The Vidette: A detailed look at Ryan Pedon's approach to the offseason for ISU men's basketball

[redbirds2000]

So the guys that basically rode the bench contributed very little in the way of success and a free ride at a university is not enough? Maybe people running the NIL could let a few know if they want NIL they may have to go somewhere else??? Use the money to pay for the best seven or eight you can get, let the others ride it out. I can see a $1,000 for incidentals but everyone on a sub 500 team got NIL?

Correct.

 

[TIMMY]

Correct.

Sorry, but that's just nuts.

 

[redbirds2000]

Sorry, but that's just nuts.

I agree. Choose 7-8 guys. Maybe not even that many.

 

[dpdoughbird06]

All the scholarship players receive NIL at ISU. The top 2 in 23-24 were Burford and Lewis. In 24-25, of the returning players so far, it will be JK and Foster.

Does the university break this down anywhere? Is such info covered under FOIA, or no because technically the NIL collective is independent from athletics?

 

[redbirds2000]

Does the university break this down anywhere? Is such info covered under FOIA, or no because technically the NIL collective is independent from athletics?

Good question. I doubt a FOIA would show anything.

 

[Redbirdfan06]

Actually, I think you can “think” your 4-5th year guys are going to get a lot better. Pedon has to set the expectation for the players to put in the work. The hard part is that coaching staff can’t observe them doing so, except for a few “working” sessions. This is where a developmental coach, hired by the NIL consortium specifically to work on player development, would help. Again I point to the progress Reeves made with his two stints declaring for the draft. Significant progress is possible.

I don’t know if the 4-5th year guys we got aren’t putting in the work. Maybe their ceiling is what it is, but it’s going to lead to isu being a middle of the pack Valley team.

And Reeves is a totally different player than the 4th-5th year guys on our roster. 20 point per game scorer in the Valley who got poached by Kentucky versus guys like Lieb, Luke, Davis, or Poindexter who weren’t going to play at their previous schools. Or Banks who was probably told he wasn’t going to start at Southern.

With Devries gone and Schwartz probably on his way out, now is the time for Pedon to build a roster that doesn’t see us playing on Thursday night. If he just rolls back what he has, I am not banking on our gluten of 4th or 5th year guys making this team much better than it was this year.

 

[DoubleDeuce]

So the guys that basically rode the bench contributed very little in the way of success and a free ride at a university is not enough? Maybe people running the NIL could let a few know if they want NIL they may have to go somewhere else??? Use the money to pay for the best seven or eight you can get, let the others ride it out. I can see a $1,000 for incidentals but everyone on a sub 500 team got NIL?

And the coaches lose control of their own roster... what a time to be a head coach.

 

[Redbird222]

And the coaches lose control of their own roster... what a time to be a head coach.

The coach gives guidance to the collectives and its no different at ISU. You can donate to a general fund for all sports and one for a specific team. I don't think its encouraged but I believe you can also give funds for a specific player.

 

[Aggie]

Coaching today is completely different than it was just a few years ago it appears to me. Management needs to be upfront and somewhat vocal about what direction things need to head. And, probably need to identify who your top 4-6, especially the top 2 to 3 are. NIL supporters also need to reach out and educate themselves. The days of spreading the wealth around are gone. ISU needs three, THREE really good players. And, you probably get what you pay for. Decent money for the two that you hope to retain. Couple freshman and a couple sophomores need to prove themselves for decent money. So, pay the five give a retention payment to four and then incidentals to what’s left? My three are a pure shooter, a wide body rebounder, and an athletic muscular wing. Now, whose got the dough? This is somewhat tongue in cheek and somewhat a hope for the future.

 

[Bird Friend]

I don’t know if the 4-5th year guys we got aren’t putting in the work. Maybe their ceiling is what it is, but it’s going to lead to isu being a middle of the pack Valley team.

And Reeves is a totally different player than the 4th-5th year guys on our roster. 20 point per game scorer in the Valley who got poached by Kentucky versus guys like Lieb, Luke, Davis, or Poindexter who weren’t going to play at their previous schools. Or Banks who was probably told he wasn’t going to start at Southern.

With Devries gone and Schwartz probably on his way out, now is the time for Pedon to build a roster that doesn’t see us playing on Thursday night. If he just rolls back what he has, I am not banking on our gluten of 4th or 5th year guys making this team much better than it was this year.

There’s putting in the work and there’s PUTTING IN THE WORK . . . My comparison to Reeves was not to suggest any of them are as good, but to suggest that if the kid truly wants to improve, he can. They have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of personal time in the offseason to that goal. They have to be open to having someone watching them work and correcting their errors, someone who won’t accept even the rumor of shirking. Someone who knows how to turn “needs to accomplish x, y, z” into a developmental plan that can do that, while also knowing how to monitor and work the kid through it.

Kids can improve their shooting, dribbling, passing, footwork, etc. at any point in their college career. I’m pretty sure we all expect that from them. Kids can develop completely new skills if they’re willing to commit. Hell, Al Horford converted himself from back to the basket 5 into a 3-pt specialist while a pro. He didn’t do that by just putting up shots (putting in the work). He had help from guys who specialize in teaching shooting. And he was willing to commit to it. Reeves achieved HM All-American because he committed himself to his goal of making it to the NBA (which is still in play).

