Lucas deleted his post that mentioned potential Iowa transfer Chris Tadjo so not sure if he’s still in the mix. Verbal Commits still shows him as uncommitted.
Tadjo is listed at 6-8, 240 and is athletic. Clearly a Cam replacement, could play either 5 or 4. Fairly raw, but dominated in HS in Canada with his size/athleticism.
Very limited highlights, mostly him dunking or rim finishes in an All-Star game below. I’m some other recruiting stuff considers him a strong rebounder which we definitely need. Don’t know if he has much of back to the basket game, unlikely he does much on the perimeter.
Even if we land Tadjo, as Patty mentioned, I also hope we continue to pursue another wide bodied post. Ideally a Francisco Caffaro v2.0; ideally 6-10+ and a post banger. We have nice length at the 5 with Bukky and incoming Chukwudebelu but both are on the skinny side, especially Bukky. Plus our returning 4’s Engsminger and Graves aren’t bangers either. We need some strength and toughness to deal with the better returning bigs in conference (Ike and Huff at GU, Wessel and Murauskas at SMC).
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Next year, a lot of pressure will be on frosh or relatively green players pretty much no matter what…product of losing a big and prolific senior class + Tilly.
Mahi, Knapper, and Ensminger are a decent core to build around but the latter two have never been reliable scorers. Knapper can probably make that leap, but that’s never been Ensminger’s role even in international play. If Hammond can pick up where he left off from the SMC game over a year ago, there’s some real potential. Cochran is apparently lighting it up in a Philly-area All Star Tournament, so there’s plenty of scoring talent there.
The front court is a big mystery. Graves has supposedly rocked in practice. Will it translate to real games? Can Chukwudebelu redeem his former 5-star rated talent? Will Bukky’s flashes turn into consistent strong play?
Last year’s Santa Clara had the luxury of returning 5 major scoring players, plus steady role players in Ensminger and Knapper, and then Mahi as X factor. It won’t even be close to that next year with a lot of gambles on major, unproven talent.
Then again, the 1b of Santa Clara players of the last generation was an unknown off the deep bench at Illinois with basically no D1 proven talent. Who knows.
Needs as I see them:
- Big body center, rebounds and defense first, scoring secondary.
- Tall, athletic wing. The Iowa player would fit the bill as an Eli Scott or Stacy Davis type who can bang inside.
- Proven scorer at any position. Even if from D2 or JUCO ranks. There’s just no proven offense outside of Mahi. Getting someone who has shown the ability to drop 20+ at times will take a little risk away from the current roster. Think Bryan or Mahi before they came to SCU.
- Another PF? Not totally essential if (2) is filled by a wing with a big enough body to rebound and defend larger players. But I’m not sure that it’s safe to have just Ensminger and Graves and maybe Chukwudebelu playable at the 4.
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https://x.com/munzly/status/1913277617421058333?t=iipJEKxggy79x8Uxv6YqNA&s=19
Jacob Dar from Rice is another one to watch. Can definitely see the appeal after watching his highlights. Long and wiry who would thrive in our 3pt heavy offense.
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-Strongly agree on #1 as previously noted.
-#2- I don’t see Tadjo as a wing…he’s listed at 240lbs, seems clearly a forward, Cam Tongue model. But yes an athletic wing wouldn’t hurt. Jacob Dar from 'Bob’s post above would fit the description.
-#3- That’s what I hope MSU’s Normand could bring, though not proven at D1, he was regarded as a strong scorer in HS.
And your point re: D2, JUCO as recruiting ground is very valid, I’d even add DIII and the higher level NAIA leagues are comparable to DII. There are plenty of examples of guys moving up and doing quite well, especially guards. USF’s Khalil Shabazz started his career at DII Central Washington. Last season Drake’s new coach brought half is DII squad with him and now has moved to Iowa and brought several with him again; Bennett Stirtz wasn’t just capable of moving up to DI, he was/is a star and carried Drake to the tourney last year.
-#4- If we land Tadjo, and a true big center as hoped I’m not sure another 4 is critical. Appears Tadjo can play the 4, adding to Graves and Ensminger. And we occasionally went with a smaller lineup last season w/ Mahi as the 4 which can work in doses and in fact may be ideal at times as he isn’t small at 6-7, 220.
