Evaluating the Swap

ghostzapper

Well-known member
2023 $upporter
In sports, it used to be a big thing to analyze who got the better of a trade. Some trades like Milt Pappas for Frank Robinson were as plain as the nose on your face to see. Others like Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff are more subject to debate and until their careers are completed the trade will be constantly reevaluated.

A few years back we recruited the 89th-rated recruit in the class of 2022 with a rating of 82 (according to ESPN rankings, see link below). That recruit, AJ Storr, had a good Freshman season for us, but in the current climate of the College Basketball transfer portal moved on, first to Wisconsin where he had a very good Sophomore season, and now is at Kansas, where by all metrics is having the worst season of his college career.

Around the same time that we recruited Storr, Kansas picked up the 80th-rated recruit in the class of 2022 also with a player rating of 82 (according to ESPN rankings, see link below). That recruit, Zuby Ejifor transferred to us through the portal after a Freshman season where he played only five minutes a game. As a Sophomore, Ejifor found a solid role for us, playing 11 minutes a game as the backup center to Joel Soriano. This season Ejifor has blossomed into a star for us and is arguably our most valuable player. His emergence into a force for us has been remarkable to see.

While technically not a trade, when you think about it we essentially swapped Storr for Ejifor with Kansas. I wonder now if Kansas has any buyer's remorse and if they could swap back how quickly they would do that? By the same measure, I am pretty sure that no one connected with SJU would want to ever swap back.

Any thoughts here?

 
We also definitely won the Wusu for Kadary trade, even if you account for Kadry being "an expiring contract."

The Zuby-Kansas buyers remorse thing is even more interesting when you think about it through the prism of Zuby leaving because they got Hunter Dickenson. I get that the numbers for Hunter are very good. But the eye test, at least for me in casual viewing, he's a bit underwhelming considering the hype.

Both teams were preseason ranked #1, and both flopped.

In a different world, does KU keep Zuby and Udeh instead of Hunter?
 
In sports, it used to be a big thing to analyze who got the better of a trade. Some trades like Milt Pappas for Frank Robinson were as plain as the nose on your face to see. Others like Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff are more subject to debate and until their careers are completed the trade will be constantly reevaluated.

A few years back we recruited the 89th-rated recruit in the class of 2022 with a rating of 82 (according to ESPN rankings, see link below). That recruit, AJ Storr, had a good Freshman season for us, but in the current climate of the College Basketball transfer portal moved on, first to Wisconsin where he had a very good Sophomore season, and now is at Kansas, where by all metrics is having the worst season of his college career.

Around the same time that we recruited Storr, Kansas picked up the 80th-rated recruit in the class of 2022 also with a player rating of 82 (according to ESPN rankings, see link below). That recruit, Zuby Ejifor transferred to us through the portal after a Freshman season where he played only five minutes a game. As a Sophomore, Ejifor found a solid role for us, playing 11 minutes a game as the backup center to Joel Soriano. This season Ejifor has blossomed into a star for us and is arguably our most valuable player. His emergence into a force for us has been remarkable to see.

While technically not a trade, when you think about it we essentially swapped Storr for Ejifor with Kansas. I wonder now if Kansas has any buyer's remorse and if they could swap back how quickly they would do that? By the same measure, I am pretty sure that no one connected with SJU would want to ever swap back.

Any thoughts here?

I would say this. Pitino has really helped Zuby bloom so who knows how Zuby pans out there in year 2 and beyond. I’m sure they would take him back now!!
 
The swap of Pitino for Anderson will go down as the best in history for us
I need espken to calculate CMA's career in conference record.

It's not everyday that one of the greatest college coaches in history falls into your lap.

Rick in less than two seasons has done what none of us, NONE OF US, believed in our hearts was possible.

It just pissed me how much severance pay we squandered away on mistakes.
 
I need espken to calculate CMA's career in conference record.

It's not everyday that one of the greatest college coaches in history falls into your lap.

Rick in less than two seasons has done what none of us, NONE OF US, believed in our hearts was possible.

It just pissed me how much severance pay we squandered away on mistakes.
195-167
 
I need espken to calculate CMA's career in conference record.

It's not everyday that one of the greatest college coaches in history falls into your lap.

Rick in less than two seasons has done what none of us, NONE OF US, believed in our hearts was possible.

It just pissed me how much severance pay we squandered away on mistakes.
CMA was 30-46 in Big East regular season play in 4 years. 3 losing years in conference and a 10-9 record in 2021 with an asterisk. (UConn game at MSG was postponed due to Covid)
 
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