Until the games start.
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Good hire.
I am surprised you leave a uf in this era even for a head job.
He must believe there is a niche in high school recruiting for the ivies.
I hope he is correct
Nice John Fanta interview with Hovde on www.gocolumbialions.com
I agree with Columbia9-great interview of Coach Hovde by John Fanta.
Interesting to hear him talk about continuing to recruit HS kids and coaching them for 4 years. Certainly, some transfers will be in the mix but the Ivies still need strong HS recruiting to be successful in the Ivy League. Competing against Power 4 will be more difficult of course. Winning in the league is paramount.
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Jaden Cooperâs in the portal now, too. There may be a many as eleven names from the 24-25 roster that wonât be part of Coach Hovdeâs 25-26 roster; so he indeed has his work cut out for him.
If anyone has IG, very nice comments by Todd Golden on Hovde.
@culionsmbb
Columbia has at least three very promising incoming freshmen who are poised to contribute immediately. Coach Hovde also has three key returning freshmen players namely Mason Ritter, Gerard OâKeefe and Cunningham. I doubt that all of the upperclassmen who have entered the transfer portal will leave the program if Coach Hovde expresses the desire to make one or more of them a significant part of next yearâs team. Finally, it would be reasonable to expect the Lions to add several new recruits or transfers in the next month or two. I wouldnât be surprised at all if get some outstanding newcomers.
So, who are the three incoming freshmen?
Why do you think the incoming freshmen will contribute immediately? What have you heard?
Columbiaâs three known 2025 menâs basketball commitments are, as follows:
A. Connor Igoe, 6-7" 225 Forward, Poly Prep Day School, Brooklyn, New York
B. Miles Franklin 6-6, Forward, St. Andrews Episcopal , Maryland
C. John Laboy, 6-2, 180, Episcopal School, Houston, Texas
All three are solid recruits who will have the benefit of playing for our outstanding new head coach, Kevin Hovde. Incidentally, Connor Igoe also was a standout high school quarterback at Poly Prep. Unlike some of Engles recruits, he has the size and strength to play up front on day one.
Do you expect Igoe to take minutes from Ritter or Bedri and Thompson, assuming both return?
Good information. Thanks.
Bedri and Thompson are both very good basketball players who have seen a huge amount of playing time at Columbia, but unfortunately as part of a team that finished in the Ivy League cellar. For whatever reason, and it might be just very bad coaching, neither of them has yet to reach anywhere near their potential. Igoe is a forward so he not going to take away minutes from Bedri who plays the post. As for Thompson, he is a very talented athletic forward who needs to enter his senior year with a chip on his shoulder. Whether he remains at Columbia or goes somewhere else he should be determined to be a star. Incidentally, there is certainly the possibility that Coach Hovde will add some talented players to the Columbia roster in the next future. However, he is very busy now assisting Coach Golden win a national championship for the Florida Gators.
FWIW, Cooper presumably will be a grad transfer, assuming he stayed in school for the spring semester. He should have a 5th year due to injury (for this year), but he is likely out of Ivy eligibility.
Correct.
Also, basketball doesnât have that same option to sit out a semester because it encompasses fall and spring. Kid has to unenroll for an entire year.
You said that the freshman class would be a high impact group and that Igoe would contribute day one. I was just looking for some more detail to validate that claim.
Yes, I think most Ivy followers know that; but when you may be losing as many as ten other individuals from your teamâs most recent roster - not exactly welcome information. Also, the platitudes relating to Kevin Hovde ought to be seen for what they are - he may prove to be a wonderful hire, but, to date, heâs been a lifetime assistant coach. Truly, age is still on the side of Coach Hovde; but from my perspective, Pennâs in a better position today - having brought in a seasoned alumnus, with one-thousand games of collegiate head coaching experience already on his resumĂ©.
C9, as per usual a great point you raise; and you know better than most, that Ivy League freshmen generally donât simply step on the court to enjoy immediate and major impact,
not as individuals nor for their teams. Thereâs an incredible amount of information directed toward these first years and for them to efficiently process - not the least of which being that theyâll be playing at a higher level of competition than they may have imagined when they first committed to their respective schools; moreover, and for most freshmen, academic responsibilities begin to appear more challenging with each passing semester day.
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