College Basketball Transfer Portal Thread - 2024

To be honest, I have no plans of ever giving a dime to NIL or the U for that matter other than my season ticket donations. There are so many hungry people and causes of great need that I will always give to. Not this. That said, I am getting some information from people I know who are or have been big donors to the U. They have no reason to lie to me.

You’re assuming money given to NIL means it isnt given to Feed the Kids or save the whales. I can give $100 a month to St Jude and $100 a month to DTA. But if I didn’t give money to DTA I wouldn’t give $200 to St Jude.

That’s cool. Not saying you were lying. Just take it all with a grain of salt because like 7 people ACTUALLY know.

Also, if I’m fundraising I’m lying. “We need $500k for Dawson” could lead to some wallets being opened. Saying “we need $500k total for our team” would not open those wallets.
 



If we had hired Mussy or an equivalent this spring I have no doubt that we would also have NIL money to toss around because the donors would be all in. That's not the decision they made. So having made the decision the AD needs to participate in making that decision work.
Why would our donors give NIL $ to another coach but not to Ben?

Maybe you're right...and they're stupid or they hate Ben for personal reasons. I guess if that's the case, then we have no choice but to fire Ben.
 

Why would our donors give NIL $ to another coach but not to Ben?

Maybe you're right...and they're stupid or they hate Ben for personal reasons. I guess if that's the case, then we have no choice but to fire Ben.
For the same reason fans would buy season tickets for one coach and not another. Do you think season ticket purchases would have gone up this coming year if we hired Musselman or some other big name coach? Of course they would.

It's just reality Pilgrim, people with big money donate big money if they think they can get behind a winner. Right now there is no evidence that Ben can do that. That doesn't mean they hate or even dislike Ben, if is just that they see the probability of their money doing anything of real value (winning big) as being low.

I think that if Ben could catch a break with a team and win (top half of the Big Ten and maybe win a couple in the NCAAs) he would be off an running and catch a lot of tailwind from fans and NIL donors. That is what has to happen this year. I just don't see how he can survive 4 years with no NCAAs in a conference where half the teams qualify every year. I think he is an ok coach with a lot to learn. His single biggest deficit right now is that his only track record so far is losing.

The Mitchell signing is a good start. He needs a lot more to happen in the next few weeks.
 



Why would our donors give NIL $ to another coach but not to Ben?

Maybe you're right...and they're stupid or they hate Ben for personal reasons. I guess if that's the case, then we have no choice but to fire Ben.
Ok let's say I'm a billionaire...what has Ben shown that makes me want to donate? What are the selling points? Assume I'm not super into basketball but love my school and can be persuaded...maybe I donate to other sports already so I'm not cheap.

Sell me as a casual rich person.
 

In 2023, 532 of 1,117 bball players in transfer portal. Where are the others?
?? There are about 350 D1 teams- 13 players per team so I think there are about 4500+ D1 players.

Maybe your numbers refer to something else. Not sure.
 




For the same reason fans would buy season tickets for one coach and not another. Do you think season ticket purchases would have gone up this coming year if we hired Musselman or some other big name coach? Of course they would.

It's just reality Pilgrim, people with big money donate big money if they think they can get behind a winner. Right now there is no evidence that Ben can do that. That doesn't mean they hate or even dislike Ben, if is just that they see the probability of their money doing anything of real value (winning big) as being low.

I think that if Ben could catch a break with a team and win (top half of the Big Ten and maybe win a couple in the NCAAs) he would be off an running and catch a lot of tailwind from fans and NIL donors. That is what has to happen this year. I just don't see how he can survive 4 years with no NCAAs in a conference where half the teams qualify every year. I think he is an ok coach with a lot to learn. His single biggest deficit right now is that his only track record so far is losing.

The Mitchell signing is a good start. He needs a lot more to happen in the next few weeks.
Christie returning would do the trick.

But why couldn't a donor see that adding a great player to Garcia, Hawkins, etc. would really help?

Getting good players should come BEFORE big winning...not AFTER.
 

Ok let's say I'm a billionaire...what has Ben shown that makes me want to donate? What are the selling points? Assume I'm not super into basketball but love my school and can be persuaded...maybe I donate to other sports already so I'm not cheap.

Sell me as a casual rich person.
I'd tell you that we'll be a great team for sure if we can return our entire roster...and add AJ Storr and Oumar Ballo.
 

Why would our donors give NIL $ to another coach but not to Ben?

Maybe you're right...and they're stupid or they hate Ben for personal reasons. I guess if that's the case, then we have no choice but to fire Ben.
You don't have to go back very far to see what a big-time coach hiring can do to invigorate the fan base. I remember when Tubby was hired in 2007. The excitement was real. I remember going out and buying my "Tubby Time" t-shirt immediately. Barn was rocking again. If NIL was in place at that time, we would have had plenty of $$$$ in the bank.
 




Ok let's say I'm a billionaire...what has Ben shown that makes me want to donate? What are the selling points? Assume I'm not super into basketball but love my school and can be persuaded...maybe I donate to other sports already so I'm not cheap.

Sell me as a casual rich person.
Here's the pitch: Gophers won two Big Ten games in 2022-23 and nine Big Ten games last year. That was the biggest jump in wins of any team in the conference. They were competitive in most games. They have some solid Big Ten talent returning.

That's a huge improvement and a sign the team is on the right track.
 

Christie returning would do the trick.

But why couldn't a donor see that adding a great player to Garcia, Hawkins, etc. would really help?

Getting good players should come BEFORE big winning...not AFTER.
Getting good players is the measurement of a coach. He is good or bad depending on the talent.

Johnson's tenure at Minnesota depends solely on portal acquisition right now.
 








Trying to finalize a visit too?........

If you are going to include that line seems like you might also want to include a destination for said visit. But that is just me.
I watched a couple JSU games and the guy can get a bucket. Pretty tough defender too
 

Agree, both sides of this argument are tired and played out although I will still contend that these Ben Johnson apologists you guys refer to don't actually exist. If Coyle fired Johnson today I would be shocked if there were many on this board who would say it was a bad move.

And I haven't seen anyone say that if the team doesn't make the tournament next year that Johnson should not be fired.

Ben’s Boogeymen
 

You don't have to go back very far to see what a big-time coach hiring can do to invigorate the fan base. I remember when Tubby was hired in 2007. The excitement was real. I remember going out and buying my "Tubby Time" t-shirt immediately. Barn was rocking again. If NIL was in place at that time, we would have had plenty of $$$$ in the bank.
I know what you mean I still have my tubby time t-shirt
 

CHUCKY Hepbern enters the Portal.

I should be happy, but this gives me a crappy feeling in my gut. I want beat them with Chucky. We need good villians, just as much as we need heros. Makes it way more fun.

#No more Big Ten Transfer portal
#no more mega conferences
#FyourNIL
#FyourTransfer
 


The Portal does what The Portal does when The Portal wants to do it. It is weightless. Formless. It is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It giveth, it taketh and sometimes it returneth.

Only The Portal knows. The Portal will tell us when The Portal is ready to tell us.

The Portal has not yet made a decision.
I'm now afraid the Portal is going to kill me.
 


I'
18.8 ppg, 39.2 3FGP, 5.4 RPG, good size (6-5). Turns it over a lot, almost 3 per game.

Intrigued.
l'll take him! Ben coached the turnovers out of Hawk to some degree. Let's go!

Just looked at his stats- love this guy! The stats just scream that he drives to the hoop non-stop- something the Gophers lacked last year. He is a high volume foul shooter- nearly 7 FTs per game and shoots 80% at the line. I could see him working with or without Christie.
 
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