Gophers get Akeem Springs

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Yes, this is a better get. Srings can help the team. Spike if healthy will play at Michigan or for a contender. Springs was not going to help a upper division team and drew no interest from those types of programs.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I think this comes down to a simple question - do you trust Rich Pitino to lead this program in the right direction?

If you DO trust Pitino, you are more likely to see Springs as a veteran addition to a young team, and at the very least, a usable player to provide some minutes and add depth.

If you do NOT trust Pitino, you see the Gophs grasping at straws and taking a flyer on a guy who may or may not be able to play in the B1G.

In short - positive and negative comments are more reflective of how people feel about Pitino than how people feel about Springs.

I hope the guy pans out. I still have major reservations about whether Pitino has a master plan for this program. But, I will wait and see what happens next year.
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He has proved he can play against the bottom teams in the Big10 (Gophers). So should be as good as many of the lower half of the conference players. Probably not a bad addition for a young team.
 

builtbadgers said:
Yes, this is a better get. Srings can help the team. Spike if healthy will play at Michigan or for a contender. Springs was not going to help a upper division team and drew no interest from those types of programs.
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Spike not going back to Michigan. Typically upper programs don't go for grad transfers
 

TheMetroTheFaust said:
Just out of curiosity, is Springs a better "get" than a healthy Spike Albrecht would have been? (Just a talent comparison, I know Spike wouldn't/couldn't have come here.)
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Not sure that comparison even makes sense, because a "healthy Spike Albrecht" (without the chronic problems he's had recently) doesn't seem to exist any more.

Springs will probably fill the starting SG spot here, and Albrecht would've been backup PG behind Mason. We maybe could've used the backup PG more (with several guys that potentially could start at SG) but most grad transfers are looking to go somewhere where they'd slide into a starting spot, obviously.
 

I haven't been following all the controversy about Albrecht, but I thought the B1G had a conference rule that intra-conference transfers HAD to sit a year, even grad transfers (which means Beilein's restrictions are pretty much moot because he won't transfer within the B1G anyway).
 


WanderingGopher said:
I haven't been following all the controversy about Albrecht, but I thought the B1G had a conference rule that intra-conference transfers HAD to sit a year, even grad transfers (which means Beilein's restrictions are pretty much moot because he won't transfer within the B1G anyway).
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Tecnically that is the rule, but Max Bielfeldt appealed that rule last year and was able to grad transfer from Michigan to Indiana and was eligible right away. Spike would probably be able to do the same thing, but with Beilein puting restrictions on his transfer as well, it becomes more hoops to jump through.
 

builtbadgers said:
Yes, this is a better get. Srings can help the team. Spike if healthy will play at Michigan or for a contender. Springs was not going to help a upper division team and drew no interest from those types of programs.
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Sure, he wasn't getting called by North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky, but Springs' father said they had calls from about 20 high majors trying to set up visits and he had offers from at least Butler, Ole Miss and Minnesota. I don't want to go crazy with grad transfers the way Iowa State does, but sprinkling in the best returning player from a good mid-major team every now and then can help almost anybody.
 

So, is it true Springs team mate, Austin Arians, is considering the Gophers also?
 





Some interest from Gophers on Arians, but think I heard he's headed to Wake Forest.
 

I look to see Coffey all over the floor. He has potential to play 3 positions for the Gophers as a big contributor as a freshman. Springs is a huge get!
 

bemidjigopher said:
Spike not going back to Michigan. Typically upper programs don't go for grad transfers
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Louisville had two of them this year. I think grad transfers are an effective way for teams at any level to fill immediate needs with experienced players. The way guys come and go so quickly, the grads are going to get in higher demand. Not all will succeed but lots of teams looking for a quick fix will look at them.
 



Looking at the big picture - I suspect that the trend toward more transfers and grad transfers will continue. Between kids jumping to the pros, transferring as underclassmen, and grad transfers, I am worried that college basketball is going to resemble pro sports, with constant player movement.

