(04-14-2021 04:18 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Good read for those who can access it. Tony says we have 4 players in the transfer portal including Groce and McBride.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports...203153002/

I count 5 (?). 4 remaining with one committed elsewhere.

2 SG
Chris Barnes
RS SR
6-4
205 Yes Eastern Michigan
2 SF
Miles Gibson
RS JR
6-6
198 Yes Eastern Michigan
2 SF
Ty Groce
RS SR
6-8
212 Yes Eastern Michigan
2 PG
Chris James
SO
6-2
170 Eastern Michigan College of Southern Idaho
2 PG
Bryce McBride
JR
6-2
178 Eastern Michigan

Didn't Barnes leave before last season even started?

This team needs a fresh infusion of talent at all positions.

(04-14-2021 05:45 AM)emu79 Wrote:  This team needs a fresh infusion of talent at all positions.

Maybe. Sometimes new coaching changes things.

HOWEVER, Heath says he wants to win NOW. Isn't interested in the old 90s, rebuild with say 7 - 9 new players, mostly frosh, and lose, and lose before starting to win in year #3.

I have been suggesting, maybe 5 holder over players, maybe 5 transfers and 3 - 5 high school/prep school players. Neither we (EMU) nor college sports are interested in long rebuilds. That's a paradigm belonging to the past age.

The 90s total rebuild paradigm existed because back then it was almost exclusively high school and JUCO players. Transfers weren't too common and there was a mandatory strictly enforced sitout year.

Really hard to rebuild 50 - 67% of a new season in one off season and win too many games.

Today many programs will have say 50% new players.

What we don't know is the status of players the previous staff was recruiting.

(04-14-2021 05:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 05:45 AM)emu79 Wrote:  This team needs a fresh infusion of talent at all positions.

Maybe. Sometimes new coaching changes things.

HOWEVER, Heath says he wants to win NOW. Isn't interested in the old 90s, rebuild with say 7 - 9 new players, mostly frosh, and lose, and lose before starting to win in year #3.

I have been suggesting, maybe 5 holder over players, maybe 5 transfers and 3 - 5 high school/prep school players. Neither we (EMU) nor college sports are interested in long rebuilds. That's a paradigm belonging to the past age.

The 90s total rebuild paradigm existed because back then it was almost exclusively high school and JUCO players. Transfers weren't too common and there was a mandatory strictly enforced sitout year.

Really hard to rebuild 50 - 67% of a new season in one off season and win too many games.

Today many programs will have say 50% new players.

What we don't know is the status of players the previous staff was recruiting.

See the 2021 recruiting thread. Its pretty up to date.

(04-14-2021 06:09 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 05:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 05:45 AM)emu79 Wrote:  This team needs a fresh infusion of talent at all positions.

Maybe. Sometimes new coaching changes things.

HOWEVER, Heath says he wants to win NOW. Isn't interested in the old 90s, rebuild with say 7 - 9 new players, mostly frosh, and lose, and lose before starting to win in year #3.

I have been suggesting, maybe 5 holder over players, maybe 5 transfers and 3 - 5 high school/prep school players. Neither we (EMU) nor college sports are interested in long rebuilds. That's a paradigm belonging to the past age.

The 90s total rebuild paradigm existed because back then it was almost exclusively high school and JUCO players. Transfers weren't too common and there was a mandatory strictly enforced sitout year.

Really hard to rebuild 50 - 67% of a new season in one off season and win too many games.

Today many programs will have say 50% new players.

What we don't know is the status of players the previous staff was recruiting.

See the 2021 recruiting thread. Its pretty up to date.

2021 will be completely crazy. Why?

As of today, we have NO one with connection to mid-major recruiting. Heath has been out of recruiting for years. Can't decipher anything there.

Until Heath announces one or two ass't coaches, we won't know their recruiting backgrounds.

Murphy was recruiting players for the Murphy system. Since we won't be playing the zone, Heath will be recruiting different type of players.

