Transfers

[VUGrad1314]

From "Mens Mid Major Top 25" collegeinsider.com Ranking and the number of players in the transfer portal: 1. Gonzaga 0 2. Loyola Chi 0 3. Winthrop 0 4. BYU  0 5. Drake 0 6. Liberty 0 7. Morehead State 0 8. Southern Utah 1 9. Toledo 1 10. Belmont 0 11. Abilene Christian 0 12. GA State 0 13. UCSB 0 14. Sam Houston 0 15. UNCG 1 16. E. Washington 0 17. Wright State  0 18. S. Dakota St. 1 19. Buffalo 1 20. Colgate 2 21. Texas St. 0 22. E. KY 3 23. Akron 0 24. Weber St. 0 25. Prairie View 0 26. Missouri State 0 27. Cleveland St. 0 28. Furman 0 29. St. Mary's 0 30. Wofford 3 31. Kent St. 2 32. Navy 1 33. Vermont 2 34. Ohio 0 35. Grand Canyon 0 36. Loyola Marymount 1 37. Norfolk St. 0 38. Pepperdine 1 39. UC Irvine 0 40. Stephen F. Austin 1 41. UC Riverside 1 42. Bryant 1 43. Utah Valley 0 44. Bowling Green 1 45. Nicholls St. 1 46. Louisiana 0 47. Siena 2 48. Jackson St. 0 49. N. Alabama 1 50. UMBC 2 51. Mercer 1 52. Pacific 0 Valpo: 6

You're saying teams that are still playing sports don't have players leaving before sport ends? Who would have thought?

Let me know when most (any?) of these schools have six transfers. And have about that many in multiple years in a short span. Like it or not player retention at Valpo is a huge problem. Or recruiting is a problem. Or coaching is a problem. Or commitment is a problem. Either way something is wrong in the program right now and needs to be addressed if we want to remain relevant. The window feels like it's closing fast. We need to right the ship soon or all the Drews did to build this program will be for naught.

[nkvu]

Look, having six transfers this year is not what it seems. The COVID year makes this look much worse than it is. Robinson and Malik should have been done this year anyway. A walk on transfers. Nice kid. Wish him well. So what?  Left with three. Siggy never gonna play.  Needs to go low D1 or D2. Sackey is a one trick pony. Fast. That's it. Should be low D1, maybe D2. Clay is only real loss, and we have similar player in Young coming in. Ok we trade a junior for a freshman, but maybe this freshman can shoot better than 20% from 3. Given the huge number of players in the transfer portal this year, just maybe we can fill some holes with transfers. A point with some experience. A big or two who can maybe set picks, rebound (I am sick of getting killed on the boards every game), and defend the post.  Frankly, I think we are clearing out a lot of dead wood with these transfers and maybe we can come out ahead if we can attract some transfers who fit specific needs. Now if all we can get is a bunch of 6' to 6'3" wings who can't hit from three, then I will be really disappointed. But there is opportunity here as well.

[oklahomamick]

If those guys transferring out are no lose (and I agree) then Lottich should never have recruited them. 

Only recruit guys that you want in your program NOT to leave. 

Don't recruit guys that should be low D1 or D2. 

Either it's a recruiting problem or a transferring out problem. 

[vu72]

If those guys transferring out are no lose (and I agree) then Lottich should never have recruited them. 

Only recruit guys that you want in your program NOT to leave. 

Don't recruit guys that should be low D1 or D2. 

Either it's a recruiting problem or a transferring out problem. 

The problem is, you just don't know how talent at the high school level equates to the D1 level.  Think back to a guy like Dwane Toatley.  Came to  Valpo as a walk-on and ended up as a starter. Then there's John Kiser, same thing.  On the other side is...a bunch of guys like Tommy Kurth, Jay Harris, Logan Jones, Chris Halversen, Joe Burton, Parker Hazen...the list is endless.

[vuny98]

If those guys transferring out are no lose (and I agree) then Lottich should never have recruited them. Only recruit guys that you want in your program NOT to leave. Don't recruit guys that should be low D1 or D2. Either it's a recruiting problem or a transferring out problem.

