Wanted to post this thread again now that the year has ended. Overall, I think Boals and Co did solid on transfer players last year, but feel free to give your opinion / criticize my analysis.

Jaylin Hunter: A-

967 MP, 44% from field, 40% from three, 75% from free throw line, 120 total rebounds for 3.6 per game, 137 Assists with 68 turnovers for 2.01 turnover ratio, 6 blocks, 58 steals, 434 pts for 13.2 per game

Jaylin really impressed me this past season in quickly becoming a leader on the court and becoming the offensive coordinator. His assist total proves he can be a facilitator while also proving an offensive jolt. He is also solid on defense with steals and deflections. While his AST/TO ratio is a bit lower than a normal PG I think this will get better for 23-24. He is going to provide a solid foundation for the team at the PG position for the future and could help massively in the development of Ajay Sheldon and Ben Estis. He has one more year of eligibility for 2023-24, and I count on him putting it to good use. If he keeps it up, put him on the list of the best OU point guards with Coop and JP.

DeVon Baker: B-

633 MP, 37% from field, 30% from three, 75% from free throw line. 71 total rebounds for 2.2 per game, 44 Assists with 20 turnovers for 2.20 turnover ratio, 22 Steals, 222 points for 6.7 per game

DeVon caught my eye a few times toward the end of the season but was largely invisible in the first half of the season. He was a bit inconsistent with shooting at the start as well. I think the move to the 6th man really helped him towards the end of the season and he gave us quality minutes throughout the year. But I do believe he underachieved slightly from what was initially expected of him.

Gabe Wiznitzer: C-

421 MP, 51% from field, 0% from three on one attempt, 71% from free throw line. 104 total rebounds for 3.3 per game, 7 blocks, 5 steals, 106 points for 3.3 per game

I admit, I was a bit overhyped about Wiz at the start of the year – yes, although he could be a liability at times with moving screens, turnovers and loads of PF’s. He did have an immense defensive performance against Akron locking down Freeman and his hands got better as the year went on in terms of rebounding and passing without turning it over. He must improve not fouling and dribbling in the paint / post. If he can get better with his paint moves, screen properly and clean up on defense, I think we can get 15-20 serviceable minutes from him easily next year. It wouldn’t hurt to get another big though and would likely aid in his development.

Well said and agree with ur analysis !

A

C

F

You are one tough grader, Sir!

I would tend to grade on my expectations (realistic) vs. how they performed up to those expectations.

Jaylin gets an "A" because I expected him to be our starting point guard out the gate, be a leader on the court and score the ball. He did all those things.

Baker gets a "C" because I hoped that he would score a ton for us, be a leader on the court and join with Hunter to rival Jacobs and Carry from Kent. Instead he was a solid bench guy with occasional nice games. If anything, he was a very nice teammate who didn't seem to whine or worry about PT. But...he also took minutes away from EJ4 and AJB that they both needed.

Wiz gets a "C" from me because, unlike many of you, I had the expectation of him giving us 10 minutes per game to spell Dwight, score a little bit and grab some boards. He gets a "C" because of his horrible tendency to move on screens and his lack of court awareness at times. But as a project big man with three years left for us, he was certainly not a failure.

Hunter -> A- ...obviously our best player from the prior portal. Not sure I really had any idea what to expect here other than he was going to be the starting PG from day 1. He provided us with 13 ppg after getting off to a slow start. After the second week of Jan, he was fully established as our best scoring option. I think there's a lot of room to improve which is why I went with A-. With better scoring options around him, I think he has a great opportunity in front of him for next season with potential to be on a 1st or 2nd all MAC team.

Baker -> C- ...like most, I was very underwhelmed with what Baker provided this year. He got off to a decent start to the year and the bar was raised for what I predicted the rest of the season to look like from him. He came out of the gate shooting at a decent clip but it really seemed like the Michigan game had a lasting impact. He played 38 min that game and shot 2-11 from the field. That was the last 30 min game he logged all year and the shot attempts dipped as well. After the first game of the year, he was the guy I had my bets on to lead the team in scoring but that turned out to be way off. It was clear Boals brought him in to shoot but I would say it was a bit of a swing and miss.

Wiz -> D- ...not much left to say about this young man that hasn't already been beaten to death on almost every thread. 7 footer from a high major basketball school is going to carry a big expectation in the MAC. We found out he has a very low ceiling and also a very low floor as well. At most, he's out there to bang with the opponents big man for a few min but has proven to be a liability more times than not. If he can limit turnovers, rebound and catch the ball, and set good screens he can give us 10 min MAX a game. I'd like to see somebody else step into this role that can give us more than these basic skills. I also gave a D- rather than an F because there's obvious room for improvement (can't get much worse, right?).

Boals -> C- ...need more production from the portal. Hunter really saved the year, without him this would've been a failure as far as recruiting from the portal. The reality is that you can't swing and miss in the portal, there's no time to take on projects. I'd say if we want to take a project they should come from high school and not via transfer portal.

You're right on the swing and misses. I think Shereef is going to be a great mix but I do wonder how Cornish will do. Will he come in like Walt Offutt (underwhelming numbers at a Big 10 school but light the world on fire) or will he be more like Wiz? I hope he's more like Walt.

If he's 80% as good as Walt, we're sittin' pretty. #FingersCrossed

Hunter: A

What more could he have done in the MAC season? He found his stride. And coming in replacing JP and Sears...not sure we could have asked for any more. So glad to have him back for another season.

Baker: C-

I know others seemed to be OK with his performance. But if not for picking up his game in the last two weeks and MAC tourney...this would have been a D. The foul against Michigan with two seconds left 90 feet from the basket with the game tied and not knowing the score...still boggles my mind. He was bailed out because of the miracle finish to regulation. But this guy struggled for 85% of the year and in my opinion...did not bring what we were hoping for out of the portal.

The Whiz: D

Think about it. If not for one magical night against Enrique Freeman, this would have been a D-. Never got better as the season went along. In fact, I will argue he went backwards...numbers back it up. Boals has to deliver a big in the portal. My heart can't take 10 minutes of The Whiz per game in 2023-2024. And let's face it..neither can yours.

I'm really disappointed you were too weak to hand out the F.

I don't think GWiz deserves an F. Reason: although we dog on him for lack of post moves, he shot 50% from the field which is where you need to be as a post guy. His rebounding / decision making got better as the year went on. I'm going to wait until we see him in 23-24 before we launch him from a trebuchet into the Hocking.

Actually...it took all my strength to give him a "D". The magical 20 minutes against Freeman earned The Whiz a passing grade from Professor FearLeon.

It’s pretty close. Sure, he shot 50% overall but that’s inflated by some early games. He shot 35% during MAC play and also had ten more turnovers (23) than shots made (13) over that span. So, he actually did perform worse as the season went on and when it mattered most. I’m sorry, but Wiz is just not a good basketball player until proven otherwise.

Yeah it is kind of easy to shoot 50% when you only shoot when you're left unguarded in the paint. He showed no ability to shoot and little ability to take it up in the paint.

YUCK