Iup basketball

[IUPalum]

I'm definitely not implying full blown line changes. But he could give that trio some minutes here and there.

I fully expect Merraro, Moore and Dillard to all average 33-34 mpg.

I can tell you that Dallis won't be at 34 min regularly. His aggressive D will lead him to sit some.

Moore and Merraro were gassed the games they played 33-34 min.

I think the bench guards are going to have to scoop up approx 35 guard minutes and hopefully that isn't Sarp or Pickens.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I'm not a fan of the Pickens move. He can nab a few minutes but no way is he a 15-18 min WL type line change player.

Grove to me is solid for about 25 minutes but he gets gassed out there. He needs breaks.

I'm definitely not implying full blown line changes. But he could give that trio some minutes here and there.

I fully expect Merraro, Moore and Dillard to all average 33-34 mpg.

[IUPalum]

I'll wait until he makes his first layup at IUP before getting his bags packed for Villanova.

Joking aside, it was obvious he'd have to redshirt. The first (5) guards are locked. The next two are Pickens and Sarp. Joe loves him some Sarp. So, at best Blundo would have probably been the 8th guard on the active roster.

As we know, being the 8th guard on Joe's active roster might as well put you on Apollo 13.

The bigger question will be if he redshirts the incoming big boy. If he doesn't, that would give him (5) active post players.

Joe 'could' go pretty deep this year. We know he won't. But, he has the bodies.

He could easily start Merarro, Moore and Dillard, and line change them out for Pickens, Herring and Sfanos.

Talking out loud, of course, but he's never (?) had that kind of guard depth.

Underneath isn't as complicated. Grove and Rodriguez will rarely come off the floor. I'd suspect Damir and Triggs get 10-12 mpg each. Both are very capable, experienced backups.

I'm not a fan of the Pickens move. He can nab a few minutes but no way is he a 15-18 min WL type line change player.

Grove to me is solid for about 25 minutes but he gets gassed out there. He needs breaks.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It was intimated that a four-year career at D2 IUP is not the goal and that Joe is OK with this. (Do you think Joe's heart swells up three times its original size when a freshman *requests* a redshirt?)

I'll wait until he makes his first layup at IUP before getting his bags packed for Villanova.

Joking aside, it was obvious he'd have to redshirt. The first (5) guards are locked. The next two are Pickens and Sarp. Joe loves him some Sarp. So, at best Blundo would have probably been the 8th guard on the active roster.

As we know, being the 8th guard on Joe's active roster might as well put you on Apollo 13.

The bigger question will be if he redshirts the incoming big boy. If he doesn't, that would give him (5) active post players.

Joe 'could' go pretty deep this year. We know he won't. But, he has the bodies.

He could easily start Merarro, Moore and Dillard, and line change them out for Pickens, Herring and Sfanos.

Talking out loud, of course, but he's never (?) had that kind of guard depth.

Underneath isn't as complicated. Grove and Rodriguez will rarely come off the floor. I'd suspect Damir and Triggs get 10-12 mpg each. Both are very capable, experienced backups.

[hawks16]

Mixed feelings. Being that he'd probably play 5 mpg, the redshirt is the right thing to do.

However, in this day and age, ... smoke 'em if you got 'em. You may never see Year 2 (at least in the same uniform).

It was intimated that a four-year career at D2 IUP is not the goal and that Joe is OK with this. (Do you think Joe's heart swells up three times its original size when a freshman *requests* a redshirt?)

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Imagine that. Joe redshirting his best high school recruit. LOL

Mixed feelings. Being that he'd probably play 5 mpg, the redshirt is the right thing to do.

However, in this day and age, ... smoke 'em if you got 'em. You may never see Year 2 (at least in the same uniform).

[Fightingscot82]

Incoming true freshman Ralphie Blundo said he intends to redshirt this year.

Imagine that. Joe redshirting his best high school recruit. LOL

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Incoming true freshman Ralphie Blundo said he intends to redshirt this year.

As expected. I suspect Joe will also redshirt Sarp this season. There's not enough minutes for either of them.

Joe's (5) guards will be:

Starters: Merarro, Dallis, Moore

Subs: Herring, Sfanos


It will be hard enough for the two subs to get on the floor let alone anybody else behind them.