The problem is, you just don't know how talent at the high school level equates to the D1 level.  Think back to a guy like Dwane Toatley.  Came to  Valpo as a walk-on and ended up as a starter. Then there's John Kiser, same thing.  On the other side is...a bunch of guys like Tommy Kurth, Jay Harris, Logan Jones, Chris Halversen, Joe Burton, Parker Hazen...the list is endless.

Exactly. The NFL and NBA can't draft sure fire bets, what makes you think we can? Especially when as one other poster said, we have made a living finding those diamonds in the rough... sometimes they are in the rough for a reason. And on the flip side, a kid that was under recruited, dreams of playing for a big time school but couldn't get that opportunity out of high school for whatever reason. After proving himself for a few years showing he does belong or at the very least, showing enough to warrant a look. Can't blame a kid for chasing his dream.

[vu72]

So here's some total speculation on my part--something is going on in Green Bay.  If I counted correctly, there are now 9 players in the transfer portal.  What if, as a result,  Cade Meyer changes his mind about going to Green Bay and decides instead to join his friend Cam Palesse at Valpo?  That would be nice.

[justducky]

If we assume that Zion should go    then we have 2 available scholarships. Is that correct?  With the extra large pool of portal talent now available the upside opportunity for net player quality gains might be greater than many of you think.

Frankly, I think we are clearing out a lot of dead wood with these transfers and maybe we can come out ahead if we can attract some transfers who fit specific needs.

Because of the expanded player pool many transfers who normally could be moving up will be considering sideways shuffles instead. Most at the Donovan, Milleek and Nick level can only move UP by scaling their playing time expectations DOWN. In chaos there is opportunity. I hope Matt has his shopping list ready.

[crusader05]

Zion staying or leaving won't affect our scholarship.  At this point we have 3 scholarships to give if all of Clay, Daniel, and Siggy stay in the portal.

The other question coaches will be balancing is: Do you take grad transfers who have one year left so you're not adding even more people to the bump up against the scholarship cap, do you hold scholarships over or do you try to take scholarships away.

One advantage Valpo has is we are freshman and sophomore heavy which means we have 2-3 years before we know if these guys are going to stay their extra year. so that gives us 2 years to balance freshman recruits with transfers that won't be hanging around for 3 years themselves.

[SanityLost17]

I agree with every poster who suggested that Clay is the only real loss here.   Everyone else is replaceable. 

Sackey actually had flashes of brilliance.   His sophomore year MVC tournament run he was nothing short of spectacular at times.  But he simply can't shoot and every other team adjusted and basically left him as a liability on the court.

Bottom line:   Everyone who transferred, including Clay, can't shoot.  None of them.   Not a single transfer was a consistent outside threat.   

My Opinion:   I think Lottich has a game plan that involves live and die by the 3.   He recruited guys who don't fit the mold because he is young an inexperienced.  Hell, even JFL couldn't hit 3's.   He seems to be recruiting guys that are a better fit for his game plan this time around.   Hopefully it works, because if we don't get things turned around soon we could be in trouble.   Our name recognition will only last for so long before any success we had is too far in the rearview mirror to help promote future success.

I am cautiously optimistic.   Even though our overall record wasn't great we have SLOWLY been moving up the MVC standings every year.   If we can finish 5th next year that will be 1 more step up the ladder.   Gonna be tricky next year since other teams had a lot more senior talent than we did.  So if guys return for their "free" year other teams will be helped out more than we were.   I love Gordon's leadership and Morgan's tenacity but man, Morgan really is not an MVC level player and Gordon is a great 6th man role player glue guy at the MVC level.   

[elephtheria47]

still hard to believe people have a problem with the transfers. i think it's great they are leaving to find a better fit.

in professional employment, if you have an employee that can't do their job or is toxic, you get rid of them. ML realizing the players can't play at this level and having discussions about maybe finding a better opportunity is mutually beneficial. Having them stick around for another year or two isn't going to help Valpo win games, which is what we all want. With covid, no tournament $, and no/limited attendance this season, i don't see many universities terminating their coaches which would allow the player to reopen their recruitment, so hitting the transfer portal is imperative this offseason.

Success breeds success. Who wants to leave when your team is ranked/national attention/winning championships/going dancing. If we start consistently winning the players will stick around.

