Portal Season '24

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Some 'incoming' news:

Gannon has signed former Union PG Justin Debuck. That's the second player from Union this off-season to sign with the Knights.

Millersville has signed former Holy Family PG Aamir Hurst.

West Chester has signed former Rider SF Anthony McCall.


Some other news and notes:

* Former West Liberty (and Wheeling) player Ryan Reasbeck (SG) has again entered the portal. He is from Washington, PA. There's probably a decent chance he lands in the West. After a solid freshman season at Wheeling, Reasbeck redshirted at WL this past year.

* Rumor going around is if former Cal star K.J. McClurg stays in D2, he will pick between two schools (one is in the PSAC and the other is in the MEC). However, he is getting a lot of lower-level D1 interest.

[EyeoftheHawk]

If memory serves, schools used to make a big tado about an offer and subsequent commitment by the player but as many players and schools learned, they weren't worth the paper they were written on. The ONLY thing that matters, legally, is the actual signed and returned NLI. Anything else (verbal commit, offer, preferred walk-on offer, etc) is just a way to try and convince the player that they are somehow obligated to come to their school.

Also, there has been some speculation that DII NLI's are year-to-year while D1's are for 4 years. Not true...ALL NLI's are for one academic year regardless of the level. Technically, the player only signs an NLI the first year they attend a particular school. In subsequent years, the school contacts the player and either extends their commitment another year or tells them that they are not extending their commitment.

Yes, it’s ugly out there. I had to deal with it in baseball. Travel coaches telling kids they’re getting looks…go to this showcase and that one…skip your local league, etc. They all think they’re going D1 by the time they’re 15. I had the mother of a freshman tell me “Yeah, we’re hoping ‘Johnny’ gets some exposure at this weekend’s showcase.” The kid hadn’t even played a season of varsity high school ball yet!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Rider transfer Anthony McCall has signed with West Chester (6'4", 190 lb, SG)

[boatcapt]

Some old coaches I coached baseball with had some great advice, which was to play down a level from what you think you can achieve if you’re not going pro. In other words, don’t chase something just to be able to say “I went DI,” only to play sparingly and never participate in a game that really mattered. Of course every kid has different motivations so it’s not blanket advice. I knew a kid that was already going to Penn State for academic reasons and was also a really good football player. He would have been a start in DII but he walked on at PSU and made it. Football wasn’t his top priority.

I see names like Pip and Tomiwa on here and think they would have been far better off staying in DII. They’re now role players on teams going nowhere when before they were stars on high-level DII teams. A lot of these DII kids you never hear about again once they make the jump and I fear many never get degrees because they have a handful of credits from multiple schools.

Some sage advice from old coaches. The unfortunate reality is that almost everyone decent HS player plays AAU ball of some sort and the unofficial measure of greatness for these coaches is how many players THEY got onto D1 rosters. Doesn't matter how many minutes per game they played or how many years they were there, just getting them to the "show" validates them and allows them to get more $'s. I was surprised to learn that the average AAU HC salary is over $70K a year and the AAU places almost zero restrictions on "side hustle" agreements that the coach might have.

[boatcapt]

Correct. Signed means the name is on the paper. Committed doesn't really mean anything as it isn't binding.

Keep in mind signed recruits get a free 'out' after a coaching change if they so choose. I believe they can ask for a release and the school has to grant it.

If memory serves, schools used to make a big tado about an offer and subsequent commitment by the player but as many players and schools learned, they weren't worth the paper they were written on. The ONLY thing that matters, legally, is the actual signed and returned NLI. Anything else (verbal commit, offer, preferred walk-on offer, etc) is just a way to try and convince the player that they are somehow obligated to come to their school.

Also, there has been some speculation that DII NLI's are year-to-year while D1's are for 4 years. Not true...ALL NLI's are for one academic year regardless of the level. Technically, the player only signs an NLI the first year they attend a particular school. In subsequent years, the school contacts the player and either extends their commitment another year or tells them that they are not extending their commitment.

[Ship69]

I'm watching to see if Whippen can find a loophole to leave Ship and join his 5th team in five years.

If he graduates this Spring, I think he could then leave as a grad transfer. However, unless he's been taking summer classes all along he's probably behind academically due to all the transferring.

As I said with Frank, if I were betting I'd bet Whippen is staying at Ship.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Some old coaches I coached baseball with had some great advice, which was to play down a level from what you think you can achieve if you’re not going pro. In other words, don’t chase something just to be able to say “I went DI,” only to play sparingly and never participate in a game that really mattered. Of course every kid has different motivations so it’s not blanket advice. I knew a kid that was already going to Penn State for academic reasons and was also a really good football player. He would have been a start in DII but he walked on at PSU and made it. Football wasn’t his top priority.

I see names like Pip and Tomiwa on here and think they would have been far better off staying in DII. They’re now role players on teams going nowhere when before they were stars on high-level DII teams. A lot of these DII kids you never hear about again once they make the jump and I fear many never get degrees because they have a handful of credits from multiple schools.

I'm watching to see if Whippen can find a loophole to leave Ship and join his 5th team in five years.

