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Topic:  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal

Topic:  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
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GoCats105
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 11:28:33 AM 
greencat wrote:
100%Cat wrote:
Maybe the biggest factor that we can't see because of the year off and not being in practice is IJ. Let's be real, we don't need a big man to necessarily do what Dwight did last year. We're going to be a guard/perimeter heavy team with Hunter, Brown, Brown, James, even AJ Clayton, etc... IJ is a big body and if he can stay on the floor (out of foul trouble), maybe he's all we really need with Wiz as his backup.

And maybe I'm trying to convince myself not to worry too much?


IJ averaged 1.6ppg; 1.2 boards a game; 47% FT shooter

What has he shown that would indicate being a starter at even an NAIA school?


You conveniently left out his minutes per game in your stat cherry picking: 6 min. Find me anyone who's a stat stuffer when they're getting 6 min per game.
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100%Cat
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 11:29:30 AM 
spongeBOB CATpants wrote:
100%Cat wrote:
Maybe the biggest factor that we can't see because of the year off and not being in practice is IJ. Let's be real, we don't need a big man to necessarily do what Dwight did last year. We're going to be a guard/perimeter heavy team with Hunter, Brown, Brown, James, even AJ Clayton, etc... IJ is a big body and if he can stay on the floor (out of foul trouble), maybe he's all we really need with Wiz as his backup.

And maybe I'm trying to convince myself not to worry too much?


GWiz and IJ...I'm very worried about that. I mean they both have some similar qualities.

I remember when "bull in a china shop" was used on this board to describe IJ's game...


Realistically, if he can stay out of foul trouble (big ask, based on his freshman year), grab some rebounds, and set some legal screens...what else do we really need from him? Especially given everything coming back/in? I feel like, whoever is in the post, isn't going to be relied on offensively much (if at all).
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M.D.W.S.T
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 11:51:07 AM 
100%Cat wrote:


Realistically, if he can stay out of foul trouble (big ask, based on his freshman year), grab some rebounds, and set some legal screens...what else do we really need from him? Especially given everything coming back/in? I feel like, whoever is in the post, isn't going to be relied on offensively much (if at all).


That was the same ask last year also.

Don't even consider shooting. Don't even post up. Just box out. Just grab some boards. Set a screen and let one of the 10 guards get some space. That's all. That's what we need. Keep your hands in the air at all times. Ideally, he could become a pick and pop legend, but that feels like a fever dream.

Kid should be a nightmare for teams, not us.

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OU_Country
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 12:08:48 PM 
greencat wrote:
Well, he kinda sorta "looks" like a D-1 basketball player.

Back in reality: 0.1 steals/game....0.3 blocks/game

Is that the super-mega defense? Lots of NAIA players have the "look."

People on here used to act like Ellis Dozier was the next incarnation of Kevin Durant. You see how that turned out.


The difference is that Ellis' reality was drawn out over several seasons and proved he wasn't ever ready to play at this level. By comparison, Ezumah has only had a freshman year where he was a clear backup to show anything. As others stated, the stats you're choosing to cite are meaningless based on the small amount of floor time he's seen. I liked what I saw from him pre-injury and I think I'd feel better about his presence that what I saw from Gabe last season.

All that said, finding a post player with a little D1 experience would be kind of nice. Keeping the fingers crossed.
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bobcatsquared
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 12:54:59 PM 
There's a reason IJ was redshirted this past season. It wasn't due to an injury.
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Victory
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 1:37:29 PM 
100%Cat wrote:
spongeBOB CATpants wrote:
100%Cat wrote:
Maybe the biggest factor that we can't see because of the year off and not being in practice is IJ. Let's be real, we don't need a big man to necessarily do what Dwight did last year. We're going to be a guard/perimeter heavy team with Hunter, Brown, Brown, James, even AJ Clayton, etc... IJ is a big body and if he can stay on the floor (out of foul trouble), maybe he's all we really need with Wiz as his backup.

And maybe I'm trying to convince myself not to worry too much?


GWiz and IJ...I'm very worried about that. I mean they both have some similar qualities.

I remember when "bull in a china shop" was used on this board to describe IJ's game...


Realistically, if he can stay out of foul trouble (big ask, based on his freshman year), grab some rebounds, and set some legal screens...what else do we really need from him? Especially given everything coming back/in? I feel like, whoever is in the post, isn't going to be relied on offensively much (if at all).


We finished fifth last year with one of the very best big men in the MAC and we won't have him back. We do have most of everything else back and some guys coming in that should be good. What more do we need? To finish fourth or fifth again? Maybe nothing. To finish first? Very probably more that what we have but I won't give up on the idea that the guys we have could turn out to be what we need. But that's what it is - Hoping.

