2024-25 Roster Thread

bighornn · May 14, 2024

GuardTheArc said:
Kenny Payne (Louisville) "loved" some of his players too.
Tony Stubblefield (DePaul) "loved" some of his players too.
Patrick Ewing (Georgetown) "loved" some of his players too.

Christian Fermin should not have been starting last season. He was not "starter" material (he was, at best, a rotational piece masquerading as a starter). Fermin had neither the (developed) body, the requisite "demonstrated" skill set, nor the experience to start for an NCAA-aspirational, A-10 flagship (Top 50-caliber) program. Last season, he was (basically) a first-yr sophomore (i.e. a frosh - from a PT/experience perspective).

Meanwhile, our main competition was Holmes (Dayton), Venning (St Bonny), Quinn (UR), Kelly (GMU), etc. -- all of them very experienced/developed bigs.

The staff, unfortunately, was left with little choice last year after their lackluster/underwhelming performance addressing our frontline in the portal:
Scholly = Kuany
Scholly = Wheeler
Scholly = Vacant (aka Okafor)
Scholly = Vacant

The collective ROI on this group above was minimal.

Fermin's play last season was uneven (and largely inconsequential/unimpactful); consequently, Tobi Lawal ended up manning the frontline (sometimes alone) during pivotal moments/stretches and, as a result, was the one who shined, was in demand this offseason, and moved up to the ACC.

One of the big reasons VCU danced in 2022-23 was "balance," which included our productive frontline of Johns/Deloach. Note: Deloach, as a result, moved to the SEC (Georgia) the following year.

Kuany/Fermin was not the answer last year (2023-24), even with the significant advantage of playing with four senior perimeter-oriented double-digit scorers (Shulga, Jax, Bam, Bairstow).

If VCU aspires to dance in 2024-25, the "five spot/frontline" needs to be addressed/fortified/upgraded. Note: The blueprint includes Sanders, Alie-Cox, Johns, Deloach, Godwin, Skeen, Reddic, Santos-Silva, etc)

Tall tales in Black 'n' Gold ... Supernard, Ren, LF, Martin Henlan and Long Larry are worthy of mention .... and don't forget 6-11 Kenny Jones, center on VCU's first NCAA qualifier. Then there was Antoine Ford, albeit briefly.

valley ram · May 14, 2024

bighornn said:
Tall tales in Black 'n' Gold ... Supernard, Ren, LF, Martin Henlan and Long Larry are worthy of mention .... and don't forget 6-11 Kenny Jones, center on VCU's first NCAA qualifier. Then there was Antoine Ford, albeit briefly.

And of course Mike Schlegel.

Ramlove81 · May 14, 2024

RamBoba said:
I know 2 of the 3 feelings

me too.

Ramlove81 · May 14, 2024

Zapala to MSU puzzles me a bit. The guy is likely a back up at VCU, 17 minutes at Longwood, so far down the bench at USU he didn't even have good seats to watch the game. I saw a few Longwood games this year. I think he can be a useful sub here. He'll get less time at MSU. I don't see Izzo dropping a big bag on him. I'm not sure that would make his NIL doners happy.
But nothing would surprise me these days.

SteveMM · May 14, 2024

Ramlove81 said:
Zapala to MSU puzzles me a bit. The guy is likely a back up at VCU, 17 minutes at Longwood, so far down the bench at USU he didn't even have good seats to watch the game. I saw a few Longwood games this year. I think he can be a useful sub here. He'll get less time at MSU. I don't see Izzo dropping a big bag on him. I'm not sure that would make his NIL doners happy.
But nothing would surprise me these days.

My only explanation is that a "small bag" of money at MSU is different than a "small bag" of money at VCU. He's likely getting nothing or next to nothing at Longwood. My assumption (hope?) is that Odom and his staff are explaining that even the backups are much loved at VCU, and the lack of competition for eyeballs from football and pro sports means the possibility of becoming a phenomenon like David Shriver is always a possibility here.

artRAMinMN · May 14, 2024

I know a lot of folks like to look at a basketball program from a business perspective, but I think many do so in terms of a *small* business, rather than the more bloated and bureaucratic perspective of medium to large businesses. The phenomenon of spending your entire budget just so that it doesn't appear that you don't need it is real.

Ramlove81 · May 14, 2024

artRAMinMN said:
I know a lot of folks like to look at a basketball program from a business perspective, but I think many do so in terms of a *small* business, rather than the more bloated and bureaucratic perspective of medium to large businesses. The phenomenon of spending your entire budget just so that it doesn't appear that you don't need it is real.

yeah, there is that.

zackry93 · May 14, 2024

We do have to remember players like Zapala were being recruited by other A10 teams before we came in and we jumped them. Zapala was supposed to be choosing between Rhode Island and Wichita State and now supposedly neither are on his radar. Some of it sucks but we are in a better spot than most any other non-P5 school.

N Mollen · May 14, 2024

zackry93 said:
We do have to remember players like Zapala were being recruited by other A10 teams before we came in and we jumped them. Zapala was supposed to be choosing between Rhode Island and Wichita State and now supposedly neither are on his radar. Some of it sucks but we are in a better spot than most any other non-P5 school.

Because we get rejected later? Sounds like my dating life (long ago)

LazyStegosaurus · May 14, 2024

Zapala officially off the board.

WillWeaverRVA · May 14, 2024

LazyStegosaurus said:
Zapala officially off the board.

"I don't care if I don't get to play more than 3 minutes a game but look at all this money!"

LazyStegosaurus · May 14, 2024

WillWeaverRVA said:
"I don't care if I don't get to play more than 3 minutes a game but look at all this money!"

It’s not like we would have been shocked if he went to MSU over us pre-NIL

thrashsoundly · May 14, 2024

I would not have been excited at Zapala coming to Richmond. However with no other roster news of late, it was at least interesting to entertain the idea.

balldontlie · May 14, 2024

Reporter says MSU’s “rationale is that he raises the floor of the C room without blocking the potential of existing centers.”

Wouldn’t feel great as a player if the staff felt the need to explain their rationale of bringing me on. Would feel even worse when the rationale was “don’t worry he’s not good enough to get in the way of our current guys”

WillWeaverRVA · May 14, 2024

balldontlie said:
Reporter says MSU’s “rationale is that he raises the floor of the C room without blocking the potential of existing centers.”

Wouldn’t feel great as a player if the staff felt the need to explain their rationale of bringing me on. Would feel even worse when the rationale was “don’t worry he’s not good enough to get in the way of our current guys”

Correction:

"I don't care if I don't get to play more than 3 2 minutes a game but look at all this money!"