Team News (current roster)

[cncchris33]

Good lord, there are some big dudes on this squad. I was a little worried Anosike had some of that “baby fat”, looked a little like Grant early on, but he looks pretty damn jacked and in shape in that picture. Pons is an absolute freak show.

Even Fulk is ripped up standing next ON. Imagine playing in the paint against Pons, EJA, and Fulk...

 

[cncchris33]

Pons and Bailey both look like freaks of nature. Who is that between Pons and JJJ on the front row?

Bailey

 

[cncchris33]

Maybe there was some merit to the "Springer is out of shape" offseason storyline as he is noticeably less shredded than Bailey, Johnson, JJJ, Pons, Anosike, etc.

Springer hasn’t skipped leg day, though.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Kris Dunn was at Villanova for 4 years, Hachimura was in college 4 years, Washington played 2 years at Ky, Hunter from Va was in school for 3 years, Cameron Johnson played and graduated from North Carolina. Like I said, there have been several that stayed in school well past 1 season.

Dunn wasn’t a projected lottery pick after his first or second year.

Hachimura was in college 3 years, not 4, and was not a projected lottery pick after his first year, not sure on second year.

2 years for Washington, and he wasn’t a projected lottery after Year 1 either.

Hunter was most definitely not a projected pick after his first or second year at Virginia.

Cam Johnson was most certainly not a projected lottery pick after his first or second year either.


So like I said, got any players that actually fit the criteria? Or just one potential guy from last century?

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

Unless you have met and talked with him in the last couple months, I’d say your feelings are based in the former idea that he wasn’t likely a one-and-done impact type talent. That has seemingly changed, his stock has soared, and we are now operating with new information about his stock and potential. Furthermore, if KJ is projected as a lottery pick, and his parents advise him to return to school, they are giving him terrible advise. School will always be there. His mom being a former D1 scholarship athlete, and his father seeming to have a level head, I really doubt they’d take a potential multi-million dollar gamble.

He's the same level prospect today that he was 2 years ago, his stock has always been 1st round potential and I believe he will not be a one and done player. I think he's here to enjoy the college experience and at least get a good start on his education. There are no guarantees in the NBA draft anyway unless you're projected top 3 or so. His family is level headed and I doubt would want him to leave free school for the draft unless they knew for sure he was a top 10 pick.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

Dunn wasn’t a projected lottery pick after his first or second year.

Hachimura was in college 3 years, not 4, and was not a projected lottery pick after his first year, not sure on second year.

2 years for Washington, and he wasn’t a projected lottery after Year 1 either.

Hunter was most definitely not a projected pick after his first or second year at Virginia.

Cam Johnson was most certainly not a projected lottery pick after his first or second year either.


So like I said, got any players that actually fit the criteria? Or just one potential guy from last century?

So you think that they just mysteriously played their way into top10 picks? Each one of those guys could have left at least 1 year earlier than they did but chose not 2. That's just one or 2 drafts. I'd bet if you examined the last 10 years of the draft you would find several that stayed an extra year or 2 in school and that's exactly what I think Johnson will do.

 

[swchandler1988]

He's the same level prospect today that he was 2 years ago, his stock has always been 1st round potential and I believe he will not be a one and done player. I think he's here to enjoy the college experience and at least get a good start on his education. There are no guarantees in the NBA draft anyway unless you're projected top 3 or so. His family is level headed and I doubt would want him to leave free school for the draft unless they knew for sure he was a top 10 pick.

His stock two years ago was actually much different. He was barely inside the top 50 in the country and was a 4 star guy. He didn’t get his 5 star until his senior year, and from last fall—>spring—>this summer his stock has continued to soar. Exactly a year ago he still didn’t have his 5th star. Now he’s being lauded as potentially one of the best who’s ever worn orange, on that’s being said on the heels of guys like Grant and Ad. Things change. If he has an opportunity to play 1 season with us and then get paid 5mil+ this time next year, he should do that

 

[swchandler1988]

So you think that they just mysteriously played their way into top10 picks? Each one of those guys could have left at least 1 year earlier than they did but chose not 2. That's just one or 2 drafts. I'd bet if you examined the last 10 years of the draft you would find several that stayed an extra year or 2 in school and that's exactly what I think Johnson will do.

