Embrace the Portal

[Peoria_bradley_fan]

John Calipari famously has pictures (posters) of his NBA'ers hanging in his office when he meets with recruits. Sitting across a kid with Rose/Wall/Davis in the background is quite the convincer that you are in the right place. Calipari has struggled recently, but he has a title, and has had great success with the one and done strategy. Players go there because they believe he will make them NBA ready. His character and he himself aren't relevant to this topic, just using as an example.

Wardle is starting to have quite the collection of players that have left to the next level. Why not embrace it and become the program players want to go to because we have a culture of "moving up".

Wardle clearly has a great ability to develop players.

I'd bet you could attract great players with this philosophy, year in and year out.

Maybe the entire Valley could be the "Gateway" to the P5, and Bradley can be the start of that reputation.

I know it's not the ideal scenario. It's just that I don't see this ever changing back to any type of scenario that a program of our size will feel is "fair".

Maybe you don't fight it. I actually think these types of programs will start to sprout up over the next few years, and get that reputation (I'm looking at you, Utah State) and continue to be very relevant and competitive.

Wardle resharing Connors message to the fans made me think of this. Maybe If I'm him, I'm not demanding loyalty. I'm telling the kids I'm going to do the best I can to make you better and advance your life, whether I'm a beneficiary or not.

[Da Coach]

Re-tweeting Connor's message- OK
Embrace losing our best player to a Power Conference team every year- maybe it would work with some kids
Interesting suggestion. But I am not sure that promoting Bradley as "Stepping Stone U." is going to work. Nor do I think Coach Wardle would go for it.

[Big Mike]

As a Bradley fan I hate it....PERIOD!

[Tommy]

Yeah, I appreciate the sentiment, but if we turn into nothing more than a minor league for the PC’s, I’ll be checking out.

[Dub]

I appreciate the take. It’s a no from me.

[Canton BU fan]

Promoting the ability to get players into pro ball is a good thing but not to move on to other schools.

[Mikovio]

I don’t concede that Georgia, Rhode Island and Nebraska are better than here. If Rienk stays we’re probably in and Nebraska out.

I do think the portal isn’t all bad. It did get us Duke Deen.

[BU freak]

The portal is doing its best to ruin mid-major hoops so hard pass

[tomahawk chop]

I hate the portal because I dislike players can transfer more then one time without being penalized. I am also against the NIL because I thought what I first heard about it was the players would be compensated for something like doing a commercial and promoting a business . The way it actually works is pay to play period. I have been a Braves club member for a very long time and will continue to be but I do not believe in this pay to play crap and refuse to throw money into that pot.

[yoda]

A point can be made that we heard promises that Bradley’ s NIL would keep our best players here!

Well, our best players have left every single year. So tell me again how well it’s working? In fact, our least used scholarship players hung around & I am sure got more NIL here than they would had they transferred or gone DII. So unavailability of those scholarships may well have hurt us.

[BraveSince09]

A point can be made that we heard promises that Bradley’ s NIL would keep our best players here!

Well, our best players have left every single year. So tell me again how well it’s working? In fact, our least used scholarship players hung around & I am sure got more NIL here than they would had they transferred or gone DII. So unavailability of those scholarships may well have hurt us.

If Darius comes back, which it sounds like he will, then 6 of our top 7 potential returners are coming back. Last year we were able to keep Malevy. Yes it’s disappointing to see Hickman and Mast leave, but it’s a new world and you’re not going to keep every player. I think our NIL collective is doing a good job to keep players around.

[traveler]

the NCAA has ruined college basketball with NIL and the transfer portal. MidMajors and D2 may as well play club ball

[Jim]

I hate the portal because I dislike players can transfer more then one time without being penalized. I am also against the NIL because I thought what I first heard about it was the players would be compensated for something like doing a commercial and promoting a business . The way it actually works is pay to play period. I have been a Braves club member for a very long time and will continue to be but I do not believe in this pay to play crap and refuse to throw money into that pot.

Well said, I agree with you 100%.

[tomahawk chop]

the NCAA has ruined college basketball with NIL and the transfer portal. MidMajors and D2 may as well play club ball

The court system was responsible for this mess with your liberal judges. The NCAA had nothing to do with players getting paid for their services. The court system is also responsible for letting players transfer as much as they like without penalty. The NCAA makes rules and when certain individuals do not like them they go to court , fight the rules and get their way. I think as long as the courts are involved the NCAA has little hope as far as rule enforcement.

[bradleyfan124]

The court system was responsible for this mess with your liberal judges. The NCAA had nothing to do with players getting paid for their services. The court system is also responsible for letting players transfer as much as they like without penalty. The NCAA makes rules and when certain individuals do not like them they go to court , fight the rules and get their way. I think as long as the courts are involved the NCAA has little hope as far as rule enforcement.

Agree but I would think there is a loop hole no one has thought of yet to start regulating this wild west scenario