Is Chase actually coming back? I thought his career was done due to inherited knee issues and is getting into coaching via team manager? He wasn't even on the roster last season.

https://x.com/TheFieldOf68/status/2045165227491152248

High school teammate of Mosley. LSU has no one on its roster as it stands now.

Agree completely that they need a proven shooter at the 3 for it to work. To keep selling Bates, Louisiana Tech last year had one of the worst offenses in the country. They were 359/365 in 3pt% (worse than us, believe it or not), 265/365 in 2pt%, and 341/365 in FT%. As the primary ball carrier and playmaker, that put him in a spot where he had to run an offense with virtually no help from anywhere, and managed to make the most of a bad lineup while probably being forced to take a lot of bad shots himself. To have that role on that team with the AST/TO ratio he did is wildly impressive. I’m not saying he turns into a 50/40 guy for us, but it isn’t unreasonable to think he could be a 45/low 30s shooting splits guy with good offensive players around him. There’s intriguing guys on the roster who could maybe turn into a good 3 (Kuany has a lot of potential but is completely raw) but they really need a proven guy for that role.

Well, this is awkward. Bates to Utah State. Wonder if a last minute offer came in. A lot of smoke with all of our staff, players (doubt he knows who Dusan is otherwise), and even following the hoops page. Seems like we might have a verbal in place and perhaps Utah State whiffed on a first choice and pivoted with more money.

https://x.com/tobias_bass/status/2045533041121022371?s=46...

Edit — my contact confirmed Bates was initially in the fold.

Maybe he's like that QB we had from Okie State who transferred here, then to Alabama and then to Okie Junior College and Guppie Ranch all in the matter of a month or so.

We’ve expressed interest in JUCO transfer Kenyon Giles out of Florida Southwestern State. 15ppg and 34% from 3pt. 6’0 and originally from Cleveland.

https://x.com/allohiohoopsco1/status/2046005226038046864?...

Would be a good depth piece without rolling out a Brinks (tm) truck to get.

Tyler Kropp to Washington State

Other than the seven-foot JUCO guy, I don't know what we have cooking at the moment.

I was told we're trying for a Belgium kid. Seems to check out -- poking around staff (Boals, Lamar, Crawford) following, that appears to be Siebe Ledegen. Plays in BNXT League and also played for Belgium's World Cup team.

Put up 14ppg in BNXT League this season while shooting 40% from 3PT (33/82). He'd fit the wing size we're looking for at 6'6. He's also 23.

https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/181954/siebe...

Other than that, I noticed once Bates committed to Utah State that Boals has since started following Jacob Meyer (UAB), Kolton Mitchell (Idaho), and Chance Gladdon (Boston). We're definitely still in the market for another PG/ball handler.

All of three have been in the portal for nearly a month. Meyer was a portal darling two offseason's ago after his freshman year at Coastal Carolina. Transferred up to DePaul, then back down to UAB. Shooting numbers plummeted. I've seen him play live, he's a shot creator for sure but he's still available for a reason. Would be banking on a bounce back to Coastal numbers here.

Chance Gladdon looks like the strongest at surface, but advance numbers don't love him. I've seen on X that's had some P5 Zoom calls.

Kolton Mitchell had a strong season and advanced numbers like him more in comparison to the other two. Of the three, he's the only one to have all of a positive offensive win share, defensive win share, offensive box plus/minus, defensive box plus/minus, and box plus minus.

Idaho also won the Big Sky Tournament this year. Mitchell put 14 against Houston in the opening round game and shot 3/6 from 3PT. I'm kind of surprised he's still available even if he's only 6'1.

The latter 3 are speculatory and Siege is apparently someone we're trying to get over here. No idea how close or if it's a for sure thing. Something to talk about nonetheless.

I should have specified. Boals is following those 3 on X, not IG. However; Gladdon has since committed to San Diego State.

Siebe is followed by Boals, Lamar, Casey Crawford, and Jake Ness (DOBO) and vice versa on IG. Jake is a new one.

Interesting note on Mitchell. Numbers not worth the potential trash talking?

Honestly this was my way of coping with what I thought was a quick no from the player. Probably a classic case of something that only becomes an issue of the team isn’t good. If he commits I’d immediately floor to justify how good of a player he is.

Who is following whom on social media is such a weird bellwether.

^Played for three different high schools including two preps. Decommitted from Wasington and now is leaving Ole Miss. Be cool to get a McDonald's All American for a year but a perpetual one foot out the door player.