For Baylor fans worried about a lack of transfer announcements, a reminder that the Bears often operate with patience in the portal.

Just a few commitment dates from the past:

Jayden Nunn (April 18th)
Jalen Bridges (April 20th)
James Akinjo (April 23rd)
RayJ Dennis (June 1st) https://t.co/66N3D1d7mh

— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) April 17, 2024

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

IvanBear said:

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There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

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I am denying that.

Lots of good players available. Some good talent that hasn't hit the portal yet will later. Its not like football where you sign every good player you can and figure it out from there. We need specific skill sets and we are looking for the best fit possible and sometimes that means waiting instead of compromising early.

Whether it's high school recruiting or transfer hunting, I always wait to see our haul to judge it. I'll wait and see what we get before I have any comment.

But given his track record with transfers, I trust Scott Drew's judgement implicitly. He'll get a ton of leeway from me in this realm.

Apparently there's gonna be some big names dropping into the portal coming up

We probably have missed on some because the price was too high but just remember there are expected to be more big names enter the portal once their final NIL payment is made at the school they are currently attending. I'm sure Coach Drew and his staff and other coaches know of those names that will likely become available.

I keep seeing people throw around that we are in the Top 10 in NIL but I don't buy that. I think we are probably competitive but not much more than that. The good thing I have liked about Coach Drew's strategy so far is that he has found really good personality matches for his coaching style and existing teammates. That hasn't been the case at some other schools who have signed multiple big names but the styles and personalities don't fit. Look no further than the mess Muss had at Arkansas this year and the final result.

IvanBear said:

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There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

It's easily deniable. You're just making assumptions based on nothing but your pessimism.

I would expect some big names to hit the portal soon.

Some guys are waiting for their final NIL checks before they hit the portal.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 16, 2024

Geez, figured Scott would get a little bit of honeymoon treatment after the UK situation... guess I was wrong.

Get us some "past the round of 32" kind of talent.

Bleed Green said:

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Geez, figured Scott would get a little bit of honeymoon treatment after the UK situation... guess I was wrong.

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ImABearToo said:

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Get us some "past the round of 32" kind of talent.

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Looks like it.

Please stay, Coach. Thanks for staying. Now you better not screw up or we'll wish you left.

players our coming don't doubt that Scott also has to figure out some holes on his coaching stuff

IvanBear said:

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There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

Bleed Green said:

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IvanBear said:

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There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

IvanBear said:

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Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

Bleed Green said:

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IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

I love the idea of landing Roach, I think it helps make us a contender. I can also hate from another roster construction of one and done freshmen and transfers. I think roach is probably the best 1 year point guard transfer we'll have landed to date but it's also fair to hate we're stuck in a cycle of one and dones.

Why is anyone crowing? We haven't landed anyone yet. Just rumors so far. Hopefully that changes after the weekend.

IvanBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

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Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

IvanBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

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Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

I love the idea of landing Roach, I think it helps make us a contender. I can also hate from another roster construction of one and done freshmen and transfers. I think roach is probably the best 1 year point guard transfer we'll have landed to date but it's also fair to hate we're stuck in a cycle of one and dones.

---

Who that we've pursued is better than Roach? IMO He's better than any of the transfer guards we've been linked to this offseason. And at the very worst, Aidoo is our second choice at post. By any standard, he's one of the best two-way bigs on the market.

Just admit you jumped the gun. It's OK. And I don't necessarily disagree with your second paragraph, but that's a different discussion for a different thread. This one is about worrying about our transfer class.

Scott Drew is a master at working the portal and evaluating/attracting transfers. The man knows what he's doing.

Quinton said:

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IvanBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

IvanBear said:

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Quinton said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

---

Carlyle had a lower effective field goal percentage last season than Walter. He may have been the first guard we were linked to, but I don't think there's a coach in America who would take him over Roach.

bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

---

Quinton said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

---

Carlyle had a lower effective field goal percentage last season than Walter. He may have been the first guard we were linked to, but I don't think there's a coach in America who would take him over Roach.

---

247 Rankings disagrees.

https://247sports.com/season/2024-basketball/transferportaltop/



Look I think Roach may be better next year than Carlyle but they're close and Carlyle is younger with way more potential to untap.

IvanBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

---

Quinton said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

---

Carlyle had a lower effective field goal percentage last season than Walter. He may have been the first guard we were linked to, but I don't think there's a coach in America who would take him over Roach.

