I said I'd quit following college sports as soon as we lose a key player via transfer

[Gopherfan84]

I think the current state of college bball actually is more conducive to parity. 30-40 years ago the top teams got the top guys and they never left. Now that 5* who goes to Duke or UK after a year of sitting leaves. Bryce Hopkins at Providence is a great example. NIL can be good and bad for a big school as well. You get 1 2 and 3 $x per year, 4-5-6 guys go ahh nope don't like that and leave to be that 1-2 guy on another team. Sure you blue bloods will always have some advantages, but teams like FAU, St Mary's, heck even NW are having nice years and been ranked. Or a team like Pitt was a disaster last year, hit the portal hard and were sniffing the top of the ACC much of the year. You have less room for error the further you go down, but the ability to reset in a hurry is far greater in today's ncaa environment

Sure they got top kids but it also meant their rosters were full so they couldn’t hoard them all. Now those programs always have roster spots open. What helps is most of those best players go pro. I do think the sheer number of better basketball players helps parody most of all.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

And I meant it. I consider Evans a key player. These new rules of paying players and transferring...it's simply not something I have any interest in. It's not college sports anymore.

My time is MUCH better spent getting into the gym myself than giving a crap what some 'Gopher' does that I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONNECTION TO.

So goodbye.

 

[WoodburyTim]

Normally I would say good riddance, but a Big10 program that draws about 3,000 fans a game can't be picky about who we'll take as fans.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Dude thinks it's about him.

 

[USAF]

And just like that...poof...the silver lining evaporates.

 

[AZGopher8]

Spaulding...maybe the only way to get any enjoyment whatsoever out of 'college' basketball is to post short 1-sentence crap...and not treat this as anything that's actually in any-way-shape-or-form to be of any seriousness, importance, or relevance.

Seriously.

I've actually enjoyed reading Spaulding's short zingers this year far more than any Gophers basketball games. Far more entertaining! I just skip the games and read the meltdowns.

Bonus for doing so; I have saved tons on mental/emotional therapy fees!

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I've actually enjoyed reading Spaulding's short zingers this year far more than any Gophers basketball games. Far more entertaining! I just skip the games and read the meltdowns.

Bonus for doing so; I have saved tons on mental/emotional therapy fees!

Thanks Spaulding’s backup account.

 

[Gophers_4life]

But now I think that as soon as Ola-Joseph and Payne (and Henley's last game has given him enough to show that he will be good as a junior too) develop...they will leave for NIL money.

I was holding out hope that $ wouldn't rule. But now it's affecting us...and will continue to do so. And it's not something I support or want to support even if the U of MN jumps into the sleaze.

Don't start feeling grief over something that hasn't happened yet.

Those could have never come to the U in the first place. Wanting to stay home does happen for some kids. Usually not blue chippers. But solid 3* who feel honored and want to be here. Let's develop them and win with them.

Sure, it could happen like you say. Hopefully it doesn't. Hopefully they can get enough NIL, playing time, accolades here to make it worth it to them to stay.

 

[PhiloVance]

Look - at this point, nobody KNOWS why Evans backed out. Marcus Fuller from the Strib apparently spoke to a member of Evans' family, but all Fuller said publicly is "they didn't want to say much about why he changed his mind." Fuller did at least hint that this has been coming for a while- that it wasn't a sudden decision.

in today's climate, it's easy to speculate that School X got to Evans' family and dangled a big NIL deal in front of them.

But there is no PROOF of that. Maybe Evans truly didn't like what he saw of the team's performance this year. maybe someone has been whispering in his ear that Ben Johnson is going to get fired.
maybe maybe maybe maybe.

Still, this is not some recruit backing out on a commitment before signing day. This is a player who signed a National letter of Intent asking to be released. This just doesn't happen very often.

So I have to think there is more here than just cold feet. But until someone goes on the record, we just don't know.

