Okay, so let's game this out.
Big Z: Out of all the guys we're linked to, this seems the most straightforward. Tomi, from every indication, has liked his time here. Z already has a relationship with OA. We simply can't let Tomi leave so we're gonna pony up just about whatever is necessary to lock down him and his brother. And from the indications the insiders have given, this feels highly likely.
Jaylin Sellers: A somewhat similar profile to Tre, who we moved on quickly last year in the portal. A bucket getter with a fair number of offensive tricks. You can see how the staff would sell him on Illinois. We're a top offense that will give guys a lot of leeway if they show they deserve it. We're a winner, so we are offering him a chance to go to the tournament. You can also see how we might overpay to get him. From the indications of our insiders, this one also feels likely and that makes sense.
Josh Dix: This is where things get a bit hairy. A lot of teams want him. I have no doubt we put in a strong bid and an extremely hard sell. This one will probably come down to money. We're the highest bidder till we aren't. Our insiders think we're in a good position, but it feels like multiple programs are thinking that. This has all the trappings of one that gets away. It's not because the insiders are wrong. It's just because circumstances changed and a team came in with a higher bid. As more time passes between his visit here and his announcement, the odds feel longer this one gets across the line. If we pull this off, I'll be really impressed. Though, I'll worry about how much we paid.
Dame Sarr: This one is extremely hairy. We got in on the ground floor and have KJ as proof of concept. I have no doubt we might have had a soft verbal a month or so ago. The insiders have been indicating that and it makes sense. The issue is the cat is out of the bag and circumstances are changing. The better he does in the Spanish League, the higher chance he tests the NBA waters or, frankly, becomes a bigger piece to Barcs plans and decides to stay for one more year. And then there's the fact that a whole lot more college teams are aware of him. Attacks are coming from multiple fronts. Even if the insiders continue to feel confident on this one, there's a good chance they don't have the whole picture here. How could they? There are so many moving parts. This feels like it's going to take a while to resolve and hopefully, we have a backup plan. Pulling this off now would feel like an incredible coup. Don't count on this one till there's an actual announcement.
Now, pulling off all four would be an impressive and, frankly, an unprecedentedly smooth portal season. This time of year never quite goes exactly as we plan at the beginning of the season, but, hey, there's a first time for everything.