The days when a team had a majority of players who spent 4 (or 5) years at the same school may be going the way of the dinosaur. (at least at the major D1 conferences).

I miss the days when you could follow the progress of players and track a team's development from year-to-year. Now, it's like the NFL - you get speculation about teams making trades (transfers) and signing free agents (grad transfers.)
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Looking at the big picture - I suspect that the trend toward more transfers and grad transfers will continue. Between kids jumping to the pros, transferring as underclassmen, and grad transfers, I am worried that college basketball is going to resemble pro sports, with constant player movement. The days when a team had a majority of players who spent 4 (or 5) years at the same school may be going the way of the dinosaur. (at least at the major D1 conferences). I miss the days when you could follow the progress of players and track a team's development from year-to-year. Now, it's like the NFL - you get speculation about teams making trades (transfers) and signing free agents (grad transfers.)
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It's almost like college sports have become a business.
 



Bad Gopher said:
I hear Arians was not going to help a upper division team and drew no interest from those types of programs.
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Maybe that says something about the programs offering him a scholarship.
 


Holy Man said:
Louisville had two of them this year. I think grad transfers are an effective way for teams at any level to fill immediate needs with experienced players. The way guys come and go so quickly, the grads are going to get in higher demand. Not all will succeed but lots of teams looking for a quick fix will look at them.
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It's why I said typically, like everything there are exceptions, you're right about Louisville, and Izzo been on the grad transfer trail as of late too. I think Duke even had one from rice last year, but he didn't play much, maybe he was a normal transfer IDK.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I think this comes down to a simple question - do you trust Rich Pitino to lead this program in the right direction?
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I don't know, but this latest addition indicates that after a season where virtually nothing went right, he can still persuade a player who must have had good alternative options to come here. I think the team will be much improved this season (how could it not be?), but I'm not expecting something as good as an NCAA tournament appearance. I think that is just too big of a turnaround to expect. I think Pitino is here for at least two more years (mostly because of the size of his buyout) unless next season is well below expectations.
 

cjbfbp said:
I don't know, but this latest addition indicates that after a season where virtually nothing went right, he can still persuade a player who must have had good alternative options to come here. I think the team will be much improved this season (how could it not be?), but I'm not expecting something as good as an NCAA tournament appearance. I think that is just too big of a turnaround to expect. I think Pitino is here for at least two more years (mostly because of the size of his buyout) unless next season is well below expectations.
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Is it? This past season we had what? 2 returning B1G type players (athletes) on the team. I'm counting Mason and King, and King was vey marginal at best. This next season, we have 3 returning starters (3Ms), 3 reasonably accomplished transfers and a highly rated recruiting class with a top 50 player. That is pretty night and day! Is there any one on the team as athletically challenged as King for next year? Is anyone as unskilled and raw as Konate other than Konate and Gaston?
Seems to me we should be expecting to at least be on the bubble.
 

Otis said:
Is it? This past season we had what? 2 returning B1G type players (athletes) on the team. I'm counting Mason and King, and King was vey marginal at best. This next season, we have 3 returning starters (3Ms), 3 reasonably accomplished transfers and a highly rated recruiting class with a top 50 player. That is pretty night and day! Is there any one on the team as athletically challenged as King for next year? Is anyone as unskilled and raw as Konate other than Konate and Gaston?
Seems to me we should be expecting to at least be on the bubble.
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I think your post is spot on in terms of the raw materials. We look much, much better on paper.

The unknown will be the team's ability to put all of the pieces together into a viable product. Chemistry. Lack of injuries. A little luck. Putting in the hard work. Gelling with the coaching staff...
 

BarnBoy said:
I think your post is spot on in terms of the raw materials. We look much, much better on paper.

