And I find the comments to be worth a read

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This is the game thread. I’ll be there to cover today.

Run ruled.

Attempt to block brokers and others outside of 250mi range

Good breakdown here from our Missouri site on departures and returners on each SEC team. This doesn't include incoming transfers.

-I’m pretty confident that they want Ven-Allen Lubin back. Not sure where it’s at on his end, probably better than zero chance he’s back. Hard to know what his market truly is on the first day he’s in the portal, though.

-I’m also pretty confident they’ll add another big regardless of what happens with Lubin. They’re gonna fill all three spots left. Think one will be a big and the other two will probably be best player available whether that’s a big or a guard. Can almost guarantee one will be a guard.

-Was on the phone with Grant Huffman today. He confirmed that Jon Sanderson, formerly of Michigan, will be the strength coach. Story on Huffman will come soon.

A potential transfer to watch out for is Leilani Kapinus from Penn State.

Kapinus is a 5-foot-10 guard who started in 34 of Penn State's 35 games. Averages 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds. 228 career steals through 3 years, fifth most in school history. Really great defender.

Just had a 1-2-3 6th . 2 Ks. Came to VU at 17. Now 21 yo.

Lots of rain in forecast for Athens, Georgia.

Things I've considered:
(1) They play on dirt at UGA, so moderate rain will stop play regardless of the lack of lightning. This means starting pitchers could get burned after a short outing if the games start, stop for rain delays, and then restart.
(2) A sloppy field slows down the VandyBoy base runners.
(3) If a game is postponed resulting in a Sunday double header (two 7 inning games), then that negates bullpen depth (a usual VU advantage).
(4) Also note Foley Field is very short down the RF line. That's something to consider along with prevailing wind direction during pitch selection.

TOP TEN IMPACTFUL ADDITIONS
- TO THE 2024 FOOTBALL DORES -

The list would include transfers and incoming freshmen . Yes, I know most freshmen and several transfers aren’t even here yet, but since when must rational thought rule ? 😁

In my opinion, our backs are against the wall in terms of making an NCAA Regional. Therefore, we need to put our most talented baseball team on the field, regardless of seniority or loyalty to past performance. With that in mind, my lineup would be the following:

C — Espinal
1B — Ossenfort
2B — Kozeal
3B — Diaz
SS — Vastine
LF — Holcomb
CF — Austin
RF — Polk
DH— Barczi

Play the talented freshmen. They are our best hope for success — now and in the future. To stay with the status quo will get us nowhere.

The complete roster turnover and discussion about whether VU could potentially start the preseason ranked in the top 20 in basketball next season has me wondering about the state of things. Clearly, the landscape in football and basketball has changed dramatically the last 3 years thanks to NIL and transfers. I thought VU was at a distinct disadvantage when they seemed to be the youngest team every year, thanks to transfers out and grad school admissions. Now, Byington has completely flipped the basketball roster. That would normally concern me quite a bit. However, I could be convinced that more experienced players, who have proven they can perform in college, will often have the advantage. it seems like the theory is being put to the test this year. It might be hard to have intricate systems that take months to master. So, simpler and more intuitive approaches to offense and defense will win out.

BTW, if this works in basketball, it should work even better in football. A roster full of more physically mature bodies will be able to bully most kids a year or two out of HS. Not sure it that will apply to every position, but it seems the direction for linemen.

Also, this probably applies to baseball at some level, but they are less likely to stay in school as long if they are elite talent. A bunch of those kids are already skipping college to start playing professionally.

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Perfect game TV just did a story on Billy Carlson. Looks like a great player. Lots of great comments about him. Really excited to come to Vanderbilt!

I’ll use baseball but it applies to any sport.

Preseason: “this is THE team, something special.

Practice reports: “Much more efficient, most fit and lively ever.

Early Wins: “Could this be our best team ever?”

First few losses: “Not sure if Corbin still has it”

Win streak: “we are peaking right when we need to. We are a playoff team!”

Bad loss: “This team is garbage!”

Reality. Corbin is a great coach and we have real talent. Also it’s nearly impossible to go to Omaha every year. Maybe just get excited for post season.

Big spot for the junior pitching in his home state. We need a w in the worst way. He's our Ace.

Lets go Carter.

Wonder how this would impact VU…

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Was told he’s visiting Vanderbilt soon

Averaged 19.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.9 APG and shot nearly 50% from the field this past season, his sophomore campaign.

Originally from Australia. Xavier and Wake Forest also involved it appears

Camels Camels Camels…Oi Oi Oi