McKay leaving gives Randy another scholarship (I think he is a total bone head counselling out Cannon) there are a number of factors that are at his discretion where he can fill this last spot.
1. Sign a JUCO
2. Sign a freshman
3. Sign a transfer
4. Sign a 5th year graduate student
5. Sit on it until this Fall and use it then for a high school guy.
In my opinion it is extremely unlikely that 1 or 2 is happening. Randy has gone that route the past three years, and look at the results. He actually did recruit Golden and Johnson-Costen knowing he needed two guys who could contribute automatically, and neither ended up doing much for the program. Baker was recruited the entire season with the same purpose and luckily, that has turned out. However, Kiko and George were guys picked up late because we had a guy announce a late transfer and neither worked out. Getting Harding was blind luck!
Now, once again, we are crossing that bridge this spring. I hope Coach has a plan this time around. Like last year, he needs another big.
With that being the case, I believe he has something set up and that either option 3 or 4 is the most likely scenario. Coach wouldn't have "counselled" Cannon out unless he knew he had someone coming in who could contribute automatically. We need depth at the point, but it is a big. He is cutting his arm hoping to grow a leg. Problem...Cannon only had two years left and so the guy coming in might have to match that time. A transfer would need automatically 1 year to sit out and then would need most likely 2 or 3 after that. If it is anything other than a 5th year graduate student, then that means someone else on the team, being retained, will be counselled out next year. There is a slight chance that it is option 5. It would give Randy a scholarship for this Fall.
Nevertheless, Randy has been quoted quite a bit lately that he wants a 6/7 ratio between bigs and guards, and I think the move by Cannon is to get the team to that ratio. So, another big is coming in. I think he is a transfer. Already I'm calling it that next year Jordan Dallas will be leaving. Braxton, Chapman, and Kozak are going to get the majority of mins. If the guy coming in is a 5th year, he will get the 4th most. Dallas will be 5. If the newb is a transfer then he will have to sit. There is a great chance that Vialen will be red shirting too. In this scenario Dallas is the 4th big. He gets limited time. However, the following year (his junior year) Braxton, Chapman, Kozak will still be the top 3 guys, but now, the transfer will be eligible, Vialen will be able to play and Tim Fuller will be back from his mission. With Dallas that means there will be 7 bigs and 6 guards/wings. One of those bigs will not be coming back next year. If Chapman, Kozak and Vialen are for real and Braxton is still here (I'm positive that will be the case), coach isn't going to cut a guy just getting back. Dallas gets counselled out.
Keeping Dallas around, in a sense, borders on the unethical in my opinion. He is only keeping Dallas cause he needs another warm body.
hno: