2016 offseason targets thread

[nagemj02]

I know we've had threads like this, but not any that include the prospects from all the different outlets of which the coaching staff can recruit (grad transfer, immediately eligible non-grad transfer, traditional transfer, JC transfer, HS recruit, etc).

So now the roster is expected to have at least 9 scholarship players next season, with 10 being a question mark:

UPDATED:

1. Michael "Spike" Albrecht (RS Sr.)
2. Basil Smotherman (RS Jr.)
3. Dakota Mathias (Jr.)
4. Vince Edwards (Jr.)
5. Isaac Haas (Jr.)
6. P.J. Thompson (Jr.)
7. Jacquil Taylor (RS So.)
8. Ryan Cline (So.)
9. Caleb Swanigan (So. ?)
10. Carsen Edwards (Fr.)


These are prospects where there is definitely mutual interest:

HS:

SF/PF/SG Kostas Antetokuonmpo

Junior College Transfers:

SG Devontavius Payne (John A. Logan College) (anyone heard anymore about him?)

Are there other transfers, JUCO's, or HS prospects (where we know the interest is mutual right now) that I'm forgetting?

 

[Do Dah Day]

I know we've had threads like this, but not any that include the prospects from all the different outlets of which the coaching staff can recruit (grad transfer, immediately eligible non-grad transfer, traditional transfer, JC transfer, HS recruit, etc).

So now the roster is expected to have at least 8 scholarship players next season, with 9 being a question mark:

1. Basil Smotherman (RS Jr.)
2. Dakota Mathias (Jr.)
3. Vince Edwards (Jr.)
4. Isaac Haas (Jr.)
5. P.J. Thompson (Jr.)
6. Jacquil Taylor (RS So.)
7. Ryan Cline (So.)
8. Caleb Swanigan (So. ?)
9. Carsen Edwards (Fr.)


These are prospects where there is definitely mutual interest:

Grad Transfers:

PG Spike Albrecht (Michigan)

Traditional Transfers:

SG/SF Jalen Hudson (Virginia Tech)

Junior College Transfers:

SG Devontavius Payne (John A. Logan College) (anyone heard anymore about him?)

Are there other transfers, JUCO's, or HS prospects (where we know the interest is mutual right now) that I'm forgetting?

I guarantee you that there are, they just are not known to the pubic. Just like the past few years. At least one or two surprises are yet to come.

 

[nagemj02]

Well, there's been one now (not a huge surprise, but possibly a quality addition, especially if he can return to peak form).

Scholarship-wise, now it looks like (going by approximate height):

1. P.J. Thompson 5'9
2. Spike Albrecht 5'10
3. Carsen Edwards 5'11 (might be taller, I'm low-balling it)
4. Dakota Mathias 6'4
5. Ryan Cline 6'5
6. Basil Smotherman 6'6
7. Vince Edwards 6'7
8. Caleb Swanigan 6'8 (returning?)
9. Jacquil Taylor 6'10
10. Isaac Haas 7'2



I still would like to see another frontcourt player (grad transfer) added. Either a stretch 4, 3/4 type (like Jaron Blossomgame of Clemson, IF he transfer) or a 4/5 type, which I haven't noticed any good ones yet (have to keep researching). Another one to keep an eye out for is Alec Peters, the star forward at Valparaiso. He declared for the draft but is expected to return. I don't know if he'll stay at Valpo for his final season with Bryce Drew taking the HC job at Vanderbilt.



Boiler Up

 

[nagemj02]

What do you guys think about the potential of Arkansas State grad transfer forward Anthony Livingston? He's a good scorer and probably an even better rebounder that would add depth to the frontcourt and if Swanigan leaves, could possibly play starter's minutes. He had a legal issue a year ago but apparently it was cleared up since he played every game this past season. He did play in a game vs. the Boilers two seasons ago:

Here are his stats from the past two seasons: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3141215/anthony-Livingston

 

[nagemj02]

No one has any thoughts or opinions on Anthony Livingston as a possible frontcourt addition? He could contribute, especially if Swanigan goes pro.

 

[Dryfly88]

No one has any thoughts or opinions on Anthony Livingston as a possible frontcourt addition? He could contribute, especially if Swanigan goes pro.

If his past legal issues are not a problem (CMP feels comfortable with him) then his stats suggest he could contribute on the interior. I saw he was visiting St.Johns but have not heard anything else about him. Is PU even looking at him?

 

[boilerzz]

No one has any thoughts or opinions on Anthony Livingston as a possible frontcourt addition? He could contribute, especially if Swanigan goes pro.

My thoughts. I've don't recall having seen him play against Purdue and doubt I've seen him any other time so I have no idea whether he would contribute. Looking at stats for players at that level can be a crapshoot.

 

[nagemj02]

If his past legal issues are not a problem (CMP feels comfortable with him) then his stats suggest he could contribute on the interior. I saw he was visiting St.Johns but have not heard anything else about him. Is PU even looking at him?

I don't know if they're looking at him but I think he's worth inquiring about, especially if there's no Biggie or no Kostas Antetokuonmpo next season. He's probably the best grad transfer big available right now.

