never know. he has to go somewhere his 5th year right? Ivy doesn't allow grad students. a few players have transferred back to their prior schools.
Soulis hits the portal
- Thread starter MDspider8
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never know. he has to go somewhere his 5th year right? Ivy doesn't allow grad students. a few players have transferred back to their prior schools.
maybe we're the 1st at something! we've set up a D-league team in the Ivy!
Sorry for dreaming
Remains to be seen. Think Soulis could. He missed entire off season with injury, and showed some flashes. If he stays healthy, would not doubt to see him be a legit player under Hovde's tutelage.
Sman - not sure it is going to be that easy to be snag two more legit 5's as you assume. Remember, even with Quinn, that was really prior to big time NIL payments being the norm in the power conferences. As we know, bigs are very much in demand - so I do not have high confidence level we grab a comparable player.
we'll see. but if we're fully invested in this NIL thing at $3M per year and if we have no real returning center so there's practically guaranteed playing time, I'm betting we'll be attractive to a couple good ones.
Makes sense, still with other schools we see NIL amounts paid per player. We have no idea if we are willing to actually play that game, or if the power schools will just up the ante. So I remain skeptical. But agree - if $ is equal, our high usage rates for big men make us attractive. But it does seems that $ may be trumping fit starting two years ago.
Definitely concerned about having to plug in a starting center in 2026 with no chance to build into the role, given what it entails in our system. Quinn did okay though, so perhaps I worry too much.
And next season gives me enough to be concerned about...I shouldn't bother looking ahead to 2026.
And next season gives me enough to be concerned about...I shouldn't bother looking ahead to 2026.
Why I think it would have been great to keep Soulis this season. Unlike others, I do think he still could contribute and be a good player for us. From what I could tell, he lost most of his offseason between freshman and soph season due to injury. I think he could have been a better version than Beagle this season, and then we have him for two more. So both problems above solved. Even if he played down to 4700's level, and then left, we would still be in the same boat looking for big men in 26.
Naming the season by beginning year instead of ending year always confuses me…
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I hear you hear BUT....decent big men are again a premium, so very likely a guy you and I would term "A10 level" is going to get $ to fill out B10 or B12 roster, just because.
I don't know that Soulis was the answer, but to only have two true centers both in their last year of eligibility feels kinda like malpractice to me considering our system. If we weren't confident in him, we should have been on centers in either the portal or the high school ranks.
Regardless, the starting year of the season is what is typically used, no? We call the incoming guys 2025 recruits, not 2026.
I used 2026 because that's when the plugging in of the new player(s) would be happening. 🤷🏼♂️
Regardless, the starting year of the season is what is typically used, no? We call the incoming guys 2025 recruits, not 2026.
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Yes, recruits are by incoming year. However KenPom says we were 10-22 in 2025.
So maybe stats by ending year? Like I said confusing.
So 2023 recruit Tyne started 11 games in his first season 2024…
Didn't Soulis also relcassify out of HS to come to UR a year early? Maybe that hurt his development as well - maybe just was not ready and needed another HS year.
So, you are saying A-10 teams will never have an A-10 level big again? Most transfers want to play good minutes. I don't think many will transfer to power schools just to be a roster filler, and I don't see why power teams would use a lot of NIL money on a roster filler.
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From the portal. Dayton could get one, b/c they likely will pay big bucks. VCU too. Not convinced we will pay.
Soulis was from HS ranks and we beat out St John's and St Mary's. St. Johns likely saw him more as a long term project and saved $. He could have been, this upcoming year would have been his soph eligible year. Guy like Jim Shields blossomed in his junior and senior years. And that was Moon's stated new strategy, build via HS. Not plug in via portal. But our critical point center will have to be a plug in. Somehow.
There is very little doubt we will land a big in the portal next year who will be a much better option than Soulis. We have NIL and we pretty much have guaranteed minutes, and likely an all but guaranteed starter spot to a quality big. We will be very attractive to a quality big. I'm not at all concerned about that spot.
Especially a big who likes to play at the 3 pt. line on offense and doesn't like to rebound.
It's the sensible thing to do.
Daughtry does almost all his work inside. I hope our center next year can step out and spread the floor so Daughtry can work. As good as Quinn was, I hated when defensive centers would lay off him and clog the paint.
Walz will be very interesting case. I was really high on him going into last season, but early in the season when we still had hope, he really didn't do much. He has shown some ability to shoot from range, but again nothing with much consistency. Beagle does not appear to have a high skill level. It would be great if Walz can have a break out season but not holding my breath. Walz and Beagle should put up solid PPG/RPG numbers combined. Hoping Walz turns into a threat that impacts winning.
Certainly the opportunity to play. Attractive for a transfer…yes. How good he or they is (are) is another matter. Either way we have a void after this season at 5. Will they come to dance? Don’t know the answer to that, but they will certainly be expected to weave.
Walz didn't play as much that first 8-10 games or first 1/3 of season. and barely shot 3s. Once he got more time he was our best 3 pt shooter by far. I think it was usage early. and maybe he struggled and deserved to sit more early. idk last year was a blur. but u r right the beginning of season was much different for him, tho part of that was pt and usage. some on him, some on coaches. but I thought much better as season goes on so gives me some hope. I think we want him shooting. but he can't have the same start again.
File this under sad but true.
I hope for the day when we have a coach who plays a big near the basket, watch him bang, and aggressively go for offensive rebounds.
In today's game, I would rather have a big that can shoot the 3. This brings out the other team's big and opens up so much room inside, leading to more 2s at the basket, which will force teams to help more and lead to more open 3s.
Unless we get one of the best bigs in the country, he won't be enough of a factor inside to draw double teams. So the result, if he stays inside, is the big guarding him can stay on him and stay in the lane to prevent 2s at the basket with no help needed from other guys, who can therefore stay with their guy the whole time. Also, a big who bangs underneath all game is foul trouble waiting to happen.
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I have the answers all rolled into one.
Play a crappy schedule
Have a crappy record against a crappy schedule
Fire the coach that had the crappy record against the crappy schedule
Bring in a new coach who has 1 or 2 big men on his former teams roster that transfer to the Spiders when the new coach is hired.
Problem solved
Play a crappy schedule
Have a crappy record against a crappy schedule
Fire the coach that had the crappy record against the crappy schedule
Bring in a new coach who has 1 or 2 big men on his former teams roster that transfer to the Spiders when the new coach is hired.
Problem solved
Makes good sense. The practicality is that there’s a better chance of another extension than what you and many of us want. Until we’re proven wrong, 20 years of status quo and this pattern of extensions remains intact.
we added this kind of big last year in Beagle. but unless Mooney adjusts things for when he's in the game, it doesn't look like we'll get the most out of him.
That’s why I mentioned hopes for the day when we have a coach…
It’s obvious that Mooney is not that coach. Regardless of the type of talent he recruits, Mooney’s style of play requires players to adapt to the same old same old system we’ve basically seen forever with only slight changes over time. Bottom line - until we get a new coach, the physicality potential of players won’t be actualized.
