In the Les world guards win games. I do not know if this is right or wrong.

Per verbal commits Gio Nelson is transferring. Not too surprising considering he got very little run this year. Good luck to the young man wherever he ends up.

Nelson transferring is probably why Les offered Kolton Mitchell the guard out of Florida.

Aggie commit, Aaron Murphy from Modesto Christian, was named Boys Player of the Year by the Modesto Bee for the San Joaquin Section. Murphy is listed as a PF at 6'6 or 6'7 200 and averaged 15.6 points and 10.5 rebounds during the NorCal Playoffs while playing with a fractured wrist.

“My recruiting process wasn’t the prettiest at all,” he said. “I had colleges coming and leaving left and right and never had one that really stuck except Davis, who never really left. They were there through my bad games and my good games and that’s what family felt like.”

Murphy said he felt at home when he visited the campus and will major in kinesiology.

https://www.modbee.com/sports/high-school/article228021874.html

2019 Aggie prospect, Kolton Mitchell, 6-4 180 PG out of Fort Meyers, Florida:

Thanks for the links! Can not wait to watch these guys, along with the other new recruits, play for the Ags! Certainly seem like high quality individuals and we will definitely need their contributions next year. With the 5 seniors, and at least 1 transfer out, there are a lot of minutes to be had. Coach Les doesn't really rely on true freshman too often, but that may change next year.

We need taller players...

Why don’t we recruit some players from the transfer portal? Any news about it? 5 senior graduated and 1 player is transferring, we definitely need more players in the squad.

I don't believe we've ever had a graduate transfer. Not sure if Coach Les isn't a fan of it, or if he just has never found the right match. Certainly seems like this would be the year to get some big experienced player in here to fill the hole in the middle.

Les prefers a wing / guard team.

We've have had many transfers (John, Nuefield this season, Hawkins and several other hits and misses before them), just none of the graduate transfer. I can't see anyone using their grad transfer to NOT go to a Power 5 conference (ala Mooney's brother)

i did a quick look through BWC rosters for guys with size. I probably missed some but i found 15 players at 6-10' or taller. 10 from outside the US . Irvine had 3, all from California. We had 2 in Nuefield (Canadian) and Russell. I'd like to see some players coming to Davis in that 6'8 or 6'9 range and physical.

Not who Les is interested in. He wants guards / wings. He wasn't happy with Bozner, the Mormon center (Clayton?), ... he is committed to one system. Not sure why our recent JC big man didn't play, solid JC numbers.

We had Neal Monson who was really good in his system. Would have liked to see him another season. Nolan Berry was close to 7 feet, but a perimeter guy.

I liked Monson and thought his game could take another step forward his senior year. But he had already graduated and decided to go to law school in Utah (forget where). Les does favor the perimeter players, and seems to always have at least one stretch 4/5, but also knows he has to have some bulk for defense and rebounds. JT and Goode are prime examples of the big guys that Les likes.

I liked monson too. He would have been really good as a senior. He received a NCAA graduate scholarship and had become a father that season, so time to start the next chapter.

He is at BYU law according to LinkedIn

yeah he missed the big west tournament for the birth of his first born. He’s going to be an imposing lawyer.

The Ags have had an offer out to David Skogman a 6' 10 stretch center from Wisconsin for a long time. There is virtually no chance that we will be able to sign him since he now has offers from several high majors and reportedly really liked his visit to Texas Tech who has offered him also.

Anyway, his basketball career nearly ended last summer during an AAU tournament when he collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest. He underwent heart surgery and has since recovered and is playing at a high level again. Scary event for this young man who had no history of heart problems in his family, was a fit athlete and the doctors still couldn't pinpoint the reason for his heart attack even after surgery.

https://www.prephoops.com/2018/10/high-majors-flocking-to-see-skogman/

Interesting (scary) story about Skogman. Happy that the young man has recovered and is facing a promising college career. He's still taking recruiting trips (Buffalo and Marguette are some of the latest to show interest), but turned down a preferred walk on at U. Wisconsin. I agree that we have virtually no chance at him...but it sure would be nice to bring in another high end interior prospect.

I'd settle for someone like Chima who wasn't that tall but could leap out of the gym, was powerful as a bull and had a nose for the ball.

Absolutely correct BGA. I think Les knows this as well. Trouble is: finding one. Not easy task.

Well I don't know if he's the next Chima, but we just signed Juco transfer Wesley Harris. Haven't done much digging on him yet.

Here's his tape from Senior year in HS. Very bouncy.

He's very athletic and quite a leaper. I'm looking forward to seeing him in an Aggie uniform/

In other Big West news Max Hazzard of UC Irvine will be a graduate transfer at Arizona this fall. That's a big loss for the Anteaters.

https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/basketball/arizona-wildcats-land-uc-irvine-guard-max-hazzard-as-graduate/article_a6605762-65e9-11e9-9651-2ff5c55f428c.html

That is a big loss. UCI will probably still be favored next year but by not quite as much.

A 6'6" freshman from Arizona, may have 3 years eligibility. 15 PPG, 9 RPG, shot 65%. From Otero JC and played for the Compton Magic.