(03-22-2024 02:49 PM)boomerang Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 12:09 PM)redmyers Wrote:  There were 15 players that were on the all-OVC 1st & 2nd team this past season. Only 2 of them are still in the OVC for next season, as of today.

So the conference is wide open really.

Only 1 now, Jordan Sears from Martin entered the portal.

Conference is very much wide open depending on who everyone signs.

Martin has lost 6 of their top 7 scorers either to graduation or to the portal.

Signing Sr's and grad transfers from the portal appear to be the way to go. Grown men playing against 18-19 yr olds (we saw that ourselves this year). I believe all 15 players were 21-24 yrs old by the time the conf tournament started.

1st Team:
Jordan Sears, Martin - transferring, 22 yrs old
Jacob Crews, Martin - transferring, 23 yrs old
Riley Minnix, Morehead - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
KK Robinson, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 21
Jamir Chaplin, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Jordan Lathon, Morehead St - no eligibility, 24 when OVC tournament play started
Damarco Minor, SiuE - transferring, 22 yrs old
Tiger Booker, EIU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Jeremiah Hernandez, USI - transferring, 22 yrs old
Drew Cisse, WIU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Every player on the 1st team was at least 21 when the season started

2nd team:
Kennon Cole, Lindenwood - no eligibility (21 or maybe 22 when season started)
Makhel Mitchell, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
**Ryan Myers, WIU - still at WIU, 21 when season ended
Issa Muhammad, Martin - no eligibility, 23 when season ended
Christian Brown, TSU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22

It is what it is. If you have a young player that is good enough to be all-ovc he is leaving no doubt about it.

As a coach do you even sign high school players to try to develop them? Either they leave because they are unhappy with playing time or they have success and leave for the next level.

I should add that I don't blame them at all. They don't have to sit out now and they may have the opportunity to get paid a decent amount.

(03-22-2024 04:34 PM)Professor_Nopey Wrote:  It is what it is. If you have a young player that is good enough to be all-ovc he is leaving no doubt about it.

As a coach do you even sign high school players to try to develop them? Either they leave because they are unhappy with playing time or they have success and leave for the next level.

I should add that I don't blame them at all. They don't have to sit out now and they may have the opportunity to get paid a decent amount.

You might be able to get a better high school player then what you would have been able to get a few years ago because there are a lot of schools that are going after transfers and not so much high school players. Problem is if you just recruit high school guys or guys who transfer after 1 year of not really playing much at their previous school we will struggle to compete against the other teams getting transfers.

Just looking at Morehead St, they have 9 transfers from JUCO, D1 or NAIA. And their two freshmen who played meaningful minutes were highly rated out of high school

Morehead's Drew Thelwell is in the portal, starter both his FR and Soph years

Former OVC Player of the Year Mark Freeman from Morehead is in the portal. Freeman sat out all of last year with an injury.

USI's AJ Smith is in the portal, top 5 rebounder in the conference.

TSU's Jaylen Jones is in the portal, freshman that averaged 9 ppg

Western Illinois's James Dent is in the portal, their 2nd leading scorer.

(03-22-2024 03:57 PM)redmyers Wrote:  Signing Sr's and grad transfers from the portal appear to be the way to go. Grown men playing against 18-19 yr olds (we saw that ourselves this year). I believe all 15 players were 21-24 yrs old by the time the conf tournament started.

1st Team:
Jordan Sears, Martin - transferring, 22 yrs old
Jacob Crews, Martin - transferring, 23 yrs old
Riley Minnix, Morehead - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
KK Robinson, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 21
Jamir Chaplin, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Jordan Lathon, Morehead St - no eligibility, 24 when OVC tournament play started
Damarco Minor, SiuE - transferring, 22 yrs old
Tiger Booker, EIU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Jeremiah Hernandez, USI - transferring, 22 yrs old
Drew Cisse, WIU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Every player on the 1st team was at least 21 when the season started

2nd team:
Kennon Cole, Lindenwood - no eligibility (21 or maybe 22 when season started)
Makhel Mitchell, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
**Ryan Myers, WIU - still at WIU, 21 when season ended
Issa Muhammad, Martin - no eligibility, 23 when season ended
Christian Brown, TSU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22

I believe that KK Robinson (LR) has another year of eligibility. I am hopeful he won’t attempt a third transfer.

Morehead St's Eddie Ricks is in the portal, one of the top Freshman in the conference this past season.

(03-28-2024 10:00 AM)mjs Wrote:  

(03-22-2024 03:57 PM)redmyers Wrote:  Signing Sr's and grad transfers from the portal appear to be the way to go. Grown men playing against 18-19 yr olds (we saw that ourselves this year). I believe all 15 players were 21-24 yrs old by the time the conf tournament started.

1st Team:
Jordan Sears, Martin - transferring, 22 yrs old
Jacob Crews, Martin - transferring, 23 yrs old
Riley Minnix, Morehead - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
KK Robinson, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 21
Jamir Chaplin, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Jordan Lathon, Morehead St - no eligibility, 24 when OVC tournament play started
Damarco Minor, SiuE - transferring, 22 yrs old
Tiger Booker, EIU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Jeremiah Hernandez, USI - transferring, 22 yrs old
Drew Cisse, WIU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
Every player on the 1st team was at least 21 when the season started

2nd team:
Kennon Cole, Lindenwood - no eligibility (21 or maybe 22 when season started)
Makhel Mitchell, UALR - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22
**Ryan Myers, WIU - still at WIU, 21 when season ended
Issa Muhammad, Martin - no eligibility, 23 when season ended
Christian Brown, TSU - no eligibility, transferred in at age 22

I believe that KK Robinson (LR) has another year of eligibility. I am hopeful he won’t attempt a third transfer.

KK has his covid year and could possibly get a medical redshirt for his freshman year.

Does anyone have a link for the portal that they can share?

Only coaches and administrators can see the actual portal. But this is pretty good site to help keep up with rosters.

Verbalcommits.com/transfers

(03-19-2024 12:34 PM)redmyers Wrote:  Adam Larson and Dylan Branson are both in the portal

Larson to Chattanooga

Asa Barnes in the portal (walk-on)