West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

First camp at wlu starts June 19. Players help with this camp and play open gym game afterward. By then, at the latest, we should know more about the roster.

[boatcapt]

There's also a process that exists for them to file in the portal. That generally takes about 48 hours and has to be done through the school where they are currently enrolled. Consider he was "officially" hired mid-week, we have a weekend now, if it's going to happen, I would suspect it'll be this upcoming week.

There are two former Toppers that Howlett recruited in the portal that are as of yet unsigned. Presumably he could have signed them Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. No indication he has done so yet.

Also, as the now coach for another team, Howlett can't reach out to any particular current WLU player who is not in the portal and "express interest"...at least not without "tampering" which presumably would cost him a scholarship or perhaps two. I think it might also cost him the ability to sign that player. Yes, I know it's done but all it would take is for someone to lodge a complaint and Howlett could be in big trouble. I wonder if expressing interest in bring in players from a specific NCAA team might also be considered tampering?

[Columbuseer]

There are two former Toppers that Howlett recruited in the portal that are as of yet unsigned. Presumably he could have signed them Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. No indication he has done so yet.

Also, as the now coach for another team, Howlett can't reach out to any particular current WLU player who is not in the portal and "express interest"...at least not without "tampering" which presumably would cost him a scholarship or perhaps two. I think it might also cost him the ability to sign that player. Yes, I know it's done but all it would take is for someone to lodge a complaint and Howlett could be in big trouble. I wonder if expressing interest in bring in players from a specific NCAA team might also be considered tampering?

Sounds like a good research project for you.

[IUP24]

There are two former Toppers that Howlett recruited in the portal that are as of yet unsigned. Presumably he could have signed them Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. No indication he has done so yet.

Also, as the now coach for another team, Howlett can't reach out to any particular current WLU player who is not in the portal and "express interest"...at least not without "tampering" which presumably would cost him a scholarship or perhaps two. I think it might also cost him the ability to sign that player. Yes, I know it's done but all it would take is for someone to lodge a complaint and Howlett could be in big trouble. I wonder if expressing interest in bring in players from a specific NCAA team might also be considered tampering?

LOL…

Do you actually watch college sports?

[IUPHawks24]

Sounds like a good research project for you.

My guess is that Woodward, Tinsley and D'Augustino are gone.

[boatcapt]

Sounds like a good research project for you.

Here you go:

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/29/...l-program.aspx
https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/4/19/...l-program.aspx
https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/miCaseView?id=100390
https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/miCaseView?id=100310

[boatcapt]

My guess is that Woodward, Tinsley and D'Augustino are gone.

Could be. But my question is why haven't they at least entered the Portal as of yet? Experience shows that the normal trajectory of "coach leaves players follow" transfers is that the coach announces he's leaving and within a day (sometimes hours) the portal has 5 or 6 (sometimes MANY more) former players looking to follow. Howlett has been gone for 7 days now and no new WLU players have popped into the portal...Including any of the 3 you speculated about.

Don't know if this is a matter of slow updating, but I note that IU Indy is showing a 2025-26 roster with NO players on it...NO returning players...NO inbound freshmen...NO previously announced transfers! Howlett needs to sign Autrey and Stewart TODAY! I wonder why he hasn't done so? Both were highly prized recruits of his last year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Could be. But my question is why haven't they at least entered the Portal as of yet? Experience shows that the normal trajectory of "coach leaves players follow" transfers is that the coach announces he's leaving and within a day (sometimes hours) the portal has 5 or 6 (sometimes MANY more) former players looking to follow. Howlett has been gone for 7 days now and no new WLU players have popped into the portal...Including any of the 3 you speculated about.

Don't know if this is a matter of slow updating, but I note that IU Indy is showing a 2025-26 roster with NO players on it...NO returning players...NO inbound freshmen...NO previously announced transfers! Howlett needs to sign Autrey and Stewart TODAY! I wonder why he hasn't done so? Both were highly prized recruits of his last year.

I don't know the answer but keep in mind the 'portal' is private and us hacks don't have access.

If said players know where they are going they likely aren't putting out the normal Twitter hyperbole.

[boatcapt]

LOL…

Do you actually watch college sports?

Hummmm...What does watching college sports have to do with recruit tampering?

Problem is so big even coaches are speaking out about it:

https://apnews.com/article/college-b...881102e3df6ef2
https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...-path-forward/

[boatcapt]

I don't know the answer but keep in mind the 'portal' is private and us hacks don't have access.

If said players know where they are going they likely aren't putting out the normal Twitter hyperbole.

