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Discussion of Next Year/XJ's Decision

First of all, it's great to see XJ rooting the team on from the bench.

Let's say that XJ gets his degree in June. His options will include:

1) Leave CU and transfer to another University.
2) Leave CU and seek a contract overseas.
3) Leave CU and hope to be invited to some NBA tryouts, and then overseas if it doesn't go well.
4) Stay at CU and try to dominate and regain some quality exposure.

I think XJ's best shot to get into the NBA is to play a year of NCAA ball at full health, play well, and help the Buffs make a Sweet 16 run. He'll get renewed exposure and interest from NBA Scouts. We need to remember that an injury to the Achilles tendon is one of the worst injurys a B-ball player can sustain and if XJ proves he's stonger now than ever, it would cancel out several doubts in Scouts minds.

Now I'm sure there are probably some lowered tiered international teams that would take a chance on XJ right now, but to play a full year, show he's recovered from his injury, would probably enable XJ to make more money after leaving CU.

Hitting the NBA summer circuit coming of an injury and not being the 100% XJ could be brutal. Fighting for a free agent job without really playing a game in a year would be a tall task.

I'm hoping XJ returns to CU, but if he can make some money overseas later on this year, then I tip my hat off to him. I'm just happy he's not pulling the "SKI IM OVER IT, IM OUT" card and still supporting his Buffs! I'd love to see XJ one last time in a Buffs uniform, as a 5th year Senior, and dominate the Pac-12. Guess we'll see what XJ has up his sleeve. Heck, maybe XJ suits up and starts the Arizona game next week, which is the beginning for a magical Buff's Final Four run.
 
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I'm considering the author.
What's with you and "agendas"? You really have an agenda mindset! Yeah, I get your proggy, PC secret code words........

You even admit that XJ "will get offers from Europe," not that he has such offers in hand!
I say if he has offers in hand, he should take one (fine with me), but to count "birds in the bush" as offers, is wishful thinking of the kind that can leave a kid without options; whereas we know he has a 5th yr schollie "bird in the hand." And with the kind of injury he suffered, he needs to be cautious, not just hopeful.

What's your secret agenda? You want him to move along in favor of another JC/HS recruit?
Now, get off my lawn! And take your secret agendas and PC code words with you!
 
What's with you and "agendas"? You really have an agenda mindset! Yeah, I get your proggy, PC secret code words........

You even admit that XJ "will get offers from Europe," not that he has such offers in hand!
I say if he has offers in hand, he should take one (fine with me), but to count "birds in the bush" as offers, is wishful thinking of the kind that can leave a kid without options; whereas we know he has a 5th yr schollie "bird in the hand." And with the kind of injury he suffered, he needs to be cautious, not just hopeful.

What's your secret agenda? You want him to move along in favor of another JC/HS recruit?
Now, get off my lawn! And take your secret agendas and PC code words with you!

I salute you for at least not having your sock respond to that post. Progress.
 
XJ will have international opportunities. Heck, Dwight Thorne and Marcus Relphorde have had nice careers overseas.
 
XJ will have international opportunities. Heck, Dwight Thorne and Marcus Relphorde have had nice careers overseas.

International opportunities is a very general statement. There's levels. XJ's worst season as a Buff was his Junior year.
Frosh: Win Share- 2.4 Win Shares per 40- .122
Soph: Win Share- 3.0 Win Shares per 40- .121
Jr: Win Share- 1.9 Win Shares per 40- .108
per sports-reference

He would be entering the pro market at his at all-time lowest value. That's silly. It's not like Euro leagues drool over youth. They value maturity. He needs a big season to boost his stock.
 
International opportunities is a very general statement. There's levels. XJ's worst season as a Buff was his Junior year.
Frosh: Win Share- 2.4 Win Shares per 40- .122
Soph: Win Share- 3.0 Win Shares per 40- .121
Jr: Win Share- 1.9 Win Shares per 40- .108
per sports-reference

He would be entering the pro market at his at all-time lowest value. That's silly. It's not like Euro leagues drool over youth. They value maturity. He needs a big season to boost his stock.

I agree. That's a different discussion, though, than people claiming it's a big assumption that XJ would have a pro contract available to him.

I don't see an NBA opportunity for him, but I do see an opportunity to parlay a big 5th year into a much better Euro contract that would more than offset the lost year of earnings.
 
I don't see an NBA opportunity for him, but I do see an opportunity to parlay a big 5th year into a much better Euro contract that would more than offset the lost year of earnings.
Before XJ was injured, he was in a couple mocks as a late 2nd round pick. I think the NBA could still be in the cards with a dominant year at CU and some good showings in summer invitationals.

XJ is a decent ball handler and a pretty good defender, who can potentially guard the 2-4 positions. If he comes back with his typical explosion around the basket and shows a more consistent three point shot, I don't see why he wouldn't still be a legit NBA prospect.

