UofL Players Into Portal
- Thread starter shadow force
- Start date
I predict the following will join Johnson in the portal.
Scott
Rooths
Hadley
With Fru and Khalifa and Pryor returning, I don't see why Scott would return. Rooths may move on to a lower level where he can play 30 minutes and improve his game. He can always transfer back to a big school for his junior season.
Hadley is the one player I think may stay regardless of who Kelsey brings in. He knows he's not a NBA prospect so staying where he's loved by the fans may be what he wants?
Pryor said he's coming back or I would predict he would leave as well. He still may, depending on who Kelsey gets in the portal. Pryor does have NBA aspirations.
Scott
Rooths
Hadley
With Fru and Khalifa and Pryor returning, I don't see why Scott would return. Rooths may move on to a lower level where he can play 30 minutes and improve his game. He can always transfer back to a big school for his junior season.
Hadley is the one player I think may stay regardless of who Kelsey brings in. He knows he's not a NBA prospect so staying where he's loved by the fans may be what he wants?
Pryor said he's coming back or I would predict he would leave as well. He still may, depending on who Kelsey gets in the portal. Pryor does have NBA aspirations.
Not trying to speak for cycle, but Johnson saw the writing on the wall when Brown signed. I think he believed he would battle Hepburn for the job when he transferred here, but his injury stopped that.
I think he then watched like the rest of us, Hepburn tear it up and realized he would have been the backup had he been healthy. He didn't transfer to Louisville to play backup minutes and he knows the 5 star recruit will probably do that to him in 2025.
It makes sense he entered on the first day. He wants to be the starter and that's not happening here.
I don’t see Scott going anywhere. Rooths probably not either. Hadley - 50/50.
Wish he would've stuck around, could've always played the 2 and be backup PG..
I can see this too. Scott looks like a loyal guy and a determined player. If he believes he will improve his offense significantly, he could definitely stay.
Same with Rooths. He knows his minutes will go up if he improves his shooting. They both look like they loved their team and would prefer to stay a Cardinal.
However, reality can change in a day. If Kelsey learns some high level dudes in the portal are interested in Louisville, that day could come at any moment. The portal ends in late April so players don't have a lot of time for a plan B.
I hope they stay on because I like both, but if two transfers that are much better want to become Cardinals, I would understand. It's the new era of college hoops.
At its optimum we had three and a half shooters on the floor with Hadley being that half with Chucky, Edwards and Reyne and with Scott being the roaming screen and roller with dribble handoffs. You couldn’t drop cover with the other three on the floor because there wasn’t that hedger to jump the shooter.
So Hadley is in a tough spot for roster building. When he was brought in it wasn’t to be as the four—that was Pryor and Waterman’s role with Traore as a defensive four—it was as a swing man. Lo and behold between the three of them we had a season and a half of lost games due to injury forcing him out of position. Optimally whoever is the three is a bucket getter which is what Edward’s became—again out of necessity because of Korens injury.
I hope Khani sticks but honestly as a four athletically and to be that half scorer. With his length it gives him a lot defensive flexibility. With Ament I have no idea how to project him…he has outgrown the SF but is even less a back to the basket type than Noah. At 190 tops that doesn’t scream 4 but he damned sure wouldn’t be coming here to split time with Rooths and Pryor.
Above all else the need is a scoring guard begging for McNeely and a swing athletic three which seems to be falling out of Dukes butt. Brown is a long lead guard defensively perfect for what we seem to want and looks to have deep range. I think we need a significant upgrade in firepower on the wing, it killed us against Duke, it killed us against Creighton and Auburn might have served up a thirty piece on us Rupp Arena be damned with all the length and bucket getters they have on the wings.
So Hadley is in a tough spot for roster building. When he was brought in it wasn’t to be as the four—that was Pryor and Waterman’s role with Traore as a defensive four—it was as a swing man. Lo and behold between the three of them we had a season and a half of lost games due to injury forcing him out of position. Optimally whoever is the three is a bucket getter which is what Edward’s became—again out of necessity because of Korens injury.
