2022-23 Roster Construction/Mgmt

[GuardTheArc]

In March, you go dancing (NCAA, hopefully)...........or at least to the sock-hop (NIT). In Apr/May, now you go "portal-ing" (as in "transfer portal").

BLUF: We've got to have a productive two months in the portal this Apr/May.

You'll notice teams now literally "flipping/overhauling their rosters," transforming themselves overnight, restocking the "cupboard" immediately, reloading, and essentially eliminating the "waiting period" for a young crop of promising recruits to emerge/get seasoned (as we tend to do). High school recruiting still provides a solid base/foundation, so it's still a valuable resource. However..........

So many programs are going the transfer (or transfer portal) route now to supplement (often w/ immediate dividends/success):
Providence - Horchler, Minaya, Durham
Kentucky - Grady, Mintz, Wheeler
Texas - Carr, Mitchell
Davidson - Loyer
St Louis - Nesbitt, Okoro
Dayton - Camara, Elvis
GMU - Schwartz, Cooper
Miami - McGusty, Moore, Miller
Marquette - Kolek, Morsell
UConn - Cole, Martin
Auburn - Kessler, Johnson
Baylor - Akinjo
LSU - Eason
UNC - Manek
UVA - Gardner, Franklin
Wake - Williams
Others - TCU, Iowa St, Gonzaga, Miss St, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Houston, etc

A-10: You know Archie, Anthony, Travis, Bob, Chris, Mark, Kim, and other A-10 coaches will be pitching their wares to any/every productive basketball player out there at any level to come join their party. No more waiting around for Johnny Freshman prospect to blossom. It's a new world order on the trail. Everyone is fair game, even our own guys!

We can't have a repeat of Tsohonis/Nichols; that was embarrassing (for a Top 50 program w/ pedigree, minutes available). All other things equal, the (for all intents and purposes) Bones/Corey for Marcus/Jimmy "swap" (i.e. massive downgrade) was essentially the difference this season (between dancing/not dancing). The Watkins injury and Ace setback certainly didn't help but, regardless, you've got to hit on your portal guys; they come in w/ a pedigree and expectations; high schoolers and rising sophs are still generally unproven and unpredictable (no matter the ranking/profile/early returns). We can't afford to wait on the Banks, Currys, Crowfields, McAllisters, etc to "come around" and maybe give us one good year during their stay on Broad St. There's too much "opportunity cost" we may be missing out on waiting on a kid to develop/turn the corner/get healthy.

Assuming they all want to stay:
Core VCU Roster (2022-23): Watkins, Billups, Baldwin, Nunn, Kern, Fermin, Ward, Deloach, MBJ
Look to upgrade: McAllister, Banks, Tsohonis, Nichols

NCAA Bids are probably won Apr-Aug (portal signings/roster mgmt, coaching staff adjustments, player off-season workouts/development/growth)

 

[LQuarles]

Wrong.

 

[TampaKAP]

Why because J-Mac is in the upgrade column

 

[CrozetRam]

People talked about Nichols battling an eye injury but i just had a hard time seeing anything when he played. Also, Banks’ shot was supposed to be money but he never seemed to cash in.

 

[Newboy]

Totally agree. Banks is 50/50, but he will probably get more playing time elsewhere.

 

[dwhite]

I knew it would be a novel

 

[BGDragoon80]

You want to upgrade 4 players through the transfer portal. If you are comfortable with the 9 players you listed, how are you allocating game minutes? In other words, you are always going to players on rosters who are not going to play or only play when the game is decided.

 

[LQuarles]

@BGDragoon80 and let's not get into the new chemistry issues he'd see as a result, like these other teams that want to "win immediately" with multiple transfers have.

 

[Newboy]

You want to upgrade 4 players through the transfer portal. If you are comfortable with the 9 players you listed, how are you allocating game minutes? In other words, you are always going to players on rosters who are not going to play or only play when the game is decided.

If 1 or 2 transfers are as good if not better than one the 9 you want to keep, we will be humming along.

 

[Ramaste]

It''s a sellers market. What does VCU have to offer. Come here, play more defense. Great pep band. Unless you are a lights out shooter (i.e. Bones or Bones-adjacent), you're not going to get minutes unless you play defense. And unless you are lights out, the first option is going to be Watkins. That guy is out there, but you gotta find him. IV came here as a scoring talent, but became an excellant defensive player. I feel bad for Banks--- so many times (when he saw the court) he set up in the corner, but he never saw the ball. Maybe Ace and others didn't trust him.

 

[Newboy]

It''s a sellers market. What does VCU have to offer. Come here, play more defense. Great pep band. Unless you are a lights out shooter (i.e. Bones or Bones-adjacent), you're not going to get minutes unless you play defense. And unless you are lights out, the first option is going to be Watkins. That guy is out there, but you gotta find him. IV came here as a scoring talent, but became an excellant defensive player. I feel bad for Banks--- so many times (when he saw the court) he set up in the corner, but he never saw the ball. Maybe Ace and others didn't trust him.

Banks would be a great fit for the Spiders next year. He would probably play 30 minutes a game at least.

 

[Ramaste]

Banks would be a great fit for the Spiders next year. He would probably play 30 minutes a game at least.

Seriously, next season, I would not wish that on any player.

 

[dwhite]

You want to upgrade 4 players through the transfer portal. If you are comfortable with the 9 players you listed, how are you allocating game minutes? In other words, you are always going to players on rosters who are not going to play or only play when the game is decided.

30 minutes each so that they're all happy, duh...

 

[PRock]

I don’t think OP is wrong from an objective standpoint, very realistic perspectives. I could have a beer debate over Tso, as i think the coaches have opportunities to do better by him…..but it could be a debate where both sides are right.

That said, like it or not, I don’t think that’s the way Mike wants to run the program. He is selling family and we got some good folks buying it…..so, it’s a careful what you wish for situation. Once the program becomes purely transactional, so do the players.

It’s a very valid discussion as to which is the better course to follow given fan and university ambitions. I just don’t see it happening under Mike’s watch. I personally am ok with that…..most of the time.

 

[PhantomRam]

Let's not delude ourselves, we will lose a few players, maybe as many at 3-4. If we don't navigate the transfer market any better than we have, our program will dwindle in quality, it's just a fact of life with the transfer rules as they are. Yes, MR is selling something different to recruits, but it's not all in his hands. What happens is up the whims of "kids" and sometimes some over bearing parents and handlers.