as much as I want Jalen to return to SCU, I wonder if he would be more effective as a recruiting tool if he were to be drafted in the 1st round. Probably wouldn’t help with incoming freshman (I’m guessing all of the real talent has long already committed to universities), but perhaps it could help with transfers? Does the transfer portal close after the draft, or before?
Definitely would be a great recruiting tool if Jalen lands in the 1st round despite the near term pain of losing him. Impressed Pepperdine was able to hold on to Houston Mallette (random fact, his dad is the athletic director at UC Riverside). I think some players realize that if your ultimate goal is the NBA then the best thing you can do is be forced to have the ball in your hands and makes plays…and the WCC coupled with a tough non conference schedule will get plenty of NBA scout eyeballs on you.
Here is a list of all the WCC Draft picks. You can sort by players drafted in the first round. The last non BYU/Gonzaga 1st rounder for the WCC was Brandon Armstrong (Pepperdine) in 2001. Won’t count Olowakandi since Pacific was not in the WCC at the time…and then the next 2 were Steve Nash in 1997 and Doug Christie 1992.
I think it needs to be “drafted” and “succeeded” in the NBA – the drafted washouts don’t (in my opinion) help recruiting. The draftees who end up playing for years in the league end up being billboards for the collegiate programs that produced them.
Also makes me think how different our fortunes would’ve been had Nick Vanos not passed away so early in his pro career. Even a mediocre career as a center could’ve helped CW/DD recruit more talented bigs.
The transfer portal closed on May 1 (for fall and winter sports). From what I understand, student-athletes had to be in the portal by that date in order to transfer. I was unable to find out if someone who is in the portal when it closes can still return to their team, or if they are committed to transfer to another school if they are still in the portal as of the deadline. Anyone know the answer? Also, is there a deadline to commit to a new school? Or is that simply determined by the deadlines that the new school imposes?
Athletes can continue to enter the portal after May 1, though anyone who didn’t get in prior to the deadline will require a waiver to compete immediately. Anyone entered in the portal prior to May 1 will not need a waiver, and as I understand it, can return to their school if they choose.
Interesting point and I actually that was one of the selling points to Podz. I also looked into all the new mock drafts and I’m seeing Jalen Williams picked in the mid to late 2nd round. Honestly it would be nice to have a Bronco in the NBA.
If you click anywhere in the top left of the embedded tweet, you should see a couple photos where one is a paragraph about Jalen.
1 Like
Thanks for posting Julia.
I’ll add…Pepperdine landed 6-10 transfer from USC, Boubacar Coulibaly.
And the transfers Julia noted really fill gaping holes for USF and LMU.
USF: With Bouyea gone and Shabazz transferring USF had only a handful of guards on their roster. Williams fills a need for a true PG, started for A&M and averaged 8pts, 3.4 assists. But the previous year at Wyoming averaged 15pts, 4 assists…probably a better indicator of what he could do in the WCC.
LMU: Issanza is 7-1, 230lbs. Didn’t play much at Oklahoma but he at least provides some legitimate size in the post that was truly lacking last season for LMU…they didn’t have a player over 6-8 on their roster and zero true posts/centers.
Lavin and USD just landed Stanford grad transfer, Jaden Delaire. 6-9 forward was a 4-star out of HS. Started most of the past 2 seasons, career highs of 12.5pts, 4.1 rebounds. About a 32% 3pt shooter but on low volume.
1 Like
WOW! Lavin already weaving some magic. Looking forward to improved hoops throughout the WCC. Pilots look like they’ll be tough, perhaps even a #3 or #4 league finish is in reach. LMU should be improved, but Pacific and Pepp likely to be cellar dwellers again, unless I’m missing some big roster news from either.
Current Projected National Rankings based off what we know now using Bart Torvik’s RosterCast. I think Pepperdine is the biggest wildcard but they have to at least pretend to play defense next year.
Gonzaga 5
St Marys 39
Santa Clara 70 (with Jalen), 93 (without Jalen)
BYU 82
USF 84 (with Shabazz), 118 (without Shabazz)
Portland 108
LMU 138
USD 161
Pepperdine 168
Pacific 225
1 Like
Not that Torvik numbers are likely to end up accurate at the end of the season, but having 9/10 teams on the cusp of being better than 150 is pretty darn good. Power conferences generally have about half their teams or better in the top 50, but these projected numbers are within spitting distance of last year’s Pac-12, for instance.
If anything, these projections in what otherwise would be a likely down year for the WCC suggests that the conference has a post-BYU future.
1 Like
Not portal news but there is no other wcc thread and I find it interesting:
Thought I heard or read our Broncos were heading to Italy this summer as well.
Anyone else hear or can confirm?
According to the Day of Giving website, they are headed to Spain and France this summer.
2 Likes
Not sure if it was already reported but USD/Lavin also landed 6-11 grad transfer center Nic Lynch from Lehigh. Experienced player, 3 year starter…roughly 10pts and 4+ rebounds a game over the past few years.
USD also landed transfer Deuce Turner, 6-2 guard. Spent his freshmen year at Bucknell and scored 8pts/game and spent last season at a JUCO.
Lavin has pulled in 5 transfers including some high level P6 guys plus 1 HS recruit. Lavin has always been able to recruit…the question is: can he coach and do anything with the talent he’s brought in?
1 Like
I think he’s already proven that he can coach.
At UCLA:
- During Lavin’s tenure as a head coach, he was one of only two coaches in the country to lead a team to five NCAA Regional Semifinals (Sweet 16’s) in six seasons - the other coach being Mike Krzyzewski.
- Lavin’s record at UCLA in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament was 10-1. His winning percentage (90.9%) in the first two rounds is second only to Dean Smith in NCAA Tournament history.
- Lavin is the only college coach to have defeated the No. 1 team in the country in four consecutive collegiate seasons: Stanford in 2000 and 2001, Kansas in 2002 and Arizona in 2003.
- Lavin guided UCLA to six consecutive seasons of 20 or more wins, as well as six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
1 Like