We are going to be good next season. Duke is probably losing their two best players but they are like a new version of Kentucky reloading and (hopefully) coming up short again and again. Now UK did win it all with a generational talent with Anthony Davis but Duke came up short with a generational talent like Cooper Flagg. LOL.
Ever since St Johns' 1st weekend exit from the NCAA Tournament, Rick Pitino is landing many great players through the transfer portal: G: 6'5 Oziyah Sellers (UF liked him?) - from Stanford G: 6'5 Bryce Hopkins - Providence PF: 6'7 Joson Sanon - Arizona St PG: (projected) 6'4 Ian Jackson - UNC https://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/ncaa-sends-message-st-johns-after-transfer-portal-news https://247sports.com/season/2025-basketball/transferportaltop/ Pitino is quickly rebuilding for another great team next season. Other SEC competitiors like Kentucky, for example, has also added some very nice pieces to their team. https://247sports.com/season/2025-basketball/transferteamrankings/?Conference=SEC Actually, many of Florida's competitors who had early NCAA exits or didn't qualify for the post-season (i.e UConn, LSU, UK, etc.) are also rebuiding/reloading for their respective teams and also have a bit of an early start over Final Four teams like Florida. I am just relieved and greatful that Coach Golden had landed a key piece in PG Xaivian Lee for a chance to field another great team next season. Florida probably needs to add at least a couple of more players from the transfer portal. Coach Golden had a later start in this current transfer portal and he also needed to add a couple of new coaches to his staff. That's thanks to Florida making a run in the NCAA of course & ultimately winning it all - obviously, totally worth it if UF misses out on some other players. However to be fair for everyone, the NCAA needs to set the NCAA portal date to at least a couple of days after the Basketball Final ends.
OK, so someone check my quick transfer math. We had 13 scholarship players last year, but the maximum number of scholarship players is increasing to 15 for the 2025-2026 season. Clayton, Martin and Richard are all graduating and Kublickas is leaving in the portal, so that takes us down to nine. Add Alex Lloyd and and CJ Ingram as high school recruits and that brings us to 11. Lee as a transfer makes 12. If you figure AJ Brown's transfer is more a matter of "when" instead of "if" that makes 13 scholarship players. Figure Haugh and Condon both come back. So even with both Lee and (hypothetically) Brown coming in as transfers, we still have two available roster spots, right?
I have 3 spots left with Lee. Technically 4 as Condo is "in" draft mode. Seniors Denzel Aberdeen Sam Alexis Micah Handlogten Xaivier Lee Juniors Thomas Haugh Alex Condon Rueben Chinyelu Urban Klavzar Sophomores Viktor Mikic Isaiah Brown Freshmen Alex Lloyd CJ Ingram
Still a lot of pushback on the new roster limits. We’ll see if they get implemented. Likely, but not certain. House vs. NCAA settlement gets possible revisions, but not on roster limits
Bruce Pearl was asked about this at the Final Four and said essentially that is the price of getting far in the tourney. He didn't think it was fair for 300 something teams and thousands of players to have to sit with their hands tied while the last 16 teams are finishing their season. Interesting take.
Golden was calling kids from the Final Four. Got to think that has to impress them. I’m not sure it is that much of a detriment, they are still recruiting while they are there.
Isaiah Brown sure gets relegated quickly to afterthought status in next season's guard rotation. I think he's got a lot to contribute.
The balls on this kid! Following Clayton and competing with Aberdeen is ballsy. He obviously wants to win and has made a great choice. He deserves a lot of support from us.
The youth today, they just don't get it. I can make you a STAR and rich. Why do you want something more? Clayton and Golden? Beginner's luck. Yeah, they may do another back-to-back, but still, we Italians are the BEST! Honest!!!
Um, does anyone see what I see in this picture, unless there was some serious growth spurts after the picture was taken? That ref is TALL!
He appeared to be a multiyear development guy. You never know what anyone can do with more time. Klavzar looked like he was not going to get many minutes until Martin got hurt. And then he and Aberdeen got to get more settled. And the rest is history. He appears to me to be the heir apparent to Richard. Can he pull it off? We shall see.
Everything was fine for Duke until they needed some seasoned players who have had the chance to jell around some adversity. What a total waste of talent and money. Do it again!!!
When they go to 15 scholly’s, I believe that’s also a hard cap, which means no more walk ons if you fill the 15 with scholarship players. Don’t think they’re booting ollie. We don’t have to give all 15 players scholarships, but we’re allowed to and the cap is 15 either way.
If this is the year they’re going to 15, you have to count the walkons too, unless they’re being kicked to the curb.
Pretty sure the portal windows are tied to enrollment periods, so you'd likely have to move the sports seasons to accommodate, not the windows. Or you'd have to move the enrollment periods, and that seems even more unlikely than moving the season dates. I think they are what they are, and you just have to deal with it if you make a run.
