching staff. Two assistants um have been replaced. Justin Bradley and Andrew Cobain are no longer with the team. And Drew and company have hired Christian Webster and a familiar face and Will Bailey back to the program. Uh, Christian Webster is a young assistant from Stepson uh Stetson from the Atlantic Sun Conference with previous time spent on Virginia Tech staff. He also had a playing career at Harvard. Um, he is touted as a great recruiter with really good connections. He also is credited with a lot of the scouting that led to um five straight appearances and a sweet 16, five straight tournament appearances and a sweet 16 for the Hokies uh from 2019 to 2024. Um and Will Bailey was with us when we went from 10 wins to an A10 title regular season co-championship and returns to us after two years at South Carolina. Um, Thomas Bryan would love to hear your thoughts on you know these coaching changes because we knew we talked about it all season after, especially after the Chicago State game. Something needed to change on the coaching staff. Do you think these two moves are are enough?

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Yeah, I mean I I know that there are people who you know the first loss of the season are calling for Drew's head. I'm certain I I I think he is on the hot seat probably, but um I think that this is certainly something that needed to be addressed. There was no way that, you know, coming off of the season that we had, that there weren't going to be, like you were saying, seismic changes. And I do think based off of everything that I know about I mean, obviously I know Will Bailey pretty well, but for Christian Webster, it's it sounds like a good hire. So I'm excited to see what they can do. It'll be really interesting to see if Will Bailey is just the thing that we need to keep around, you know. Maybe he can get coach of the year if we end up back on on top, but we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Could you imagine a coach of the year that's just an assistant and it becomes just Will Bailey and Drew gets snubbed a third time by his coach of the year award?

SPEAKER_02 12:29

The A10 really knows how to do Coach of the Year. And again, we'll probably get called out again since last time we talked about Coach of the Year voting. Random, random people online were commenting. But no, I I agree with Brian. It's it's one of those things that it's it's I at this point, it's nice to have some kind of um consistency of knowing maybe what I think there were some last-minute hires that were tough because Drew had to make also, and on unfortunate timing, not like the will timing, of course, of I think a good friend of his who was his right hand leaving. And again, absolutely Sean, getting the opportunity he did. I'm I'm no one I think should ever be like, don't go to the next level, right? But with Dwyer leaving, I think that kind of caused some maybe from an admin but also coaching perspective, not really recruiting. Maybe I know Huey does great recruiting, the whole program, right? But when it comes to coaching aspect, we we've talked like maybe doesn't seem right, stuff like that. And so I do think this gave Drew the opportunity to be like, hey, it doesn't seem to be working the way maybe we originally thought. Like there's always a vision, probably, when he brings on people, but it's like, yeah, this just isn't working. And I think having someone like Will back is really nice. And yeah, I I from what I've read, I'm excited about Christian. Like just it's an unknown, but it's also a known that when I hear other people tell me, yes, I I really like the direction. So and again, Drew might not have crossed too many paths of him from a coaching perspective, right? But he he has a very well connected network, and I see that on social media. He'll be like giving praise to some other coaches, and I think that's also great to see in a young head coach where it's like, yeah, he he's building his network, he's aware of what's going on. So yeah, really excited for that kind of that yin-yang of an aware coach that we are aware of, and a coach that kind of brings new new energy, new uh, new kind of input to the coach's staff for sure.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Yeah, definitely. So I I I personally think that these these two hot like changing only two uh staff members, I think is is enough because he's brought in a known entity that has proven success with Loyola in Will Bailey and proven A10 success because before us he was with UMass, Slew, LaSalle, he collected 810 schools like Infinity Stones, like when that was a relevant reference. Um and with Christian Webster, every like we've all said, everything we've read about him has been positive. Everywhere he's been has has shown you know a pretty solid recruitment. And if he's credited with a lot of the scouting that Virginia Tech like had during their one of their more dominant runs of their program's history, um, at least more consistent. Um I won't say dominant because I'm not too familiar with the Hokie's legacy, besides that they used to be an A-10 team. But um really happy that we were able to get this up and coming coach or you know, someone who has been around and knows how to succeed at the power five like power four, power five level in the ACC, a very difficult, um you know, historically a very difficult basketball conference. So um I think these two hires, be able to get two very high quality uh pieces is enough, and you don't need you didn't need to do like more seismic changes than that, but like Brian did you brought up this very much is a make or break gear for Drew. Um regard yeah, he's gotta prove that he can get back on top and you know use the resources at at hand properly so that we are one of those top programs in the A10. This this part really does hurt, but you know, it's it's all part of the game now. With the seismic changes to the coaching staff, we also saw major changes to the roster headlined by Miles Rubin eventually entering the portal after three years at Loyola, committing to Tennessee a week later. Um he was the headliner of eight Ramblers who entered the portal this cycle. This is definitely the first year that Loyola's been hit this hard by the portal. It certainly doesn't feel like it'll be the last. And other players to enter the portal, we had Justin Moore, Daewok Tavarez, Cade Dotson, Braden Young, Daniil Glaskoff, Chuck Love, and walk on Sam Eurosek. I will I do have to say, with this this round of the portal, it definitely changed my thought process of college basketball for at least the time being. Where I had it basically set up as, oh, you know, these guys are here are in it for four years. Um I know that that was very full, like, you know, foolhardy based on how it's been for the entire sport the past few years, but I was like, oh, you know, it it hasn't happened to us yet, really. You know, Jaden Dawson last year, Jalen Quinn, but we were always always able to retain that one big piece from like from at least one year to the next. And when Miles entered the portal, it definitely made changed my perspective to say, okay, these are one-year deals. Like it's it's definitely that way, it's not an exception anywhere, except maybe the Ivy League, because they they do run things a little like very differently. Um, but yeah, I would love to hear your thoughts on the portal exits, basically.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Yeah, I think that you're you kind of nailed it for me that it was kind of uh one of those years where I had the reality of the portal finally hit me, and like you know, in years past, it would be like we'd lose some big pieces or some some players that I was really excited to see the potential of, and that stung, but this is like a whole other level. I'm I'm sorry for every other team out there if this is like you know, year in and year out what you guys are dealing with, but it's tough. Um I I I understand that you know the opportunity's there, and I don't want to begrudge any player for trying to go to a place with more opportunity. I mean, especially considering the season that we had, you know, as much as I want to be like butthurt about it and be like, why would you ever leave Loyola? They had so few wins last year. Like, how can you have that much faith in the program? And I don't I don't think that that's that's not to say like that's why people left. I think a lot of it is just, you know, like what can you get, you know? Um, and I'm I'm not trying to imply that people are being selfish either. This is all speculation, but still it's like it's such a such a volatile kind of environment. And um I guess we just this is like we weren't used to what it really is like until now.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

