Recruiting Transfer Portal

[DCDuck]

Yes, convince me. I just find it hard to believe a coach who went 4-28 wouldn't have given him more playing time.

Part of the reason they went 4-28 was Kenny Payne's mule-headed stubbornness with regards to his rotations. Sidney Curry started 25 games for Louisville and was named a team captain despite putting up arguably worse numbers than Wheeler. Something about "heart" and "chasing dreams" and "having what it takes to win".

Don't take the lack of playing time to be some sort of indictment on Wheeler's work ethic. Payne just values nebulous "un-measurables" over actual basketball ability.

 

[ramluvr99]

here we go

looking at this guys stats howard does a terrible job managing his bench

 

[WillWeaverRVA]

here we go

6'7" 185 lb G/F who only played spot minutes during half of the season due to being buried in the rotation. He was fairly highly regarded out of high school and has 3 years left.

Juwan Howard just landed another highly rated guard named George Washington (wha?), so it's likely he'd never see another minute of play if he stuck around.

 

[DCDuck]

George Washington (wha?)

Shoo-in for first-team all-name along with Miami-FL's Wooga Poplar, Dayton's Kobe Elvis, and Butler's Ali Ali.

 

[BGDragoon80]

6'7" 185 lb G/F who only played spot minutes during half of the season due to being buried in the rotation. He was fairly highly regarded out of high school and has 3 years left.

Juwan Howard just landed another highly rated guard named George Washington (wha?), so it's likely he'd never see another minute of play if he stuck around.

How do you think he might fit in? Is he a three point shooter like Shriver? Unless we lose players to the transfer portal, we have a few players in that role. The one I am most excited to see play next year is Fats Billups.

 

[Mr X]

Part of the reason they went 4-28 was Kenny Payne's mule-headed stubbornness with regards to his rotations. Sidney Curry started 25 games for Louisville and was named a team captain despite putting up arguably worse numbers than Wheeler. Something about "heart" and "chasing dreams" and "having what it takes to win".

Don't take the lack of playing time to be some sort of indictment on Wheeler's work ethic. Payne just values nebulous "un-measurables" over actual basketball ability.

So the Louisville coach is playing to lose and plays his worst players?

 

[WillWeaverRVA]

How do you think he might fit in? Is he a three point shooter like Shriver? Unless we lose players to the transfer portal, we have a few players in that role. The one I am most excited to see play next year is Fats Billups.

Not sure, I haven’t done the research and I haven’t seen much that connects him to us at all, the Martelli connection is just speculation for now.

 

[DCDuck]

So the Louisville coach is playing to lose and plays his worst players?

He was quoted as saying "wins and losses don't matter" at the press conference after his team lost to Boston College (without their best player) by 18 points in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.

The jury is out as to whether Kenny Payne can actually coach at the D1 level.

 

[Mr X]

He was quoted as saying "wins and losses don't matter" at the press conference after his team lost to Boston College (without their best player) by 18 points in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.

The jury is out as to whether Kenny Payne can actually coach at the D1 level.

I think you are on to something.

 

[DCDuck]

I live in Louisville now, and have been following the team as they've gone through their penance for the 2013 title.

Kenny Payne only has the job because a bunch of Denny Crum's old players got salty that one of their own weren't selected for the job in 2001, then again in 2018 after Pitino was fired. They basically made Chris Mack's life a living heck to the point where he simply got fed up with everything. He was criminally extorted by a former assistant and the school gave him no support. Instead of conducting a real coaching search, they went through a sham process where Payne was the only candidate, so he got the job by default - along with a six-year contract that pays him more per season than any coach in the ACC besides Tony Bennett.

Long story short, Payne can't actually coach. He speaks in cryptic wannabe-guru "higher power than just basketball" language. He can't take criticism. He doesn't allow open interactions with the fan base or communicate with the media beyond very carefully scripted media appearances. He blames the players - and ONLY the players - for the team's dreadful record this past season.

I'd be shocked if Louisville wins more than 15 games this upcoming year, but the folks at the top seem to want Payne as coach more than they want an actual successful basketball program so he's likely to get an infinitely long leash as long as that's the case.

 

[Mr X]

I live in Louisville now, and have been following the team as they've gone through their penance for the 2013 title.

Kenny Payne only has the job because a bunch of Denny Crum's old players got salty that one of their own weren't selected for the job in 2001, then again in 2018 after Pitino was fired. They basically made Chris Mack's life a living heck to the point where he simply got fed up with everything. He was criminally extorted by a former assistant and the school gave him no support. Instead of conducting a real coaching search, they went through a sham process where Payne was the only candidate, so he got the job by default - along with a six-year contract that pays him more per season than any coach in the ACC besides Tony Bennett.

Long story short, Payne can't actually coach. He speaks in cryptic wannabe-guru "higher power than just basketball" language. He can't take criticism. He doesn't allow open interactions with the fan base or communicate with the media beyond very carefully scripted media appearances. He blames the players - and ONLY the players - for the team's dreadful record this past season.

I'd be shocked if Louisville wins more than 15 games this upcoming year, but the folks at the top seem to want Payne as coach more than they want an actual successful basketball program so he's likely to get an infinitely long leash as long as that's the case.

4 to 15 is an improvement.

How do you like living in Louisville?

 

[Wolfpack Ram]

Even though John's listed weight is 240, he said he lost 20 pounds as part of his summer training regime in preparation for havoc. So, he played 220.

He's currently listed at 240. And what about the rest of the players I listed? VCU has had plenty of beef since Mo.

 

[DCDuck]

4 to 15 is an improvement.

How do you like living in Louisville?

Andy Katz once famously said "Louisville doesn't celebrate reaching the Sweet 16. The measure for success begins with Final Fours."

4 wins to 15 wins is an improvement but that won't satisfy the fan base. Nonetheless the administration will spin it as a "positive" and use it as reason to keep Payne around for longer.

Louisville is nice. Great food scene. Reminds me a good bit of living in Richmond but with fewer good barbecue restaurants.

 

[6TH MAN]

Thank you for sharing, I want this guy!

 

[Ramlove81]

Brandon Johns, Jr. weighs 240. Marcos Santos-Silva weighed 250 while at VCU. Levi Stockard III weighed 245 when he arrived at VCU and played his second year at 240. Others include:

Brendon Medley-Bacon - 240
Kris Lane - 245
Lewis Djonkam - 245

Somebody find my brain for me!