[81alum]

As I mull over what happened this year, and what could happen in the future, I have come to realize how helpless Stanford is with regard to the portal.

We were committed to 15 scholarships next year--the maximum.  Jump came back and we gained three freshmen, while graduating Belibi, Prechtel, and Jones.  This year we must have been at 14 scholarships since next year is +1.  (I think Green is a walk-on, correct?)  In any case, the math for next year was that all 15 scholarships were taken.

Keep in mind that to get grad transfers, the prospects usually need to apply in November--even Ivy league players.  But when did we learn that we had three players going in the portal, thus releasing slots for next year?  April.

Under what circumstances should Tara have been clairvoyant and start recruiting grad transfers 6 months or more before we knew whether we would have a scholarship to offer them?  In fact, doing so would 1) have started a rumor mill, and 2) would have been unethical to recruit when every scholarship was taken, and 3) would not have worked, since most players--including Ivy Leaguers--can count to 15.

In short, the very first time Tara could have known she needed to recruit a grad transfer for next year was when one of our three portal players told her she was leaving.  I doubt very much that they did so until after the season was over.

Schools that can recruit and admit in a matter of weeks can use the portal on a year to year basis.  We will always have a one year delay between players leaving via the portal and incoming grad recruits to replace them.

The exception seems to me to be high school recruits who were recruited for next year's class and narrowly missed our cut.  If they have not committed before April of their high school senior year, then we could call them up and say "we know we turned you down in November, but guess what, we have a slot for you now."  However, are those the sort of players we want to be competitive?  But who else will have a completed application?

So here is a Bob question:  how many scholarships will we have for 2024-25?  All the normal graduations, plus Jump, plus the 3 three transfers out?  That would be a scholarship-palooza, no?  Is that 6 for one year?  Memories of the six-pack dance in my head.

[81alum]

As I mull over what happened this year, and what could happen in the future, I have come to realize how helpless Stanford is with regard to the portal.

We were committed to 15 scholarships next year--the maximum.  Jump came back and we gained three freshmen, while graduating Belibi, Prechtel, and Jones.  This year we must have been at 14 scholarships since next year is +1.  (I think Green is a walk-on, correct?)  In any case, the math for next year was that all 15 scholarships were taken.

Keep in mind that to get grad transfers, the prospects usually need to apply in November--even Ivy league players.  But when did we learn that we had three players going in the portal, thus releasing slots for next year?  April.

Under what circumstances should Tara have been clairvoyant and start recruiting grad transfers 6 months or more before we knew whether we would have a scholarship to offer them?  In fact, doing so would 1) have started a rumor mill, and 2) would have been unethical to recruit when every scholarship was taken, and 3) would not have worked, since most players--including Ivy Leaguers--can count to 15.

In short, the very first time Tara could have known she needed to recruit a grad transfer for next year was when one of our three portal players told her she was leaving.  I doubt very much that they did so until after the season was over.

Schools that can recruit and admit in a matter of weeks can use the portal on a year to year basis.  We will always have a one year delay between players leaving via the portal and incoming grad recruits to replace them.

The exception seems to me to be high school recruits who were recruited for next year's class and narrowly missed our cut.  If they have not committed before April of their high school senior year, then we could call them up and say "we know we turned you down in November, but guess what, we have a slot for you now."  However, are those the sort of players we want to be competitive?  But who else will have a completed application?

So here is a Bob question:  how many scholarships will we have for 2024-25?  All the normal graduations, plus Jump, plus the 3 three transfers out?  That would be a scholarship-palooza, no?  Is that 6 for one year?  Memories of the six-pack dance in my head.