In reply to LawHall88 There's 3 incoming freshmen coming as well

In reply to NativeAg3

NativeAg3 said:

---

There's 3 incoming freshmen coming as well

---

The one from Houston is almost certainly a walk on.

In reply to NativeAg3

NativeAg3 said:

---

There's 3 incoming freshmen coming as well

---

The McDermott kid is walking on hence why TexAgs or A&M athletics department hasn't mentioned him at all.

In reply to LawHall88 He would become the greatest walk on in Aggie basketball history (not saying I don't think he will be a walk on, but he will certainly get a scholarship at some point in his career)

there's no way we could snag Arthur Kaluma right!?

In reply to EliteZags To be fair both the obaseki and Robinson were very highly rated recruits, and being a 3 star is nothing to scoff over. Lee doesn't even have a 247 page at all

In reply to NativeAg3

NativeAg3 said:

---

He would become the greatest walk on in Aggie basketball history (not saying I don't think he will be a walk on, but he will certainly get a scholarship at some point in his career)

---

I am excited about getting McDermott! I think Buzz knows we are going to have a large number of scholarship spots open up next year and would not be surprised if he essentially promised one to this relatively highly rated (top 150) PWO.

The kid is reportedly strong academically and is a double double machine - but at a 20/20 pace rather than just 10/10.

See: https://guyvlewisaward.org/

Note some of the prior winners.

In reply to LawHall88

LawHall88 said:

---

AgEfan said:

---

It's means being on the team.

---

Well then we are back to MarcAg's question, 8 returning players + 3 transfers + 2 incoming freshman = 13 scholarships. Something has to give to add another player. So maybe we have a player who is converting into a graduate assistant?

---

Perhaps, just like with the case of the McDermott incoming freshman PWO, we might put together an enticing NIL package and compete to get one more player without the need to have another scholarship available.

In that case, I would think it might be for a graduate transfer- but I am not aware of any rules that don't allow an undergraduate to transfer to a school and play without an athletic scholarship.

I'm still hoping for JT Toppin, the kid from Dallas who was Texas 4A POTY in 2023 and MWC Freshman of the Year playing for New Mexico this past season - averaging almost a double double - and still developing.

But not sure we can compete for him as I suspect the price will be very high.

In reply to pierceshipp

pierceshipp said:

---

there's no way we could snag Arthur Kaluma right!?

---

He would be the perfect piece that we need. But he can go anywhere, so would be tough. He knows Manny and Wade though, but still hard to imagine we can get him. Plus he's still exploring nba as a possibility.

In reply to MarcAg Eluding to billy thinking we get one more my money is on

Brandon Gardner
Arthur Kaluma
Trazarien White

No particular order

In reply to pierceshipp

pierceshipp said:

---

Eluding to billy thinking we get one more my money is on

Brandon Gardner
Arthur Kaluma
Trazarien White

No particular order

---

All three appear to be strong and likely potentially significant contributors when I looked up how they played at previous stops.

First two on the list, though, have only one year of eligibility left - while White has two years.

For that reason alone, would prefer White out of those three.

In reply to Fanatic15...Drs2B! Gardner would have 3 years im pretty sure

In reply to pierceshipp

pierceshipp said:

---

Gardner would have 3 years im pretty sure

---

4. He redshirted this year.

Quote:

---

As he prepares for his first season at Arkansas, John Calipari said he won't stack his rosters with an abundance of talent, which was his tactic during his lengthy tenure at Kentucky.

On the latest episode of his "Ways to Win" podcast with former Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson this week, Calipari said the turnover in college basketball in the transfer portal era has changed his philosophy on assembling rosters.

"You may think I'm crazy, but I told my staff I only want to have eight or nine guys," Calipari told Robinson, who is now executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. "They're leaving anyway, and why would I develop a kid for someone else? Why would I do that?"

---

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40115234/amid-portal-era-calipari-hints-limiting-arkansas-roster-8-9-guys

I understand that sentiment, but if the injury bug hits your team you're screwed.

In reply to Fanatic15...Drs2B! Some studs on that list, definitely gives me hope for the future after we lose the majority of our team next season!

BREAKING: Baylor has landed Cal transfer Jalen Celestine, he told @TheFieldOf68.

The 6-7 guard averaged 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and shot 44 percent from 3 this past season.

