2023-24 Scholarships:
#1-5) 4 holdovers (Jax, Fermin, Fats, Lawal) + recruit (Belle)
Portal Grades:
#6) Sr Shulga = A (you can dance w/ Max as a starter; lone bright spot)
#7) Sr Bairstow = B-/C+ (limited upside; marginally productive per minute played; disappointing for a 5th yr kid)
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#8) Sr Bamisile = C (waiver requirement; limited yrs remaining; red flags everywhere; should've passed)
#9) Sr Kuany = D (good kid; many better options out there we missed out on; staff aimed way too low)
#10) So Nelson = D (too small/pedestrian; much better suited at a lower level - Radford/Longwood/Towson)
#11) Jr Wheeler = F
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#12) Vacancy = F
#13) Vacancy = F (not counting the Okafor gift)
Overall portal effort: D+
We lost this thing in the portal (particularly w/ Schollies #8-13).
The immediate additions of the Utah St kids coupled with the Richmond HS Connection "debacle" effectively ended a (remarkable 20-yr) era (and unique brand/culture/identity). Frankly, the staff took some shortcuts and got burned. Only a miracle in Brooklyn next weekend can save them.
Ryan Odom and his staff, IMO, had a very sloppy, lazy, uninspiring, mistake-filled portal effort in Year 1. They clearly undersold the VCU program (a Top 50 program nationally and a Top 3 non-P6 program).
Effective portal recruiting (which, for
2024-25, should require anywhere from 5-12 additions) will require:
1) Casting a wide net nationally and understanding the entire recruiting landscape (HS, D-1, D-2, etc)
2) Identifying realistic targets, performing meaningful research/analysis/talent evaluation, setting higher standards (caliber of player), etc.
3) Salesmanship - convincing the right kids to join the program (having a vision/style/brand/culture to sell)
Ryan, at age 50, and his staffs haven't (over the years) really demonstrated an ability to
consistently (or even ever) recruit at a high (P6-ish) level, which is where our program currently resides (Top 50-ish). VCU's NCAA-caliber teams have typically had some P6-level talent/size/athleticism/etc (Graham, Hyland, Maynor, Baldwin, Burgess, Skeen, Sanders, V. Williams, Tillman, Weber, Daniels, Reddic, Watkins, Alie-Cox, Nunn, etc). We should be (and typically are) competing annually w/ programs like St Mary's, Dayton, Memphis, Cincinnati, San Diego St, Wichita St, BYU, Seton Hall, Providence, Ga Tech, etc (high-end non-P6 and lower-end P6 programs) for recruits and NCAA bids.
2024-25 Roster:
1) Kuany/Bairstow - two (2 kids); gone
2) Wheeler/Nelson/Okafor - three (3) kids; find a lower level program for them
3) Jax/Bam/Max/Belle/Billups/Lawal/Fermin - seven (7) kids; this is your potential base (have conversations w/ each of them)
4) Jennings - one new HS addition (12 remaining spots)
5) Remaining schollies - portal (approx 5-12 additions depending on retention)
Notes:
1) Recruit "alphas" first; toughest players to land so sell them a relatively wide-open roster/starting spot/big minutes/most NIL (if any available/needed)
2) Take only "proven/productive/value-added" A-10/P6 quality players (avoid statistically inefficient guys w/ minor to no roles from bad teams looking for a "fresh start" or looking to "come home;" avoid kids that their previous team is looking to "offload"); aim for the Brandon Johns, Zeb Jackson, Korey Billbury types.
3) Build a 13-man roster that looks and acts like a P6 roster (bigger, stronger, tougher, athletic, talented kids w/ a pedigree and a proven track record). VCU's best (NCAA) teams had that look/feel. The staff needs to aim for, and act like, a P6-level staff (in everything they do). That's how, as a program, you "punch up" in weight class.
4) Get the kids in the weight room (24/7)