We do need to be realistic. Skanks did not start at ND.. he brings some things but also has limitations. He may start to take pressure off Krutwig. He is not as good of a rebounder as Kirby who is not a great rebounder. He can score and block shots.

Given he has foul problems his playing time will always be limited.

There will be a few games where he will be on fire and tough to stop.

He is a great pick up and will fill a role on the team.

Another player to keep an eye on- Kobe Paras. Freshmen transferring from Creighton. 3 star 6'6'' wing, has a wikipedia page!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Paras

I think Shanks is an upgrade over Kirby, but we don't need him for 30 minutes a game. Unlike at UND, where he was probably asked to do a lot, we could take the 15 minutes a game even if he gets in foul trouble. Shanks' contributions plus the additions of Krutwig/Negron will give us reinforcements down low that we didn't have last year. If the small-ball lineup is working, we don't need to rely as heavily on them. If we're getting dominated down low, they'll at least stop the bleeding.

In terms of recruiting, I'm giving Porter an A- maybe a pessimistic B+, his only knock being the frequency of transfers/roster turnover he's overseen. In terms of coaching and getting results, he's obviously not at an A-/B+ based on his record. That said, this might be the easiest LU team he's had to coach because we won't live and die by one thing (on offense: shooting % especially from 3%; on defense: help defense with a smaller lineup). Even if Shanks isn't the second coming of Tim Duncan, he's able to contribute for a good 10-15 minutes and not sit on the bench like Granic did for virtually all of conference play. That alone could make up a lot of difference in the close games we coughed up last year.

In watching the MVC over the past year, having a rim protector has proven to be really important. Obediah Church (MSU), Thik Bol (SIU), and Phil Fayne and Daouda Ndiaye (ISUr) proved to be important to their teams and especially effective against Loyola. To at least have someone available on the bench for that role-- even if they don't usually play more than 5-10 minutes-- is crucial to be able to offset some matchup problems.

DJ Williams transferring from Illinois. Another Simeon product on the market.

Speaking of power schools, DePaul recently hired one of La Lumiere high school coaches as an assistant. Recently just landed a top 25 2018 player in Tyger Campbell and may sign one of the country's best remaining unsigned players Brian Bowen...both La-Lu players.

I think Krutwig starts from day one. If he's not deemed markedy superior to a scrub from North Dakota he's seriously overestimated as a prospect. I think he'll be a dynamic force from the getgo.

You got to get in PMs head....it is all about not making mistakes,,,first defensively then what you can offer offensively. Take Cameron Satterwhite....great athletic talent but way too many mistakes.....Mr. Krutwigs playing time will depend on how well he picks up the defensive and offensive systems.... and its defense first. I think PMs coaching goal is a shutout!

Jaleel Hogan is another grad transfer on the market that would be of interest. Put up pretty solid numbers as a 6'7 forward at Detroit Mercy in the Horizon (15ppg, just under 6 boards). Personally though, I think i'd prefer someone who has to sit a year given the depth we already have for this upcoming season.

Per twitter, Sebit Reath (the tall athletic kid from Australia) is going to a juco in Texas called Lee College. Maybe next year or two years from now when he's more polished we'll see him in Gentile.