Former player thread: 2024-25

[MHettel]

Saw that someone made a mention of former players in a different thread. Thought we could have a specific one to track guys.

By my count, we have these guys still out there playing

Craft- Miami (Oh)
Ciani- UIC
Abou- Ok St
Nzeh- Penn St
Lazar- Charleston
Edwards- Georgia State
Miles- Morehead
Claude- USC
Tandy- FAU
odom- Tulsa
Reid Ducharme- Sienna
Powell- WVU (never made it to campus, but I’m counting him)

Gytis- Hawaii

Did I miss anyone?

[MHettel]

Craft update- big game in a Miami 13 pt loss to Wright state.

23 pts on 10 of 19 shooting, including 3 of 5 from 3. Almost no other stats and no FTA attempts


He took 19 of Miami’s 64 shots.

[Xavier]

Nice, good thread.

Was excited about Craft. Maybe jitters first year, and better competition led to the poor freshman season. But was talked about as one of the best shooters in his class. Kinda feel like he’s in the spot (MAC) where he can succeed the most.

Abou had a solid start at OK St. (16 and 8).
Claude seems about the same so far, maybe a little worse. Kinda hard to determine just looking at box score- maybe his roll is different.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Nice, good thread.

Was excited about Craft. Maybe jitters first year, and better competition led to the poor freshman season. But was talked about as one of the best shooters in his class. Kinda feel like he’s in the spot (MAC) where he can succeed the most.

Abou had a solid start at OK St. (16 and 8).
Claude seems about the same so far, maybe a little worse. Kinda hard to determine just looking at box score- maybe his roll is different.

Calude is definitely worse through 2 games, at least stat wise. And if his goal was to play PG and show those skills not sure it's being realized two games in. Too young of a season obviously though to make any judgments.

Through 2 games:

25 mins/game
8 ppg
2.5 rebs
1.5 assts
0.5 steals
38.5% FG
0% (0-3) 3pt %

[D-West & PO-Z]

KyKy plays for FAU.

through 2 games:

20.5 mins
11.5 pts
1.5 rebs
2.0 assts
2.0 steals
38.9 FG%
43.8 3pt %

[D-West & PO-Z]

Dionte Miles plays for Morehead.

through 3 games:

22.3 mins
8.0 pts
6.7 rebs
1.3 assts
0.7 blocks
45.5 FG%
44.4 FT %

He played @UC last night and had:

9 pts
4 rebs
1 asst
1 block
in 23 mins

[Three Point Pete]

Whatever happened to Gytis?

Did I miss anyone?

Gytis Nemeiksa is a Rainbow Warrior at U of Hawaii. He went 14,8 yesterday.

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[D-West & PO-Z]

Edwards plays for our friend Jonas Hayes at Georgia State

Through 2 games he is averaging:

28.5 mins
15 pts
8.5 rebs
1.5 assts
0.5 blocks
0.5 steals
45.2 FG%
50% 3pt %
33.3 FT%

[D-West & PO-Z]

Dwon Odom is missing from the list. He transferred to Tulsa from GA State.

Through 2 games is averaging:

21 mins
13.0 pts
3.0 rebs
4.5 assts
1.0 blocks
2.5 steals
73.3% FG%
40.0% 3pt% (2-5)

[MHettel]

KyKy plays for FAU.

through 2 games:

20.5 mins
11.5 pts
1.5 rebs
2.0 assts
2.0 steals
38.9 FG%
43.8 3pt %

Interesting stats for Tandy. Better 3pt percentage than overall FG %. He took a huge percentage of his shots from 3 at XU. Never got to the line. Doesn’t seem to be his thing, going to the rim.

[MHettel]

Wow, 12 former X players active. That’s almost an entire additional roster. They all seemed to have found a decent fit

[MHettel]

DNP today for Ousman. I saw that OK St played and didn’t get any minutes. Not listed as DNP, just not listed at all. Injured? Banged up?

[Muskeagle]

Did a quick search on OSU message board....apparently Ousmane was suspended. There were questions like: "why?" and for "how long?". Both went unanswered. So at least the scuttlebutt is he was suspended...don't know why, don't know for how many games.

Quick update from an article on a blog about their game:

OSU was without Abou Ousmane on Sunday for a violation of team rules. Lutz said Ousmane, who started the season opener at center, would be back soon.

[Cincypunk.org]

It feels like Tandy has been in college since 2016 or so. Good lord!

[Xville]

Powell looks like he’s going to be a good one that got away. Only thru two games but avg 10 ppg as a fresh is pretty damn good.

[muskiefan82]

Did a quick search on OSU message board....apparently Ousmane was suspended. There were questions like: "why?" and for "how long?". Both went unanswered. So at least the scuttlebutt is he was suspended...don't know why, don't know for how many games.

Quick update from an article on a blog about their game:

OSU was without Abou Ousmane on Sunday for a violation of team rules. Lutz said Ousmane, who started the season opener at center, would be back soon.

I hope it is nothing too serious, but there were on the court temper issues that we all saw.

[Xville]

Lazar vs Tandy Friday on youtube at 7pm.

[IM4X]

Lazar Djokocic thru 2 games at Charleston

21min 6pts 3reb

28min 5pts 8reb

[Xavier]

Missed USC coach calling des out in post game conference last week:
Eric Musselman with a direct call-out of USC PG Desmond Claude, when asked about Idaho State PG Dylan Daring scoring 22.

“Desmond’s gotta step up and be a great player on both ends of the floor … his impact was minimal at times. And, you know, he knows it.”

[drudy23]

Missed USC coach calling des out in post game conference last week:
Eric Musselman with a direct call-out of USC PG Desmond Claude, when asked about Idaho State PG Dylan Daring scoring 22.

“Desmond’s gotta step up and be a great player on both ends of the floor … his impact was minimal at times. And, you know, he knows it.”

Ouch - not what you want from a player that's had multiple years of college experience.

[Xville]

Yikes. Haven’t watched any of their games. Is he their pg or more of what he was last year? Box score makes it look like he is playing off the ball, but anyone watched their games?

[MHettel]

Yikes. Haven’t watched any of their games. Is he their pg or more of what he was last year? Box score makes it look like he is playing off the ball, but anyone watched their games?

"Transferring so I can play PG" (paraphrased), was just a ploy so he could chase the bag. Remember when he signed with USC it was to be the "lead guard" which is just a way save face.

He's not a PG, he's not playing PG and he wont make the league as a PG. He WILL make the League if he can shoot the 3. That's the only thing that matters for his continued development.

[Xville]

Someone without a bias and has actually seen the team know what he’s playing?

[D-West & PO-Z]

Someone without a bias and has actually seen the team know what he’s playing?

I haven't watched them play but everyone in the country knows what "lead guard" means except Hett. Here was a breakdown of their roster to start the year:

"Guards
Xavier transfer Desmond Claude was the highest-profile get of Musselman-and-company’s mad scramble down at the Portal House this spring, a combo guard and aggressive contact-hunter who averaged 16.6 points a game last season. USC, in many ways, will go as he does, entrusting Claude with primary point-guard responsibilities. Beyond him, USC doesn’t have many traditional ball-handlers on its roster. "

[Xville]

I haven't watched them play but everyone in the country knows what "lead guard" means except Hett. Here was a breakdown of their roster to start the year:

"Guards
Xavier transfer Desmond Claude was the highest-profile get of Musselman-and-company’s mad scramble down at the Portal House this spring, a combo guard and aggressive contact-hunter who averaged 16.6 points a game last season. USC, in many ways, will go as he does, entrusting Claude with primary point-guard responsibilities. Beyond him, USC doesn’t have many traditional ball-handlers on its roster. "

Get your facts right on out of here. Hett will have none of it!! Lol

[X-band '01]

Villanova needs a point guard much more desperately.

Oh wait, Neptune would have broken him irreparably.

[MHettel]

I haven't watched them play but everyone in the country knows what "lead guard" means except Hett. Here was a breakdown of their roster to start the year:

"Guards
Xavier transfer Desmond Claude was the highest-profile get of Musselman-and-company’s mad scramble down at the Portal House this spring, a combo guard and aggressive contact-hunter who averaged 16.6 points a game last season. USC, in many ways, will go as he does, entrusting Claude with primary point-guard responsibilities. Beyond him, USC doesn’t have many traditional ball-handlers on its roster. "

After 2 games, Claude is 3rd on the team averaging 25 minutes per game. his 1.5 assists per game rank him tied for 7th on the team.

[Three Point Pete]

.[/B] Beyond him, USC doesn’t have many traditional ball-handlers on its roster. "[/I]

A couple of Trojans can certainly handle the ball! I watched highlights of USC vs. Gonzaga. Trojans won by two. It looked like Slajchert was running point. Slajchert (Slackert) is a 6-1, 170-pound guard who transferred to USC from Penn. The sharp-shooting guard played in 74 games at Penn and scored 1,030 points. He has a career free throw shooting percentage of 85.5 (153-for-179) and has made 37.9 percent of his career three-point attempts (121-for-319) entering the 2024-25 season.

But Claude called himself "a true point guard, not just a wing playing point" Also, graduate transfer Matt Knowling 6'6" 200 lb. forward has great quickness and ball handling ability; probably as good as Claude is when dishing the ball. He averaged 10.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 83 career games at Yale, making 65 starts. Maybe this is the "wing playing point" Des referenced.

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[ArizonaXUGrad]

Villanova needs a point guard much more desperately.

Oh wait, Neptune would have broken him irreparably.

St. Joes just dropped them in their city round robin. They still have Penn, Temple, Drexel, and LaSalle to go though not sure how they schedule this. I think each team plays 3 teams.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

I would love to crap on Claude but I won't. He transferred to get more of a primary ball handler role and he did get that. He is still the same player he was here. That whole injury talk looks like just that. I saw the Zags game and I wasn't blown away. That said, it's early and a new team/system. Give him time to find his proper role and he might improve greatly. I certainly hope he does.