So yeah, I think uh this one really had not been, I think I was looking at was it like three years ago, and the actual outgoing transfers we had were three players. Um now again our our usual loss has been more tend to be heavy on this the graduates, right? The graduating, they usually have outnumbered the people transferring. Um and again, I I had to take it kind of back because I was trying to be like, was this a season reaction? Well, no, I I I really yes, in a way we had a bad season. And the crazy thing is we almost as we almost have as many guys transferring out of the team as wins we had last year, which is a crazy thing to almost say. But like that obviously is like sitting in some players' heads. You're like, hey, better opportunity, you also want to win. Is it financial? Is it also closer to home for your senior year? I know that's something you've seen throughout all of college sports. But then and again, it really seemed like out of all years, I really sat down and were like, once Miles said, Yep, I'm out, a lot of dominoes just fell. And that was really interesting because I think it hit me of like, it is maybe in some programs one or two pieces that could be a domino, and that's where I like I wholly, wholeheartedly agree with Brian's point of like if this is what a program goes through every year, it is a realization that's hard to come to it that first time. And then it's like, okay, I I have to get used to it. And and and Dave has kindly reminded me that it might just become one-year contracts, and it's it's getting, and again, we all know for those who are listening to this or an A10 seconds or whatever, we all know there's laws coming up, maybe five year and five, and one lock-in transfer. We're just talking about the now, and the now is yeah, it could be one-year contracts. And and I really wish this offseason I could be like, oh, it's a it's a money thing, and I could just put the blame on money. And but it's not always that from what I've heard, right? It's it's circ it's circumstance of where you're at, the setting look location is always one. I definitely think money is driving a lot, which kill it hurts a little bit. You're like, oh, you need 1.5 million? 1.5? What? That's a money, and we're that's no one we're talking about. We're just I've heard that from other programs. It's like we used to just complain that an education was good enough. So again, I think it's gone from three years ago even to today for three years later. I think we're really it's a steep, it went up, and I think that's This is just the kind of impact of program seeing. So it's a little bit of me venting of realization of this is just now the portal moving forward, I guess. But also I think uh we're we're doing a really good job, and we'll talk about here on the reaction. And I think it goes back to then with the staff, another point for Drew of like I'm potentially on a on a hey, my seat's getting warm. I'm I I have to kind of then okay, guys are off the ship. Okay, I gotta fill it back up and move on. There's really no time to sit. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

There is one point I want to make um about you know wanting to transfer for better exposure at a different level. Um Lucas Williamson during our like between our two episodes was able to make his NBA debut, albeit on a very bad Grizzlies team. But getting to watch him realize his NBA dream, all albeit, you know, four years waiting in the G League, but he got there. And watching him put up like, you know, 17 points in 30 minutes for an NBA team, the most he was he had the most points scored for a Rambler in and like in the NBA since Alfredic Hughes. Like, that's the conversation like you know, there are players who in the 90s and 2000s from the Ramblers that made it. You're talking about most recently outscoring the likes of Milton Doyle, who we all celebrate as you know the the one guard that really yeah, the first domino to kick it all in motion towards that that final fourth uh run. And I just think that you don't need to necessarily transfer up to better showcase your talent when the NBA will find you wherever you are, is I guess the point that I I would say. Um because you know, every time you're entering the portal to, you know, try to move up a level to better showcase a talent event against different opponents, um there's a reason why Daron Holmes never left. One of it, yes, Dayton could pay him, but two, he was able to show that he was an all-American in the A10. Like so I think that if it's if it's exposure you're looking for, you get like there's definitely enough exposure in the A-10 where, you know, maybe a guy that like we're gonna talk about, like Yama Grotzinger or Donald Hand Jr. are coming into the A-10 to be able to better showcase their talents for the NBA. So, you know, that's that's just my my two cents on that. Um, after you know, seeing a few guys leave for um, you know, greener horizons that might not have been that way.

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Yeah, and I think part of it too is like recognizing that for some people, I mean, like, yes, the NBA is the end goal, but I think a lot of players recognize that this is like the peak of their career, you know, and see this as the opportunity. So like chasing a bag is understandable. I can't I can't really get like too mad at them about it, but um yeah, it's just like it's there's so many different factors that come into it that it's like you can't blame one thing in particular.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

No, no, no, no, and I'm not saying that, but like you know, I I do think that you could be short selling your career if you are on the cusp of you know being a player like Lucas, where you know the NBA, yes, he did have to hang around the G League for for a few years until he got a shot, but he did end up getting a shot, and you know, Milton Doyle ended up getting a shot in a similar situation. Um I do think though that like if you're getting paid, like if if you have that chance to stay where you are and develop and develop your game, um you could potentially be short selling your lifetime like earnings for a year of getting paid. Like, I mean, what's it called? If Louville's throwing around like six million dollars at one player, like go get it. Like, I'm not gonna I'm not blaming you there. Like, but you know, if you're getting paid two million and you end up only getting like 15-20 minutes a game, that's tough. That's that's really tough to showcase all you can when you know maybe if you're getting offered like 1.2 from VCU to play 30 minutes a game there, then that might be worth it, you know. Like being like there's a reason why so many of VCU's players stuck around is because one, it worked for them really well last year, um, you know, getting to the round of 32, but they also under like a guy like Lazar Djokovic could have probably gotten like four million dollars. I don't know what he's getting paid this year, but I can imagine with the money being thrown around at everyone 6'10 and taller, he could have probably gotten asked for like four million dollars. Some would have someone would have said, here's 3.6. Like, and maybe he's getting that from VCU. I d I I hope not. But um, you know, I just think that there's there's something to it where being in the A10, you can definitely showcase what what you're about.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

