This was exactly the post that I was going to make. Hunter played most of our minutes at the 3 spot, but also some at the 2. Dean divided about half and half of his minutes between 1 and 2. Kraft is going to be a 2 or 3. If Skaljac is as good as advertised, he will get a lot of minutes at the 1 or 2. Still 5 roster spots to fill and we are a month removed from the season.
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@Daverama - It is definitely placing kids in a quandary.
For kids who are exceptional students and solid but not blue chip athletes - who are primarily interested in their education - it might be smart to go to the best academic institution they can get into with aid based on financial need, not on athletic scholarships. It should be a school where they would be highly unlikely NOT to play all four years if they remain healthy and interested.
If this is in Division 3, so be it. It might be the most financially rewarding decision the athlete ever makes. To me it seems much sounder a plan than finding oneself in the situation you described - frustratedly transferring to two or even three academic institutions as a undergrad while trying desperately to find some playing time.
What a cheapened college experience it must be for kids in this situation! Both Rashad and Gage fall into the three-school category. Miami was the top institution in each of their academic journeys. It was also where both logged their peak athletic achievement. But it wasnāt enough.
Unfortunately, many kids now trying to play the college revenue sports - mostly football, basketball and to some extent hockey - are not academically able to access Ivy institutions, NESCAC colleges or schools like WUSL, UChicago, Carleton, Carnegie Mellon, MIT or some of the elite non-scholarship schools in California. Nor are many even interested in that track.
Many are also not financially able to foot the bill even for their own in-state college educations without taking out big loans.
Those are the kids caught in the ringer - grasping for three things in this orderā¦playing time, NIL, publicity and - somewhere further down the list - an education. College NIL has become a cheap substitute for the dream of bigger money in the NFL, NBA or the NHL.
And it has become a cruel business.
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April 23, 2024 Transfer Portal Movement:
OUT OF MIAMI: (G) 6-5 Ryan Mabry, (F) 6-8 Jaquel Morris, (G) 6-6 Julian Lewis, (G) 6-2 Bradley Dean
IN: (G) 6-6 Kam Craft (Xavier/3 years), (F) 6-9 Antwone Woolfolk (Rutgers/2 years)
2024-25 Scholarship Players: 9
The following players exhaust eligibility or have transferred: (8)
F: Anderson Mirambeaux (6-8) - Graduation
G: Darweishi Hunter (6-5) - Graduation
G: Bryce Bultman (6-5) - Graduation
G: Morgan Safford (6-5) - Transfer to Kent
F: Jaquel Morris (6-8) Transfer to Saint Peters
G: Julian Lewis (6-6) Transfer
G: Bradley Dean (6-2) Transfer
CURRENT ROSTER:
SR (0) :
JR (1) : (F) 6-9 Antwone Woolfolk
SO (6): (G) 5-10 Evan Ipsaro, (F) 6-9 Jackson Kotecki, (G) 6ā Mekhi Cooper, (F) 6-6 Eian Elmer, (C) 7ā Reece Potter, (G) 6-6 Kam Craft
FR (2): (G) 6-2 Luke Skaljac, (F) Brant Byers 6-8
[5] Forwards/Bigs: Antwone Woolfolk (6-9) Jackson Kotecki (6-9), Eian Elmer (6-6), Reese Potter (7ā), Brant Byers (6-8)
[4] Guards: Evan Ipsaro, Mekhi Cooper, Kam Kraft, Luke Skaljac
7-0 Reece Potter
6-9 Antwone Woolfolk
6-9 Jackson Kotecki
6-8 Brant Byers
6-6 Eian Elmer
6-6 Kam Kraft
6-2 Luke Skaljac
6-0 Mekhi Cooper
5-10 Evan Ipsaro
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For those in the know, is it time to be concerned about how the remaining 4 scholarships will be used? Iāll be disappointed if 2 are used on D2 players and the other 2 remain unused for next season.
I think we could win the MAC with 2 more good additions, but Iām beginning to question if weāre going to find them.
I felt we settled on Bryce Bultman in mid-May last year when we couldnāt find better options. Not that Bultman was bad, but it felt like settling. Are we heading for the same result this offseason?
My belief: More coming very soon. Prolly before middle of the month. Steele not going to rush though. That said, I predict another center and post. (Ps, I might have dated myself with āpostābut thatās my childhood coming through watching 1980ās tri county basketball.)
Edit: Johnnavious Smith from Buffalo. Solid player. Has a good upside. We should get him if only for a year. Could be excellentā¦
We āsettledā on a guy who was 2nd on the team in minutes played, 3rd in scoring and 1st in rebounds?
Interesting choice of words.
Who would not be thrilled if we got similar production from another portal player this year?
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Hereās the statement:
How attending and playing for Miami gives you a competitive advantage AFTER graduation
Go get āem HawkTalkers. Donāt use the same canned answers that we all hear. Explain your answers and give solid examples that an 18-22 year old would understand and relate to
At the time Bultman signed, there was talk on here that the staff had pursued big men in the portal, they went elsewhere and then we signed Bultman. Thus the word āsettledā.
