ben maccaully looking fellow

Or maybe I'm just being racist cause all white dudes look alike

4/27/2018 4:16:18 PM

^I don't see it, at all.

4/27/2018 4:38:52 PM

I think we're looking pretty good for next year and will work better in Keatts' system. Can't wait to see how the program shapes up in the next few years.

4/27/2018 5:14:20 PM

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/samford-grad-transfer-commits-to-nc-state/17516205/

Quote :

"“Wyatt is wonderful young man and I’m excited that he is going to be a part of our program,” said Head Coach Kevin Keatts. “I’ve known Wyatt for quite some time now and I’ve always loved the motor that he plays with on both ends of the floor. He is an improved shooter from the perimeter, skilled on the block and has a high basketball IQ. He is a great fit for our system and will bring a wealth of experience to the team.” In his first season with Samford, Walker averaged 10.6 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game then was named to the Southern Conference all-freshman team (Walker was limited to two games last season because of a leg injury and will have two years of eligibility in Raleigh.)"

5/1/2018 12:36:37 PM

Think he slots in nicely at the starting 5 spot. Give us some experience and maturity to let our younger(likely more talented) guys develop some.

All we need is dunking, rebounding, and occasional passing/defense out of him. Think it's a great fit at the 5 spot.

5/1/2018 1:05:53 PM

I read where he lead his conference in ~5 statistical categories as a soph.

5/1/2018 2:17:03 PM

I had only two concerns about next year's team, and picking up Walker solves what's probably the simpler of the two (which makes him the better pick up vs, say, a random guard).

The issues I had were

- Quality play, which likely means experience (barring landing an NBA-level stud), in the post
- Three point shooting (volume)

The latter issue is kind of difficult to "fix" because Dorn/Bryce/Daniels are all going to play regardless, and theyre all good enough players thats it's fairly difficult to recruit over them - if someone like Egor Koulachev comes available this year, he's probably not picking us.

Walker addresses our defensive rebounding issues, to whatever extent you can given a good deal of it is a schematic issue, and his lack of athleticism probably won't matter as much as it could because another schematic thing seems to be that we're just very likely to suck at defense and give up a ton of easy layups. Getting someone like that St. John's transfer would've been a different bargain, one with the upside where he might single handedly make us good defensively - but I'm not sure how much of this is personnel versus a feature of the way we play, and if things don't work out with him the downside is that you've got another Beejay Anya with Gott problem, where a "defensive specialist" is on the floor and you still suck at defense.

Wyatt's presence and passing might even open up some of those threes we need to add. I think Bryce under his fourth year with Keatts will jack up a pretty hefty amount, it's just a matter of how many go in - and getting shots that are open will help there. Maybe Markell will be less shy about shooting with the space a big down low will open up, too.

5/2/2018 3:43:39 AM

I think we have 5 guys who can shoot the 3: Daniels, Bryce, Beverly, Dorn, and Johnson.

We're also after a post-grad guard from UW-Milwaukee that shot 38.5% from 3 over the last 2 years. Not saying we'll land him, but I think Keatts is trying to address that concern.

I'm mainly just worried about team chemistry and everyone embracing Keatts system. We're going to have a lot of new faces and a lot of mouths/egos to feed. What's scary is that barring any early attrition we could have a really, really strong team the following year with only Dorn running out of eligibility.

5/2/2018 9:24:38 AM

I guess Harris isn't much of a 3 pt shooter?

5/2/2018 9:27:13 AM

I don't think Harris is known for his 3pt ability, more of a ball-handler and defender with a decent mid-range game.

5/2/2018 10:18:07 AM

Quote :

"I'm mainly just worried about team chemistry and everyone embracing Keatts system."

while i get that...of people currently on the roster, i think if they weren't buying in and/or didn't like Keatts they would've left already. obviously that can change once the season starts and a player's PT is lower than he had expected/hoped. everybody currently on the roster is at least a year into the system (except Harris, i guess) and only Daniels will be expected to be a major contributor next year without having played real minutes for KK. the other guys that would be asked to shoulder the load - Markell, Dorn, Bryce in particular - have played in the system before. the freshmen, imo, will not be expected to be major contributors right away so it's not likely that they come in and disrupt chemistry or take a lot away from upperclassmen. maybe i'm just being blindly optimistic...but i'm a lot more confident in KK's ability to manage egos and manage a roster than Gott.

5/2/2018 12:11:58 PM

I'm wondering if any of the incoming big guys (Bates, Steere, Funderburk) are a little miffed that we got a recent commitment from the experienced Walker that will likely be taking minutes they thought they'd get.

5/2/2018 12:42:21 PM

If I were a betting man, I would say either Batts or Harris won't be on the team after this coming season

5/2/2018 12:42:23 PM

Batts won't be on the team this coming season. Wouldn't be shocked to see Harris or Beverly move on depending on the amount of PT they get.

