Tennessee Transfer Portal Targets

[mr.checkerboards]

Neither has Perry then for that matter…

Correct.

 

[cncchris33]

Cobe was also early on before a “clearer” picture on what the roster was going to look like, there are/were many in the portal ranked above Cobe and we haven’t opted to pursue them. Again Glover isn’t just a warm body, I get you aren’t a huge fan but he’s likely to end up at Ole Miss or Memphis, if he can play PG there he could’ve likely been good enough to be a backup PG depth piece here and the staff said no.

Pretty clear to me the staff wants difference makers, they liked Perry and Cobe early on, as things materialized and they reached out to players they feel like Knecht and Ledlum are both very much difference makers and that the need for a PG isn’t as glaring as such that they should sacrifice 1 of those types of guys for a backup PG type of player.

As for ifs and hopes, again you nor I are privy to the information the staff has…it likely isn’t based on hopes and dreams to them, I’m guessing they feel very good about both Zeigler and Dilione at PG and even to a lesser extent Santi, Gainey, Edwards, Mashack if need be.

Totally disagree on Glover. Landing on the worst team in the SEC or at Memphis hardly qualifies him as a high-level option. By your own admission, he could have been "backup PG depth piece here". I just don't think we were looking for that at PG. We needed someone who could begin the season as a potential starter in the event ZZ isn't healthy.

You said it yourself...we want difference-makers. Our first target was a PG, same as it was last year. Honing in on Knecht and Ledlum tells me that we can't seemingly get involved with any other PG who is a difference-maker AND is willing to come in and be pursued under our specific criteria. There are plenty of options out there, but it appears we have a certain framework around which we are willing to negotiate. The problem is that you aren't going to find a lot of difference-makers at the most important position who are simply willing to come play for the love of the game in this day and age when everyone else is getting a nice package to come do it at 95% of the other high-major schools. So we've limited our own pool of candidates. At that point, your options are much fewer and we've moved on to other positions that are seen as needs, even if lesser needs than PG.

At the end of the day, I just don't believe we pursued two PGs without it being a priority, and suddenly deciding that we are OK at that spot in lieu of other positions. I think we simply found less resistance at those other positions, and believe we have more current in-house options to choose from to fill in at PG than we do at SF.

 

[cncchris33]

I don’t think either are likely playing for Tennessee next year…whether that’s nba, overseas, coaching etc idk, but I don’t expect either back as of today.

So is Phillips considering transferring (not one of your listed options)? Or is he simply done with school and is fine getting drafted 2nd round or going overseas?

 

[Vols410]

Totally disagree on Glover. Landing on the worst team in the SEC or at Memphis hardly qualifies him as a high-level option. By your own admission, he could have been "backup PG depth piece here". I just don't think we were looking for that at PG. We needed someone who could begin the season as a potential starter in the event ZZ isn't healthy.

You said it yourself...we want difference-makers. Our first target was a PG, same as it was last year. Honing in on Knecht and Ledlum tells me that we can't seemingly get involved with any other PG who is a difference-maker AND is willing to come in and be pursued under our specific criteria. There are plenty of options out there, but it appears we have a certain framework around which we are willing to negotiate. The problem is that you aren't going to find a lot of difference-makers at the most important position who are simply willing to come play for the love of the game in this day and age when everyone else is getting a nice package to come do it at 95% of the other high-major schools. So we've limited our own pool of candidates. At that point, your options are much fewer and we've moved on to other positions that are seen as needs, even if lesser needs than PG.

At the end of the day, I just don't believe we pursued two PGs without it being a priority, and suddenly deciding that we are OK at that spot in lieu of other positions. I think we simply found less resistance at those other positions, and believe we have more current in-house options to choose from to fill in at PG than we do at SF.

How many guys that are SEC-starter-quality are willing to come in and be a ZZ fallback option though? Maybe that factor is making it harder to get a stud PG.

 

[cncchris33]

How many guys that are SEC-starter-quality are willing to come in and be a ZZ fallback option though? Maybe that factor is making it harder to get a stud PG.

Totally fair, and also part of what is limiting our options, as well. Some of those limitations are outside of our control, but others are entirely self-inflicted.

 

[Cosmo Kramer]

Already Fitting in with the Memphis Culture

 

[VolArmy74]

How many guys that are SEC-starter-quality are willing to come in and be a ZZ fallback option though? Maybe that factor is making it harder to get a stud PG.

When you've 0 true PGs on the roster that aren't coming off a major knee injury that happened at the end of the season, that should be mouth-watering for guys who are looking for a shot on a bigger team/NCAA tournament possibility. These transfer guys aren't looking to blow up and make the NBA.

I've no idea what Perry may have asked for, but if he asked for things that aren't NCAA violations, we are not smart for not meeting them.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

So is Phillips considering transferring (not one of your listed options)? Or is he simply done with school and is fine getting drafted 2nd round or going overseas?

I think he’s fine going 2nd round, if he’s told that not getting drafted is likely then I could see him maybe returning…I don’t see him transferring.

 

[Sadie0051]

So is Phillips considering transferring (not one of your listed options)? Or is he simply done with school and is fine getting drafted 2nd round or going overseas?

I think he comes back if he is not a high draft pick. Plus I don't see him transferring to another school. College basketball is becoming a joke. They need to do what college baseball does. The transfer portal has turned out to be a revolving door and allowing a kid to transfer every year to a different team. Justin Powell is on his 3rd team in 3 years. It's going to get worse and the product is going to continue to suck.

 

[berryvol]

Finally caught up. Now that it sounds like it’s a foregone conclusion that JP is gone, this is certainly looking like a disappointing offseason. Especially if he transfers instead of going to the NBA.