I hope Khani sticks but honestly as a four athletically and to be that half scorer. With his length it gives him a lot defensive flexibility. With Ament I have no idea how to project him…he has outgrown the SF but is even less a back to the basket type than Noah. At 190 tops that doesn’t scream 4 but he damned sure wouldn’t be coming here to split time with Rooths and Pryor.
Above all else the need is a scoring guard begging for McNeely and a swing athletic three which seems to be falling out of Dukes butt. Brown is a long lead guard defensively perfect for what we seem to want and looks to have deep range. I think we need a significant upgrade in firepower on the wing, it killed us against Duke, it killed us against Creighton and Auburn might have served up a thirty piece on us Rupp Arena be damned with all the length and bucket getters they have on the wings.
I should have clarified this was my expectation. He didn’t travel and didn’t see him on the bench or engaged like Pryor, Rogers and Khalif. I don’t think Brown mattered because he could play either spots.
I think the bigger question is who does Kelsey want to keep. He has to have 4-5 legit outside threats for his offense.
Love Hadley but if he demands a big NIL may need to let him go. Rooths can’t shoot. Love his potential but he has to improve his shooting. Scott is extremely limited offensively. Here is the kicker they are all team guys. That matters. Continuity matters. All 3 games would have to improve to cover for the loss of Edwards and Chucky.
Hadley probably leaves or at least he will enter the portal. He has to make the most of his extra year.
I think Scott and Rooths stay.
Rooths has to learn the 3 for him to be a pro. Work on his shot and ball handling. Pretty high ceiling with the right development. Next year will be his decision year. Either way I would expect him to enter the portal. Again he has to test the market.
Scott-he has to develop a shot and how to operate down low. Another high ceiling kid with the right development.
I think player development is the one thing we don’t know with this staff. How good are they in that phase of coach?
So I hate NIL and the portal. Why? Because of all the players possibly to return, Hadley makes the most sense as a key player that Kelsey needs to continue his rebuilding. He has one year under his belt under Kelsey's system. He's a team leader. Scott is important but he's not vital. All due respect, the guys who were injured, we really don't know how they will pan out. The freshmen didn't play enough. I think if you lose Hadley you're still rebuilding. Maybe that's going to be how it always is from now on.
Definitely unless the rules change, we’re going to be rebuilding the team every year. Like you, I am going to miss the part of the game where we get to watch a player develop from a little used sub into a star over the course of their four years at UofL. Sadly, that’s going to be the very rare exception rather than the rule.
Legally all these players are independent contractors. Until they figure a way to legally bind them to a school this isn’t changing. Once a contract can withstand the legal process then things like buyouts, transfer fees, caps and multi year can be implemented. Until then players can move freely in the system because of their independent contractor status.
The entire problem is the NCAA has no interest in making their athletes employees. I don’t see another way around. The athletes in football and basketball frankly shouldn’t want their status changed. They are benefiting greatly by freedom of movement.
The entire problem is the NCAA has no interest in making their athletes employees. I don’t see another way around. The athletes in football and basketball frankly shouldn’t want their status changed. They are benefiting greatly by freedom of movement.
It’s just the way things are now; most of don’t like it, but until it evolves into something better, nothing any of us can do.
With that said, in truth, we are in a very good place, particularly in terms of coaching, fan support and having the luxury of both existing talent as well as incoming talent.
With that said, in truth, we are in a very good place, particularly in terms of coaching, fan support and having the luxury of both existing talent as well as incoming talent.
Remember the day when grade point average for your team was a big deal? No need to worry about that anymore.
The teams will become for-profit corporations independent but affiliated with universities. The players will work for the corporations. The universities will have working agreements with the teams. The teams will have relationships with the corporations and their investors. Teams will be free to switch university deals. Players will work under league rules. And be paid and move around under league rules.
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