This is the true recruiting tabula rosa. Clean slate. Probably players are contacting Heath and less our coaches contacting players

(04-14-2021 05:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(04-14-2021 05:45 AM)emu79 Wrote:  This team needs a fresh infusion of talent at all positions.

Maybe. Sometimes new coaching changes things.

HOWEVER, Heath says he wants to win NOW. Isn't interested in the old 90s, rebuild with say 7 - 9 new players, mostly frosh, and lose, and lose before starting to win in year #3.

I have been suggesting, maybe 5 holder over players, maybe 5 transfers and 3 - 5 high school/prep school players. Neither we (EMU) nor college sports are interested in long rebuilds. That's a paradigm belonging to the past age.

The 90s total rebuild paradigm existed because back then it was almost exclusively high school and JUCO players. Transfers weren't too common and there was a mandatory strictly enforced sitout year.

Really hard to rebuild 50 - 67% of a new season in one off season and win too many games.

Today many programs will have say 50% new players.

What we don't know is the status of players the previous staff was recruiting.

Even with Gibson James Groce and McBride that team won 3 D1 games. Yes new schemes and coaching may help but let's not kid ourselves.

By the way I have,said frequently the current players are good citizens and work hard.

We lost our
assistant with prep school connections and now with Cline gone our connection to junior colleges. So we will see what kind of connections the new assistants have since Stan has not been a,college coach for a while
I know many of would like Earl Boykins to.be an assistant
So what kind of recruiting connections do you think Earl brings to the table?

(04-14-2021 07:12 AM)emu79 Wrote:  We lost our cassistant with prep school connections and now with Cline gone our connection to junior colleges. So we will see what kind of connections the new assistants have since Stan has not been a,college coach for a while
I know many of would like Earl Boykins to.be an assistant
So what kind of recruiting connections do you think Earl brings to the table?

Exactly. We now have zero live recruiting connections.

That is one reason we will probably have a significant number of holdovers.

I wouldn't be surprised if some college players with connections to MI reach out to Heath. There might be some who want to come home.

And yes, your suggestion of bringing back Wooten makes sense to me.

McBride it appears has been added back to the roster.

Think we'll see more of this.

However James,Love is no longer on the roster.

(04-16-2021 07:37 AM)emu79 Wrote:  McBride it appears has been added back to the roster.

I think he and Groce have been working out with the team this whole time. Don’t take this as fact, but they’ve both tweeted recent weight room pictures.

Also, this is excellent news. I like McBride and think someone who knows how to run an offense can take his game to another level.

Thanks for the update, 79! I don’t think Groce should come back for his sake, but if he does this is looking like a potentially competitive roster...

PG 6-0 Lowder / 6-3 Spottsville
SG 6-2 McBride / ?
SF 6-5 Morgan / ?
PF ?6-8 Groce? / 6-10 Binelli
C 7-0 Okongo / 6-8 Ballard

(04-16-2021 07:59 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  Also, this is excellent news. I like McBride and think someone who knows how to run an offense can take his game to another level.

I think Ty should leave for the pros (G-League or Europe. Probably not NBA). I hardly paid attention to this last season given how bad it was, but apparently Groce had a stellar year. Look at his stat line below. My guess is it won’t improve much from there (Maybe Murphy developed at least one player after all). He is 5 years removed from high school already, why waist another prime year of getting paid to play basketball? I hope I am wrong and he comes back, but his workouts with the team are probably in prep for leaving for pro basketball.

15.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.0 apg (53% fg, 34% 3pt)
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket...2/ty-groce

(04-16-2021 07:47 AM)emu79 Wrote:  However James,Love is no longer on the roster.

Yeah, I don’t imagine the high tempo offense will suit Love or Axel.

(04-16-2021 09:12 AM)holybovine Wrote:  

(04-16-2021 07:47 AM)emu79 Wrote:  However James,Love is no longer on the roster.