I do agree with your statement that it might be a better financial decision to parlay that 5th year into a better Euro contract, if it came to that.
 
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XJ is gone. It was easy to read between the lines when chatting with him during the autograph session after the Washington game. I see very little benefit of a return for him, personally. He's already had one serious injury while in college and will have overseas offers. Why risk coming back to college and the potential for another serious injury without ever receiving some sort of payday for playing basketball?

I also like the look of next year's roster without XJ. He's a good player, but a ball-stopper, which isn't needed on a team with the scoring potential that the wings will have next season (projecting double figures from King, White, Fortune and Fletch). XJ has a career average of around 1 assist every 2 games.

He has also never showed any leadership in is CU career, yet would be looked upon as a 5th year senior leader next season. Let's just move on from XJ.
 
XJ is gone. It was easy to read between the lines when chatting with him during the autograph session after the Washington game. I see very little benefit of a return for him, personally.
To raise his stock is probably the only reason to stay if he does indeed graduate.

Saying XJ isn't a leader, and we need to move on from him is a bit irrational. If he came back to CU healthy, I think he'd come back as one of the leaders of this team, and one of the top tiered players in the Pac-12. XJ brings attitude, which is what this team needs a lot more of.

Coming off an Achilles to battle for a free agent job for some international teams is not going to be an easy task either.

But I'll take your read in chatting with him and assume he's gone. Hope he can suit up for the Arizona game!!! That would be pretty sweet.
 
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First of all, it's great to see XJ rooting the team on from the bench.

Let's say that XJ gets his degree in June. His options will include:

1) Leave CU and transfer to another University.
2) Leave CU and seek a contract overseas.
3) Leave CU and hope to be invited to some NBA tryouts, and then overseas if it doesn't go well.
4) Stay at CU and try to dominate and regain some quality exposure.

I think XJ's best shot to get into the NBA is to play a year of NCAA ball at full health, play well, and help the Buffs make a Sweet 16 run. He'll get renewed exposure and interest from NBA Scouts. We need to remember that an injury to the Achilles tendon is one of the worst injurys a B-ball player can sustain and if XJ proves he's stonger now than ever, it would cancel out several doubts in Scouts minds.

Now I'm sure there are probably some lowered tiered international teams that would take a chance on XJ right now, but to play a full year, show he's recovered from his injury, would probably enable XJ to make more money after leaving CU.

Hitting the NBA summer circuit coming of an injury and not being the 100% XJ could be brutal. Fighting for a free agent job without really playing a game in a year would be a tall task.

I'm hoping XJ returns to CU, but if he can make some money overseas later on this year, then I tip my hat off to him. I'm just happy he's not pulling the "SKI IM OVER IT, IM OUT" card and still supporting his Buffs! I'd love to see XJ one last time in a Buffs uniform, as a 5th year Senior, and dominate the Pac-12. Guess we'll see what XJ has up his sleeve. Heck, maybe XJ suits up and starts the Arizona game next week, which is the beginning for a magical Buff's Final Four run.

You just have an agenda!
 
If you want to see a reason for XJ to go chase the money now open the link

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

Came back for a final year, blew out a leg and ended up on the fringes including playing lower level international ball than he would have had he ended up going in a year earlier.

Still has had a long international career but nowhere near as lucrative as it could have been.
 
Mtn, I think you're confusing Roby with Donnie Boyce.

I think XJ's best chance for a pot o' gold is to have a strong senior season. He was maddeningly inconsistent during his junior year. I'd like to have him back, but part of me isn't sure how much he played a part in last year's nonsense.
 
No, Roby came back his senior year and had some injury issues, moreso he just didn't play well.

Cost himself a lot of money.

Boyce is an even better example, his injury took him from a 1st round lock to a guy who was a marginal prospect. Big $$$ lost.
 
Roby was discussed as a potential lottery pick after his frosh year, a first rounder after his soph, a fringe first rounder after his junior and went undrafted after his senior.
 
Next Year:

Guard: Dom, Yaz, Peters, Fortune
Wing: White, Fletch, Brown, King
Bigs: Gordon, Miller, Walton, Guz

Thats a solid solid roster. Tad is going to have a huge problem finding minutes for everyone next year. IF, if, XJ returned, that would probably be the deepest roster top to bottom that Tad has ever had.
 
Next Year:

Guard: Dom, Yaz, Peters, Fortune
Wing: White, Fletch, Brown, King
Bigs: Gordon, Miller, Walton, Guz

Thats a solid solid roster. Tad is going to have a huge problem finding minutes for everyone next year. IF, if, XJ returned, that would probably be the deepest roster top to bottom that Tad has ever had.

Nice line up, but the freshmen and Guz will get limited minutes and Walton could be a red shirt to add weight and strengthen his knee. If any of the freshmen contribute more than 12 to 14 minutes my bet is Peters.
 
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