But at least on the back end, a new coach like Howlett would be looking to make a splash signing. I would think IU Indy would make an immediate announcement even before the ink was dry on the transfer papers. As for transfering players staying off of Twitter...My experience is exactly the OPPOSITE! The second they put in for the Portal they blast it out to the world even if they KNOW where they intend to go! As a minimum they seemingly HAVE to put out the "Thank you to all my fans, coaches and my teammates, but I'M leaving" humblebrag post.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

But at least on the back end, a new coach like Howlett would be looking to make a splash signing. I would think IU Indy would make an immediate announcement even before the ink was dry on the transfer papers. As for transfering players staying off of Twitter...My experience is exactly the OPPOSITE! The second they put in for the Portal they blast it out to the world even if they KNOW where they intend to go! As a minimum they seemingly HAVE to put out the "Thank you to all my fans, coaches and my teammates, but I'M leaving" humblebrag post.

Ben's in D1 now. Signing 5-6 D2 players nobody has ever heard of isn't exactly a splash, pubic perception-wise.

Who knows. I guess we'll see soon enough.

[IUP24]

Hummmm...What does watching college sports have to do with recruit tampering?

Problem is so big even coaches are speaking out about it:

https://apnews.com/article/college-b...881102e3df6ef2
https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...-path-forward/

Sure, yeah. You actually thinking that any of these coaches care about tampering, when it comes down to building out their own roster, is comical at best. The QB for Tennessee transfers after others were in his ear giving him offers to leave. Josh Huepel, admirably, let him walk. Days later he went out and literally did the same thing to bring in Joey Aguilar (he was NOT in the portal and did not have intentions of leaving UCLA even after the Nico transfer).

My point is that if you think either:

1) Ben Howlett (or anyone) cares about tampering for their own roster construction, Or
2) The NCAA will do anything IF Ben Howlett (or anyone) tampers with players to convince them to transfer...

You obviously have not been following college sports closely at all over the last few years.

And look man, I'm not saying I disagree with you in the macro. I get it. It's bull**** what's going on and how these players are convinced to enter the portal. There's just nothing you or I can do about that. And frankly, there's nothing any of these coaches can do about it either. Because they will moan and complain when they are on the losing end of having a player poached illegally off their team, but they'll go right out and immediately do the same thing to the guy down the road to replace that player. That's the only way for these coaches, who all have short leashes, to be in a position to continue getting a paycheck. It's a business and a job to them. They all need to win immediately. And they will do what's necessary to win. Ethics and morals aside.

[boatcapt]

Sure, yeah. You actually thinking that any of these coaches care about tampering, when it comes down to building out their own roster, is comical at best. The QB for Tennessee transfers after others were in his ear giving him offers to leave. Josh Huepel, admirably, let him walk. Days later he went out and literally did the same thing to bring in Joey Aguilar (he was NOT in the portal and did not have intentions of leaving UCLA even after the Nico transfer).

My point is that if you think either:

1) Ben Howlett (or anyone) cares about tampering for their own roster construction, Or
2) The NCAA will do anything IF Ben Howlett (or anyone) tampers with players to convince them to transfer...

You obviously have not been following college sports closely at all over the last few years.

And look man, I'm not saying I disagree with you in the macro. I get it. It's bull**** what's going on and how these players are convinced to enter the portal. There's just nothing you or I can do about that. And frankly, there's nothing any of these coaches can do about it either. Because they will moan and complain when they are on the losing end of having a player poached illegally off their team, but they'll go right out and immediately do the same thing to the guy down the road to replace that player. That's the only way for these coaches, who all have short leashes, to be in a position to continue getting a paycheck. It's a business and a job to them. They all need to win immediately. And they will do what's necessary to win. Ethics and morals aside.

The NCAA compliance office investigated and imposes harsh penalties for player tampering. Should they do more? Yes. Do they find every example? Clearly NO. Would they find out about Howlet tampering with players currently on WLUs roster? Yet to be determined.

I didn't see Howlett's actual statement about wanting to bring in transfers to jump start the program, but if he specifically mentioned or even implied WLU transfers, that is a problem and is danger close (if not over) the tampering line.

[boatcapt]

Ben's in D1 now. Signing 5-6 D2 players nobody has ever heard of isn't exactly a splash, pubic perception-wise.

Who knows. I guess we'll see soon enough.

At this point most (all?) "name" players are committed already. Not going to get much splash bring in a 6'2" shooting guard from Towson. At least with a WLU player you can push the Howlett is bring in his player(s) who were instrumental in the NCAA Elite 8 run that was one of the highest scoring teams in the nation narrative.

[Columbuseer]

Mike lamberti has been named head coach at wlu.
https://hilltoppersports.com/news/20...all-coach.aspx