Early in this thread some were saying that there was no way that this staff would let not bringing in a good established big man happen. I remember thinking that it isn't entirely under his control, especially now that it might depend on money more than a coach's talents and personality.
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spongeBOB CATpants
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 1:47:49 PM 
bobcatsquared wrote:
There's a reason IJ was redshirted this past season. It wasn't due to an injury.


I had asked the board because I don't remember seeing anything injury related to the redshirt. I'm with you, I don't think he was hurt.
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GraffZ06
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 3:31:24 PM 
FormerMember wrote:
I think there’s a few of us on this board that need to learn to be more patient with the development of players. Not every incoming recruit is going to be great or even good right away, especially big men who can sometimes take 2-3 years to prosper.

None of us have a clue how IJ will look this season because it’s been over a year since any of us have watched him play. He could be much improved or he could still struggle but there’s no point making definitive proclamations about his game right now.

I was optimistic that Ezuma had some upside as a freshman but we’ll see. We all want Boals to add another talented big man to the rotation but I think it’s time to accept that regardless of who we’ll eventually add, it’s likely that Wiz and Ezuma will be part of their plan unless they add a solid forward that we’re currently unaware that they’re targeting.


QFT.

Point is - IJ is an option who looked like he had some potential in limited minutes as a young freshman. Nobody yet knows if he will/has made any improvements from then, but it's possible. Also possible he hasn't.

I trust in Boals while simultaneously understanding he doesn't have the NIL $$$ to go free agent shopping for the bigs both he and we likely want.

Since NCAA is essentially pro sports now - and portal is essentially free agency - time to start applying some of those small market concepts. Given a limited budget would you rather use those scarce resources on a stud guard/wing or a big? Assumption here is you can't afford both.

* Edited to add - we also likely had to extend some bigger contracts to guys already on the roster to keep them here (see: AJB/EJ4 etc.), which if Boals prioritized might explain our lack of portal entries.

Food for thought while complaining about Wiz and IJ....

Last Edited: 5/26/2023 3:34:01 PM by GraffZ06

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GraffZ06
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 3:36:58 PM 
bobcatsquared wrote:
There's a reason IJ was redshirted this past season. It wasn't due to an injury.


I'll give you three reasons, and none of them have to do with his talent, or lackthereof

1) Dwight Wilson III
2) Gabe Wiznitzer - laugh all you want, the staff is high on him. Don't tell FearLeon or his brain might explode.
3) To balance the classes given 1 and 2 above

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FJC31
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 3:57:23 PM 
GraffZ06 wrote:
FormerMember wrote:
I think there’s a few of us on this board that need to learn to be more patient with the development of players. Not every incoming recruit is going to be great or even good right away, especially big men who can sometimes take 2-3 years to prosper.

None of us have a clue how IJ will look this season because it’s been over a year since any of us have watched him play. He could be much improved or he could still struggle but there’s no point making definitive proclamations about his game right now.

I was optimistic that Ezuma had some upside as a freshman but we’ll see. We all want Boals to add another talented big man to the rotation but I think it’s time to accept that regardless of who we’ll eventually add, it’s likely that Wiz and Ezuma will be part of their plan unless they add a solid forward that we’re currently unaware that they’re targeting.


QFT.

Point is - IJ is an option who looked like he had some potential in limited minutes as a young freshman. Nobody yet knows if he will/has made any improvements from then, but it's possible. Also possible he hasn't.

I trust in Boals while simultaneously understanding he doesn't have the NIL $$$ to go free agent shopping for the bigs both he and we likely want.

Since NCAA is essentially pro sports now - and portal is essentially free agency - time to start applying some of those small market concepts. Given a limited budget would you rather use those scarce resources on a stud guard/wing or a big? Assumption here is you can't afford both.

* Edited to add - we also likely had to extend some bigger contracts to guys already on the roster to keep them here (see: AJB/EJ4 etc.), which if Boals prioritized might explain our lack of portal entries.

Food for thought while complaining about Wiz and IJ....


There are still bigs available worth adding instead of throwing in the towel. I don’t disagree operating “small market team”. I think would require us to change the way we’re recruiting bigs; a la looking at the lower level (JUCO/D2/D3) to fit within the financial resources that we have.

For this upcoming season — there are just too many questions surrounding the 3 bigs we do have to not at another to that group. God forbid one gets injured.


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Bobcat1998
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/26/2023 4:00:51 PM 
Big kid from Nebraska with the goofy goggles and beard?
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71 BOBCAT
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/27/2023 12:28:24 PM 
When can we expect to learn about next years roster?






GO BOBCATS
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Victory
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/27/2023 3:24:13 PM 
71 BOBCAT wrote:
When can we expect to learn about next years roster?






