Greatest mass exodus since Moses, and probably only one or 2 guys will start somewhere else. But read something more disturbing in our local sports page. We all know that recruits have unlimited unofficial visits to see a school, on their own dime. Limited official visits that are now becoming infamous where Texas drops $100,000s on a dozen or so recruits. Now recruits are asking for a fee, apparently legal by NIL tp pay for the unofficial visit or they won’t even come out. The entire system is so corrupt. But having said that, there are many D1 basketball schools the same size as Rice, with academic standards that have been in KenPom top 150 over and over. Rob has his work cut out for him. Buckle up.

Let them go. It makes scholarships available to better athletes that value a Rice education.

Curious to see where guys end up. I think Coach Lanier said it well at his introductory conference ... of course all the guys from last year's team should explore the portal. None of them know Coach Lanier and it keeps their options open. I would love to see a few of them back. If Pera's biggest problem during his tenure was that he didn't coach defense well, then I wouldn't mind some of the same players reassembling with a better defensive coach.

I really don't understand the attitude some of you have towards guys who enter the portal when there is a coaching change...

(03-27-2024 02:24 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Curious to see where guys end up. I think Coach Lanier said it well at his introductory conference ... of course all the guys from last year's team should explore the portal. None of them know Coach Lanier and it keeps their options open. I would love to see a few of them back. If Pera's biggest problem during his tenure was that he didn't coach defense well, then I wouldn't mind some of the same players reassembling with a better defensive coach.

I really don't understand the attitude some of you have towards guys who enter the portal when there is a coaching change...

Not critical at all. Coach can go on a shopping spree. All should see where they can go, but I think only a few would find significant minutes, and Rice probably wouldn’t have pulled any scholarships, but once you enter the portal I don’t think you are guaranteed you can come back. New coaches already following several players who would be upgrades. I really like Coach Lanier and what he said in a longer interview with JP. Close ur eyes and listen. Sounds like Denzel. Hope he can be our Equalizer.

The bright side to players leaving is that it will be easy to tell if Lanier has it or not have 2 to 3 years. Won't be able to blame anything on Pera's players that all graduated or transferred.

Who cares with our record. Coach Lanier will bring in lot better players who will want to play in his system

(03-27-2024 04:00 PM)Uteowl Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 02:24 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Curious to see where guys end up. I think Coach Lanier said it well at his introductory conference ... of course all the guys from last year's team should explore the portal. None of them know Coach Lanier and it keeps their options open. I would love to see a few of them back. If Pera's biggest problem during his tenure was that he didn't coach defense well, then I wouldn't mind some of the same players reassembling with a better defensive coach.

I really don't understand the attitude some of you have towards guys who enter the portal when there is a coaching change...

Not critical at all. Coach can go on a shopping spree. All should see where they can go, but I think only a few would find significant minutes, and Rice probably wouldn’t have pulled any scholarships, but once you enter the portal I don’t think you are guaranteed you can come back. New coaches already following several players who would be upgrades. I really like Coach Lanier and what he said in a longer interview with JP. Close ur eyes and listen. Sounds like Denzel. Hope he can be our Equalizer.

The portal is getting out of hand anyway. Well it was out of hand to begin with - now it’s getting to another level. I was checking out some Va Tech boards because of the Lindsay Edmonds rumors and I see that the Va Tech men’s team is having an even greater exodus than Rice. The latest to announce was Poteat, the former Rice player.

I’m checking out the women’s portal too and I see some interesting names in there. Two lower tier players who have Rice connections are from Samford (where Sussy Ngulefac played). Carly Heidger was their leading scorer and is in the portal. She was a high school teammate of Malia Fisher. She’s a 6-3 wing though and that isn’t a position of need. A position we do need is another guard, so I wonder if there might be an interest in Masyn Marchbanks, a 5-8 combo guard.

But again, we have no open scholarships to give out on the women’s side currently.

Yeah, the big question for me this offseason on the women's side is whether any of Rickard, Conley, and Clifton transfers. I can't imagine any of the three getting too much playing time. Though I guess it's possible since Conley and Rickard effectively redshirted and so we don't know what their games really look like. If we do end up having a transfer or two, I agree with FBO that a ball-handling guard is the position of need.

(03-27-2024 06:43 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I’m checking out the women’s portal too and I see some interesting names in there. Two lower tier players who have Rice connections are from Samford (where Sussy Ngulefac played). Carly Heidger was their leading scorer and is in the portal. She was a high school teammate of Malia Fisher. She’s a 6-3 wing though and that isn’t a position of need. A position we do need is another guard, so I wonder if there might be an interest in Masyn Marchbanks, a 5-8 combo guard.

But again, we have no open scholarships to give out on the women’s side currently.

If the entire team returns, they definitely go back to the tournament, and maybe not as such a low seed.

(03-27-2024 05:41 PM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  The bright side to players leaving is that it will be easy to tell if Lanier has it or not have 2 to 3 years. Won't be able to blame anything on Pera's players that all graduated or transferred.

I’m looking forward to the infusion of new talent. All Lanier’s players. We’ll find out very quickly if he can recruit. He may have twelve scholarships to give.. The team will be entirely his. I wonder if he goes for youth or experience.

(03-27-2024 09:23 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 05:41 PM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  The bright side to players leaving is that it will be easy to tell if Lanier has it or not have 2 to 3 years. Won't be able to blame anything on Pera's players that all graduated or transferred.