And I think yeah, I think the one thing I I don't I'm not trying to be anyone's mediator, uh but it's really interesting. Well, no, I think it is just because of the position we as the A10 are in. If we were in if this was a podcast that had a team that was in uh OVC, we'd be like, Yep, uh, we gotta rebuild every year. We're just our guys just get shipped off with John Morant. No, right? But like you did, I know a handful of people have talked of like we jokingly say, Oh, look at, and again, I know MBC accounts talk about it, and we can today as recent MBC departures. You look at that uh awards list, and you're like, uh, these are all graduates, everyone else has been transferring. And when you see some guys, so it's really interesting where we are as a program, we are in the middle, we are in the trenches of hey, we have resources, we have the potential to play high-level games, we have the potential to have the spotlight. Look at our two A10 teams, and I really give credit because it's a all-inclusive budget or money when that comes some people's ways. Um, but they won two games in the tournament beating a UNC, and I think it is really tough when money gets put around, but then also playing time, the expectation. So I I would say if we were a team in a lower conference, we would be like, hey, we have to take the hit of losing a roster. And I think now, because it's our first offseason of taking a huge hit, it's like, well, what was the reason? Is it is it a losing record doesn't help. We've just got to call us fate to spate there. So it I think it's one of those things that again, you look at programs like VCU, okay, well, obviously they were able to stay intact for the most part, except for I'd say a key piece, but they were able to stay intact. I think a winning route a winning season helps in winning the game. So it's one of those things where it's like, as much as I say, hey Drew, I know it's tough, it's like you're gonna have to try to balance it of like if we can keep a consistent winning program, can that help? Um, and and again, last year, I think people, if we're just gonna go back to Miles really quick, there was talk that we were surprised Miles didn't leave last year. And I think the writing was on the wall this year of like there are a few different moving parts, but losing record last season in college, maybe go get that bag, right? So I do think it's really tough for our situation that every not every player's gonna have the same uh transfer reason. There are will be guys who are like, I just want to get more money. There will be guys who are like, I'm gonna go down. Like, I have no problem saying that Braden Young is obviously going down to get more playing time. That that is an obvious thing, and it's tough because I know he doesn't have that much film to be like, oh, I'm I'm gonna go get paid two million dollars, right? That that's not a realistic thing. But we know Miles is gonna be paid SEC money because look at who else Tennessee has brought in. So it really I just listening, it's like I kind of almost was like, I wish we were just an OVC team that we could just be like, oh, we just can't afford guys and they're gonna get money. But it is like and this is maybe a GM needs to come in. This is a very interesting part that now I'm gonna think about in the offseason. Do we need a someone who can maintain all these moving parts? Because it's not gonna get easier, and maybe it will, but right now it's it's not an easy thing to even put through my brain, at least.

SPEAKER_00 30:52

And I know like a billion people have said it, but it's just it's crazy to think of like being a coach in this position. You know, like I don't I don't I'm not trying to say like, you know, give give Drew an out or anything like that because everyone's dealing with the same circumstances, but it's just like so much of the game has changed, and it really feels like there's no firm foundation going forward. It's not like okay, you're like, well, now the move is retention, and how do we get retention? Is we do X and Y. It's like one second you're chasing one objective, and the next second there's a new objective that's like the meta for recruiting in the offseason or whatever, you know?

SPEAKER_02 31:33

So I just Yeah, no, I uh you make me think now it's like you have to plan for the next season's offseason, right? Off season you're in now, because it's like I don't think Drew is like, oh, we're gonna offer these like so-called contracts last offseason and be like, oh, they'll they'll only be one year deals, right? There was no thought. So yeah, that makes me that's like there's a lot again. I feel like Charlie Dede for those who are fans of like with the wires, and it's it's true. It's like, well, if this kid intends to transfer, we gotta maybe hop on, or did if we get the depth we need, and we'll talk about even what we've done in the offseason here, but yeah, it's uh it's a state of college basketball I did not think would be there so quick. And and I do think there needs to be change because from what my intention of NIL my brain always goes to, I just want a kid to be able to get a sandwich and no one yell at them for coach pain, right?

SPEAKER_00 32:25

It's like I just want I want the kids to make money and me not feel like complicated about it, you know.

SPEAKER_02 32:29

Exactly, or used, right? Like the whole like it's a billion-dollar machine, and these kids are just and it's like I want them to get their hard-earned work, and then but then you're like, is it still shady a little bit of like the hands were like crossing over to pay like three million? And it's like again, if programs have it, programs have it. So I I can't be bitter about that because again, I'll I'll say watching some college football guys be like, if you were offered the and he'd be like, I gotta go talk to my family, and that's like it's a real thing, too. So how can you blame anyone? Programs are gonna have to really adjust of how, and I think we'll talk here how we adjusted is very interesting so far, but well, how we got here, it's a it's a tough one for us, and it's a new thing.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

