Transfers

[wh]

Obviously the tape is a couple years ago. But a few quick observations, as said seems to have good hands, good body control for a 7', meaning he knows where he is in space and moves effortlessly to ball (fluidity). He was very muscular for a HS player, expect even more development with 2 years in B1G program.  Has a nice wing span--long reach to certain rebounds. Completes dunks (limited set but assertive--go strong to rack). Moves well without the ball, the pick-n-roll seemed natural (not everyone knows how to roll) and he caught a low ball pass (again not natural).  Was present in rebounding weakside (couple examples on tape). There are bigs who don't do this (e.g. Smits). Showed quickness in keeping up on defense and making the play without fouling (now there could be 20 examples we aren't seeing where he fouls or the player scores).  Areas for improvement (and would be good to see some Wisky practice tape to see if they worked on them)--(i) brings the ball down too low, the smurfs will attack it or block the put back, we didn't see much shooting from 8-10 foot area (made one from 8 and form looked good), his release angle is too flat away from basket (the little hook and the jumper right side of lane) (can get away with it because playing against shorter players).  Coming in his skill level is way above most bigs we have had in past 25 years.  He is at or above Smits (before 2 yrs at Wisky) coming in, Bouchie had some of these innate skills. Vashii, Ensminger, Gomes all were projects coming in.  He seems more natural than Antii coming in.  Maybe closest to Raitis, who was extremely polished coming in.  KVW is another comparison, although he had some stiffness.  Will be interesting to see how he has developed at UW and how the above actually translates into real action.  For now, they're video clips.

Excellent, in-depth analysis.

[valpotx]

If I was an NCAA basketball coach in today's transfer climate, I would only recruit HS players tied to future transfer potential.  Focus on the guys that have P5 dreams, but might not fit that mold, and have a high likelihood of transferring 'down' after 1-3 years. Sprinkle in a few high potential HS guys on occasion, that can commit to at least 2 years, and anything past that is a benefit.  Essentially, you need to operate more like a JuCo coach, and hope for 2 years from someone. 

[vu72]

Some great stories about Joe Hedstrom.  I'll highlight a few quotes:

https://247sports.com/Article/Hopkins-2018-Center-Joe-Hedstrom-Commits-to-Wisconsin-Badgers-108782383/

I just really, really trust the coaching staff. I'd be taught by one of the best programs, if not the best at developing big men in the country.

https://247sports.com/college/wisconsin/Article/Badgers-Recruiting-Hopkins-MN-2018-center-Joe-Hedstrom-commits-to-Wisconsin-basketball-108784171/

"One thing that all the coaches say is how I run the floor very well, and that's something I take pride in myself," Hedstrom said. "I feel like footwork always stays with you as I get stronger and quicker. I feel like (I have) that ability to outrun bigs because I can get a lot of points just by sprinting out off the rebounds and getting a dunk.

[vuny98]

Assuming we are done with bringing in transfers and done losing transfers.

Who was the biggest loss?
Clay, JO, Robinson, Mileek, Sackey, Helm, Lorange

Who was the biggest gain?
Anderson, Taylor, Kithier, Hedstrom

And overall an upgrade vs downgrade?

[vok22]

Assuming we are done with bringing in transfers and done losing transfers.

Who was the biggest loss?
Clay, JO, Robinson, Mileek, Sackey, Helm, Lorange

Who was the biggest gain?
Anderson, Taylor, Kithier, Hedstrom

And overall an upgrade vs downgrade?

Sackey/Helm/Lorange ---> Anderson. I would say upgrade. Helm and Lorange don't really count in my mind and a Big 10 backup point guard that played 14 minutes a game with 50+% from three and a great assist to turnover ratio is absolutely better than Sackey.

Clay/Robinson ---> Taylor. Not really sure about this one. I was never a big fan of Robinson. I think there was a game or two he might've carried us through but they were against unimpressive competition. Clay was a great defender and rebounder, and I know we are taking a step down in that regard, but I do think it is likely that Tayor is a better offensive player than either than them. We shall see.

JO/Mileek ---> Kithier/Hedstrom. This is absolutely an upgrade in my mind. I was excited for JO but I can't say for sure we lost a future Valpo star, but I think he was going to be good. Mileek on the other hand was a disaster this season. Kithier was a big 10 starter. He is going to be able to defend and rebound better than JO, and that is what we need. We also have him for only 1 less year than we had left on JO, yet are getting much more experience, and more of what we need from our big men. It is nice to have JO out there being able to knock down threes, but it looks like our team three point shooting should be a lot better this year, and I will sacrifice having a big that can shot if it means we can improve out rebounding and post defense too. Hedstrom I am not sure on but I think he will come in and be the backup center. I saw some people wondering if he would play a lot, and I think the answer is absolutely. I dont think he will start but I definitely think he will be our primary bench 5 that plays every game. He was behind some great bigs at Wisconsin and might have been recruited bit above his level, coupled with the injury.

[M]

I think the new guys will prove to be upgrades over what we lost, but that might be wishful thinking.  It's not like we were winning with the guys that were here.  Hoping for the best!

