Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

May have to cancel basketball season for 23-24 because Lombardi cut the entire roster.

Joe's loading up for a quick re-tool. This isn't his first rodeo. He needed to get faster and better shooters. Unfortunately that usually means some have to go. Tomiwa is the only one that he can't upgrade by replacing.

All part of the plan.

[IUPalum]

May have to cancel basketball season for 23-24 because Lombardi cut the entire roster.

Oh no, this now means your son has a chance to play a prominent role as a redshirt freshman.

[IUP1423]

Nah, don't have a son.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

May have to cancel basketball season for 23-24 because Lombardi cut the entire roster.

Everybody is in a panic for no reason.

I said weeks ago on here not everything is what it seems -- meaning most of these guys didn't enter the portal because they 'wanted' to leave. Joe cleaned house. Tomiwa was the only true transfer outbound.

Aside from Tomiwa, let's look at who, well, is no longer here via the portal (more polite way of saying may have got cut, asked to leave, ... whatever you want to call it):

* Kyle Polce - Nice player. Potential. But, it was clear he was no longer in the plans (for whatever reason). Often-injured, he'd have likely remained the 7th or 8th man the next two years. Appeared in (29) games playing 13.6 mpg. However, he went from playing 20+ before XMAS to next to none by February.

* Jaheim Bethea - Many on here liked. However, when you play in the first 12 games and then are never seen from again after XMAS, well, it's clear the Big Guy no longer wants you around. Played in (19) games -- exclusively in mop-up from XMAS forward.

* Ousmane Diop - If Joe had 5 guys total on the roster and Diop was one of them ... he'd play four guys. Few understood it, but Joe refused to play him. Played 5.4 mpg in (7) games. Him being passed by KJ will remain one of the great mysteries of the Lombardi era.

* Callum MacNamara - Not sure how he got here from Australia but he was a walk-on with no future on the KCAC court. Played 3.2 mpg -- exclusively in mop-up - in (14) games. Should be an effective D3 post player.

* Nolan Burk - Local walk-on from Ebensburg. He could watch games here the next two years or go to a PSU-Branch and start. Played 1.6 mpg - exclusively in mop-up - in (5) games. Should be an effective D3 post player.

* Enrique Cordon - Left the active roster in early November and stayed on as a team manager and practice body. Nice size (6'5") and a decent shot but lacked other intangibles. Should be an effective D3 SG should he continue to play. Appeared in (0) games in '22-'23.


So, that leaves the current roster:

Ethan Porterfield
Dallis Dillard
Jaylen Stewart
Damir Brooks
KJ Rhodes
Dolan Waldo

That's a good core. Joe will supplement it with likely (2) Day 1 starters (PG and F). He'll add two more guards for the bench rotation.

They'll be fine. Brooks and Waldo will back-up Ethan and the incoming starter.

[Fightingscot82]

This puts a lot of pressure on Porterfield to perform. He didn't get a lot of minutes or production this past season.

[IUPalum]

This puts a lot of pressure on Porterfield to perform. He didn't get a lot of minutes or production this past season.

Yes but remember that Ethan was never healthy last year due to the Thyroid surgery in November then the stress fracture in the lower leg in January. Give him a chance to be fully healthy and he'll be a different player. He deserves the chance!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

This puts a lot of pressure on Porterfield to perform. He didn't get a lot of minutes or production this past season.

He played all year at probably 50% to 60%. He had throat surgery right before the season and also played through a stress fracture in his foot most of the season. He didn't practice at all the final 8 weeks. Ethan was still (amazingly) pretty effective on offense but he was clearly a step slow on defense due to the injury. He could barely walk the day after a game. He was a warrior.

As I mentioned above, one of the 'shopping list' items is a starting forward to lighten EP's load. Waldo will be the scoring forward off the bench and Brooks is the high-flyer and rebounder. The power forward they are targeting is the total opposite of Porterfield -- so, if they get him, it should be a pretty tough combination.