Not trying to argue, just an opinion

 

[bleedingTNorange]

So you think that they just mysteriously played their way into top10 picks? Each one of those guys could have left at least 1 year earlier than they did but chose not 2. That's just one or 2 drafts. I'd bet if you examined the last 10 years of the draft you would find several that stayed an extra year or 2 in school and that's exactly what I think Johnson will do.

You stated Johnson would stay at least 3-4 years even if he’s projected as a lottery pick, you stated numerous players have done just that yet can’t provide any examples. The ones you did list don’t fit your criteria of being a projected lottery pick after year 1 and returning to school, same in year 2 and again in year 3.

I’m anxiously awaiting these numerous examples.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

His stock two years ago was actually much different. He was barely inside the top 50 in the country and was a 4 star guy. He didn’t get his 5 star until his senior year, and from last fall—>spring—>this summer his stock has continued to soar. Exactly a year ago he still didn’t have his 5th star. Now he’s being lauded as potentially one of the best who’s ever worn orange, on that’s being said on the heels of guys like Grant and Ad. Things change. If he has an opportunity to play 1 season with us and then get paid 5mil+ this time next year, he should do that

According to you and I he should do that but you nor I have any idea if that's the way he and his family feel about it.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

He's the same level prospect today that he was 2 years ago, his stock has always been 1st round potential and I believe he will not be a one and done player. I think he's here to enjoy the college experience and at least get a good start on his education. There are no guarantees in the NBA draft anyway unless you're projected top 3 or so. His family is level headed and I doubt would want him to leave free school for the draft unless they knew for sure he was a top 10 pick.

If his parents are as level headed and logical as you keep making them seem, there is no way they counsel their child to turn down an NBA Lottery Pick to get a "good start on his education" or to keep getting a "free education." The price of finishing the last three years of his degree would be negligible on a Rookie Contract for a lottery pick.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

You stated Johnson would stay at least 3-4 years even if he’s projected as a lottery pick, you stated numerous players have done just that yet can’t provide any examples. The ones you did list don’t fit your criteria of being a projected lottery pick after year 1 and returning to school, same in year 2 and again in year 3.

I’m anxiously awaiting these numerous examples.

You can go to every draft for the last 10 years and there are guys every year that are drafted top 10 that stayed in school 3+ years, guys that would have been drafted at similar spots regardless of when they came out. It's ridiculous to think that some families and players don't value their education over $$ when they are 18-22. For every 1 player that left early for the NBA draft and made it big there are 3 others that didn't make it at all. I would not be surprised if he stays in school for a bit, I'd be more surprised if he were a one and done.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

If his parents are as level headed and logical as you keep making them seem, there is no way they counsel their child to turn down an NBA Lottery Pick to get a "good start on his education" or to keep getting a "free education." The price of finishing the last three years of his degree would be negligible on a Rookie Contract for a lottery pick.

So you're saying that the game of basketball is about nothing but $$ for the top players? I hope that is not the case.

 

[cncchris33]

He's the same level prospect today that he was 2 years ago, his stock has always been 1st round potential and I believe he will not be a one and done player. I think he's here to enjoy the college experience and at least get a good start on his education. There are no guarantees in the NBA draft anyway unless you're projected top 3 or so. His family is level headed and I doubt would want him to leave free school for the draft unless they knew for sure he was a top 10 pick.

No it’s not. To say so is either disingenuous or grossly misinformed. His stock has risen immensely in just the past few months, as well as in the last year since his MVP performance at the USA camp. To say he is the same level prospect he was two years ago is patently false. A year ago he was the 33rd ranked player in his class. Two years ago he was the 48th ranked player in his class. Now he’s being talked about as potentially one of the 14 best players in the 2021 NBA Draft.

 

[cncchris33]

Kris Dunn was at Villanova for 4 years, Hachimura was in college 4 years, Washington played 2 years at Ky, Hunter from Va was in school for 3 years, Cameron Johnson played and graduated from North Carolina. Like I said, there have been several that stayed in school well past 1 season.

None of those guys would have been lottery picks after their freshman year, and likely only PJ Washington would have even sniffed the 1st round. There is a reason they all stayed another year, two or three, and it isn’t because they loved college.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

So you're saying that the game of basketball is about nothing but $$ for the top players? I hope that is not the case.