[hawks16]

Incoming true freshman Ralphie Blundo said he intends to redshirt this year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Funny the difference in rules between D1 and DII. DII player can't play "pro" (were he probably at best earned a few hundred dollars) BUT D1 players can earn hundreds of thousand (millions?) playing for a college and earning NIL $'s.

I recall a day not to long ago when the NCAA disqualified foreign players for playing for Club teams in their home country because the facilities they trained at were too "professional!"

Now we have a difference between D1 and DII players that went to a JUCO...The JUCO seasons don't count against D1 eligibility but it still do against DII eligibility.

The NCAA has always shot from the hip when it came to eligibility and "amiturism" but now the courts are involved and that is taking it to a new level of confusion. And I don't think it will settle down anytime soon.

I remember people saying that all we had to do to "fix" college basketball was to figure out a way to give players a little money. Wonder what these same experts think of college basketball NOW???

I remember 25 years ago I could have told you who all the major stars were in D1 basketball and where they played.

Now, other than the big white dude from Duke, I don't think I could name another D1 basketball player. Granted, I could count on one hand how many D1 games I watched this past season.

I read a couple of the NBA mock drafts after the lottery the other night. I'd never heard of the majority of Round 1.

Football is becoming the same way. Cheer for the helmet. The players are nameless and faceless. Here today. Gone tomorrow.

[boatcapt]

The major issue Joe ran into last year with Bautista Rodriguez (and why he was ruled ineligible for the entire season) was it turned out he had played a post-grad year in some bush league 'pro league' in his home country. This team was in a town the size of Buchannan, WV.

Apparently this happens often at the D1 level and they don't drop the hammer. Well, they dropped the hammer on him. He had to sit all of last season and was docked (1) year of eligibility.

Now, was said hammer dropped because IUP reported it too late or something ... I can't answer that. They don't talk about those things publicly.

One way or another, it cost IUP its star recruit last season (and arguably best player on the team). My guess would be fingers got pointed all around. Regardless, the ruling was the ruling.

Funny the difference in rules between D1 and DII. DII player can't play "pro" (were he probably at best earned a few hundred dollars) BUT D1 players can earn hundreds of thousand (millions?) playing for a college and earning NIL $'s.

I recall a day not to long ago when the NCAA disqualified foreign players for playing for Club teams in their home country because the facilities they trained at were too "professional!"

Now we have a difference between D1 and DII players that went to a JUCO...The JUCO seasons don't count against D1 eligibility but it still do against DII eligibility.

The NCAA has always shot from the hip when it came to eligibility and "amiturism" but now the courts are involved and that is taking it to a new level of confusion. And I don't think it will settle down anytime soon.

I remember people saying that all we had to do to "fix" college basketball was to figure out a way to give players a little money. Wonder what these same experts think of college basketball NOW???

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I don't think the NCAA is expert on NCAA eligibility. Seems that all their eligibility decisions are being driven by the courts and are all over the place. Don't like the eligibility decision the NCAA made in your case? Take them to court were you've got about a 98% chance of prevailing!

The major issue Joe ran into last year with Bautista Rodriguez (and why he was ruled ineligible for the entire season) was it turned out he had played a post-grad year in some bush league 'pro league' in his home country. This team was in a town the size of Buchannan, WV.

Apparently this happens often at the D1 level and they don't drop the hammer. Well, they dropped the hammer on him. He had to sit all of last season and was docked (1) year of eligibility.

Now, was said hammer dropped because IUP reported it too late or something ... I can't answer that. They don't talk about those things publicly.

One way or another, it cost IUP its star recruit last season (and arguably best player on the team). My guess would be fingers got pointed all around. Regardless, the ruling was the ruling.

[boatcapt]

Joe earned a commitment from Harry Keighley, a 6-foot-9 New Zealander by way of the Hawkes Bay Hawks (real original name, huh?). I'm no expert in New Zealand pro basketball and how that factors into eligibility but he graduated high school in 2024 and turned 18 in January.

I don't think the NCAA is expert on NCAA eligibility. Seems that all their eligibility decisions are being driven by the courts and are all over the place. Don't like the eligibility decision the NCAA made in your case? Take them to court were you've got about a 98% chance of prevailing!

[hawks16]

Joe earned a commitment from Harry Keighley, a 6-foot-9 New Zealander by way of the Hawkes Bay Hawks (real original name, huh?). I'm no expert in New Zealand pro basketball and how that factors into eligibility but he graduated high school in 2024 and turned 18 in January.

[hawks16]

Sorry Jennifer.