IowaBear said:

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Not sure I'm getting the Olivier is a good "consolation prize" narrative. The dudes a damn good ball player. He instantly makes us a much much tougher team. He's a grown ass man who can guard 3-5. Would be a monster get and immediately insert us into the B12 title discussion.

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He's a good player, but he's a role player on a good team. Nelson is on a completely different level. He's a legit alpha, who's also an outstanding rebounder and would bring a rim protection dynamic that we haven't had in years.

We didn't get him, and that's fine. Nkamhoua will be a good player. But he's another side dish on a team with a lot of them. We're going to need someone other than Dennis to step up as the main course.

Yep proven at high D1 level so there is no question it will translate. Will fill a nice role

Nelson has played low level D1 ball. Let's see it's translate to P5 before you go crowning him a god send.

Michigan is now back in consideration for Tennessee transfer Olivier Nkamhoua, per source. https://t.co/FcF3WtvMYV

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 6, 2023

I love transfer recruiting. Apparently either Michigan found a way to make it more interesting, or perhaps Bridges is back in play and caused some fear?

It sucks that Nelson didn't work out, but I would be thrilled to get Olivier. He is the exact type of player I was hoping we would target in the portal. He will be a role player but will star in his role. I think Olivier would play the Mark Vital / Jeremy Sochan role. Not an alpha scorer, but rather a guy who anchors our defense. Our backcourt, as per usual, will provide all the offense we need. Dennis will be our featured offensive player but also Walter can score the rock and will be much more efficient when doing it compared to Keyonte. Maybe Love will have a breakthrough offseason. Bridges also has untapped offensive potential if we are fortunate enough to keep him around. If we can get Olivier and then Bridges returns, we are an instant final 4 contender.

Can confirm. We are on a wild ride folks. https://t.co/tPtZYdNE6c

— Trilly Donovan (@trillydonovan) June 6, 2023

Kinda getting the feeling it's either Bridges or bust for us. Although Arthur Kaluma is hanging low in the background.

For those that don't know, Trilly is allegedly the incognito name being used by Matt Norlander of CBS. He's been spot on with most of his tweets.

IowaBear said:

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Nelson has played low level D1 ball. Let's see it's translate to P5 before you go crowning him a god send.

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I don't care what level either player has played at. Nelson has skills Nkamhoua doesn't have and a much higher ceiling as a result. That's not a knock on Nkamhoua. It just is what it is.

There are only a handful of people on the planet who can handle the ball the way Nelson does at his size.

Crawfoso1973 said:

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It sucks that Nelson didn't work out, but I would be thrilled to get Olivier. He is the exact type of player I was hoping we would target in the portal. He will be a role player but will star in his role. I think Olivier would play the Mark Vital / Jeremy Sochan role. Not an alpha scorer, but rather a guy who anchors our defense. Our backcourt, as per usual, will provide all the offense we need. Dennis will be our featured offensive player but also Walter can score the rock and will be much more efficient when doing it compared to Keyonte. Maybe Love will have a breakthrough offseason. Bridges also has untapped offensive potential if we are fortunate enough to keep him around. If we can get Olivier and then Bridges returns, we are an instant final 4 contender.

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I'm not trashing Nkamhoua. He's a good player who will make us better if we land him. But I'll have to see Walter play at the high major level before I'd agree that we're a Final Four contender. We don't have a single player on our team other than Dennis who has proven he's anything other than a secondary or tertiary scorer. And Nkamhoua doesn't really help there. It would have been nice to reel in one more big fish who was capable of filling that role.

Any word on Bridges? Staying or headed down under?

Ok, so much for Nkamhoua. He flipped to Michigan. Something big must have happened between last week when he eliminated them and today.

On to the next one.........

Cannot strike out here… get Kaluma on the phone now…

Hoping maybe that means Bridges returning?

Crawfoso1973 said:

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Hoping maybe that means Bridges returning?

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It had better or we're going to be in big trouble in the front court. Lohner is the only power forward on the roster currently, and if he's playing big minutes, we're likely not a serious contender.

DanaDane said:

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Ok, so much for Nkamhoua. He flipped to Michigan. Something big must have happened between last week when he eliminated them and today.

On to the next one.........

