Players 2023-24 Roster Thread

RamJamFan said:
Yes, and he did an incredible job out of the gate under really difficult circumstances. He likely missed on numerous others we may never know about. Regardless, Ed/Ryan get an A for last several months. We aren’t Kentucky.
Click to expand...
@AlienAiden’s source has been 100% on the money. We know who we pursued. We know who we offered. We know who was on campus. We didn’t miss on numerous others. Reid is the only transfer we seriously pursued that we missed on. And, as much as I think Reid could have been the piece that could have put us over the top nationally, what I’ve heard about his visit makes me think he could have also been a problem.
 
Hops said:
OK, since none of us have seen all these guys play, here is my totally uninformed line-up (starter, sub, alt sub). For safety, it assumes Bamisle has to sit out a year (hopefully not).
Point - Zeb; Nelson
2 - Shulga; Patrick
3 - Bairstow; Billups
4 - Kuany Kuany; Belle
5 - Wheeler; Tobi; Fermin
I could be way off (and I'd be cool with that). It is going to be one heck of an off-season as all the new players compete for their roles.
Click to expand...
The potent lineup is:
Shulga
Patrick
Belle
Bairstow
Wheeler
This has four outside shooters and a rebounder. The height also allows those 3pt misses to get pulled in. It's also positionless among the Jake, Belle and Bairstow who are all capable of switching off any screens. Won't need a PG since Belle, Patric and Bairstow are capable of bringing the ball up court on a fast break type of offense.

then
Nelson
Zeb
Billups
Kuany
Lawal
I'll call this NASCAR. The speed and athleticism is off the chart. It has two legit outside shooters in Fats and Kuany to open up the slashing of Nelson and Zeb. With all that chasing around the backcourt, Lawal will definitely be slipping past someone for allyoops and putbacks/dishes when his man has to help.

N Mollen said:
You're saying he never tried to recruit him? "He wanted Ashworth" but never talked to him about coming to VCU?
Click to expand...
You're creating an unnecessary narrative. Sure, you like to err on the side of caution, but there is no reason for you to twist a simple assessment of the record into a lesser result.

Should it be re-worded to "ONLY MISSED ON ONE RECRUIT ODOM PUT REAL EFFORT INTO GETTING?" Come on my friend, you're trending close to that "get off my lawn" stage of life.

Maybe we can start a conversation later about all the players available in the portal that Odom failed to get since he probably looked at a tape of them once.
 
Nelson could be the starting pg, based on what a high school coach who’s spoken to him told me.

Also, I don’t think it’s a given that Wheeler will be a 25 mpg starter.
 
VCU Heel said:
@AlienAiden’s source has been 100% on the money. We know who we pursued. We know who we offered. We know who was on campus. We didn’t miss on numerous others. Reid is the only transfer we seriously pursued that we missed on. And, as much as I think Reid could have been the piece that could have put us over the top nationally, what I’ve heard about his visit makes me think he could have also been a problem.
Click to expand...
By law, once you make an implication like this, you must share. At least via dm.
 
N Mollen said:
He missed on Ashworth as well, and there is no way of knowing who else he really pursued. He clearly offered others that went elsewhere as reported here.
Click to expand...
In a perfect world I am sure we would have taken the top 10 transfers that were available, but I was referring to the guys that we got in with and seemed to have a chance at. Closing the deal with the majority of those is quite impressive.
 
Two points: 1. dont count out Zeb as a starter. 2. Dont state a potential recruit could have been a problem, even he was or might have been. Better those things stay in house.
 
AlienAiden said:
Not really. Ashworth was never in for VCU. I would not consider that a miss. @N Mollen I can tell you that he got everyone he wanted except Reid. You don't have to believe it but it is true. He wanted Ashworth but he knew off the bat that it was not gonna happen.
Click to expand...
Well actually it is a miss. He wanted him he didnt get him. No shame in that.

However, if you want a player especially someone you have coached and developed its a miss.
 
rammad90 said:
Well actually it is a miss. He wanted him he didnt get him. No shame in that.

However, if you want a player especially someone you have coached and developed its a miss.
Click to expand...

I am in that same camp. You could also say the guy that went to VT instead was also a miss. What’s that Reservoir Dogs saying? Something about “not sucking each others…”
 
rammad90 said:
Well actually it is a miss. He wanted him he didnt get him. No shame in that.

However, if you want a player especially someone you have coached and developed its a miss.
Click to expand...
I disagree, using our former coach as an example I would say that he got Ace and missed on Deloach. I wouldn't say that he missed on Nunn because it doesn't seem like there was a mutual interest expressed to the point where he became a serious recruit. I am sure he would have loved to have him, but it wasn't in the cards from the very beginning.
 
It feels unfair to call every kid you'd like that doesn't come as "a miss". There are probably 60-100 kids/year that fit that definition. Ramnation (and I) get excited about most any kid in the high school top 100.
Maybe a fairer "miss" standard is if you end up in a kid's "top 6" while they are deciding (or they do an official visit) but end up not coming.
I feel we "missed" on Reid, but not Ashworth (or Deloach, Watkins, Nunn, ... for that matter).
 
Newgate Prison said:
then
Nelson
Zeb
Billups
Kuany
Lawal
I'll call this NASCAR. The speed and athleticism is off the chart. It has two legit outside shooters in Fats and Kuany to open up the slashing of Nelson and Zeb. With all that chasing around the backcourt, Lawal will definitely be slipping past someone for allyoops and putbacks/dishes when his man has to help.
Click to expand...
This lineup sounds really exciting to me, and I hope we see some form of it at some point.
 
So been taking some time to think about what has happened the pat few weeks. You have to feel really good about how all of this unfolded. If you look at the results of first year coaches since Capel, their is reason to be encouraged
  • Capel and Rhoades did the worst with each only winning 18 games
    • Of all coaches Capel did bring the highest percentage of scoring from the previous year with him and almost the highest percentage of playing time from the previous year. Yet interestingly enough they won less games. One could say the players didn't fit his style etc. but while his teams got marginally better, he never hit it out the park at VCU
    • MR , at the time had the hardest hill to climb as he only had about 30% of minutes played and scoring to work with his first year. Add the fact that he assembled one of the most underwhelming rosters that first year and he too only managed to win 18 games
  • Now, If you look at AG,SS, and WW, all won 25 plus games year 1. Two went to the second round of the dance(we forgive SS for not going his first year but then going to the FF year 2)
    • All of them came in with a fair amount to work with in terms of existing roster and for e the most part filled the holes nicely.
  • How will RO fair?
    • IMHO, the roster he has put together rivals that of the first year coaches that won 25 plus games
    • When I see RO, I see a great coaching acumen, the analytical mindset of WW and the people skills of SS.
    • RO had the barest cupboard with only one player with meaningful playing time and no incoming HS recruits
      • Of course the portal didn't exist like it does today which has allowed ro to get some instant players but you still have to get them
On Paper, I see no reason to think this years team does not follow in the mold of the AG, SS, WW first year team and win 25 plus games and get at least one win in the dance.

GO Rams

(PS....if it doesn't go this way, I'll remember its year one(which in the modern portal era is more like year 3) and not year 6) 8-)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top