Crawfoso1973 said:
Big12Fan2024 said:
And that's my point. Not to you. You've noted all year that it's not only roster turnover but roster construction quality, which implies evaluation and also coaching, which in our case, means poor defense once again. But I see quite a few posters who think it's just a one-time blip without realizing there are other defects in our process that have to be resolved as well. Indiana turned over its roster and they also are currently projected in the field.
I too am curious about the process of talent evaluation. It is befuddling that we can be so hit--or-miss. We buy low on a gem (Carr) and find 2 great under-the-radar players for cheap (Powell and Williams) but then fail spectacularly with the likes of Roach and Rataj.
I think it is more complicated than simply an error in talent evaluation. I think we actually have been more hit than miss, but the hits have not worked out in our favor in terms of building roster continuity. Over the last five years we have lost these players to either the NBA draft or the transfer portal, all of whom we expected to be strong, multi-year (even if just for 2 years) players in our program: Jeremy Sochan, Yves Missi, Rob Wright III, LJ Cryer (if you count him - I would) to name a few. Now it looks like we probably will only have Cameron Carr for one season as well, and I would bet the staff viewed him as a 2 year guy. Then the other side of that, we have tried to build around those guys with veteran talent from the transfer portal on one or two year rentals: Akinjo, RayJ, Norchad, Roach, etc.
Obviously, the program needs to make some changes. But it's between a rock and a hard place. If you get guys in the program who really aren't cut out for the NBA draft at an early age and who aren't going to be tempted by the transfer portal, then they aren't guys talented enough to win you games. Fans will erupt at the losses stacking up (much as they are now, and rightfully so). But, if you continue to get the talent that you desire, then you are open to players going to the draft or getting poached like Rob Wright. There are only so many good, multi-year, starting level players to go around.
The fan base wants to win NOW. CSD, I think, has tried to build a win-now roster by combining young, NBA ready talent, with veteran transfer portal rentals. It has not worked, and the guys that he has brought in to fill around those that would be strong developmental pieces have actually been better than anticipated and either gone to the league or to BYU or Houston. But constructing the roster differently would commit to a multi-year rebuild in which we might lose all good-will built through the transfer portal anyways. There is not a clear answer here - outside of simply having more money - much to the contrary of the opinion of many posters on here.