 

[Birdfriend72]

There’s putting in the work and there’s PUTTING IN THE WORK . . . My comparison to Reeves was not to suggest any of them are as good, but to suggest that if the kid truly wants to improve, he can. They have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of personal time in the offseason to that goal. They have to be open to having someone watching them work and correcting their errors, someone who won’t accept even the rumor of shirking. Someone who knows how to turn “needs to accomplish x, y, z” into a developmental plan that can do that, while also knowing how to monitor and work the kid through it.

Kids can improve their shooting, dribbling, passing, footwork, etc. at any point in their college career. I’m pretty sure we all expect that from them. Kids can develop completely new skills if they’re willing to commit. Hell, Al Horford converted himself from back to the basket 5 into a 3-pt specialist while a pro. He didn’t do that by just putting up shots (putting in the work). He had help from guys who specialize in teaching shooting. And he was willing to commit to it. Reeves achieved HM All-American because he committed himself to his goal of making it to the NBA (which is still in play).

Amen!

 

[cubird]

Reeves also had the means to train in the summer to get better. Not saying he didn't put the work in, but someone had to paid for helping with his skill development.

 

[StLRedbird]

We're going to need to change the title of the Athletic Director to General Manager.

 

[redbirds2000]

So are you saying Foster for sure is coming back, or maybe more like sticking around for his last year?

Well...we will know soon on this question.

 

[MadBird]

There’s putting in the work and there’s PUTTING IN THE WORK . . . My comparison to Reeves was not to suggest any of them are as good, but to suggest that if the kid truly wants to improve, he can. They have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of personal time in the offseason to that goal. They have to be open to having someone watching them work and correcting their errors, someone who won’t accept even the rumor of shirking. Someone who knows how to turn “needs to accomplish x, y, z” into a developmental plan that can do that, while also knowing how to monitor and work the kid through it.

Kids can improve their shooting, dribbling, passing, footwork, etc. at any point in their college career. I’m pretty sure we all expect that from them. Kids can develop completely new skills if they’re willing to commit. Hell, Al Horford converted himself from back to the basket 5 into a 3-pt specialist while a pro. He didn’t do that by just putting up shots (putting in the work). He had help from guys who specialize in teaching shooting. And he was willing to commit to it. Reeves achieved HM All-American because he committed himself to his goal of making it to the NBA (which is still in play).

Yes, improvements can be made! I've posted before about Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky, from Lisle's Benet Academy. Freshman year 8 minutes/game, 1.8 ppg. Sophomore year, 10 minutes/game, 4.2 ppg. Junior year, 27 minutes/game, 13.9 ppg/6 rebounds/game. Senior year, 33 minutes/game, 18.8 ppg, 8.2 rebounds per game, national player of the year and first team all-american.

As with Bird Friend's comparison to Reeves, we prolly don't have a future Kaminsky on the roster, but any of these guys can get better and better and better.

 

[Hamdonger]

There’s putting in the work and there’s PUTTING IN THE WORK . . . My comparison to Reeves was not to suggest any of them are as good, but to suggest that if the kid truly wants to improve, he can. They have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of personal time in the offseason to that goal. They have to be open to having someone watching them work and correcting their errors, someone who won’t accept even the rumor of shirking. Someone who knows how to turn “needs to accomplish x, y, z” into a developmental plan that can do that, while also knowing how to monitor and work the kid through it.

Kids can improve their shooting, dribbling, passing, footwork, etc. at any point in their college career. I’m pretty sure we all expect that from them. Kids can develop completely new skills if they’re willing to commit. Hell, Al Horford converted himself from back to the basket 5 into a 3-pt specialist while a pro. He didn’t do that by just putting up shots (putting in the work). He had help from guys who specialize in teaching shooting. And he was willing to commit to it. Reeves achieved HM All-American because he committed himself to his goal of making it to the NBA (which is still in play).

Antonio made a tremendous jump this year. I thought he was very inconsistent his first year at Kentucky, so I wrote him off completely for the NBA. Whatever he did last off-season...if he does it again...he might prove me wrong. I'll definitely be rooting for that!

 

[Adunk33]

Based on coach's comments regarding maybe finding some guys in the portal with established relationships, I see this dude as a possibility. Didn't play much at OSU but did shoot 9/20 from three. Small sample size, but that suggests he can shoot a little. I believe he has 2 years (not that it really matters anymore in today's landscape).

Slay, Pedon and Dak all follow him on social media.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

Sorry, but that's just nuts.

AGREE I find it SHOCKING. I can confirm that two other d 1 programs, one MVC, do not pay all players. Don’t know what the “standard” is but I am sure approach is all over the place. I wonder who determines the ISU NIL strategy.

 

[SgtHulka]

AGREE I find it SHOCKING. I can confirm that two other d 1 programs, one MVC, do not pay all players. Don’t know what the “standard” is but I am sure approach is all over the place. I wonder who determines the ISU NIL strategy.

Contact – Empower The Nest

empowerthenest.com

 

[CaliRdBrd]

YES SIR!! Same in the corporate world. Leave the poor performers hang around and the high performers get frustrated and leave. Pedon better have those difficult conversations and be frank.

Careful now, you’re talking about a merit-based philosophy. That’s taboo nowadays.