---

247 Rankings disagrees.

https://247sports.com/season/2024-basketball/transferportaltop/



Look I think Roach may be better next year than Carlyle but they're close and Carlyle is younger with way more potential to untap.

---

I said coach, not recruiting service. Recruiting rankings for portal players are meaningless because you have an actual body of work by which to judge these players. Carlyle's a talented kid, but he was a mediocre player for a bad team as a freshman. If my goal is to build a competitive team in 2024-25, I would take Roach 100 times out of 100.

There's a different conversation to be had on the long-term wisdom of relying so heavily on one-year players (freshmen and transfers). But the fact of the matter is we're a reload program at the moment, and a long-term shift away from that philosophy would likely require us to take a temporary step back as a program that most fans would be loathe to accept.

Scott Drew is clearly content to try to build the best roster he can for next season and worry about future years when they come. If that's his/our goal, we're much better off with Roach than Carlyle.

bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

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Quinton said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

---

Carlyle had a lower effective field goal percentage last season than Walter. He may have been the first guard we were linked to, but I don't think there's a coach in America who would take him over Roach.

---

247 Rankings disagrees.

https://247sports.com/season/2024-basketball/transferportaltop/



Look I think Roach may be better next year than Carlyle but they're close and Carlyle is younger with way more potential to untap.

---

I said coach, not recruiting service. Recruiting rankings for portal players are meaningless because you have an actual body of work by which to judge these players. Carlyle's a talented kid, but he was a mediocre player for a bad team as a freshman. If my goal is to build a competitive team in 2024-25, I would take Roach 100 times out of 100.

There's a different conversation to be had on the long-term wisdom of relying so heavily on one-year players (freshmen and transfers). But the fact of the matter is we're a reload program at the moment, and a long-term shift away from that philosophy would likely require us to take a temporary step back as a program that most fans would be loathe to accept.

Scott Drew is clearly content to try to build the best roster he can for next season and worry about future years when they come. If that's his/our goal, we're much better off with Roach than Carlyle.

---

Carlyle was easily one of the highest sought after portal entrants. The recruiting services are ranking as much on how much contact someone's going to get as some fluffy number. Like you said, when recruiting it's not always about just next year it's about the following years as well, which is the exact reason you'd want a guy like Carlyle who's obviously talented, was at a really poorly coached team last year, and will likely stick around more than one year. Many coaches are looking for that over one year rentals. If the current NCAA has proved anything, reloading is the recipe for a 1st or 2nd round exit,

It's hard to say what Drew is doing. I hope Drew isn't going reload only talent because we're going to keep getting the same result. Aidoo is likely a guy who will play 2 more years, no one's going to vote him on a conference pre-season first team next year. I hope going after him is Drew trying to acquire some talent that will stay.

All that said, we obviously reached out to Carlyle, Drew's wanted him in his program 2 years straight now, it's okay to admit we wanted him but missed. It's also impossible to tell who we wanted more, but Carlyle was in the portal first and we went after him first. Our fans get so touchy when people realize we missed out on a player in the portal, I don't get why. This is why you pursue multiple guys at once.

End of the day it's hard to say what Drew's strategy is. If it's one year reloads or not, the way portal recruiting works is you take who you can get, this isn't what it was even 3 years ago when we acquired a guy like Bridges. This is just straight up wild west free agency like we haven't seen in a sport for years.

Mitch Henessey said:

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IvanBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

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Quinton said:

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IvanBear said:

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bear2be2 said:

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IvanBear said:

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Bleed Green said:

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IvanBear said:

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Bleed Green said:

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IvanBear said:

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There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

---

Carlyle had a lower effective field goal percentage last season than Walter. He may have been the first guard we were linked to, but I don't think there's a coach in America who would take him over Roach.

---

247 Rankings disagrees.

https://247sports.com/season/2024-basketball/transferportaltop/



Look I think Roach may be better next year than Carlyle but they're close and Carlyle is younger with way more potential to untap.

---

I said coach, not recruiting service. Recruiting rankings for portal players are meaningless because you have an actual body of work by which to judge these players. Carlyle's a talented kid, but he was a mediocre player for a bad team as a freshman. If my goal is to build a competitive team in 2024-25, I would take Roach 100 times out of 100.

