I know Lou V's last post about this suggested that we may done with the transfer portal, but it feels like we need another contributor (particularly a guard or wing) to round out the roster and solidify our depth. It'd be surprising and disappointing if we're really not pursuing another transfer, but I haven't seen us connected to anybody recently. Any chatter out there about a final transfer candidate?
One More Transfer?
- Thread starter Catdude
- Start date
Would hope that we fill the last scholarship spot vs. letting it sit empty, but Collins seems perfectly fine with leaving scholarship spots unfilled.
I think that’s a terrible idea and now how tournament teams are usually built. Yes NU made the NCAAs with at least one if not two open scholarship spots, but that was with Boo at point guard to cover off underlying weaknesses in the rosters. Without that “coverage,” I think it would behoove us to take at least a grad transfer guard as depth without impacting future scholarship flexibility.
I would like to believe we are done and Smith gets a schollie. Some have worried beyond the need but that it ties up a schollie for three years.
I would point out that smith has seen the floor - more than many of our schollie players can ever say. Also, we lose at least four guys after next year and BB may actually leave for the league too. Add a transfer, maybe two - due to PT and we should expect to have 5-6 schollies. Shouldn’t really need another especially if Smith continues to see the floor.
We have two commits leaving 3-4 open schollies. We typically get 2-3 transfers. And the rotation for 25/26:
1 - Clayton or a current frosh - if none are the answer then one or more news to go
2 - smith or Mullins or current frosh
3 - BB (fingers crossed)
4 - Mart or Blakey
5 - Hunger (fingers crossed)
That covers the starters and rotational players allowing the newest frosh to redshirt unless they can force their way to floor. With the 2-3 open schollies - a big, a ball handler and if BB departs, a wing. If Hunger leaves, a second big. I’m f Clayton doesn’t make it and leaves, another guard.
So - I’m waiting to learn Smith got his schollie making him a true B1G athlete and hoping he earns it by starting in the rotation this year.
Pretty sure Brooks is done after this year regardless. I don't think he qualifies for a redshirt from his freshman year. So I think Ty, Matt, Brooks, Keenan, and Jalen will all have used up eligibility.
This tends to be my default mental model about this whole portal situation:
- There is staff in the program that comb the portal and identify possibilities;
- If there's a viable option (at the wing, at the point, etc) that would be better than what we currently have on the roster, then they get offered.
- In addition to passing admissions and their talent, they are considering factors like
- Will this player maintain/add to the culture?
- Will this player fully embrace their role?
So, if they don't fill the schollie, it's not for lack of trying. With regards to filling the remaining scholarship by offering it to Blake Smith, I intuit that they are considering the effect of that on roster flexibility on 2026.
The last walk-on I recall earning a schollie with more than 1 year remaining was Reggie Hearn. (Both Roy Dixon III and James Montgomery earned scholarships, but were for just their senior year.). Reggie definitely proved that he was scholarship worthy (as he played G League ball for 11 years, as well as represented USA Basketball at the senior level). That being said, those teams really needed Reggie:
| Games Played | % Min | %Poss | %Shots | |
| Hearn '13 | 30 | 77.0 | 23.1 | 22.8 |
| Hearn '12 | 33 | 64.6 | 16.2 | 15.6 |
| Smith '24 | 10 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 5.3 |
Maybe if you're forecasting Blake Smith to jump up to 50% Min played, and upping his usage towards 16-18%, then maybe? However, I'd defer to the coaching staff who gets to see him work over the summer and scrimmage with the '25 squad to see if he's there. I think it's fine that we haven't offered yet.
It remains pretty simple.
If Collins is going to offer Blake Smith a scholarship for the upcoming season, he has no space to fill in the transfer portal, so things will be very quiet.
If he is not offering Blake Smith a scholarship this year, or they have worked out some sort of tuition-reimbursement arrangement, then Collins can be (and is) looking for one more player via the portal.
It would not be fair or smart to give Smith nothing.
If Collins is going to offer Blake Smith a scholarship for the upcoming season, he has no space to fill in the transfer portal, so things will be very quiet.
If he is not offering Blake Smith a scholarship this year, or they have worked out some sort of tuition-reimbursement arrangement, then Collins can be (and is) looking for one more player via the portal.
It would not be fair or smart to give Smith nothing.
There is a good argument to not giving him a schollie and to use NIL money to give him an equivalent, but only if we can land someone in the portal that will get significant playing time. Of course that means we need NIL money and I’m not sure we are at that point
Why would we not offer a few players a bunch of NIL money and no scholarship? We get to roster 15? If the scholarship status is so inconsequential, why stop at one more transfer? Let’s dump all the walk ons and buy the rest of the roster. Someone explain to me (as I believe in the non monetary value of the B1G scholarship), why we are not shooing for multiple players to fill out the roster - schollie allocation be damned.
