Transfer Portal

[Stinger92860]

Gaffney can make a huge leap for next year by just tightening up his (very) loose handle. He needs a basketball in his hands 24 hours a day 7 days a week until the first practice next season.

That one skill - if dramatically improved - would transform his whole game.

We cannot have a primary ball handler that dribbles with his back to the defender most of the time. Gaf needs to come off the bench as a 2G. I honestly believe we need 2 PGs If Cole leaves.

 

[August_West]

We need another high level guard even with Cole coming back

Cole aint coming back.

But you are right. We needed one this year with him here.

 

[lange10]

I tend to think Hurley didn’t take in a guard from the portal last off-season because he expected more from Gaffney this season. We saw how that turned out.

I don’t anticipate Hurley getting burned twice on that.

 

[RipCity]

I tend to think Hurley didn’t take in a guard from the portal last off-season because he expected more from Gaffney this season. We saw how that turned out.

I don’t anticipate Hurley getting burned twice on that.

I think Hurley actually did want one, failed to get one, and then used the convenient excuse that they didn’t want one to begin with.

 

[UConnDad]

I tend to think Hurley didn’t take in a guard from the portal last off-season because he expected more from Gaffney this season. We saw how that turned out.

I don’t anticipate Hurley getting burned twice on that.

So hope your right. It couldn’t be any more obvious.

 

[aburks41]

We need to do what Auburn did last offseason. They got KD Johnson and Wendell Green from the portal. We need to do the exact same

 

[auror]

I tend to think Hurley didn’t take in a guard from the portal last off-season because he expected more from Gaffney this season. We saw how that turned out.

I don’t anticipate Hurley getting burned twice on that.

I think Hurley actually did want one, failed to get one, and then used the convenient excuse that they didn’t want one to begin with.

I heard from someone who would absolutely know (whether they told the full truth without exaggeration is obviously another question) that one of the big names we floated around on the Boneyard last summer would've come here, but Hurley didn't want Gaffney to leave and it may have pushed him out.

That big name ended up sucking this season where he went, so it's hard to say if there was a blanket belief in Gaffney or just a "not that guy over Gaffney" situation.

 

[BrysonDeMan]

interesting addition to portal
i guess life after Kofi was not appealing

 

[Tenspro2002]

Niagara's Marcus Hammond just joined the portal. Another guard of interest?

6'2 160 from Queens.

Last year's stats: 18.1p, 4r, 2.9a, 2.2 to, 48 2p%, 37 3p%, 4.5 ftas at 83.1%, about 45% of shots from deep.

Finished the season on the All-MAAC first team.

Stats-wise, the scoring looks like a fine replacement for Cole, but only 2.9 A/2.2 TO isn't the distributing we need.

Also, 160 pounds is less than me and I'm 5'9. Yikes. Can this dude handle Villanova's guards?

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Jaylin Hunter hit the portal today.

In his junior season, he earned the keys to the starting PG position. 9.7p, 3.8r, 4a, 2.2 TO, 1.5s, 41.6 2p%, 33.9 3p% with about 40% shots from 3. 84.3 ft% in 2.2 FTAs a game.

He wouldn't be a starter for us, but would he be an interesting senior guard to partner with Diggins? Maybe a 20-20 minute (give or take) split?

Just spitballin' here. Either way, best of luck to him at his next school.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Any thoughts on Nelly Cummings? I feel like Hurley would prefer a bigger guard. Nick Honor from Clemson is even smaller.

 

[UCSouth]

We cannot have a primary ball handler that dribbles with his back to the defender most of the time. Gaf needs to come off the bench as a 2G. I honestly believe we need 2 PGs If Cole leaves.

But that's what a certain, unnamed, guard would do to us

 

[August_West]

I tend to think Hurley didn’t take in a guard from the portal last off-season because he expected more from Gaffney this season. We saw how that turned out.

I don’t anticipate Hurley getting burned twice on that.

100%. At least I hope so. I don’t blame Dan last year for having RJ and expecting more out of Gaffney and diggins ( sool was only 10 or so spots off of Hawkins in recruit rankings) I would blame him for not taking portal insurance this coming season though .

