Rank Our Newcomers

[cornfed24-7]

5 minutes ago, Art Vandalay said:

I guess I will comment as I see fit Francis. I believe it was an unnecessary shot at some kids most of us will be cheering for this year. Plus right now you have no clue how these guys will pan out compared to other BIG teams. Fred has earned the criticism but the new kids absolutely have not.

One doesn't need to earn criticism. And criticism isn't nessarily a bad thing. And on paper in comparison to their peers, which is other big ten rosters, this bunch looks like a bunch of scrubs. And that's fine because I have cheered for a quite a few Husker basketball teams that was comprised of a bunch of scrubs. The last three years in fact plus many many more. 

[OmahaHusker]

1 Sam Griesel

2 Blaise Keita

3 Emmanuel Bandoumel

4 Juwan Gary

5 Ramel Lloyd Jr

 

I like Griesel, but the fact that he seems to be ranked first by the majority is also an issue. On a good P6 team he's a contributing piece, not your go-to guy. I'm not expecting much of anything this season, but hoping to see more effort than previous years.

 

 

[49r]

15 minutes ago, cornfed24-7 said:

One doesn't need to earn criticism. And criticism isn't nessarily a bad thing. And on paper in comparison to their peers, which is other big ten rosters, this bunch looks like a bunch of scrubs. And that's fine because I have cheered for a quite a few Husker basketball teams that was comprised of a bunch of scrubs. The last three years in fact plus many many more. 

 

If this bunch of scrubs can somehow manage 7 or 8 conference wins and get themselves to 15 or 16 wins overall this season there won't be anyone cheering louder for them than I will.

 

But I think criticism of Hoiberg and how he runs this program has been very well earned by now.  And unfortunately, that also reflects on his players and the character of the kids who choose to come play for him.

[busticket]

17 minutes ago, 49r said:

 

But I think criticism of Hoiberg and how he runs this program has been very well earned by now.  And unfortunately, that also reflects on his players and the character of the kids who choose to come play for him.

The criticism for Hoiberg is certainly earned.  And it does reflect on some of the kids who chose to play for him in the past.  We know who they are.

 

However, there are players here like Walker, Dawson, McPherson, etc who certainly do not seem like bad chemistry guys.  And the new batch of kids seem to have great team first attitudes.  I don’t think Fred’s past personnel decisions reflect on the kids who are still around.  At least for me, the guys I wanted to see gone are gone.

[Chuck Taylor]

Griesel, Gary and Bandoumel are most likely to start, (with Walker and Wilcher) so they're the top 3.

 

Sam was our only ranked transfer, ranked 88th in 247's transfer rankings:

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/College-basketball-transfer-portal-player-rankings-2022-247Sports-187173346/

82 on Watchstadium:

https://watchstadium.com/the-top-75-college-basketball-transfers-for-2022-23-04-14-2022/

Unranked in On3:

https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/top/basketball/2022/
So by default, he must be No. 1. 

 

Gary was a part-time starter for a good Alabama team. Bando was the 4th leading scorer on a decent SMU team. So tossup.

 

I honestly don't see Blaise and Walker on the floor at the same time, but Blaise will have more impact than the freshman guards, who all will be backups and likely getting fewer minutes than Kensei. Any ranking on the frosh guards is pure speculation or wishful thinking. Oleg won't play much.

 

Could somebody really surprise to the upside and shoot to No. 1? Sure, but those are the kind of hopes that are prevalent in summer and crushed once the season starts. (See Kensei and Keon predictions last summer.)

[Fullbacksympathy]

On 6/29/2022 at 11:36 AM, Norm Peterson said:

2 Ramel Lloyd Jr, 6'6 G

3 Quaran McPherson, 6'3 G

4 Juwan Gary, 6'6 F

5 Sam Griesel, 6'6 G

10 Jamarques Lawrence, 6'3 G

12 Denim Dawson, 6'6 G/F

15 Blaise Keita, 6'11 F

25 Emmanuel Bandoumel, 6'4 G

33 Oleg Kojenets, 7'0 F

 

1. Griesel--he'll match Verge's production in his own way.

2. Lloyd--yall know I'm high on him from day one.  I believe he will have a greater impact on W/L than Bryce did as a TFrosh.  He won't score as much but he's strong, he'll guard well, and he'll make correct plays on offense.

3. Keita--he isn't a flashy player, but I kind of like that, honestly.  Flashy JUCO guys don't typically matter in D1.  Getting by on athleticism doesn't typically translate because everyone has athleticism.  Keita has good feet, nice touch, smart defense, good hands, and rebounding instincts.  I think his old man game will hold up and he'll be like an 8 and 8 guy.  

4.  Gary--another guy who can flat out guard.  He'll bring glue, energy, rebounding, slashing.  Effort is contagious.

5.  Bandoumel--proven starter at a better program, solid defender, very good shooter.

 

Lawrence--can really shoot but will have a ways to go in terms of strength.

Dawson--good body for defense/slashing.  Good reputation for playing hard.  Don't know much about him.  Seems kind of like the kid who transferred with similar measurements.

