College Basketball Transfer Portal 2024-2025

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Originally Posted by xuphan

I am not sure how I am arguing in circles as you say. The fact is we just experienced the worst Xavier team in recent memory. It was due to injuries and not signing an impact 5 from the portal. Injuries happen and last season is still on Miller. So we are going into another offseason that there are questions about the health of Free and Hunter and we have transferred out the rest of our front court. 8 front court players in the last two years have left with not 1 still on the roster. Whose fault is that? Whose fault is it that our front court recruiting has been atrocious over the past few seasons? Steele and Miller deserve the blame. Miller has to fix which means bringing in atleast 3 Bigs. Maybe he needs to guarantee rotation minutes to them and move Hunter to the 3 but he can’t have a repeat of last season bringing in 2 bigs that neither panned out from the portal and the Euro mess that was. It sounds like some of you want to gamble on Free and Hunter being healthy enough to make it through the season. I hope that happens but I am not holding my breath on it. We also need to bring in depth for the following season as well. Don’t get why the fan base doesn’t expect more from Miller. We are not Dayton.

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I think you're a bit tough on Miller but your assessment, if worded a bit less aggressively toward Miller, isn't far off. The truth is that Miller, as coach, is ultimately responsible for everything that occurs to and within Xavier basketball. That's everything-----the good, the bad and the ugly.

I don't think he deserves "blame" for last year since he didn't directly cause the injuries to Free and Hunter. But, as coach, he had responsibility to fix the lineup problems those injuries created and they didn't really get fixed, did they? Miller reacted quickly, I think, once Free, then Hunter went down. But his solutions did not provide the intended result. I think you can make a pretty good case that he did what he could given the circumstances. But the other side of that argument offered by some on this board, is that Miller did not have the depth he needed before those injuries occurred and was forced into suboptimal personnel decisions by his own lack of adequate caution. In the end, no matter what the timing of the events and whether he has good or bad luck, Miller remains responsible for all that happens.

Me, I feel pretty good that we have Miller at the helm during this tumultuous time in Xavier basketball history. But as you, I think, noted in an earlier post, he is now under enormous pressure to right the ship for next year.

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Originally Posted by Jumpin_Jamal_Forever

I think you're a bit tough on Miller but your assessment, if worded a bit less aggressively toward Miller, isn't far off. The truth is that Miller, as coach, is ultimately responsible for everything that occurs to and within Xavier basketball. That's everything-----the good, the bad and the ugly.

I don't think he deserves "blame" for last year since he didn't directly cause the injuries to Free and Hunter. But, as coach, he had responsibility to fix the lineup problems those injuries created and they didn't really get fixed, did they? Miller reacted quickly, I think, once Free, then Hunter went down. But his solutions did not provide the intended result. I think you can make a pretty good case that he did what he could given the circumstances. But the other side of that argument offered by some on this board, is that Miller did not have the depth he needed before those injuries occurred and was forced into suboptimal personnel decisions by his own lack of adequate caution. In the end, no matter what the timing of the events and whether he has good or bad luck, Miller remains responsible for all that happens.

Me, I feel pretty good that we have Miller at the helm during this tumultuous time in Xavier basketball history. But as you, I think, noted in an earlier post, he is now under enormous pressure to right the ship for next year.

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I think this is a fair analysis of the whole situation. I just don’t see why people think we will only need to bring in two post players when we have transferred out 8 post players in the past two seasons and only have two (significant injury concerns) I might add as options left. Miller gets paid a lot of money and will hopefully earn that money by rebuilding the front court and add pieces to the back court during the transfer window. The expectation is to compete in the Big East and make the NCAA tournament at a minimum. To do that, you have to construct the roster that is capable of doing that.

As I mentioned earlier, if during the 2023 portal period, Miller relied on Freemantle, who underwent his second major reconstructive surgery on his left foot in January, to return in September without seeking a replacement, anticipating Freemantle to play 30 minutes or more per game, it would constitute coaching malpractice.Period. Now, some posters argue that despite Freemantle's third surgery, Miller is still hindered from acquiring a solid front court due to Freemantle's presence, despite the fact that he hasn't played for two years and has significant metal in his foot, posing a risk of long-term damage if fractured again. . Miller made a tactical error, which could prove costly for multiple seasons, and it's his responsibility to rectify the situation. Rectifying the situation means he creates a roster that is objectively ready to compete in the Big East and be tournament ready. He needs as many qualified Bigs necessary to get through a long season. We all hope he will take the necessary steps to do so, and no one has to now create false justifications if he fails.

Cohen off the board......committed to Arkansas?

I heard he was set for ND.

Could Arkansas and ND be any MORE different in terms of schools?


$$$$????