[GoMuskies]

I watched highlights of USC vs. Gonzaga. Trojans won by two.

When did this game occur? Was this an exhibition?

[Three Point Pete]

When did this game occur? Was this an exhibition?Charity exhibition game October 26th.

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[D-West & PO-Z]

After 2 games, Claude is 3rd on the team averaging 25 minutes per game. his 1.5 assists per game rank him tied for 7th on the team.

Probably the reason his coach is calling him out publicly to play better.

The leading assist guy is a forward.

Give it up Hett.

[D-West & PO-Z]

A couple of Trojans can certainly handle the ball! I watched highlights of USC vs. Gonzaga. Trojans won by two. It looked like Slajchert was running point. Slajchert (Slackert) is a 6-1, 170-pound guard who transferred to USC from Penn. The sharp-shooting guard played in 74 games at Penn and scored 1,030 points. He has a career free throw shooting percentage of 85.5 (153-for-179) and has made 37.9 percent of his career three-point attempts (121-for-319) entering the 2024-25 season.

But Claude called himself "a true point guard, not just a wing playing point" Also, graduate transfer Matt Knowling 6'6" 200 lb. forward has great quickness and ball handling ability; probably as good as Claude is when dishing the ball. He averaged 10.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 83 career games at Yale, making 65 starts. Maybe this is the "wing playing point" Des referenced.

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Slajchert has averaged 9.5 mins in the 2 real games they’ve played this year.

[X-band '01]

St. Joes just dropped them in their city round robin. They still have Penn, Temple, Drexel, and LaSalle to go though not sure how they schedule this. I think each team plays 3 teams.

There's two 3-team pods; they all play a Big 5 tripleheader in December at the Wells Fargo Center based on how they finish in their pods. There's a championship game, 3rd place game and a 5th place game.

Villanova finished sixth last year. Sixth. They might be on pace to do it again.

[GoMuskies]

Finishing 6th in the Big 5 is pretty tough.

[Xville]

Probably the reason his coach is calling him out publicly to play better.

The leading assist guy is a forward.

Give it up Hett.

Hetts favorite thing to do is double down on stupid when proven wrong

[D-West & PO-Z]

Just saw the clip where Musselman calls out Des. His quote is:

"We gotta get better defensive play out of our point guard. Desmond has gotta step up on both ends of the floor and stay out of foul trouble. Have a bigger impact on the game than he had tonight......he has to be the focal point on both sides of the ball."

I'm guessing foul trouble had limited his mins based on that comment.

[MHettel]

Watching Des for USC right now.

There are at least several hundred people at the game.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Looks like he's having a good game so far. 6 assists in the first 14 mins.

[MHettel]

Claude with a big game in a high scoring, no defense game against UT Arlington (98-95).

His scoring is still elite. 9-12 from the field, and 8-9 from the line. No attempts from 3.

26/5/8.

[GoMuskies]

26 5 and 8 for Des tonight. Apparently USC isn't great. Squeaked by UT-Arlington by 3.

[Xville]

26 5 and 8 for Des tonight. Apparently USC isn't great. Squeaked by UT-Arlington by 3.

Not like this is abnormal, but their rotation are all transfers, so probably trying to figure out how to play together. Musselman can obviously coach, so I'd expect them to be better as the season wears on.

[Xavier]

Claude with a big game in a high scoring, no defense game against UT Arlington (98-95).

His scoring is still elite. 9-12 from the field, and 8-9 from the line. No attempts from 3.

26/5/8.


The no attempts from 3 is probably another reason he isn’t here. Really good player just didn’t fit the system at all. Hoped he’d go on the Colby path. Still good using his body in the lane though. An automatic mismatch when he’d get to post up his defender (reminded me of nova teams years ago using guards to post up)

[ArizonaXUGrad]

I watched the USC game, nobody played any defense. UTA had a legit shot to beat them. Musselman has his work cut out. Again though, USC has 4 freshmen and a ton of transfers. They could mesh and be very good but it will take time. They have no true PG.

[drudy23]

The no attempts from 3 is probably another reason he isn’t here. Really good player just didn’t fit the system at all. Hoped he’d go on the Colby path. Still good using his body in the lane though. An automatic mismatch when he’d get to post up his defender (reminded me of nova teams years ago using guards to post up)

These potential late round/second round/two way guys have to start understanding that their path to NBA longevity is their versatility and playing a role. Too many think they are getting to step on the floor and score points. NBA teams already have the studs that are going to dominate the ball. You have to be the best of the best to get in that situation.

Even David West was pretty much a role player in the NBA, and he was X's best player ever and a national POY. So was Posey. Guys like Colby and Naji may stick around because of their versatility, length and adapting to a role. And the jury is still out on Colby. Swain could fit this mold as well.

Commit to a role, and be great at it. Claude is never going to have a career in the NBA as a scoring guard. It just won't happen. But he does have the body and length to be this versatile piece a coach can use to make the team better...if he commits to it.

I love Quincy, but he's probably going to be fighting for his life to be a SG in the NBA. There are guys just like him everywhere that can make shots.

[MHettel]

I watched the USC game, nobody played any defense. UTA had a legit shot to beat them. Musselman has his work cut out. Again though, USC has 4 freshmen and a ton of transfers. They could mesh and be very good but it will take time. They have no true PG.

They announcers mentioned the "no PG" fact a few times. They led off the broadcast with it, and then later they brought a PG into the game and said that allows Des top move to his more natural "off ball" position.

I dont get the decision making by Des. by FAR his biggest weakness is his 3 pt shot. He's an NBA player in alot of other areas in his game (he was getting to the rim at will last night and drawing a bunch of fouls). But insisting on playing PG is NOT what he needs to do. He could lead the NCAA in assists and he still wouldnt sniff the NBA unless he gets that shot figured out.

[MHettel]

These potential late round/second round/two way guys have to start understanding that their path to NBA longevity is their versatility and playing a role. Too many think they are getting to step on the floor and score points. NBA teams already have the studs that are going to dominate the ball. You have to be the best of the best to get in that situation.

Even David West was pretty much a role player in the NBA, and he was X's best player ever and a national POY. So was Posey. Guys like Colby and Naji may stick around because of their versatility, length and adapting to a role. And the jury is still out on Colby. Swain could fit this mold as well.

Commit to a role, and be great at it. Claude is never going to have a career in the NBA as a scoring guard. It just won't happen. But he does have the body and length to be this versatile piece a coach can use to make the team better...if he commits to it.

I love Quincy, but he's probably going to be fighting for his life to be a SG in the NBA. There are guys just like him everywhere that can make shots.

Good points.

Although I'd argue that David West was far more than a role player. He was a starter on some decent New Orleans teams with Chris Paul and played a similar key role on those very good Indiana teams that just couldn't beat Lebron in Miami. West LATER became more of a sixth man / Locker room guy as he went for the ring. (Check his stats with Golden State. he was just in the game to "chop wood" inside. his blocks per 36 minutes was 2.7 in his last year vs a career average of 1. His fouls per 36 minutes was 4.3 vs a career average of 3...he had a limited role and played it to a T.

Posey, Grand and Hill were all pretty much NBA starters as opposed to role players.

Aaron Williams, Derek Strong, Naji and (maybe) Colby certainly fit the role player description.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Good points.

Although I'd argue that David West was far more than a role player. He was a starter on some decent New Orleans teams with Chris Paul and played a similar key role on those very good Indiana teams that just couldn't beat Lebron in Miami. West LATER became more of a sixth man / Locker room guy as he went for the ring. (Check his stats with Golden State. he was just in the game to "chop wood" inside. his blocks per 36 minutes was 2.7 in his last year vs a career average of 1. His fouls per 36 minutes was 4.3 vs a career average of 3...he had a limited role and played it to a T.

Posey, Grand and Hill were all pretty much NBA starters as opposed to role players.

Aaron Williams, Derek Strong, Naji and (maybe) Colby certainly fit the role player description.

Totally agree on West. Was only a role player later in his career. The prime of his career he was a top 2 guy in New Orleans and a top 3 guy with the Pacers. And lets not forget, a 2 time All Star as well.

[drudy23]

Totally agree on West. Was only a role player later in his career. The prime of his career he was a top 2 guy in New Orleans and a top 3 guy with the Pacers. And lets not forget, a 2 time All Star as well.

But West was also a legit lottery guy. The more recent X guys aren't that, and need to find a niche to stay there.

[D-West & PO-Z]

But West was also a legit lottery guy. The more recent X guys aren't that, and need to find a niche to stay there.

West was drafted outside the lottery, but yes, agree, we have not had a guy since him that highly regarded that didn't need to carve out a special 3 and D niche, except maybe Crawford.

[GoMuskies]

Crawford started 99 total NBA games over 6 season (and 8 years since he was in China for two years in the middle of that). He was definitely a niche roleplayer.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Crawford started 99 total NBA games over 6 season (and 8 years since he was in China for two years in the middle of that). He was definitely a niche roleplayer.

Disagree.

I think the reason he didn't last in the NBA is because he wasn't. He couldn't play D. He got there because he was a special scorer but as drudy alluded to, there are a lot of those guys, so most of the X players need to carve out some really solid role player qualities (3 and D guys).

[GoMuskies]

I guess he didn't carve out a 3 and D niche, but he only carved out a niche and was definitely a roleplayer.

[MHettel]

Interesting matchup between Lazar and Tandy Last night.

the teams Scored 101-109 points.....NOT COUNTING Tandy's 15 and Lazar's 10.

Tandy is an interesting case. Total gunner at XU. Jacking up a shot every 3 minutes on the court, with 59% of them coming from 3. This year he's taking a shot every 2.5 minutes, with 74% of them from 3! But yet last night he only took 3 of 10 total shots from 3 (he made all of them). His team took 29 3's and he only took 3 of them, He ended with 15 on 6-10 overall shooting in 36 minutes.