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That's an understatement. Seemed among the leaders for both Nelson and Oliver and then abrupt pivots. For Nelson think something more than just $ went down behind the scenes. For Oliver guessing big $ deal finally came through and Michigan's roster isn't that good so potential to be a feature player. Think it would have had a nice opportunity to expand scoring here but it doesn't matter now

Bridges needs to be back and ready to go. If Oliver felt he would be returning might have felt less room for him to work. Would have been a great role player and physical presence.

While I would welcome his return, I don't think there's anyway that Bridges can be considered a "4" in the traditional sense. He's not that type of rebounder or interior defender and is not a true post up option on offense. I think in professional ball, he would be a two or a three. He's got good length and quickness for his length but does not have the strength or size to be a meaningful inside presence.

I really wish we could find one more strong interior defender/rebounder. That is what we sorely missed last year.

Chuckroast said:

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While I would welcome his return, I don't think there's anyway that Bridges can be considered a "4" in the traditional sense. He's not that type of rebounder or interior defender and is not a true post up option on offense. I think in professional ball, he would be a two or a three. He's got good length and quickness for his length but does not have the strength or size to be a meaningful inside presence.

I really wish we could find one more strong interior defender/rebounder. That is what we sorely missed last year.

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We don't need him to be a four in the traditional sense. We need him to be the four in our three-guard lineup. He proved last year he was more than up to that task.

And with longer guards -- and hopefully a more productive five -- rebounding will be an "all hands" task next season. We don't need Dennis Rodman. We just need Bridges to provide what he did last year in that area.

Agreed 100%. And I've said all along, Bridges returning would be a win/win for both sides. We need more offense, and he would be tasked to shoulder more offensive responsibility which would help his draft stock.

Agree but Oliver wanted to be a feature guy. WVU and Bu didn't have that available. Mich did but probably lowballed on the $. Then they probably pivoted and came through. They can promise a top 2 featured spot.

Don't know if this was fumbled but think its more about role than specific position. This one was strange as all factors and roster make ups were already known. Only thing that can change was Mich $ and Bridges possibly saying he will return if they don't pick up / or promise newcomers a feature role. Would guess communication breakdown.

bear2be2 said:

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Chuckroast said:

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While I would welcome his return, I don't think there's anyway that Bridges can be considered a "4" in the traditional sense. He's not that type of rebounder or interior defender and is not a true post up option on offense. I think in professional ball, he would be a two or a three. He's got good length and quickness for his length but does not have the strength or size to be a meaningful inside presence.

I really wish we could find one more strong interior defender/rebounder. That is what we sorely missed last year.

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We don't need him to be a four in the traditional sense. We need him to be the four in our three-guard lineup. He proved last year he was more than up to that task.

And with longer guards -- and hopefully a more productive five -- rebounding will be an "all hands" task next season. We don't need Dennis Rodman. We just need Bridges to provide what he did last year in that area.

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With Bridges playing the four in our system, it's essentially a four guard lineup. He is just a longer guard as you were saying. While that may work at times, I believe our biggest need is a strong inside presence on offense and defense … a guy who can defend the post and rebound on both ends of the floor. We need a guy like Vital or Gathers way more than we need a swing man defending the post.

The guy that went to Michigan would have filled a big need in my opinion. I really hope JT is healthier and that Our bigs are ready.

Chuckroast said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Chuckroast said:

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While I would welcome his return, I don't think there's anyway that Bridges can be considered a "4" in the traditional sense. He's not that type of rebounder or interior defender and is not a true post up option on offense. I think in professional ball, he would be a two or a three. He's got good length and quickness for his length but does not have the strength or size to be a meaningful inside presence.

I really wish we could find one more strong interior defender/rebounder. That is what we sorely missed last year.

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We don't need him to be a four in the traditional sense. We need him to be the four in our three-guard lineup. He proved last year he was more than up to that task.

And with longer guards -- and hopefully a more productive five -- rebounding will be an "all hands" task next season. We don't need Dennis Rodman. We just need Bridges to provide what he did last year in that area.

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With Bridges playing the four in our system, it's essentially a four guard lineup. He is just a longer guard as you were saying. While that may work at times, I believe our biggest need is a strong inside presence on offense and defense … a guy who can defend the post and rebound on both ends of the floor. We need a guy like Vital or Gathers way more than we need a swing man defending the post.

