TSU88

The list is out of those players invited to the NBA draft combine, to be held later this month in Chicago. There are 2 Martin’s on the list, but neither are Zane Martin. They are Caleb & Cody Martin of U Nevada. For those interested, all 3 MD players who have declared for the draft were invited: Jackson, Huerter & Fernando. While it is not a prerequisite to getting drafted that a player be invited to the combine, it reduces the chances of being drafted for those not invited. I also didn’t see JFW from Hofstra on the invite list, which I found mildly surprising. The deadline for players who have not hired an agent to withdraw from the draft is 5/30. Given that he was snubbed from the combine, one would logically think ZM would withdraw from the draft & begin looking in earnest for his next school.

🤔 raining 3’s & one posterizing dunk after another. Yeah, that’ll fit in quite nicely I would think

The infusion of all these new players is exciting. And it’s not just that they’re new, there’s talent as well. 6 freshman (including Drayton), so there will be some growing pains. If Selcuk can pick up just some of what we lose in Gorham, we’ll have a nice front court rotation (Solomon, Tunstall, Sanders, Thomas, & Selcuk). Looking forward to seeing what Fobbs & Timberlake can do to hopefully make up some of the lost ZM points. If Howard can be a proficient PG (he was heavily recruited out of HS, & was productive at a high level JUCO program) we could rattle a few cages next season. Yeah, it’s a lot of IF’s, but there’s room for optimism as I see it.

How do you see the depth chart at this point?

Great addition!!! Gotta hand it to Skerry. Now, we’re going to use the last open scholarship on a transfer who will sit out this coming season & play starting in fall 2019. Maybe Juwan Gray, the 6’8 transfer from U San Diego (note, that’s just a guess. I have no inside information). A big would make sense IMHO, seeing as Thomas will be gone after this coming season, & Tunstall & Sanders will be seniors in the 2019-2020 season.

One “expert’s” opinion.

Wright-Foreman could still return, though, after the way he’s torched us, I hope he moves on. Even if he doesn’t play in the NBA, I would think he’d make good money overseas

Tough break for Drexel. I thought they had a chance of being a sleeper next year. Another kid who will be playing for his 3rd D1 team. NCAA should put some kind of limitation on these nomads. With Isabell & ZM gone, & JWF of Hofstra possibly not returning, wouldn’t that be the 3 top scorers from last year all gone?

It’s too bad they’re not doing a Canada 🇨🇦 trip this year. With all the new faces, the chance to get in extra practices & scrimmages would have been a huge benefit. As to all the kids leaving in the last few years, that issue shouldn’t be ignored or glossed over, but it’s symptomatic of what’s going on throughout D1; 700-800 kids a year are now transferring (there’s only 350 or so D1 teams).

Given the death of returning players next year (Tunstall, Thomas and McNeill) & the large incoming freshman class (Solomon, Betrand, Dottin, Selcuk, Drayton (redshirt) & a 6th, yet to be announced, Skerry is going to have to force feed some of the freshman, it would seem. The 6 incoming freshman doesn’t even include Fobbs & Howard, the 2 JUCO’s.

TU2012, your post brings to mind a larger debate now going on in some quarters-whether D1 basketball & football players should be paid, seeing as they generate huge income for the schools they play for. Without getting in to that in detail, it’s fair to point out, as you did, the multitude of benefits these kids already get, that the overwhelming majority of their fellow non-athlete students don’t. So, while the ZM’s of the world may feel “used” in some sense, it should also, in the interest of fairness, be pointed out how the ZM’s of the world are being given a golden opportunity to “use” the university to hone their playing skills, get a platform to audition for the pros, & get a degree, all while getting free tuition, room & board, and all the other perks attendent to being a D1 football or basketball player

I have a feeling we’re going to get some good news on the basketball recruiting front shortly, which will help put last season even more in the rear view mirror, where it belongs

They could be referring to whether Towson has officially granted them their respective releases. As I understand it, without an official release, a transfer can enroll at a new school, but must pay his own way (or I guess take out student loans) for the year he has to sit out. In other words, no free ride scholarship during the sit out year. So, let me say this-when I 1st heard ZM & Gorham were leaving I was, as a TU basketball fan, devastated. But, the more I ruminate on this, I’ve come around on my way of thinking-I’m now glad that the dark cloud from last years team-of which ZM & Gorham were a part of-has been lifted. Between EK’s bickering, Ingram’s quitting over minutes, Morman being kicked off the team, & now obviously ZM & Gorham having formed their own clique, I say good luck to all of them & its time to look forward, not backwards. My own sense (with the caveat that I’ve never met either young man) is that neither, especially ZM, embody the characteristics I’d like to see in a real “student athlete.” The vibe I get from ZM is that school is an annoyance, to be (barely) tolerated in order to play basketball. If that’s his mindset, fine, leave college & go play for pay. As to Gorham, I seem to recall he was suspended as a senior from his HS team. I’m not privy to why, but it should have raised a red flag as to his character. Bottom line, both have undeniable basketball skills. 1, or both, will eventually get paid, at some level, for their skills. But, they may learn a valuable lesson from all this, which is that the grass isn’t always greener someplace else. I have no sympathy for either. If they want, they’ll get an opportunity to continue playing college basketball at another school & will have a chance to parlay that opportunity into a degree. For either to infer they’re a “prisoner” demonstrates a mindset of one who is spoiled, immature, lacking a certain degree of education, & in complete denial. I’d rather lose without them, then win with them. Frankly, we’ve already lost with them, so their departures are hardly the end of TU basketball as we know it.

Mat, you have it on good authority that Detroit, Richmond & NE were all recruiting, or at least looking at him? Those are 3 legit mid-majors. Maybe W&M was looking at him too, at least according to their forlornled poster.

Well, the W&M poster likes his signing, so we’ve got that going for us

Couldn’t find a scouting report on him, other than a poster on the W&M board who described him as “polished, physical and athletic.” What more expertise could you want than that?🤔

I just watched his 15 minute highlight clip. Of course, all kids look like superstars in these clips, but it looks like he’s a decent ballhandler & passer. A lot of clips of him converting on drives to the basket. Not a lot of clips of him shooting jumpers. Perhaps, coming from Europe, he’s fundamentally sound.

Interesting read from a few months ago, on Seabron’s handicapping of 4 of his suitors, including us

On his Twitter it reads he’ll announce on 5/26. I’m under the impression that the end of the signing period is 5/16. Anyway, if OSU is on him, I’m not sure whether it makes much difference, but time will tell.

It’s a small basketball world after all-one of the schools that offered Gorham, per verbal commits, was USD. Gray already has an offer from South Alabama, which recently signed former U Delaware star Korey Holden, who transferred from UD to S. Carolina, & is now onto his 3rd D1 stop. Also saw where as a freshman Gray had a 17 rebound game, albeit vs Bethune Cookman. Still, 17 boards is impressive, even if it’s in the backyard

In 1 of his games last season vs St. Mary’s he scored 16 points in 28 minutes, including 4-4 from 3. Dont we have a poster, Bay Area Tiger, who’s a WCC observor? Would like to know if he saw this kid play

So USD is in the WCC; with Gonzaga, St. Mary’s & BYU. This kid Gray has thus played against some legitimate competition

He did shoot 48% from the field as a sophomore. He was clearly the 6th man this past season. He was 6th in minutes, 6th in shots attempted & 6th in scoring. Isnt USD the school that the G on NE (European kid) transferred in from?

Played 20 minutes per game, off the bench

6’8 190 lbs. Averaged 6 ppg & 3 rpg. Don’t know much PT he got to get to those numbers. He’s a sit 1 & play 2