There will be some key departures this year. A lot of production coming in would be great. Hopefully we have the NIL money lined up.
Rumors/Players I think will leave/Hope will leave
Extra scholarship we didn’t fill for some God awful reason
Marco Anthony - Graduating
Brandon Carlson - turning pro
Mike Saunders - pouting to another school
Jaxon Brenchly - transfer
Luka Tarlec - transfer
Boston Holt - Transfer
We need size and lots of it. I went to the Pac 12 tournament over the weekend and we aren’t even close on size of 3 4 and 5 position.
Back up PG and more shooters. When Rollie and Gabe went out the fall off was way to big.
We desperately need some big bodies. The only sizable athlete we have right now is Keba. Watched lots of hoops over the weekend including the WAC final and even humble Southern Utah has several players who would be among the strongest bodies on our team. Utah State also have lots of size on their squad.
We really need Carlson to return. I’m afraid he is the only chance the Utes will have for some success. With his wife having one more year of law school hopefully he will stick around. Without him next year could be awful.
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Saunders transferring is perhaps the least surprising one in all my years as a Ute fan. Whatever the situation was, hope he finds a place where things work out for him and the team.
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Based on the way things went this season, having three of these guys transfer would not be shocking at all.
Obviously there was something very not right between the coaching staff and Saunders. We needed more players in the rotation of play for success. It too bad whatever it was kept him riding the pine.
We absolutely need Carlson back for another season, if for no other reason than for some scoring and rebounding continuity. Hopefully some of the bench players who saw minutes this season will get some good work in during the off-season and take some steps forward to be ready for next season.
It sucks to be looking at another March Madness where the MBB stays home. Maybe next season.
the transfer portal could be Utah’s remedy for next year.
Promise a couple of offensive players a green light, opportunity to play right away and maybe scrape together a couple of NIL deals
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Saunders puts his name in the portal. No surprise.
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Branden Carlson, Brenchley, and Holt (along with Marco and Ballstaetd) all walked on senior night. I feel Branden (who served a mission so is fairly old) is ready to move on to and is unlikely to change his mind and return.
Tarlec has seen little time on the floor (but likely that is related to not being ready as opposed to the situation with Saunders) so may indeed look for opportunities elsewhere.
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Even though he walked on senior night, I can see Branden come back for two reasons: 1-his wife has one more year in law school and 2-hopefully he gets a fat NIL deal.
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Indeed NIL add$$$ a whole new dimension to the issue
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Yeah why take a drop in salary ?
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Utah is not pumping out the NIL money the big boys are … yet… (hopefully). Not as much incentive to stay.
REPORTS: Utes have been talking to 3 portal guys who have gone public.
Robert Jennings. 6’7" PF from Texas Tech. c/o 2022. Played 10mpg. Utes were one of his final 6 during HS recruiting.
Camren Hunter. 6’3" CG from Central Arkansas. c/o 2021. 17ppg, 5rpg. Started every game.
Mike Mitchell. 6’2" PG from Pepperdine. c/o 2021. 11ppg, 4rpg. 44% 3pt shooter! Started every game.
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FWIW, Jim Boeheim was on the Dan Patrick Show this morning and one of the things they discussed was NIL. Coach felt NIL in the long run was going to be good for the players; but the booster intrusions into the process were becoming hard to manage.
From other articles not related to the interview today, we are starting to see cases of booster front-running the recruitment process and trying to land kids into programs where the coaching staff doesn’t have a clue how the kid fits. That got to drive a coach crazy.
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Took less than 48 hours of officially not being in the NIT for Mike to find a new school (McNeese St.). Hope that whatever happens there, that it works out better than what transpired here. Maybe somehow they will face the Bruins in next year’s tourney and he can light them up again for the upset.
Now 3 open scholarships.
Outgoing: Marco, Saunders, Brenchley, open scholarship.
Incoming: Erickson.
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This from the guy that had an impressive array of street agents working on his behalf bringing in talent.
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