[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I think the NIL rules are also more beneficial in basketball (where you're not hidden behind a helmet and are thus more marketable and the pool of players is smaller) than it is in football.

Even Martin may have had some success in this environment.

But ultimately Martin simply didn't recruit for athleticism. He wanted to build ground and pound teams. Offensive cohesion and athleticism were an afterthought.

That said, my expectations for this year's squad are...muted. I'm not seeing much to really get excited about just yet. This is still a squad that's going to need a lot from someone like Nick Honor and Noah Carter. Can Caleb Grill be a big time threat from outside? Because we'll need that as well. Will East step forward? Shaw? Is Vanover a Power 5 player? Brown seems more like a role player. Pierce and Robinson aren't exactly turnkey in their own right.

This just feels like a gap year. I'd like to see them make the tournament to get some of those young players some experience as a springboard, but it's not really an expectation for me.

That's largely because it is. With the incoming guys (assuming everyone signs) and seniors moving on, we're going to have a MUCH different team again next season. But, I think we're going to compete. Really like how much East has improved.