If he graduates this Spring, I think he could then leave as a grad transfer. However, unless he's been taking summer classes all along he's probably behind academically due to all the transferring.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Some old coaches I coached baseball with had some great advice, which was to play down a level from what you think you can achieve if you’re not going pro. In other words, don’t chase something just to be able to say “I went DI,” only to play sparingly and never participate in a game that really mattered. Of course every kid has different motivations so it’s not blanket advice. I knew a kid that was already going to Penn State for academic reasons and was also a really good football player. He would have been a start in DII but he walked on at PSU and made it. Football wasn’t his top priority.

I see names like Pip and Tomiwa on here and think they would have been far better off staying in DII. They’re now role players on teams going nowhere when before they were stars on high-level DII teams. A lot of these DII kids you never hear about again once they make the jump and I fear many never get degrees because they have a handful of credits from multiple schools.

[bballfan03]

The one kid from Nova went to Memphis and didn't play at all. He's back in the portal right now.

Pip from Mercy went to Bucknell last year and hardly played.

There's a good many by now from the PSAC that have gone up. Armoni left IUP and started at Buffalo.

Realistically it would be extremely rare to make the D2 to P5 jump.

Pitt looked at Alston but I'm not sure they offered.

Going back years Dustin Sleva (Ship) and Cobo Diaz (IUP) maybe could have landed at big schools. I think Sleva could have actually played high-level D1 his senior year.

Maybe it wasn't Alabama.. my bad. Sunahara went to Georgia.. didn't do much. Started 11/16 games but avg 10 mins a game.

But still even if you don't play, that leap is an opportunity worth taking because who knows what could possibly happen.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

If Fee goes to FAU, I cannot see him going there lol I guess when you just went to the E8 with a team and have (hopefully) many coming back and knowing transfers will be a big part of it as well as having a coach that was there through it all... I don't see going to a low level D1 school as a "better choice".

Now Nova SE had a few kids go to huge D1 schools (I remember one was Alabama).. that's a definite jump you're taking if the opportunity arises. But an E8 D2 team to say Duquesne, YSU, Buffalo, etc... not an improvement.. thats just my opinion though

The one kid from Nova went to Memphis and didn't play at all. He's back in the portal right now.

Pip from Mercy went to Bucknell last year and hardly played.

There's a good many by now from the PSAC that have gone up. Armoni left IUP and started at Buffalo.

Realistically it would be extremely rare to make the D2 to P5 jump.

Pitt looked at Alston but I'm not sure they offered.

Going back years Dustin Sleva (Ship) and Cobo Diaz (IUP) maybe could have landed at big schools. I think Sleva could have actually played high-level D1 his senior year.

[bballfan03]

Correct. Signed means the name is on the paper. Committed doesn't really mean anything as it isn't binding.

Keep in mind signed recruits get a free 'out' after a coaching change if they so choose. I believe they can ask for a release and the school has to grant it.

Yes I did know that (if the recruiting coach leaves they can opt out).. just wasn't sure which was which.. committed (in just plain text) sounds like it would be the better of the 2 lol

[bballfan03]

He's the right size and has the intangibles. I'd guess he'll have numerous D1 offers by the weekend.


Granted, I'm not talking P5. But, there's a vast sea of low-level 'D1' programs that will flock to him.

Last year Seton Hill's Samuel Tabbe had 15+ low-level D1 offers.

When Tomiwa left IUP he had offers the same day. Alston had 30+ D1 offers when he left Cal two years ago.

I suspect Omojafo goes with Fee.

If Fee goes to FAU, I cannot see him going there lol I guess when you just went to the E8 with a team and have (hopefully) many coming back and knowing transfers will be a big part of it as well as having a coach that was there through it all... I don't see going to a low level D1 school as a "better choice".

Now Nova SE had a few kids go to huge D1 schools (I remember one was Alabama).. that's a definite jump you're taking if the opportunity arises. But an E8 D2 team to say Duquesne, YSU, Buffalo, etc... not an improvement.. thats just my opinion though

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Stupid question.. verbalcommits... committed and signed. Which means they are definitely coming? I'm assuming signed? And committed means verbal?

Correct. Signed means the name is on the paper. Committed doesn't really mean anything as it isn't binding.

Keep in mind signed recruits get a free 'out' after a coaching change if they so choose. I believe they can ask for a release and the school has to grant it.

[bballfan03]

Stupid question.. verbalcommits... committed and signed. Which means they are definitely coming? I'm assuming signed? And committed means verbal?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Omajafo and Whitley in Portal.

Not concerned about Whitley, but I think Josh is making a mistake looking at D1. I just don't think he's mentally got it for D1.

He's the right size and has the intangibles. I'd guess he'll have numerous D1 offers by the weekend.


Granted, I'm not talking P5. But, there's a vast sea of low-level 'D1' programs that will flock to him.

Last year Seton Hill's Samuel Tabbe had 15+ low-level D1 offers.

When Tomiwa left IUP he had offers the same day. Alston had 30+ D1 offers when he left Cal two years ago.

I suspect Omojafo goes with Fee.