The roster would look completely different.
We would play better defense.
We wouldn't have played Kennessaw State.
Ace NET NET is not moving the needle forward in terms of winning basketball games.
He is not making others better on offense (in fact he is making them worse).
Very good chance we wouldn't have Derkack and Davis
This is fantasy wish fullfillment.
There is no way of knowing if we'd have played better defense. Or if the team would be better on offense with different players.
The only player departure this might have prevented would have been Simpson, who hasn't improved at St. Joseph's this year against top competition.
We'd have had the same non-star NIL that we did this year (and possibly less without the excitement of Bailey/Harper)
We'd have had just as many new faces in the program if Bailey/Harper weren't two of them. (we would not have gotten Harper if we didn't get Bailey).
Pike's defensive approach takes time a brand new roster just didn't have.
Let's run out the "if Bailey didn't commit" line of thinking:
- No Bailey means no Harper, which means our freshman class is Sommerville, Grant, Dortch and two other random players.
- Davis may have left, and Simpson may have stayed. Needle doesn't move much.
- No Player's Era tournament and it's resultant $1M NIL payout
- No Kennesaw St game
- Mag, Woolfolk, Omoruyi, Griffiths, Chol all still leave.
- Roster would have been: Williams, Simpson, Obgole, Sommerville, Grant, Dortch, 2 freshmen... and whatever we could pick up/afford from the transfer portal.
Failing to see how we're "better off" in that situation.
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