The only thing that I do want to bring up is that um I I really don't want to see this become a situation where basketball kills a school's non-revenue sports. Um I think Arkansas already like just got rid of the tennis team this year because there's like some sort of correlation doesn't mean causation, but you know, they have a pretty sizable basketball and football budget that might be siphoning off some resources from uh other programs that in their own rights do deserve to exist, even though they aren't, you know, at some point money making sports or whatever, yeah. Yeah, sorry that tennis isn't making money, but like you're you're a non-profit institution. You're not you shouldn't be worried about like a program profiting. It should be about operating within your means or within donations. But you know, that's beside the point, I guess. Um anyway, now that we've talked about who's out, oh sorry. Last point before moving to the good part of the portal, which are the great gets, I do want to talk about who um like where we have on people are like where the people who are leaving are ending up. Uh Justin Moore and Daewoke Tavares are both teaming up at Hofstra under Speedy Claxton. That's really I think that's a good level for both of them. Both of them going back to the CAA. Um Kate Dotson is going out west to UC San Diego, Braden Young dropping down to the CAA as well to Northwestern. Um the only and we don't have any news on Daniel Yeah, sorry, Northeastern. Um Braden Young dropping down to the CAA as well to play at Northeastern. Um, then you have Daniel, Chuck, and Sam Eurosek all still TBD. Um, but yeah. Now let's talk about the good parts. Yeah, yay. I know, I know. We we spent so much time talking about yeah, how how bad it was the fallout after a nine-win season, but now we gotta talk about the comeback attempt. Um out of the roster of 15 players last year, 15 scholarship players, we retained two players, Nick Anderson and Xavier Amos. So really like those were the only guys I wanted, really. Yeah, I know out of that season. Yeah, on my on my list, it was just yeah, um, I don't know if you're gonna be draft day, uh Xavier Amos and Nick Anderson, no matter what. Like just on my little note card going into the portal. Um, but it's nice to be able to retain you know the local kid, uh Amos for his senior year, it'll be his red shirt senior year, and then Nick Anderson being able to you know potentially get him to his breakout sophomore year. Really nice to see. Um and now let's talk about some of the additions. Um, we already knew about Ryan Krieger, he'll be the incoming freshman center um from the Minnesota area. Um we also previously spoke about Sterling Knox, the red shirt sophomore guard from Independence Community College, who had originally committed to Creighton two years ago. Um, on JUCO Advocates top 100 list, he was listed as the the fifth best player in junior college this past year. So really, really good to see for that. Um and the newest edition, technically not in the portal, because we got we signed him before the portal officially opened, and he's international. Guillaume Grotzinger. He is a 22-year-old point guard from the French Pro B League. Um, we're unsure if he has one or two years of eligibility, but um it looks like with Grotzinger, we're getting a very talented facilitator, someone who can get his own shot. He shoots well from all three uh yeah, all three levels, so really happy that we were able to get him. Um so yeah. Any comments or questions before we get into the actual portal?

SPEAKER_00 37:20

Yeah, I mean, I I think I'm really excited for the potential that I've seen out of these guys. Um and that's not it.

SPEAKER_02 37:33

Yeah, I think well, I think uh the potential, but but also the I I have to give credit to the coaches staff. It seemed like immediately once we knew it was like boom, that's what what it what it was, right? It's like hey, let's let's fill it in. Um but yeah, I think it's a it's a very interesting portal adjustments, and again, uh the holes had to be filled, and it looks like we're trying to trying to do the best we can.

SPEAKER_01 37:59

Yeah, and a couple notes on those three players. Uh Sterling Knox, we saw that in his game logs, he did not play a game since February. It seems like he sustained some sort of knee injury. We're still trying to figure out the extent of it from our sourcing, so we'll get back to you about that. Um and one point about Guillaume Grotzinger when he was announced that he signed, there was a very telling quote that Loyola was the only team that came out to watch him play. That's crazy. And it also shows that you know, sometimes hard work still does pay off. If you want the guy and you want him the most, it does matter.

SPEAKER_00 38:39

Um go to France. I know it's a hard ask, but I know.

SPEAKER_01 38:43

Yeah, shout out to Chris Huey.

SPEAKER_00 38:45

But um, yeah, that's a tough trip to make. That in like Cleveland, Ohio, you know, Dayton Ohio.

SPEAKER_02 38:51

Yeah, I know. Yeah, there's like this like really tall building in Paris, I hear France. Um, not Paris, Texas, sorry. I don't know if we've repeated it.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

That's such an American way of thinking about it. We're like the building is tall. I don't think that's why people care about the building. Yeah, that's just what it is.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

In Vegas too, so it doesn't matter. Oh, that's true. It's in Vegas, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:09

We'll just be in the basketball crown next year. That's what it'll be. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Huey doesn't need to go to Vegas to France to recruit. No, I think it's and again, interesting. We hadn't again the last two years have been international guys of like guys who were playing out in outside the states, not guys who had come to JUCO or whatever. And again, we had a history of that. We had again Croatia had a pipeline for a little bit there. Again, Bruno Skokna, four-year player on the uh Final Four team. Um, was it Vlotko was a guy we had? We had also one summer, a kid from Czech Republic area, um, but then he didn't wear God. So again, and and we're seeing it again. Illinois had the joke during their tournament run, and else. Yeah, but again, international school of players is really going to become impactful. Now, again, the whole if they're professional not, that's a different story, but just widening the net for talent depth, I think, is going to be outside the US a lot more. Um, and again, yeah, so the fact to hear that no one saw like or visit it, it's like I know Purdue has one guy. I've seen the tweet, there's one guy that travels the world looking for seven footers, but like you might need to start putting that in your budget of like, hey, we're gonna have to go look for talent outside um of the US.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

And loyal, and if you are looking, I will put my name out there. If you need someone to watch basketball abroad, um, I'm your guy. I'm totally I'm down to travel wherever and whenever.

SPEAKER_02 40:45

You know, if you they just need a guy to film, that's the best part. If you just need a film, like probably film. Oh my god. I know Brian's got a bad yeah, yeah. He's got a nice iPhone probably. Yeah, we're good. We're good.

SPEAKER_01 40:55

Uh well yeah, I mean, now that they've removed the restriction of uh international travel only to one every four years, now they can teams can do it annually. I wonder how that might impact the international recruiting style of some of these uh some of these programs that can afford to do those, you know, travel to France every year, like you know, if it if U of I does just kind of fully lean into it and go to the Baltics and just play some games against some of the pro leagues there.

SPEAKER_00 41:27

Um I I think like it's interesting to think about like the relationships that they're probably building with some of these teams abroad and like how that factors into things. So yeah, I'm it's gonna be weird to see where we where we go from here.