Also typical of Tandy, not much else to point to on teh stat sheet. 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stls, 1 foul....

Lazar had a fairly quiet night as well. 10 pts in 24 minutes on 3-5 shooting. 0-1 from 3. he did make all 4 of his FTA. 3 rebs, 1 ast 1 TO, 4 fouls. His limited minutes may have been foul related.

[Xavier]

I watched a bit of that and just thought the kid from Charleston is going to get paid next year (NIL).

*No clue if he’s a Junior/Sr. Did hear on broadcast he thought about transferring but stayed and is the preseason conference player of the year. It was a wild game all together

[MHettel]

Tandy played Saturday and was 0-2 from the field in 14 minutes. 4 rebs. no other stats. Injury? He didnt have any fouls. They won against Liberty.

Then Today, Liberty destroys Charleston Charleston by 21 (68-47). lazar led the scoring with 15 on 5-12. With 8 rebs, 2blk, 2 tos and 1 PF.

Charleston scored 119 points Friday, and 47 on Sunday.

[Xville]

Tandy played Saturday and was 0-2 from the field in 14 minutes. 4 rebs. no other stats. Injury? He didnt have any fouls. They won against Liberty.

Then Today, Liberty destroys Charleston Charleston by 21 (68-47). lazar led the scoring with 15 on 5-12. With 8 rebs, 2blk, 2 tos and 1 PF.

Charleston scored 119 points Friday, and 47 on Sunday.

Really hope he isn’t injured again. Good grief

[Xville]

completely forgot about this dude but Reid Durcharme plays for Siena, so we will see him this week.

He plays a decent amount..about 15 minutes a game.

[GoMuskies]

Kam Craft is averaging 17.5 ppg and shooting over 48% from three point range up the road for Travis Steele.

[muskiefan82]

Kam Craft is averaging 17.5 ppg and shooting over 48% from three point range up the road for Travis Steele.

But they still got boatraced by Michigan

[Xville]

Kam Craft is averaging 17.5 ppg and shooting over 48% from three point range up the road for Travis Steele.

There were rumors of Kam being a little too much all about Kam last year. Is that true? I heard he was healthy and could go and Sean wanted him to, but he said no thanks. On a team that desperately needed shooting, he probably could have helped.

[Xville]

But they still got boatraced by Michigan

They will be around 5th or 6th in the MAC again and Steele is garbage.

The folks up there probably think a .500 team is wonderful though. Other than the covid year, the last time they had a winning record was 08-09.

[GoMuskies]

I think he's probably just found his level. Not unlike one Jason Carter.

[drudy23]

and Steele is garbage.
.

This

[MHettel]

There were rumors of Kam being a little too much all about Kam last year. Is that true? I heard he was healthy and could go and Sean wanted him to, but he said no thanks. On a team that desperately needed shooting, he probably could have helped.

Thats kinda shocking if true. What would have been the point of his actions? Did he just want to preserve a year of eligibility? we SO needed shooting last year and he could have entrenched himself as a rotation guy at XU.

And maybe he didnt like XU or Sean. And maybe he was going to transfer one way or another. But why not log some minutes and put up some numbers before you enter the portal? I assume his NIL was nil.

I dont get that mentality if true.

[Xville]

Thats kinda shocking if true. What would have been the point of his actions? Did he just want to preserve a year of eligibility? we SO needed shooting last year and he could have entrenched himself as a rotation guy at XU.

And maybe he didnt like XU or Sean. And maybe he was going to transfer one way or another. But why not log some minutes and put up some numbers before you enter the portal? I assume his NIL was nil.

I dont get that mentality if true.

Thats exactly why is what I heard. Again, its rumor so I don't know if it's true. Maybe he thought this level was too much for him.

[Xavier]

Interesting. Was he with the team or was he “rehabbing” away from team? I can’t remember. Just feel like if coach wanted him to go and he said no, he wouldn’t be around the team anymore. I do think he’s a Mac level contributor though.

[Xville]

Lazar with 20 and 5 yesterday to go along with 2 bocks and 3 steals. It was Citadel so take it with a grain of salt, but maybe everyone that was saying he could develop, aren't wrong.

Brzovic with 22 and 14. Does Mack want to do us a solid and tell him to come to X next year? he owes us one.

[Xavier]

USC beat SJST 82-68.

Claude: 22 minutes. 0-3 from the floor (0-1 from 3pt line) 1 point, 3 assists. Just looking at box score, no clue if there was an injury or foul trouble involved. Yikes

[waggy]

Sasa Ciani had 15 & 9 with a 3 pointer for UIC today.

[Muskeagle]

Siena's next game is against Miami and the figthin' Steeles. Craft vs. Ducharme!!

[muskiefan82]

Kyky with 21 as FAU beats Oklahoma state 86-78

[MHettel]

Kyky with 21 as FAU beats Oklahoma state 86-78

Abou up to his old tricks with 7 pts, 3 rebs, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 TOs and FIVE fouls in 12 minutes.

[MHettel]

Today I remembered Tyrell Ward. He was the top Steele recruit that left when Steele was fired. It was him and Craft and Claude.

Miller got Claude and Craft to stay, but Ward went to LSU.

In 2 years at LSU, he eventually was a contributor as a Soph with 9 pts a game.

He apparently stepped away from LSU this month and hasn’t played, nor is he ever expected to return to LSU.

I don’t know any more of the story.

Just happened to wonder how he turned out

[Xville]

Today I remembered Tyrell Ward. He was the top Steele recruit that left when Steele was fired. It was him and Craft and Claude.

Miller got Claude and Craft to stay, but Ward went to LSU.

In 2 years at LSU, he eventually was a contributor as a Soph with 9 pts a game.

He apparently stepped away from LSU this month and hasn’t played, nor is he ever expected to return to LSU.

I don’t know any more of the story.

Just happened to wonder how he turned out

https://www.lsureveille.com/sports/tyrell-ward-to-step-away-from-lsu-mens-basketball-for-mental-health-reasons/article_1a6d610e-9ca3-11ef-8067-fbfecb92bdea.html

Found this. Hope he gets the help he needs.

[Three Point Pete]

Last night Gytis lead the [emoji304] Warriors in their losing effort vs. Tarheels: 87-69. Booking a dubble-bubble 16/10 with 3-5 from downtown!

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

[Xavier]

USC just lost to St Mary’s. 71-36. Yo.

Claude was 2-7 for 4 points (0-1 from 3).

[bleedXblue]

USC just lost to St Mary’s. 71-36. Yo.

Claude was 2-7 for 4 points (0-1 from 3).

saw that score thats BRUTAL

[MHettel]

Transfer "Grades" as of 11/29/24.

My view on how its going for each of our former players. based on performance, and the choice of schools. VERY subjective. Weigh in...

Sasa Ciani- UIC (A-)

Averaging 12&9 on 58% FG. The level is kinda low and the team is 3-3, but he's putting in 20 minutes a night with some numbers to back it up. 3 blocks and 3 steals in 6 games shows he's still just a "body" defensively. And 8 assists compared to 15 turnovers seem to show that he's also the same guy that was part of our frontcourt issues last year. But this seems to be the right level for him. BONUS: 2 for 2 from 3. Wouldnt be shocked to see Ciani back on a power 5 team in a couple years as a rotation big.

Abou Ousmane- OK St. (B+)

12&5 at a Power 5 team. Starting and playing 20 minutes a night. FG% up 7.2% from last year (to 53.7%), and still a voracious offensive rebounder. Fouls down from 3.4 to 2.4. The team hasn't played a tough schedule, but he has managed to play his way into a key role at a Big 5 team. Shot attempts and points are way up from last year. Also, 3 of 3 from 3???

Gytis Nemeiksa- Hawaii (A)

Where was this guy last year? 12 & 7 in 20 minutes a night. Thats pretty good. 49% Shooting, 41% from 3. A little foul prone and some TOs in limited minutes. Not taking a ton of shots. Still would like to see some more assists (1.2) from a SF.

Dwon Odom- Tulsa (A-)

Not a good fit for Millers system, but he's effective. 13/5/4 on 54% shooting. 29 minutes a game. AND dude is taking some 3's now (25%...). 1.8 steals. very good A-TO ratio. AND he won the triple jump in High School!

Cesare Edwards- Georgia State (B+)

Another guy that seems to have found his level. Staring and playing 27 minutes a game, putting up 11/7.6. Blocking 1.1 shots a game, which is huge considering he had 5 blocks in 2 YEARS at XU and already has 8 this year. kinda fouls alot and has few assists. Doesnt get to the line. All in all though, he's found a place where hes a key player upfront.

KyKy Tandy- FAU (C)

The ultimate enigma. Still. Minutes down from last year 23 vs 32, and his scoring is down at that same rate (10 vs 18). Shot attempts are HALF of last year. 83% of his attempts from 3, but hitting 40%. Isnt getting to the line. Less than 1 Assist per game. Doesn't rebound. Doesn't turn the ball over (2 TOs in 8 games???!!!). I dont know what he does. Does he just stand in the corner? Certainly not living up to his transfer profile.

Kam Craft- Miami (B+)

17&3. Hows that! Big scoring numbers on a "meh" Miami team. Almost 42% from 3. Slightly more than half his shots from 3. Doesnt get to the line. Rebounding and Assist are negligible. Turns it over a bit more than youd expect from a guy that doesnt get assists. But all in all, he's scoring efficiently.

Kachi Nzeh- Penn State (C)

Maybe not quite ready to start at a B10school. 5 & 3 in 14 MPG. Really not alot of numbers to crunch, but the FG % is notable (56%). Seems to be fouling alot in limited minutes. Will be interesting to see if he can produce against B10 competition (PSU has played mostly cupcakes).