[Fightingscot82]

Yes but remember that Ethan was never healthy last year due to the Thyroid surgery in November then the stress fracture in the lower leg in January. Give him a chance to be fully healthy and he'll be a different player. He deserves the chance!

Ahh that's right. I thought I remembered there was an injury but didn't know about the thyroid issue. That can be a huge deal for someone trying to keep in shape depending on what the issue was.

[Ship69]

He played all year at probably 50% to 60%. He had throat surgery right before the season and also played through a stress fracture in his foot most of the season. He didn't practice at all the final 8 weeks. Ethan was still (amazingly) pretty effective on offense but he was clearly a step slow on defense due to the injury. He could barely walk the day after a game. He was a warrior.

As I mentioned above, one of the 'shopping list' items is a starting forward to lighten EP's load. Waldo will be the scoring forward off the bench and Brooks is the high-flyer and rebounder. The power forward they are targeting is the total opposite of Porterfield -- so, if they get him, it should be a pretty tough combination.

I thought Porterfield's health finally caught up to IUP in the West Liberty game. It's amazing he played as well as he did down the stretch. Definitely was a key to them holding off Mercyhurst in the PSAC championship game. Even though East Stroud gave them a tussle by going to a slower tempo in the semifinals, I'm not sure that was the right call for ESU. With Porterfield obviously slowed, I'd have been tempted as Wilson to push temp a bit and see what happened.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I thought Porterfield's health finally caught up to IUP in the West Liberty game. It's amazing he played as well as he did down the stretch. Definitely was a key to them holding off Mercyhurst in the PSAC championship game. Even though East Stroud gave them a tussle by going to a slower tempo in the semifinals, I'm not sure that was the right call for ESU. With Porterfield obviously slowed, I'd have been tempted as Wilson to push temp a bit and see what happened.

Ethan got away with being hobbled and a step slow against PSAC teams and the two Wrestlemania games in the NCAAs against CIAA teams. WL is just a different animal, speed-wise combined with ball movement. He obviously wasn't anywhere near the level he was the year prior.

Hopefully he gets fully recovered and ready to roll by October. Him staying saved Joe's season. It's sure a lot easier to re-tool when you get to re-tool around a healthy Porterfield.

[Ship69]

Ethan got away with being hobbled and a step slow against PSAC teams and the two Wrestlemania games in the NCAAs against CIAA teams. WL is just a different animal, speed-wise combined with ball movement. He obviously wasn't anywhere near the level he was the year prior.

Hopefully he gets fully recovered and ready to roll by October. Him staying saved Joe's season. It's sure a lot easier to re-tool when you get to re-tool around a healthy Porterfield.

Yeah, if he's truly healthy and could start hitting 3s again as well as going inside he should be a big piece of the puzzle for them. The only bigs Ship will have will be whomever Fite can recruit this year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Yeah, if he's truly healthy and could start hitting 3s again as well as going inside he should be a big piece of the puzzle for them. The only bigs Ship will have will be whomever Fite can recruit this year.

Joe's fine underneath. He's got three bigs returning and he'll add one more.

The guard position is a different matter. He needs a PG and two more rotation-level imports.

He has a lot of cap room. It's just going to be a matter of getting 4 new rotation players (two of them likely being starters) all on the same page by the first week of November.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Tim Smith Jr. (formerly of Cal and Walsh) has signed with North Alabama.

[IUP24]

Tim Smith Jr. (formerly of Cal and Walsh) has signed with North Alabama.

Wasn't he a guy you said was in the cards for next year and reason not to panic? Lol

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Wasn't he a guy you said was in the cards for next year and reason not to panic? Lol

Yeah. Players of his caliber get a ton of offers. Can't land them all.

I said IUP was after him ... not getting him for sure.

Start calling you Layton Jr.

Rest assured the March bandwagon Joe Lovers have nothing to worry about.

As soon as these targets get real D1 offers ... Joe is immediately out of the race in just about every case.