[quote="MJDinkins" post=279719][quote="Dan V" post=279716][quote="Paultzman" post=279707][quote="Chicago Days" post=279677]Another way to look at the likelihood of up to 3 sit-out transfers, is that judging by the 'list' and other names mentioned that Matt is 'aware of', it could be a very good haul.
I know, i know, very frustrating!
I wish it were not the case as well--but it is. And that's what losing basketball for much of this century dictates.
Recruiting will be easier, once we start to win again.
But if these 3 sit-out transfers prove to be Davion Mitchell (high 4* out of HS), David Caraher (3* and Freshman of the Year in the SLC), and Dave Nickelberry (3* and a very athletic 6'7" wing)--well that will be very solid for the 2019-20 team, to go along hopefully with 1-2 very solid HS kids.
All three would have, potentially and ideally 3 years left of eligibility.
Not bad--if that indeed is the 'haul'.[/quote]
Do sense Caraher & Mitchell are prime targets. Lastly, my original post indicated “two sit out transfers & POSSIBLY three. The third may not materialize.
[/quote] Year 4 is looking like the NIT year and Year 5 should get us an NCAA bid. Not ideal but it's the truth. [/quote]
I wouldn't call it the truth. More like an opinion. Nevertheless, I'm not sure I'd consider Year 5 to be an NCAA bid season when we could very well be without Ponds and Simon (and, possibly another player).
Year 4 should be an NCAA Tournament season, IMO. If not, then we may as well sever ties.[/quote] Yes an opinion your right. I think we will be close next year if Ponds is back. I'm thinking we will end up a bubble team with a 50/50 chance (higher if we get Owens back), and if it's the NIT I'm ok with that. 20 wins, NIT and a solid 19 class and some talented transfers on the way, I think gets Mullin a 5th year. I'm not really scared to lose Ponds after next year we should have the program in good enough shape if he leaves. That's assuming he is even around, my gut tells me he is going to stay in the draft this year. I don't think his draft stock will be higher than it is now. He already made 1st team Big East and 2018 is a weak class for point guards. This might be his best chance to get drafted probably in the second round. I don't think he will ever be a 1st rounder. We just have to be able to reload and not rebuild. I read an article about Iona and Cluess and there was a quote that stood out to me. Even though they are a mid major in a smaller league I still feel like St. John's is in a similar situation in the Big East.
"At our level, we’re not going to get those guys we’re playing against this week,” he said, referring to Duke’s roster of top-tier recruits. “So if we’re just going to go for only high school kids, we’re going to probably play for that one year every four years and hope that no one gets hurt, nobody transfers and everything breaks right. Otherwise, you find yourself in a cycle of six, seven, eight years not being good. That doesn’t work for me or the school.”
Cluess added: “I kind of laugh because the last few years teams were really senior-laden in our league and built for that one special year. They didn’t win."
It was a comment about the transfers they always seem to bring in. This blueprint can work for us too, we just need to string a few classes together that actually stick around for a few years. 1 or 2 solid HS kids a class that stay 3 or 4 years (ex. Machado, Armand, English, Casimir, McGill, Crawford) and fill the rest with transfers. To me this is our current staff's best bet to turn this around before its too late.