I’m looking forward to the infusion of new talent. All Lanier’s players. We’ll find out very quickly if he can recruit. He may have twelve scholarships to give.. The team will be entirely his. I wonder if he goes for youth or experience.

??? If by youth you mean high school seniors, I think that ship has sailed as almost all quality high school seniors have long since been committed to their college team. He's basically going to be forced to recruit his entire team from the portal. NO question you can get some good talent that way, but it's much more difficult to build team chemistry and culture, at least in Year 1 of Lanier's tenure.

(03-27-2024 06:23 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The portal is getting out of hand anyway. Well it was out of hand to begin with - now it’s getting to another level. I was checking out some Va Tech boards because of the Lindsay Edmonds rumors and I see that the Va Tech men’s team is having an even greater exodus than Rice. The latest to announce was Poteat, the former Rice player.

What rumors?

(03-28-2024 08:39 AM)Ranger Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 06:23 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The portal is getting out of hand anyway. Well it was out of hand to begin with - now it’s getting to another level. I was checking out some Va Tech boards because of the Lindsay Edmonds rumors and I see that the Va Tech men’s team is having an even greater exodus than Rice. The latest to announce was Poteat, the former Rice player.

What rumors?

https://www.gobblercountry.com/2024/3/26...ay-edmonds

(03-28-2024 08:46 AM)NYNightOwl Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 08:39 AM)Ranger Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 06:23 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The portal is getting out of hand anyway. Well it was out of hand to begin with - now it’s getting to another level. I was checking out some Va Tech boards because of the Lindsay Edmonds rumors and I see that the Va Tech men’s team is having an even greater exodus than Rice. The latest to announce was Poteat, the former Rice player.

What rumors?

https://www.gobblercountry.com/2024/3/26...ay-edmonds

Let’s not forget that Langley turned down Penn State two years before leaving to WSU. Edmonds preaches family. Unless it’s an offer she cannot refuse I’d expect her to stay for at least another year or two.

(03-28-2024 08:51 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 08:46 AM)NYNightOwl Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 08:39 AM)Ranger Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 06:23 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The portal is getting out of hand anyway. Well it was out of hand to begin with - now it’s getting to another level. I was checking out some Va Tech boards because of the Lindsay Edmonds rumors and I see that the Va Tech men’s team is having an even greater exodus than Rice. The latest to announce was Poteat, the former Rice player.

What rumors?

https://www.gobblercountry.com/2024/3/26...ay-edmonds

Let’s not forget that Langley turned down Penn State two years before leaving to WSU. Edmonds preaches family. Unless it’s an offer she cannot refuse I’d expect her to stay for at least another year or two.

Trading the AAC for the ACC is a pretty big deal. But I wonder if another move for her actual family would be tough, and to your point, is Va Tech the job you do that for? Or will a bigger, and better suitor, come calling in a year or two?

I hope she has more respect for her players then pack up and go.

(03-28-2024 11:07 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 08:51 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 08:46 AM)NYNightOwl Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 08:39 AM)Ranger Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 06:23 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The portal is getting out of hand anyway. Well it was out of hand to begin with - now it’s getting to another level. I was checking out some Va Tech boards because of the Lindsay Edmonds rumors and I see that the Va Tech men’s team is having an even greater exodus than Rice. The latest to announce was Poteat, the former Rice player.

What rumors?

https://www.gobblercountry.com/2024/3/26...ay-edmonds

Let’s not forget that Langley turned down Penn State two years before leaving to WSU. Edmonds preaches family. Unless it’s an offer she cannot refuse I’d expect her to stay for at least another year or two.

Trading the AAC for the ACC is a pretty big deal. But I wonder if another move for her actual family would be tough, and to your point, is Va Tech the job you do that for? Or will a bigger, and better suitor, come calling in a year or two?

(03-27-2024 09:39 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 09:23 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 05:41 PM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  The bright side to players leaving is that it will be easy to tell if Lanier has it or not have 2 to 3 years. Won't be able to blame anything on Pera's players that all graduated or transferred.

I’m looking forward to the infusion of new talent. All Lanier’s players. We’ll find out very quickly if he can recruit. He may have twelve scholarships to give.. The team will be entirely his. I wonder if he goes for youth or experience.

??? If by youth you mean high school seniors, I think that ship has sailed as almost all quality high school seniors have long since been committed to their college team. He's basically going to be forced to recruit his entire team from the portal. NO question you can get some good talent that way, but it's much more difficult to build team chemistry and culture, at least in Year 1 of Lanier's tenure.

I'm more interested in what his mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen will be. I realize he won't be signing high school kids, but there are a lot of sophomores in the portal who could play at Rice for three years, if he wanted them for that long. I definitely don't see him bringing in all seniors and juniors. That would hurt the long-term health of the program.

If VA Tech offers the job to Edmonds, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she accepts. This type of opportunity is highly unlikely to happen again. Why take the risk of a bad season closing that door?

I hope she stays; she is a great coach and has the program on the upswing. But I wouldn't blame her at all for leaving.

(03-28-2024 04:00 PM)Seventyniner Wrote:  If VA Tech offers the job to Edmonds, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she accepts. This type of opportunity is highly unlikely to happen again. Why take the risk of a bad season closing that door?

I hope she stays; she is a great coach and has the program on the upswing. But I wouldn't blame her at all for leaving.

Why in the world is this type of opportunity unlikely to happen again? Edmonds is very well connected and has a very strong reputation from her days at NC State. And next year has every indication to be even better than this year given that everyone returns save for Jackson, with two highly regarded recruits incoming.