ehhhhhhh
Doesn't this statement go along with every single player that enters our program? Whether its the NBA, Overseas or what have you, at some point, every player leaves.....
Are you you confirming that he’s leaving?
He always seemed to put in the work. I thought his defense was solid. I’ll trust the insiders though.
Weird take.
How much of his struggles this year were due to his shoulder injury? I fully expect him to shoot 40% from 3 somewhere else next year. Oh well, next man up.
[EDIT: Oh, my. That will teach me not to read an entire thread before responding. And me, a GIF aficionado, completely missing the boat. OK... my post below can be recaptured in the following GIF:]
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I saw them in August '07 when they took a spin through Canada and I was living in Ottawa. (Is that a foreign country?! Yes. Yes, indeed it is! Seven years in Canada teaches a man to hate)
They played the reigning Canadian National Champions, Carleton University, and won in overtime. It was helpful, if depressing, to see that game and realize that the ensuing season would be a long one. I was so desperate for hope that I actually thought there was a chance that Steve Holdren (whom I believe was the leading scorer that evening) would be dropping daggers on the BT from the perimeter all season long!
Pretty cool to see the team in a gym that seated fewer than 1k, however, sit a dozen rows behind the bench, and chat with boosters afterward. (One told me that Jamar Smith, who was still suspended during that summer, was shooting the ball like no one he had ever seen. Alas, I don't believe Jamar ever stepped on the court for the Illini again.)
The Canadians also mercilessly heckled Jeff Jordan.
Go to Spain to see the team if they go this summer. You won't regret it.
The transfer portal has gotten out of hand, though I still do believe in a few more years it will settle down a bit as players realize that the grass isn't always greener and a certain number of transfers get hosed.
All that means is that players from other B1G schools haven't entered the portal yet. It's way too early to compare numbers and/or to claim a dumpster is burning. Time will tell.
If RJ is being recruited over I won't blame him for leaving. Last year he showed he is not a good at catch and shoot 3s which limited his effectiveness and resulted in chemistry issues when he was on the floor with TSJ, CoHawk and Ty. If those 3 are core players next year there are more issues ahead for RJ. However I think Amani and Dra would be better fits for RJ's game so i hope he stays and gets court time with them.
If you enjoy parity and every team having a chance....NIL and the transfer portal is for you. The traditional powers are going to have to rethink high school recruiting. No longer does the team with a huge recruiting class tower over the field. It's the team that's got 3 seniors and 2 juniors starting that does.
