[liveoak]

Nice to have these additions to the roster but it feels like we are building a strong mid-major roster, not one that will do well in the ACC.  I hope for the best, expect the worst.

That may be true, but it’s still better than using volunteers from the bleachers (other than BobK, of course, who’s money from 3, I hear), which is what I was worried we might be looking at…

I don't disagree, which is why I wrote nice to have the additions to the roster.  Still, it is a big jump from the MAC or American Conference to the ACC.  Our roster is way, way down from last year in terms of recruiting profile and proven P4 players.  Unless we are playing portal musical chairs against after next season, we are loading up on players who may or may not be able to hang with better or even middling P4 teams.  Gotta save some spots for 2027/2028 recruits.  The 2026 class is not a highly rated one if we go by the usual recruiting services.  The fall off has been very steep by that metric.

We are not going to get top-ranked recruits at this stage, especially if five of our top seven players just entered the portal. I'm actually impressed that the coaching staff was able to get three transfers and a new frosh recruit at this late date. I would be surprised if we picked up anyone else - we now have enough to run a scout team. I would also be surprised if we played portal musical chairs - we have always emphasized recruiting players who will stay their whole career. This year was clearly an emergency...

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I'm happy to see our players graduate, whether in three or four years. If they graduate in three years and still want to play (and want to stay at Stanford), why can't Stanford pay them enough to stay for the extra year? I'm sure someone could find the money to pay them...

This assumes, of course, that the graduating players like the coach and teammates enough to play for the extra year.

It also assumes that it makes academic sense for the player to stay another year. IMO in most cases it doesn't. Unless you can get into a graduate program at Stanford that you actually want, you are arguably wasting a year of free tuition. I can also point out, as BC often does, that it is easy to say "someone" can find the money to pay them, but you and I aren't doing it. Even if there is money available, it may be better spent in other places. OTOH other schools may see it differently and be willing to pay more.
 
Receiving your degree is a type of "natural" separation point from Stanford. There are forces that may want you to stay, and they may be strong. However there also may be good reasons to go. The player may "like" Stanford just fine but still chooses to go do something else. The vast majority of people receiving degrees do exactly that. Athletes aren't different.

Yes, this is certainly true...but if you like the team and the program (and the money), players can work out their class schedule to graduate after Winter Quarter of their fourth year. I do not think that all three of our grad transfers were absolutely planning on graduating this spring. I suspect that they made their final decision after the season started. 

 There seems to be money for other sports - why wouldn't the Athletic Department spend it on women's basketball players?

[liveoak]

Nice to have these additions to the roster but it feels like we are building a strong mid-major roster, not one that will do well in the ACC.  I hope for the best, expect the worst.

That may be true, but it’s still better than using volunteers from the bleachers (other than BobK, of course, who’s money from 3, I hear), which is what I was worried we might be looking at…

I don't disagree, which is why I wrote nice to have the additions to the roster.  Still, it is a big jump from the MAC or American Conference to the ACC.  Our roster is way, way down from last year in terms of recruiting profile and proven P4 players.  Unless we are playing portal musical chairs against after next season, we are loading up on players who may or may not be able to hang with better or even middling P4 teams.  Gotta save some spots for 2027/2028 recruits.  The 2026 class is not a highly rated one if we go by the usual recruiting services.  The fall off has been very steep by that metric.

We are not going to get top-ranked recruits at this stage, especially if five of our top seven players just entered the portal. I'm actually impressed that the coaching staff was able to get three transfers and a new frosh recruit at this late date. I would be surprised if we picked up anyone else - we now have enough to run a scout team. I would also be surprised if we played portal musical chairs - we have always emphasized recruiting players who will stay their whole career. This year was clearly an emergency...

---

I'm happy to see our players graduate, whether in three or four years. If they graduate in three years and still want to play (and want to stay at Stanford), why can't Stanford pay them enough to stay for the extra year? I'm sure someone could find the money to pay them...

This assumes, of course, that the graduating players like the coach and teammates enough to play for the extra year.

It also assumes that it makes academic sense for the player to stay another year. IMO in most cases it doesn't. Unless you can get into a graduate program at Stanford that you actually want, you are arguably wasting a year of free tuition. I can also point out, as BC often does, that it is easy to say "someone" can find the money to pay them, but you and I aren't doing it. Even if there is money available, it may be better spent in other places. OTOH other schools may see it differently and be willing to pay more.
 
Receiving your degree is a type of "natural" separation point from Stanford. There are forces that may want you to stay, and they may be strong. However there also may be good reasons to go. The player may "like" Stanford just fine but still chooses to go do something else. The vast majority of people receiving degrees do exactly that. Athletes aren't different.

Yes, this is certainly true...but if you like the team and the program (and the money), players can work out their class schedule to graduate after Winter Quarter of their fourth year. I do not think that all three of our grad transfers were absolutely planning on graduating this spring. I suspect that they made their final decision after the season started. 

 There seems to be money for other sports - why wouldn't the Athletic Department spend it on women's basketball players?