 

[RipCity]

I heard from someone who would absolutely know (whether they told the full truth without exaggeration is obviously another question) that one of the big names we floated around on the Boneyard last summer would've come here, but Hurley didn't want Gaffney to leave and it may have pushed him out.

That big name ended up sucking this season where he went, so it's hard to say if there was a blanket belief in Gaffney or just a "not that guy over Gaffney" situation.

Assuming it was Locke.

Hurley was clearly dead wrong about most of he said all off-season though.

He bragged about our depth, and ended up only having 6 usable players + Gaffney/Akok out of necessity. He overestimated Gaffney, Akok, and Hawkins. He probably expected more scoring from Jackson.

I hope he learned that you don’t take a team without any shooting touch then assume development alone will be enough to lift you out of it the next year. I’d love some 3 point shooting but more so want to see some players who finish layups. I can’t deal with the last 2 seasons’ 2PFG%

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Any thoughts on Nelly Cummings? I feel like Hurley would prefer a bigger guard. Nick Honor from Clemson is even smaller.

I'd be excited if we nab Cummings. I think my previous post about him on this thread was deleted, but he's got that three-level scoring ability that is exciting: creating offense off the dribble but also a catch-and-shoot threat.

His efficiency numbers were at its highest when he was a sophomore and junior at Colgate and he was second fiddle to Jordan Burns (Cummings junior numbers: 54.1 2p%, 38.4 3p% on 9.2 FGAs). That bodes nicely since here he won't likely be getting the same number of shots he had at Colgate last year (12.5 FGAs).

Similar to Jaylin Hunter, Nick Honor would be a nice guy to throw in the mix at PG...a 15-25 mpg guy to pair with Diggins' 15-25 mpg. Honor limits mistakes (2.4 A/0.9 TO last season) and shoots well enough (career .426/.339/.829). A guy like him would have been really nice to have to close games this year.

Assuming that Diggins will develop into a very good point guard, I highly doubt we'll nab a Cole-like transfer...more of a guy who will be a very good 15-25 mpg player who, as @August_West worded, provides insurance if he needs to be "the guy" at PG barring injury, motor scooter incident, etc.

 

[husky429]

interesting addition to portal
i guess life after Kofi was not appealing
View attachment 74782

FWIW--hard pass on pursuing him even though we recruited him in 2021. He regressed this year... just an abysmal scorer.

 

[bazzdog]

interesting addition to portal
i guess life after Kofi was not appealing
View attachment 74782

This dude just needs to be reigned in a bit but I would love to have him
Isn’t he from Long Island?

 

[AntG168]

How did Curbello do this season? I know he missed time to injury

 

[UofCT]

We need to do what Auburn did last offseason. They got KD Johnson and Wendell Green from the portal. We need to do the exact same

Are KD Johnson and Wendell Green transferring again?

 

[aburks41]

Are KD Johnson and Wendell Green transferring again?

No, but they went and got 2 primary ball handlers in the portal. We need to do that too, especially since Cole is 99% gone

 

[aburks41]

How did Curbello do this season? I know he missed time to injury

I think that tweet is from a fake account. There's no news of Curbello entering the portal anywhere else. But he stinks anyways

 

[superjohn]

How did Curbello do this season? I know he missed time to injury

He was horrible, turns it over like crazy and can't shoot at all. He went into the season as their starting point guard with high hopes after a strong freshman season and it became clear early he couldn't play the point and lost the starting job. Illinois is really weak in the backcourt so Underwood tried to give Curbelo big minutes again running the point at the end of the season and it was disastrous.

 

[navery12]

interesting addition to portal
i guess life after Kofi was not appealing
View attachment 74782

Fake account, this is VerbaiCommits with a capital i

 

[Tenspro2002]

Why in the world would we care about how players actually do in college when we have recruiting service rankings based on their high school careers to rely upon?

Half of this board convinced themselves Terry Larrier would be a stud here because he was a top 50 recruit, while ignoring his putrid stats at VCU.

 

[8893]

Half of this board convinced themselves Terry Larrier would be a stud here because he was a top 50 recruit, while ignoring his putrid stats at VCU.

Still my favorite Larrier post:

Larrier may as well have worn a sandwich board that said ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Here’ during games.

Things would have been better if he left last year.