So since I initially posted the Casey Benson thread, the list of possible transfers to GCU has grown to 3. In order to clean it up, I have created this new thread. All are former Phoenix high school players and could possibly be returning home. The new list is:

1. Casey Benson: linked to GCU, but has said that he is still open to where he will end up
2. Zylan Cheatham: GCU has expressed interest in the former 4 star local product, along with a long list of schools
3. Mike Bibby, Jr.: Started 9 games his freshman year at USF and could possibly bring former teammate JJ Rhymes, who has been recruited by GCU since high school, but was forced to go to community college due to grades, with him for the 2018-2019 season.

Sources:
Bibby/Rhymes
Bibby/Cheatham/Benson

I have zero interest in Bibby. The fact that he didn't have any offers until after HS season his senior year despite being one of the top players in AZ was a red flag. Leaving USF after one season is adding blinking red neon arrows pointing to the red flag. Something isn't right there. With talented backcourt players already committed or in the program, I'll pass on whatever issues are following Bibby around.

(04-21-2017 09:52 PM)gleadley Wrote:  I have zero interest in Bibby. The fact that he didn't have any offers until after HS season his senior year despite being one of the top players in AZ was a red flag. Leaving USF after one season is adding blinking red neon arrows pointing to the red flag. Something isn't right there. With talented backcourt players already committed or in the program, I'll pass on whatever issues are following Bibby around.

He is likely leaving USF because of the depth that USF has at the position and He may have not been getting the minutes that he wanted. Scouts may have stayed away from him because they thought that he was a guy that would only work well in a certain system.

(04-21-2017 10:20 PM)ThunderDan49 Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 09:52 PM)gleadley Wrote:  I have zero interest in Bibby. The fact that he didn't have any offers until after HS season his senior year despite being one of the top players in AZ was a red flag. Leaving USF after one season is adding blinking red neon arrows pointing to the red flag. Something isn't right there. With talented backcourt players already committed or in the program, I'll pass on whatever issues are following Bibby around.

He is likely leaving USF because of the depth that USF has at the position and He may have not been getting the minutes that he wanted. Scouts may have stayed away from him because they thought that he was a guy that would only work well in a certain system.

Still a no for me, unless someone can give me a reason to not buy into Milstead & Aidoo. I don't think Carr can run this team without leading the WAC in TOs, so I will GLADLY take Benson. If Cheatham is coming w/a team first mindset, it would be nice to have someone to carry the SmashBros mantle. I am all in on Zy. I just can't be sold on Bibby.

Big Mike talked about possibly hanging up the HS clipboard after this season & moving toward college coaching. My guess is whoever gives him that shot will get a Bibby Sr. & Jr. package deal. Is there any kind of "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon" we can play between Bibby & Jans that lands him on staff at NMSU? It does sound like he is intent on being an HC out of the gate, though.

(04-21-2017 09:52 PM)gleadley Wrote:  I have zero interest in Bibby. The fact that he didn't have any offers until after HS season his senior year despite being one of the top players in AZ was a red flag. Leaving USF after one season is adding blinking red neon arrows pointing to the red flag. Something isn't right there. With talented backcourt players already committed or in the program, I'll pass on whatever issues are following Bibby around.

CORRECTION: I guess he technically had offers. On paper they look like good ones, too, but I remember a lot of head scratching about why he hadn't signed anywhere. THIS ARTICLE, in particular, is what stands out in my mind...

(04-21-2017 11:39 PM)gleadley Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 09:52 PM)gleadley Wrote:  I have zero interest in Bibby. The fact that he didn't have any offers until after HS season his senior year despite being one of the top players in AZ was a red flag. Leaving USF after one season is adding blinking red neon arrows pointing to the red flag. Something isn't right there. With talented backcourt players already committed or in the program, I'll pass on whatever issues are following Bibby around.

CORRECTION: I guess he technically had offers. On paper they look like good ones, too, but I remember a lot of head scratching about why he hadn't signed anywhere. THIS ARTICLE, in particular, is what stands out in my mind...

