HearstMining said:
OK, let's be optimistic about this. It's not hard to envision something akin to Jerome Jamal Boykin's path to Cal:
- A very good (****), but not amazing high school player, Sean Stewart gets a little PT his first year at Duke (2023-2024) but realizes he'll never be a star there and will likely get recruited over. He also finds the private school atmosphere a little stifling.
- Meanwhile, Cal's new HC for the 2023-2024 season (Gates? Golden?) has installed a more uptempo offense, brought in a couple of decent transfers and finished with a .500 conference record.
- With extended family in Sacramento and the Bay Area, Stewart transfers to Cal, joining the rennaissance.in its basketball program.
Yeah, I like the sound of this.
Yeah, Jamal Boykin and maybe Marcus Lee is a better example. Monty was a turnoff/Kentucky was alluring, but when he got recruited over in Kentucky and Monty retired and Cuonzo was hired, he transferred back.
California/Bay Area guys like Marcus Lee and Najee Harris in football made a huge impression on people in Kentucky and Alabama because they were ideal Cal athletes: smart, educated, kind, generous, politically aware with broad interests and able to bridge people and cultures. Boykin (from LA) was similar at Duke.