2024 - Portal Tracker

[Orangezoo]

I think we all have to give Red and staff a shot here. If he can’t make hay defensively and on the boards with the group he brings in then so be it. I’m willing to give him some faith he can get everyone on board with the guys who were a complete headache no longer here. Defense is as much team as it is individual and when you had your leader and most vocal player taking plays off in droves it can put the whole teams defensive play in a tailspin. That’s not an excuse for anyone just saying if he has everyone’s attention and buy in now - let’s see what he can do.

 

[jordoo]

I don’t see any PG or even combo in JJ’s game. He is a scoring guard, always has been, nothing wrong with that. Is what it is though.

 

[Orangezoo]

Really hoping that’s not the case. Kid deserves a break. Hope he’s able to make a full recovery and reach his full potential.

Me too fingers crossed

 

[jdubs30]

Could be unrelated - but McLeod had that tweet this morning, then BJ freeman just posted this -

 

[CardiacCuse]

I don't even know why people believe this crap. Dude hasn't played for two years, has never been a full time point guard and the head coach is going to start him there?

I know Red wouldn't ever do that, but if he did he probably shouldn't be a head coach.

maybe westry has been fully healthy in practice and outperforming the other players who were given the talk?

 

[CardiacCuse]

Doesn't really make sense though for our staff to just reach out for due diligence...we seem to be pretty selective in who we reach out to compared to other schools who are linked to many more players in the portal. Whatever their vision is he must fit. It's definitely a little strange though considering the pieces we already have and the ones we still need.

yeah..are they going for like 3 shooting guard ,ineups?

 

[dasher]

Could be unrelated - but McLeod had that tweet this morning, then BJ freeman just posted this -

Guy looks like a player to me.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Guy looks like a player to me.

Are we even involved with him?

 

[Melancer46]

Are we even involved with him?

He’s one of the guys we reached out to at least. Would think he’s going somewhere to start though and if Leffew is our starting PG and JJ and Bell the starting wings, that obviously won’t happen here.

 

[Melancer46]

Hoping for the best with Leffew and there were obviously issues beyond just Judah’s play, but I don’t think there’s really any argument that Leffew has shown more PG skills than Judah to this point in his career. Not the direction I would go personally but maybe we just don’t think the PG skills are as necessary as having another guy that can create and hit his own shots from the perimeter.

Then again this will be the first offseason Leffew has ever had to work on being a PG so who knows?

 

[Orangezoo]

Hoping for the best with Leffew and there were obviously issues beyond just Judah’s play, but I don’t think there’s really any argument that Leffew has shown more PG skills than Judah to this point in his career. Not the direction I would go personally but maybe we just don’t think the PG skills are as necessary as having another guy that can create and hit his own shots from the perimeter.

Then again this will be the first offseason Leffew has ever had to work on being a PG so who knows?

It’s just so hard to predict- Mack looks like the best G prospect in the portal and could go somewhere and try putting up 16 shots a game instead of being a facilitator all while costing as much if not more than everyone else in the portal

 

[im4cuse]

Ha. "Sneaky good" is the exact same thought I had the first time I watched Leffew's tapes. It's all the subtle skills he has on top the more obvious ones. He is able to create, pass, handle, and finish with either hand and seems to just have "it" when it comes to court awareness. When was the last time we had a guard with that skill set? Kadary, who I loved, is one answer. Leffew seems to have a better motor and is a better shooter.

IF Leffew is the add, next season people will be talking about his ability to shoot step back 3s. Mark it down. It jumps off the tape to me. This kid is sneaky good in a lot of ways. I'm not surprised at all at the high major interest. I'd be thrilled with taking a chance on this kid at the point.

How’d he do against competition he’d likely face in the ACC?
Vs Maryland 3-14 and 0-4 from 3.
Vs Gtown 6-17 and 0-6.
Vs Mississippi 8-21 and 0-7.
He did have an excellent game vs UGA with 26 points.
But he won’t be a volume shooter in the 315.
He might be ok, but I don’t see the evidence to turn over the keys to an offense that has lots of questions already.

