Starting Over

[catatac]

"Worthless POS" isn't name calling? Interesting... lol.

[ilovethecats]

Well I see Montana State went from a projected #12 seed in 23-24 to nothingness in the latest bracketology. Realistically, as I look ahead I think the 2022-23 Montana State men's basketball team reached the highest pinnacle in Division I that it will ever reach. 25 years from now I predict that MSU fans will look back to this past season and say, "just think, 25 years ago we actually had a team that was seeded #14 and gave #3 seeded Kansas State all they wanted." I predict that MSU will continue to compete within the Big Sky conference, but given the transfer portal and NIL money, we really don't have a chance to again compete with a ranked team.


https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story ... redictions

You are the most worthless POS fan on this board. Your previous predictions have proven to be worthless. I can't figure out why you continue to claim to be a fan. How can the Cats ever be a contender if you give up when a change up happens. Why don't you put your money where your complaints are and contribute to make us a contender?

Always good to lead with the name calling, that really helps your cause.

Not sure that was really 'name calling." If so than you are right. My intention was to define the substance of the posts; over several years. Aucat it the 1st to jump ship whenever the cats don't win or whenever there is change. As if change in college sports is avoidable.

Since when does "being a fan" require that fan to be a sunshine pumper? I was merely making the point that this transfer portal and NIL money has created an environment in which the opportunity for Montana State to ever again be competitive in the NCAA tournament will be extremely difficult if not impossible. Just take look at what just happened with the outstanding Hailey Van Lith. The rich will continue to get richer.

It's different in football. We compete in the FCS division and while the portal and NIL will definitely be a factor, it's nothing compared to D-1 basketball. I wish we were in some kind of "mid major" division in basketball, because honestly, I just cannot see how any Big Sky team will be able to field a team that can compete (as we did this year) in the NCAA tournament.

And if you don't agree, I won't be on here calling you all kinds of names. Go Cats!

https://lsusports.net/news/2023/04/28/h ... r%20portal.

I understand what you're saying. I just think where people are disagreeing is you seem to think that it is the portal and NIL money that will keep us from having success in basketball. This would be valid if the Cats or really any team from the Big Sky has had a lot of success come tourney time. That's just not the case. Weber had a nice little run two and a half decades ago. Think the Griz won a game 15 years or so ago. But overall, we are what we are. If the BSC was consistently sending a team to the dance that was winning a couple games every year and then suddenly after the portal and NIL we weren't; I'd agree with you completely.

The portal and NIL money is new and will take some getting used to. I like some of it and don't care for some of it. But it's here to stay so I think those coaches who use it to their benefit the best will be the most successful. But in the end, unless one of our schools is able to be the next Gonzaga, we'll always be a mid-tier conference that will usually lose our first tourney game and maybe occasionally win one. Lightning in a bottle year might win two. But I don't see that having to do with the portal or NIL money personally.

[MSU01]

Since when does "being a fan" require that fan to be a sunshine pumper? I was merely making the point that this transfer portal and NIL money has created an environment in which the opportunity for Montana State to ever again be competitive in the NCAA tournament will be extremely difficult if not impossible. Just take look at what just happened with the outstanding Hailey Van Lith. The rich will continue to get richer.

It's different in football. We compete in the FCS division and while the portal and NIL will definitely be a factor, it's nothing compared to D-1 basketball. I wish we were in some kind of "mid major" division in basketball, because honestly, I just cannot see how any Big Sky team will be able to field a team that can compete (as we did this year) in the NCAA tournament.

And if you don't agree, I won't be on here calling you all kinds of names. Go Cats!

https://lsusports.net/news/2023/04/28/h ... r%20portal.

I think you're dead wrong about the NIL and the transfer portal. MSU has never been able to and never will be able to field teams that could consistently compete against ranked opponents from power conferences, but the NCAA Tournament is a one-off game and I can 100% guarantee that major upsets will continue to happen there, NIL or no NIL and transfer portal or no transfer portal. Hailey Van Lith and Louisville aren't really great examples as Louisville was and still is one of the "richer" teams in women's basketball. They lost a great player but have also signed ESPN's #8 and #10 ranked transfer players, so they'll still have a very good team next year capable of another deep tournament run.

[CelticCat]

I'm going to beat this horse to death. There are thousands of great ballers in this country, they can't all play for the top 25 programs, it's just math. Teams like MSU will still be able to catch lightning in a bottle with the perfect blend of coaching, chemistry, and talent. It may make it harder to be consistent as any success will results in talent leaving, whether that means players or coaches, but like others have said MSU just came out of a what, 23 year span where we didn't sniff a March Madness bid. We had our most success this century DURING the portal/NIL era, albeit in it's infancy.

[cat442yrs]

"We've got to fill pretty much an entire roster, which I don't know if any other school in the country's had to do that." Danny Sprinkle, Cache Valley Daily, April 17.

Gee, if you try real hard, Danny, you might be able to think of one.

[Cat Grad]

"We've got to fill pretty much an entire roster, which I don't know if any other school in the country's had to do that." Danny Sprinkle, Cache Valley Daily, April 17.

Gee, if you try real hard, Danny, you might be able to think of one.

https://trib.com/sports/college/wyoming ... 403cc.html

All the schools I follow have had similar turnover as MSU's. What stands out to me is that all eight Wyoming players who left via the portal have new schools, some a step up in perceived competion. It hurts losing Brown, Battle and Great, however, weren't they all transfers to MSU? DAMN! Logie's ability to navigate the portal is going to define his ability to recruit. Do I think he's going to match Few's success with transfers over the years? I'm impressed with the known offers this far.

[imacat]

"We've got to fill pretty much an entire roster, which I don't know if any other school in the country's had to do that." Danny Sprinkle, Cache Valley Daily, April 17.

Gee, if you try real hard, Danny, you might be able to think of one.

https://trib.com/sports/college/wyoming ... 403cc.html

All the schools I follow have had similar turnover as MSU's. What stands out to me is that all eight Wyoming players who left via the portal have new schools, some a step up in perceived competion. It hurts losing Brown, Battle and Great, however, weren't they all transfers to MSU? DAMN! Logie's ability to navigate the portal is going to define his ability to recruit. Do I think he's going to match Few's success with transfers over the years? I'm impressed with the known offers this far.

Brown and Battle were transfers. Great came in as a freshman.

[grizzh8r]

"We've got to fill pretty much an entire roster, which I don't know if any other school in the country's had to do that." Danny Sprinkle, Cache Valley Daily, April 17.

Gee, if you try real hard, Danny, you might be able to think of one.

https://trib.com/sports/college/wyoming ... 403cc.html

All the schools I follow have had similar turnover as MSU's. What stands out to me is that all eight Wyoming players who left via the portal have new schools, some a step up in perceived competion. It hurts losing Brown, Battle and Great, however, weren't they all transfers to MSU? DAMN! Logie's ability to navigate the portal is going to define his ability to recruit. Do I think he's going to match Few's success with transfers over the years? I'm impressed with the known offers this far.

Brown and Battle were transfers. Great came in as a freshman.

Thank you. Barking Abbey in the UK was where Great played prep ball.