Looking Forward

[MVCBeat]

I've got a feeling Jake will finagle someone who will contribute next year out of the portal before it is said and done. He is sometimes slow to adapt, but he usually adapts eventually and the portal is going to be a new way of life.

It is a testament to him how few impact players have transferred during his tenure. Most MVC schools are used to this type of thing. We are not.

Ya'll are talking about how UNI doesn't have anything that makes them stand out, but you're wrong. The standout for us is Ben Jacobson. I know there are haters on here, but there is no reason from a resources/facilities/location/school perspective UNI should be a top half MVC team 95% of the time. He is our competitive advantage. He creates a culture where kids want to stay, and he still builds teams the old fashioned way (by recruiting high schoolers that he develops over time into much better players and humans). That he can still do that in this college hoops climate tells you all you need to know about his character and the culture he has created.

[BCPanther]

I've got a feeling Jake will finagle someone who will contribute next year out of the portal before it is said and done. He is sometimes slow to adapt, but he usually adapts eventually and the portal is going to be a new way of life.

It is a testament to him how few impact players have transferred during his tenure. Most MVC schools are used to this type of thing. We are not.

Ya'll are talking about how UNI doesn't have anything that makes them stand out, but you're wrong. The standout for us is Ben Jacobson. I know there are haters on here, but there is no reason from a resources/facilities/location/school perspective UNI should be a top half MVC team 95% of the time. He is our competitive advantage. He creates a culture where kids want to stay, and he still builds teams the old fashioned way (by recruiting high schoolers that he develops over time into much better players and humans). That he can still do that in this college hoops climate tells you all you need to know about his character and the culture he has created.

This is 100% spot on.

Jake leaving at this point (before Tuttle is truly ready) would be about as devastating as it could get for UNI Athletics. I'd gladly sign up for another 16 years at this level.

[Wxcpanther]

Another JUCO guy for UNI was Miles Wentzien. He wasn't "special" but man did he do an excellent job as a pure point guard. That team was starting to play really well before he got hurt and was done for the year. That was AJ's freshman year. We've had a couple of those, the other that comes straight to mind be Lucas O'Rear getting hurt his senior year, you can't convince me that wasn't a tournament team before he got hurt.

[BCPanther]

Another JUCO guy for UNI was Miles Wentzien. He wasn't "special" but man did he do an excellent job as a pure point guard. That team was starting to play really well before he got hurt and was done for the year. That was AJ's freshman year. We've had a couple of those, the other that comes straight to mind be Lucas O'Rear getting hurt his senior year, you can't convince me that wasn't a tournament team before he got hurt.

Yeah, that Ahelegbe/O'Rear team was 20-6 and had won 7 in a row including wins at Wichita and against Creighton and Missouri State who won the league before that injury. Lost 8 of their last 10.

Just looked at that schedule. We had the juice to get an at large. Win at home against Iowa State and Indiana and New Mexico in Vegas. Only losses to Iowa, Syracuse and at a Milwaukee team that tied Butler for the Horizon League title.

[Wxcpanther]

Yeah, that Ahelegbe/O'Rear team was 20-6 and had won 7 in a row including wins at Wichita and against Creighton and Missouri State who won the league before that injury. Lost 8 of their last 10.

Just looked at that schedule. We had the juice to get an at large. Win at home against Iowa State and Indiana and New Mexico in Vegas. Only losses to Iowa, Syracuse and at a Milwaukee team that tied Butler for the Horizon League title.

That Syracuse game was ugly, but otherwise that was a really good season. I remember the Wichita game at home after the injury we just kinda ran out of gas the last 10 minutes. What could have been...Kwadzo should have been POY that season.

[Khan4Cats]

UNI has not done a lot of JUCO transfers but we have done pretty well with the ones we've had. Names like Gruber, Schneiderman, Sieverding, Brad Hill in addition to the Ali's and a few others that have been mentioned. We have also done a decent job with transfers-and every one of our NCAA teams had at least one transfer or JUCO on it, usually playing a key role.

But Jake has also been burned a couple times when trying to grab someone just to grab someone.

It has to be the right fit because of the culture that has been built in the team. Same thing goes with recruiting in general-just because someone is rated however many stars, doesn't mean it is a good fit. We could very easily turn into a Southern Illinois and grab a bunch of high rated ego maniacs that don't want to go to class and watch the program tank in a few years. Or we could be an Illinois State and grab great athletes and turn a blind eye to everything they do off the court and hope that translates into success.

We'll find someone that fits, or we won't. If we don't we'll rally around those that are here and want to be here. And maybe, just maybe, we'll realize that Coach Jake has a pretty good idea what he is doing and figuring out how to get the best out of what he has.