SPEAKER_01 41:43

Oh, definitely. I agree. Um it's just kind of the wild west still, though. Um not to not to be that guy about it.

SPEAKER_02 41:51

It's actually the wild east there, Dave, but it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 41:53

It's I mean, you go far enough east, it becomes the west. So true, true, true. Not I was gonna make a flat earther joke, but never mind. Whatever. Too soon. No, I'm kidding. Um but yeah, so without further ado, let's get into some of the portal additions that we've made. Because in the past month, it feels like we've gone from two players to 12. So you know, technically it was five to twelve, but I'm not gonna I'm not gonna get into a semantics battle with myself here. Um first weekend when the portal opened, Drew was able to get four commitments out of the four players who visited. First player to commit, Eddie Ricks, a senior forward out of James Madison. Uh the next player was Jason Schofield, a junior center out of Marist. And then Diane Nessa, a junior forward out of Cleveland State. Originally played with GW his freshman year and cooked us for a double-double, including 25 points in our season opener uh last year. And then from the junior college ranks, Dayton Williams, a sophomore guard from Vincennes. Shout out to Keith Clemens for that one. Um and by the way, the years that I'm listing are going to be their years next year, not what they played as last year. Um, so yeah, Eddie Ricks, one year of eligibility, Nessa, two years, Schofield, two years, and then Dayton Williams, I think, should have three. Um, so yeah, pretty good first weekend uh for Drew. Then we followed it up with the red shirt senior guard Donald Hand Jr., who was at Boston College all four years prior to coming to Loyola. Last year it seemed like it uh he played through some knee injury uh but still played about 30 games, which is uh you know pretty interesting. But it does explain, it does help to explain the massive drop off in three point shooting percentage that he had from his junior year to his senior year. Not trying to make excuses, but you know, if he just does a little bit better than 22%. He'll be great. Um and then we ended up getting a commitment from Malik Diallo, who we recruited out of high school. He originally chose TCU. Um this past season, he won the starting job, but seven minutes into the year he tore his ACL. So he's coming to Loyola next year. Really um, really excited to see, you know, since he had the injury so early in the year, he was able to get surgery. He should be able to do like a full off season of workouts and stuff. So hopefully he's all uh all set for um for the start of next season. And then the most recent commitment, which caught I think everyone off guard, um, Elias Rapiekwe. Um I'm probably pronouncing that very poorly, but my my wife, the the French major, will probably rip into me for that. But um senior forward slash center out of Kansas State Um by way of uh Berlin. So right now, the way it sits is that we have these 12 spots filled. We'll love to hear your thoughts on um the portal edition so far.

SPEAKER_02 45:13

Yeah, I think uh it it was a very interesting portal because we had so many spots to fill. So I I was like, oh, dude, we just need to get two guys. And it's like, nope, not not two guys, it's nearly a full roster of 10. And and again with the freshman and again, 15 scholarships is what we we have. So you can play and offer 15 scholarships, of course. But now with the NIL budget is more realistically, we only have really nine spots. I I don't know, right? If you took an average of what guy guys are asking for, I if we broke it down, who who knows on that circumstance, right? And and and we don't know NIL. I would imagine, I would at least hope we're able to retain what we had last year going in. Of course, the we could argue inflation and who knows what this economy of where things are going. It's like, oh, can we just boost uh paper uh paper clips have gone up in price? So we need we need more money, right? So uh we'll see. So yeah, I think um always funny for me, like I quickly Nessa just to have a player who scored, did a lot of good scoring on us, or kind of tore us up. Drew always loves that, aka Sheldon Edwards. Uh so that's always uh a great thing to see. Uh the Vincennes, I haven't seen Juco in a while consistently, and I think um, of course, I don't know if um we have the same coach, of course, that we got a certain other recruit out of Vincennes a few years ago, but that was great to see. So, yeah, again, um sticking with size as well. I don't think anyone from the transfer portal group that I'm aware of is under 6'4, roughly.

SPEAKER_01 46:52

Six four and up for everyone on the roster so far.

SPEAKER_02 46:55

Yeah, so very interesting to go. I have been called out on other podcasts that I was on about maybe not liking short point guards, and then that point guard may be one of the best three-pointers in loyal history. So, like that doesn't always mean uh massive uplift, but I think in an 8-10 we we have been having a size problem. Um, I go back to just any of the games I witnessed this past year. It it did feel like size when only Miles was in it kind of does uh cause a little concern. So yeah, I think there's a lot of upside. I do have to call out that we are getting what I've been kind of labeling as like a little discount on some of these guys. And what I mean by that is like sadly Diallo was injured. So obviously there's a lot more questions there, but the history has it. So I'm playing that of like, hey, Diallo had won the starting job, and the guy who took his spot literally was a big Big 12, uh, I think all conference third team, maybe second team. So it's like obviously there was a talent there, right? So again, injuries are tough, but I do think talent doesn't necessarily go away. I think talent's there. I think it's just how do you recover from your injuries? So again, uh when it comes to hand, for example, I I hope we see that upside, that help come in. Um, but yeah, these some of these guys have played at high levels that IQ also helps. Um, right, they're they're not coming from maybe lower, lower programs of like maybe not high level games. I think when you're playing games at TCU, Kansas State, and BC, that helps give me the like, hey, they know situational stuff. So excited. Um, definitely uh I think it's really interesting that we're trying to fill out even a starting roster with these guys and see where it goes.

SPEAKER_00 48:37

Yeah, I I think one of the things that you pointed out that struck me first was just the the height difference. Um, and I know that was one of the the few sort of uh nitpicks we had about the roster going into the season last year, and by the end of the season, uh I know we we felt it, you know. Um, so I'm happy that they addressed that. I think it's interesting to see like, you know, when you have so few people returning, like what you know you're prioritizing. It's not necessarily like a replacement kind of situation like we've had in years past where it's like, okay, well, we want to get the the Jaden Dawson type or something. You know, now it's like we want an entirely new roster. What does that look like? We want to be good. Like we just want to be able to do that. So what is a good basketball team look like? Um, but it it a lot of these guys are are exciting, and I think pointing out, you know, like some of them do have their like caveats with injuries or you know, what have you, but um the potential's there. It's uh I I it's hard to say I'm excited after last season.