 

[Melancer46]

It’s just so hard to predict- Mack looks like the best G prospect in the portal and could go somewhere and try putting up 16 shots a game instead of being a facilitator all while costing as much if not more than everyone else in the portal

It doesn’t really seem like there are many guys in the portal that you’d say is a “true point guard”, at least not in the old sense of basically quarterbacking the team. Carlos is one of the very few but probably doesn’t offer the scoring or shooting that you ideally want. I think someone like Mack may tilt more towards scoring than a lot of fans envision in their PG but he at least has the quickness, ball handling, and passing to be the lead ball handler for an ACC team. I don’t think we can really be confident Leffew has those qualities, but again, he’s literally never been coached up to be the PG before. While I’m definitely skeptical, he could be a serious late bloomer.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

Are we even involved with him?

He’s one of the guys we reached out to at least. Would think he’s going somewhere to start though and if Leffew is our starting PG and JJ and Bell the starting wings, that obviously won’t happen here.

Freeman would start over Leffew.

 

[hoopsupstate]

JB said on tv this year that teams are going away from the traditional point guard to combo guards. He said Cadeaux from North Carolina is an old school point guard. Point guards have to score. Alabama just sat back in the lane and dared him to shoot. Davis barely played him in the last ten minutes of the game.

 

[Melancer46]

Freeman would start over Leffew.

It sounds like Leffew is going to be our starting PG. I assume Freeman will not end up here regardless but I’m going to trust dasher here.

Also FWIW, Leffew is #86 in The Athletic’s transfer rankings. Freeman is not in the top 103 (they cut off their rankings at 103 for some reason).

 

[jdubs30]

How’d he do against competition he’d likely face in the ACC?
Vs Maryland 3-14 and 0-4 from 3.
Vs Gtown 6-17 and 0-6.
Vs Mississippi 8-21 and 0-7.
He did have an excellent game vs UGA with 26 points.
But he won’t be a volume shooter in the 315.
He might be ok, but I don’t see the evidence to turn over the keys to an offense that has lots of questions already.

He’d be in a much different role and playing with much better players here. Hard to judge him on those 3 games especially when high level competition is focused mainly on guarding him.

 

[General20]

JB said on tv this year that teams are going away from the traditional point guard to combo guards. He said Cadeaux from North Carolina is an old school point guard. Point guards have to score. Alabama just sat back in the lane and dared him to shoot. Davis barely played him in the last ten minutes of the game.

And Boeheim is absolutely right. Its easy to defend a good passer who isnt a threat to score. They are dinosaurs, like fullbacks in football.

 

[Shoym]

And Boeheim is absolutely right.

He usually is.

 

[im4cuse]

He’d be in a much different role and playing with much better players here. Hard to judge him on those 3 games especially when high level competition is focused mainly on guarding him.

The point is he won’t be running up numbers against Marist His appeal on this forum is his performance against teams not in our league. U can’t have it both ways.

 

[Melancer46]

The point is he won’t be running up numbers against Marist His appeal on this forum is his performance against teams not in our league. U can’t have it both ways.

On the one hand, he’ll also have teammates far more equipped to help take some of the defensive attention away from him. They were obviously overmatched against those schools.

On the other hand, it’s disappointing that someone we’re entrusting to be our main decision maker/maybe main scorer couldn’t even lead his team to victory against the likes of the MAAC. It’s obviously a team game and he wouldn’t be the first good player to play for a losing team but you would kinda think if your primary ball handler/scorer is ACC starter caliber, you’d have more success than they did against frankly terrible D1 teams.

 

[longtimefan]

The point is he won’t be running up numbers against Marist His appeal on this forum is his performance against teams not in our league. U can’t have it both ways.

I think I might prefer the Hofstra guy for that reason. The CAA (now Coastal) is a step (or two) above the MAAC.

 

[orangefog]

Guy looks like a player to me.

He is my pick for the guy that blows up this year after transferring.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I trust our staffs’ evaluation of these guys than anyone who gets to see YouTube videos. The coaches are lifers. They have been sizing up who can play and who can’t since they started playing pickup ball. They’ve done/are doing their due diligence. They will take the best guy who will have us.

 

[orangefog]

I trust our staffs’ evaluation of these guys than anyone who gets to see YouTube videos. The coaches are lifers. They have been sizing up who can play and who can’t since they started playing pickup ball. They’ve done/are doing their due diligence. They will take the best guy who will have us.

You make it sound like it’s their job and they have more invested in it than we do.