Just adding the Akron kid alone would be huge.
Could trot out a Reece Armaan Ali Jayden Kadin line up with McKneely Taine Kihei and Traudt off the bench.
This is the most realistic I’ve been. I’d be fine with just one transfer. Must have gone through a spiritual awakening
I don’t agree that going after the best players each year means you are “recruiting over” anyone – but even if it did, there’s a HUGE difference between doing that and “running guys off.”
“Running guys off” means you’re pushing out someone you recruited, strong-arming them to leave the program and free up a scholarship. It’s what Coach K has done repeatedly, and apparently what Muss is doing now in Arkansas. Tony doesn’t do that. If he’s given you a scholarship, he honors it.
And, yes, that puts him at a competitive disadvantage. And, no, I wouldn’t want him to change. Because those five pillars are not just words on a motivational poster. They mean something.
I am positive I’m not happy that Igor is in the portal.
you add a wing with size who can shoot, you solve a lot of problems.
I’m sorry to see Igor go. I liked him and thought he had promise. But let’s keep perspective: We talk about him sometimes like he’s Dirk Nowitzki. He still needed a lot of development, and honestly, if he played major minutes next year, it would have meant that Traudt (and maybe Bond) weren’t nearly as ready as we had hoped or as good as we thought.
With the scholarships freed up by Igor and Carson, we’ve got an opportunity to upgrade with two transfers who can better fit our needs and provide more immediate impact. I think that’s a positive development.
I never saw people talking about him like he’s Dirk. I saw people saying he had a lot to offer offensively. I still think that’s true.
Just a message board fact of life I should get over , but it annoys me that “What is Tony doing with these lineups?” Becomes “oh, so you want to fire Tony?” And “Igor has intriguing skills on offense” becomes “oh so he’s the second coming of Dirk” and “given that we are so we mediocre, I wonder why we didn’t see more of our young talent” becomes “oh, so you’re convinced that the 3 Ms are so awesome.”
Meh. Grumble. Moving on (but probably not really… 
)
Here’s where an adjustment needs to be made: the current TB system: wait your turn, work hard, maybe play a lot in years 3 and 4, has fewer and fewer takers.
We have 11 scholarship players on our roster at the moment. We bring back 5 starters and 7 of our top 8 minutes players from last season.
And have 4 first year recruits coming in.
What transfers are looking at that and thinking there is an opportunity for minutes here?
EDIT: to be positive this is the most continuity we have had since winning the Natty!
Hey everyone! Who wants to try to beat out 4 top 75ish guys with NBA hopes to try to be this years Kody Stattmann? (Maybe I will regret this post, but right now it seems amusing
There are none.
I wonder what the pitch to McNeil sounds like right now: “We have two PGs that play 35 mins a piece, a senior two guard coming back that transferred here to be a major contributor, and we have a highly touted freshman two guard coming in…wanna get in that mix??”
To focus on Igor for a second, I think the major question(s) for his future are to what extent he can improve athletically, and if not, where does that put his ceiling?
There are plenty of good 6-10 forwards who can shoot well that aren’t great athletes out there that succeed in the college game
If we replace Igor with someone bouncier who complements Traudt better than I’m not too worried on that front. It’s the Kihei (potential) news that’s way more damning imo
^ shocker take from me
I think that’s been the blueprint for some players but others have gotten on the court early, mostly guards: Kihei, Reece, Kyle, London, JA. Casey, though maybe there are extenuating circumstances. Marial, Ty, Tobey all got around 30% of minutes available their first year.
I’m positive that it’s not so much being a backup - it’s being chained to the bench and not playing at all and watching Kody be so great
I think Tony has shown that he’s not interested changing that. I wouldn’t hold your breath. He’ll just look harder for those that will. (or maybe he’ll leave).
Yes but if he leaves then where will he go? The entire college landscape is like this. The NBA?- maybe, but his system has such highs (National Championship), and lows (NIT, or embarrasing 1st round losses) plus he would have to change his system to avoid scoring in the 90’s in the NBA…So if he was going to change his system in the NBA, then why wouldn’t he change it now in college?
My gut feeling is that whenever Tony leaves UVa, he’ll be done with coaching at any level.
I don’t think Igor ever expected to play much this year, he committed late I think after we already had Jayden and armaan, adjusting to new game and country. He’s transferring because he doesn’t see an easy path to playing time next year. Most international recruits used to always be a year away from being a year away but it’s a whole new ballgame with new transfer, there will always be a school out there that can promise starter minutes
The big test for TB will be managing his first big class of this transfer era.