Dieonte Miles- Morehead St. (C+)

Maybe the poster child of the "Steele era", he still seems to be a project. 9&7 in 27 minutes per game. Doesnt block shots (.7) even at this level, and fouls a little much. Good FG%, and seems to be getting to the line more often. But hes a career 46% from the line. Pretty good offensive rebounder. Pretty much a perfect example of a guy that just huge and somehow finds himself playing college basketball. Limited athleticism and zero skill. But starting and playing at a level that seems right for him.

Reid Ducharme- Sienna (C-)

Still not cracking a staring lineup after dropping down. Putting up 6&1 in 18 minutes. I didnt realize .3 assist was possible (2 in 7 games). 66% of FG attempts from 3 where he is shooting 23%. Fouling too much as well. Fringe D1 player at this point.

Des Claude- USC (C-)

He's been underwhelming on a USC team that lost both games against decent competition. 12/4/3 stat line. 48% Shooting overall, 25% from 3. All of his 3's cam in one game and hes not really taking them. minutes are down to 28 per game (vs 34 last year), but shot attempts are way off (8 vs 14 last year). Hes getting to the line, which was his strength last year, and could save this year for him. Strill appears to be a one-on-one type player with 3.4 APG and 1.9 TOPG. Im sure USC didnt expect a five PPG drop off when they signed his as their jewel of the transfer class....

Lazar Djokovic- Charleston (C)

Starting and Playing 25 a night. 9&5 stat line. Same as last year, not much else. 1 APG, 2.5 Fouls, 1.7 TOs. But, his steals (.6) and blocks (1.1) have increased. Needed that last year. Overall FG % is very good at 55%, but hes not really getting to the line (3FTA per game). Very good Orebounding (2 per game). Has not yet made a 3 (0 for 10).

Jonathan Powell- WVU (B)

Hes a freshman contributing already at a B12 school with 23 minutes and 9&2. 83% of his shots from 3. Hitting 35% from deep at 42% overall. doesnt... do... much... else...., but the deep scoring threat is apparent.

That is all

[Xville]

I know you said it was subjective but what are you basing these grades on? Just production, stats at the level they are at?

I mean kyky getting a c is imo pretty unfair. He’s on a very solid team, probably the 3rd or 4th option and it’s a huge jump from where he was.

Ciani is playing for a shit school in a solid conference. Good for him for finding a spot I gues, but on a good team in the valley he’s not starting.

Gytis plays for a shit school in a shit conference.

I don’t mean to argue, not my intention… I was just curious how you were determining grades.


In the end I want all these guys to do well, except maybe Kraft who went to the guy who wrecked the program for a decade and I’m not a fan of what’s been rumored how he exited. He can kick rocks. The rest of them I wish nothing but the best. Feel the Europeans got a lot of flack for what really wasn’t their fault at all.

[Three Point Pete]

USC just lost to St Mary’s. 71-36. Yo.

Claude was 2-7 for 4 points (0-1 from 3).USC was sleep walking: 26% FG, with 0 for 12 3 pointers. St. Mary's grabbed 46/23 rebounds.

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

[GoMuskies]

Claude probably deserves an F at this point. Brutal.

[MHettel]

I know you said it was subjective but what are you basing these grades on? Just production, stats at the level they are at?

I mean kyky getting a c is imo pretty unfair. He’s on a very solid team, probably the 3rd or 4th option and it’s a huge jump from where he was.

Ciani is playing for a shit school in a solid conference. Good for him for finding a spot I gues, but on a good team in the valley he’s not starting.

Gytis plays for a shit school in a shit conference.

I don’t mean to argue, not my intention… I was just curious how you were determining grades.


In the end I want all these guys to do well, except maybe Kraft who went to the guy who wrecked the program for a decade and I’m not a fan of what’s been rumored how he exited. He can kick rocks. The rest of them I wish nothing but the best. Feel the Europeans got a lot of flack for what really wasn’t their fault at all.

It’s subjective. I don’t know how it couldn’t be. I look at the team performance, I look at the stats and then I look at the game log.

It’s really about whether the player made a good decision about where they went, and if that level is the right level for them.

I realize you (or anyone) might not agree with my “grades” , but it’s gonna be hard to move me.

Take Tandy for instance. 5th year player on his 3rd team. He averaged almost 18 last year. And he appears to just be content to stand around and take 3s. I’m don’t view FUA or their conference as a huge step up. He played in the Big East for 3 years. He must have thought he would be effective at that level (he kinda was as a freshman). He’s just not doing much. I assume that most teams (like us) have some expectations for their transfers. I assume FAU thought they were getting more than what they are getting…

[Xville]

It’s subjective. I don’t know how it couldn’t be. I look at the team performance, I look at the stats and then I look at the game log.

It’s really about whether the player made a good decision about where they went, and if that level is the right level for them.

I realize you (or anyone) might not agree with my “grades” , but it’s gonna be hard to move me.

Take Tandy for instance. 5th year player on his 3rd team. He averaged almost 18 last year. And he appears to just be content to stand around and take 3s. I’m don’t view FUA or their conference as a huge step up. He played in the Big East for 3 years. He must have thought he would be effective at that level (he kinda was as a freshman). He’s just not doing much. I assume that most teams (like us) have some expectations for their transfers. I assume FAU thought they were getting more than what they are getting…

Kyky didn’t go from Xavier to fau. He went from Xavier to Jacksonville state to fau. You were referring to his 18 points last year, that’s at Jacksonville state. Jacksonville state is a shit team that won 14 games in a now bad cusa that fau used to be a part of when the league was at least ok before fau and a bunch of other teams left for the American. Fau as you know went to the final four two years ago, then moved to the American where they went to the tourney again last year and won 14 in Conference (25) in season. They are a rising program and have a decent chance at winning the American or if not possibly getting an at large. They are talented. It’s like comparing Duquesne and Xavier. Maybe not that big of a gap but it’s a sizeable gap. Yes their coach is gone, he’s now busy whooping our ass, but imo it’s still a program on the rise. Jacksonville state (never say never) never will be.

I’m pretty sure fau is content with who they got. A player is who he is at this point when in their 5th year. Doubt they are surprised or disappointed. The roster they have has some talent. Leading scorer is from Louisville, another dude scored almost 20/ game at eku etc.


Anyways more power to ya, you can rank however you’d like. I just thought that one in particular was a bit odd

[MHettel]

Kyky didn’t go from Xavier to fau. He went from Xavier to Jacksonville state to fau. You were referring to his 18 points last year, that’s at Jacksonville state. Jacksonville state is a shit team that won 14 games in a now bad cusa that fau used to be a part of. Fau as you know went to the final four two years ago, then moved to the American where they went to the tourney again last year and won 14 in Conference (25) in season. They are a rising program and have a decent chance at winning the American or if not possibly getting an at large. They are talented. It’s like comparing Duquesne and Xavier. Maybe not that big of a gap but it’s a sizeable gap. Yes their coach is gone, he’s now busy whooping our ass, but imo it’s still a program on the rise. Jacksonville state (never say never) never will be.

I’m pretty sure fau is content with who they got. A player is who he is at this point when in their 5th year. Doubt they are surprised or disappointed. The roster they have has some talent. Leading scorer is from Louisville, another dude scored almost 20/ game at eku etc.


Anyways more power to ya, you can rank however you’d like. I just thought that one in particular was a bit odd

I didn’t say Tandy was on Jackson state last year cause I didn’t think k it was necessary. But apparently it’s necessary for you to point out.

I mentioned he was in his 5th year and 3rd team. I guess I assumed most people reading this could piece it together.


You can turn FAU into Bill Walton’s UCLA teams if you want. To me, they are an OK team and program in a better mid major conference. Last I checked they were 4-4 this year. A Final Four appearance has zero bearing on whether Tandy is meeting expectations as a transfer.

You can defend Tandy all you want. “You go” I suppose. But when I look at his games and see that in 7 of 8 games he’s taken 47 of 51 shots from 3 and then contributes otherwise by adding a grand total of 1 assist in his last 4 games and 7 in 8 games….well he’s not doing much. He’s a 6 foot guy playing SG and we all saw his defense.

I believe you’ve aired some complaints about Green this year. He may not be making the shots, but I dont question his effort. Tandys a 5th year guy and not even putting up Green stats at a lower level.

It is what it is.

[Xville]

I didn’t say Tandy was on Jackson state last year cause I didn’t think k it was necessary. But apparently it’s necessary for you to point out.

I mentioned he was in his 5th year and 3rd team. I guess I assumed most people reading this could piece it together.


You can turn FAU into Bill Walton’s UCLA teams if you want. To me, they are an OK team and program in a better mid major conference. Last I checked they were 4-4 this year. A Final Four appearance has zero bearing on whether Tandy is meeting expectations as a transfer.

You can defend Tandy all you want. “You go” I suppose. But when I look at his games and see that in 7 of 8 games he’s taken 47 of 51 shots from 3 and then contributes otherwise by adding a grand total of 1 assist in his last 4 games and 7 in 8 games….well he’s not doing much. He’s a 6 foot guy playing SG and we all saw his defense.

I believe you’ve aired some complaints about Green this year. He may not be making the shots, but I dont question his effort. Tandys a 5th year guy and not even putting up Green stats at a lower level.

It is what it is.

Green would be a good player in the American. I want green to be better, I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. he’s way too one dimensional for this level like kyky. I loved Tandy but green and Tandy are very much alike. They do one thing well some night s. They are pretty much useless at every other aspect of the game at this level. That’s not really a knock, it just is what it is. Green can’t help that he’s really 5’10 with limited athletic ability and a small frame.

I’m not defending Tandy, I just think you have a real issue with stats and turning that into narratives without understanding context sometimes. Fau and Jacksonville state are worlds apart. I’m not propping up fau by saying that. It’s just facts. You were the one who mentioned his 18 a game last year, comparing it to this year without any context. And it’s a world a difference.


I don’t know what Ciani averaged last year and don’t care but it’s like saying man what a year Ciani is having. He’s averaging 20 a game this year and providing zero context.

