Crickets

[60's Guy]

I’ve thought for a while we were done with the core of our team.

We have had interest in guys like Cade Tyson, Elijah Gray, and Graydon Lemke. Im sure there are more guys we are talking too but the media doesn’t know about (seems like most of our commits have come out of the blue, without knowing we were in on a guy). As far as I can tell none of these guys have committed anywhere. Makes me wonder if they are hoping for more money, or for musical chairs to give them an opening somewhere.

I expect we will add a few more guys, but they are not going to be guys who are expected to have big roles right off the bat. Maybe guys like Chance Stephens who have had injury plagued careers, or lower level guys who flashed a bit but not a big sample size, or maybe someone who rode the pine but has potential. Would love a HS recruit or two.

At this point the two other freshmen guys Ben had would seem like almost perfect fits. Maybe help, maybe not but not likely expecting big minutes. You need 15 guys to practice for matchups 5 on 5 and somebody dinged, sick, or with a lab or something missing practice. Or you want to adjust somebody's attitude and let them watch awhile.
The way I read the new rules you can't have walk-ons. So you can't eat the scholarships and still have efficient practices when stuff happens with 10/11 guys. Bloody noses, hit in the jewels, elbowed and looking for some recovery time...you need available bodies.
So, I think we add more people but it's unlikely anybody expected to contribute is left without attitude red flags and risking a bad cultural fit. Good people, hard workers, bad players is probably what will fill out the roster.

 

[SomeGopherFan]

The way I read the new rules you can't have walk-ons.

My understanding is all sports will be equivalency sports in the new model, meaning a school (which opts in to the settlement) can offer any number of scholarships up to the roster limit, and divide them up however they want if they are funding less than the limit. So, 13 full scholarship players + 2 walk ons, or 11 full scholarship players + 4 half scholarship players, or 15 full scholarships, or 9 full + 2 half + 4 walk ons, etc.

However, it is also my understanding if you opt in and offer more scholarships than the prior limit for a sport, the cost of those additional scholarships is deducted from your revenue sharing pool, up to 2.5 million dollars. So, some schools may decide to stay at 13 scholarships + 2 walk ons to maximize their revenue sharing dollars.

 

[eker0016]

At this point the two other freshmen guys Ben had would seem like almost perfect fits. Maybe help, maybe not but not likely expecting big minutes.

I'm sure he would be happy to have them, but at what price? And what promised role?

Reading between the lines I don't think it was in the budget to sign both of those guys and not give them minutes. Gotta trust Niko on this one. I don't think he told them to hit the road because he didn't want them. If he signed these guys, then we don't land some of our other transfers.

So, I think we add more people but it's unlikely anybody expected to contribute is left without attitude red flags and risking a bad cultural fit. Good people, hard workers, bad players is probably what will fill out the roster.

Definitely agree on this. At this point I think we are getting guys with some kind of red flag/inexperience.

 

[60's Guy]

I'm sure he would be happy to have them, but at what price? And what promised role?

Reading between the lines I don't think it was in the budget to sign both of those guys and not give them minutes. Gotta trust Niko on this one. I don't think he told them to hit the road because he didn't want them. If he signed these guys, then we don't land some of our other transfers.


Definitely agree on this. At this point I think we are getting guys with some kind of red flag/inexperience.

I certainly do not know, but it seems doubtful to me that Ben recruited them with anything beyond minimum NIL. He had less money than Niko.

Playing time? Maybe Ben painted a picture that they'd play...I know Christie, Payne etc played as freshmen but I would think even Ben expected experienced portal guys to get the majority of the minutes.

I think Niko misread the market. I think it is more likely he thought he would have two or three other experienced portal guys added to the roster a couple weeks ago and contributing this winter solidly ahead of the freshmen. The freshmen decision/courtship was early after Niko was hired.

 

[60's Guy]

My understanding is all sports will be equivalency sports in the new model, meaning a school (which opts in to the settlement) can offer any number of scholarships up to the roster limit, and divide them up however they want if they are funding less than the limit. So, 13 full scholarship players + 2 walk ons, or 11 full scholarship players + 4 half scholarship players, or 15 full scholarships, or 9 full + 2 half + 4 walk ons, etc.

However, it is also my understanding if you opt in and offer more scholarships than the prior limit for a sport, the cost of those additional scholarships is deducted from your revenue sharing pool, up to 2.5 million dollars. So, some schools may decide to stay at 13 scholarships + 2 walk ons to maximize their revenue sharing dollars.

Maybe, all i read was in basketball 15 guys is the maximum and you can't add walk-ons to that number. And in the past rules for all sports are not always the same...for instance half scholarships were not allowed in basketball and football but were a big deal in say baseball.
I think we agree that however you get there...in men's basketball 15 players is all you can have on the roster.

 

[Bayfield Gopher]

According to RJ on GI Niko is still expecting to announce a newbie in the next week.

 

[GoodasGold]

I love announcements!

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

I love announcements!