With scholarships bumping up to 15 it will be interesting to see if we actually fill them all. It’s already hard to keep guys happy w/ PT, expanding to 15 won’t help that issue. But what it may do is allow you to take more fliers on HS or JUCO raw ‘project’ guys who need a couple years of work.
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Wow, Dar is listed at 6’7" and only 170 lbs.
There have been a lot of mentions on this board suggesting Ensminger as a 3/4 guy. But didn’t he play most of his pre-SCU career as a PG? He’s demonstrated that he is a decent ball handler and registered some nice assists. Seems like he is a good decision maker. And he’s probably our best inbounder. If an opponent decides to full-court press, I’d have him in there with Knapper.
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I think of Ensminger as sort of a point-forward. He can definitely run the offense, but his primary off-ball skill is rebounding which means that he should be pulled more toward the hoop when the ball isn’t in his hands and have at least a few post-up skills to take advantage of his height.
The NBA is showing that you can run offense through any position. All else being equal, I still think having an agile PG like Ryan Nembhard tends to work best at the college level. But having Ensminger on the floor definitely gives SCU more latitude to prioritize shooting over distributing in the backcourt. I think he was essential this past season as a reliable decisionmaker surrounded by high octane offensive players. Or, having Ensminger and Knapper on the floor at once should both allow and force everyone else on the floor to be looking for their shot.
Re: Tadjo – here’s an article arguing for him as a high potential and underrated prospect before he arrived at Iowa: Why On3 is higher than the industry with 4-star Iowa signee Chris Tadjo - On3
Running an offense through any position is different than saying anyone can be a point guard.
Ensminger doesn’t have the requisite speed/quickness to play a traditional point guard role in college. And defensively doesn’t possess the lateral quickness to pressure opposing point guards. If we played him as a PG, teams would likely put someone like USF’s Malik Thomas, or our own Bryan on him; against those types, he struggles to break down defenders off the dribble either in half court or against full court pressure.
He’s fine in a complimentary playmaking role, as a passer within half court sets, or bringing the ball up off defensive rebounds on fast breaks with limited to no defensive pressure but that doesn’t necessarily make someone a point guard.
Another way to view this…the point guard position has arguably been our least effective position and role the past 2 seasons and yet the coaches still haven’t tried Ensminger in that role as a primary ballhandler. They know full well that he played PG in Europe. I suspect they see the same thing I do, that he will struggle if you try to make him a primary/exclusive ball handler in a point guard role in D1 hoops.
And recall the crazy USF game in 2024 when a bunch of guys got tossed…Jalen Benjamin got tossed, Knapper and I believe Bal were out hurt. Ensminger was sharing the ball handling duties w/ Hammond I believe and in a key possession late, Ensminger coughed up a turnover in the backcourt to a forward (Mogbo) in 1on1 defensive pressure…yes, small sample size, but it’s an example of how he might struggle against athletic defenders if you ask him to handle the ball all over the court.
I suspect the ‘why not Ensminger at point guard?’ dialogue will persist on this board until he graduates. And for whatever reason fans everywhere, including here, always seem fascinated by tall point guards. Pining for the next Magic or Doncic I guess…but those guys are unicorns and outliers, not proof it’s common and viable.
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Good video on Aleksandar Gavalyugov’s background. Comes from a basketball family.
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Great stuff. I am constantly impressed by people who can convey thoughtfulness and insight in a second language. He certainly seems to be skilled and focused on success.
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Great pickup. Was getting attention from other high majors despite his lack of PT, and there are few better coaches to learn from than Izzo. Still need a center and hopefully Tadjo.
That would still leave the Broncos without a proven scorer other than Mahi. But at least there would be a lot of overall talent. Just need 2-3 of the young guys/transfers to show a big leap forward. Or use a 14th scholarship to get someone who can put the ball in the hoop.
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Normand
Some high school observations from 24/7…
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Gehrig & Sasha are both quality portal pickups. I however think the effectiveness of the portal season will be to sign Rice forward Jacob Dar. He is pretty special. He reminds me a little of Bal but more assertive and a more reliable handle.
I know he had his visit just yesterday 
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Dar may or may not be as talented as Bal. And while it would be nice to add skilled/athletic wing it is a secondary need after a physical/strong post…need at least one preferably two. Between Mahi and Normand the 3/wing is fine, plus Ensminger can slide own and play there.