That is not what I am saying at all. I am just expressing that it would be a poor decision for the family to counsel their son to return to school if he was a lottery pick in the draft. Tyler Herro the 13th pick in the draft signed for $17.2 million dollars. Grant Williams at the 22nd pick signed for $11.4 million. That is a huge chunk of change to turn down to come back to school for an extra year to "get a good start on the education."

In the grand scheme of things, that extra year for his education is meaningless. Coming back for a year and then getting a serious injury could result in either millions of dollars in losses in the first round or it could result in him not even being drafted depending on the injury. Just look at Michael Porter Jr. The guy was seen as a consensus top-3 draft pick before going to Mizzou and in his first year at Mizzou he ran into injury trouble plummeting his draft stock.

The game isn't all about the money, but his family is foolish if they tell him an extra year in class is going to do him better than approximately $15 million as a back of the lottery pick.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

You can go to every draft for the last 10 years and there are guys every year that are drafted top 10 that stayed in school 3+ years, guys that would have been drafted at similar spots regardless of when they came out. It's ridiculous to think that some families and players don't value their education over $$ when they are 18-22. For every 1 player that left early for the NBA draft and made it big there are 3 others that didn't make it at all. I would not be surprised if he stays in school for a bit, I'd be more surprised if he were a one and done.

No there’s not, if there was you could list them, especially since there’s so many all are you. You’ve yet to name 1 guy that was a lottery pick after year 1 that returned to school and was a lottery pick after year 2 and returned to school and was still a lottery pick after year 3 and returned to school to ultimately still be drafted in the lottery.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

None of those guys would have been lottery picks after their freshman year, and likely only PJ Washington would have even sniffed the 1st round. There is a reason they all stayed another year, two or three, and it isn’t because they loved college.

Exactly, none of those goes meet his criteria, or really even close for that matter.

 

[cardvolfan]

I always said you go to college to earn a degree which in turn gives you the opportunity to make a good living. If you're earning millions after your freshman season, haven't you accomplished the objective of why most of us went?

 

[zjcvols]

Why do we assume that Johnson and Springer are going to go pro but JJJ isn't? Regardless of what Vol fans think of him he's every bit the NBA prospect as the other two.

JJJ? No he’s not. He’s a three year college player at minimum.

 

[zjcvols]

Any this century? Lol

Or one whose dad wasn’t the head coach

 

[walkenvol]

I think you’re discounting the other benefits of attending college besides job training. It’s also a place for young people to have the freedom to grow into an adult without all the full responsibility although this COVID mess is a real drag on that aspect atm. But, I’m still on the side of high draft pick has to leave - too much risk to stay.

 

[therickbol]

You can go to every draft for the last 10 years and there are guys every year that are drafted top 10 that stayed in school 3+ years, guys that would have been drafted at similar spots regardless of when they came out. It's ridiculous to think that some families and players don't value their education over $$ when they are 18-22. For every 1 player that left early for the NBA draft and made it big there are 3 others that didn't make it at all. I would not be surprised if he stays in school for a bit, I'd be more surprised if he were a one and done.

I mean are you essentially trying to argue that players don't improve their draft stock by improving thru their college career? Really? Just because a player is drafted #10 pick after 4 years doesn't mean he could have come out after his freshman or sophomore season and been drafted in a similar spot.

 

[therickbol]

I always said you go to college to earn a degree which in turn gives you the opportunity to make a good living. If you're earning millions after your freshman season, haven't you accomplished the objective of why most of us went?

And I am going to preface this by saying that I am a teacher and coach in high school. But our culture has turned college into something that it shouldn't be in some ways. We send the message that everybody needs to go to college when it's not the truth, depending on what they want to do in life. We also force them to stay longer than they need by forcing them to get this wasteful "general education" for no other reason than to collect more tuition from them. College should prepare young adults to be productive citizens and gain skills required to function in the workforce. If you have the marketability to earn life-changing money and are mature enough, or have a surrounding support system, then it really isn't a necessary decision to stay in college. Get your on the job training while making an enormous salary. And you now have the resources and time to obtain a degree to supplement you when you retire from basketball.

 

[flowd82]

Rob Lewis stated on the VQ podcast that “someone very close to the BB program” threw out the phrase Top-5 pick when speaking about Keon Johnson.