MBB: University Athletic Association

[Stretch4]

Sharing this news today from ncaa.com  https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/9/media-center-case-western-reserve-mens-basketball-coach-issued-public-reprimand.aspx  Not sure why it took 2 months for this reprimand of Coach McGuinness, and don't know that it actually means anything in terms of his coaching (other than bad publicity).

[Pat Coleman]

The committee probably wasn't going to have a separate meeting just to discuss this. It could definitely wait until the season was over (and since the NCAA is involved, that means the D-I championship as well), and from there, it probably wasn't the highest priority for the PR machine in Indianapolis to deal with either.

[Ole Ollie 76]

Adusei, Using and Perez Miralles are all returning for Brandeis. Power is attending medical school and won't be back. Brandeis will also be getting back Toby Harris first team all UAA as a sophomore after missing almost all year due to injury.  They also should return 6 10 center Griffin Walbridge who was out injured all year.

[WUPHF]

Adusei, Using and Perez Miralles are all returning for Brandeis. Power is attending medical school and won't be back. Brandeis will also be getting back Toby Harris first team all UAA as a sophomore after missing almost all year due to injury.  They also should return 6 10 center Griffin Walbridge who was out injured all year.

I was planning to do a pre-season tier / ranking but I was struggling with what to do with Brandeis.  Having those three back is going to be big.

I did have Harris on my list though with limited stats.  Harris will undoubtedly be part of an always intriguing player of the year race that may include a longer than usual list of candidates.

I would not have had Walbridge on my radar, but that is good to know.

Congratulations to Ryan Power.  The travel required to compete in college basketball makes it especially difficult to get the required science curriculum in so all the more impressive.

[nescac1]

Man, UAA looks loaded after major injuries compromised last year.  Only CMU looks likely to be very down from this year.  Wash U. and Brandeis bring back stars from injuries plus virtually everyone else.  Emory has nearly everyone back.  NYU and Case both lose a ton but already have big-time transfers lined up with more sure to come for both.  Rochester and Chicago both figure to around the same or at maybe marginally better and Chicago seems to have a strong recruiting class coming in (https://prephoops.com/college/chicago/ - keep on eye on LJ Moore).  Only CMU really looks down from last year. 

[Ole Ollie 76]

Brandeis recruits Jai Despande grad transfer Whitman. Second team all region 18 pts per game
Rob Watson 6 6 forward from Baldwin Wallace grad transfer
Alex Zakheim ~ yes he is the younger brother of the Yeshiva star - point guard
Ryan Weiss - St. Andrew's Rhode Island - scored 1800 points in high school and prep school - 108 threes, 42% last year.
If everyone is healthy Brandeis will be loaded next season with virtually the whole team back including Toby Harris who was first team all UAA the season before last and who was injured virtually all season last year.

[nescac1]

Man, Brandeis does sound really loaded, assuming Harris comes back 100 percent.  The UAA is stacked and it will be interesting to see if one of its top-tier teams (Wash U., Emory and Brandeis for sure, maybe NYU and Case too depending on who they bring in as transfers) can finally make a really deep tourney run this year.  UAA has been so strong across the board, with so much balance, for so many years, but it's kind of crazy that no UAA has made it to the Final Four since 2009 -- the longest drought by far of any of the D3 power conferences.

Any word on Justin Allen from CMU?  He is I'd say probably the biggest D3 name outstanding in the transfer portal ... 

[ronk]

 My contact at Case has transferred out so no more info to pass on about their new players(recruits/transfers).

[saratoga]

My contact at Case has transferred out so no more info to pass on about their new players(recruits/transfers).

Ronk:
Have you been slipping coupons to Pappa John's to freshmen recruits again for a scoop?

[Ole Ollie 76]

I don't know where -- if anywhere -- Justin Allen is going but his twitter account said in March he was getting interest from several Ivys, a few other D-1 schools, and a bunch of D2s.

[ronk]

My contact at Case has transferred out so no more info to pass on about their new players(recruits/transfers).

Ronk:
Have you been slipping coupons to Pappa John's to freshmen recruits again for a scoop?

 Just referring to a guy who works out at the same fitness center as me.

[WUPHF]

It will be interesting to see where Justin Allen lands.  I expected him to have a new school by now, but I still think he finds a home on a Division I roster.

Rochester had a lot of luck keeping players for a fifth season post-Covid, but it looks like Matt Wiele is not on the updated roster. 

I think they'll be pretty good as Jagodziniski is a stud and the other three underclassmen look very good.  But they could really use a graduate transfer to replace Wiele.

  PPG  FG%  3P%  REB/G  AST/G  STL  BLK
Jagodzinski  14.12  0.44  0.4  6.76  1.32  25  17
Wiele (s)  13.48  0.53  0.39  6.2  2.32  28  34
Adetosoye  10.4  0.45  0.22  4.48  3  38  12
Oprea  7.52  0.45  0.42  2.57  0.57  10  1
Moore  7.08  0.39  0.35  3.63  0.58  8  6

[E.115]

Strong rumors CWRU just landed another talent ... anyone know anything? 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Strong rumors CWRU just landed another talent ... anyone know anything? 

The tweet included "run it back."  I wonder if Thorburn decided not to go to Hopkins?  I'm not sure of anyone else who was a grad transfer.  Unless "run it back" was not specifically applicable to the player.

[nescac1]

This isn't the guy referenced in that CWRU tweet, but I noticed another unreported grad transfer headed there, Christian McDaniel from Hamilton. He's a pesky defense-first guard - a solid role player to have coming off the bench.