 

[nagemj02]

Well, I guess the coaching staff either didn't recruit Anthony Livingston or recruit him hard enough, because he has chosen Texas Tech. I just hope they don't end up kicking themselves if Swanigan leaves and Kostas Antetokuonmpo decides to go elsewhere.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

Well, I guess the coaching staff either didn't recruit Anthony Livingston or recruit him hard enough, because he has chosen Texas Tech. I just hope they don't end up kicking themselves if Swanigan leaves and Kostas Antetokuonmpo decides to go elsewhere.

You can't force a player to go some where he doesn't want to go....

 

[boilerzz]

You can't force a player to go some where he doesn't want to go....

You also can't force a coach to recruit a player he might not think is a good fit or isn't sure if he can help his team.

Players transfer because they want to play. If they aren't good enough to break your rotation, they can do more harm than good.

 

[mathboy]

You can't force a player to go some where he doesn't want to go....

Sure you can... just have to recruit him HARDER... what ever that means??? Just ask our experts.

I am sure our incompetant and confused basketball coaching staff (TIC) has misidentified a potential all-star player here (TIC), and failed miserably to recruit him HARD enough to convince him we might need him if our other two plans fall through (TIC) at forward. JeeBus, but some folks have an agenda and see every event through those shit colored glasses.

I don't know anything about this player, but there are hundreds of potential players our staff has to sort through. Out of that group there will be a very small number of kids they will even consider. If this kid wants to start at the 3 or 4 postion, is he better than Edwards or Swanagan? If not, as I suspect in this case, Painter isn't going to make a promise he can't keep.

Both our staff and the kid need to agree that playing at Purdue is going to work well for the kid before he will even consider committing to Purdue. Didn't happen for this transfer. We don't even know if he passed the first sniff test, so all this sour-milk hand-wringing stuff is nonsense.

 

[nagemj02]

You can't force a player to go some where he doesn't want to go....

I know that. I just wonder if they even recruited him at all. He seems like a good player to pass up, especially when the true post players could potentially be only Isaac Haas and Jacquil Taylor next season. A couple of you guys (not necessarily you, JohnnyDoeBoiler) really like to jump all over something when you think there's an argument to be made, as if you've been waiting for the opportunity.

 

[nagemj02]

You also can't force a coach to recruit a player he might not think is a good fit or isn't sure if he can help his team.

Players transfer because they want to play. If they aren't good enough to break your rotation, they can do more harm than good.

A good fit is one thing but he definitely would have been good enough to break into the rotation. Don't fool yourself into thinking that it would be impossible for someone like Livingston to get more PT than a Jacquil Taylor.

 

[Dryfly88]

I know that. I just wonder if they even recruited him at all. He seems like a good player to pass up, especially when the true post players could potentially be only Isaac Haas and Jacquil Taylor next season. A couple of you guys really like to jump all over something when you think there's an argument to be made, as if you've been waiting for the opportunity.

Nage, I'm with you that he looked like someone that could have helped us next season. I just wish there was some way we could know the inter-workings of the recruiting/nonrecruiting of all these guys. I know that isn't happening but it sure would make it much clearer on if we were even going after someone.

Then again, what would we talk about all summer!!!

 

[boilerzz]

A good fit is one thing but he definitely would have been good enough to break into the rotation. Don't fool yourself into thinking that it would be impossible for someone like Livingston to get more PT than a Jacquil Taylor.

How do you know this? You realize he played for Arkansas State and not Arkansas, right? Neither of us know whether he would have cracked the rotation. And as for whether he would get more PT than Taylor, there is no guarantee that Taylor will crack the rotation either.

 

[mathboy]

I know that. I just wonder if they even recruited him at all. He seems like a good player to pass up, especially when the true post players could potentially be only Isaac Haas and Jacquil Taylor next season. A couple of you guys (not necessarily you, JohnnyDoeBoiler) really like to jump all over something when you think there's an argument to be made, as if you've been waiting for the opportunity.

Nag, I am one of those who probably reacted too quickly, and responded more harshly than I should have to you and other posters. Please accept my appologies for that. I will try to use less sarcasm and vitrol in future responses. I got conditioned by some of the more radicle folks here and have my hackles up.

 

[nagemj02]

How do you know this? You realize he played for Arkansas State and not Arkansas, right? Neither of us know whether he would have cracked the rotation. And as for whether he would get more PT than Taylor, there is no guarantee that Taylor will crack the rotation either.

Are you serious? Going into next season, Taylor hasn't played enough to be immediately comfortable with major minutes. Livingston averaged approximately 36 and 31 MPG in his two seasons at Arkansas State, averaging 15.9 PPG, 10 RPG, 1 BPG in '14-'15 and averaged 15.5 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and shot 86% on 122 made FT's out of 142 attempts this past season. As we all should know (with Arkansas-Little Rock being the most recent example), the talent gap of "mid-major" programs and major programs has narrowed more and more across DI over say, the last 20 or so years. With the exception of about 10-12 programs having high quality teams nearly every season, there's a lot of parity.

Back to the main point, I obviously don't know if anything transpired between the staff and him, but Livingston was worth recruiting. Also, if Swanigan leaves and no other big is added, Taylor will HAVE to play by necessity because the only other true big on the team would be Haas.