A Deep Dive Into Grad Transfer Eligible Players

[awfuldan]

I would love to get Jordan Bruner. Didn’t make sense before the Akok injury but things have changed. Solid shooter, can rebound and block shots, and is a good passer. Obviously a smart dude too.

I don’t want to see that Ryan Daly kid ever again for as long as I live.

 

[uconnbill]

Bruner would be perfect and would help with rebounding, scoring and can shoot for a stretch 4

 

[elmcityboy]

i know that towns is probably out of our league, but i keep wondering about hurley's connections at harvard... he has played them in closed-door scrimmages for years, right? he has to be well-respected by their organization. plus, we're close, a good school, and a much bigger platform. who knows!

 

[Viet Vet]

Hate the grad transfer rule. Every transfer sits a year, or none does. IMO, all do.

 

[superjohn]

i know that towns is probably out of our league, but i keep wondering about hurley's connections at harvard... he has played them in closed-door scrimmages for years, right? he has to be well-respected by their organization. plus, we're close, a good school, and a much bigger platform. who knows!

Why would any players be out of our league?

 

[How Sway?!]

Having seen all Towns, Tape and Smith live, I would rate them in terms of fit/need in the following order: Towns, Tape, and Smith.

Towns is the best player overall. Can create his own shot, rebounds well and runs the floor well. Only concern is his injury history, he's been inactive for the last two years.

Tape is the least talented of the three but provides exactly what we need. He's fairly athletic, though not really muscular, which allows him to protect the pain really well. Basically a poor mans version of Akok, though not as good a shooter.

Smith is the best pure scorer of the three. He's basically a walking bucket and has been the go-to guy at Columbia since he got there. Only concerns is that he's a ball dominant guard and his height, though he doesn't shy away from contact as much as AG.

 

[Fatroony5]

Having seen all Towns, Tape and Smith live, I would rate them in terms of fit/need in the following order: Towns, Tape, and Smith.

Towns is the best player overall. Can create his own shot, rebounds well and runs the floor well. Only concern is his injury history, he's been inactive for the last two years.

Tape is the least talented of the three but provides exactly what we need. He's fairly athletic, though not really muscular, which allows him to protect the pain really well. Basically a poor mans version of Akok, though not as good a shooter.

Smith is the best pure scorer of the three. He's basically a walking bucket and has been the go-to guy at Columbia since he got there. Only concerns is that he's a ball dominant guard and his height, though he doesn't shy away from contact as much as AG.

Towns is a beast, sign me up. I haven’t seen much on his recruitment yet, but he’s in the transfer portal so he’s been getting contacted from teams. There’s been some rumors that he may be an Ohio St Lean because he’s from Colombus, but he hasn’t scheduled any OVs as far as I can see yet, seems to be taking his time. Plus OSU would need to clear a second scholly to bring him on, not sure what their flexibility is on that. The injury is a little scary, but I wonder if he decided to just not “push it” this year and save eligibility. Not sure on that front.

Tape already has his OVs mostly set so as long as he doesn’t pick Cuse it’s cool. Smith I gotta watch play.

 

[J187Money]

Hate the grad transfer rule. Every transfer sits a year, or none does. IMO, all do.

A lot of grad transfers need to transfer due to academic reasons. My son's school would love to keep him, but they don't offer the MSAT program he needs. So by graduating in 3 years he should be screwed out of competing somewhere? If you made grad transfers sit a year, most of them would just opt out completely. Not sure how that is better.

 

[businesslawyer]

Towns, if healthy, may be able to go most wherever he wants. But that's a huge if. If we have two roster spots tied up with Akok and Polley, and have to pull the trigger on a grad transfer before we really know if either will be close to 100% for next year, it would be a huge risk to take Towns as well and risk coming into the season, yet again, with just ten bodies.

 

[imno1]

A lot of grad transfers need to transfer due to academic reasons. My son's school would love to keep him, but they don't offer the MSAT program he needs. So by graduating in 3 years he should be screwed out of competing somewhere? If you made grad transfers sit a year, most of them would just opt out completely. Not sure how that is better.

Agreed but the real solution is for the Ivys to allow them to play if they had to redshirt. Not sure why they wouldn’t want these kids to get a graduate’s degree from their university

 

[J187Money]

Agreed but the real solution is for the Ivys to allow them to play if they had to redshirt. Not sure why they wouldn’t want these kids to get a graduate’s degree from their university

Yes - 100% agree on that. It is an odd rule.

 

[ktuck911]

Give me a big man who understands his role and can do the things that Jake did in 98-99.

THIS.. OR another Souleyman Wane clone...

 

[businesslawyer]

Yes - 100% agree on that. It is an odd rule.

No, the rule makes sense. It's not just a "no medical redshirt" rule -- it's a no redshirt for any reason rule, that happens to cover medical redshirts as well as the far more usual in many sports redshirting just for the sake of being older and bigger when your four years start. The Ivy League's view is we're schools that play athletics -- not teams attached to a university -- and you should come here to study and while you're here doing your four years play sports if you want. If you make even a medical redshirt exception, football teams will suddenly find large numbers of freshman football players who have minor injuries and the practice will be abused.

 

[imno1]

No, the rule makes sense. It's not just a "no medical redshirt" rule -- it's a no redshirt for any reason rule, that happens to cover medical redshirts as well as the far more usual in many sports redshirting just for the sake of being older and bigger when your four years start. The Ivy League's view is we're schools that play athletics -- not teams attached to a university -- and you should come here to study and while you're here doing your four years play sports if you want. If you make even a medical redshirt exception, football teams will suddenly find large numbers of freshman football players who have minor injuries and the practice will be abused.