Celestine was injured the previous season.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 11, 2024

It's called a "Marfo" when a player transfers back to a team he previously played on based on Kevin Marfo, who transferred from Quinnipiac to Texas A&M and back to Quinnipiac, and is believed to be the first player to transfer back to a previous school.

🚨 MARFO 🚨 https://t.co/iLuPFzl6Jp

— Trilly Donovan (@trillydonovan) May 10, 2024

"I had a HC tell me that there's a player in the transfer portal right now who's asking price right now is $1.8M for one year" - Tom Crean just now with us on @ESPNRadio

Again I ask, who's going to be the 1st player to sue the NCAA for limiting their eligibility to 4/5 years.

— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) May 12, 2024

That's more than what I was told our entire available basketball NIL was last year.

In reply to MarcAg Yep. Now that players can get paid without having to hide it, can transfer whenever they want with no penalties, next step is to sue to remain on college teams as long as they want. Stating how it is not fair they are forced to give up a nice paying job after an arbitrary 4 years.

Just imagine a roster with a bunch of 30+ year olds on it and how Buzz will have to adapt his 'shaping young men' courses.

[url]

North Texas transfer guard John Buggs III has received interest from the following programs:

Texas A&M
Memphis
West Virginia
St John’s
Utah State
South Florida
Saint Louis
East Carolina
UTSA
Tulane
Drake
ETSU
+More pic.twitter.com/sVHnDHdLKG

— ThePortalScoop (@ThePortalScoop) May 14, 2024

[/url]

In reply to Pumpkinhead

Pumpkinhead said:

---

Yep. Now that players can get paid without having to hide it, can transfer whenever they want with no penalties, next step is to sue to remain on college teams as long as they want. Stating how it is not fair they are forced to give up a nice paying job after an arbitrary 4 years.

Just imagine a roster with a bunch of 30+ year olds on it and how Buzz will have to adapt his 'shaping young men' courses.

---

Every organization in the world is allowed to have eligibility rules.

I can't practice medicine if I don't meet the requirements to do so by the medical board

I can't play high school sports because I don't meet the requirements to do so

Ncaa sports are no different

In reply to LawHall88

LawHall88 said:

---

[url]

North Texas transfer guard John Buggs III has received interest from the following programs:

Texas A&M
Memphis
West Virginia
St John’s
Utah State
South Florida
Saint Louis
East Carolina
UTSA
Tulane
Drake
ETSU
+More pic.twitter.com/sVHnDHdLKG

— ThePortalScoop (@ThePortalScoop) May 14, 2024

[/url]

---

Feels like a guy we reached out to 6 weeks ago when he went into the portal because we reach out to everyone. He can shoot, but just doesn't seem like a guy we would add. But I'm just guessing as I don't see him getting much playing time here.

In reply to MarcAg tho appears to possibly have 2 seasons eligibility with medshirt and covid year

https://instagr.am/p/C6_XcOZMWSL

Trazarien White is gone

I'm starting to wonder is Wesley Yates is an option

Cormani McClain was a 5⭐️ incoming freshman this time last year — now he’s walking on at Florida as a transfer.

Given the current NIL rules this will only become more popular. Scholarships are slowly becoming less important for major programs. There needs to be more structure. https://t.co/ynQ0069TAA

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) May 15, 2024

If this is indeed true then we know how A&M basketball has room to add more. We knew Buzz was bringing in kids as walkons with some NIL assistance, but the belief (and I believe rule) was always if you started as a scholarship player you couldn't then later become a walkon. That appears to no longer be the case. So they could be say bringing in the kid from Nebraska in as walkon and give him NIL money for a year and not use a scholarship spot

In reply to MarcAg

MarcAg said:

---

Cormani McClain was a 5⭐️ incoming freshman this time last year — now he’s walking on at Florida as a transfer.

Given the current NIL rules this will only become more popular. Scholarships are slowly becoming less important for major programs. There needs to be more structure. https://t.co/ynQ0069TAA

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) May 15, 2024

If this is indeed true then we know how A&M has room to add more. We knew Buzz was bringing in kids as walkons with some NIL assistance, but the belief (and I believe rule) was always if you started as a scholarship player you couldn't then later become a walkon. That appears to no longer be the case.

---

Maybe you can't move from scholarship to walkon at the same school.