[nkvu]

Assuming we are done with bringing in transfers and done losing transfers.

Who was the biggest loss?
Clay, JO, Robinson, Mileek, Sackey, Helm, Lorange

Who was the biggest gain?
Anderson, Taylor, Kithier, Hedstrom

And overall an upgrade vs downgrade?

Biggest loss, I'm going with JO just because he has the most upside potential. Clay took a step back last year and until he can show that he can shoot consistently from outside, his ability to go to the rim will be blunted by defenders playing off him. He is a good defender and hustle rebounder but I think the two big transfers will more than make up for what we lose on the boards. For the others, I think the players coming in will be an improvement.

Biggest gain, I'm going with Anderson as I think our biggest need was an upgrade at point. He brings experience and maturity and can hopefully mentor the young guards. That takes nothing away from the other three who address our other needs.

Overall, I'm going to be optimistic and say this is an upgrade. We address our biggest negatives - point guard, three point shooting, and rebounding. As I've said previously, I look forward to seeing how the coaches fit all these new pieces together.

[valpopal]

Assuming we are done with bringing in transfers and done losing transfers.

Who was the biggest loss?
Clay, JO, Robinson, Mileek, Sackey, Helm, Lorange

Who was the biggest gain?
Anderson, Taylor, Kithier, Hedstrom

And overall an upgrade vs downgrade?

I would like to think the overall impact would be an upgrade, but that would honestly be a guess because of so many uncertainties to be determined in the actual play of the transfers. As importantly, given so many options available in the transfer portal and the ability for seniors to return, did most other MVC teams also improve as a result?

[wh]

Assuming we are done with bringing in transfers and done losing transfers.

Who was the biggest loss?
Clay, JO, Robinson, Mileek, Sackey, Helm, Lorange

Who was the biggest gain?
Anderson, Taylor, Kithier, Hedstrom

And overall an upgrade vs downgrade?

All 7 fall into 1 or more of the following categories:
• not talented enough to play
• enough talent to play, but lousy numbers to show for it
• selfish (as in demanding to play guard and pouting, yelling at the coach, and giving a halfhearted effort if told to play another position)
• thought the coaching staff didn't exhibit enough spiritual leadership (the type you might expect to see at evangelical or fundamentalist colleges). Also thought the coach should have disciplined a certain selfish player, but supposedly didn't

All 7 are addition by subtraction. I like our new guys a lot.

[valpotx]

Point number 3 on your list is easy to attribute to a Mr. Clay.  I am glad that someone else noticed and is aware of how much crap he caused.  It was evident on the court.

[AB]

biggest loss was Donovan. Defensively he was fine, offensively was interchangeable and likely would have fixed his jump shot. Bigger upside than JO. All this is a moot point, however. Unknown which newcomer will make the biggest impact. What is known......too many players and only one ball. A few will be the odd man out of the rotation. This reminds me of the older team/complimentary players assembled around Rowdy, (Bogan, Boggs, Capo, Coleman) Not sure who the center piece of this team will be.

[nkvu]

biggest loss was Donovan. Defensively he was fine, offensively was interchangeable and likely would have fixed his jump shot. Bigger upside than JO. All this is a moot point, however. Unknown which newcomer will make the biggest impact. What is known......too many players and only one ball. A few will be the odd man out of the rotation. This reminds me of the older team/complimentary players assembled around Rowdy, (Bogan, Boggs, Capo, Coleman) Not sure who the center piece of this team will be.

I think Donavan suffered most from the JFL transfer. When JFL was the defensive focus, Donovan had room to go to the hoop. He didn't shoot particularly well as a freshman, and he shot worse as a sophomore even when he had open looks. Maybe he can fix this but I think his missed shots were off left to right more than short or long, and that may be tougher to fix. Maybe if he is not the defensive focus he can again find those seams where he can operate. We will miss his defense and that's one area where I am concerned that we may be taking a step back with the new guys. I agree with you that there is only one ball and that there will be some guys who will be disappointed that they end up being the odd man out of the rotation. My feeling is that if it is close, go with the young guys in hopes that they stick around so in the next year or two we can have teams who have guys who have experience in the system.  But if we are in the era of building yearly teams instead of programs, then play the guys who give you the best chance of winning now, and then build a new team next year.  Personally, I hate that approach, but what can you do?

[wh]

Valparaiso lands 7-foot Wisconsin transfer Joe Hedstrom
Paul Oren  Apr 23, 2021 Updated 8 hrs ago

https://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-lands-7-foot-wisconsin-transfer-joe-hedstrom/article_6b9f8312-7043-52cf-9173-3ae416266bf4.html

[Chairback]

So what's the rotation going to look like?   Who starts and who subs in and out. 

Looks like multiple scenarios.  Will be interesting to see how Connor fits in this with him starting last year.   

[vu72]

So what's the rotation going to look like?   Who starts and who subs in and out. 

Looks like multiple scenarios.  Will be interesting to see how Connor fits in this with him starting last year.   

