Akok Akok in the portal | Page 21 | Syracusefan.com

Akok Akok in the portal

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Heard again as of late last week right around when the Akok news came out that JB doesn't want to go after transfers for what he deems as just one year rentals.

Even if that "one year rental" (not implying that is the particular case here) can get us out of our new normal of being nothing more than a middling/mediocre team in our conference?

I was told here 'nobody wants to win more than JB.' So, perhaps someone can explain this to me like I'm a 2 year old. ;)

 
Unfortunately, I spoke with Akok this weekend and he said did not want to play in the zone because he felt it hurt his pro potential. He was not pleased when I told him he would be merely a backup here
 
Unfortunately, I spoke with Akok this weekend and he said did not want to play in the zone because he felt it hurt his pro potential. He was not pleased when I told him he would be merely a backup here
I think that comment is why top players don’t want to play atSU.
 
I think that comment is why top players don’t want to play atSU.
With Cole not coming back, it became an opportunity to sell a big on being the starting PF and backup C. Trying to get a portal guy to just be a backup center is really hard. But, it doesn't appear we are going to take advantage of that sell.
 
Heard again as of late last week right around when the Akok news came out that JB doesn't want to go after transfers for what he deems as just one year rentals.
Shortsighted thinking. Some of our best players were “one year rentals”. If this is really how he sees this, then we’re ’d for next year, and every year he’s still coaching. Stupid.
 
Shortsighted thinking. Some of our best players were “one year rentals”. If this is really how he sees this, then we’re ’d for next year, and every year he’s still coaching. Stupid.
I’d be fine with the approach of building from within if it happened in 2016 and not 2022 after years of
mostly mediocre basketball. It also makes
me think that JB is here longer than just this year.
 
Then these freshmen better be good, they better play, and they better not transfer.

What if end of November, it's...

"They're freshmen. They can't do what we need them to do yet in the zone or otherwise at this point."

I mean potential great class and all, but I'm thinking more JAB's Occam's razor response here starting that many greenhorns.

No one should be surprised if that is the case and if we don't pull anyone capable from the portal, it will be even more damning.

Hope I am 100% wrong and at least some of these guys are ready day 1...
 
We are just stuck in a rut in this day and age.

We used to have talent that left for the draft earlier than expected. That usually went hand in hand with winning.

Today we have teams that use the portal to upgrade their teams for the next season. Outside of Gbinjie and AW and Gillon, we use the portal hoping the replacements can replicate the lost production.

There are over 1300 players in the portal and we have only pursued 1 to this point coming off a losing season.

We have some dead weight on the roster similar to albatross contracts that cant be traded in the NBA. If the last scholarship isnt utilized we essentially have 3 scholarships that wont contribute much combined with 6 freshman where only 2 or 3 of those will contribute to next year. So thats nearly 6 scholarships that you cant expect much of a contribution towards a winning season. That leaves very little margin for error to replace the lost production from last season and relying on Benny and freshman who have not arrived on campus yet.

We have covered how Jim is struggling to recruit and how he doesnt travel like he used to. To me it would seem easier to pound the portal to bring in experienced players. Its less effort, he doesnt have to go and watch them during the evaluation period or high school games during the season and, its a shorter courtship. Weeks instead of a year and half. I think this years class is a good start but maybe not the answer to having an immediate impact. For those that say we cant bring in transfers because of the freshman class, then tell me how Musselman and Arkansas with 6 freshman in the #2 rate class with guys for the most part higher rated than ours are bringing in 4 transfers from the portal? It can be done. Cuse.
 
There are maybe a half dozen schools that can tap into the McDonald's AA group to stay on top, maybe not even that many. JB's system died with one and done. The way it works now is you'll be constantly looking for transfers, and of course, you still have to recruit. Recruiting even includes the international market. That's the realty for college hoops.
 
Whenever I talk to Akok, it’s usually something like “come on big guy, you can do it”.
not that theres anything wrong with that.jpg
 
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