On the surface, I’d say you’re probably correct.
But only time will prove it either way.
Here’s why:
Sometimes proven players at one school regress or don’t contribute when they transfer — I.e., Donovan Dent last year at UCLA. And Quaintance here.
And sometimes they play much better. Oweh is a good example. Will Wilkins do the same?
Hawthorne and Ousmane both supposedly have great upsides but both are unknown commodities based on neither having played in a college game.
And what about Garrison and Moreno? This year Garrison was supposed to have a breakout year but didn’t. Next year a lot of people are thinking Moreno is going to have a breakout year. Who knows?
But we definitely could use two additional players that are to ten caliber.
That's basically where I am also. I don't quite think the sky is falling, especially after looking at many of the rosters outside the top 8-10 teams and seeing that everyone has holes to fill at this point.
We also don't know how good Zoom and Wilkins will be. Personally, I am excited to see those two hit the court and Hawthorne could come in and be a difference maker for all we know. People are excited about Bama’s recruiting class for the upcoming season, and those players are all ranked similarly to where Hawthorne was last year.
I think adding one more high-end piece and another nice contributor could set us up to have a decent season. It might not completely satisfy the entire fanbase, but at least it’s steering the ship in the right direction.
That said, I’d like to see Pope make some progress on the recruiting front next season. He’s not bad in the portal overall, but if he could bring in 1-2 top 40 freshmen next season along with some solid portal additions, I think the perception would change.
