2025 Target List

#2,101
#2,101
MoCo_Vol said:
Gonna be a bit of a hot take...and I honestly don't know if I'll be right or wrong on it.

Mamba & Ament both could be 1 & done top NBA prospects by the end of the season...
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My opinion is much more reserved than everyone else on Mamba. Very excited to add him to the roster. I see him as a developmental piece with a high ceiling. But I do not think he makes as much impact as some posters. I understand it's easy to see highlights and start hoping for stardom. I think the adjustment will take time for him. I definitely think by SEC Tournament time he could be hitting his stride and making an impact. But I see his true impact being his second season on campus.
 
#2,102
#2,102
therickbol said:
My opinion is much more reserved than everyone else on Mamba. Very excited to add him to the roster. I see him as a developmental piece with a high ceiling. But I do not think he makes as much impact as some posters. I understand it's easy to see highlights and start hoping for stardom. I think the adjustment will take time for him. I definitely think by SEC Tournament time he could be hitting his stride and making an impact. But I see his true impact being his second season on campus.
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Yeah, I can see it too...but of the SG players we have on roster he's the most upside to me.

Abram is experienced, plays hard defense and can also score but I think his listed height of 6'4" might be a slight exaggeration (hope I'm wrong).

Evans I think is the potential 2nd or 3rd year breakout guy... great size and length but he's more raw than Mamba

Bishop is the wild card...was a top 100 guy has the size already and has a year under his belt


If Mamba is a 2nd or 3rd year guy then it will hopefully mean Abram was balling in that 2 guard spot and Ament held it down at the 3. We're deep and this roster has a good mix of size, length, talent... should be fun
 
#2,103
#2,103
MoCo_Vol said:
Yeah, I can see it too...but of the SG players we have on roster he's the most upside to me.

Abram is experienced, plays hard defense and can also score but I think his listed height of 6'4" might be a slight exaggeration (hope I'm wrong).

Evans I think is the potential 2nd or 3rd year breakout guy... great size and length but he's more raw than Mamba

Bishop is the wild card...was a top 100 guy has the size already and has a year under his belt


If Mamba is a 2nd or 3rd year guy then it will hopefully mean Abram was balling in that 2 guard spot and Ament held it down at the 3. We're deep and this roster has a good mix of size, length, talent... should be fun
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My guess, and it's just that, is that Abram thrives in the role we ask for him at the 2. We run the majority of our action for Gillespie and Ament. We even run some stuff to Carey and JP. Our 3 starting guards will play very heavy minutes. Mamba/Evans/Bishop fight with each other for what turns out to be very few minutes off the bench at guard. I see what they like about Bishop but I am also in 'believe it when I see it' mode in terms of him being able to contribute on offense. You can tell when players play "natural on offense" and I don't see that from Bishop, albeit in limited minutes. He seems uncomfortable, indecisive and lacks confidence.
 
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#2,104
#2,104
MoCo_Vol said:
He turns 20 on December 4th, 2025...

I mean Julian Phillips, Keon Johnson, Jaden Springer all weren't stars and got drafted. I think Mamba has the potential to have a better 1st year than those guys. But 20 year old 6'6" SG that clocks in north of 12 ppg 4 rpg and whatever else he accomplishes on an elite eight (or better) TN team will have some draft stock.
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Those were also pre NIL guys, this year saw the lowest number of early entrants to the NBA in quite some time, reason being that late first round and worse guys can make more in college than the NBA, so many are going that route. So when I think of a one and done or a guy leaving early for the NBA my thought is he’s a lottery pick or a 1st round guarantee, so if you were thinking just drafted in general I agree that’s not a crazy thought, but then I would disagree that’s he’d likely go, but if we are talking 1st round for him his age and his experience he’d likely need to be putting up some pretty big numbers imo
 
#2,105
#2,105
bleedingTNorange said:
Those were also pre NIL guys, this year saw the lowest number of early entrants to the NBA in quite some time, reason being that late first round and worse guys can make more in college than the NBA, so many are going that route. So when I think of a one and done or a guy leaving early for the NBA my thought is he’s a lottery pick or a 1st round guarantee, so if you were thinking just drafted in general I agree that’s not a crazy thought, but then I would disagree that’s he’d likely go, but if we are talking 1st round for him his age and his experience he’d likely need to be putting up some pretty big numbers imo
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True. I'd love to see Mamba here 2 or 3 years though. Could be a very good talent for us if we can keep him that long with NIL.

Ament then would be the only likely draft option as like most I think he's gonna be a lottery pick if he can hit that 12 & 6 or better level or production here.


I think having just turned 20 with a year overseas and a year in the SEC if Mamba has good production ( what I believe the 3 I mentioned offered ) he would be in the conversation, but as you point out the money isn't there to justify it as a better option than NIL. And the NBA has shown lately more willingness to still draft experienced college players after great seasons (DK being our best example)
 
#2,110
#2,110
I tuned in because I thought Nate Ament was supposed to play in the Allen Iverson All American game tonight. He did not play, but I ended up watching anyway. It is an all star game, but Darius Acuff is going to be a problem in the SEC. That kid was head and shoulders above everyone else tonight. Kingston Fleming, Chris Cenac, Mohammed Sylla, and I believe it is Carmelo Anthony's son (I lost his name) stood out also.
 
#2,118
#2,118
Vol49er said:
Am I just reading this pessimistically or is there something to worry about with Felix?
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Not meant on Felix at all, just curious what it means, could be nothing. The thought process had been we have 3 open spot, add Hurst & Okpara and you leave 1 open. Could then add someone at the semester like we have before, mid year transfer guy if he’s a fit, coaching change late in the year we’d have a spot, if 5th year happens we’d have a spot for Gainey etc. So now that we’ve had Okpara go to Lipscomb if you add Hurst it’s 2 open spots still, does that mean anything?

Could mean there’s optimism around Gainey being here, could mean there’s a portal guy they feel good adding, could mean there’s another international guy or a 2025 HS kid they like, or it could mean nothing at all 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
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#2,119
#2,119
bleedingTNorange said:
Not meant on Felix at all, just curious what it means, could be nothing. The thought process had been we have 3 open spot, add Hurst & Okpara and you leave 1 open. Could then add someone at the semester like we have before, mid year transfer guy if he’s a fit, coaching change late in the year we’d have a spot, if 5th year happens we’d have a spot for Gainey etc. So now that we’ve had Okpara go to Lipscomb if you add Hurst it’s 2 open spots still, does that mean anything?

Could mean there’s optimism around Gainey being here, could mean there’s a portal guy they feel good adding, could mean there’s another international guy or a 2025 HS kid they like, or it could mean nothing at all 🤷🏻‍♂️
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Could mean they have spoken to ZZ as well if they feel decently about the rule
 
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