NU should really be looking for someone with 2 years of eligibility left

[freewillie07]

in addition to a grad transfer to even out the recruiting classes. Get another player into Gaines's class. That would leave the distribution like:

Seniors: Law, Pardon, Ash, GRAD
Juniors: Benson, Falzon, Turner
Sophomores: Gaines, TRANSFER
Freshmen: Nance, Kopp, Lathon, Young

 

[NJCat]

in addition to a grad transfer to even out the recruiting classes. Get another player into Gaines's class. That would leave the distribution like:

Seniors: Law, Pardon, Ash, GRAD
Juniors: Benson, Falzon, Turner
Sophomores: Gaines, TRANSFER
Freshmen: Nance, Kopp, Lathon, Young

True, unless NU can get a 2019 recruit >> the TRANSFER. Then NU would be better off with a second GRAD.

 

[Medill90]

Get your point Freewillie.

But I think if they can add any two of....ball handling.....shot creation....three point shooting....at an elite level you take it for year, move the goal to post season, and use that to close on high quality class of 19 and 20 recruits.

Any addition to the roster needs to be able to man defend a big ten player.

There's a culture thing that's happening. The needle wiggled a little last year and Collins needs to restore order. By all accounts the new recruits are high character guys and coachable. Transfers need to be the same. Illini added a guard last year that I think they'd have done just as well without.

 

[IGNORE2]

Speaking of which, Mark Smith looks a bit more interesting with two open schollies.

 

[Medill90]

Speaking of which, Mark Smith looks a bit more interesting with two open schollies.

I think he's committed to Boston College

 

[IGNORE2]

I think he's committed to Boston College

Aha, missed it. Ok, no biggie. As long as help is on the way and not in the form of a space taker.

 

[acedog]

Speaking of which, Mark Smith looks a bit more interesting with two open schollies.

Not yet. He is visiting Missouri on April 14th. I hope there is mutual interest between us.

 

[corbi296]

Speaking of which, Mark Smith looks a bit more interesting with two open schollies.

I agree. With two scholarships available, I think Smith should be pursued. The guy is a terrific ball player and worth waiting for.

 

[hdhntr1]

in addition to a grad transfer to even out the recruiting classes. Get another player into Gaines's class. That would leave the distribution like:

Seniors: Law, Pardon, Ash, GRAD
Juniors: Benson, Falzon, Turner
Sophomores: Gaines, TRANSFER
Freshmen: Nance, Kopp, Lathon, Young

With two transferring out, need one that can play immediately and really need a guard. Not sure how many guys can transfer with two years eligibility unless they sit out a year.

 

[hdhntr1]

True, unless NU can get a 2019 recruit >> the TRANSFER. Then NU would be better off with a second GRAD.

At this point, the pickings are likely pretty slim for 2019 and not sure we need a fifth guy in the class. You could get a transfer that might have to sit a year but only if you can get at least two years of playing time out of him. Otherwise, having two Grad Transfers would likely be the better option

 

[hdhntr1]

I think he's committed to Boston College

Hard to see BC being close to home.

 

[willycat]

With two transferring out, need one that can play immediately and really need a guard. Not sure how many guys can transfer with two years eligibility unless they sit out a year.

Grad transfers can play immediately and for two years if they have that. See football.

 

[Medill90]

Hard to see BC being close to home.

Verbal Commits shows him on the BC roster but not entirely sure that's correct.

 

[NJCat]

Verbal Commits shows him on the BC roster but not entirely sure that's correct.

"From BC's perspective, going after a guy like Smith makes sense. He is a top-tier recruit who would bring a lot of promise to a program that lacks guard depth. Smith will have to sit out a year, but with three years of eligibility remaining, he could easily develop into a high quality backup/successor to Ky Bowman, a rising junior.

Unfortunately, BC does not have any open scholarships for the 2018-2019 season, so it's very interesting to see them hand out an offer to Smith when they don't actually have room for him. By going after Smith, the program seems to be suggesting that someone will be departing BC, although it's unclear whether that would be an outgoing transfer or Jerome Robinson departing for the NBA."

https://bostoncollege.rivals.com/news/illinois-transfer-lands-boston-college-offer

 

[freewillie07]

Speaking of which, Mark Smith looks a bit more interesting with two open schollies.

Smith is interesting, but since he’d have to sit for a year, we’re again looking at a very heavy class of 2018, joining Lathon, Kopp, Nance, Young. And I don’t know if Collins would want to mess with the dynamics of Lathon being “the guy” at lead guard. It would be different if it were a player in a different class.

I think if NU can land a guy like Turner — a guy who played a lot of minutes at the Power 5 level — you do it. But certainly, better to do a grad transfer than a reach of a player who will be around for three years.

You just get the sense that this upcoming year is really really important for the direction of the program. NU needs all the players it can get. After what happened last year, not filling every roster spot would be unacceptable, in my opinion.

 

[hdhntr1]

Grad transfers can play immediately and for two years if they have that. See football.

I understand. But while we have seen grad transfers that have two years in FB, they need to graduate in three (or get a medical RS on top of a regular RS) and it is usually because they went to summer school in order to train and deal with summer practice. You see far less often in BB. Season in BB still starts in the fall

 

[hdhntr1]

Smith is interesting, but since he’d have to sit for a year, we’re again looking at a very heavy class of 2018, joining Lathon, Kopp, Nance, Young. And I don’t know if Collins would want to mess with the dynamics of Lathon being “the guy” at lead guard. It would be different if it were a player in a different class.

I think if NU can land a guy like Turner — a guy who played a lot of minutes at the Power 5 level — you do it. But certainly, better to do a grad transfer than a reach of a player who will be around for three years.

You just get the sense that this upcoming year is really really important for the direction of the program. NU needs all the players it can get. After what happened last year, not filling every roster spot would be unacceptable, in my opinion.

And while he is a guard and we are guard short, he cannot help us for this year. How would that work for him as then he would be a year behind Lathon in NU experience at the same position. Would he come under those circumstances?

 

[willycat]

And while he is a guard and we are guard short, he cannot help us for this year. How would that work for him as then he would be a year behind Lathon in NU experience at the same position. Would he come under those circumstances?

Think he could be the off guard.

 

[corbi296]

I understand. But while we have seen grad transfers that have two years in FB, they need to graduate in three (or get a medical RS on top of a regular RS) and it is usually because they went to summer school in order to train and deal with summer practice. You see far less often in BB. Season in BB still starts in the fall

Boudreaux, the kid from lake Forest and Dartmouth, just announced he will transfer to Purdue as a graduate student who will have two years of eligibility. Too bad NU couldn’t land him. He would have been a very good get.