McPherson--total wildcard to me.  Looks like he has all the intangibles a coach could dream up.  I just don't know how good he actually is.

Kojenets--I still like that he's steadily working.  I'm guessing he needs one more year before being a decent contributor.  

 

[aphilso1]

3 hours ago, Swan88 said:

According to Robin Washut:

But the Huskers decided to add one more piece to the puzzle on Monday and landed a commitment from 2021 Link Year (Mo.) guard Quaran McPherson.  The three-star native of Queens, N.Y., chose NU over other offers from Arizona State, Georgia, St. John’s, and other high-majors.

 

The national recruiting outlets never listed those offers, nor did the ASU and Georgia recruiting sites.  The extended offer list was only ever mentioned on Husker-centric pages after Q was signed.  I'm going to believe Georgia and ASU over Robin when it comes to whether Georgia and ASU offered. 

[aphilso1]

3 hours ago, Swan88 said:

And Alabama lists him as a 6 foot 6 inch "Forward," not a post.

 

Odd semantic to argue over.  

 

"The power forward (PF), also known as the four, often plays a role similar to that of the center, down in the "post" or "low blocks"." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_positions

[Swan88]

 

[NUdiehard]

Are we ranking them for how they will play this year, or over their career?  Obviously, the transfers have a huge advantage over the freshmen for this coming season, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are the better "career" players or have the highest "ceiling" in their college career.

 

Based on this upcoming season only:

 

1. Griesel - How could it be anyone but Griesel?  He is our only legit PG.  He is so valuable, if he gets hurt for any period of time, the season is pretty much over.  There is no reliable backup PG

 

2. Gary - this was a toss-up between Gary and Bando, but I will go with Gary because he brings defense and rebounding which is desperately needed. 

 

3.  Bando - Basically a Trey replacement.  Good defender, decent 3-point shooter.

 

4.  Keita - The top 3 were easy, this is where it starts getting tougher, but I will go with Keita over Lloyd, Lawrence and McPherson just because he is almost guaranteed to have a role, even tho I don't think he will start.

 

5.  Lloyd - This really is a complete toss-up.  I want to put Lawrence because he is my darkhorse.  And Q is an option because he will likely be in the rotation due to being the backup PG.  But I will go with the safe pick in Lloyd based on this length and HS pedigree.

 

For those who have Keita 1st or 2nd, what is your thinking on this.  Don't we all agree that Walker will start?  And if yes, then Keita is a backup center at best.  And he will have competition for minutes from Wilhelm.  Or do you think he will start and beat out Walker?  Because if he is limited to backup minutes, there is no way he will have a greater impact than Griesel who will probably play 30+ minutes every game, or Bando and Gary who will either start or play 20-25 minutes per game.  Just not seeing the logic on that call.  With that said, if he is a dominant force that could beat out Walker for the starting center spot, that would be something.  Walker was probably our third best player last year, and now he would be coming off the bench because the new guy is better, that would definitely be a step in the right direction, but I just don't see it happening. 

 

Regarding McPherson, I struggle with where to put him.  He will most likely be in rotation next year because he is the only backup PG.  But that fact he couldn't see the floor last year on a terrible team with so many holes and injuries just indicates he isn't a B1G level player, but man I hope that RS year helped him develop and now he shows he is ready for B1G play. 

 

If we are basing it on career (or at least the highest ceiling reached during their career), then:

1.  Lloyd

2.  Lawrence

3.  Griesel

4.  Keita

5.  Bando

 

 

[REDitus]

1)  Griesel     

2)  Bandoumel 

3)  Gary 

4)   Keita

5)   Lloyd

 

As others have pointed out,  the 5th pick is difficult.    We should set this up as a select 5 poll and see how the percentages shake out.   Also, my list is about the impact for the upcoming year, not career.

Edited July 1, 2022 by REDitus

[Nighthawk]

1. USC

2. UCLA

 

 

 

 

[busticket]

2 hours ago, REDitus said:

1)  Griesel     

2)  Bandoumel 

3)  Gary 

4)   Keita

5)   Lloyd

 

As others have pointed out,  the 5th pick is difficult.    We should set this up as a select 5 poll and see how the percentages shake out.   Also, my list is about the impact for the upcoming year, not career.

Exactly how I see it.  So it’s probably wrong.

[Norm Peterson]

16 hours ago, NUdiehard said:

Are we ranking them for how they will play this year, or over their career?  Obviously, the transfers have a huge advantage over the freshmen for this coming season, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are the better "career" players or have the highest "ceiling" in their college career.

 

Based on this upcoming season only:

 

1. Griesel - How could it be anyone but Griesel?  He is our only legit PG.  He is so valuable, if he gets hurt for any period of time, the season is pretty much over.  There is no reliable backup PG

 

2. Gary - this was a toss-up between Gary and Bando, but I will go with Gary because he brings defense and rebounding which is desperately needed. 

 

3.  Bando - Basically a Trey replacement.  Good defender, decent 3-point shooter.

 

4.  Keita - The top 3 were easy, this is where it starts getting tougher, but I will go with Keita over Lloyd, Lawrence and McPherson just because he is almost guaranteed to have a role, even tho I don't think he will start.