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Originally Posted by A Fan

As I mentioned earlier, if during the 2023 portal period, Miller relied on Freemantle, who underwent his second major reconstructive surgery on his left foot in January, to return in September without seeking a replacement, anticipating Freemantle to play 30 minutes or more per game, it would constitute coaching malpractice.Period. Now, some posters argue that despite Freemantle's third surgery, Miller is still hindered from acquiring a solid front court due to Freemantle's presence, despite the fact that he hasn't played for two years and has significant metal in his foot, posing a risk of long-term damage if fractured again. . Miller made a tactical error, which could prove costly for multiple seasons, and it's his responsibility to rectify the situation. Rectifying the situation means he creates a roster that is objectively ready to compete in the Big East and be tournament ready. He needs as many qualified Bigs necessary to get through a long season. We all hope he will take the necessary steps to do so, and no one has to now create false justifications if he fails.

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Again there is a lot of not accepting reality in the above. . If you want to force free off the team to know exactly what x needs then fine if you want to create that kind of firestorm then that’s your call. However, in reality, right now he is on the roster and if healthy will be playing 30 minutes a game. With that said, There is enough minutes for a legitimate five and a rotational big with him on the roster, not just because of minutes but because players have to want to come here knowing there is free and hunter available along with all the other “stuff.”

Btw, Miller tried to get Ike in 23 and probably a few others but nil kept that from happening. Again, reality.

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Originally Posted by MHettel

Cohen off the board......committed to Arkansas?

I heard he was set for ND.

Could Arkansas and ND be any MORE different in terms of schools?


$$$$????

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You heard nd because you got the info from broering who knows as much as we do. In other words, not much.

You’d think with all these contacts that some people on this board thinks this guy has, he’d be right every once in a while. The Ohio state rumor was the biggest joke of all.

By the way the national guys made many references to Arkansas’ nil not being great and that’s why he had a down year. That of course could have changed but I will say I know he actively pursued the Louisville job. Have a feeling he wants out.

Some people act like if X doesn’t get their pick of players that the coaches failed. But unless the players in question actually state the reason why they decided to go to another school we really don’t know what the reason was. There is A LOT of competition for highly skilled big men and there just aren’t a lot of them out there. If X doesn’t get the players they want and ends up with just the players they can get, there can a lot of reasons for that beyond just the coaches doing a poor job of recruiting. Some kids just want to go to a bigger school or a different city, conference, climate, whatever.

Xavier doesn't necessarily need to get their pick of players, but if the coaches don't get their fair share of quality players that enable us to win, then the coaches will absolutely have failed. That's what they get paid the big bucks to do.

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Originally Posted by XUGRAD80

Some people act like if X doesn’t get their pick of players that the coaches failed. But unless the players in question actually state the reason why they decided to go to another school we really don’t know what the reason was. There is A LOT of competition for highly skilled big men and there just aren’t a lot of them out there. If X doesn’t get the players they want and ends up with just the players they can get, there can a lot of reasons for that beyond just the coaches doing a poor job of recruiting. Some kids just want to go to a bigger school or a different city, conference, climate, whatever.

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The coaches have failed so far in the front court recruiting. There is no denying that. Just look at the guys who have transferred out. No one expects the coaching staff to get every player they want. That’s not realistic at almost every school in the country. However, they are responsible for fixing the awful state of the front court currently. That means bring in at least 3 front court players. 2 impactful guys and 1 rotational guy. Anything less than that is unacceptable. Will it be easy? No! Is it necessary? Absolutely if we are to achieve our yearly program goals.

[QUOTE=xuphan;781356]I am not sure how I am arguing in circles as you say. The fact is we just experienced the worst Xavier team in recent memory. It was due to injuries and not signing an impact 5 from the portal. Injuries happen and last season is still on Miller. So we are going into another offseason that there are questions about the health of Free and Hunter and we have transferred out the rest of our front court. 8 front court players in the last two years have left with not 1 still on the roster. Whose fault is that? Whose fault is it that our front court recruiting has been atrocious over the past few seasons? Steele and Miller deserve the blame. Miller has to fix which means bringing in atleast 3 Bigs. Maybe he needs to guarantee rotation minutes to them and move Hunter to the 3 but he can’t have a repeat of last season bringing in 2 bigs that neither panned out from the portal and the Euro mess that was. It sounds like some of you want to gamble on Free and Hunter being healthy enough to make it through the season. I hope that happens but I am not holding my breath on it. We also need to bring in depth for the following season as well. Don’t get why the fan base doesn’t expect more from Miller. We are not Dayton.[/QUO

Its not that any one wants to gamble on Free and Hunter, but they are on the team. Qualtiy bigs that are good enough to play aren't going to sign up not knowing if they are going to play or sit the bench and waste a year of eligibility. So just saying Miller has to get 3 bigs who can play is wishful thinking. You sound like its no big deal, just go pick a couple up off the shelf and we're good. No one has disagreed that production up front needs to improve but short of telling Free and Hunter they aren't welcome back so we can promise those minutes to other quality players, how do you convince people to come in. Between not enough minutes and the injuries happening so late is how we ended up with bigs that did not live up to what fans expected.