5/2/2018 1:34:53 PM

I don't think Beverly wants to change schools again. Plus, he was a starter this past year and one of our most consistent shooters. Even if he doesn't start the next couple years, he should play a big role. You need guys like him to build a program

5/2/2018 3:04:05 PM

^I agree about Beverely. He’ll have a significant role (although less than his freshman year) going forward. Batts is an obvious candidate to leave but he hasn’t announced yet...the longer he waits, the fewest landing spots there will be for him.

Quote :

"I'm wondering if any of the incoming big guys (Bates, Steere, Funderburk) are a little miffed that we got a recent commitment from the experienced Walker that will likely be taking minutes they thought they'd get."

Maybe, but I feel like we’re trying to find a problem where there isn’t one. We wanted and needed front court experience. We got it. And that probably allows the freshmen to learn and get experience rather than a trial by fire for them. There’s also plenty of PT to go around. Those freshmen, if they show promise and can contribute, will get time. It sounds like coachspeak, but you gotta earn PT. It’s also gonna be an adjustment for the Samford transfer in terms of competition level and he barely played last year due to injury.

5/2/2018 3:29:54 PM

Yeah and I mean if kk actually implements a platoon/line system where everyone is running full speed everytime they are on the floor people will have playing time

But it is all about buyin like others are saying

5/2/2018 3:55:29 PM

Quote :

"Maybe, but I feel like we’re trying to find a problem where there isn’t one. We wanted and needed front court experience. We got it."

Oh, I agree. I think he fits the bill perfectly and I think he'll be an important part of next years team... but I doubt all the other big guys see it that way.

5/2/2018 4:32:14 PM

yeah there's probably some truth to that. i have faith that KK can manage a roster and manage egos better than Gott could.

5/2/2018 5:34:17 PM

Quote :

"I'm wondering if any of the incoming big guys (Bates, Steere, Funderburk) are a little miffed that we got a recent commitment from the experienced Walker that will likely be taking minutes they thought they'd get."

I'm of two minds on this. First, I always figured one of Bates or Steere wouldn't finish their career here. It's just how this shit usually goes - there's only one spot for the two of them, and one was probably going to beat out there other anyway. I'm sure they're not exactly happy about a ton of PT disappearing at this late stage, but that's life, and we're not the only school picking up late adds. I do think Walker having 2 years rather than 1 is kind of a problem (from their perspective), but if they're any good they should be eating into his play time during their soph years anyway

Also, should note that Keatts' recruiting may not necessarily end up playing out similarly to Gott and Lowe's. I feel like a lot of promises regarding minutes were handed out under prior regimes, which translated into us landing some guys we wouldn't have otherwise, but then also a lot of early departures/transfers. Maybe Keatts' guys being 100-150 type recruits are sold a little more on earning their time? ...Probably not, given the wider environment where everyone seems to transfer, but let's at least wait and see how it goes.

Given that we landed Hellems and Bey with both Bryce and Daniels signed up for multiple years, you never know. I'm marking it down as a success if we make it through their careers with just one of them sticking around

5/3/2018 2:23:46 AM

Quote :

"I'm of two minds on this. First, I always figured one of Bates or Steere wouldn't finish their career here. It's just how this shit usually goes - there's only one spot for the two of them, and one was probably going to beat out there other anyway. "

you always need depth, nobody is gonna play 40 mins/game...and plenty of other schools get guys to stick around as a 6th man or a guy off the bench. transfers are normal and do happen pretty much everywhere, so a transfer shouldn't ever really surprise us or be considered a problem unique to just us....but, there's also no reason why both couldn't stick around.

Quote :

"but if they're any good they should be eating into his play time during their soph years anyway"

yup

5/3/2018 7:18:30 AM

We only were gonna have 2 true posts before this guy. Bates and steere should be happy theres another player down there so theyre not getting worn out every game.

5/3/2018 7:46:03 AM

lmao yea i'm sure an 18 year old would be real sad to have to play 30 min a night

5/3/2018 7:52:23 AM

dont think many kids expect there to be no one else on the roster who can play in their position, it's more about spacing. if you get beat out by a guy in your class, it's easy to bail, and a lot of guys take the easy way out nowadays.

5/4/2018 4:47:29 PM

Wyatt Walker = White Walker??

5/6/2018 8:37:55 AM

Life is fleeting. You'll never get back the time it took you to make that terrible, terrible picture. Are you happy with your choices?

5/6/2018 9:07:17 AM

5/6/2018 8:44:09 PM

lololol

5/6/2018 8:54:14 PM

Quote :

"If I were a betting man, I would say either Batts or Harris won't be on the team after this coming season"

Quote :

"Batts won't be on the team this coming season. Wouldn't be shocked to see Harris or Beverly move on depending on the amount of PT they get."

Quote :

"Jeff Gravley @jgravleyWRAL Confirmed that @PackMensBball guard Lavar Batts Jr is transferring. He averaged 13 minutes his freshman season."