GO BOBCATS


We likely know it, barring the unexpected, except for one transfer who we expect to be a big man. As to when we get one check back on this tread and you'll certainly find out shortly after it happens.
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FearLeon
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/27/2023 4:23:18 PM 
GraffZ06 wrote:
bobcatsquared wrote:
There's a reason IJ was redshirted this past season. It wasn't due to an injury.


I'll give you three reasons, and none of them have to do with his talent, or lackthereof


2) Gabe Wiznitzer - laugh all you want, the staff is high on him. Don't tell FearLeon or his brain might explode.




Graff—My brain has exploded several times over the prospects of The Whiz getting significant minutes in the 2023-2024 season.

Pray for me.
Pray for The Whiz.

Last Edited: 5/28/2023 9:17:43 PM by FearLeon


#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

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SBH
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 9:04:27 AM 
Don't want to generate any undue optimism here but my wife and I went on a series of hikes in SE Ohio yesterday, with our ultimate destination, of course, being Athens.
(Why is Miller's Chicken closed on one of the biggest chicken weekends of the year?)

Anyway, campus was virtually abandoned so I was surprised to see a group of athletes and others playing volleyball on South Green. There was a very athletic gentleman playing who was at least 6'9". Definitely a basketball player and definitely not IJ or Wiz.

Last Edited: 5/30/2023 9:05:14 AM by SBH

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GraffZ06
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 10:38:23 AM 
SBH wrote:

Anyway, campus was virtually abandoned so I was surprised to see a group of athletes and others playing volleyball on South Green.


Semesters....completely killed the Spring/early summer in Athens experience for so many. Reason #4983 why they are AWFUL.

An absolutely gorgeous May weekend in SE Ohio and no students around to enjoy it.

If a tree falls in the woods and nobody was there to see it - did it make a sound?

#BringBackQuarters

/rant

Last Edited: 5/30/2023 10:39:00 AM by GraffZ06

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rpbobcat
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 10:57:35 AM 
GraffZ06 wrote:

Semesters....completely killed the Spring/early summer in Athens experience for so many. Reason #4983 why they are AWFUL.

An absolutely gorgeous May weekend in SE Ohio and no students around to enjoy it.

If a tree falls in the woods and nobody was there to see it - did it make a sound?

#BringBackQuarters

/rant


Gonna stay O.T,. for this post.

Quarters were great, when it came to Spring/early Summer in Athens.

Problem was ,getting out late, made getting Summer jobs tough.

Also made transferring credit hours complicated.

I know ,I went through it when I transferred from O.U. to F.D.U.

When Ohio decided to go to 1 system, most schools wanted semesters.

A couple wanted quarters, especially OSU.

But even OSU didn't have enough pull to keep quarters.

So, sad to say, but O.U. is gonna be a semester school from now on.




Last Edited: 5/30/2023 11:06:29 AM by rpbobcat

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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 11:08:53 AM 
rpbobcat wrote:
GraffZ06 wrote:

Semesters....completely killed the Spring/early summer in Athens experience for so many. Reason #4983 why they are AWFUL.

An absolutely gorgeous May weekend in SE Ohio and no students around to enjoy it.

If a tree falls in the woods and nobody was there to see it - did it make a sound?

#BringBackQuarters

/rant


Quarters were great when it came to Spring/early Summer in Athens.

Problem was ,getting out late, made getting Summer jobs tough.

Also made transferring credit hours complicated.

I know ,I went through it when I transferred from O.U. to F.D.U.

When Ohio decided to go to 1 system, most schools wanted semesters.

A couple wanted quarters.
But even OSU didn't have enough pull to keep quarters.

So, sad to say, but O.U. is gonna be a semester school from now on.


OHIO was a real (16 week) semester school when I started, and it had been on that system for many, many years before. Then after my two years of active duty in the U.S. Navy I got back to school just in time to experience the switch to quarters supposedly mandated by the Board of Regents (that's another story unto itself), and then after nearly 40 years we converted to the fake semester system (14 weeks). If we were on the real semester system students would have been around for an additional two weeks.


The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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Andrew Ruck
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 12:26:55 PM 
rpbobcat wrote:

Problem was ,getting out late, made getting Summer jobs tough.


Not sure I agree with this, started later but were able to work later thru Aug as well.

And the T-give/Xmas/New Years breaks all being combined was a phenomenal job opportunity for so many seasonal help positions or shorter term internships. That is what I loved most about quarters schedule.

Also, more flexibility academically.


Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

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rpbobcat
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 2:16:33 PM 
Andrew Ruck wrote:
rpbobcat wrote:

Problem was ,getting out late, made getting Summer jobs tough.


Not sure I agree with this, started later but were able to work later thru Aug as well.

And the T-give/Xmas/New Years breaks all being combined was a phenomenal job opportunity for so many seasonal help positions or shorter term internships. That is what I loved most about quarters schedule.