Yeah, I don’t imagine the high tempo offense will suit Love or Axel.

Kind of thought on that.

(04-16-2021 09:12 AM)holybovine Wrote:  

(04-16-2021 07:47 AM)emu79 Wrote:  However James,Love is no longer on the roster.

Yeah, I don’t imagine the high tempo offense will suit Love or Axel.

I am NOT being disrespectful of either Love or Axel, but I would think that in a zone the best center is a center who is long, lean, bouncy, etc. not the big, heavy footed center of yester year.

Would like a center who can cover more ground. Doesn't need bulk to push and shove a 250 lb opposing center. And of course in a fast break offense, think THERON WILSON (that was for BobW who just got excited).

An example, is an obscure backup center, Daniel Gafford, the Wizards got from the Bulls. 6' 10", 234. Can jump out of the gym*. Has 7 blocks in his last 5 games. Excellent finisher above the rim (Westbrook and Beal just toss it at the rim) and shoots a vey high FG %. Shooting 60% for his recent games.

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/427...el-gafford

* Robin Lopez can't jump over the S. Dakota phone book. Borrowed that line from a Wizards' telecast.

(04-16-2021 09:31 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(04-16-2021 09:12 AM)holybovine Wrote:  

(04-16-2021 07:47 AM)emu79 Wrote:  However James,Love is no longer on the roster.

Yeah, I don’t imagine the high tempo offense will suit Love or Axel.

I am NOT being disrespectful of either Love or Axel, but I would think that in a zone the best center is a center who is long, lean, bouncy, etc. not the big, heavy footed center of yester year.

Would like a center who can cover more ground. Doesn't need bulk to push and shove a 250 lb opposing center. And of course in a fast break offense, think THERON WILSON (that was for BobW who just got excited).

An example, is an obscure backup center, Daniel Gafford, the Wizards got from the Bulls. 6' 10", 234. Can jump out of the gym*. Has 7 blocks in his last 5 games. Excellent finisher above the rim (Westbrook and Beal just toss it at the rim) and shoots a vey high FG %. Shooting 60% for his recent games.

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/427...el-gafford

Robin Lopez can't jump over the S. Dakota phone book. Borrowed that line from a Wizards' telecast.

Totally agree.

To be honest, Love and Axel were struggling last year to keep up with Murphy's pace. Their conditioning wasn't good. How much of the came from COVID, I'm not sure.

(04-16-2021 10:40 AM)holybovine Wrote:  

(04-16-2021 09:31 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(04-16-2021 09:12 AM)holybovine Wrote:  

(04-16-2021 07:47 AM)emu79 Wrote:  However James,Love is no longer on the roster.

Yeah, I don’t imagine the high tempo offense will suit Love or Axel.

I am NOT being disrespectful of either Love or Axel, but I would think that in a zone the best center is a center who is long, lean, bouncy, etc. not the big, heavy footed center of yester year.

Would like a center who can cover more ground. Doesn't need bulk to push and shove a 250 lb opposing center. And of course in a fast break offense, think THERON WILSON (that was for BobW who just got excited).

An example, is an obscure backup center, Daniel Gafford, the Wizards got from the Bulls. 6' 10", 234. Can jump out of the gym*. Has 7 blocks in his last 5 games. Excellent finisher above the rim (Westbrook and Beal just toss it at the rim) and shoots a vey high FG %. Shooting 60% for his recent games.

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/427...el-gafford

Robin Lopez can't jump over the S. Dakota phone book. Borrowed that line from a Wizards' telecast.

Totally agree.

To be honest, Love and Axel were struggling last year to keep up with Murphy's pace. Their conditioning wasn't good. How much of the came from COVID, I'm not sure.

And if a team wants to fast break needs the horses who are race horses, Tolbert, Dial, Boykins, Wilson, etc. Those guys could fly. Truly a great assemblage of talent that fit together perfectly.