kreed5120

You only get 4 years of eligibility, not 5. Freeman's freshman wouldn't qualify as a redshirt as he played 7 games. Ali Ali played in more than 30% of Butler's games therefore wouldn't have qualified for a medical redshirt.

Without covid, players like Ali or Freeman would have had 1 less year of eligibility therefore they wouldn't have been on last year's Zips team. It's really hard to predict how things would have been in an alternate reality where covid didn't exist.

This team just didn't have that dynamic guard player that you've seen on Groce best teams (Cooper, LCJ, Castaneda). Even when you have a player as good as Freeman, it's hard to win at the collegiate level without elite guard play.

I'm going #51

Are we playing price is rights rules?

EMU w/ Emoni Bates for more relatable reference.

That's the thing about positionless basketball. It's hard to assign positions to anyone. A guy like Ali might be listed as a guard in the program, but when you're playing a 3 or 4 guard lineup, he's really more functioning as the "SF".

That would be correct. Last year the first leg the MAC hosted. The second leg the SunBelt hosted. It gets alternated each year.

Personally, programs like Rutgers and Maryland are the type of P5 programs that we should try to schedule. The MAC is a dumpster fire. If we can't go 5-3 in MAC play, frankly we don't deserve to go bowling. I'd be more critical of the schedule if we were playing some gauntlet of Ohio State, Alabama, and Penn State.

I don't find the schedule to be all that brutal. If we were a good team by MAC standards we'd be able to compete with both Rutgers and South Carolina. The problem is we're not a good team by MAC standards.

There have been a few players that were projected to be mid to late second rounders that have withdrawn from the draft to return to college. This should further help Freeman's odds of being drafted.

The issue is he would be buried in the G-League since their roster is so loaded.

It's crazy how lazy journalism has become. 90% of the article is the same as the ones I've been reading the past few days. They just insert a little detail at the beginning or end to tailor it to a specific team.

Toledo announced their full OOC schedule 3 weeks ago. I wonder what the hold up for Akron is? https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/ut/2024/05/08/houston-purdue-headline-2024-25-toledo-men-s-basketball-schedule/stories/20240508083

I congregate with the poors in GA. This is more for the blue hairs.

I'd say the odds are high that he ultimately ends up in Europe. There are only 450 players in the WORLD in the NBA. I emphasize world as basketball is very much a global sport. The vast majority of 2nd round picks never even make it to a 2nd contract. All of this said, it's not intended to be a knock to Freeman. Outside of the EPL, the NBA might be the toughest professional league to go pro in. Freeman has obviously overcome the odds many times so if he does it again, it wouldn't surprise me. I just wouldn't bet on seeing him in the NBA in 3 or 4 years from now.

I don't feel that's true in today's NBA. If guys like Tobias Harris, Jayson Tatum, Aaron Gordon, PJ Washington etc start at the 4, then I wouldn't see why Freeman couldn't. Today's NBA lineups more often deploy only 1 true big. The Cavs are only one of the few teams in the NBA who starts 2 7 footers.

A lot of the die-hard dynasty players preferred playing as one of the cupcake teams and then building them into a national powerhouse. Several MAC schools fit that premise.

Maybe they will cut baseball again lol.

The article mentions him playing a hybrid wing. Personally, I feel that takes away from his main strength, rebounding. I see him more as a PF at the next level who can also play the C when a team is wanting to play small and run.

The problem with online dynasty is everyone will want to play the Zips lol

Erie to Cleveland isn't a bad drive. Obviously not a drive you'd want to make for season tickets, but you could still easily make it to a few games.

How is the playoffs exclusive to only 8-12 teams when the playoffs will be 12 teams moving forward? Heck, even in the 4 team format Cincinnati, which is far from being one of the top 8-12 football programs historically, made the playoffs. It's not like the Huskies program has been anything special over the last several decades and they made the championship game this year. I'd say just about any P4 school has a chance of making it to the playoffs outside of perennial doormats like Vanderbilt. They might not all be able to contend every year, but a school like Wisconsin or Iowa is very capable of having a magical season here or there.

I agree. Let's say Toledo got promoted this year. What's compelling about going to the Big 10 only to go 1-8 or 0-9 in conference play and be relegated back down? Even long-time Big 10 schools with much more institutional support than any MAC school are losing to OSU or UM by 3-4+ TDs. MAC schools, even with the additional TV revenue, wouldn't have the means to compete in the Big 10.

The ACC only has 1 program that is in the top 25 for all-time wins, which is Clemson at #20. They just don't have any historically great 'blue blood' programs. Some of their schools have had some decent runs, Clemson most recently. Florida State had a run under Bowden. But none of the schools are in the same class historically as a UM, Alabama, OSU, Texas, USC, Oklahoma, etc.