So you are saying they don't bend the rules a little on academics to admit these guys?

 

[businesslawyer]

So you are saying they don't bend the rules a little on academics to admit these guys?

Did I say that? They have academic standards for athletes far above what most D-1 schools have, but they certainly take athletes who would not otherwise get near the admissions office.

 

[imno1]

Did I say that? They have academic standards for athletes far above what most D-1 schools have, but they certainly take athletes who would not otherwise get near the admissions office.

No and not you but it seem hypocritical for them to lower admission standards for athletics but worry that some redshirt a year. If the education is the most important thing for the Ivys I would think they'd want their athletes to get an advanced degree from their school. I shouldn't be complaining though because maybe we get one of these GTs

 

[businesslawyer]

No and not you but it seem hypocritical for them to lower admission standards for athletics but worry that some redshirt a year. If the education is the most important thing for the Ivys I would think they'd want their athletes to get an advanced degree from their school. I shouldn't be complaining though because maybe we get one of these GTs

I don't find it hypocritical -- it's all a matter of degree as to how much you want to bend your university to sports. If they want to bend less than anyone else, but still bend some amount, and all 8 of them are on the same page, more power to them.

 

[Fatroony5]

I don't find it hypocritical -- it's all a matter of degree as to how much you want to bend your university to sports. If they want to bend less than anyone else, but still bend some amount, and all 8 of them are on the same page, more power to them.

Is the Ivy League transfer policy helping players or hurting them?

A 66-year-old rule and untimely injuries have cast players like Columbia's Mike Smith out of the Ivy League before the end of their collegiate careers.

www.google.com

in case you missed this article, it covers the issue on the basketball side in depth. Give it a read. Most coaches (obviously) think it needs to be revisited. Does seem a bit harsh for the guys who have a season ending injury, miss the season, and want to stay at the school for a 5th year. I usually just tend to side with what’s best for the student athletes. But there’s a case to be made that allowing the kids to enter the transfer portal early and at anytime during that final season is beneficial to them as well.

 

[Bonk]

Am I missing something about how many scholly's we'll have open next year? Assuming AG is the only one that leaves would that only leave us with one?

If the staff feels comfortable with Jackson as the 5th guard and are ok with only having 4 true guards on the roster then a big like Bruner, Sanogo, etc would be the better fit.

If the staff is confident about guys like Polley, Sid and Jackson slotting into the 4 on occasion and being able to rebound/defend adequately as well as Javonte being ready to contribute off the bench then I think going for a guard who can shoot and has some ball handling ability would be the better fit.

 

[Fatroony5]

Am I missing something about how many scholly's we'll have open next year? Assuming AG is the only one that leaves would that only leave us with one?

If the staff feels comfortable with Jackson as the 5th guard and are ok with only having 4 true guards on the roster then a big like Bruner, Sanogo, etc would be the better fit.

If the staff is confident about guys like Polley, Sid and Jackson slotting into the 4 on occasion and being able to rebound/defend adequately as well as Javonte being ready to contribute off the bench then I think going for a guard who can shoot and has some ball handling ability would be the better fit.

All I’ll say is, DH has been pretty open about how aggressive the staff has and will be with recruiting in the spring/late signing period. I’ve posted that a few times where he’s said that on like 4 separate occasions. So we’ll see how the roster shakes out, but the staff is definitely recruiting guys.

as far as AJ, the staff views him as a guard. I think he’ll be another ball handler and be a playmaker on offense. How quickly he can get up to speed is th real question. Here’s DH quote on him “He fills a major need for us – a playmaking guard with great size and tremendous vision as a passer. His elite athletic ability and playmaking on offense perfectly fits our style of play.” Given the uncertainty with AA injury, it may make some sense to target a guy like Bruner or someone like him. They’ll be a good amount of minutes available there.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Am I missing something about how many scholly's we'll have open next year? Assuming AG is the only one that leaves would that only leave us with one?

If the staff feels comfortable with Jackson as the 5th guard and are ok with only having 4 true guards on the roster then a big like Bruner, Sanogo, etc would be the better fit.

If the staff is confident about guys like Polley, Sid and Jackson slotting into the 4 on occasion and being able to rebound/defend adequately as well as Javonte being ready to contribute off the bench then I think going for a guard who can shoot and has some ball handling ability would be the better fit.

In Dan we trust. Agree we can let the staff decide if Jackson is a good enough ball handler. Most of our best teams had 4 guards, but forwards who were capable with the ball, like Rip, Burrell etc. My guess is that Jackson is a college 3 and NBA 2, that can provide that extra ball handling.

As for the Scholarships, Dan keeps saying on every media call that we will have a very busy and active spring on the player signing front. If it is just the AG scholarship, well that doesn't match what Hurley is saying. We can't speculate on specific transfers (which is tough given what DH is saying), but it seems clear there will be one or more.

 

[don356]

That list will be so much different 60 days from now it's not worth looking at unless you have unlimited scholly's to give.

 

[UConnStats]

I don’t think he’ll transfer, but Austin Reaves will be eligible to. For whatever reason, it hasn’t been working for him in his first year at Oklahoma, but the kid was an absolute sniper for Wichita is his Fr-So years. I know we need a big, but he’s the type of kid who could make a huge impact to the offense.

 

[bendm]

Best shooter available

a big man was priority #1 even before akok got hurt so it's no longer a talking point.

 

[Storrs South]

I would love to get Jordan Bruner. Didn’t make sense before the Akok injury but things have changed. Solid shooter, can rebound and block shots, and is a good passer. Obviously a smart dude too.