"People close to Evans told the Star Tribune that he and his family had been thinking for a while that the Gophers might not be the right fit after watching this season," Fuller wrote,

 

[Gophers_4life]

I think the current state of college bball actually is more conducive to parity. 30-40 years ago the top teams got the top guys and they never left. Now that 5* who goes to Duke or UK after a year of sitting leaves. Bryce Hopkins at Providence is a great example. NIL can be good and bad for a big school as well. You get 1 2 and 3 $x per year, 4-5-6 guys go ahh nope don't like that and leave to be that 1-2 guy on another team. Sure you blue bloods will always have some advantages, but teams like FAU, St Mary's, heck even NW are having nice years and been ranked. Or a team like Pitt was a disaster last year, hit the portal hard and were sniffing the top of the ACC much of the year. You have less room for error the further you go down, but the ability to reset in a hurry is far greater in today's ncaa environment

I was only referring to NIL. Here you also reference the portal. The two things hit the scene hard at roughly the same time.

Agree that the portal can open up access to high level recruits who show up to a major power, don't play right away, and want to leave. The next couple tiers down of programs can now get a chance with those guys. That is good, agree.

I think it would serve the U well to focus on landing those guys of scenarios from the portal, rather than going after them from the git go as recruits. Let them go try it at their dream school, see if the grass is greener. Make contact with them, let them know that the door is open if things change.

 

[EasyThere Pilgrim]

Dude thinks it's about him.

Me?

I try to support Gopher basketball.

My last meltdown was when we kicked out White & Mbakwe.

When we kicked out Lynch...my recruiting pay-site did a preemptive strike...I was kicked out by the time the news got to me.

 

[USAF]

"I said I'd quit...And I meant it. I consider Evans a key player. These new rules of paying players and transferring...it's simply not something I have any interest in. It's not college sports anymore.

My time is MUCH better spent getting into the gym myself than giving a crap what some 'Gopher' does that I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONNECTION TO.

So goodbye"

A man of his word.

 

[howeda7]

Me?

I try to support Gopher basketball.

My last meltdown was when we kicked out White & Mbakwe.

When we kicked out Lynch...my recruiting pay-site did a preemptive strike...I was kicked out by the time the news got to me.

So you wanted Lynch to be allowed to continue to play with the accusations against him, but you're against sleaze in college sports? Do I have that right?

 

[MennoSota]

If a few more vanish... Maybe Ben will have been worth it.....

When are you leaving?

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Me?

I try to support Gopher basketball.

My last meltdown was when we kicked out White & Mbakwe.

When we kicked out Lynch...my recruiting pay-site did a preemptive strike...I was kicked out by the time the news got to me.

I thought you didn't want to play in the sleaze? But you get upset when a college program suspends a man convicted of beating up a chick during a sexual assault and serial rapist.

LOL. Yeah, you really do seem to enjoy a clean program.

 

[Off-GridTNgopher]

When are you leaving?

I'm not the little whiny bitch who said they would leave once an important piece left.. and by the way things are going, more important pieces will be leaving Ben than signing with Ben..

 

[MennoSota]

I'm not the little whiny bitch who said they would leave once an important piece left.. and by the way things are going, more important pieces will be leaving Ben than signing with Ben..

Are you leaving with them?

 

[SelectionSunday]

For me personally it's way more of a bummer when players like D Joseph or C Iverson transfer than a HS LOI recruit. Those guys actually did stuff like score points, block shots that contributed to wins and NCAA bids. But, to each their own.

Evans could have been savior, just another player or even a complete bust.

Perfectly stated. Evans bolting doesn’t phase me much. It’s not like we don’t already have a really promising & young center.

The key is what Ben does with that open scholarship, and perhaps 1 or 2 others if guys leave or are asked to leave. Get some guards guards guards. We don’t have to have or need another big guy.

 

[PhiloVance]

Perfectly stated. Evans bolting doesn’t phase me much. It’s not like we don’t already have a really promising & young center.

The key is what Ben does with that open scholarship, and perhaps 1 or 2 others if guys leave or are asked to leave. Get some guards guards guards. We don’t have to have or need another big guy.

From a savior with an unbelievable wing span to ho Hum no big deal he's gone.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Perfectly stated. Evans bolting doesn’t phase me much. It’s not like we don’t already have a really promising & young center.

The key is what Ben does with that open scholarship, and perhaps 1 or 2 others if guys leave or are asked to leave. Get some guards guards guards. We don’t have to have or need another big guy.

This is really it.

If we assume TT leaves and another post player (I'll just say Ihnen for purposes of this discussion) and we add three more guards, things could start to take some shape.

We also need to figure out what to do with Battle as I really think he should be a PF.