The guy that went to Michigan would have filled a big need in my opinion. I really hope JT is healthier and that Our bigs are ready.

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Bridges averaged more rebounds than Nkamhoua last season. And because of the direction the game has gone, he's rarely asked to guard the post. Almost no one plays two two true big men anymore. That four position is a stretch four for the vast majority of teams.

We do need better/more production from our five next year. But Bridges at the four is fine on both ends of the floor.

Nelson is probably overrated in this thread. He's 21. If the real material upside potential/ceiling is there he would have received a first round grade and stayed in the draft. His size and ball handling make him a unicorn that any NBA team would take a a late first round flier on if they believed there is even a sliver of a chance that he's a real prospect.

Guys at his size with his ballhandling skills at age 21 don't withdraw from the draft unless there was a glaring deficiency noted in scouting reports.

Okay, watched some tape and I don't see that Nelson was ever a good fit for us. And I understand why he withdrew from the draft.

*His shooting form needs to be rebuilt in a bad way and it explains the 30.7% career 3P%. AGAINST LESSER COMPETITION. He was already at an advantage given his size and shooting 27% last season is a red flag. In particular, he's twisting his lower trunk during his release and it shows up in that his right foot Iands way out in front of his hips. That puts a lot of torque on the spine and negatively impacts his release. His shoulders are basically fighting his hips in his shooting motion.

*His footwork in the paint is way above average for his size, but if you watch the film, he has a tendency to use misdirection to go around people in the paint to finish, he likes a baby hook or he bails out to a fadeaway, in each case even against smaller defenders. That he isn't going THROUGH defenders at his size and agility is indicative that either the explosiveness isn't there or the strength isn't there. The explosiveness issue is probably what showed up at the combine in reports that he wasn't shaking free off the dribble.

*The 2.1:2.6 asst to turnover ratio is absolutely atrocious for a guy with his height and ball handling skills.

I don't know if you can rebuild his shot between now and November, so I don't think he could ever play the stretch 4 for us. But I get it. As his size, his ball handling skills are really tempting to take a chance on.

I didn't think he was a great fit, because we don't build around high volume post scorers. We rely on our guards to generate offense. Bigs in our system typically are only used to set screens, rebound, and play defense. Even Sochan who was a lottery pick was not relied upon as a volume scorer. Offensively he picked his spots and created for others as a point forward. He could score but was not an offensive centerpiece like this guy would expect to be. I have not doubt Drew would have found a way to utilize Nelson's skill-set, but he wasn't a natural fit in our system.

bear2be2 said:

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Crawfoso1973 said:

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I didn't think he was a great fit, because we don't build around high volume post scorers. We rely on our guards to generate offense. Bigs in our system typically are only used to set screens, rebound, and play defense. Even Sochan who was a lottery pick was not relied upon as a volume scorer. Offensively he picked his spots and created for others as a point forward. He could score but was not an offensive centerpiece like this guy would expect to be. I have not doubt Drew would have found a way to utilize Nelson's skill-set, but he wasn't a natural fit in our system.

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Sochan just wasn't here long enough to become that guy. He would have been an offensive centerpiece if he had stayed another year. He was already growing into that role toward the end of his one season here.

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Yep, too bad we only got him one year. But very early on I knew he was a one and done guy.

It was pretty obvious from before the season started.

I wonder how many of our new guys are one & done.

Crawfoso1973 said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Crawfoso1973 said:

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I didn't think he was a great fit, because we don't build around high volume post scorers. We rely on our guards to generate offense. Bigs in our system typically are only used to set screens, rebound, and play defense. Even Sochan who was a lottery pick was not relied upon as a volume scorer. Offensively he picked his spots and created for others as a point forward. He could score but was not an offensive centerpiece like this guy would expect to be. I have not doubt Drew would have found a way to utilize Nelson's skill-set, but he wasn't a natural fit in our system.

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Sochan just wasn't here long enough to become that guy. He would have been an offensive centerpiece if he had stayed another year. He was already growing into that role toward the end of his one season here.

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Yep, too bad we only got him one year. But very early on I knew he was a one and done guy.

