I know a lot of you are portal drunk

[OttoinGrotto]

But give me all the top high school players.

No, shut up, I don't care. SHUT IT

We got White. Let's get Kiyan. Let's get a baller point guard. Get Jemison and Elson and a good big.

College hoops is stupid right now. High school talent is undervalued. We win by exploiting that.

Do it.

 

[djcon57]

But give me all the top high school players.

No, shut up, I don't care. SHUT IT

We got White. Let's get Kiyan. Let's get a baller point guard. Get Jemison and Elson and a good big.

College hoops is stupid right now. High school talent is undervalued. We win by exploiting that.

Do it.

I think it’s a valid point. Zigging when others are zagging. Especially if they stay more than 1 year

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think it’s a valid point. Zigging when others are zagging. Especially if they stay more than 1 year

That's what I'm saying.

 

[shu 49]

Hasnt helped win anything except beating us

 

[DBCooper]

Hasnt helped win anything except beating us

I think OP addressed that with this part:

"No, shut up. I don't care. SHUT IT"

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think OP addressed that with this part:

"No, shut up. I don't care. SHUT IT"

I did. Thanks!

 

[CardiacCuse]

I think it’s a valid point. Zigging when others are zagging. Especially if they stay more than 1 year

it's easier than ever to pull in highly ranked freshman...so many schools have their eyes on the portal.

hard not to want to do it...

but really need to balance it out with the portal, as well

as almost everything in life, need balance...almost all ofthe schools that went deep in the tourney had old players

coach cal at kentucky showed that too many freshman every year isn't that great...

question is...was it cal? or was it too many freshman???

gotta think if Kiyan commits...there's gonna be extra juice with his class...will be interesting to see how it plays out...perhaps a big freshman class with him...

if it works, it could really catapult the orange back to elite in terms of HS recruiting

 

[OttoinGrotto]

it's easier than ever to pull in highly ranked freshman...so many schools have their eyes on the portal.

hard not to want to do it...

but really need to balance it out with the portal, as well

as almost everything in life, need balance...almost all ofthe schools that went deep in the tourney had old players

coach cal at kentucky showed that too many freshman every year isn't that great...

question is...was it cal? or was it too many freshman???

gotta think if Kiyan commits...there's gonna be extra juice with his class...will be interesting to see how it plays out...perhaps a big freshman class with him...

if it works, it could really catapult the orange back to elite in terms of HS recruiting

I'm good with balancing the roster with the portal.

But if things continue like this off-season, having to rely on key pieces from the portal ain't it.

Plus I naively believe that commitments from incoming high school players mean more. Start with them. Bolster the lineup with the portal. There will be room. Not all the young guys will pan out. Not all will stick around.

But keep the pipeline.

 

[CardiacCuse]

I'm good with balancing the roster with the portal.

But if things continue like this off-season, having to rely on key pieces from the portal ain't it.

Plus I naively believe that commitments from incoming high school players mean more. Start with them. Bolster the lineup with the portal. There will be room. Not all the young guys will pan out. Not all will stick around.

But keep the pipeline.

yeah i think multiple pipelines is the way to go

 

[Cappy3]

Well, playing against teams loaded with upper class guys with a team full of freshman hasn’t been a real winning approach lately. You need 3-4 frosh (1-2 who will go portal after one year). 3-4 returnees, and 3-4 portal guys to fill in.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

yeah i think multiple pipelines is the way to go

That's boring though.

My scorching "gimme all the top high school players" take is way more fun.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Well, playing against teams loaded with upper class guys with a team full of freshman hasn’t been a real winning approach lately. You need 3-4 frosh (1-2 who will go portal after one year). 3-4 returnees, and 3-4 portal guys to fill in.

I addressed this up front.

No, shut up, I don't care. SHUT IT

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Well, playing against teams loaded with upper class guys with a team full of freshman hasn’t been a real winning approach lately. You need 3-4 frosh (1-2 who will go portal after one year). 3-4 returnees, and 3-4 portal guys to fill in.

In the NIL era no one in their right mind would leave early to go undrafted where as as recently as a couple years ago tons of talent left with eligibility and no chance of going for talent. Now good players are staying 4 years and attending 2-3 schools. There’s more value in getting them as seniors than freshmen.

These signings are still home runs they’re just more of 2 run HRs than the grand slams they’d have been a few years ago.

 

[Day2]

I'm good with balancing the roster with the portal.

But if things continue like this off-season, having to rely on key pieces from the portal ain't it.

Plus I naively believe that commitments from incoming high school players mean more. Start with them. Bolster the lineup with the portal. There will be room. Not all the young guys will pan out. Not all will stick around.

But keep the pipeline.

And keep our guys. No one should leave for the portal unless they’re shown the door.

 

[BomberOrange]

Hasnt helped win anything except beating us

We haven’t had top HS talent in a long time

 

[OttoinGrotto]

There’s more value in getting them as seniors than freshmen.

Watch and learn.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I agree with the OP. There’s a greater connection to guys you sign out of HS. If we need to use the portal on one starter and a bench piece that’s fine. Syracuse is not going to be successful going the portal route each offseason. Red has the right approach. We will be better off when the Covid guys have exhausted their eligibility.

 

[SWC75]

Maybe the Lampkin situation has soured Red on the portal. Also, maybe HS kids require less NIL.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Maybe the Lampkin situation has soured Red on the portal. Also, maybe HS kids require less NIL.

I also think the timelines matter.

The portal is essentially a free agency window. That instills urgency in a different way because the time period is shortened. That urgency drives NIL dollars up, but there's a seasonality to it.

High school recruiting occurs over years. Kids can commit at different times. Sure, there are times when LOIs are signed, but it's just a longer time horizon. And the relationships matter. Kids and families want to be part of something that values them holistically, whereas we're seeing that portal players... fit matters, but there is a mercenary nature to it.

 

[Nicknack]

The other pretty obvious advantage of continuing to strongly recruit the high school scene is that even when you don't get a kid, you have built relationships that later might serve you well in the portal. That's largely why we have JJ and Westry.

 

[Cappy3]

Hey, even Calipari has given up on relying on high school recruits, and he consistently signed classes full of top rated guys.

 

[two3zone]

But give me all the top high school players.

No, shut up, I don't care. SHUT IT

We got White. Let's get Kiyan. Let's get a baller point guard. Get Jemison and Elson and a good big.

College hoops is stupid right now. High school talent is undervalued. We win by exploiting that.

Do it.

Ehhh, just having the undervalued things doesn't equal wins, it just means you get pieces at a steal.

I want every single one of the kids we look like we're getting, but unless we're using them to build around portal guys or planning on them for years to build and grow then it's not a good move. These kids are key to our success, depends who's around them if we get there.

Top 100 doesn't mean what it used to when 1000 mid major guys are hitting the portal, you need to be an elite freshman to matter.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Ehhh, just having the undervalued things doesn't equal wins, it just means you get pieces at a steal.

I want every single one of the kids we look like we're getting, but unless we're using them to build around portal guys or planning on them for years to build and grow then it's not a good move. These kids are key to our success, depends who's around them if we get there.

Top 100 doesn't mean what it used to when 1000 mid major guys are hitting the portal, you need to be an elite freshman to matter.

I am assuming we trust Red and the staff's ability to evaluate talent, project talent, and close on talent.

 

[two3zone]

I am assuming we trust Red and the staff's ability to evaluate talent, project talent, and close on talent.

This roster/offseason ate up a good amount of good faith trust for me. This roster stinks.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This roster/offseason ate up a good amount of good faith trust for me. This roster stinks.

I can understand that take. I'm willing to give it more time.