A Sea Of Red

There is an interesting new entry in the transfer portal. Hayden Koval, a 7 foot C from Texas, had signed a LOI to come to Liberty as a walkon in 2016, but decided to delay his graduation a year and ultimately ended up at Central Arkansas, where he has been one of the nation's leading shot blockers over the past 3 years. He is apparently not graduating and thus would have to sit a year as things stand now, which would not work out well for us on scholarship limits for 2021. However, if the proposed NCAA one-time transfer rule goes through, we could offer him the scholarship vacated by McDowell's transfer, and he could play his Senior year for us next season.
https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/hayden-koval

oldflame wrote: ↑March 11th, 2020, 5:18 pm There is an interesting new entry in the transfer portal. Hayden Koval, a 7 foot C from Texas, had signed a LOI to come to Liberty as a walkon in 2016, but decided to delay his graduation a year and ultimately ended up at Central Arkansas, where he has been one of the nation's leading shot blockers over the past 3 years. He is apparently not graduating and thus would have to sit a year as things stand now, which would not work out well for us on scholarship limits for 2021. However, if the proposed NCAA one-time transfer rule goes through, we could offer him the scholarship vacated by McDowell's transfer, and he could play his Senior year for us next season.
https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/hayden-koval

A shot blocker is always nice. But a serious force multiplier in the Pack Line

The remainder of the Minnesota HS basketball season has been cancelled prior to the sectional final games, ending the undefeated season of Eden Prairie HS, let by PG and Liberty signee Drake Dobbs.

Drake almost certainly would have become the 5th member of next years team to have won a HS state championship. They had already beaten the other top contenders during the regular season.

Dobbs, Eden Prairie perfect season prematurely ends (Club)

https://www.aseaofred.com/dobbs-eden-pr ... rely-ends/

A Sea of Red wrote: ↑March 19th, 2020, 10:27 am Dobbs, Eden Prairie perfect season prematurely ends (Club)

https://www.aseaofred.com/dobbs-eden-pr ... rely-ends/

Watching his recent video, I'm more and more confident that between Drake and Darius (who has really made progress as a playmaker) we are going to be OK at PG next year and can look at all options for a grad transfer

With no March Madness to consume their time, there is no excuse for the NCAA not to take action on the one time transfer rule for all sports. It's pretty much inevitable anyway, so why delay and keep athletes from being able to explore all their options this Spring? We are already seeing players like Landers Nolley, who have already used their red-shirt and are not graduating, in the portal. I don't see any way he does that unless he has some sort of assurance he will not need to sit a year.

Liberty basketball adjusting to new recruiting mandate

https://www.aseaofred.com/liberty-baske ... g-mandate/

A Sea of Red wrote: ↑March 20th, 2020, 8:53 am Liberty basketball adjusting to new recruiting mandate

https://www.aseaofred.com/liberty-baske ... g-mandate/

This is an issue for everyone, but because Ritchie has been so far ahead of the curve with recruiting, it is really to our advantage. We have just ONE scholarship opening to fill for the 2020 and 2021 classes COMBINED, and that is a one year opening for 2020. Recruiting for that opening is basically limited to the transfer portal, and it is so much easier to evaluate those players than HS Seniors there is almost no comparison. You have video readily available of them playing against D1 competition, and can also probably get reliable input from their college coach on non basketball factors. Some of the schools we compete against are looking to fill multiple spots with HS players. The players are there, but the evaluation process is going to be much harder to do and less accurate without face to face contact.

An interesting new possibility just entered the transfer portal. Isiah Brown is a 6'2" G who was a starter for Grand Canyon. He averaged 9.3ppg, 3.9rpg and 1.7 apg in 29 minutes. He was a 3 star prospect out of HS. Led them in scoring with 16 when we played them earlier this year. He is a R-JR with a year of eligibility remaining and will be a grad transfer and thus eligible to play next year.

https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/isiah-brown--2

For those who don't know, Dan Majerle was fired at GCU and his replacement is Bryce Drew.

Another grad transfer who is an exciting possibility. 6'4" Houston Baptist G Ian Dubose, who is from Raliegh, NC. and led the Huskies in Scoring, rebounding, assists and steals! Averaged 19ppg, 7.8rpg, 3.8 apg and 1.4spg. FYI, HB was 4-25, so they apparently needed all of that and more.

https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/ian-dubose
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... /_/id/2277

Also need to look at bigs

A Sea of Red wrote: ↑March 20th, 2020, 11:04 am Also need to look at bigs

I'm sure they are. The main one who has cropped up that looks like he might be a fit is Hayden Koval, but he would need either the new transfer rule or an exemption to fit into our 1 year window. Of course everything changes if we have someone else transfer out, which is certainly possible.

