both in HS and in the portal (Kendrick and Gilbert today!). They are in a position that they can cherry-pick for needs in the portal. Unfortunately, the basketball program isn't there. I hope when these new guys hit the floor that we can see that recruiting in the portal can be just as effective, as we clearly have not generated momentum with local HSs. I can't wait to see the new roster on the floor.

Nostradawgus said:

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Monk I'm going glass half full. I'm going to subscribe to the opinion that but for maybe Wheeler Crean did replace every departure with an equal or better player. But with his turnovers and poor outside shooting that could be a wash. I'm also going to subscribe to the possibility that Crean cracked the code and the transfer portal is a salvation for a program like UGA who maybe struggles to recruit at an elite level - hell even a four star level - out of high school. So maybe just maybe this is a path upward for UGA - lock in a few solid high school kids to develop longer term and seed the roster with transfers with a track record on tape.

Now, the great unknown about this transfer haul is they all are stepping up in competition class and/or are unproven at the Power 5 level.

Can Crean build a functioning team let alone competitive? Time will tell. I'll be positive. What the hell is another year at this point in time LOL

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Yeah, it doesn't do us any good to be down on a team we haven't seen play yet. There's time for that later, if these roster moves don't pan out. But I honestly think we will be better this coming season. There are a number of reasons for optimism, one of which may come as early as today. We'll see. We will be a more mature team. Maturity leads to accountability and the desire to play defense and succeed as a team, not just a bunch of individuals. I think we have several real "finds" in this new group. Cook gives us real maturity and leadership. Jabri is a great athlete set to come into his own. (People need to remember that his uncle was on Crean's first staff. If Crean was as bad as people accuse him of being, no way his uncle lets him come to UGA.) Oquendo looks really good from what little I've seen on film. Ridgnal and Ingram have hops and range. Baumann gives us a perimeter threat on the bench. Bridges gives us a banger. The kid from TX is a shot blocker and has been working hard to improve. Wright gives us a talented back-up PG. Intriguing bunch.

You mentioned Wheeler. One thing I have heard from several sources is that his teammates hated playing with Wheeler because he was so ball dominant. The ball was in his hands a lot. There was a bit of a mutiny on last year's team because of it. So yeah, Wheeler was talented and had an unusual skill set, but he rubbed some of his teammates the wrong way. I hear that both Wheeler and Camara were talking about the NBA before last season began. Clearly, their heads were not in the right place.