Now that we know with certainty that Coach Drew is going to be back next season, I'm turning attention back to roster construction for next season. Last week was a dead week for the portal, so the Drew to UK drama didn't really set us back too far in getting transfers, in my opinion.
Looking at some of the top names in the portal, there are an absolute TON of undersized PGs and combo guards in the portal. I am of the opinion that we don't really need any more guards for next season's team. If we end up taking a guy, I think it's because either
A) Rob Wright isn't ready to run the show as a freshman, and we're bringing in a stopgap, or
B) Miro Little hasn't progressed as the staff would have hoped and he's likely not in the future plans.
I hope neither is the case. Of the guys in the portal, I would love to see us focus on guys with multiple years remaining, and guys with length who can either play defense, shoot, or preferably both. Here's the types of players who I would be targeting, with their years of classification for this upcoming season:
Oumar Ballo (Arizona) 7-0 C, Sr: I am only putting him on the list because at one point he seemed to be strongly considering Baylor out of HS. He's going to be one of the most sought-after players in the portal, and his style of play doesn't really match how we play. He does have a good relationship with the coaching staff, though. Averaged 12.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, and is very efficient on offense.
Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers) 6-11 C, Sr: I know we've reached out to him. Would be a great stopgap player for a year after Missi turned pro early. Made the B1G all defensive team in 2024, and averaged 10.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 2.9 blocks.
Andrej Stojakovic (Stanford) 6-7 SF, Soph: Peja's kid. Averaged 7.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg. Would be a Jalen Bridges replacement in role, but not in playing style. Needs development of his shooting game, and isn't as good of a defender as Bridges, but was a McDonald's AA, and was highly regarded as a recruit.
Mark Mitchell (Duke) 6-9 PF, Jr: Would be great to get him, but I doubt it happens. 11.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, but didn't shoot the ball super efficiently outside the paint. This is the kind of player Kentucky or Arkansas will likely land.
Tarris Reed (Michigan) 6-10 PF, Jr: Top 40 recruit out of HS, averaged 9.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg with greatly improved efficiency numbers over his freshman year for a dumpster fire of a Michigan squad. Likely going to a school that backs up an NIL Brinks truck for him.
Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State) 6-11 C, Soph: I mentioned him earlier in the thread. Top 50 recruit of HS, and put up modest #s (7.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.5 blocks) on a bad team, but is hyper athletic, and had a monster game against us in Stillwater.
Aaron Bradshaw (Kentucky) 7-1 C, Soph: Missed half of last season with a foot injury, and fell out of the UK rotation late in the season. Highly regarded out of HS, averaged 4.9 ppg and 3.3 rpg in limited action.
Adou Thiero (Kentucky) 6-8 Wing, Jr: Averaged 7.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 blocks. An ascending player whose efficiency numbers really shot up last season. Still not a great outside shooter, but his FT % improvement is encouraging, and suggests he might have that ability in his game.
Otega Oweh (Oklahoma) 6-5 Combo Guard, Jr: Putting him in here because he really plays more like a wing plays in our offense. Had similar numbers to Jalen Bridges last year, and I really like his game and hustle. 11.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.5 steals. Improved his 3pt shooting (38%), but isn't a great FT shooter (64%).
Cade Tyson (Belmont) 6-7 Wing, Jr: His brother is former Clemson forward Hunter Tyson, who now plays for the Nuggets. Averaged 16.2 ppg and 5.9 rpg. Shot 46.5% from deep on a high volume (5.5 3s/game). Almost an 86% career FT shooter. Dude gets buckets.
Keyshawn Hall (George Mason) 6-7 Wing, Jr: I really like him as a dark horse transfer target for us, especially given that we've targeted some A-10 guys in recent years. Started his career at UNLV, where we've also gotten guys from. 16.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, but was a high-usage player. 36% 3pt shooter, 84% FT.
Saint Thomas (Northern Colorado) 6-7 SF, Sr: I just really like his name, and Scott Drew's nephew having played at Northern Colorado can't hurt, although I don't think they overlapped. He'll probably go someplace where he's given a bigger offensive role than we'll offer. 19.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.7 steals, 33% 3pt, 87% FT.
Jevon Porter (Pepperdine) 6-11 PF, Soph: Has two older brothers in the NBA. 16.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.0 blocks. Dealt with some injury issues this past year. Not a great 3pt shooter on high volume (30%), but a solid FT shooter (77%).
B.J. Omot (North Dakota) 6-8 SF, Jr: Possibly related to Nuni Omot (distant cousin)? I couldn't find any definitive evidence, but they both payed HS ball in Minnesota. Maybe Omot is a super common last name, though. 16.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, but not very efficient shooting numbers.
Mason Gillis (Purdue) 6-6 SF, Sr: I actually really don't like his game, but he is efficient (47% 3pt, 86% FT) and fits the athletic profile we look for. 6.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg coming off the bench for the runners up this past year.
Maliq Brown (Syracuse) 6-8 PF, Jr: Started half of Syracuse's games. 9.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.2 steals. 37% 3pt, 72% FT. Not a volume shooter, could fit in well with what we run.
Yohan Traore (UC Santa Barbara) 6-11 PF, Jr: Averaged 14.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg this year. Started his career at Auburn before transferring to get more minutes. Not an outside shooting threat. In fact, he only attempted 7 3s the entire season, missing them all.
Omaha Biliew (Iowa State) 6-8 PF, Soph: Never really got minutes for them, but was highly regarded as a defensive player coming out of HS.
Scotty Middleton (Ohio State) 6-7 Wing, Soph: Averaged 15 mins/game off the bench for an underachieving tOSU. 4.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg, but shot 45% from 3 and has good length. A bit concerning that he only shot 50% from the FT line, but it was on limited attempts. More than half his shots were 3s.
Aboubacar Traore (Long Beach State) 6-5 SF, Sr: This guy is an exception to the multiple years remaining rule, but he may have an extra COVID year. His profile looks remarkably close to what Mark Vital brought us, but he's much less bulky than Vital (200 lbs vs. Vital's 250). Averaged 12 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals. An all around solid player, but he's not a 3 point threat at all. Put up 15 points and 14 rebounds in the first round NCAA Tourney versus Arizona.
The other guy we discussed previously, Michael Ajayi from Pepperdine, committed to Gonzaga a couple of weeks ago. I also really liked Jayson Kent, 6-8 PF from Indiana State, but he committed to Texas over the weekend.
