Miami MBB 2023-24 Roster

But my understanding is Steele intends to be active in the portal as well, perhaps a combo guard. Like another Safford type perhaps. So may need more than 2 sports to be freed up.

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That would necessitate someone else leaving.

Thatā€™s helpful. There is a cap of total players at 15, correct?

I donā€™t believe thatā€™s the case. We can travel with the full roster, walk-ons included. We can only dress 15 whether weā€™re home or away. Only 13 may be on scholarship. So weā€™ll go into next season with 13 scholarship players. Kenyon and Stevens are both graduating, so Yofan will probably fill one of two walk-on spots. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m not sure why @Gene feels Yofan is out the door.

@Grumpy - Tatum was never on an academic scholarship. He spent one year as a walk-on and then was given a guaranteed 4 year scholarship by the previous staff. Whether he returns still isnā€™t certain.

EDIT - alright, Iā€™m looking for more info on this rule and even the NCAA compliance website is lacking. So the for sures:

  1. You can only have 13 scholarship players
  2. Home/away doesnā€™t impact the number of players who can dress

The guesses:

  1. I donā€™t think the upper limit is 15 players. UNC lists 18 players on their roster. At the same time, I canā€™t really find other schools that go beyond 15. Miami currently has 15 with 3 players being walk-ons (Yofan, Stevens, Kenyon).
  2. You can either have 13 or 15 players dress, but different sources will tell you something different.
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There are 15 theoretical scholarship players listed above, thatā€™s why @Gene thought thatā€¦

But the ā€œdressā€ note is a good point, if someone was a known red-shirt, then 15 could still dress, including Yofan. But if all scholarship players listed were returning and expected to dress (which would be the case)ā€¦Yofan would not travel (you would think, or travel in street clothes - hence Geneā€™s comment).

Anyway, I think it is likely that there will be some additional fallout or transfer that sorts thisā€¦

Jive, as I notedā€¦he can be at home games, unless itā€™s changed you can have beyond 15 at home games on bench and dressed for playing time (not sure if thereā€™s a limit like 18 or 20, but definitely more than 15 is allowed as I said above).

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Hereā€™s another odd but true wrinkle: some schools keep additional walkonā€™s by calling them ā€œmanagers.ā€ When my sister played tennis at UNC, there was a basketball manager who got into a game and scored a couple points. Everyone went nuts and articles were written. But this was no Snacks type situation (I hope someone gets my reference) the player had been practicing with the team everyday and was good enough to play at many D1 schools. His folks had money so he went to UNC and they were one in the country at the time.

I donā€™t know maybe only 15 can dress regardless home or awayā€¦and 18 is the limit. Saw something about 13 scholarship, 14 scholarship listed (red-shirt or COVID rule still, thought that was done), then four inactive players.

Hard to find this answer, easily that isā€¦

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I think itā€™s worth being honest and upfront that all scholarship players who are eligible to return, are returning. I donā€™t think thereā€™s any expectation that anyone is willing to go from a scholarship athlete to a walk-on. Theyā€™re leaving or ā€œretiringā€. I think you know this, @Skins, but probably worth being very explicit about it since weā€™ll see some movement very soon after Miamiā€™s season ends (hopefully not too soon). Itā€™s the nature of college sports today.

I have guesses for who those players leaving early will be, but would rather not speculate there. But Iā€™m sure some guys will decide the toll taken on their body has been too significant (Etzler seems to fit here). Others will transfer down because they see the writing on the wall that they donā€™t fit in the staffā€™s future plans. I hope nobody tries to transfer up, but thatā€™s always a risk as well. But everyone signed will be on scholarship year 1.

Iā€™m pretty sure the NCAA has removed any rule that gives a home/away advantage. In football, the conferences determine how many players can dress for away games, even though the NCAA sets the FBS roster limit at 115 (85 on scholarship). I really would love to find that rule because Iā€™m really curious now. I did find a claim that UNC can exceed the 15 player roster limit by fielding one of the few D1 JV teams in the country.

For fun, hereā€™s what ChatGPT has to say on the subject

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Iā€™m confused by the AIā€™s reply to your question. It makes no sense. Almost as confused as why say ā€œCocaine Bearā€ was turned into a film and my script for Smokey and the bandit 4 (son of a bandit) sits in a drawer.

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Ollie!

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Letā€™s be honest. The names that seem most likely to depart this roster: Etzler (almost a certainty), Harrison, Tatum, Rylee and Smith. Not saying they all will or that I want them to, but that seems the most likely group. None of them were recruited by the current staff, and Smith is the only one from the group who received significant minutes and that was earlier in the season. That group leaving would leave us with 11 scholarship players and 2 open spots.

As much as I like Evan Isparo and Mekhi Cooper, theyā€™ll both be true freshmen next season. So a big need for next season, in my opinion, is a veteran pg who can distribute and play great defense, especially early in the season until Isparo and Cooper adjust to the college game.

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Essentially, if Iā€™m hearing you right, (and I think I am) youā€™re advocating for a Darrian Ringo star transfer who can help the freshmen get by with a little help from a transfer friend. Is that the ghist?

(Did you see how effortlessly Iā€¦.ah never mind)

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I donā€™t think Etzler is a question (heā€™s playing somewhere else or done with his athletic career, graduating with near certainty)ā€¦personally I like Tatum as a very athletic reserve guard, given our current experience, Rylee (thereā€™s a Isparo connection, just sayā€™n)ā€¦I would say Harrisonā€™s health status is #1, he also prepped another year in HS, he has his own non-profit shoe businessā€¦would like to see what the kid could have or will do, but heā€™s probably on that list with some %. Smith is interesting inclusion, and that would be unfortunate, as well.

But I would say at least two on that list have some odds that they might not returnā€¦

All this said, it does look like a pretty ā€œconnected team,ā€ these days.

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However, Smith hasnā€™t made any contribution to our current winning streak.

Yeah is he hurt or just hit wall and found himself on bench?

Potential is thereā€¦and he was one of Steeleā€™s early favorites, so not sure what is going on there other than his defense is not where it needs to be?

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My guess on Billy Smith: it was reported he was to start the game I believe against NIU but then got hurt. He has been available now for the last three games but Steele has chosen to go with the ā€œhotā€ hands and shorten his bench to Tatum, Morris, Kamari. So bottom line: Steele is playing what was working up until last night.

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Seems that way, too bad he did not insert him during that apparent awful start to second half.

Oh wellā€¦think heā€™s a bit of Wild Card as another shooter in tournament, but we shall see. Thought Tatum had nice first half.

Smith is 6 for his last 29 from 3, was 20/47. As heā€™s gotten cold, Williamsā€™s shooting has picked up, heā€™s 8 for his last 18 from 3, and Tatum has been an effective defender. And itā€™s ok with Smith, this happens with freshmen. Mabrey has gone against the trend to some extent. I think his overall game, including defense, has continued to improve late in the season.

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