I expect this to be one of those widely ignored posts as there is no good answer. Even the guys commanding 7 digits nil from a state school fb program want the worthless (not gonna graduate) inexpensive schollie. Because that probably means more to the athlete than a piece of parchment.
I can see the system evolving to a 15 paid player limit and the end to scholarship limits. Right now, it is a loophole and you see some teams using it to their advantage in football. The “preferred walk-on” is getting enough money to pay his tuition, room and board, and spending money. At some point, they need to close that loophole. Until then, why not exploit it?
The right thing to do, on a human level, is to give him a scholarship.
Thats what running a classy program is all about. Little stuff like that.
However, Smith is a bit of an unusual case. Most, if not all, of the other guys on the team would not have been admitted to NU without the basketball credential. Blake Smith got in on his own. He chose NU for the college diploma and campus life. His parents are paying his tuition, or part of it. My guess is they paid full tuition and housing, but maybe they got some financial aid. (Parents seem successful)
So it is possible that the parents are wealthy saints and that the tuition money means nothing to them. I doubt it. Its $320,000 or so for 4 years.
My guess is that any kind of financial offset would be appreciated. It is definitely deserved. And thats where you have to be careful, or risk alienating the parents (and the player).
As Mr. Burns says about his money, "I'd trade it all in...for a little more."
There are still about 800-900 players in the portal. I can't imagine NU is done. While the nice guy in me says to give Smith the scholarship and be done with it, the greedy NU fan in me thinks we should try to get anybody that can be a rotation piece next year. There are plenty of people still available who fit that bill.
There are still about 800-900 players in the portal. I can't imagine NU is done. While the nice guy in me says to give Smith the scholarship and be done with it, the greedy NU fan in me thinks we should try to get anybody that can be a rotation piece next year. There are plenty of people still available who fit that bill.
There are some creative ways to assist with tuition. In football, where there is far more flexibility, a player might graduate after the first or second quarter freeing up a scholarship for the second or third quarter. The HC could quietly allocate the scholarship to a deserving walk-on for those quarters with the understanding the scholarship would be granted to an incoming freshman in the fall. I’m assuming something may have been done for Smith. Is Buie still on scholarship?
This is very clearly not where CCC is at since he was continuing to pursue additional transfers to fill the last spot, but it will be interesting to see if he offers Smithba scholarship or not. It’s a two year commitment if he does, so I’m not sure he will even if it’s free.
I'm guessing you meant a space instead of a b above, but I hope "Smithba" catches on as a nickname.
And I am guessing that a reasonable amount of his tuition is already picked up by NU. NU is good at giving need based money and I believe he also has a sibling going to a high prices school at the same time. I know of kids that were walk ons in FB that got a significant amount picked up by NU. Finally got the full ride from NU Sr year.
Blake came to NU for the J school and he got in on his own so I am guessing that a fair amount is already picked up by NU so there is no reason to give him a scholarship at this point unless if you have any other use for it
Smith was a great story last year but face it. If not for all the injuries, he would never have seen the court. And going forward if guys play to potential, it will be hard for him to see much of it going forward
There is no need to give him one at this point. Last year he was a great story but reality is that if not for multiple injuries he would never have seen the court. And if guys being brought into the system (and guys already here) play up to where they belong, hard for him to see court this year. He bought into getting the degree from NU, He likely is covered for a lot of the expense already.. If you see him as a starter ala Reggie Hearn or other former walkons that ended as starters like Jeremy Nash, all right but otherwise, save it for his senior year when you do it as a reward as it has been done for many FB walkons through the years.
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Nice guys finish last.
There is a whole lot of speculation here on what Smith does or doesn’t revive in FA. My speculation would be different than yours as I believe it is likely the cost of attendance in considerably less than full cost.
I think CCC owes it to his players to bring in the best players he can. You want to alienate players pass up on talented good fits that are willing to enter your program. CCC and staff obviously have the same philosophy as they were in the running for the other Jalen.
I think you may be proven wrong on this. It was almost astonishing to me that Blake Smith was able to go out there and compete at a credible level last year. The guy proved to me that he was a capable Big Ten sub. And I'm going to assume he wasn't getting a lot of special attention in practice. So, given his athleticism and understanding of what the coaches want him to do, I think he has earned his place as a rotational piece. With upside.
If Mullins catches up to him, or passes him, so be it.
Otherwise, we're looking at this scenario...
Collins probably still thinks he has 3 centers. He definitely has at least 2. For Luke Hunger's development, he needs to play and (barring injuries to Nicholson or Fitzmorris) that means he needs to get some time at the power forward position. Thats my opinion. Collins, so far, has disagreed 100%.
Barnhizer will probably play 35 minutes a night. Berry 32. The new point guard (Jalen Leach) probably 30. Martinelli 25.
That leaves 38 minutes a night, if Hunger only plays the 5 position and everybody stays healthy.
Mullins, Smith, Clayton and the two freshmen will split up those minutes.
Unless we bring in another transfer.