Look, he was a solid, but a 5th year senior who leads the team in minutes and averages 8 points a game? All of Safford (Wofford), Mirambeaux (Cleveland St) and Hunter (NIU) had bigger impacts in their first seasons at Miami. And I would argue Craft will have a bigger impact this season at Miami. So yes, Miami can find more impact players in the portal than Bryce Bultman
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I see something else about Hunter and Bultman. They provided maturity and leadership and they set an example of how to conduct yourself. While Safford and Mirambeaux, the two captains the year before, failed in those areas last year. With such a young roster last season I think they set the standard for our younger players that was needed and will carry over for those guys going forward.
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I agree with Dick, but I also tend to agree with Max, in that there is always going to be a bit of āwe settledā with Miamiās basketball recruits. Itās just the nature of the beast. The array of candidates available just isnāt the same as it is for many other schools. My biggest disappointment the last couple decades is the inability of a great institution to attract a real marquee impact player (please donāt say Tim Pollitz). Iām tired of talking about Wally.
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I donāt agree with this take. We just brought in 5 excellent players. In years prior weāve had great talent other schools have poached. Can any team ranked in the 200ās ask for more? Short of having big NIL money finding diamonds in the rough is what we do. I think we are slowly trading up every year for better.
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I think Bultman contributed beyond his scoring numbers. He always hustled. He could get to the hoop. He was a good passer and ball handler, a āglue guyā who contributed a lot of intangibles.
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Stats can tell whatever story you want. Bultman as a 5th yr senior was a big āmehā based on the eye test. Played a lot only because we didnāt have many other front court options especially first half of season. His skill and style worked at another level, but not in the MAC. In my humble opinion. Not going to win a conference like the MAC if BB is leading team in minutes played. Heās a backup on a good team playing about 12-15 mins a game.
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There was a reason that Bultman played four years of D2. He did not have the physical skills and attributes D1 players typically possess.
That being said, he brought experience and maturity to a very young team. He also clearly showed that he was better than almost everyone else that was on the roster last year.
Would he be the guy to lead us to a MAC championship? NO.
However, he played a useful role for us last year and added value.
Would I rather have gotten a Power 5 talent like Kam Craft last year?
Of course. However, I didnāt see a long line of those kind of guys lining up to play for us last year, did you?
It remains to be seen if there are more like Craft and Woolfolk out there for us right now.
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May 7, 2024 Transfer Portal Movement:
OUT OF MIAMI: (G) 6-5 Ryan Mabry, (F) 6-8 Jaquel Morris, (G) 6-6 Julian Lewis, (G) 6-2 Bradley Dean
IN: (G) 6-6 Kam Craft (Xavier/3 years), (F) 6-9 Antwone Woolfolk (Rutgers/2 years), (G) 6-5 Pete Suder (Bellarmine/2 years)
2024-25 Scholarship Players: 10
The following players exhaust eligibility or have transferred: (8)
F: Anderson Mirambeaux (6-8) - Graduation
G: Darweishi Hunter (6-5) - Graduation
G: Bryce Bultman (6-5) - Graduation
G: Morgan Safford (6-5) - Transfer to Kent
F: Jaquel Morris (6-8) Transfer to Saint Peters
G: Julian Lewis (6-6) Transfer
G: Bradley Dean (6-2) Transfer
CURRENT ROSTER:
SR (0) :
JR (2) : (F) 6-9 Antwone Woolfolk, (G) 6-5 Pete Suder
SO (6): (G) 5-10 Evan Ipsaro, (F) 6-9 Jackson Kotecki, (G) 6ā Mekhi Cooper, (F) 6-6 Eian Elmer, (C) 7ā Reece Potter, (G) 6-6 Kam Craft
FR (2): (G) 6-2 Luke Skaljac, (F) Brant Byers 6-8
[5] Forwards/Bigs: Antwone Woolfolk (6-9) Jackson Kotecki (6-9), Eian Elmer (6-6), Reese Potter (7ā), Brant Byers (6-8)
[5] Guards: Pete Suder, Evan Ipsaro, Mekhi Cooper, Kam Kraft, Luke Skaljac
7-0 Reece Potter
6-9 Antwone Woolfolk
6-9 Jackson Kotecki
6-8 Brant Byers
6-6 Eian Elmer
6-6 Kam Kraft
6-5 Pete Suder
6-2 Luke Skaljac
6-0 Mekhi Cooper
5-10 Evan Ipsaro
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I thought we had 13 total scholarships. Is that correct? If so, maybe we land a few more playersā¦
I say that because I assumed it was 15 on the roster with (2) walkonās and the rest scholarship
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You are correct, NCAA D1 provides for 13 scholarship players. Miami currently has 10 with the addition of Suder
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Hereās a wild thought:
If you have guys ready to offer them to who can help us win, great. Butā¦what if you donāt. Does that endowed scholarship not being used sit in an account earning interest? If so, could you use the interest to pay NIL money to existing players? I have no idea if thatās legal but the thought crossed my mind.
Any chance that Bryson Tatum, a savvy veteran who can play Steeleās offense, returns to MU? I think I can speak for many others on this board who believe that he can be an integral part of Miami returning to its old ways!
I think this is borderline Spam.
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