Or it’s like what happens when average nba players tear it up stats wise for a bad nba team, and then they go to a good nba team and they average 8-10 points. And some people are like man what happened? Well he’s now the 4th option. Context is everything.


Anyways, like I said you can do whatever you want, just thought your grades were weird, especially that one. I want them all to do well except craft. F him and f Steele.

[Xavier]

Are those grades based off of their decision and how they are playing currently or off of how good they are overall? IE are the “A” grades guys you’d want back?

I normally don’t care how the guys do that left. But of this group I kinda want to see Osman succeed because he looked like he was really giving it his all last year and was the focal point of a lot of blame. A lot of loud disgruntled fans at the Cintas towards him last year (albeit I understood why). So I hope he can go and have a good year.

Claude seems fine, but from the stories about his family it makes it hard to root for him. Hard to separate the player from the baggage

[MHettel]

Green would be a good player in the American. I want green to be better, I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. he’s way too one dimensional for this level like kyky. I loved Tandy but green and Tandy are very much alike. They do one thing well some night s. They are pretty much useless at every other aspect of the game at this level. That’s not really a knock, it just is what it is. Green can’t help that he’s really 5’10 with limited athletic ability and a small frame.

I’m not defending Tandy, I just think you have a real issue with stats and turning that into narratives without understanding context sometimes. Fau and Jacksonville state are worlds apart. I’m not propping up fau by saying that. It’s just facts. You were the one who mentioned his 18 a game last year, comparing it to this year without any context. And it’s a world a difference.


I don’t know what Ciani averaged last year and don’t care but it’s like saying man what a year Ciani is having. He’s averaging 20 a game this year and providing zero context.

Or it’s like what happens when average nba players tear it up stats wise for a bad nba team, and then they go to a good nba team and they average 8-10 points. And some people are like man what happened? Well he’s now the 4th option. Context is everything.


Anyways, like I said you can do whatever you want, just thought your grades were weird, especially that one. I want them all to do well except craft. F him and f Steele.

I gave Tandy a C. I explained it briefly in my mini-writeup. And then I elaborated after you questioned my grade.

Let’s try this approach. What grade would YOU give him. And which of my points can you counter? Or do you think my points are overweighted? Feel free to elaborate.

[Xville]

I gave Tandy a C. I explained it briefly in my mini-writeup. And then I elaborated after you questioned my grade.

Let’s try this approach. What grade would YOU give him. And which of my points can you counter? Or do you think my points are overweighted? Feel free to elaborate.

I hadn’t thought of giving him a grade because I don’t even know what my criteria would be. I think he’s a good fit on a team that is a good mid major that has them as their 3rd or 4th option. I hope they make the tourney so he gets to experience that. I’ve talked with him a few times and he’s a great young man. Anyways, There is enough talent on that team to do very well in the American. Preseason they were picked 5th, I think they have the talent to be top 3, and who knows maybe they surprise even more.

I guess with what I said above I’d give him an a because I think this is the top of where he belongs far as d1 basketball and he is filling the role they selected him for. I’m also a bit proud of a guy that humbled himself after having to be coached by a fucking moron to go all the way to a program like Jacksonville state and turn that into one last year at a respectable basketball institution. I wonder what he would have been had Mack or miller been the coach when he first entered college vs the idiot. Maybe he’d be like green, which is what I think tandy is now but a little bigger and with a lot of injuries on his legs. Or maybe he could have been someone else, who knows.

I get you ranked him a c and I think that’s just basing off stats and you didn’t think beyond that. You also assumed wrongly that fau expected more from him and that’s just not the case. He is what he is at this point.


I probably know more about Tandy, where he came from and his situation more than just about anyone here just being where he’s from. I know a lot of Kentucky high school coaches, admins.. I know his family situation, I know what expectations were for him. They are personal things that is not my place to share. I just have a special place in my heart for him, and I’m glad he ended up where he did to finish out his college career. I think and hope that he has a place overseas to play next year. They do love shooters

[MHettel]

I hadn’t thought of giving him a grade because I don’t even know what my criteria would be. I think he’s a good fit on a team that is a good mid major that has them as their 3rd or 4th option. I hope they make the tourney so he gets to experience that. I’ve talked with him a few times and he’s a great young man. Anyways, There is enough talent on that team to do very well in the American. Preseason they were picked 5th, I think they have the talent to be top 3, and who knows maybe they surprise even more.

I guess with what I said above I’d give him an a because I think this is the top of where he belongs far as d1 basketball and he is filling the role they selected him for. I’m also a bit proud of a guy that humbled himself after having to be coached by a fucking moron to go all the way to a program like Jacksonville state and turn that into one last year at a respectable basketball institution. I wonder what he would have been had Mack or miller been the coach when he first entered college vs the idiot. Maybe he’d be like green, which is what I think tandy is now but a little bigger and with a lot of injuries on his legs. Or maybe he could have been someone else, who knows.

I get you ranked him a c and I think that’s just basing off stats and you didn’t think beyond that. You also assumed wrongly that fau expected more from him and that’s just not the case. He is what he is at this point.


I probably know more about Tandy, where he came from and his situation more than just about anyone here just being where he’s from. I know a lot of Kentucky high school coaches, admins.. I know his family situation, I know what expectations were for him. They are personal things that is not my place to share. I just have a special place in my heart for him, and I’m glad he ended up where he did to finish out his college career. I think and hope that he has a place overseas to play next year. They do love shooters

You give him an A? Did I read that correctly? And you can speak on behalf of FAU that they are a little disappointed that he doing almost nothing but taking 3s on a 4-4 mid major team? And they purposefully went out seeking a one dimensional, small shooting guard to be their 3rd or 4th option.

Thats great that you have this soft spot for the kid. But your judgement is very clouded. This is Tandy’s 5th year. He’s the same guy he was as a freshman gunner at XU.

By the way, I dislike Steele as much as the next guy, but Fremantle and Colby Jones didn’t seem to be searching for excuses for why they couldn’t prosper under him.

Tandy was a bust at the BE level. He looked good at Jackson State and has reverted back to a guy that does nothing but shoot 3s. Especially as a small guy on the perimeter where a lack of defense can cause the whole team to break down defensively.

[Xville]

You give him an A? Did I read that correctly? And you can speak on behalf of FAU that they are a little disappointed that he doing almost nothing but taking 3s on a 4-4 mid major team? And they purposefully went out seeking a one dimensional, small shooting guard to be their 3rd or 4th option.

Thats great that you have this soft spot for the kid. But your judgement is very clouded. This is Tandy’s 5th year. He’s the same guy he was as a freshman gunner at XU.

By the way, I dislike Steele as much as the next guy, but Fremantle and Colby Jones didn’t seem to be searching for excuses for why they couldn’t prosper under him.

Tandy was a bust at the BE level. He looked good at Jackson State and has reverted back to a guy that does nothing but shoot 3s. Especially as a small guy on the perimeter where a lack of defense can cause the whole team to break down defensively.

I’m aware of what Tandy is, and I’m aware of what fau is and what they thought they were getting with Tandy. I know you want to continue to argue about it because you so desperately want to be right about everything. But you are basing all your comments on whatever your opinion is. I know a lot of the facts. I’m not going to argue with you about this. You are free to believe whatever you want no matter how wrong it is. Taking threes is what he’s been doing for five years now, do you think that fau suddenly believed they were going to get a different player? You argue just to argue without any common sense. You look at stats and try to base a narrative off of it. The real world doesn’t work that way especially in sports no matter what the analytical dorks tell you. If it was the case then we’d just have literal robots as scouts, agents, coaches etc. I’m done with this convo.

[MHettel]

I’m aware of what Tandy is, and I’m aware of what fau is and what they thought they were getting with Tandy. I know you want to continue to argue about it because you so desperately want to be right about everything. But you are basing all your comments on whatever your opinion is. I know a lot of the facts. I’m not going to argue with you about this. You are free to believe whatever you want no matter how wrong it is. Taking threes is what he’s been doing for five years now, do you think that fau suddenly believed they were going to get a different player? You argue just to argue without any common sense. You look at stats and try to base a narrative off of it. The real world doesn’t work that way especially in sports no matter what the analytical dorks tell you. If it was the case then we’d just have literal robots as scouts, agents, coaches etc. I’m done with this convo.

Last year he took more than 14 shots a game with less than half of them coming from 3. He averaged 17 a game. I assume THAT is the player that FAU recruited. But now he taking about 2/3 the amount of shots (per minute) and more than 80% are from 3.

Yes, those are stats. Not some “I talked to him a couple times and his story is gonna be a Hallmark movie someday”.

He dropped WAY down to Jacksonville State cause that’s where his opportunity came from. He entered the portal the prior year and came back….maybe (probably) due to lack of interest. He redeemed himself at Jacksonville and has now regressed to a becoming a one trick pony.

You can be character witness all you want, but if this was any other guy under similar circumstances and XU just brought him in as a transfer we’d all be calling him a bust.

[Xville]

Last year he took more than 14 shots a game with less than half of them coming from 3. He averaged 17 a game. I assume THAT is the player that FAU recruited. But now he taking about 2/3 the amount of shots (per minute) and more than 80% are from 3.

Yes, those are stats. Not some “I talked to him a couple times and his story is gonna be a Hallmark movie someday”.

He dropped WAY down to Jacksonville State cause that’s where his opportunity came from. He entered the portal the prior year and came back….maybe (probably) due to lack of interest. He redeemed himself at Jacksonville and has now regressed to a becoming a one trick pony.

You can be character witness all you want, but if this was any other guy under similar circumstances and XU just brought him in as a transfer we’d all be calling him a bust.

Ok I lied. Now I’m done with the convo. You don’t know much about college basketball, it’s pretty astonishing considering how much you post opinions here just how many blind spots you actually have.


I never said Tandy was good at x that has nothing to do with this conversation, and you bring it up in your last paragraph to do what. I even tell you I know the situation based on actual facts and you dismiss it because it doesn’t go along with whatever baloney you are trying to prove.

