Well said. In 5 years this will all be normal and just how things are done.
Illini Basketball
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Man…. RJ slowplayed us….. gave the WuShock after LAST year.Yes he is...
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Holding a player to a college for four years would be the same the number of years a first round NBA draft pick is tied to a team, and the collegiate player gets the added ability to choose his school.
Player movement and player compensation are different, and the failure to separate the two and their different implications for the sport is how we got into this mess in the first place.
The old sit-out year system was MORE freedom of movement for players than the NBA, not less.
Yes. When we (and most teams) can’t even count on guys that start every game or nearly every game coming back the following season. It seems like a pretty big waste of time to obsess about 3,4, even 5 star dudes out of high school in a lot of cases.
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I think that after a few years of this and a bunch of kids getting caught out in the portal and seeing the grass isn’t always greener, this will level out some. At least I hope. This isn’t as rewarding to watch as it used to be.
If a player enters the portal what is the last day they can return to the school where they have a scholarship. Sorry to see RJ leave for next season.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
As our resident sage of the cosmos pruman said....if you choose to don the orange and blue for our beloved....I will cheer for you the same as I have for 40+years.
However, when you leave, If you aren't a true Illini (I'm looking at you MM, Epps, Mark Smith...etc) I couldn't care less about your path.
I watch Bulls games now because of Ayo. I've watched G League games with Giorgi...I have watched Japanese basketball......Japanese basketball.....because Kofi.
Same for all the Illini that moved on to play professionally from our past. We are always following you.
I haven't watched Trent in Serbia or Russia yet.....but I'm hoping he gets to Turkey or Spain or somewhere I can travel to see him soon.
For me, that's the difference between these hired guns and an Orange Blooded Illini.
However, when you leave, If you aren't a true Illini (I'm looking at you MM, Epps, Mark Smith...etc) I couldn't care less about your path.
I watch Bulls games now because of Ayo. I've watched G League games with Giorgi...I have watched Japanese basketball......Japanese basketball.....because Kofi.
Same for all the Illini that moved on to play professionally from our past. We are always following you.
I haven't watched Trent in Serbia or Russia yet.....but I'm hoping he gets to Turkey or Spain or somewhere I can travel to see him soon.
For me, that's the difference between these hired guns and an Orange Blooded Illini.
The portal is definitely going to change things.
I just wonder what this means for coaching competencies. Will teaching and developing become secondary to mid-collegiate recruiting? Will there be certain programs that stand out as “point A to point B” programs and have a niche that is about getting promising players to a blue blood program? I am just curious how this will evolve.
I just wonder what this means for coaching competencies. Will teaching and developing become secondary to mid-collegiate recruiting? Will there be certain programs that stand out as “point A to point B” programs and have a niche that is about getting promising players to a blue blood program? I am just curious how this will evolve.
So? Moses didn't come down from Mt. Sinai with four years of team control engraved on a stone tablet. That number is the result of an extensively negotiated CBA between the players and teams, and there's no analog to that whatsoever in the NCAA.
So these players want fans to buy their merch, but they won't stay at 1 school for 4 years. Why should I spend my money on a Skyy Clark, Jayden Epps, RJ Melendez, etc shirt or jersey? New fan rule should be, don't buy anything from a player that hasn't been with the program for at least 3 seasons.
On a good (often veteran) team, a lot of freshman naturally struggle to get minutes. Immediately transfer.
On a bad (often younger) team, freshman can get a lot of minutes and their stats but the team/situation is bad.
Immediately transfer.
What is the point of recruiting freshman? Have one player out of the class of ~4 stick with a program if you’re lucky?
I can tell you that if Shauna had her way she would move on from the sophomore class other than Cam. She should have pulled a Deon Sanders last year, but now she is stuck with 2 that are staying just for the degree. So, the women's program would need a bunch too.
Miami might try to get some Hometown hype out of him. Larinaga is as good of a coach there is, too
At worst, he would be a good veteran backup PG piece. Certainly better than the Jaylon Tate's of the world
The money I'll save!
Your top 5 have made big impacts in an Illini uniform and I would count Feliz, so make that 6 out of 9
TYGER
That's the interesting twist in comparing college and pro player movement. No collective bargaining, just free agency essentially. I'm sure the system will normalize, but I don't know that there's a roadmap or case study to reference on how we'll get from here to there.
Maybe RJ feels like he is going to be a role player and feels like another school might give him a chance to showcase his skillset(ex: Brandon Podz). Honestly, I think RJ drops down to a mid major program where he can become more of a focal point of the offense. I think he could thrive in the right setting. But, here, I think he's just another player. That's my inclination with him
Not a bad plan...but will really limit what jerseys you will buy as Ayo, Giorgi, Kofi were all here 3 seasons...then left.
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