SPEAKER_02 49:44

So no, I just want to hop on yeah, I just want to hop on Brian's point there because it really just yeah, I had not thought once of like, oh, I want a Jaden Dawson type. I want like, yeah, in years past it'd be like, oh, I I want that defense that we had, but with this roster, I'm like, I just need guys who can play. Um, right? We need a roster to show up. And then when you first get the roster, you're like, okay, what are they good at? Right. And and I think for me, like a hand right away is a great example because I was like, oh, obviously, maybe not the stellar, I guess you could say, three-point uh shooting, right? That it that had been in the past, I think. But then I was like, he still put up 12 and a half and an eight in the eight, like in the ACC, kind of right. And um I I think that's the thing as well. I'm like, there are there are guys right now who fit holes we absolutely had, and that's what I'm more worried about, is that we had holes last year, and I don't care if they play like Jaden Dawson or they play like themselves, I just need them to fill a hole that we obviously had last year. So yeah, that's something definitely in a new perspective that I'm like, we just need guys who can go ball and play at this level.

SPEAKER_00 50:53

And I don't mean to be like, you know, too whiny about it. I did have so many different moments where I was like, well, how does this guy pair up with Miles?

SPEAKER_02 51:03

I think Miles is the one this offseason. We can be like, hey, we kind of need to because everyone is. Yeah, everyone is gonna compare against Miles of like like I look we're let's call it right now. Get our bingo cards ready. Everyone's gonna be like this. That defensive presence that Miles Rubin had is was lost. I don't know if the Ramblers were able to fill it up, right? Like that's gonna come.

SPEAKER_01 51:22

Um you lose your block leader for his career, like the career prop block leader at program history. How does that look now when he's gone? It's like yeah, well, we got Ryan Krieger.

SPEAKER_02 51:33

So everyone's questions are themselves.

SPEAKER_01 51:35

Yeah, well, we have we have four front court players, like four guys you can play the center now. We yeah, we definitely saw you know Miles leaving and said, Well, we're just gonna you know get numbers for it.

SPEAKER_00 51:48

Yeah, Diallo. Like the the last season showed how much of a need there was for that. Like Miles did a good job of what he was supposed to be doing, but it wasn't enough for us to just be getting rebounding or defense at the rim from him. So yeah, having that that hype broken up. Sorry you were saying though.

SPEAKER_01 52:05

No, no, no. Yeah, I mean you we spent this offseason now. We we basically took Miles and Anthony Richardson from last year, and you know, Braden Young, and turned it into uh turn it into might be the wrong phrase because it's like we traded them, but um we saw beans for uh we we saw we saw those like those three players and said, How do we, you know, obviously Miles had a significant impact in rim defense and two-point shot defense. How do we recreate that?

SPEAKER_02 52:37

Um not in like a I'm not trying to do like a money ball bit, but um, but I get all I was thinking so Brian had me got in my head a little bit, and it's like look at what Slough just did. Like Slough obviously had Robbie Avila, a great player, but I think if you look at Robbie, obviously what he did in the Valley doesn't always say he's gonna do that exact same thing here, right? Um, yes, his first season A 10, I think he averaged like nearly 17 a game for sure, and his last season in the Valley also averaged 17. But this season, I think it got brought down because they had the depth. I know, Dave, I think you and I looked at it. I think seven, their first seven players all had like maybe 20 minutes plus a game. So, and and finally the slew got over their hump of they made it to the NTA tournament, and that they hadn't done that before. So I do think it is one of those things where it's like, unless you have I don't know, uh a gift from the the other above of a player who's gonna take you in, and I would argue look at BYU. I don't know if that really worked out, right? The one player doing it all, and and when you write one check, again, it's all gonna be situational, the coaching staff, all that. But Slew is what my banner of like depth of skill players really showed that it can help. And I think that's where I I really like Brian's point of like, can we fill in the aggregate, however you want to say, but it's like, yes, Miles left a hole, and but also there was a hole even there when he was there, right? It was that like we he just can't do everything. Let's call it out Chicago State game. He got thrown at by the by the the other two by the Cougars, and we were like, oh, no one else can do something, right? So I think pardon except Xavier Amos in his face. Exactly, and then Xavier finally well again it was one of the first games Avery M could play. So you're like, this is a completely so I do think having the perspective of like, hey, we can feed off each other, and again, I know we've heard some things of like Drew is never kind of like a hey, you're the starter. It's it's like, hey, you gotta kind of prove it. And I think what a what a what a rebound roster, as we could say, this needs to be, yeah, you need to have a team that can fill in wherever. And we've had injuries, right? Guys, the next guy up that's been on the board probably since Porter, right? We're we're that's always gonna need to be there, especially when new seasons come around with completely new rosters.

SPEAKER_01 54:59

Yeah, and I do think that with the portal so far this year, we brought in a lot of people who like have something to prove. Either they're coming up from a lower level, or you know, especially two junior college players coming into the A10. That's a big chip on their shoulder. It's also a big leap. So we'll see how that works out. But like Donald Han Jr., not a great year last year. If he can drop down and go back to his junior year production, that's an all A10 level player. Um, Malik Diallo, a lot to prove after tearing your ACL seven minutes into last season to see that he still has it. Um you look at like Eddie Ricks, still trying like he spent his years in lower levels. He needs he's trying to prove that he's a contributor at this uh at this stage. Jason Schofield coming out of Marist. Like, that's that's a pretty big leap to go from the Metro to the 8-10. And I think that he like he has a pretty underrated skill set. I I like watching some of his tape, he's a very good, offensive-minded big. Um, but his skills on defense, him and Diallo seem to have a pretty solid understanding of protecting the rim um and active hands, not just at blocks, but you know, getting in passing lanes. So I think that we what we've done is something that we talked about wanting is that we created a shit ton of competition on this roster so far with the 12 with the 12 spots. Um, I think right now the only player that doesn't really have that competition is Grotzinger, um, which I think is one of the needs we still have to address in the portal is to get like another point guard in the building. Uh and you know, maybe some more wing depth behind guys like Diane Nessa, um Amos, just get more more players in that like you know, 6'5 to 6'7 height range with you know a three-point shot or defense. I think at this stage in the portal, you're not gonna find a 3nd player like straight up uh unless the 5-5 gets passed, and then you just have access to a whole new uh whole new player like uh player pool. Um so yeah, but I do think that what we've done so far is create a lot of situations where players have to earn their their minutes and their spots. It's not like anyone's coming in with a preconceived notion of what they're gonna look like, uh like where they're where they fit into this roster. It's you have to prove that that like if you want to play 30 minutes a game, go go earn every last minute, which is exactly what we need for a winning basketball team.