Ok now I’m done.

[MHettel]

Ok I lied. Now I’m done with the convo. You don’t know much about college basketball, it’s pretty astonishing considering how much you post opinions here just how many blind spots you actually have.


I never said Tandy was good at x that has nothing to do with this conversation, and you bring it up in your last paragraph to do what. I even tell you I know the situation based on actual facts and you dismiss it because it doesn’t go along with whatever baloney you are trying to prove.

Ok now I’m done.

What is this "situation" that you know about? What does it have to do with anything related to Tandy's on court basketball performance this year?

NOTHING is the answer. You're just hiding behind it because I'm crushing your dumbass argument.

I gave the guy a "C" grade. You act like I shit in his soup. He's been "meh" on a "meh" team. There are no "actual facts" that need to considered.

And, instead of just saying "you dont know much about college basketball" why don't you actually bring a counterpoint or two to the discussion? You dont like my grade for him....then make your case. You blame Steele. I point to Free and Colby. You know some "secret" information cause you're such an insider and I call you out due to the irrelevance of it.

This is very typical of you. ZERO substance. At least I can make an argument and lodge a defense of it.

[Xville]

What is this "situation" that you know about? What does it have to do with anything related to Tandy's on court basketball performance this year?

NOTHING is the answer. You're just hiding behind it because I'm crushing your dumbass argument.

I gave the guy a "C" grade. You act like I shit in his soup. He's been "meh" on a "meh" team. There are no "actual facts" that need to considered.

And, instead of just saying "you dont know much about college basketball" why don't you actually bring a counterpoint or two to the discussion? You dont like my grade for him....then make your case. You blame Steele. I point to Free and Colby. You know some "secret" information cause you're such an insider and I call you out due to the irrelevance of it.

This is very typical of you. ZERO substance. At least I can make an argument and lodge a defense of it.

I already made my point several times. You decided to ignore it and then tell me how wrong I was. I gave him an a based on the criteria that I think it’s important. You disagreed. Now you just went to argue to argue because I guess you’re bored. As I said, I know more about Tandy and his situation and know more about fau and the reason for taking him than probably anyone here. I don’t care to get into it more with you because you have a preconceived notion and will never relent. You have a history of doing it, so I’m done. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend.

[Xville]

Desmond Claude seems to have righted the ship a bit the last few games:

against Washington: 20,4, 4
Against Oregon: 22, 4, 4

I think he would have thrived this year with Free in the two man game. Wish the people around him would have chilled out a bit, but i understand wanting to do best for him to get to the league.

[MHettel]

Desmond Claude seems to have righted the ship a bit the last few games:

against Washington: 20,4, 4
Against Oregon: 22, 4, 4

I think he would have thrived this year with Free in the two man game. Wish the people around him would have chilled out a bit, but i understand wanting to do best for him to get to the league.

I’m not convinced that transferring out of XU to USC is going to have any impact on his chances of being an NBA player.

He’s obviously a SG. He was seeking PG opportunities as a way to explain his departure from X, and USC threw him the “lead guard” bone. That’s fine. I we debated that previously.

But he’s still not taking 3s (1.5 attempts per game) and he’s NEVER going to play in the NBA at any position unless he can start making 3s. His assist number are fine this year. He does have the ball in his hands very often. But he takes way more shots than he creates and they don’t go down from deep.

I made my Claude rant in the summer. And I’m fine that he left. But the stories creep out later that support the point I was getting at. It’s all about the money.

[MHettel]

I’m not convinced that transferring out of XU to USC is going to have any impact on his chances of being an NBA player.

He’s obviously a SG. He was seeking PG opportunities as a way to explain his departure from X, and USC threw him the “lead guard” bone. That’s fine. I we debated that previously.

But he’s still not taking 3s (1.5 attempts per game) and he’s NEVER going to play in the NBA at any position unless he can start making 3s. His assist number are fine this year. He does have the ball in his hands very often. But he takes way more shots than he creates and they don’t go down from deep.

I made my Claude rant in the summer. And I’m fine that he left. But the stories creep out later that support the point I was getting at. It’s all about the money.

I’m not gonna edit my own post. But I will say he is capable of having a very good season and can be successful. He’s figuring it out. But he looks awfully similar to our guy from last year is my point.

[Xville]

I’m not convinced that transferring out of XU to USC is going to have any impact on his chances of being an NBA player.

He’s obviously a SG. He was seeking PG opportunities as a way to explain his departure from X, and USC threw him the “lead guard” bone. That’s fine. I we debated that previously.

But he’s still not taking 3s (1.5 attempts per game) and he’s NEVER going to play in the NBA at any position unless he can start making 3s. His assist number are fine this year. He does have the ball in his hands very often. But he takes way more shots than he creates and they don’t go down from deep.

I made my Claude rant in the summer. And I’m fine that he left. But the stories creep out later that support the point I was getting at. It’s all about the money.

It’s pretty obvious you don’t watch or pay attention to the nba much. All Claude has to do is prove he can run point, if he can, it doesn’t matter if he shoots a great 3 percentage in the nba. There are shooters all over the court in the nba, the pg just needs to get them the ball and be able to break down the defense. Sure, there are pgs in the nba that can shoot, but it’s not a requirement and there are also very average outside shooters like fox who are all stars. I dunno why you continue with this narrative about Claude and the reasons he left.

He knows he’s not a great shooter which is why his path to the nba is pg, and his shot in the nba can get better. It has for plenty of folks. Again, fox couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn in college.

[webxu]

Rajon Rondo had a nice career not being able to shoot outside of 3 feet.

[Xavier]

I just don’t think he has any where near the PG skills to overcome his lack of shooting. His best path was trying to become Colby jones. Work on the shot. It was his only chance. But he’s not as athletic/quick as jones was.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

Help me out, but I believe Jones was a couple inches taller and a better athlete. I admittedly don't watch much NBA past the Suns/Playoffs. What I do see, the NBA you are either a legit star or you do one thing exceptionally well. Some are great defenders, some rebounders, some playmakers, but they all do something that would wear the stars down and keep them from scoring. Claude needs a better handle/playmaking ability, better defense, quicker, something or he either won't last or won't get drafted at all.

[drudy23]

Help me out, but I believe Jones was a couple inches taller and a better athlete. I admittedly don't watch much NBA past the Suns/Playoffs. What I do see, the NBA you are either a legit star or you do one thing exceptionally well. Some are great defenders, some rebounders, some playmakers, but they all do something that would wear the stars down and keep them from scoring. Claude needs a better handle/playmaking ability, better defense, quicker, something or he either won't last or won't get drafted at all.

Pretty true.

For example, Naji has turned into a damn good defender with his length. Any points he scores is gravy. He's going to build a 10+ year NBA career off of defense.

Unless you're next in line to be a top tier franchise player, you better find a niche, because everyone is REALLY good.

[Xville]

Help me out, but I believe Jones was a couple inches taller and a better athlete. I admittedly don't watch much NBA past the Suns/Playoffs. What I do see, the NBA you are either a legit star or you do one thing exceptionally well. Some are great defenders, some rebounders, some playmakers, but they all do something that would wear the stars down and keep them from scoring. Claude needs a better handle/playmaking ability, better defense, quicker, something or he either won't last or won't get drafted at all.

Claude and jones are the same height. I dunno if I agree with the better athlete statement. I do think jones is quicker, but Claude has more straight line speed and bigger hops.

I agree with the rest of what you are saying, you need a specific skill that you are almost elite at. If Claude ever wishes to get into the nba he’s going to have to gain the ability to blow by nba type defenders, I think he’s capable from an athleticism standpoint, but needs to improve the ball handling standpoint.

In regards to Colby, awesome he got drafted and a guaranteed contract, but I’m not sure if he’s going to last past this contract. He’s getting even less time this year than last. It may just be a case of opportunity and he’d thrive somewhere else because SAC is just loaded with 2/3 guy.

[MHettel]

Claude and jones are the same height. I dunno if I agree with the better athlete statement. I do think jones is quicker, but Claude has more straight line speed and bigger hops.

I agree with the rest of what you are saying, you need a specific skill that you are almost elite at. If Claude ever wishes to get into the nba he’s going to have to gain the ability to blow by nba type defenders, I think he’s capable from an athleticism standpoint, but needs to improve the ball handling standpoint.

In regards to Colby, awesome he got drafted and a guaranteed contract, but I’m not sure if he’s going to last past this contract. He’s getting even less time this year than last. It may just be a case of opportunity and he’d thrive somewhere else because SAC is just loaded with 2/3 guy.

I don’t know how Claude is going to blow by an NBA level defender that has no respect for his shot. He’s just gonna play off him and dare him to shoot.

If Claude could shoot 38% from 3 in college he’d be drafted, as is.

[GoMuskies]

Dwon Odom had 13 point, 5 assists and 4 boards in the first half against Wichita State this afternoon. Had no idea he was at Tulsa until I was driving around and heard a few minutes of the WSU broadcast.

Tulsa is a terrible team, but Odom is having a pretty good year. Hope he ends up with a triple double today!

[GoMuskies]

Dwon JUST missed. 17, 9 and 10 on 8/10 shooting.

[Xville]

Dwon JUST missed. 17, 9 and 10 on 8/10 shooting.

Wow impressive showing. Good for him!

[MHettel]

Wow impressive showing. Good for him!

He’s pretty solid. Can’t shoot 3s still but he stuffs the box score otherwise. Tulsa is probably the exact right spot for him, but he could contribute at the BE level. Contribute.

[Xuperman]

If Odom had stayed, he is likely a starter. However, it stands to reason that it would have effected Miller's roster choices.....hard to see how that would positively effect our W-L records.