There's a different conversation to be had on the long-term wisdom of relying so heavily on one-year players (freshmen and transfers). But the fact of the matter is we're a reload program at the moment, and a long-term shift away from that philosophy would likely require us to take a temporary step back as a program that most fans would be loathe to accept.

Scott Drew is clearly content to try to build the best roster he can for next season and worry about future years when they come. If that's his/our goal, we're much better off with Roach than Carlyle.

---

Many coaches are looking for that over one year rentals. If the current NCAA has proved anything, reloading is the recipe for a 1st or 2nd round exit,

---

Or, it's a recipe for a National Championship. I doubt many of you have looked into how the UConn team you guys just spent the last month fawning over was constructed. Going in descending order of their leading scorers:

Tristan Newton: transfer portal. Played 3 years at ECU, transferred to UConn and utilized an extra COVID year.

Cam Spencer: One year rental. Spent 3 years at Loyola Marymount, then one at Rutgers, then transferred to UConn for his final season.

Alex Karaban: true sophomore who was a 4* (90 rating, per 247) recruit out of HS.

Donovan Clingan: true sophomore who was a 4* recruit (94 rating).

Stephon Castle: 5* one-and-done true freshman, the #10 recruit in the country.

Hassan Diarra: Senior guard who spent his first 2 years at A&M.

Samson Johnson: Third-year Junior who was highly regarded out of HS (4*, rated 95) and grew into his role.

Solomon Ball: True freshman, 4*, 94 rating.

No one else averaged more than 10 mins/game for that team.

So, to summarize...8 man rotation, 5 players who averaged double figures in scoring, a one-and-done top 10 player, a PG who transferred twice, in his final year of eligibility, a couple of other transfers with multiple years of eligibility, and some highly recruited 4* players, some of whom are leaving to go to the NBA Draft because they developed ahead of schedule, others who are sticking around because they've grown into their roles and will have now have a showcase for their talents in the coming seasons.

Man, that sounds an awful lot like how Scott Drew has built his Baylor rosters the past couple of years.

---

The biggest difference is they didn't lean nearly as heavily on Spencer as we did RayJ, and Castle was actually a support player, not their highest-used player.

This UConn team had way more depth than we have either of the past two years and way, way more structure in their offense, keeping any one or two players from dominating the ball the way our point guards often do.

It's not impossible to build a winner with one-year players, but our player freedom model isn't conducive to it IMO. Usage figures should be more in line with efficiency than ours have been the last three years. We need to fix that if we hope to return to being a tournament threat.

Another point worth making is Newton was way better in his second year as UConn's point guard, as most transfers are. We haven't had a second-year starting point guard since Butler and Mitchell.

That revolving door isn't a great way to build consistency IMO.

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Quinton said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

---

Carlyle had a lower effective field goal percentage last season than Walter. He may have been the first guard we were linked to, but I don't think there's a coach in America who would take him over Roach.

---

247 Rankings disagrees.

https://247sports.com/season/2024-basketball/transferportaltop/



Look I think Roach may be better next year than Carlyle but they're close and Carlyle is younger with way more potential to untap.

---

They also have Hunter over Roach which is just goofy.

bear2be2 said:

---

Mitch Henessey said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Quinton said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

---

Carlyle had a lower effective field goal percentage last season than Walter. He may have been the first guard we were linked to, but I don't think there's a coach in America who would take him over Roach.

---

247 Rankings disagrees.

https://247sports.com/season/2024-basketball/transferportaltop/



Look I think Roach may be better next year than Carlyle but they're close and Carlyle is younger with way more potential to untap.

---

I said coach, not recruiting service. Recruiting rankings for portal players are meaningless because you have an actual body of work by which to judge these players. Carlyle's a talented kid, but he was a mediocre player for a bad team as a freshman. If my goal is to build a competitive team in 2024-25, I would take Roach 100 times out of 100.

There's a different conversation to be had on the long-term wisdom of relying so heavily on one-year players (freshmen and transfers). But the fact of the matter is we're a reload program at the moment, and a long-term shift away from that philosophy would likely require us to take a temporary step back as a program that most fans would be loathe to accept.

Scott Drew is clearly content to try to build the best roster he can for next season and worry about future years when they come. If that's his/our goal, we're much better off with Roach than Carlyle.