SPEAKER_02 57:42

Yeah, I would I I it was something here, and I'm like, I hope again, I I I don't know all our listeners or anything or anyone, but it's like I would expect every top program is recruiting multiply talented guys. So it's not like hey, we just got one guy and everyone else is just backup, right? And again, like I was just with with the NFL draft, it's on my head, right? Like backup quarterbacks are a very different level, maybe you could argue, right? But when it comes to college basketball, it's like injuries happen, depth, you just need it. So like I would say a program like UConn is not stopping at one five-star, say, right? If we do the metrics, they're like, we want as many as we want a team of five stars, right? And if they if there's no healthy competition, then I don't know how guys are getting better, right? I remember we you could argue look at um Cameron Crow again, they brought in uh Carson Shanks. Yeah, they brought in, I was gonna try to be like, they brought in a talented big man at a lower level, and from what I always heard, it was it was so Cam could practice really hard. Like, hey, Carson, I want you to like go hard, and that would be the thing. It's like I think that's the level you want with a program to have that competition and healthy, right? And and again, the percentages are never on everyone's side. I think uh you you have to understand that even getting to college basketball is one level, getting an NBA is another level, but having a winning team, you need depth. And I go back to our 2018 team, I go back to any team. Having depth is just gonna help you as a program and help you win. And that that to me is the first thing. Granted, I'd like to see more than nine wins. Um, but uh I think that's where you look for when we talk about trying to add a roster. We're trying to add a roster that wants to compete and win, not just get awards at the end of the season, I think, uh for on an individual basis.

SPEAKER_01 59:25

So it's so wild to think that Carson Shanks could have commanded like five million dollars in this crypto.

SPEAKER_02 59:32

Oh wow, that hits that hit, yeah. And you're absolutely right. Because was it like I watched, uh, and this is a little side, so we can cut this, but it's it for listening, like college football. I've been reading about like some of the quarterbacks, and it's like I could be probably have made four and a half million just by transferring. And and again, the value of positions in especially big man, we've we've really dived into it. Big man this offseason and portal is so valuable, and so that's why I think like like we said, we got four guys. Maybe we didn't get the one-one guy, but we got four right now that are collectively. We're hoping to be like, hey, these are this is the loyal front court. This is not one loyal a player, this is the loyal front court that can do what we can. Um, so yeah, so we'll we'll do a whole money ball uh podcast of who's the aggregate and they they bring in this amount of free throws, but no, I think right now the roster is the roster because we had holes to fill. And it's exciting to be like, go get guys who want to come in and play. And there were a few that I think, and Dave, you can correct me, but there were a few that were like maybe we could have gotten money elsewhere and said, No, this is a better fit. And the the when I heard fit, I was like, that's still a thing. That's a still thing guys are caring about. Like, do you want to fit into a program? And to hear that, it's like, yeah, I would I love that that's potentially still a an option, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:49

Even a consideration, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:50

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Exactly. It's not just what's the check and how many minutes am I getting, or you're gonna tell me how many points I can score? It's like, no, the word fit. Oh, okay. Like, not even culture. We didn't let's not even say culture, but just the fit. Uh, so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:06

One last point I do want to bring up with the portal so far. Um, positional versatility is also something that we're seeing outside of Diallo and Schofield in the portal. I think everyone else that we've brought in can play multiple positions. So that's really nice, which means if they can play them on offense, they should be able to defend them on defense, those multiple positions. So um, like Donald Hand, 6'5 guard, could probably play a little three. Diane Nessa will probably play some four, but you know, he has some on-ball skills that can make him play the one in some like you know, bigger like jumbo lineups that we can run out there because you know, Rapie Ekwa uh can play both the four and the five. So, you know, you you have a lot of options here where you know if if Elias is playing the four, then like Amos can play the three at six seven or six eight, whatever his height is, and you're just I I just I really like that they're getting that versatility. Um because last year, I mean the past few years, we've seen injury bugs bite, and people need to step up into situations where they aren't usually accustomed to. So it's nice to see that we're kind of baking that in. And like, you know, Dayton Williams, he was pretty good as a as an assist man at Vincennes, but he also has a 6'9 wingspan that can make him play the three. So, you know, you got a guy out of JUCO that can play one through three. Um, Sterling Knox, like a two to two to one assist to turnover ratio out of Independence Community College. He can play one through three as a six-seven guard. So gonna say, isn't he like really tall too? Yeah, he's listed at between six six and six seven, depending on uh what site you look at. And then you also have Nick Anderson who had who had uh you know uh experience playing at the two and the three last year. So yeah, it's just so much versatility that I really appreciate from like from this portal class so far. Um and you know, with the three spots that we still have to fill, definitely a backup point guard is someone that we need to get because you can't rely on it just being Grotzinger and Nessa, because last year we we saw what happens when you don't have enough point guards, um enough people who can handle the ball and they all get hurt at the same time. Um, and then more wing shooting and wing depth. Uh we'll see how that really looks. Um yeah, this time next week, essentially, we could have a full roster. Um, but yeah. Any final thoughts on this year's portal class so far?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:55

