Bears get Georgia Transfer

by **BEARZ77** » April 8th, 2022, 5:32 pm

The Bears have gotten a commitment from 6'7 Dalen Ridgnal, a transfer from Georgia. A 2 time juco AA from Cowley JC , I had hoped the Bears would snag him last year , but he signed with Georgia, where he really didn't get much pt last year. Averaged about 16-18 ppg and 11 rbs in juco; from the KC area. Really athletic and plays hard, gives the Bears 5 really long athletic guys around 6'7-6'8 . Probably still need a guard.

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by **tribecalledquest** » April 8th, 2022, 8:42 pm

BEARZ77 wrote:The Bears have gotten a commitment from 6'7 Dalen Ridgnal, a transfer from Georgia. A 2 time juco AA from Cowley JC , I had hoped the Bears would snag him last year , but he signed with Georgia, where he really didn't get much pt last year. Averaged about 16-18 ppg and 11 rbs in juco; from the KC area. Really athletic and plays hard, gives the Bears 5 really long athletic guys around 6'7-6'8 . Probably still need a guard.

His numbers were underwhelming for a bad Georgia team. Seems more like a depth/rotation guy right?

by **BEARZ77** » April 9th, 2022, 9:34 am

tribecalledquest wrote:
BEARZ77 wrote:The Bears have gotten a commitment from 6'7 Dalen Ridgnal, a transfer from Georgia. A 2 time juco AA from Cowley JC , I had hoped the Bears would snag him last year , but he signed with Georgia, where he really didn't get much pt last year. Averaged about 16-18 ppg and 11 rbs in juco; from the KC area. Really athletic and plays hard, gives the Bears 5 really long athletic guys around 6'7-6'8 . Probably still need a guard.

His numbers were underwhelming for a bad Georgia team. Seems more like a depth/rotation guy right?

Nah, he was a stud in juco , 2 x AA, he'll challenge a couple freshmen for a spot on the frontline along side Clay, especially if Mosley is gone which is almost a certainty. I really liked this kid coming out of juco , he's athletic, has MVC size, and plays hard. Depending on their readiness, we'll be able to rotate among three freshmen, Donovan Clay and Dalen along the frontline. 7'0 Carpers has some value against teams with traditional on the blocks post players, and I'm not sure what 6'10 Tata plans to do. Tata and 6'5 rs Raphe Ayres are the two question marks and will determine if we have 1, 2, or 3 openings still. We'll hold Mosley's till he makes a decision . Right now we need another guard , maybe two and possibly a post, although we might play w/o a true post except when we need Carpers to match up. This kid gives us a the ability to not have to rush the three freshmen , although I think all three will play . They're each a little different; 6'7 Hampton more a wing 2/3, 6'7 Dunn more of a 3/4, and 6'7 Bensen more of a 4/5 . I'd take a veteran post, but I like the 5 guys + Carper we have on the front line. If Ayres stays , he came in with a reputation as a three point threat at 6'5-6'6, but barely played as a frosh and was redshirted last year, so who knows. You can't lose Prim and Mosley and not suffer some, and of course we lost Minnett , Black and Sharp in the back court; but Sharp was hurt all last year and we signed the 6'2 Trimble from Akron as a proven 3 pt shooter to replace Black/Minnett. Lot of moving parts, but I like our roster so far if we can add another potential starter to the mix from juco or the portal.

Lot of time before Aug/Sept for things to still change more, but i think we project at least in the middle of the MVC now.

by **tribecalledquest** » April 9th, 2022, 9:38 am

I think, at time, we overvalue guys who come from P5 programs.

Ridgnal averaged 2.7 points and 2.9 rebounds on a team that was 223 NET. If he was a transfer from 221 Eastern Washington with those same numbers would you like him as much?

I understand not every recruit is going to be a game changer and rotation guys are needed as well.

by **BEARZ77** » April 9th, 2022, 9:53 am

tribecalledquest wrote:I think, at time, we overvalue guys who come from P5 programs.

Ridgnal averaged 2.7 points and 2.9 rebounds on a team that was 223 NET. If he was a transfer from 221 Eastern Washington with those same numbers would you like him as much?

I understand not every recruit is going to be a game changer and rotation guys are needed as well.

Nah, I don't care what he did at Georgia, that place was a mess. I base my optimism on what I saw of him in juco; we have a really good history of evaluating and getting top jucos, and Dalen fits the profile. We scouted him a lot before he chose Georgia last year. I'm not saying star or impact, but he can play in this league and be productive because of his athleticism and motor. And I think Dunn and Bensen are studs. Bensen who is up to 6'8 was named Southern Illinois POY, averaged 22 ppg, 11 rbs, shot 61% fg, 68% on 2 pt, and can step out some at 32% 3pt. He's the best freshman 4/5 type we've brought in a long time . He had offers from SIU, ISU, Murray St, SLU, among others. But they're freshmen, so Ridgnal and Clay give them time to develop if they need it.

by **tribecalledquest** » April 9th, 2022, 10:09 am

I think Bensen could be a really good MVC player.

by **BEARZ77** » April 9th, 2022, 10:16 am

tribecalledquest wrote:I think Bensen could be a really good MVC player.

LOL, we need him to be; Dunn and Hampton as well, both St Louis kids, who opted to finish HS/Prep in the Springfield area. But yeah, Bensen has the size and tools to be quite good in the Valley. Same story for us, Ford can get talent , but he's gotta get better at using it. Still , 4 years , 1 x 6th, 2x 3rd, 1 x 2nd MVC finishes.

by **Bearvision** » May 3rd, 2022, 7:30 am

tribecalledquest wrote:If he was a transfer from 221 Eastern Washington with those same numbers would you like him as much?

Well, no. At Eastern Washington he wouldn't be playing SEC teams. So, of course not.

His Juco data is pretty good, but you have to adjust for his team's pace of play, where the team averaged close to a hundred points a game. Being a 2x AA is being a 2x AA, but I see him as a nice depth piece who might start at the beginning of the year.

Best attribute is how hard he plays and his outside shooting. A big who can shoot 3's changes the spacing on the floor and makes true posts uncomfortable. Everyone loved Prim, but he hurt the defense badly when he had to guard on the perimeter and smart teams started drawing him out repeatedly at the end of the season.

by **BEARZ77** » January 15th, 2023, 6:53 pm

Just an update; since entering the starting lineup, in 8 games since , Ridgnal's stats:
13.2 ppg
7.7 rbs
46% fg
43% 3pt
89% ft
8 stls/9blks.

Hoping he opts in for a covid year and we get him for 1 more.Plays hard, has some skills and an edge . Athletic and strong 6'7.