[QCPanther05]

According to this article, Carter wants to play in the NBA…

https://247sports.com/college/byu/Article/College-basketball-transfer-portal-Noah-Carter-Ole-Miss-Arkansas-Virginia-Tech-BYU-Oklahoma-Texas-Tech-Florida-Missouri-185084006/

I’m just going to hold my tongue…

[hoopfan]

The portal and Juco should be a focus going forward. The # of kids transferring speaks for itself and shows kids are less likely to spend 4 years somewhere. The question becomes do you invest 2-3 years in to a kid to become an all-conference player so he can leave and be an average P5 player or do you let a P5 develop an average player for 2-3 years and try to sign him when he leaves and make him an all-conference player in the Valley? You're also getting a 20 or 21 year old accustomed to the college level and physicality versus and 18 year old trying to adjust to college. If Gregggg could get competent Jucos to Wichita, surely they would be interested in playing somewhere that doesn't have the threat of coaches throwing haymakers at 'em.

I hope this decision works out for Noah, but I don't see him having the quickness to guard the perimeter and he's going to be even more undersized trying to guard the post at that level. Offensively he can be a catch and shoot guy, but likely not the 1st or 2nd option that he is here. Is that what he truly wants or does dad just want a more prestigous patch on his jersey for his own ego and gassing his kid up to get it?

[QCPanther05]

The portal and Juco should be a focus going forward. The # of kids transferring speaks for itself and shows kids are less likely to spend 4 years somewhere. The question becomes do you invest 2-3 years in to a kid to become an all-conference player so he can leave and be an average P5 player or do you let a P5 develop an average player for 2-3 years and try to sign him when he leaves and make him an all-conference player in the Valley? You're also getting a 20 or 21 year old accustomed to the college level and physicality versus and 18 year old trying to adjust to college. If Gregggg could get competent Jucos to Wichita, surely they would be interested in playing somewhere that doesn't have the threat of coaches throwing haymakers at 'em.

I hope this decision works out for Noah, but I don't see him having the quickness to guard the perimeter and he's going to be even more undersized trying to guard the post at that level. Offensively he can be a catch and shoot guy, but likely not the 1st or 2nd option that he is here. Is that what he truly wants or does dad just want a more prestigous patch on his jersey for his own ego and gassing his kid up to get it?

I agree with you that the portal should be part of our overall recruiting strategy. I think Jake is still going to try to grow his own players though. Someone said this above, but we really haven’t lost that many good players to the portal, so at this point it’s still worth the risk of developing a player who might leave. I don’t see it as an either/or thing.

Those kids coming “down” from P5s are going to be used to P5 facilities, though, even if they didn’t see the court in games. So if we want to impress P5 transfers and, to a lesser extent JUCO players or other MM players, we need to keep up with the Joneses as far as what we have to offer.

[SteinPizza]

According to this article, Carter wants to play in the NBA…

https://247sports.com/college/byu/Article/College-basketball-transfer-portal-Noah-Carter-Ole-Miss-Arkansas-Virginia-Tech-BYU-Oklahoma-Texas-Tech-Florida-Missouri-185084006/

I’m just going to hold my tongue…

Why is that a surprise? A lot of these kids want that, and/or think they have that ability. Same with football at the FCS level. Obviously the vast majority are delusional, but they think that anyway.

Cater’s quote mentions pro ball in general, meaning Europe or the G League. I could easily see him playing in Europe at some point.

[BCPanther]

Why is that a surprise? A lot of these kids want that, and/or think they have that ability. Same with football at the FCS level. Obviously the vast majority are delusional, but they think that anyway.

Cater’s quote mentions pro ball in general, meaning Europe or the G League. I could easily see him playing in Europe at some point.

It's good he left then. We definitely haven't ever put anybody into upper level Euro ball.

[DownGoesKansas]

It's good he left then. We definitely haven't ever put anybody into upper level Euro ball.

And Mizzou if definitely where I go to get more exposure and post season success ha

It is what it is.

[BCPanther]

And Mizzou if definitely where I go to get more exposure and post season success ha

It is what it is.

Oh for sure. I'm not worried about it. He's gone and we'll be just fine.

I just enjoy the stuff kids say when they transfer.

With that being said, I'm going to hit the post reply button.

[DownGoesKansas]

Oh for sure. I'm not worried about it. He's gone and we'll be just fine.

I just enjoy the stuff kids say when they transfer.

With that being said, I'm going to hit the post reply button.

On the plus side, it makes the transfer portal more interesting for us this offseason.

[QCPanther05]

Why is that a surprise? A lot of these kids want that, and/or think they have that ability. Same with football at the FCS level. Obviously the vast majority are delusional, but they think that anyway.

Cater’s quote mentions pro ball in general, meaning Europe or the G League. I could easily see him playing in Europe at some point.

Well this is the quote: “I want to play professional basketball. Obviously the first goal is the NBA but I want to play professionally and moving up in a level will help that." So clearly he has ambitions beyond playing in Europe. If he wanted to play in Europe, he could have just stayed. We have had many players play in Europe, including Seth on the coaching staff.

It surprises me that we wants to play in the NBA because he is nowhere near that caliber of player, in terms of skill, and more importantly, build.