Fullbacksympathy

Bummer. He would’ve been the 4th best point guard on our roster next year.

Cam was a terrible defender all season. Any of our options at PG will be better all-around. He would've wanted nothing to do with Trey (dude is a dog), and Webster would've scored all over him in practice. It was a good decision for him to leave.

Agree with the sentiment here. I don't see how Andre would be a better finisher based on the film I've watched, although he may very well be a better free throw shooter. Yvan plays really hard. I think he'll make some strides physically and offensively in the offseason. That still won't make him a shotblocker or speedster though, and I think Andre has those two things in bulk along with being taller. I could envision scenarios where they play next to each other or neither of them is on the court at all in exchange for someone like Stevenson or Lat at the 5. So many options.

Yeah I remember reading that. Certainly hope it's accurate. The vertical jump can be manipulated pretty easily, but I'll concede with the evidence rather than my eyes. A true 40 inch vert at 6'6" would put his eyes right at the rim when he's dunking, fwiw, and that's with a one step takeoff. It's an enormous vertical leap.

He has a 7’ wingspan. That’s a 6+ inch advantage in vertical. I think he’s very athletic, but an explosive leaper isn’t how I would personally describe his athleticism. He’s reaching up to the rim, not looking down at. Just my .02.

Agree. He's got a frame we don't have on the roster. If our team rebounding is adequate, that might get him in the rotation. I mean... we can throw out enormous lineups now that can legitimately play the 1-5. Andre looks better in this lineup to me than Yvan for the exact reasons you mentioned. Stevenson 6'6" Thor 6'6" Banton 6'8" Mayen 6'9" Andre 6'10"

I think he and Stevenson are similar athletes in that they are of average explosiveness with very long arms. Not complaining! He's certainly athletic enough and his height looks legit. I think he's a steal. I wouldn't call him better than Sanogo, but he's definitely taller/longer and more of a true 5/rim protector/shot alterer, which we didn't have on the roster until Eduardo committed.

Fred's staff doesn't recruit for the future. It's a hard idea to get used to, but you just can't bank on developing guys much anymore. He treats transfers like development/redshirt guys by default when applicable, but he's looking for dudes who can play right now, and the upgrade at each position isn't only on the table, but actively pursued in recruiting year round. Considering next season's roster just got better at every single position (I think our PG play will be a lot better than Mack), we can only expect it to continue to improve year to year under Fred's tenure. It's a smart model.

It absolutely is, and he has good timing on his blocks. He's not explosive, but he has very long arms and legs.

Going through his Hudl highlights. He's a lot longer defensively than I thought. I think he'll definitely be a center. Nice knack for shot blocking without fouling.

He's like an in-shape Jordy, and that's a good thing. He looks limited offensively, but he already looks fantastic in terms of his ability to help on pick and roll, and he handles the ball pretty well. He can really, really run at 220lbs. I'm guessing he can remain comfortable at 235-240lbs. I'm not sure if he can help us next year, and I don't see him playing the 4, but his speed and skill in transition is an element we don't currently have at the 5. I like it.

It’s not the recruiting effort I’d have a problem with. I’m a huge Fred fan. Huge. I just don’t think it would be a good look to say a player is a lock when they aren’t, and Fred doesn’t seem like the type, so I’m actually defending him rather than jumping to conclusions.

I think you're right, but I have trouble doubting Fred's competency to speak on this with authority at booster functions. I'm 50/50 whether or not it was Sanogo. If it was, that's a major L on FH and MA's parts.

Not sure about this regardless of who we recruit at the 4-5 this season. We can potentially roll out some big, beefy lineups. Consider: Banton -- 6'8" (200) Allen -- 6'5" (230) -- Kobe King 6'4" (220) Stevenson -- 6'6" (245) -- Thor 6'6" (210) Mayen -- 6'9" (210) Yvan -- 6'9" (260) -- Walker 6'8" (240) We actually already have a very tall and strong team if we need to roll them out this way. Having Stevenson, Banton, and Mayen on the roster next season gives us all sorts of flexibility, size wise. Rebounding/post defense may very well be one of our strengths with next year's roster regardless of our next signee.

If this is the big they've been talking about, he might be the best of the bunch from what I've seen. He's kind of a combo of Sanogo and '21 German kid, but he dunks more--probably a little taller than both and has good weight on him. Legit 4*.

Fred’s got someone of high quality locked up and it’s been that way for awhile. That much we can be certain of. He’s not one to spout out dumb things about a maybe on the recruiting front.

Wouldn't that sit out season count as a redshirt?

This IS funny, but I actually guarantee they have this conversation.

Good get. Strong bodied stretch 4 with a high catch/release. No mechanics to his shot at all really. Kavas had a giant windup in comparison which devalued his height. Between Lakes and Tominaga, we have some serious gunners coming in for ‘21-22.

I was thinking of the blue chipper on Patrick's. Can't remember the name. My bad.

It would be insane to get 3 players from the same high school team, but if it gets Sanogo and Ellis, Nutter is entirely worth any sort of risk. He's a freak athlete. Doc would love him.

I would've liked Cross to stay as well, but I'm guessing he doesn't want to come off the bench. No way he starts over Stevenson, Allen, or Banton. I doubt the coaches told him they didn't want him. I'm guessing they told him he would be a role player, and that was probably the reality of the situation for him here. We have a legitimate squad next year, with more player additions likely in the fold soon. It's going to be fight or flight for most players under Hoiberg, and more power to him for setting up a system that puts the program first as opposed to risking the entire structure on the loyalty feelings of an 18-22yo.

He's probably waiting to see if there is going to be a college basketball season.

I don't think this was an easy decision for the kid. I also think it means Fred has a couple of serious contributors in the fold to go with what he's already brought in. If Kevin isn't good enough to get any playing time as an improved sophomore, we're about to be a wildly different product.

Ty is a more of an offensive coach, and Lebron is probably as good of an offensive coach as anyone in the league. LA made a brilliant move hiring Frank Vogel. He can coach the hell out of defense, and their team defense (including Lebron) went through the roof this season. He's the perfect coach for Lebron because he'll let him do his thing on offense and push him on defense. Vogel is a really good coach. I think Ty would fit well in BK figuring out how to play Kyrie and KD together.