Reading the article, it sounds like coaches didn't believe in that knee holding up, regardless of what he looked like out on the court, kinda like Josh had an issue with. He would have to sit out a year, so by the time he was eligible to play, Shaq would be gone. However, I will retract my previous statement of wanting him on the team because looking at his numbers at USF he is just as bad as Shaq in the turnover department.

So Casey Benson has trimmed his list to three. The three finalists are Wisconsin, Butler, and GCU. He will visit all the schools in that order within the next week, before he decides on where he will end up

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So the 4/5 star recruit PG Brandon Williams cut GCU from his list. Dan may have known this was coming, hence the interest in another PG because for some reason coach like to carry four scholarship PG's.

I would be shocked if Benson goes to GCU. I know GCU has a giant hard on for itself because of the crowds they have (that get in for practically free), but that's not going to get 4/5 star recruits swooning over GCU. Majerle and the GCU folk are going to have a reality check the next couple of years.

(04-23-2017 03:12 AM)ThunderDan49 Wrote:  So the 4/5 star recruit PG Brandon Williams cut GCU from his list. Dan may have known this was coming, hence the interest in another PG because for some reason coach like to carry four scholarship PG's.

If you think GCU is going to start signing 4 and 5 star recruits out of HS, you are going to be disappointed. GCU will never attract these big time recruits out of high school.

(04-23-2017 01:23 PM)FINALFOUR1970SWEETSIXTEEN1992 Wrote:  

(04-23-2017 03:12 AM)ThunderDan49 Wrote:  So the 4/5 star recruit PG Brandon Williams cut GCU from his list. Dan may have known this was coming, hence the interest in another PG because for some reason coach like to carry four scholarship PG's.

If you think GCU is going to start signing 4 and 5 star recruits out of HS, you are going to be disappointed. GCU will never attract these big time recruits out of high school.

Right now, no I don't expect it to happen. In the future, yes I do expect it to happen. If GCU builds itself into the top 25 program it wants to be, it can actually have a shot at 4/5 star recruits. Plus with the size of the market that we play in and the fact that we are probably one of the few mid-majors that has the potential to start spitting out a regular stream of NBA guys, it makes sense.

(04-23-2017 11:12 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  I would be shocked if Benson goes to GCU. I know GCU has a giant hard on for itself because of the crowds they have (that get in for practically free), but that's not going to get 4/5 star recruits swooning over GCU. Majerle and the GCU folk are going to have a reality check the next couple of years.

I'm not saying that the crowd alone will get 4/5 star recruits to come here, nor do I think that we are in the position to be doing that right now. However, in the future, it could definitely be possible. I just think that right now Majerle a list of guys that he's fairly certain would come to GCU with some guys that are "way out our league" and would be amazing gets that could come to GCU.

I think we have a better shot at Benson then you give us and not just because of the crowd.

GCU has the best chance of landing Benson and I think they will. NMSU fans are terrified that GCU and CSUB will start running the conference every year so they have to start spewing bull****, it's a defense mechanism.

No one is terrified at NMSU. We also don't think we are a mid major powerhouse. No one is in the Wac.

(04-23-2017 02:00 PM)Clarity Wrote:  GCU has the best chance of landing Benson and I think they will. NMSU fans are terrified that GCU and CSUB will start running the conference every year so they have to start spewing bull****, it's a defense mechanism.