---

Many coaches are looking for that over one year rentals. If the current NCAA has proved anything, reloading is the recipe for a 1st or 2nd round exit,

---

Or, it's a recipe for a National Championship. I doubt many of you have looked into how the UConn team you guys just spent the last month fawning over was constructed. Going in descending order of their leading scorers:

Tristan Newton: transfer portal. Played 3 years at ECU, transferred to UConn and utilized an extra COVID year.

Cam Spencer: One year rental. Spent 3 years at Loyola Marymount, then one at Rutgers, then transferred to UConn for his final season.

Alex Karaban: true sophomore who was a 4* (90 rating, per 247) recruit out of HS.

Donovan Clingan: true sophomore who was a 4* recruit (94 rating).

Stephon Castle: 5* one-and-done true freshman, the #10 recruit in the country.

Hassan Diarra: Senior guard who spent his first 2 years at A&M.

Samson Johnson: Third-year Junior who was highly regarded out of HS (4*, rated 95) and grew into his role.

Solomon Ball: True freshman, 4*, 94 rating.

No one else averaged more than 10 mins/game for that team.

So, to summarize...8 man rotation, 5 players who averaged double figures in scoring, a one-and-done top 10 player, a PG who transferred twice, in his final year of eligibility, a couple of other transfers with multiple years of eligibility, and some highly recruited 4* players, some of whom are leaving to go to the NBA Draft because they developed ahead of schedule, others who are sticking around because they've grown into their roles and will have now have a showcase for their talents in the coming seasons.

Man, that sounds an awful lot like how Scott Drew has built his Baylor rosters the past couple of years.

---

The biggest difference is they didn't lean nearly as heavily on Spencer as we did RayJ, and Castle was actually a support player, not their highest-used player.

This UConn team had way more depth than we have either of the past two years and way, way more structure in their offense, keeping any one or two players from dominating the ball the way our point guards often do.

It's not impossible to build a winner with one-year players, but our player freedom model isn't conducive to it IMO. Usage figures should be more in line with efficiency than ours have been the last three years. We need to fix that if we hope to return to being a tournament threat.

---

I agree on the point with Castle being lower usage than Ja'Kobe Walter was for us. I don't think they had more structure in their offense, however. We drive to kick out for 3s, UConn drives to hit their cutters, and there is a lot more motion off of screens. It's not necessarily better, it's just different.

There is more structure and emphasis on defensive fundamentals in UConn's system, however. I think a lot of that is driven by the fact that Dan Hurley is a hardass, whereas Scott Drew is more of a player's coach. Again, not better or worse, just different.

Regardless, their team was constructed remarkably similarly to how we've been building teams.

Mitch Henessey said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Mitch Henessey said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Quinton said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

Bleed Green said:

---

IvanBear said:

---

There's no denying though this means we're not really getting our first picks.

---

Not too late to get a new handle. You may have to take some time to get to veteran status but… Mack has not lost Scott Drew and if we get the guys rumored to be coming, this is the silliest post in a long while.

---

Nah I'll stand by it, we've missed on recruiting Carlyle twice now. Just because we land big guys doesn't mean we land every big guy we wanted, also doesn't mean we won't be happy with this portal class (something we weren't last year).

Mack doing the bare minimum his job requires of him is not a praiseworthy thing, nor is anyone walking around crediting with Mack for being the reason Drew decided to stay, we've got the life he's built in Waco to thank for that.

---

Top notch coping right here! Kudos man! Whatever it takes to keep your head up!

---

Brown nose the administration harder maybe it'll get you a better tailgate spot from the tailgate guys

---

This is a silly response. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion and got called on it. What does that have to do with brown nosing the administration?

If the rumors are true, and Roach and Aidoo are headed our way, we'll likely finish this cycle with a top-20 portal haul. It would appear in that case that your concerns of missing out on our top targets would be misguided.

---

You keep conflating not getting your first pick (which Aidoo and Roach certainly sound like the second picks as it's clear we reached out and pursued others first) and not having a good haul. Both can happen.

---

Who was our first over Roach? I don't remember.

Roach was my first preference based on every guard I've seen in the portal. Seems like a good fit. Just didn't think it was a realistic possibility.

---

Kanaan Carlyle who we recruited both out of high school and when he hit the portal, by all accounts we showed interest in him this time too. It's a good debate who's better, I think Carlyle has more upside Roach is probably a better player next year.

