Winters Grady Commits to the Gophers!




If
There certainly is an upside to that but there could also be a downside. The first two commits have been freshmen. The kid from UT-Martin is also a freshman (hope he commits). Two of these freshmen (the ones who have committed so far) did not play much in the freshmen years. This tells me that Niko is taking a bit of a developmental approach to next year's team. If we don't make the NCAA tournament next season, I won't be that disappointed but I don't think all Gopher fans share that sentiment.
If next year's Gopher team doesn't make the NCAA Tournament I will be disappointed...but still more hopeful and optimistic at the end of the season than I was in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025--years in which we did not make the NCAA Tournament and needed to start all over again once the season ended. In Niko I trust! WE are building something here and I am so glad I am along for the ride. Niko--if you are listening--you have my 100% support! Go Gophers! Ski-U-Mah!
 



This guy actually has 4 years left if he can stay healthy.

He got a medical redshirt this year.
I'm all for getting guys that have the potential to be around multiple years but in this current landscape it is really hard to count on that. Maybe that starts to shift some with revenue sharing agreements but right now there are lots of guys seemingly picking a new school every year and playing at 4-5 schools before they are finally out of eligibility.
 

I have no idea what was offered to anyone, but I find it a little odd Niko could not come to terms with our 3 banged up guys, but came to terms with a different banged up guy. Then again, the economics of this whole broken NIL system is a mystery to me.
Health is only one part the equation...the guys who were here, maybe they didn't really wanna be here or we didn't feel they were all in OR Niko said, I really don't like the vibe of this guy, I can't spend another year dealing his "shit". Or the trainers said he's good to go and the player said...it still hurts, I can't go yet. So many possible scenarios regarding who broke up with who. Coach, I gotta get this much money and Niko said good luck.
I was going to fire somebody at the end of the day once...they came into my office and told me how great I was but their co-worker was impossible for them to deal with so they were going to quit. Definitely, did not see that coming at all. It's hard to know sometimes who soured on who.
 

I'm all for getting guys that have the potential to be around multiple years but in this current landscape it is really hard to count on that. Maybe that starts to shift some with revenue sharing agreements but right now there are lots of guys seemingly picking a new school every year and playing at 4-5 schools before they are finally out of eligibility.
Yep
 













Nolan Groves~Winters Grady=NOLAN WINTER?

Is he in the portal even?
 

His abilty to play is very questionable. I'm underwhelmed.
 

Five years of foot injury but he still managed to become a 4-star, top 100 recruit?! I trust he’ll be ready to go after a long recuperation.
By the way, should we be concerned about JCJ’s foot injury?
 





I'm all for getting guys that have the potential to be around multiple years but in this current landscape it is really hard to count on that. Maybe that starts to shift some with revenue sharing agreements but right now there are lots of guys seemingly picking a new school every year and playing at 4-5 schools before they are finally out of eligibility.
Yep...have seen a few posts being positive about "balancing our our classes." Unfortunately that's not really a relevant thing these days.

Pumped about the Winty G pickup tho. In Niko we trust
 


Ughh, ongoing foot injury. Hope he's good to go next fall.

-Michigan men's basketball freshman Winters Grady hasn't appeared in a game for the Wolverines in nearly two months, and the former top-100 prospect has spent a significant portion of the season on the injury report with a lower-body ailment.

In a recent podcast interview, Grady explained the circumstances that have led to his injury-plagued first year — one that will result in him seeking a medical redshirt.

"I've had ongoing foot issues since, I mean, really my freshman year [of high school]," Grady told Tim McCormick on the Go Blue Hoops podcast. "I fractured my foot and it never fully recovered. I ended up playing on it through the summer after the fracture.

"And so it never fully recovered and I've had to battle that since. And so, it's just been on and off. I've been in and out of practice, just kind of trying to figure it out."

Grady described reports of him seeking a medical redshirt as "definitely accurate" but said that wasn't his expectation when he enrolled with the Wolverines. But the lingering issues, plus a deep and talented roster that has helped U-M establish itself among the nation's best teams, necessitated a change in plans.-
The Goodfeet people should get him an NIL deal.
 


I'm all for getting guys that have the potential to be around multiple years but in this current landscape it is really hard to count on that. Maybe that starts to shift some with revenue sharing agreements but right now there are lots of guys seemingly picking a new school every year and playing at 4-5 schools before they are finally out of eligibility.
I can see both sides and I can't disagree with you completely. I think we have to somewhat accept that this is where our program is right now. We find some fits for our system who have some upside and then hope that our NIL/Revenue Sharing pot gets large enough to hang on to those guys who show out.

I think the challenge of sorts is that NIko has a system and he's looking for fits to that system. That's great at a level after what we watched with Ben (no system) and Pitino (dribble, dribble, dribble system), but I hope Niko can be flexible enough to expand it enough to incorporate players who don't check all the boxes.
 
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I can see both sides and I can't disagree with you completely. I think we have to somewhat accept that this is where our program is right now. We find some fits for our system who have some upside and then hope that our NIL/Revenue Sharing pot gets large enough to hang on to those guys who show out.

I think the challenge of sorts is that NIko has a system and he's looking for fits to that system. That's great at a level after what we watched with Ben (no system) and Pitino (dribble, dribble, dribble system), but I hope Niko can be flexible enough to expand it enough to incorporate players who don't check all the boxes.
I feel confident Niko is going for guys he thinks will fit the system and be able to play quickly. Bonus if they are younger and have the potential to be around for multiple years as opposed to getting those guys that are guaranteed one and done types.

In this current era it is much tougher to recruit those project guys who may need a few years to figure things out because by the time they do they very well may jump to somewhere else.

So as long as guys like Groves and Winters are ready to jump in and contribute next year they are great pickups who will hopefully have a great experience here and want to stick around for a while.
 




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