Frank and Dancing are just stirring up trouble. I don't try to explain their reasoning but I don't think they are scared of anyone in the WAC. Myself, I try to give every program their just due because I know on any given year a game winning shot like two season ago could end NMSU's NCAA tournament run. But let's face it, NMSU is the big dog. Every team is drawing their biggest crowds when the Aggies step on their court. So, NMSU can't afford many bad games. And, knowing that, NMSU has done a great job maintaining their dominance in the WAC. NMSU will slip up on occasion. But the last 9 out of 11 years NMSU has been in the WAC championship game and NMSU has won it seven times. This spans three Aggie coaches and a time when Nevada was nationally ranked, and Utah State was in the middle of a 14 year run where they tallied no less than 21 wins a season. Aggie fans have seen a lot in the WAC. It sucks losing another head coach; especially to UNM. But NMSU's basketball program always seem to land on its' feet. Unlike football, our program hasn't made a bad basketball head coaching hire since 1980 (with Weldon Drew). And, that head coach was a (signing of) Clyde Drexler, Micheal Young, Larry Micheaux, and Greg Kite away from changing his fortunes at NMSU. All four were seriously considering playing for NMSU before deciding to make history elsewhere.

I respect you NMSUPistolPete you are one of my favorites here and one the most sensible Aggies fans. NMSU has dominated this version of the WAC because the others were building programs so that wasn't very surprising. Now they are here and ready to compete. I still maintain if there wasn't a 4OT game the night before NMSU would've lost and by effect lost 2 WAC championships in a row. I believe the spell of dominance for NMSU is over. I don't mean that as a slight. I think now that GCU and CSUB programs are built the WAC will be very competitive. Plus Seattle and UVU will be pretty good as well. The WAC is going to be a very fun conference to watch for years to come.

(04-23-2017 02:49 PM)Clarity Wrote:  I respect you NMSUPistolPete you are one of my favorites here and one the most sensible Aggies fans. NMSU has dominated this version of the WAC because the others were building programs so that wasn't very surprising. Now they are here and ready to compete. I still maintain if there wasn't a 4OT game the night before NMSU would've lost and by effect lost 2 WAC championships in a row. I believe the spell of dominance for NMSU is over. I don't mean that as a slight. I think now that GCU and CSUB programs are built the WAC will be very competitive. Plus Seattle and UVU will be pretty good as well.

"IF" NMSU's dominance has come to an end, it hasn't happened because NMSU has weaken. NMSU has gone through a lot of coaching adversity recently. But NMSU has maintained its' strength. Our RPI was actually on par with (or better than) recent years. What's why I point out our history. NMSU's program has been very resilient. Can any other WAC fan say that about their program "if" they loses their current head coach? That's the difference between NMSU and the rest of the WAC. NMSU will always be toward the top of the conference because of their tradition; a reputation of winning which means getting better coaches. Other WAC programs are still on a coaching roller coaster; living from good coach to bad coach then back to good. Wac programs are only as good as their current coach. And, Barnes has made it apparent he is on the market. Let's see how other programs deal with their own success.

Oh yeah I think Barnes will be gone eventually, probably next year. I think we will get a solid replacement though because of what Barnes has done here. That NIT semifinal is massive and is going to attract good coaches. Barnes has done a phenomenal job here. I hope he gets a P5 job, he really deserves it.

(04-23-2017 02:49 PM)Clarity Wrote:  I respect you NMSUPistolPete you are one of my favorites here and one the most sensible Aggies fans. NMSU has dominated this version of the WAC because the others were building programs so that wasn't very surprising. Now they are here and ready to compete. I still maintain if there wasn't a 4OT game the night before NMSU would've lost and by effect lost 2 WAC championships in a row. I believe the spell of dominance for NMSU is over. I don't mean that as a slight. I think now that GCU and CSUB programs are built the WAC will be very competitive. Plus Seattle and UVU will be pretty good as well. The WAC is going to be a very fun conference to watch for years to come.

We were winning WAC championships long before all the D2 move ups and Utah Valley Junior college moved up. I think this next year will be interesting. I still think NMSU is the team to beat but the WAC as a conference is much better than people realize. Meanwhile in baseball it looks like it's between NMSU and GCU for the WAC regular season Championship! Series is this coming weekend

I was thrilled with Bakersfield reaching the NIT final four and the WAC progress in general. I'm not scared Pistol of our other WAC teams. I just call it as I see it without hurting to many feelings although that happens sometimes, and I don't really care.