Way too early look at next year

[TylerDurden]

I'm hearing that Ben Sheppard is not going to use his covid year and will leave at the end of the season. I can't confirm this.

Seems like he can go make some money playing basketball. I don't blame him, though it's a loss for Belmont and the league.

I've been quite impressed with how Belmont reloaded after losing 11 players from last year's team, including four starters. Wasn't sure how it was going to work out for them this year. I have to imagine Belmont fans feel pretty good about how things have gone.

[ValleyFAN]

This is all pointless talk at this stage, in the age of the transfer portal. If a player specifically says he's coming back, as Leons did, then great--announce it. But you cant predict your roster based on simply who is eligible to come back. Too much movement and sometimes from those you'd least suspect.

Talk to me again over the summer about this stuff.

[Saluki 4 Life]

UNI is all back plus Heise and Phyfe. Top 3 recruiting class of the Jake era coming as well.

Should be much more consistent with experience and towards the top of the league.

Not just UNI but every team year to year you never know who might stay or leave. Hard to look ahead at all.

UNI has had 2 guys transfer out in the last 8 years and those were much more family related than basketball related. Never say never of course but I'd be floored if anybody with a role on this team transferred, fwiw...

Easy to say until Iowa comes calling for Bowen.

[tribecalledquest]

Easy to say until Iowa comes calling for Bowen.

Which they aren't going to do.

Way too much panic about the transfer portal.

[BCPanther]

Easy to say until Iowa comes calling for Bowen.

Which they aren't going to do.

Way too much panic about the transfer portal.

Yep. Build a program that knows what it is and what its values are and then you don't have to worry about it.

Two transfers in 7 years. Antwan Kimmons because he needed to be closer to home to help his family and Noah Carter because his father might be the biggest asshole walking the planet.

I hate the buzzword that 'cUlTuRe' has become but it is a real thing and the programs that have that figured out are the ones that don't have an annual revolving door.

[Dawgbit]

Easy to say until Iowa comes calling for Bowen.

Which they aren't going to do.

Way too much panic about the transfer portal.

Yep. Build a program that knows what it is and what its values are and then you don't have to worry about it.

Two transfers in 7 years. Antwan Kimmons because he needed to be closer to home to help his family and Noah Carter because his father might be the biggest asshole walking the planet.

I hate the buzzword that 'cUlTuRe' has become but it is a real thing and the programs that have that figured out are the ones that don't have an annual revolving door.

I couldn’t agree more. When Bryan Mullins was hired, the first words out of his mouth were “first you build the culture”. It’s apparent which programs are signing good kids and not rolling the dice. I have always admired UNI for doing it the right way.

[Kyle_Saluki_17]

Which they aren't going to do.

Way too much panic about the transfer portal.

Yep. Build a program that knows what it is and what its values are and then you don't have to worry about it.

Two transfers in 7 years. Antwan Kimmons because he needed to be closer to home to help his family and Noah Carter because his father might be the biggest asshole walking the planet.

I hate the buzzword that 'cUlTuRe' has become but it is a real thing and the programs that have that figured out are the ones that don't have an annual revolving door.

I couldn’t agree more. When Bryan Mullins was hired, the first words out of his mouth were “first you build the culture”. It’s apparent which programs are signing good kids and not rolling the dice. I have always admired UNI for doing it the right way.

Yes, and while I’m scared of what a Post Domask era looks like but the consistency of the program is what should keep us good (if that is the right word) for a long time. If any program wants to be dominant for a long stretch, player retention is an important first step.

[SalukiWorld]

Bradley will be good again. Watch out for Murray State with Rob Perry and Brian Moore and a full offseason for Prohm to get talent around them. Also Northern Iowa has what I think is the best recruiting class in the MVC coming in.

SIU will depend on Domask/Jones being back. I think Jones is gonna be back but Domask could easily start an international career. SIU does have a talented HS Senior coming in (Kennard Davis Jr) but SIU is an extremely veteran team right now and has put winning over development.

The rest will depend on the portal. Guessing Drake will reload. Belmont has some talented players like Tyson if Sheppard isn't back. Illinois State has a good HS class coming in.

[Kyle_Saluki_17]

Bradley will be good again. Watch out for Murray State with Rob Perry and Brian Moore and a full offseason for Prohm to get talent around them. Also Northern Iowa has what I think is the best recruiting class in the MVC coming in.

SIU will depend on Domask/Jones being back. I think Jones is gonna be back but Domask could easily start an international career. SIU does have a talented HS Senior coming in (Kennard Davis Jr) but SIU is an extremely veteran team right now and has put winning over development.

The rest will depend on the portal. Guessing Drake will reload. Belmont has some talented players like Tyson if Sheppard isn't back. Illinois State has a good HS class coming in.

Here’s to hoping that the entire conference doesn’t crap the bed in November and December and that parity within can actually be considered a “good” thing.

[BelmontBoulevardier]

I'm hearing that Ben Sheppard is not going to use his covid year and will leave at the end of the season. I can't confirm this.

Seems like he can go make some money playing basketball. I don't blame him, though it's a loss for Belmont and the league.

I've been quite impressed with how Belmont reloaded after losing 11 players from last year's team, including four starters. Wasn't sure how it was going to work out for them this year. I have to imagine Belmont fans feel pretty good about how things have gone.

Yeah, especially after a few disappointing results early in the season I couldn't be happier to be sitting one game out of first place in the conference with four to play (although Ben's missed shot at the end of the Murray game is going to haunt me for a while).

Next year we will be good again, assuming Tyson and Gillespie don't bounce at opportunities to earn some NIL green. We will (almost assuredly) lose Ben which will be hard to overcome. But we have several freshman that are huge contributors already, to go along with a really solid incoming class and an Evan Brauns that is FINALLY starting to realize some of his potential. We will have to wait to see what happens in the offseason transfers, both out and in, but I'm cautiously optimistic Casey will have us competitive again.