Edwards is the guy that should still be a Musketeer. He showed flashes as a youngster in the Big East. I think Miller could have got some serious production out of him. He's 7'2 if you measure the 'fro.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/stats/_/id/4708074/cesare-edwards

[Three Point Pete]

If Odom had stayed, he is likely a starter. However, it stands to reason that it would have effected Miller's roster choices.....hard to see how that would positively effect our W-L records.

Edwards is the guy that should still be a Musketeer. He showed flashes as a youngster in the Big East. I think Miller could have got some serious production out of him. He's 7'2 if you measure the 'fro.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/stats/_/id/4708074/cesare-edwards

I don't know about Cesare. Saying that he "showed flashes" is probably true. But, he was not a difference maker.

Now, he is doing OK on a squad at the bottom of the Sunbelt. He had scored 20+ in 7 games, including their embarrassing to Kentucky, who had 64 points in the paint. He is IMHO at the level that suits him best.

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[OTRMUSKIE]

Joker avg 8.8 at Charleston

Craft avg 14.9 at Miami

Abou avg 12.6 at Ok St

Nzeh avg 3.4 at penn st

Ciani avg 11.2 at UIC

Cesar Edward’s 14.9 at Georgia St

Dieonte Miles avg 5.7 at Morehead St

Claude avg 16.3 at USC

KY KY avg 9.1 at FAU

D Odom avg 13.7 at Tulsa

Reid Ducharme avg 3.6 at Sienna

Gytis avg 12.4 at Hawaii

[Xville]

How is Reid Ducharme this bad? Guy was a top 100 recruit… did he just not play much at Brewster and so was poorly evaluated? I know recruiting is hit or miss but averaging 11 minutes on a bad Siena team is wild.

[xukeith]

How is Reid Ducharme this bad? Guy was a top 100 recruit… did he just not play much at Brewster and so was poorly evaluated? I know recruiting is hit or miss but averaging 11 minutes on a bad Siena team is wild.

247 had him outside of top 100 fwiw. (101)

[GoMuskies]

I think Ducharme has been injured.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Ducharme had a concussion history that kept him out at X (even in practice) for long stretches. Not sure if that’s what’s going on at Sienna that Go referenced.

[Xville]

That’d explain some things. Just looking at game logs, it seems he might be fighting some kind of injury. Minutes are pretty low recently and looks like has missed a game here and there. Hope he gets healthy, that sucks

[paulxu]

How many years can Ky Ky play?

[noteggs]

How many years can Ky Ky play?

Think he came in with Free?

Similar path with injuries and covid on eligibility.

[Xuperman]

I don't know about Cesare. Saying that he "showed flashes" is probably true. But, he was not a difference maker.

Now, he is doing OK on a squad at the bottom of the Sunbelt. He had scored 20+ in 7 games, including their embarrassing to Kentucky, who had 64 points in the paint. He is IMHO at the level that suits him best.

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I think Miller would agree that there are former Musketeer dudes who could help our frontcourt weakness.

It has been a topic of reference.

[webxu]

Joker avg 8.8 at Charleston

Craft avg 14.9 at Miami

Abou avg 12.6 at Ok St

Nzeh avg 3.4 at penn st

Ciani avg 11.2 at UIC

Cesar Edward’s 14.9 at Georgia St

Dieonte Miles avg 5.7 at Morehead St

Claude avg 16.3 at USC

KY KY avg 9.1 at FAU

D Odom avg 13.7 at Tulsa

Reid Ducharme avg 3.6 at Sienna

Gytis avg 12.4 at Hawaii

Elijah Tucker averaging close to 10 and 5 at Longwood..

[Xavier]

Claude and USC lose at home to UCLA without its best player. USC now has a 10% to make the tournament. Watched a little bit of the game. Both teams looked rough.

[waggy]

I watched some USC and honestly Claude looked like he was on vaycay.

[MHettel]

Yeah Claude was like 4-7 shooting and 2-4 from 3. Most games he taking 12+ shots with maybe 1 or 2 from deep. Did UCLA just force him out of his game?

[Xavier]

I only watched like 8 minutes of game time. UCLA didn’t look like they did anything special to stop him and USC didn’t appear to have any sort of offensive gameplan whatsoever. Made our motion offense at top of key look revolutionary. When Claude got ball in backcourt he did look pretty good and quick running the court. Didn’t look like he had much of a plan while doing so and teammates weren’t doing much to help either. Probably just caught watching at a bad time though

[Xville]

KyKy with 26 last night.....8/10 from 3 against a pretty bad UTSA team.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

It seems like most of our transfers out play very low level ball. My biggest disappointment is Jonas Hayes at GSU. I thought he would do better there than he has. If he gets sacked, I would love to see him back.

[drudy23]

Most of these guys could have played at X with a 3-4 year development plan. It was just a bad time to come to X, as it really wasn't living up to the historical standards at the time they were here, in the 5 years after Mack.

[Xville]

Most of these guys could have played at X with a 3-4 year development plan. It was just a bad time to come to X, as it really wasn't living up to the historical standards at the time they were here, in the 5 years after Mack.

Yeah. I think Sasa and Lazar have the potential to be able to play at this level by next year or their Senior year. X just doesn't have the luxury to wait on these guys until then, and I'm sure they weren't interested in riding the bench until then. I have a feeling both of them move up before their last year.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

Ciani's time has been ever decreasing but Djokovic has been solid for Mack against lower levels of competition. Once Djokovic realizes he is a 6'11 PF who scores only in the paint with the occasional three, he could be a good player. He just needs a ton of polishing over his footwork both on offense and defense.

[Xville]

Ciani's time has been ever decreasing but Djokovic has been solid for Mack against lower levels of competition. Once Djokovic realizes he is a 6'11 PF who scores only in the paint with the occasional three, he could be a good player. He just needs a ton of polishing over his footwork both on offense and defense.

I could be completely wrong becasue I don't follow UIC, but just looking at game logs...is Ciani dealing with some kind of injury? Hasn't played in two of the last three games, and last night was a blowout. So, even if his time is limited, I'd think he'd at least get in the game.

[sirthought]

Broadcasters said during the USC v UCLA game that Claude was averaging 20 ppg in Big 10 play.

I know there was conflict, and he wasn't perfect, but I wish he had stayed at X.

[MHettel]

Ciani's time has been ever decreasing but Djokovic has been solid for Mack against lower levels of competition. Once Djokovic realizes he is a 6'11 PF who scores only in the paint with the occasional three, he could be a good player. He just needs a ton of polishing over his footwork both on offense and defense.

I wasn’t sold on Lazar when he was here. He was very hyped when he came in, and very UNREADY to play at the BE level. Some people said they saw the “potential” and I did t even see that.

He had “big man” height, but not necessarily length. He played outside and couldn’t shoot a lick. Not much of a passer, or interior defender.

He dropped down to Charleston and he’s really pretty average. 3-24 on the year from 3. But his overall shooting % is above 50, so he must be very efficient from close.

I wouldn’t be shocked if he transferred again to an “also ran” power 5 team, but I think k he’s destined to be a single digit scorer doing minimal to impact games.

[Xville]

Watching the game last night, even the commentators (Jon Fanta was one of them) mentioned how Mack stated Lazar has NBA athleticism, and the commentators agreed. Doesn't mean he will put it all together, there's plenty that never do, but he has the raw ability. He's still very young, and is prone to make mistakes. Mack even suspended him this year for 3-4 games for something. He has a lot of growing up to do , similar to Free's immaturity a couple of years ago. Anyways, he's in a good spot at Charleston where he isn't being asked to do too much this year as he is their third or fourth option scoring wise.

Next year will probably be a make or break for him as Brzovic will most likely be gone, and another scoring option graduates.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

Watching the game last night, even the commentators (Jon Fanta was one of them) mentioned how Mack stated Lazar has NBA athleticism, and the commentators agreed. Doesn't mean he will put it all together, there's plenty that never do, but he has the raw ability. He's still very young, and is prone to make mistakes. Mack even suspended him this year for 3-4 games for something. He has a lot of growing up to do , similar to Free's immaturity a couple of years ago. Anyways, he's in a good spot at Charleston where he isn't being asked to do too much this year as he is their third or fourth option scoring wise.

Next year will probably be a make or break for him as Brzovic will most likely be gone, and another scoring option graduates.

I agree with this, 24 threes at this point is about right for him. Guy is 6'11 and should be glued to the block except for pick-n-roll. Mack is also a pretty good coach. I think he is better than his current stop. I could see Lazar stick with Mack if he likes the system and moves up when Mack inevitably takes a better job.

[Xville]

I agree with this, 24 threes at this point is about right for him. Guy is 6'11 and should be glued to the block except for pick-n-roll. Mack is also a pretty good coach. I think he is better than his current stop. I could see Lazar stick with Mack if he likes the system and moves up when Mack inevitably takes a better job.

I wonder what Mack wants to do. On one hand, the guy certainly has an ego where I could see him wanting the big gig again, but on the other hand he got absolutely railroaded at Louisville (karmas a bitch), and I dunno if he wants to put himself in that position again.

[GoMuskies]

I wouldn't be surprised if Mack sticks around. He's already got the money to make sure his kids and their kids have a serious leg up in the world, and Charleston's pay isn't exactly peanuts (it's $1.1 million/year). Charleston is an absolutely fantastic city, and CofC has a really nice program. He's really in a great spot.

[Xville]

I wouldn't be surprised if Mack sticks around. He's already got the money to make sure his kids and their kids have a serious leg up in the world, and Charleston's pay isn't exactly peanuts. Charleston is an absolutely fantastic city, and CofC has a really nice program. He's really in a great spot.

Yeah he's making about a million, living in an awesome city, with the pressure to just have a "good" team. Not a bad gig.

[Muskie in dayton]

Here's a nice resource for checking in on the many X transfers in our crazy new world: Xavier Transfers Playing and Sitting Out - RealGM (https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/conferences/Big-East-Conference/59/Xavier/28/transfers)

[bjf123]

Interesting article in today’s Enquirer about the players who transferred from X the last few years. Not sure if it’s paywalled since I subscribe.

