UMass transfer portal news - 2024

[devildawg3010]

Not sure what happened to Gianni Thompson, out of hs 24/7 had him ranked as four stars, #1 in Ma, #25 PF, and nationally # 122. He had offers from Xavier, Temple, Penn State, VCU, Richmond, VT, Providence and more. Hopefully he finds a fit that is right for him to grow and have success.

[DoctorJ]

Not sure what happened to Gianni Thompson, out of hs 24/7 had him ranked as four stars, #1 in Ma, #25 PF, and nationally # 122. He had offers from Xavier, Temple, Penn State, VCU, Richmond, VT, Providence and more. Hopefully he finds a fit that is right for him to grow and have success.

I have a feeling that both Gianni and Foster didn't get minutes because of lack of commitment or lack of development on defense. Frank seems to let that type sit on the bench until they can show they are willing and able to defend. We never saw a sniff of defensive ability out of either of them in the few times we saw them.

Maybe, I'm hoping, Foster hits the weight room and the dinner plate this summer and comes back more able to stay on the court. He's got some athleticism we could use, if he can level up. Dude can score.

[Floyd]

Gianni wasn't even on the team was he?

[MakeMullinsGreatAgain]

Gianni wasn't even on the team was he?

nope - I actually sat next to him at many of the home games this past season - so he was enrolled at school but didn't play

[devildawg3010]

That's why I'm not sure what happened to him, I thought I read here he was using a scholarship spot but not playing. Just like Mayhugh he is listed as a UMass transfer in the portal. Not sure how that works in situations such as these.

[Worcester_To_Amherst]

He found out he could transfer again.. asked for more money to stay and "things didn't work out". Not that hard to figure out.

That's my assumption. Cohen thinks he can get a certain amount in the portal and UMass can't/won't match. I'd love him on the team next year, but not someone to blow the budget on.

[NilesGold]

He found out he could transfer again.. asked for more money to stay and "things didn't work out". Not that hard to figure out.

That's my assumption. Cohen thinks he can get a certain amount in the portal and UMass can't/won't match. I'd love him on the team next year, but not someone to blow the budget on.

I don't think it's prudent to blow the budget on any single player. Better imo to spread it around to 5-6 players. Maybe spend a max of 25-30% on someone like Cross, but if you spend it all on one guy you probably won't be able to get a sufficient supporting cast you need for success.

[NilesGold]

I don't think he's in the portal (at least not yet), but Josh Gray is the type of player who might be a great fit. Played for Frank in Frank's last season at South Carolina, doesn't play much, but he could be a solid defensive big man for us.

[Sheck]

We're basically the general manager of a baseball team now figuring out what players we can afford to keep with our payroll and which ones we're gonna lose in free agency. If only there were a luxury tax for some of these P6 programs.

Amuses me and makes me sad at the same time.

[Floyd]

NIL should be sponsored by the NCAA. For each conference, set an amount each school gets. Each school can spend it as they see fit for players. Better conferences get the highest budgets. Allows kids to get some $ and keeps the playing field level.

[69MG]

^ I agree with that 100%, something like a salary cap that can somehow be enforced and monitored. That's the issue at the current time. Offers are being made when they are supposedly not allowed.

Anyhow, no news is good news. No new names in the portal, which is up to 668 names.

[Floridafan71]

Yes salary cap idea good. This has all gotten out of hand. How can UMass compete especially like in football when the Alabama or Michigan’s Have 70,000 seats stadiums and we have 15,000 people at a game? Why would he athlete? Want Who wishes to be a professional say NBA player Come to any of the mid majors. And many of the players are minorities and are not rich and need the money for their families. How can we compete? we have a better chance in basketball which needs 5 to 8 good players. In football with the teams as big as they are, we have no chance. maybe there should be just a power five NCAA division that plays in a playoff for national championship, and then all the rest of the teams have another division and they play for another different National championship. Unless things change, the odds are especially in football we will never be more than what we are unless the state decides to spend as much money as a
University of Michigan spends .It’s all coming down to who has the most money. If you don’t have enough money, you don’t have a chance ..and the word student athlete !That word Is pretty much gone. All doesn’t look for us like a viable situation competing..A great school like Umass unless it gets huge money from a millionaire supporter or the state government has virtually no chance to be more than it is in sports as it is as we write now in 2024.

[Uminuteman]

You can salary cap NIL or whatever but that won't change the money. The "Wizard of Westwood", John Wooden's UCLA teams had the best teams money could buy in the 60'sand 70's. School's with big donors will pay their kids somehow, someway. The key is stopping the transfer merry-go-round, and that is going in the wrong direction.

[Floyd]

Yes salary cap idea good. This has all gotten out of hand. How can UMass compete especially like in football when the Alabama or Michigan’s Have 70,000 seats stadiums and we have 15,000 people at a game? Why would he athlete? Want Who wishes to be a professional say NBA player Come to any of the mid majors. And many of the players are minorities and are not rich and need the money for their families. How can we compete? we have a better chance in basketball which needs 5 to 8 good players. In football with the teams as big as they are, we have no chance. maybe there should be just a power five NCAA division that plays in a playoff for national championship, and then all the rest of the teams have another division and they play for another different National championship. Unless things change, the odds are especially in football we will never be more than what we are unless the state decides to spend as much money as a
University of Michigan spends .It’s all coming down to who has the most money. If you don’t have enough money, you don’t have a chance ..and the word student athlete !That word Is pretty much gone. All doesn’t look for us like a viable situation competing..A great school like Umass unless it gets huge money from a millionaire supporter or the state government has virtually no chance to be more than it is in sports as it is as we write now in 2024.

That's why the NCAA should fund NIL. They make tons of money. Have to level the playing field just as professional leagues do or else the big market teams would always win. Not sure why the NCAA can't see this.

As far as big money donors siphoning more cash to players, well that happens in everything , everyday. Make that still illegal, prosecute as needed, but I think if players are already getting paid legally, that should cut down a little if you are getting penalized, prosecuted, or lose eligibility for cheating. This can't continue as a whatever pay for play. Aside from the top earners & winners, eventually the rest will stop playing this game of musical chairs.

Bigger conferences who get the better players, get the bigger NIL subsidies. How they spend it is the school's/program's choice. Taper the subsidies by conference power. Players get paid, make their choices for schools, and I think there would be less school hopping if there was some structure to this

Of course I know nothing about the legalities of any of this but it should be able to work.

[umasscollective]

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