It's so hard. It's uh like I was um I went back and I watched an interview with Drew from the preseason of last season, and he was talking about like defense being such a big priority going into the offseason and like trying to figure that out.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:11

And I the product did not reflect that. So I'm not sure. Obviously, and I are making faces of like almost perplexed and disgust.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:20

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:21

But um for those listening at home, my wife also just got concerned that my face was something happened. So but yeah, it's no but keep going.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:31

It's just it's you know, you can have all these expectations and then things can be completely different from how you uh sort of anticipated it going, so we'll see.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:43

Yeah, I think the point that I I'm coming to is like I cannot, if we're doing this whole year in, year out, completely new roster, there is no room for development. There just isn't. You're going to need a coach who can be reactive and be like, this is what I have. Because sometimes you're like, you'd be like, like I we even said it sometimes there's obviously with Chuck, and you're like, ah, that's a freshman, uh freshman issue, and and you're like, oh, he'll he'll work on that. That that's fine. I'm not expecting him to get it right now. And just we're not recruiting 18-year-olds that are worth five million right now, right? Whatever the portal or whatever the value of. So yeah, no, it it is it is a realization that it's like expectations need to be one, let's get maybe 500 basketball, but like we have to have guys ready to play the big minutes, the the or the big games, not that they're going to be. It's like, hey, uh, we just need a solid six guys who can go out there and be competitive, maybe. I I don't know, but yeah, the expectation game is I have to definitely go down. And I appreciate that look back because yeah, I wouldn't I would not have expected defense to be a mine because the product was different. But again, when you go in, you recruit these guys, that's the hope that they fill if that's what you looked at. So yeah.

unknown 1:05:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:00

I I think like the the point guard point is definitely a a big one for me just considering like the one thing that seems to be consistent from Drew year in and year out because so many things change from year to year. Uh the one consistent thing has been turnovers. So having a good ball handler, and I'm not saying that, you know, like Grotzinger and uh I can't even think of the names right now. Grotzinger can't handle that. Yeah, Nessa can't handle that. But um I don't know. I'm just like we need to we need to do do things dramatically different.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:39

Yeah, no, I I totally agree. And I will say though that yes, he like Drew has is recruiting for a win now roster next year, but he is still leaving the door open for that development because of the the 12 players on the roster so far, seven of them have eligibility next year, like after 22.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:02

I appreciate it. I assumed all of them had like one year.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:05

Because Nessa, yeah, Nessa is a current sophomore, Dayton Williams, current sophomore, Schofield, currently a sophomore. Malik Diallo is gonna have three years because of last year being a red shirt year. Um, Sterling Knox should have at least two. Um Nick Anderson has three more after uh after the like has three more including next year, and then Ryan Krieger, obviously, four years as an incoming freshman. So there's there's still a lot of opportunity for development and you know year over year continuity, but it's still you're still getting players who have the ability to impact the on court product immediately. So I think there is the balance there where you are still getting a lot of upperclassmen, don't get me wrong, because I think next year, um Yeah, I don't think we're becoming like a St.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:57

John's, and I don't think that would be helpful for our program. But when you hear other coaches be like, I'm not recruiting freshmen, or yeah, it's like, well, that that that loses the kind of program aspect. And I'm a programmer look at it again. Lucas will go back. Lucas played all his years here, and I think it works out. I think I think there is benefit to it, and I totally get the maybe need to leave, but there also is massive benefit to look at Robbie Avila. I'll call out Slew again. They shirt literally said Robbie could have gotten paid more, he took a pay cut to come back, um, and you win. And I think people need to understand whatever it's gonna be, 64 teams, and not everyone's formula to get into that tournament is the same formula, and it it's gonna have to work at different levels.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:40

Yeah, and even a guy like Mike Wallace on Richmond, a guy who you know could have left multiple times on a middle enrichment team, but continued to come back because he knew that he was in a really good situation under um, you know, in that in that Richmond system in the Princeton offense. So yeah, there are multiple opportunities for players to continue like every every year has the door open for portaling, and you know, sometimes the players realize that they're in the right spot, and you know that that's always great. But um, I think that it is important to have those doors continue to be open for returning because you even look at a program like Fordham this year, they had a phenomenal retention rate with uh in year two for Magpieo. Um, yeah. So I'm I might actually look at Fordham as like a top five team next year, which is nuts.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:32

But even guys to that point, just where we're talking about portal in general, those are some of those guys even went into the portal, yeah, came back. And I saw a lot more of that this year than I think, and again, maybe it's just more prevalent, but it's like, yeah, that is an actual thing that you might see is that guys will just put their names out there, see, and maybe the maybe it's also a learning information. You need to learn, hey, all these out there might not actually be what's best for me. Yeah, so I don't blame anyone, be like, I gotta learn what's out there, I've only known this. But when you're like, oh, know what you have is kind of whatever the phrase is like something who's knowing what you have is better than what you don't know, right? Um, that's yeah, that's a real thing too with the portal. And and again, I feel like next year we're gonna have a new portal offseason topic to go through. Um, I think we're I myself am just getting a handle on seeing nearly a two rotations clear of guys out in a portal, right? So it's uh it's definitely uh it's an interesting development to see.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:30

One final point that we forgot to bring up. Uh Jackson Terry, three-star commit uh to Loyola, ended up decommitting in the offseason. Um, I believe Justin Bradley was the one who recruited him. So I would assume it's associated with that. Like, you know, if you're if the assistant who wanted to bring you in isn't there anymore, you might not have as much of a tie to the program. But I'll be very interested to see where he ends up because I think right now they're uh he is uncommitted uh to this point. So, yeah, that's all we have for you this uh uh week. It feels weird. This episode, um, we'll be back sporadically throughout the off season. We'll probably do another episode once the roster is quote unquote finalized. We'll do a few episodes analyzing the roster with some guests. We'll also do another episode where we um discuss the non conference schedule and do some season preview stuff. So, yeah, be on the lookout for those episodes. But as always, thank you for listening and onward LU.