Players leaving/returning

[LittleBrave]

I'm starting to think you're working for East's promotional marketing team, LB!

I agree with you. East was impressive with the time he got this year as a sophomore.

Ha ha - sounds like it though, right Tommy? Yes, I am a big East fan...I was actually skeptical at first until a few games in and saw his potential.
Then a few games later saw a little passion in him and how well he connected to his teammates.
Then after a bumpy middle season, he came back to play well again and started to show leadership qualities - something I really didn't see in DB Jr until his Junior season.

Then you look at his numbers and they're quite impressive, as we're not used to seeing solid seasons by BU sophomores.
Honestly, had BU had more success this season, I think fans would have taken him in more. A lot was put on the remaining 7/8 guys down the stretch.

We'll never know, but had we not had a bunch of guys out and had McAdoo shown more consistency, East may not have seen much of the court the 2nd half of the season.

Gotta say, I questioned much more the value that Nolan had to the team than East as the season progressed, and the decision-making on/off court there is no comparison in my mind...sadly.

[Tommy]

I was actually skeptical at first until a few games in and saw his potential.
Then a few games later saw a little passion in him and how well he connected to his teammates.
Then after a bumpy middle season, he came back to play well again and started to show leadership qualities - something I really didn't see in DB Jr until his Junior season.

Then you look at his numbers and they're quite impressive, as we're not used to seeing solid seasons by BU sophomores.
Honestly, had BU had more success this season, I think fans would have taken him in more. A lot was put on the remaining 7/8 guys down the stretch.

All good points, LB.

[Da Coach]

Evansville sophomore guard Samari Curtis enters the transfer portal.

https://mobile.twitter.com/VerbalCommits/status/1369720614227968010

Curtis transferred once already from Nebraska to Evansville.

[Da Coach]

The first Bradley players to announce their decision to transfer...
Kevin McAdoo, Terry Nolan, Jr., and Antonio Thomas have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.

[Tommy]

The first Bradley players to announce their decision to transfer...
Kevin McAdoo, Terry Nolan, Jr., and Antonio Thomas have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.

I'm going to guess those were all recommended?

[Da Coach]

We will never know.

[Tommy]

Well, Nolan putting in for a transfer means his college career is likely not over, so that gives us some hope of Eli's return.

[ihatetea]

The new interest in Cam Martin indicates Wardle’s at least preparing for the possibility Eli doesn’t come back. Speaking as a fan, I really want him to play another year here. But if I were in his shoes I’d either start my pro career or come back to play another year in the NCAA but transfer to a bigger school like Kansas State hoping to catch the attention of the NBA. Or at least build my resume for when I go to Europe.

[Da Coach]

Now Indiana State's top 4 scorers have entered the Transfer Portal- In addition to Tyreke Key, Jake LaRavia, and Tre Williams, Cooper Neese just entered the portal. Also, reserves Cobie Barnes and Jared Hankins, and redshirting (injury) forward Kailex Stephens have entered the Transfer Portal.
That is a huge amount of open scholarships and talent lost that the new coach will have to deal with.

[Da Coach]

A breakdown of current transfers by conference-

https://watchstadium.com/college-basketballs-2020-21-transfer-list-10-26-2020/

[bradleyfan124]

Wow!! Some of these college teams are being decimated. I look over that list, Da Coach, and I see teams like Jacksonville, George Washington, and Green Bay losing as many as 7-9 players

[Da Coach]

Yes, you have to wonder what's going on at schools with that number of transfers. Green Bay just hired a new coach a year ago, and after his first season, he has 9 players transferring out, some of which are his own recruits.
He is fortunate in one respect, that there will be so many transfers available in the Transfer Portal that he should be able to find replacements for the 9 players leaving and not have to go with all high school recruits like Bradley did in 2015.

[Da Coach]

2 more Valparaiso players enter the Transfer Portal. These two are a bit surprising- 5'9" junior guard Daniel Sackey and 6'8" senior forward Mileek McMillan. Sackey started 22 of 25 games this season at Valpo, and averaged 5.3 ppg, 3.5 assists/gm, and he shot 14.6% (6-41) from three. McMillan started 13 of 25 games and averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.6 rpg, and 24.5% from three. Last season (2019-20) McMillan started all 34 games, averaged 9 ppg, and was one of their top 3-point shooters.

These two potential transfers are a little surprising, since they have been nice role players at Valparaiso, but they clearly are not players who will make a major impact by transferring to another school. And their stats are not exactly going to generate a lot of coaches lining up to recruit them. McMillan is a senior, so he has just 1 additional year of potential eligibility, and Sackey, a junior would potentially have 2 seasons remaining.
Valparaiso is a very good school academically, and a scholarship there is worth over $60,000 per year (tuition $43,400/yr and room, board, fees about $17,000 additional). So unless these two were pushed out the door by head coach Matt Lottich, it seems a bit crazy to give up a quality and expensive education to take a chance at getting an offer to play at another school for just 1 or 2 more years. It will be interesting to see where they land. A significant number of Transfer Portal players each year never get another D1 offer, and with the flood of players transferring this season, that portion of players could be much greater.

[Tommy]

OHHH, Sackey is my favorite Valley player outside of BU! Would love to see him in a Braves uniform!

[Da Coach]

Jake LaRavia, who is leaving Indiana State, will be transferring to Wake Forest.

https://verbalcommits.com/players/jake-laravia

This is a bit of a surprise. He is becoming a good player in the MVC, but I am not sure he is an ACC caliber player.
Wake Forest is not a very good team, so he should be able to find playing time. They were 6-16 overall, and 3-15 in the ACC, and finished 14th. Their only 3 ACC wins were over Pittsburgh, Miami, and Boston College, the 3 other worst ACC teams. They were dead last in the ACC in 2019-20, and they have not had a winning record in the ACC for 11 years.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/standings/_/group/2

I wish him good luck.