Liberty is in the mix for Houston Baptist grad transfer Ian DuBose

https://www.aseaofred.com/liberty-in-th ... an-dubose/

A Sea of Red wrote: ↑March 23rd, 2020, 4:55 pm Liberty is in the mix for Houston Baptist grad transfer Ian DuBose

https://www.aseaofred.com/liberty-in-th ... an-dubose/

I know a lot of us are thinking we need to get a big man in the transfer market, and I get it, but IMHO if we have a shot at DuBose (and it appears we do) we need to go all in. Add him to what we already have and it's basically like having Homesley for another year.

As for DuBose, I believe Coach Cottrell from HBU told me years ago when I was still covering the Huskies that he was friends with Coach McKay through Willis Wilson. I know it seems random but it might not be a bad reference for the kid. Yes, it is random but I have always been available for random facts.

Brendan Newton's transfer means we now have 2 scholarships available for 2020 and 1 for 2021 and it allows us to look at players who have more than 1 year of eligibility and/or are not immediately available.

Liberty adds grad transfer Chris Parker, sources say

https://www.aseaofred.com/liberty-adds- ... son-state/

A Sea of Red wrote: ↑March 26th, 2020, 2:25 pm Liberty adds grad transfer Chris Parker, sources say

https://www.aseaofred.com/liberty-adds- ... son-state/

This would be the 3rd grad transfer out of 4 Ritchie has signed in his tenure from a non D1 program. In each case his priority was adding maturity and leadership to a young team.

Im amazed at how many kids are committing without visiting. Maybe im assuming they arent visits and visits are taking place. Looks like this one visited sometime.

With us being in on so many top d1 guys it seems a little odd that we would jump that quick on a d2 guy. Makes u wonder if another defection may be coming.

jinxy wrote: ↑March 26th, 2020, 8:31 pm Im amazed at how many kids are committing without visiting. Maybe im assuming they arent visits and visits are taking place. Looks like this one visited sometime.

With us being in on so many top d1 guys it seems a little odd that we would jump that quick on a d2 guy. Makes u wonder if another defection may be coming.

Especially given with the incoming freshmen we would then have 10 guards when it seems our biggest need would be bringing in a 5 to replace Baxter Bell and James. Our one true 5 is Preston and I don't see him starting and have a hard time seeing Robinson at the 5 but who knows.

We have on schollie left for the 2020 class(if it is used). Also, have you guys quickly forgot two years ago when we added a grad transfer from D3? There was a similar response of uncertainty from some supporters, but that changed when the athlete hit the court. Now that same athlete is playing pro; the one and only Keenan Gumbs.

Chippy wrote: ↑March 26th, 2020, 8:54 pm

jinxy wrote: ↑March 26th, 2020, 8:31 pm Im amazed at how many kids are committing without visiting. Maybe im assuming they arent visits and visits are taking place. Looks like this one visited sometime.

With us being in on so many top d1 guys it seems a little odd that we would jump that quick on a d2 guy. Makes u wonder if another defection may be coming.

Especially given with the incoming freshmen we would then have 10 guards when it seems our biggest need would be bringing in a 5 to replace Baxter Bell and James. Our one true 5 is Preston and I don't see him starting and have a hard time seeing Robinson at the 5 but who knows.

There is no such thing as a "5" any more. There are 2 categories in Ritchie's system (and in his recruiting approach) Point Guards and "Players" Some players are bigger than others. That's it. Having Parker means we are not totally dependent on a true FR (Dobbs) and Darius who, despite being 5'9", has been mainly a scorer and is just really starting to develop PG skills.

Having said that, I do expect our remaining scholarship to go to a bigger player.

jinxy wrote: ↑March 26th, 2020, 8:31 pm Im amazed at how many kids are committing without visiting. Maybe im assuming they arent visits and visits are taking place. Looks like this one visited sometime.

With us being in on so many top d1 guys it seems a little odd that we would jump that quick on a d2 guy. Makes u wonder if another defection may be coming.

"Defection"? I don't consider either Keegan or Brendan "defectors" and the same would be true if someone else chooses to transfer. Other than DuBose, I don't see any of the D1 players that have been mentioned as being "top guys", and looking at the list of teams who want him, he was a long shot. Ritchie knows what he needs.

With Parker filling the 1 year scholarship "window" we had for 2020, all options are open for the scholarship opened up by Newton's transfer. We could go with another grad transfer, which would add more maturity and keep the opening we have for 2021. We could go with a HS player, but that would make us even younger. Another possibility, which intrigues me, is a JUCO transfer, which is a talent pool Ritchie has not dipped into since he has been here. It would help balance the classes out, since right now Darius would be our only SR in 2021-22.