Good question. I would guess that three transfers start (Kithier, Anderson and Taylor) together with Ben and Eron.  Next 5 would be Goodnews, Sheldon, Hedstrom, Cam and Keyondre.  Oh man, some guys are not going to be happy. 

[Valpower]

I think Donavan suffered most from the JFL transfer. When JFL was the defensive focus, Donovan had room to go to the hoop. He didn't shoot particularly well as a freshman, and he shot worse as a sophomore even when he had open looks. Maybe he can fix this but I think his missed shots were off left to right more than short or long, and that may be tougher to fix. Maybe if he is not the defensive focus he can again find those seams where he can operate. We will miss his defense and that's one area where I am concerned that we may be taking a step back with the new guys. I agree with you that there is only one ball and that there will be some guys who will be disappointed that they end up being the odd man out of the rotation. My feeling is that if it is close, go with the young guys in hopes that they stick around so in the next year or two we can have teams who have guys who have experience in the system.  But if we are in the era of building yearly teams instead of programs, then play the guys who give you the best chance of winning now, and then build a new team next year.  Personally, I hate that approach, but what can you do?

I'm hoping Matt is flexible enough to adjust his system to suit the talent he has and to be learnable in the amount of time that today's turnover affords.

[wh]

Don't underestimate Keyondre. I watched all 3 of his state tournament games against the best competition in the state. He dominated all 3 games, hit clutch baskets down the stretch, hit over 40% from 3, played aggressive defense. His team wins state and he's named MVP.

Then he decides to go out for track and the first time he has ever high jumped clears the bar at 6-8, no. 1 jump in the state. BTW 6-8 is the no. 1 jump in the MVC when I checked it at the time. So there's that.

[vu72]

Don't underestimate Keyondre. I watched all 3 of his state tournament games against the best competition in the state. He dominated all 3 games, hit clutch baskets down the stretch, hit over 40% from 3, played aggressive defense. His team wins state and he's named MVP.

Then he decides to go out for track and the first time he has ever high jumped clears the bar at 6-8, no. 1 jump in the state. BTW 6-8 is the no. 1 jump in the MVC when I checked it at the time. So there's that.

I'm not nor would I discount Cam.  the more I think about it, even before the transfers in, the handwriting was on the wall for even Donovan regarding reduced playing time.

[vok22]

So what's the rotation going to look like?   Who starts and who subs in and out. 

Looks like multiple scenarios.  Will be interesting to see how Connor fits in this with him starting last year.   

Good question. I would guess that three transfers start (Kithier, Anderson and Taylor) together with Ben and Eron.  Next 5 would be Goodnews, Sheldon, Hedstrom, Cam and Keyondre.  Oh man, some guys are not going to be happy. 

I think it would more likely to see Gordon backing up Anderson at the 1, and Sheldon starting at the 2. At least I hope so for the sake of keeping Sheldon around. If he isn't playing well as a starter, then demote him. They'll know more based on offseason practice performance, but I hope that is how it turns out. Before all the transfers, I was hoping Palesse would be good enough to start out of the gate but that is unrealistic now with the depth and experience at PG. However, he should be safe to stay if he performs well off the bench given that the two people ahead of him at PG (Anderson and Gordon) will be gone after next season. The 3 guard/Small forward situation is where it gets consfusing. You have Barrett who started his freshman year, Kevin Taylor who scored 21 ppg last year, 3 star recruit Trey Woodyard, and Keyondre young who we all are excited about. All of those people are probably coming in with the intention of earning heavy playing time, and starting at some point in the career down the line. 3 of them probably want to start this year with only one spot available (because Krikke will be playing the 4 spot).

[wh]

Don't we have something like 19 players, counting walk-ons. That isn't a basketball team, it's a camp. Practices are going to be crazy. And picture games. 5 guys playing and 14 guys sitting on the bench hoping to hear their name called.

[valpopal]

Best of luck to JO at Lipscomb where he joins senior and former VU player Parker Hazen if he stays for an extra year!


[tweet]1386093834157838347[/tweet]

[valpotx]

Good for him, and the appropriate level for him to continue to learn.  I don't know Lipscomb well enough, but maybe he will get that overall faith-based experience that he was hoping for in the basketball program.

[VUGrad1314]

A bit surprised he ended up transferring down but that does make me feel better about losing him. I understand Lipscomb is pretty strongly faith based so he probably will find what he's looking for. Best of luck to him. Since they've now taken two recent transfers of ours maybe we should consider playing them especially if they can get their NET up to decent levels which could be a bit of a challenge in the revamped A-Sun.

[vuny98]

My expected starting 5:


PG: Anderson
SG: Edwards
SG: Eron
PF: Krikke
PF: Kithier


By end of year, Eron takes a back seat to Young.


Taylor, Hedstrom, Barrett, and 2-3 of the Freshmen will contribute big minutes as well.


Odd men out: Morgan, Goodnew, EFV

[wh]

22 seconds into the video:
Q: Why is Valparaiso the right place for Darius DeAveiro?
A: I'm in a good spot to play big minutes my first year...

https://youtube.com/watch?v=V729Tun5YWM&feature=share

The transfer portal and an extra year of eligibility for current players changes everything.