Maybe we were talking to Roach through the questionable back channels and the Carlyle stuff was just smoke all along but who knows. It's nice to see we're going harder after guys then we've been able to in the past finally, even if we are still not addressing the second largest need yet in a Wing to play the 4.

---

Carlyle had a lower effective field goal percentage last season than Walter. He may have been the first guard we were linked to, but I don't think there's a coach in America who would take him over Roach.

---

247 Rankings disagrees.

https://247sports.com/season/2024-basketball/transferportaltop/



Look I think Roach may be better next year than Carlyle but they're close and Carlyle is younger with way more potential to untap.

---

I said coach, not recruiting service. Recruiting rankings for portal players are meaningless because you have an actual body of work by which to judge these players. Carlyle's a talented kid, but he was a mediocre player for a bad team as a freshman. If my goal is to build a competitive team in 2024-25, I would take Roach 100 times out of 100.

There's a different conversation to be had on the long-term wisdom of relying so heavily on one-year players (freshmen and transfers). But the fact of the matter is we're a reload program at the moment, and a long-term shift away from that philosophy would likely require us to take a temporary step back as a program that most fans would be loathe to accept.

Scott Drew is clearly content to try to build the best roster he can for next season and worry about future years when they come. If that's his/our goal, we're much better off with Roach than Carlyle.

---

Many coaches are looking for that over one year rentals. If the current NCAA has proved anything, reloading is the recipe for a 1st or 2nd round exit,

---

Or, it's a recipe for a National Championship. I doubt many of you have looked into how the UConn team you guys just spent the last month fawning over was constructed. Going in descending order of their leading scorers:

Tristan Newton: transfer portal. Played 3 years at ECU, transferred to UConn and utilized an extra COVID year.

Cam Spencer: One year rental. Spent 3 years at Loyola Marymount, then one at Rutgers, then transferred to UConn for his final season.

Alex Karaban: true sophomore who was a 4* (90 rating, per 247) recruit out of HS.

Donovan Clingan: true sophomore who was a 4* recruit (94 rating).

Stephon Castle: 5* one-and-done true freshman, the #10 recruit in the country.

Hassan Diarra: Senior guard who spent his first 2 years at A&M.

Samson Johnson: Third-year Junior who was highly regarded out of HS (4*, rated 95) and grew into his role.

Solomon Ball: True freshman, 4*, 94 rating.

No one else averaged more than 10 mins/game for that team.

So, to summarize...8 man rotation, 5 players who averaged double figures in scoring, a one-and-done top 10 player, a PG who transferred twice, in his final year of eligibility, a couple of other transfers with multiple years of eligibility, and some highly recruited 4* players, some of whom are leaving to go to the NBA Draft because they developed ahead of schedule, others who are sticking around because they've grown into their roles and will have now have a showcase for their talents in the coming seasons.

Man, that sounds an awful lot like how Scott Drew has built his Baylor rosters the past couple of years.

---

The biggest difference is they didn't lean nearly as heavily on Spencer as we did RayJ, and Castle was actually a support player, not their highest-used player.

This UConn team had way more depth than we have either of the past two years and way, way more structure in their offense, keeping any one or two players from dominating the ball the way our point guards often do.

It's not impossible to build a winner with one-year players, but our player freedom model isn't conducive to it IMO. Usage figures should be more in line with efficiency than ours have been the last three years. We need to fix that if we hope to return to being a tournament threat.

---

I agree on the point with Castle being lower usage than Ja'Kobe Walter was for us. I don't think they had more structure in their offense, however. We drive to kick out for 3s, UConn drives to hit their cutters, and there is a lot more motion off of screens. It's not necessarily better, it's just different.

There is more structure and emphasis on defensive fundamentals in UConn's system, however. I think a lot of that is driven by the fact that Dan Hurley is a hardass, whereas Scott Drew is more of a player's coach. Again, not better or worse, just different.

Regardless, their team was constructed remarkably similarly to how we've been building teams.

---

UConn runs way more sets than we do. Here's a good video of Hurley talking about all of the different things they do offensively.

This is pretty cool. UConn coach Dan Hurley explained to JJ Reddick that some of his offensive sets have been influenced by Kyle Shanahan’s play designs, window dressing and having multiple looks or actions off one play.#49ers pic.twitter.com/pu4eZeBKK2

— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) April 20, 2024

Now it is time to crow. Scott Drew nabs big fish #1. Hopefully we get another announcement tonight for big fishes #2 and #3.