[justducky]

Unless someone transfers out, every player in their final year of eligilibility that returns under the COVID exception adds to our 13. That said, increasing scholarships above 13 only applies to this year. For example, Daniel will be a senior next year. If he decides to return for a 5th season under the COVID exception, he will have to fill 1 of our 13 total scholarships.

So Eron could be a 14'th scholarship if we have the money to do so. Do we? With fixed playing time is it even a good idea? Should Zion even be considered? I mean 15 scholarships  . Thats crazy! And Mileek and Nick are shopping for playing time while competing for fixed 13 scholarships positions elsewhere? Good luck!

[VUGrad1314]

I agree with every poster who suggested that Clay is the only real loss here.   Everyone else is replaceable. Sackey actually had flashes of brilliance.   His sophomore year MVC tournament run he was nothing short of spectacular at times.  But he simply can't shoot and every other team adjusted and basically left him as a liability on the court. Bottom line:   Everyone who transferred, including Clay, can't shoot.  None of them.   Not a single transfer was a consistent outside threat. My Opinion:   I think Lottich has a game plan that involves live and die by the 3.   He recruited guys who don't fit the mold because he is young an inexperienced.  Hell, even JFL couldn't hit 3's.   He seems to be recruiting guys that are a better fit for his game plan this time around.   Hopefully it works, because if we don't get things turned around soon we could be in trouble.   Our name recognition will only last for so long before any success we had is too far in the rearview mirror to help promote future success. I am cautiously optimistic.   Even though our overall record wasn't great we have SLOWLY been moving up the MVC standings every year.   If we can finish 5th next year that will be 1 more step up the ladder.   Gonna be tricky next year since other teams had a lot more senior talent than we did.  So if guys return for their "free" year other teams will be helped out more than we were.   I love Gordon's leadership and Morgan's tenacity but man, Morgan really is not an MVC level player and Gordon is a great 6th man role player glue guy at the MVC level.

I really don't love the idea of living and dying by the 3 a low percentage shot even with good shooters and getting crushed on the glass most every night. It just doesn't feel like a winning strategy that has any real consistency but maybe I'm wrong. I mean Golden State made it work in the NBA and became more or less a dynasty. Maybe Valpo can make it work at the NCAA level.

[valpotx]

Our women had some good success with the 'live or die' by the 3.  Injuries and a short bench killed their season, but they were on pace to do something special. 

[oklahomamick]

I understand coaches aren't going to hit on on every recruit. 

But give me a staff that has a better percentage on hitting on recruits.

Last two point guards have been bad. And  some of the reason we have been bad

[VU2014]

I understand coaches aren't going to hit on on every recruit. 

But give me a staff that has a better percentage on hitting on recruits.

Last two point guards have been bad. And  some of the reason we have been bad

I sort of agree they haven't been able to find a great PG but I am very optimistic about Darius DeAveiro (Incoming Freshman PG) and Cam Palesse (more of a combo guard but can play PG). One caveat to this is that the offense was meant to run through Javon Freeman Liberty who acted as the primary ball handler while he was at Valpo and it was fairly successful. They also brought in Lavender as grad transfer and he was solid. The Coaches have done well at finding shooting guards.

But I agree that they haven't found the next Keith Carter of this program. Maybe they did in the up coming class. I understand the appeal with Sackey with the speed and athleticism but it didn't translate at the next level. The speed didn't make up for the jump shot and the difficulty of driving to the paint and getting blocked or having to difficultly put up a lay up. But I will give Sackey some credit, he became a much better distributor the last few years. We haven't had a pure PG traditional since Keith Carter and Lexus Williams.

I'm really hoping the Coaching Staff can bring in a grad transfer PG with experience. We can't rely of the freshman PGs, because that is a lot to ask out of a couple young kids. They need to be eased into bigger roles ideally.

[oklahomamick]

If your ok with someone in your program Leaving then you probably shouldn't have had them in your program to begin with

[valpotx]

Hindsight is always 20/20.  Is there any company or program in the world, that hits on every new recruit?  Do you know how many people leave Amazon after less than 2 years, or just after 2 years?  For as cool as they sound, they have terrible turnover in their IT ranks.

