I'm optimistic at times that Red will do better next year with upgraded talent. If he is given one more year to do better or be fired, there is no excuse IF he has the following 9 CORE players.
Returning: JJ, Freeman, Moore, Petar.
Incoming Freshmen: White, Kiyan and Fennell.
Portal: P5 Conference Center and Point Guard.
For a good chance of success, it is critical that we get the 2 portal players noted above as they will be core players. The P5 portal PG can handle the point with an inexperienced Fennell along with JJ if necessary.
The non-core alternate bench players would be head case Bell, if he doesn't transfer and can accept a limited role; Womack if he is ready to contribute; and Westry if not still injured and not experiencing non-basketball related issues.
We would also need at least 2 or 3 more portal players to fill out this group as there are question marks with the aforementioned guys. Hopefully they will come from the P5, but more likely mid-majors and with lower expectations and in highly selective bench roles.
Building this roster is doable, but if we are not able to recruit 2 P5 conference core players, this is an indictment on our ability to recruit. We now supposedly have assistant coaches who were hired due to being strong recruiters with great connections and relationships along with a good GM and decent NIL.