I just donāt understand this approach. Iām not advocating becoming a āfull portal maniaā model going forward, but the reality is that we have to rebuild a team from scratch right now (including trying to retain guys). We donāt have a choice. We are going to need players at multiple positions. If the money is really there, why would you not try to spend it? Why would you just default to lesser players? You think thatās what NCSU is going to do?
It will take years for a HS recruiting based development approach to take hold. Years. What if youāre not winning during those years? How good is your recruiting going to be? How do we know Odom can be successful executing that strategy at this level? His last 2 stops were 2 years each.
We are going to need a PG. we allegedly have money. Go get a higher end point guard. The āmachineā going forward is going to run on money. Start using it or we are going to be irrelevant.
Ah, hadnāt heard that. That would make sense then. Iād heard from someone at Mason that VCU got to $500K for him, which was one of the higher paid guys in A-10. I think that was Masonās entire budget last year lol.
We donāt want to end up like Jerome Tang with a multimillion dollar rosters who do nothing outside that one year.
But at the same time we donāt want to end up like Micah Shewsberry who has barely used the portal and even though he had some stud young players have they even had close to a winning ACC Season?
I would find it hard to imagine Odom doesnāt use the portal considering how heavy he used it at VCU.
I fully expect them to tryā¦look you and I see this topic differently. My view is that everybody has moneyā¦the top top portal guys usually make decisions based on other things, or at minimum trim based on other things then let the money decide. I think itāll take the right guy for UVA to be in that discussion. Weāll seeā¦maybe everybody is just dying to play for Odom or UVA is going to go full K State and start throwing out crazy offers.
Look, I respect your view and I donāt want you to get the impression that Iām trying to fight with you about it or am disregarding the intel youāre providing. Iām more upset at the message, not the messenger.
Everybody may have money, but are they also not going to use it? I keep going back to this: how are we going to stay ahead of Clemson ncsu and every other acc team outside unc and Duke?
The best coach to ever do it our school just threw in the towel IMO largely because he didnāt see a path to his develop and retain approach working anymore. I know there are other factors to it, but thatās whatās between the lines. My view is that is a pretty big indictment of that approach, at least without major adjustments, especially being willing to pay up for impact guys and being willing and able to coach around their newness to the team. Doesnāt mean you always have to get in bidding wars for the top portal guys and base your outcomes solely around winning those battles. I do think it means you have to be willing to pay up for some proven production looking for a raise, because every year your own proven production is going to be looking for the same and you are not always going to keep that production in house.
I think HGN is saying we are willing to pay what they want. But so far, at least, they donāt appear to want to come here. Will see if that changes, but it doesnāt seem like HGN thinks it will.
Yeah but I also agree of the counter point that in the first year with so much cash and a lot of pieces we may already have on the roster on cheaper value, we might as well throw out some crazy offers even if it bites us back in the ass. We lose nothing otherwise.
I actually think weāre close to on the same page, maybe. UVA can absolutely get proven guys, I just donāt expect star players out of the portalā¦at least not the kind you can do something more than be āgoodā with leading the way. Same is true for all but a few teams, unless you kind of pick an underrated gem which does happen.
I mean Tony Bennett never got star players out of the portal. Solid or very solid, but never stars. And last year of course, woof. We need more Armaan and Jayden level players than BVP or Dai Dai level players this go around. Hoping Odomās style is gong to attract some guys
Tennessee has been doing this annually with guys you would think were fringe D1 players. Thereās no reason we canāt do what theyāve done with Knecht and Lanier around a solid core. Probably a good sign that Tennessee wanted Chance.
I think a duo that make a lot of sense is Rowan Brumbaugh and Kaleb Banks from Tulane who Ive been harping on all season.
Both former top 100 kids who went down to mid Major to get minutes and development.
Rowan a DC kid (Iāve actually seen him a few times at pick up in Tysons Corner area). Banks is an Atlanta kid with connections to both ARob and Wilkins. Both kids Tony actually gave a look at but went elsewhere (McKneely and Dunn).
Rowan redshirted at Texas so he has two years left. Banks has 1 year left but at the 4 heās athletic, good blocks and steals, and can hit open 3s.
I mean that was kind of the issue with the last couple Bennett teams, lack of real star power lol. Thatās what separated us from a team like Tennessee, they hit on guys like Knecht and Lanier, we didnāt.
I agree we need to hit on more solid secondary guys but it would also be nice to have a real impact go-to scoring option. Gardner wasnāt that and neither was Armaan.
