2025 Portal Season

Patriot8

All-American
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
We are no longer in an odd environment. We are in the new normal.
The environment this off-season is different than past years. For the most part, budgets have drastically increased across the board, as have player “salaries” and expectations. Players who were probably pulling 75k-100k a year or two ago are 5-10x that now.

With how fast prices are rising, I’m impressed with the approach and results thus far.
 

jessej

All-American
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
The environment this off-season is different than past years. For the most part, budgets have drastically increased across the board, as have player “salaries” and expectations. Players who were probably pulling 75k-100k a year or two ago are 5-10x that now.

With how fast prices are rising, I’m impressed with the approach and results thus far.

Wow,
5-10x
 

Patriot8

All-American
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
Do you think Ellington can be effective at the 5 in the A-10? 6-7 is shorter than ideal but Tony obviously likes him if he’s in for a visit.
On his own, no. I think he can be a fine rotational post guy who can hold his own at the 5 in certain situations. Ideally he is used alongside a true center when Tony wants to go big and command the paint.
 

Jay2014

Recruit
On his own, no. I think he can be a fine rotational post guy who can hold his own at the 5 in certain situations. Ideally he is used alongside a true center when Tony wants to go big and command the paint.
I see Ellington filling into Gio’s role nicely. Maybe a bit more active on the boards than Gio was based on the clips I’ve seen.

Hopefully Tony can bring him in along with another C/F, another PG, and some more 3pt shooting.
 

GMU79

Hall of Famer
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
I’m curious what the roster construction is here, there’s certainly a lot of talent in the wing here but hill, long, and troutman all essentially play the same position and similar roles. Still think we need to land a starting PG and C.
Hewitt rosterish?
 

Verdad

Starter
⭐️ Donor ⭐️

Verdad

Starter
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
2025-26 ROSTERGPMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOFG%FT%3P%PRIOR SCHOOLBACKGROUND/25-26 status
K. Mincy PG 6'1 185
33​
31.8​
15​
2.6​
4.4​
1.5​
0.1​
2.3​
40​
79.1​
36.8​
PresbyterianTrue junior w/ 44 career starts
B. O'Connor G 6'4 2073627.99.12.830.90.32.144.880.437.6Senior
M. Troutman G 6'4
13​
24.2​
13.5​
1.7​
0.8​
0.5​
0.1​
1.8​
43.5​
80​
39.6​
Northeasternrising true senior with 46 career starts
J. Hill G 6'5 185
31​
32.4​
15.8​
5.1​
3.2​
1​
0.3​
2.8​
42.3​
67.1​
23.2​
Ball St.Senior? 1st 2 years at Juco, last year was 1st/only year at D1
D. Adebayo F 6'8 210
36​
29.1​
13.2​
6.9​
1​
0.9​
1.1​
2.3​
51.5​
73.8​
30.6​
Mt. St. Mary5th year Senior with 51 career starts
J. Long G 6'5 2003018.54.71.21.40.60.20.941.677.435.5UMD - 23/24 stats2 years at Seton Hall, 2 years at UMD, did not play last year due to ACL - 2 years remaining per Kaufman
S. Sivka F 6'10 210144.61.50.90.10.10.10.161.533.350Sophomore
E. Kanga F 6'8 215Freshman - 4star recruit, potential immediate impact player/contributor
D. Booker G 6'5 180Freshman
OPEN1
OPEN2
OPEN3
OPEN4
Total16972.813.912
PORTAL TARGETSGPMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOFG%FT%3P%SCHOOLStatus
G. Jones F 6'6 1953326.810.33.910.80.11.450.285.443.8AmericanMom works at Mason, rising true Junior
N. Ellington F 6'7 2353323.49.95.40.50.71.21.256.161.40Murray StateVisit 4/13, 1st year at JUCO, 1 year at Eastern Illinois, last 2 as starter at Murray St, who made 2nd round of NIT last year - 1 year left if JUCO didn't count?
K. Martin G 6'432288.41.71.40.90.21.639.881.334.6Long Beach StateOn campus visit 4/2, MD kid, played at Blue Ridge School in VA, rising true sophomore
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

"Roster Construction Philosophies Vary

The pending House settlement’s changes to how rosters will be constructed has had a significant impact on the portal. Teams can roster 15 players going forward, but all 15 can be on scholarship instead of the old 13-scholarship cap. That said, just because all 15 may receive a scholarship doesn’t mean staffs will allocate precious revenue share and NIL dollars to players at the back end of their rosters. Even the biggest budgets nationally, believed to be just north of $10 million for a handful of top-tier programs, can vanish quickly if spread around 12 to 15 players. Some will operate with a traditional 12 to 13 players and allow their walk-ons to stay on the team in those final few roster spots; others may take it even further and focus all their resources to nine or 10 players and backfill the remaining roster spots with dart throws. You’ll see very few teams fill all 15 roster spots with players talented enough to make a real impact that season, both for budgetary and also chemistry reasons.