 

5.  Lloyd - This really is a complete toss-up.  I want to put Lawrence because he is my darkhorse.  And Q is an option because he will likely be in the rotation due to being the backup PG.  But I will go with the safe pick in Lloyd based on this length and HS pedigree.

 

For those who have Keita 1st or 2nd, what is your thinking on this.  Don't we all agree that Walker will start?  And if yes, then Keita is a backup center at best.  And he will have competition for minutes from Wilhelm.  Or do you think he will start and beat out Walker?  Because if he is limited to backup minutes, there is no way he will have a greater impact than Griesel who will probably play 30+ minutes every game, or Bando and Gary who will either start or play 20-25 minutes per game.  Just not seeing the logic on that call.  With that said, if he is a dominant force that could beat out Walker for the starting center spot, that would be something.  Walker was probably our third best player last year, and now he would be coming off the bench because the new guy is better, that would definitely be a step in the right direction, but I just don't see it happening. 

 

Regarding McPherson, I struggle with where to put him.  He will most likely be in rotation next year because he is the only backup PG.  But that fact he couldn't see the floor last year on a terrible team with so many holes and injuries just indicates he isn't a B1G level player, but man I hope that RS year helped him develop and now he shows he is ready for B1G play. 

 

If we are basing it on career (or at least the highest ceiling reached during their career), then:

1.  Lloyd

2.  Lawrence

3.  Griesel

4.  Keita

5.  Bando

 

 

 

If Keita is the player he was billed to be when his juco team won the juco national title, he would definitely have a shot to be our starting center. Biggest question is whether he's recovered from injury.

 

He's listed at 6'11. His length would give us a legit rim protector. He's able to create his own shot inside. He appears to have solid shooting touch out to at least 15'.

 

Granted, in all reality, I think Walker is probably the guy. He has the advantage of experience. But how would you play Walker and Gary in the same frontcourt? It's like Walker and slightly shorter Walker.

 

I think one of our best hopes for the season is that Keita ends up being the player we hoped we were getting.

[colhusker]

On 6/30/2022 at 10:14 AM, 49r said:

 

If this bunch of scrubs can somehow manage 7 or 8 conference wins and get themselves to 15 or 16 wins overall this season there won't be anyone cheering louder for them than I will.

 

But I think criticism of Hoiberg and how he runs this program has been very well earned by now.  And unfortunately, that also reflects on his players and the character of the kids who choose to come play for him.

Good god we get it, you're broken.  Why take the time to derail Norm's post to bitch and moan over and over.  We get it.

 

Keita - Just because it allows Walker to play some 4 - Should also give us a rim protector.

Griesel - May not be flashy, but is a veteran to run the point and should be steady.

Bandoumel  - Replaces Tre as top defender 

Lawrence - Hopefully (in a wait and see mode) he is the shooter we've read about.

Lloyd - High ceiling

 

[Swan88]

16 hours ago, NUdiehard said:

 I want to put Lawrence because he is my darkhorse.  

Me too.  Here's why: Lawrence's growth and and recruiting interest came late.

Here are quotes from this interview:

 1. "one year ago I didn’t have any offers. When I first transferred to Roselle Catholic I got one offer, . . . So this summer was my first summer on the 3SSB circuit and I did really good in both sessions and got about 17 offers."

 2. On improvements: "a year-and-a-half ago I wasn’t able to finish through contact. I feel like I definitely got stronger over the past year-and-a-half."

 

Also, 2021-2022 stat comparisons between Jamarques Lawrence and his teammate, Simeon Wilcher, are similar (e.g., 461/490 points & 145/160 rebounds)--those include an extra game for Wilcher that Lawrence missed (where Wilcher scored 20, with 5 rebounds) so, the adjusted comparison is 461/470 points & 145/155 rebounds.

 

 

[Coaches kid]

1. Sam (Won't have to learn how to play point on the fly; Nebraska kid who loves the program; underrated athletically)

2. Bandoumel (looks to be athletic guy who can defend AND be a threat offensively)

3. Gary (athleticism, defense and comes from a good program; not as accomplished as Bandoumel offensively)

4. Lloyd (perhaps not as big of an upside as Bryce, but physically more ready to play right away; son of a solid player who hopefully has high basketball IQ)

5. Keita (BIG body, bigger upside than Eduardo who may give us another post scoring threat)

 

Just outside the top 5, Dawson and McPherson. If he's at least a little competent offensively, Dawson may be a good glue guy, akin to the Geronimo kid from Indiana. McPherson's attitude and grit alone might get him on the court. 

[Handy Johnson]

From smart people I’ve talked to, you better buy those Juwan Gary jerseys now before they sell out…

[busticket]

7 minutes ago, Handy Johnson said:

From smart people I’ve talked to, you better buy those Juwan Gary jerseys now before they sell out…

He is a walking nightmare after all!

 

I hope the smart people you know are spot on.  I’d love for him to be an animal in the paint.