Why are so many high majors involved with mediocre mid-major transfers?

[the Q]

Sometimes the only two options are a mediocre mid-major transfer or an unused scholarship. And since the kid will be gone the following year. He provides insurance and five fouls and some immediately help.

Exactly. Grad transfers make more sense than p5s grabbing mediocre sit transfers, or at least multiple years tied up in one (based on the potential new rule).

 

[Ts5034]

Exactly. Grad transfers make more sense than p5s grabbing mediocre sit transfers, or at least multiple years tied up in one (based on the potential new rule).

I also would rather give the final scholarship to a grad transfer over a low rated high school project that can clog up scholarships for a few years when they are just sitting the bench. I wonder how Calhoun would have altered his recruiting if grad transfers were so prevalent back when he was coaching? Im not exactly going out on a limb here, but I think he probably would have went the grad transfer route instead of taking on guys like Michael Bradley, Darius Smith, Ben Eaves, Rob Garrison, etc.

 

[Waquoit]

.. instead of taking on guys like Michael Bradley, Darius Smith, Ben Eaves, Rob Garrison, etc.

Those first two guys weren't considered reaches, were they? I thought Bradley in particular was supposed to be a player.

 

[Ts5034]

Those first two guys weren't considered reaches, were they? I thought Bradley in particular was supposed to be a player.

Bradley was not a top 150 recruit. The staff knew he was going to be a project coming in which is why he red shirted. I remember reading one of the articles by the horde at the time, and Calhoun used the example of Gavin Edwards as to why he wanted Bradley to red shirt because he just was not ready to contribute, just like Gavin as a Fr. They did have confidence that he would develop, but I guess those were the days when we were recruiting at a high enough level where we could afford to use up a scholarship on a project recruit.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Im not exactly going out on a limb here, but I think he probably would have went the grad transfer route instead of taking on guys like Michael Bradley, Darius Smith, Ben Eaves, Rob Garrison, etc.

I know Darius Smith didn’t work out for us, but he was a top-100 recruit.

I’d prefer a grad transfer who can contribute over a completely raw project at this point, due to Akok’s injury and Martin’s uncertain status. But once we have a fully healthy team with 13 scholarships, I don’t think having one or two four-year players who take a year or two to develop would be a big deal. I doubt we’ll ever play a 13-man rotation.

 

[don356]

Goodman article on the step up:

Transferring Up Proves to Be a Challenge for Most Mid-Major Hoopers - Stadium

"You have to prove yourself all over again."

watchstadium.com

 

[Waquoit]

Bradley was not a top 150 recruit.

Who was the guy that came in with Jake? That's who I was thinking of.

ADD: Leblanc of something like that?

 

[AZHuskiePop]

1.We took a graduate in2012- 2013 who really had no business playing high major basketball because we needed someone to give Bazz time off the ball.
The kid who toiled in obscurity got to play for his home state school and we filled a minor need so everyone was happy.
That was before that market was popular
2. The following year we scored a much higher rated graduate student who helped us win a national championship . After that some schools who had been getting the lion share of 5 stars even suggested closing the loop hole.
3. 2015-16 after our success this actually became a hot market with almost everyone actively engaged
We scored both Miller and Gibbs two of the hottest commodities in this new market.
That was actually our High point
4. We had limited success acquiring backup guards in both 2017-18, and 2018-19 but struck out with big transfers. Those acquisitions were more like 2012-13 than 2014-15
We desperately needed bodies Rather that a targeted attempt to enhance your already decent team
2013-14: 2015-2016
They are both legitimate recruiting tools .

 

[A10 fan]

1.We took a graduate in2012- 2013 who really had no business playing high major basketball because we needed someone to give Bazz time off the ball.
The kid who toiled in obscurity got to play for his home state school and we filled a minor need so everyone was happy.
That was before that market was popular
2. The following year we scored a much higher rated graduate student who helped us win a national championship . After that some schools who had been getting the lion share of 5 stars even suggested closing the loop hole.
3. 2015-16 after our success this actually became a hot market with almost everyone actively engaged
We scored both Miller and Gibbs two of the hottest commodities in this new market.
That was actually our High point
4. We had limited success acquiring backup guards in both 2017-18, and 2018-19 but struck out with big transfers. Those acquisitions were more like 2012-13 than 2014-15
We desperately needed bodies Rather that a targeted attempt to enhance your already decent team
2013-14: 2015-2016
They are both legitimate recruiting tools .

I think what league a player comes from plays a role as well. You'd expect a player transferring up from the A10, or WCC is likely to do more than one coming from America East, or the MAAC, provided they had similar numbers. Also, some guys are brought in to be role players, even if they were studs at a lower level. Sometimes a school is looking for a role player, and will take someone who excelled at that role a step down. Tarin Smith was 6th man of the year in the A10. He came off the bench at Duquesne, but played around 28 minutes a game. He was a sometimes starter at UConn, and his numbers were pretty much the same as they'd been at Duquesne, with one exception, he took 3 fewer shots per game, which resulted in a lower scoring average, despite the fact that he was a bit more accurate at UConn. He was not a difference maker, but he pretty much filled the role that was expected. Teams need studs, but they also need spear carriers that embrace that role.