One high-major staff I spoke to this week has spent its entire budget on nine players and is now looking for two to three freshmen or transfers who’d come for nothing other than a scholarship, which are extremely hard to find in this day and age. Some staffs have saved a few dollars here and there for those end-of-bench filler pieces, referred to by some GMs and personnel staffers as “minimum contracts” that often end up in the $100,000 range to woo freshmen or junior-college players who’ll largely serve as developmental pieces and practice bodies. But those end-of-bench value pieces can sometimes end up becoming critical role players after injuries or missed evaluations blow up projected rotations, so keep an eye on those moves around the margins.

Big picture though, there has been an emphasis in conversations with several top assistants and GMs on avoiding overpaying for players projected to come off the bench. One program I spoke to earlier this cycle said they wanted to ensure they spent 75% of their overall budget on their projected starting five after spreading their dollars around far too much the previous year, and that general framework is something that has been echoed in a number of conversations in recent days and weeks. The thinking: Spending $500,000 each on two mediocre wings is less efficient than betting big on a $700,000 or $800,000 potential high-level starter and using a developmental piece in the $200,000 range behind them."
 

Verdad

Starter
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
We may not like it, but O'Connor may be part of the plan at PG.

Mincy as starting PG
O'Conner/Hill/Long/Troutman as G's
Adebayo/Stras as F

That is 7, not counting the freshmen, but I still question if Stras has the ability to defend at a high enough level to get serious minutes.

Would like another true PG and we need a legit 5. Do we know if any of those other G's are options at the point? Hill averaged 3.2 assists and Long averaged 1.4 in 18.5 mins/game.

Sounds like another name or two is gonna drop soon.
 

psyclone

Hall of Famer

"Roster Construction Philosophies Vary

The pending House settlement’s changes to how rosters will be constructed has had a significant impact on the portal. Teams can roster 15 players going forward, but all 15 can be on scholarship instead of the old 13-scholarship cap. That said, just because all 15 may receive a scholarship doesn’t mean staffs will allocate precious revenue share and NIL dollars to players at the back end of their rosters. Even the biggest budgets nationally, believed to be just north of $10 million for a handful of top-tier programs, can vanish quickly if spread around 12 to 15 players. Some will operate with a traditional 12 to 13 players and allow their walk-ons to stay on the team in those final few roster spots; others may take it even further and focus all their resources to nine or 10 players and backfill the remaining roster spots with dart throws. You’ll see very few teams fill all 15 roster spots with players talented enough to make a real impact that season, both for budgetary and also chemistry reasons.

One high-major staff I spoke to this week has spent its entire budget on nine players and is now looking for two to three freshmen or transfers who’d come for nothing other than a scholarship, which are extremely hard to find in this day and age. Some staffs have saved a few dollars here and there for those end-of-bench filler pieces, referred to by some GMs and personnel staffers as “minimum contracts” that often end up in the $100,000 range to woo freshmen or junior-college players who’ll largely serve as developmental pieces and practice bodies. But those end-of-bench value pieces can sometimes end up becoming critical role players after injuries or missed evaluations blow up projected rotations, so keep an eye on those moves around the margins.

Big picture though, there has been an emphasis in conversations with several top assistants and GMs on avoiding overpaying for players projected to come off the bench. One program I spoke to earlier this cycle said they wanted to ensure they spent 75% of their overall budget on their projected starting five after spreading their dollars around far too much the previous year, and that general framework is something that has been echoed in a number of conversations in recent days and weeks. The thinking: Spending $500,000 each on two mediocre wings is less efficient than betting big on a $700,000 or $800,000 potential high-level starter and using a developmental piece in the $200,000 range behind them."
"Minimal"=$100K range. One step above a walk-on---really??
 

jessej

All-American
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
We may not like it, but O'Connor may be part of the plan at PG.

Mincy as starting PG
O'Conner/Hill/Long/Troutman as G's
Adebayo/Stras as F

That is 7, not counting the freshmen, but I still question if Stras has the ability to defend at a high enough level to get serious minutes.

Would like another true PG and we need a legit 5. Do we know if any of those other G's are options at the point? Hill averaged 3.2 assists and Long averaged 1.4 in 18.5 mins/game.

Sounds like another name or two is gonna drop soon.

Does O'Conner stay if he is not a starter?
He has less than a week to figure that out.
 
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