It’s critical to address needs, not just accumulate a collection of talented guys without regard to filling all the needed roles. Our biggest flaw last season was a lack of physical toughness. Our starting frontcourt was manned by Tilly, O’Neil and Bal…yes an offensively talented group but also the very definition of finesse players. Tilly and Bal generally shied away from contact, weren’t great defensively and would get bullied in the paint.
Cam was the only frontcourt player who fit the bill in providing the physicality that was otherwise sorely lacking and he is gone; we absolutely have to fill that whole and get better in this regard.
Ensminger is fundamentally sound in terms of blocking out and doesn’t shy from contact but he is hardly a brute, only about 210-220lbs and isn’t an explosive athlete.
Tadjo could fill that hole so hopefully he commits to the Broncos. If not Tadjo, then we at least need someone similar to Bediako or preferably Caffaro, true centers who can defend the post, rebound, clog the lane and defend the rim.
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Strong points. Whether he is better or not isn’t the actual point; the reality is they Dar possesses a similar skillset and has a score first mentality. He is regarded as a two way wing which would give the Broncos great position versatility. Also dual two way wings with both Mahi and potentially Dar.
Dar would enable a defensive upgrade without sacrificing scoring prowess. Lastly on Dar we have many players that can score but not all that are three level scorers that can take over the game its helpful to have that calibur of player if we’re to compete with the upper echelon.
On the other hand a big is also a huge priority. The roster lost 4 to the transfer portal and graduated an additional 4 I believe there still a availability and scholarship for 2-3 more roles.
Tadjo would be a huge addition to the front-court. Like you I am hopeful that we acquire him and even still we would need another option at this position. The Harry Wessel like big is highly coveted and I am hoping we land one.
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I think it may be important to remember our offense was 42nd in the net and defense was maybe 72nd in the net. After 4-5 20 win seasons the Broncos have an identity around roster profile that works and we should lean into those strengths. It may make sense to lean into where we thrive. Having a few sturdy bigs is helpful but we have athleticism and versatile scorers. We push the break and play efficient offense. On defense we bend but don’t break in an effort to speed up opponents into mistakes.
I think we can do better than Caffaro and Bediako. Each had their strengths but also defense was’n’t theirs. Their inability to use their feet left them chasing defenders and playing in constant foul trouble. This is the same Challenge that Bukky must overcome to becoming an elite player. Bukky is another front court option that can be a mismatch nightmare for opponents if he figures it out. And he will!
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Update on WCC outbound transfers….several have landed at power conf schools:
- WSU’s Nate Calmese to Wake Forest
- OSU’s Lelevicius to TCU; Parsa Fallah to Oklahoma St.; DeMarco Minor to Pitt and Maxim Logue to Florida Atlantic.
Malik Thomas and Cedric Coward are still on the market.
Bediako flourished at Seton Hall…
Started all 37 games for the Pirates … Had 16 games scoring in double figures … Recorded five double-doubles … Set career highs in points (301), rebounds (256) and blocks (61) … One of 19 players in the BIG EAST to record multiple double-doubles in conference games this season … Topped the conference in total offensive rebounds with 129 … Led the BIG EAST with a 16.7 offensive rebound percentage … Ranked top 20 in Division I in offensive rebounds per game at 3.49 … Ranked top 40 in Division I in total blocks … Recorded the 2nd most blocks in conference games at 37 … Recorded the 2nd most offensive rebounds in conference games with 76 … Ranked 9th in the BIG EAST in rebounds per game at 6.9 … Picked up his first double-double in the blue & white against FDU, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the win (Nov. 11) … Notched his second double-double of the season against Iowa, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds (Nov. 24) … Picked up a double-double in the win over Monmouth, going for 11 points and 10 boards in just 19 minutes (Dec 12) …Registered his fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 boards to go along with five blocks against No. 18 Creighton (Jan. 20) … Scored a season-best 18 points and snatched eight rebounds at No. 14 Marquette (Jan. 27) … Picked up his fifth double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, including a career-best eight offensive boards, in the home win over Villanova (Mar. 6) … Scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds vs. Georgia in the NIT semifinal (Apr. 2) … Recorded a game-saving block on the last defensive possession of the season that helped seal Seton Hall’s win in the NIT final over Indiana State (Apr. 4).
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