[vuny98]

If your ok with someone in your program
Leaving then your probably shouldn't have had them in your program to begin with

Did you ever go out with a girl. And she was really cute, and cool and fun at first. And you thought maybe it could be something special. And then after a few dates she annoyed the hell out of you. The way she talked during movies, or the way she was always late, or how she nagged you about every little thing. Well that's how many of us feel about the people that are leaving. Meanwhile you are that one friend that's saying after the fact, "Dude, you never should have went out with her"...

[mj]

Interesting comments that Sackey gave to Oren about leaving Valpo. Seems like both parties realized that it was time to move on.

[valpolaw]

I get not every recruit is going to work out but Lottich has been been wrong more often than not on recruits lately. We have to have a better hit ratio on recruits. At the end of the day, he is the leader of this program and has to take responsibility for the product on the court and the results. We haven't had a solid point guard in what seems like years. We all knew Sackey wasn't the answer long ago.

I agree with the others that Clay is the real loss here but even then he had a rough year. When we can lose so many players and only one might have had a real impact, then that's a problem and raises the question why Lottich had them here to begin with.

[valpotx]

Interesting comments that Sackey gave to Oren about leaving Valpo. Seems like both parties realized that it was time to move on.

I hope that Sackey realizes his limitations, and transfers to a little bit lower level.  If he tries for a level up, he isn't going to play.  He should do as Micah Bradford did, and transfer to a low mid-major program, and find his spot.

[JD24]

I agree with every poster who suggested that Clay is the only real loss here.   Everyone else is replaceable. Sackey actually had flashes of brilliance.   His sophomore year MVC tournament run he was nothing short of spectacular at times.  But he simply can't shoot and every other team adjusted and basically left him as a liability on the court. Bottom line:   Everyone who transferred, including Clay, can't shoot.  None of them.   Not a single transfer was a consistent outside threat. My Opinion:   I think Lottich has a game plan that involves live and die by the 3.   He recruited guys who don't fit the mold because he is young an inexperienced.  Hell, even JFL couldn't hit 3's.   He seems to be recruiting guys that are a better fit for his game plan this time around.   Hopefully it works, because if we don't get things turned around soon we could be in trouble.   Our name recognition will only last for so long before any success we had is too far in the rearview mirror to help promote future success. I am cautiously optimistic.   Even though our overall record wasn't great we have SLOWLY been moving up the MVC standings every year.   If we can finish 5th next year that will be 1 more step up the ladder.   Gonna be tricky next year since other teams had a lot more senior talent than we did.  So if guys return for their "free" year other teams will be helped out more than we were.   I love Gordon's leadership and Morgan's tenacity but man, Morgan really is not an MVC level player and Gordon is a great 6th man role player glue guy at the MVC level.

I really don't love the idea of living and dying by the 3 a low percentage shot even with good shooters and getting crushed on the glass most every night. It just doesn't feel like a winning strategy that has any real consistency but maybe I'm wrong. I mean Golden State made it work in the NBA and became more or less a dynasty. Maybe Valpo can make it work at the NCAA level.

The problem with living or dying, as it is put, by the 3 for Valpo has been the lack of players who were quality three point shooters. In fact, Valpo just hasn't had players who have demonstrated much of an offensive game overall since Peters left. JFL to some degree but even he forced a lot at times. Offense always looks terrible when shots aren't falling plus it doesn't help the defense.

[JD24]

I get not every recruit is going to work out but Lottich has been been wrong more often than not on recruits lately. We have to have a better hit ratio on recruits. At the end of the day, he is the leader of this program and has to take responsibility for the product on the court and the results. We haven't had a solid point guard in what seems like years. We all knew Sackey wasn't the answer long ago. I agree with the others that Clay is the real loss here but even then he had a rough year. When we can lose so many players and only one might have had a real impact, then that's a problem and raises the question why Lottich had them here to begin with.

Pretty much it.

[oklahomamick]

I understand you aren't going to hit on every recruit.  But Lottich needs a better hit/miss ratio on recruiting.  Hasn't recruited a point guard yet....

[justducky]

Did you ever go out with a girl. And she was really cute, and cool and fun at first. And you thought maybe it could be something special. And then after a few dates she annoyed the hell out of you.

I don't think any of our dates with Donovan exposed significant incompatibilities.    Maybe it was more of a future in-law problem?    If her dad says hit the road then grab your hat and coat. I say that from first hand experience and maybe this will be an equal blessing.