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Rank Pope's 3rd Year Recruting Class

Grade Pope's 3rd Year Recruiting Class

  • A

    Votes: 44 25.0%

  • B

    Votes: 80 45.5%

  • C

    Votes: 37 21.0%

  • D

    Votes: 11 6.3%

  • F

    Votes: 4 2.3%
  • Total voters
    176
F

Farsight Clone

All-American
Aug 30, 2025
2,866
5,719
103
Since we got Milan I think we are done with our recruiting class for his 3rd year. I'd be surprised if anyone else comes.

Consider the whole roster, including incoming and returnees.

Did the Milan commit increase his grade? Or kept the same for you? Let me know.

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Im The Village Idiot

Im The Village Idiot

All-Conference
Sep 7, 2025
830
2,513
93
I voted "A". That doesn't mean I think it's perfect. Freeman over McBride and Wright over Diallo would make it A+.

I believe we got the best player in the portal, who is a perfect system fit in Milan. I believe we got the highest ceiling combo guard in Wilkins. We finally got a jumbo point guard with elite facilitating in Diallo. We got a perfect system fit in McBride who will kill teams off the bounce but is also a 40% three point shooter. We also added high upside players like N'Diaye, Morton and Mason Williams as depth pieces. You added Kepnang who has about as much interior upside as you can ask for in a backup five.

You also returned Moreno, who'd be a sure-fire top 5 portal guy. You brought back Williams as your sixth man and have Potter/Noah as luxury depth pieces.
 
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TFCat11

TFCat11

Heisman
Mar 25, 2019
6,252
11,533
108
I’ve been justifiably critical of Pope for the past year, but I think he deserves a B for this most recent addition alone, but he’s one more top tier player away from getting a solid A/ A+.

However, if he can get these guys to play together better than the team from last season, it shouldn’t matter regardless.
 
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Johnnie Africa

Johnnie Africa

All-Conference
Feb 27, 2003
933
2,953
93
It actually wrapped up pretty decent, I gave it a B. Much better for players than last year at least. A lot will depend on if N’Dyiae pans out and if Williams and Moreno and Hawthorne make a leap. If the foreign guy is disappointing and Moreno or Williams don’t improve a lot we will be an average team.
 
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F

Farsight Clone

All-American
Aug 30, 2025
2,866
5,719
103
Im The Village Idiot said:
I voted "A". That doesn't mean I think it's perfect. Freeman over McBride and Wright over Diallo would make it A+.

I believe we got the best player in the portal, who is a perfect system fit in Milan. I believe we got the highest ceiling combo guard in Wilkins. We finally got a jumbo point guard with elite facilitating in Diallo. We got a perfect system fit in McBride who will kill teams off the bounce but is also a 40% three point shooter. We also added high upside players like N'Diaye, Morton and Mason Williams as depth pieces. You added Kepnang who has about as much interior upside as you can ask for in a backup five.

You also returned Moreno, who'd be a sure-fire top 5 portal guy. You brought back Williams as your sixth man and have Potter/Noah as luxury depth pieces.
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the office bj novak GIF


🤣
 
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F

FitchandMurray29

All-American
Dec 11, 2021
2,745
5,803
61
For me, I feel like you have to go at least A-:
-bottom of tier 1 portal PG(above all freshman PGs this year imo)
-tier 2 second guard
-elite tier hybrid forward
-solid depth 4(McBride)
-upside filled unknown in N’Diaye
-top backup C
-deep depth developmental PG in Williams

Bumpy ride to get there. In an ideal world the 4 position recruiting would’ve went better but he still landed the plane imo
 
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The Ganner

The Ganner

Senior
Nov 21, 2009
326
882
93
At the very start of this I think I guessed B+ and was among the more optimistic in that poll. I'll go B here, and probably stay flat B even if +/- is an option. I'd have wanted a more sure stud at at least one of PG or PF to rate it an A. I'm also not enamored with our reserve guard options in terms of right-now ability.
 
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chroix

chroix

Heisman
Jul 22, 2013
10,560
26,720
113
Imma wait until after we’re a couple games deep to judge this class. I started last year hyped after that Purdue win. Fool me twice trumps the many men meme when it comes to judgement. Looks decent on paper. Worried about the guards but that’s basically every year.
 
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YankeeCpt_rivals378522

YankeeCpt_rivals378522

All-Conference
May 7, 2009
2,009
1,106
113
B+ for Portal
F for HS.
not trying to sound dramatic, but I think this Milan pick-up may have saved a season.
Dude is an A+ 3pt shooter on a Big 12 team that finished 3rd.
THIS WAS MONSTEROUS!
 
B

Beatle Bum

Heisman
Sep 1, 2002
42,316
64,395
113
Farsight Clone said:
For me, It was a D recruiting class. Getting Milan is a huge get. I think he's a player who is perfect for Pope's system. Now I believe he's at a C for getting him.
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So, you believe all of the recruits (today you have to recruit your own players as well but I won’t include them here) were utter failures and you moved off an F to a D for a consensus top 3 portal get? Dude, there is moisture on your brain if you assess Diallo (recruited hard by Zona), Wilkins (recruited hard by Bama and others), NDiaye (followed by NBA scouts out of a league some think harder than the SEC), McBride (15 pts per game last season) are failures.
 
Wayne Dougan

Wayne Dougan

All-Conference
Aug 11, 2025
382
1,147
93
It all depends what our budget was. If our budget was the highest in college basketball it's a D. If it was in the 15-20 range it's an A.
 
B

Beatle Bum

Heisman
Sep 1, 2002
42,316
64,395
113
CELTICAT said:
Good to Great portal class. Lowest rated incoming freshman class in modern history. So I guess a C?
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I was looking at Arky’s team today remembering what each year felt like with Cal. I would have been thrilled and shocked that Richardson returned (NIL should help Cal that way) but I see little interior power and a lot of very young players with high ceilings. I think his backcourt will be a strength but I think it a drop from last year. I think Richardson is a strength but doubt he is a star that carries a team (I also think he may prove to be that). I believe his defense may be improved over last year, but if I am a fan, I don’t know if our young talent is ready and I am not sure Cal has a lottery pick in the bunch for 2027. Would I want the young talented team or the mix UK has? I think I prefer UK but admit that top 25 lists do not agree.

Edit: forgot about Jordan Smith. Maybe his backcourt is as good as last year.
 
GoBIG BLUE

GoBIG BLUE

Junior
Apr 1, 2023
426
394
63
Johnnie Africa said:
It actually wrapped up pretty decent, I gave it a B. Much better for players than last year at least. A lot will depend on if N’Dyiae pans out and if Williams and Moreno and Hawthorne make a leap. If the foreign guy is disappointing and Moreno or Williams don’t improve a lot we will be an average team.
Click to expand...
I see Williams being our backup to our backup pg. Only seeing mop up minutes; which makes me wonder why you feel this team changes at all with him taking a leap or not.
 
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