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You and me both. I told my Baylor fans text chain during conference play that he'd be drafted before Brown and they called me crazy. I could tell real early that dude was special.

bear2be2 said:

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Chuckroast said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Chuckroast said:

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While I would welcome his return, I don't think there's anyway that Bridges can be considered a "4" in the traditional sense. He's not that type of rebounder or interior defender and is not a true post up option on offense. I think in professional ball, he would be a two or a three. He's got good length and quickness for his length but does not have the strength or size to be a meaningful inside presence.

I really wish we could find one more strong interior defender/rebounder. That is what we sorely missed last year.

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We don't need him to be a four in the traditional sense. We need him to be the four in our three-guard lineup. He proved last year he was more than up to that task.

And with longer guards -- and hopefully a more productive five -- rebounding will be an "all hands" task next season. We don't need Dennis Rodman. We just need Bridges to provide what he did last year in that area.

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With Bridges playing the four in our system, it's essentially a four guard lineup. He is just a longer guard as you were saying. While that may work at times, I believe our biggest need is a strong inside presence on offense and defense … a guy who can defend the post and rebound on both ends of the floor. We need a guy like Vital or Gathers way more than we need a swing man defending the post.

The guy that went to Michigan would have filled a big need in my opinion. I really hope JT is healthier and that Our bigs are ready.

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Bridges averaged more rebounds than Nkamhoua last season. And because of the direction the game has gone, he's rarely asked to guard the post. Almost no one plays two two true big men anymore. That four position is a stretch four for the vast majority of teams.

We do need better/more production from our five next year. But Bridges at the four is fine on both ends of the floor.

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Maybe it'll work, but I don't recall Baylor being successful with a lineup that had 3 guards and a player like Bridges at the 4 on a consistent basis. My concern is primarily on defense. Sochan had more interior presence. Vital, while not tall, could defend inside and rebound. Not to mention Motley and Gathers, etc... Some of them were scorers, but they could all defend and rebound the interior. Last year, if our one big was drawn out of the paint, we really struggled with rebounding and getting a stop. Maybe with longer, quicker, and more physical guards, we can make it work. Hard to say if that will be the case though with so many new faces this year.

He can't shoot off the dribble and is mediocre off the catch. Has obvious tendencies going to the basket and relies on athleticism at times at the lower D1 level.

But would have been a nice piece for us that they would have made work. Just from watching clips could have been a real nice contributor for us.. had solid inside finishes and some decent footwork/handle

At what point do we say Bridges is gone?

I haven't seen anything yet to indicate he is one way or another, but this delayed response is not making me feel great. At this stage I am sure he knows, but maybe playing sides to get more NIL money. Who knows? He would be smart to come back and be a featured scorer in a system he knows well. I think Caleb will be much improved, but I hope we don't have I rely on him to start.

Bringing this back to the top, unless we have another surprise portal guy it looks like we are set. I am extremely excited about this team next year. We are LOADED:

Hard to believe our backcourt might be better than last year, but I think we will be better... sacrificing a lot of scoring, but much better playmaking, positional size, and defensive versatility when compared to least year's group. My only concern is how will CSD keep everyone happy with only 120 minutes to go around. Summer and fall practice battles should be fierce as guys compete for playing time and roles.

-Dennis
-Grimes
-Little
-Walter
-Love
-Nunn

The PF picture is much clearer with Bridges returning and Lohner in line for backup minutes. Bridges made the correct career decision because I think he has the upside to put himself in the 1st round picture. I'm not sure why, but I've got a gut feeling Lohner will be much improved after an offseason to work with the coaching staff.

The 5 will be a three-headed monster of Missi / Josh O / EJ. I am higher on Josh O than most and feel he has NBA upside. I anticipate will be much better after a full offseason to work with the coaches. Our coaches have always been elite in developing bigs over the past 2 decades. EJ should be a healthier version of himself and Missi should be a huge upgrade over last year's version of Flo even as a reclassified freshman.

I am pretty pumped about this team next season.

BUCANDOIT82 said:

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At what point do we say Bridges is gone?

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Excited about the better overall size and length at the guard spots and more scoring options at the 5 position. Hopefully we will also get back to looking more like us on the defensive end instead of being the virtual sieve we were most of the time last season.