 

[cncchris33]

I think he’s fine going 2nd round, if he’s told that not getting drafted is likely then I could see him maybe returning…I don’t see him transferring.

Geeeez...never thought I'd see the day where a top-20 5* kid would be OK with merely being drafted in the NBA, but two years in a row we've experienced it, now.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Geeeez...never thought I'd see the day where a top-20 5* kid would be OK with merely being drafted in the NBA, but two years in a row we've experienced it, now.

On July 6, Chandler signed a four-year, $7.1 million rookie scale contract with the Grizzlies. The deal set a record for the most guaranteed money ($4.9 million) given to an American-born second-round draft pick on his rookie contract.

I mean... that's a lot more than anything NIL could offer him.

 

[VolOnthePlains]

Geeeez...never thought I'd see the day where a top-20 5* kid would be OK with merely being drafted in the NBA, but two years in a row we've experienced it, now.

Most projections I saw also had Chandler as a late first round pick, he slid pretty far. And still made enough money from his first contract to be set for life.

 

[McGeesPub]

When you've 0 true PGs on the roster that aren't coming off a major knee injury that happened at the end of the season, that should be mouth-watering for guys who are looking for a shot on a bigger team/NCAA tournament possibility. These transfer guys aren't looking to blow up and make the NBA.

I've no idea what Perry may have asked for, but if he asked for things that aren't NCAA violations, we are not smart for not meeting them.

Wonder if the asks that won’t be met are role-based or money-based.

 

[cncchris33]

Most projections I saw also had Chandler as a late first round pick, he slid pretty far. And still made enough money from his first contract to be set for life.

That's true. His prospects were a little more hopeful than what Phillips's seem to be, initially.

 

[cncchris33]

On July 6, Chandler signed a four-year, $7.1 million rookie scale contract with the Grizzlies. The deal set a record for the most guaranteed money ($4.9 million) given to an American-born second-round draft pick on his rookie contract.

I mean... that's a lot more than anything NIL could offer him.

Right, and I forgot that he had been projected much higher than where he fell, but it was stated that he was OK just getting drafted when he decided forego his eligibility, last year, which is what I was driving at. He had no idea he'd get that kind of guaranteed money at the time. He simply bet on himself. I'm hoping the same result for Phillips, too.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

What's crazy is I think Phillips likely could go higher than KC did.

He's got the NBA size already and they draft off potential. They won't bat an eye about his production while here, they'll see his measurables and that he's healthy and was a top 15 player outta HS.

 

[walkenvol]

Not only that, but they are not guaranteed to land Ledlum or Knecht. You should at the very least bring him in. Makes zero sense.

What if he said “we’ve got an NIL offer of $xxx,xxx from another program. If you can’t match or beat that then I’m not interested “. Could that make sense to you?

Not saying that’s the case, but they’re having zoom meetings with these guys and there could be several things come to light that could cause our staff to back off a recruit. JMO

 

[NighthawkVol]

Some of y'all acting like ZZ needs two good legs to dominate next year.

Haters.

 

[walkenvol]

The portal is a huge part of the equation now. If you want to ignore that, have at it.

Which of the portal heavy programs made the final 4 last year? Maybe the portal isn’t as important as you might think?

 

[D3Athlete]

Which of the portal heavy programs made the final 4 last year? Maybe the portal isn’t as important as you might think?

It’s not about portal heavy. Portal heavy teams will never win it all imo. About finding the 1-2 players that fill a need and can fit in the team’s culture/chemistry with ease and it’s not pulling hairs.

 

[dknash]

How many guys that are SEC-starter-quality are willing to come in and be a ZZ fallback option though? Maybe that factor is making it harder to get a stud PG.

Great point that I don't recall seeing anyone make, plus I'm not really in favor of blocking Mashack, Dilione, Estrella, etc. path to minutes with 3-4 randos* that no one had heard of two weeks ago.

With that being said, if there's any concern at all about ZZ being ready to go for SEC play, we probably needed to push a little harder there.

*randos who are related to members of the coaching staff don't count because reasons

 

[Volfan1000]

Knecht is 4th in the transfer portal and Ledlum is 24th in the transfer portal rankings per Mike Wilson in today's News Sentinel.

They have to be the highest ranked transfers that Barnes and staff have gone after.

 

[McGeesPub]

Which of the portal heavy programs made the final 4 last year? Maybe the portal isn’t as important as you might think?

I don’t know if this is the argument you are trying to make - and I don’t think anyone here is advocating to transition to resetting the roster every year through the portal - but Elite 8 teams Miami, Kansas State, Texas, and Creighton all had considerable contributions from the portal. By considerable, I mean they likely wouldn’t have gotten to that level (or the FF in Miamis case) without them. There’s possibly an argument for Gonzaga as well but they were going so far as Timme would take them.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Wow. Been a crazy day at work and so I haven’t checked the board much. I come on here to see that I’ve missed…..a lot.

I can’t say there is anything new I can add. Feels like most of what I would say has already been said 10 times.

I’ll just chime in and say, yes my own personal opinion is that going a 2nd straight season without addressing the PG issue is a failure, even if staff feels “we’re okay.” We thought that last year too and look how that turned out.

Also, it’s starting to sound like the feel is Phillips is gone no matter what which just REALLY sucks. Huge loss. And so weird he’d be okay with being a late 2nd round pick just to get the hell out of school. If our off-season is losing Phillips and not getting a PG, and bringing in either Knecht or Ledlum and Gainey as a walk on that will hurt quite a bit. It does NOT mean I don’t think this team can be good next year though.