UVA's last game before the tourney was a literal choke job to the NC State team that won the ACC Tournament.
What if he gets hurt ?
Disagree completely - our resume was good enough. We got bounced because there were a lot of bid stealers last year. That wound up being the reason, though UVA definitely should not have gotten in over us either.
Fair points. The last part is a function of what the player wants. If he really wanted to be here, he would have been willing to take less.
He chose Arkansas over Pitt. Sounds like Uconn was third for whatever that matters. Seeing rumor multi places online it was around 1.3 million in that big chicken money. Cal is truly a wiz even with the money though because with Acuff already signed and more top players on the way, he can't even guarantee playing time. Like how did he get DJ Wagner to come to Kentucky to play 20 minutes then follow him to Arkansas except that he just connects with these guys? (I'm sure UK could offer Wagner big money to stay in Kentucky instead)
No clue, but I can't imagine we'd offer so much money for a one and done that it would have cost us the flexibility to resign some talented guards we have now and also try to land a wing or big. Maybe he's worth a million to Arkansas to play 600 minutes but not Pitt.
Not $1.3m. Alliance 412 budget is like $6m for all sports.
Right but would you support spending like 18% of all Pitt NIL money across all sports on one shooting guard who is very likely to play one year or less?
I would if he was the missing piece that would transform them into a FF team .
It seems to me a school like Pitts only chance to acquire and retain elite talent is to find two or three really wealthy individuals who can underwrite the programs they wish to support . If the number 1.3 million is the number it would have taken to sign him that means Pitt needed 130 donors to cough up 10k apiece to sign him and that’s just not going to happen .
I'm pretty sure the guy that Moneyball is based off of was hired by the Cleveland Browns 7 or 8 years ago (not Beane, but the Ivy League guy). His strategy has not seemed to have worked for the Browns. Not sure it can apply anywhere other than major league baseball, as least based on what we see with the Browns.
I know it will sound like sour grapes, but I really didn't want Pitt to break the bank for Meleek. Not unless someone like you mentioned stepped up to finance him on his own. Pitt can't afford to throw all their BB NIL at one player coming out of HS.
Probably wouldn't apply because the whole premise is that you have enough reliable data to crunch in order to optimize spending decisions. Might apply for portal guys with a few years experience but really wouldn't apply to high school recruits since they have yet to prove anything at the college level. Nevertheless, the reality is that we're going to have to be pretty judicious with our spending decisions since we don't have enough money to throw a bunch against the wall and see what sticks.
Considering Pitt has a more football oriented donor base, you may be somewhat alone on this one. He's not going to play two years either, he's a classic Calipari one and done guard. He'll play like 23 minutes a game for 27 games then be drafted by the Pelicans.
Well, all the more reason for Green to host him courtside for as many home games as he can get him there.
I use to enjoy both programs , but over the years I’ve had enough of the football programs issues and just casually follow them now .
I’m interested in this concept of giving a billionaire a bunch of fee stuff so then maybe he will give money.
It's called investing in making him and his kids Pitt fans. The cost is nothing.
Who else should we comp prime seats to ?
This 💯 but ultimately Pitt has been Pitt’s biggest problem in the Fundraising arena. Disorganized. Fragmented. Tons of clueless minions buzzing around. Slow to embrace A412. Could go on and on but why bother? Meleek took the sweaty chicken dough from Slick Johnny Cal because of the amount AND Cal’s record w One & Done’s. It’s all about the Benjamin$ now in this awful system.