5/7/2018 4:59:45 PM

I don't really think it was a surprise. He wasn't very good to begin with and would have to play behind even more people. He really should've opened up his recruiting earlier so he could find a better landing spot. I'm glad to have an additional scholarship. Would love to fill it with another grad transfer for some leadership or a role player like Sam Hunt was this year.

5/7/2018 5:30:34 PM

he'll be a solid player if he ever learns how to shoot. big if

5/7/2018 6:44:44 PM

Congrats on accurately predicting the very obvious transfer.

5/7/2018 8:19:38 PM

Quote :

"If I were a betting man, I would say either Batts or Harris won't be on the team after this coming season"

I would be surprised to see Harris transfer again right now. He's clearly just a bench guy for us though, and I think he knows that.

5/7/2018 8:24:54 PM

He has changed teams every year for the last 5-6 years

5/7/2018 9:45:48 PM

Yeah but you don't have to sit out when you change high schools.

5/7/2018 9:56:59 PM

davelen21 - I liked it

5/7/2018 10:20:08 PM

if im putting money down on it, I dont think harris finishes his career here

5/7/2018 11:42:45 PM

I could see him being a grad transfer eventually, but I don't see him sitting yet another year. I don't expect much of anything out of him, he was pretty meh at Missouri.

5/7/2018 11:59:41 PM

Quote :

"Congrats on accurately predicting the very obvious transfer."

Those weren't actually even his predictions... I'm not sure why he made that post

5/8/2018 9:05:17 AM

New grad transfer from FIU, 6'5" ?forward? Eric Lockett. One year to play.

Also rumors are we might have another scholarship available, which means someone we expect on the team won't be???

[Edited on May 14, 2018 at 5:31 PM. Reason : E]

[Edited on May 14, 2018 at 5:35 PM. Reason : Those rumors start with Goodman, so take as you will, but he broke Lockett news too]

5/14/2018 5:29:00 PM

Looked at the tweets. Goodman said we still had one more scholly to give. As of this moment that’s not true. Maybe he counted wrong. Maybe he’s not counting dorn since he hasn’t removed his name from the draft yet. Maybe he knows something we don’t. As of now, I wouldn’t put much stock in that comment....I know he knows his stuff. But claiming we have an open scholarship when that’s not public knowledge (yet) without providing any context seems kinda weird to me.

5/14/2018 7:50:38 PM

Apparently we're still going after killeya-jones, so there's clearly someone who isn't going to be on the team next year.

5/14/2018 8:09:40 PM

it's kinda crazy to me that (ignoring Goodman's extra scholarship tweet and assuming Dorn comes back) we should have 13 guys available to play this season and only 3 of them (Beverly, Dorn, Johnson) actually played for us last season

5/14/2018 11:20:44 PM

Quote :

"New grad transfer from FIU, 6'5" ?forward"

I'm reading he's a(nother) guard (our sixth). And this will be his 4th college. (he medically redshirted at George Mason and also played a season at Chipola College.

5/15/2018 10:01:29 AM

so what's the best case scenario? Harris transferring? I'd hate to lose Dorn and as much as some of y'all hate on Beverly, I think he'd be a huge loss. Dude is a great 2 guard, and a decent PG in a pinch. His defense is lackluster but sophomore summer is supposed to be the biggest time for improvement a young player makes.

Any word on Lockett / what he brings to the table?

edit: apparently Killeya-Jones' mom works at UNC / he's from Chapel Hill. UNC has stopped pursuing him. he may be able to just live at home and practice with the team, be a preferred walk, etc. on this season and we guarantee him a scholarship for next season. he's also looking at Wake Forest.

[Edited on May 15, 2018 at 10:24 AM. Reason : .]

5/15/2018 10:06:53 AM

SKJ may have some grades issues.

^^yea i'm not sure but I thought he was supposed to be a more Torin Dorn than Al Freeman

5/15/2018 10:39:58 AM

^^i don't know why, but I feel like there are rules against becoming a walk on at a school you've officially visited/been offered a scholarship (which I'm pretty sure killeya-jones was during his initial recruitment.). I may be way off base, but I'm much too lazy to actually look it up.

5/15/2018 11:36:56 AM

Quote :

"Dude is a great 2 guard, and a decent PG in a pinch. "

i really like Bev. i think calling him a "great 2 guard" is a reach though. he's solid. he's good. he's not great.

5/15/2018 11:41:09 AM

^Na, think about all of the greyshirt kids we've seen in football over the years. I think the biggest thing is they can't take a non-basketball scholarship and play basketball and we can't give him the scholarship and then just take it from him.

^^Lots of speculation that it's an IC spin(they're go-to move) for them to say it's academics related. I'd be a little surprised to see Wake cool with adding him if his transcript had some irregularities or cause for concern.

Either we're not getting SKJ or the coaches have an idea about someone else departing.

5/15/2018 11:43:10 AM

Killeya-Jones commits to us.

5/15/2018 3:15:36 PM