Also, more flexibility academically.


The problem with getting out later, at least in the early/mid 70's when I was at O.U,. was that, unlike today, a lot of seasonal jobs at pools, beaches and theme parks ended Labor Day Weekend.

It was really tough if you lived in areas, like NJ, where schools got out in mid May.
I used to lifeguard in Atlantic City.
Pre casinos.
Everything closed right after the Miss America pageant.

When I was at O.U., Fall Quarter started late September ,and ended mid December.
Winter break was nice.
But not a lot of job opportunities and ,as far as I know, internships hadn't come about yet.

I agree about the academic flexibility.
I took a few one quarter classes.

But, I got "bit in the ass" when I transferred to a school with semesters.

But the end of Spring quarter, including Strouds Run on weekends was
special.


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M.D.W.S.T
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 3:16:57 PM 
rpbobcat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
rpbobcat wrote:

Problem was ,getting out late, made getting Summer jobs tough.


Not sure I agree with this, started later but were able to work later thru Aug as well.

And the T-give/Xmas/New Years breaks all being combined was a phenomenal job opportunity for so many seasonal help positions or shorter term internships. That is what I loved most about quarters schedule.

Also, more flexibility academically.


The problem with getting out later, at least in the early/mid 70's when I was at O.U,. was that, unlike today, a lot of seasonal jobs at pools, beaches and theme parks ended Labor Day Weekend.

It was really tough if you lived in areas, like NJ, where schools got out in mid May.
I used to lifeguard in Atlantic City.
Pre casinos.
Everything closed right after the Miss America pageant.

When I was at O.U., Fall Quarter started late September ,and ended mid December.
Winter break was nice.
But not a lot of job opportunities and ,as far as I know, internships hadn't come about yet.

I agree about the academic flexibility.
I took a few one quarter classes.

But, I got "bit in the ass" when I transferred to a school with semesters.

But the end of Spring quarter, including Strouds Run on weekends was
special.




Man we DESPERATELY need some movement on the transfer front lol
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 3:25:27 PM 
M.D.W.S.T wrote:
Man we DESPERATELY need some movement on the transfer front lol


Why? SBH says we've already got a BigManz basketball player on campus. His buddy bobcatsquared probably recruited the guy from somewhere overseas. No worries!


The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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MonroeClassmate
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 4:06:37 PM 
rpbobcat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
rpbobcat wrote:

Problem was ,getting out late, made getting Summer jobs tough.


Not sure I agree with this, started later but were able to work later thru Aug as well.

And the T-give/Xmas/New Years breaks all being combined was a phenomenal job opportunity for so many seasonal help positions or shorter term internships. That is what I loved most about quarters schedule.

Also, more flexibility academically.


The problem with getting out later, at least in the early/mid 70's when I was at O.U,. was that, unlike today, a lot of seasonal jobs at pools, beaches and theme parks ended Labor Day Weekend.

It was really tough if you lived in areas, like NJ, where schools got out in mid May.
I used to lifeguard in Atlantic City.
Pre casinos.
Everything closed right after the Miss America pageant.

When I was at O.U., Fall Quarter started late September ,and ended mid December.
Winter break was nice.
But not a lot of job opportunities and ,as far as I know, internships hadn't come about yet.

I agree about the academic flexibility.
I took a few one quarter classes.

But, I got "bit in the ass" when I transferred to a school with semesters.

But the end of Spring quarter, including Strouds Run on weekends was
special.


If I had to do it all over again (during the basketball challenged Dale Bandy years) I would have not attended Winter Quarter. Leave for ski country at Thanksgiving and work the slopes in Aspen or Vail or a nearby fancy restaurant in ski country.

Return for Spring Q of Stroud's Run and do two sessions of summer classes. I heard firsthand from others that a young man could have a mighty fine time in Athens during the summer when all the boy friends were home working. "So we've got to say goodbye for the summer"

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shabamon
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 4:33:32 PM 
It's entirely possible that the 6'9" mystery man is a player still in high school. It's a quiet period which allows for on-campus contact.
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Bobcat1998
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  Message Not Read  RE: 2023 Transfer Portal
   Posted: 5/30/2023 4:57:46 PM 
SBH wrote:
Don't want to generate any undue optimism here but my wife and I went on a series of hikes in SE Ohio yesterday, with our ultimate destination, of course, being Athens.
(Why is Miller's Chicken closed on one of the biggest chicken weekends of the year?)

Anyway, campus was virtually abandoned so I was surprised to see a group of athletes and others playing volleyball on South Green. There was a very athletic gentleman playing who was at least 6'9". Definitely a basketball player and definitely not IJ or Wiz.


Could it be Cornish just looking bigger?
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