The unknown will be the team's ability to put all of the pieces together into a viable product. Chemistry. Lack of injuries. A little luck. Putting in the hard work. Gelling with the coaching staff...
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Don't forget strength of the Big Ten matters. Gophers may be better, but that doesn't mean a huge climb in the standings. A lot of B1G teams likely will be improving right along with them. If this squad finishes single-digits in the B1G next season (9th or better) that's a pretty significant leap. Without knowing the conference schedule, which isn't expected to be released until August, I think 7 conference wins would be a solid benchmark for the 2016-17 squad.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Don't forget strength of the Big Ten matters. Gophers may be better, but that doesn't mean a huge climb in the standings. A lot of B1G teams likely will be improving right along with them. If this squad finishes single-digits in the B1G next season (9th or better) that's a pretty significant leap. Without knowing the conference schedule, which isn't expected to be released until August, I think 7 conference wins would be a solid benchmark for the 2016-17 squad.
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Ya I would say 7-10 should be their range in terms of worst and best case scenario. I think the middle of the conference will be better, I don't think there's a clear titan in the league next year. If it's under seven I don't think Richard survives that
 

SelectionSunday said:
Don't forget strength of the Big Ten matters. Gophers may be better, but that doesn't mean a huge climb in the standings. A lot of B1G teams likely will be improving right along with them. If this squad finishes single-digits in the B1G next season (9th or better) that's a pretty significant leap. Without knowing the conference schedule, which isn't expected to be released until August, I think 7 conference wins would be a solid benchmark for the 2016-17 squad.
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A lot of teams losing a lot as well! Maryland looses 4 starters, Iowa loses a few, Purdue, Michigan, ......
 

Otis said:
A lot of teams losing a lot as well! Maryland looses 4 starters, Iowa loses a few, Purdue, Michigan, ......
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Maryland and Iowa both lose a lot, true. I'd still peg Maryland to finish ahead of the Gophers even if Trimble doesn't return. Perhaps, Iowa, too, if Jok is back.

Michigan and Purdue (especially the Wolverines) have a lot coming back and are likely NCAA squads next season. Even if Swanigan doesn't return, Boilers will be formidable.
 

per Amelia:

Shortly after reopening his recruitment this spring, Akeem narrowed his choices to Ole Miss -- where he visited earlier this month -- and Minnesota, whose campus he toured just over a week ago. That visit put the cap on what his father dubbed an impressive recruitment.

“Akeem was telling me ‘Man, I feel really good about my team, I feel good about the guys, I feel good about the coaches and playing in the Big Ten and all those things,’” said Dwayne, who also mentioned he has some family in the Minneapolis area. “We were weighing the pros and cons for about 24 hours and it just came down to how do we pass up the opportunity to play in the Big Ten? How do we pass up the chance to play against the teams you thought should have recruited you out of high school? All of those things were huge …to play on a huge stage, that’s what won out.”

Dwayne also said he and his son were told Akeem would have the chance to compete for a starting spot, a major factor in his commitment.

“He wouldn’t go anywhere just to be a role player, to be a complimentary guy,” Dwayne said. “But to come in and be a big part of it –definitely a team-oriented thing, but for him to be a big part of the team.”

http://www.startribune.com/transfer...109761/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

Go Gophers!!
 

“He wouldn’t go anywhere just to be a role player, to be a complimentary guy,” Dwayne said. “But to come in and be a big part of it –definitely a team-oriented thing, but for him to be a big part of the team.”

not sure how many minutes he will get, surely not a starter?
 

SelectionSunday said:
Don't forget strength of the Big Ten matters. Gophers may be better, but that doesn't mean a huge climb in the standings. A lot of B1G teams likely will be improving right along with them. If this squad finishes single-digits in the B1G next season (9th or better) that's a pretty significant leap. Without knowing the conference schedule, which isn't expected to be released until August, I think 7 conference wins would be a solid benchmark for the 2016-17 squad.
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I think the B1G will be down again next year. I look for the biggest jump from Minnesota, Penn State, Northwestern, and possibly Nebraska.
 

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