Transfer portal update: How are former Xavier Musketeers doing at their new schools?

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/xavier/2025/01/31/ncaa-transfer-portal-how-are-former-xavier-musketeers-players-doing-big-east-kam-craft-kyky-tandy/78068163007/


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[MHettel]

Kam Craft put up 40 tonight, including 9 3’s.

Miami is 19-5….

[Xavier]

Steele is right where he belongs, a place he can develop and learn on the job. That’s not what you want leading a program at it’s all time high in a major conference. (A new coach that needs to learn on the job) Xavier still hasn’t recovered from that hire. Nothing against Steele, good guy. Glad he found success

On a side I was wondering how much you think his FIL gives towards NIL funds

[Xville]

Claude with 16 and 8 tonight against a bad Penn state team. Maybe x can face him in the crown.

[JEHARDI]

Steele is right where he belongs, a place he can develop and learn on the job. That’s not what you want leading a program at it’s all time high in a major conference. (A new coach that needs to learn on the job) Xavier still hasn’t recovered from that hire. Nothing against Steele, good guy. Glad he found success

On a side I was wondering how much you think his FIL gives towards NIL funds

New Starbucks CEO is a Miami grad and is currently the major NIL donor. They are just starting to get serious about raising NIL $.

[xukeith]

Miami(OH) beats 3rd place MAC team Toledo behind Kam Craft's 40 points in only 27 minutes. 9/14(64%) from 3

[drudy23]

Looking more and more that X whiffed on Craft and not the other way around.

Several people on this forum (including myself, no humble brag) saw the skill set while he was here. I think he could have played here with 2-3 years of development for sure. I wish we could have seen it play out.

[GoMuskies]

Yeah, I think Craft is one that got away. His freshman year it was the injury bug that got him as he was just breaking into the rotation (on an obviously VERY good team) when he got hurt. Not sure what happened last year. Was he healthy enough to play? If so, it was a major blunder not finding a way to convince him to stay and play, because that team blew goats, and he absolutely would have made the team better (IF he was healthy).

Oh, well. I don't think he's a star at the Big East level or anything and likely wouldn't have made a MAJOR difference on this year's team, but I hate to see our "homegrown" talent transfer out when they're clearly capable of meaningfully contributing.

[drudy23]

Yeah, I think Craft is one that got away. His freshman year it was the injury bug that got him as he was just breaking into the rotation (on an obviously VERY good team) when he got hurt. Not sure what happened last year. Was he healthy enough to play? If so, it was a major blunder not finding a way to convince him to stay and play, because that team blew goats, and he absolutely would have made the team better (IF he was healthy).

Oh, well. I don't think he's a star at the Big East level or anything and likely wouldn't have made a MAJOR difference on this year's team, but I hate to see our "homegrown" talent transfer out when they're clearly capable of meaningfully contributing.

Probably cliche, but potential BJ Raymond vibes for someone that could have really found his niche by junior/senior year.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

Try to remember that Craft is a 22 year old sophomore. This would comparably be his senior year and he is playing medium to low D1 ball. I just didn't see him athletic enough to defend at the high D1 level.

[muskieindent]

I'd love to have Claude at point.Dayvion has completely fallen apart . I know Kraft is playing at a mid major but most of our transfer players have been mid major players.Maybe that explains our issues the last 2 years.

[drudy23]

I just didn't see him athletic enough to defend at the high D1 level.

Untrue.

The kid has all the skills. He scored at all 3 levels in high school, and you can watch one mix tape and you can see the talent and upside. As others have said, he's not a star on this team in the BE, but could have been a valuable role player or potential starter to add some offensive firepower, and he has the size as well - he's 6'6, 210. When have we ever had that size at the guard position in the BE?

Could also get to the rim and was a shot-maker - he didn't just stand at the 3 point line waiting to get his shot, but he is a very good 3 point shooter. He also has a solid mid-range pull-up game, and has some nice highlights at the rim as well when attacking the basket.

I think people thought he was Brad Redford - he is much more athletic and offensively capable.

[Xville]

Untrue.

The kid has all the skills. He scored at all 3 levels in high school, and you can watch one mix tape and you can see the talent and upside. As others have said, he's not a star on this team in the BE, but could have been a valuable role player or potential starter to add some offensive firepower, and he has the size as well - he's 6'6, 210. When have we ever had that size at the guard position in the BE?

Could also get to the rim and was a shot-maker - he didn't just stand at the 3 point line waiting to get his shot, but he is a very good 3 point shooter. He also has a solid mid-range pull-up game, and has some nice highlights at the rim as well when attacking the basket.

I think people thought he was Brad Redford - he is much more athletic and offensively capable.

I’d like to see him do it at a level higher than a really shitty Mac conference before making these assertions. High school is one thing. He was ranked highly of a reason, but there are always guys who are ranked highly and then just can’t cut it at this level. My guess is he will go back up if he continues to perform, and we will see then

[drudy23]

I’d like to see him do it at a level higher than a really shitty Mac conference before making these assertions. High school is one thing. He was ranked highly of a reason, but there are always guys who are ranked highly and then just can’t cut it at this level. My guess is he will go back up if he continues to perform, and we will see then

Can't argue with that, but he's exactly the type of player that would have benefitted from the legacy developmental model at X, as so many others have.

[GoMuskies]

He seems pretty loyal to Steele (as did most guys Steele recruited). If they have a good NIL program, I wouldn't be surprised if he sticks around there.

[GoMuskies]

This is a former player from 27 years ago....but still fits! It's Pat Forde on Pat Kelsey at Xavier (with a lot of Skip Prosser mentions as one might expect). Even talks about his fake retirement to get the hell away from Chris Mack (OK, it wasn't QUITE counched in those terms).

https://www.si.com/college-basketball/how-pat-kelsey-revived-louisville-hoops-and-his-passion

[Xavier]

I brought up the possibility to my Xavier group chat that I could see conwell moving on after the year. They thought I was out of my mind. Is that crazy?

I’m not hoping it happens, btw. Still think hes a great weapon for a great team, just not someone that can be the leader of a great team (top 15 team type).

[Xville]

I brought up the possibility to my Xavier group chat that I could see conwell moving on after the year. They thought I was out of my mind. Is that crazy?

I’m not hoping it happens, btw. Still think hes a great weapon for a great team, just not someone that can be the leader of a great team (top 15 team type).

I don’t think it’s crazy. I like the guy and think he’s a good player. However, he’s not athletic for this level. Maybe with a second year, he will be a lot more comfortable and know what it takes but I don’t know. I wonder what miller thinks about him privately. X desperately needs 1-2 guys next year that 1.) can stay in front of their man on d and 2.) can beat their man off the dribble and finish. Conwell is neither of those two things. Can nyk? Can roddie?

[JEHARDI]

Here’s the rub, to get the type of players most think we will need to compete at the top of the BE , it is going to require more NIL $’s. There is no way around it, sadly, it is the realty of the game. Otherwise, you are taking flyers on guys , hoping it pans out. Holds true for freshman or transfers, players that can compete at this level have plenty of options that will pay them handsomely.
We are competing against schools that have at least one if not 2 individuals dedicated to managing players and NIL, that may be a gap we need to address in addition to additional financial support.

[Xavier]

Again I want him to stay. He’s really a weapon if he’s playing his role. IE what he was at Indiana state. Work within the offense, not having him be the key guard weapon. I guess it’s fair to ask if that something you pay a premium for, which you’d have to, or rather use that+ more to get stronger guy. I’d rather keep him. Hope his 3pt shooting is part of a sell to a Big man transfer.

[drudy23]

Even talks about his fake retirement to get the hell away from Chris Mack

https://www.si.com/college-basketball/how-pat-kelsey-revived-louisville-hoops-and-his-passion

What's the real story here? Thought him and Mack were buds.

[Xville]

Again I want him to stay. He’s really a weapon if he’s playing his role. IE what he was at Indiana state. Work within the offense, not having him be the key guard weapon. I guess it’s fair to ask if that something you pay a premium for, which you’d have to, or rather use that+ more to get stronger guy. I’d rather keep him. Hope his 3pt shooting is part of a sell to a Big man transfer.

That's I think the real key in this day and age. How much does he want, and is he worth that price? X is going to have to spend some money for a legit 4 or 5 that can score, and at least one 2/3 hybrid position (preferably someone who can get to the bucket. That's at the very least.

Obviously want him around because X will need his shooting ability but it's a cost vs roi question.

[murray87]

Since there are no rules in this NIL era, I guess a school is fine to dip into their endowment to help with player payments? Has Xavier done this or are they willing?

[GoMuskies]

Kam Craft is now averaging 20 per game over his last two. LOL

[Xville]

Claude had a chance to win it for usc today and of course while driving, lost the handle and the ball went out of bounds. The kid is the opposite of clutch

[Three Point Pete]

Ousmane had 15 pts. But TCU beat the Cowboys on a deep trey in final seconds, 73-72

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[blueblood]

Claude had a chance to win it for usc today and of course while driving, lost the handle and the ball went out of bounds. The kid is the opposite of clutch

Also worth noting Claude had 6 TOs in 32 minutes . . . compared to X's 9 total TOs as a team yesterday.

X isn't perfect but the ball handling, FT shooting and defensive steals are all much improved this year.

[Xavier]

Gonna give Steele a shout out. He needed to go, probably a year earlier than he did, but I don’t hate the guy like some do. He’s a good guy, I hope he does well at Miami. He just got to the 20 win mark but I was surprised it was the first time since 99 Miami hit that. (*at least I saw that on Twitter). MAC is a great spot for Steele and one you can dig in and learn. Good for him.

[MHettel]

CJ Witcher sighting today! He’s a rotation player for #7 Texas A&M

I originally listed 13 former players and Tucker and Witcher have been brought up later.

That’s 15 of our former players still playing, elsewhere. Almost impossible to get my head around that