Yes. I watched some highlights. He had some hot shooting games but assuming he has bad shot selection. His driving is nice.

I think we need another big. And I don't mean a PF type. And I would love two perimeter players (Phelps would be one if we land him). But we only have the room today to land 1 player.

MarcAg said:

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I'm curious to see if we land Phelps are we shutting it down? Or will we look to add more than one more piece

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Liucci thinks over under was 3.5 and he is leaning over.

Phelps and another athletic big that can defend.

PJYoung said:

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MarcAg said:

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I'm curious to see if we land Phelps are we shutting it down? Or will we look to add more than one more piece

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Liucci thinks over under was 3.5 and he is leaning over.

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That was also before we missed on guys like Harris, Pope and Oweh. So unsure that we are in on that many guys left, but guys are entering daily still. They thought they were getting Harris.

MarcAg said:

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I think we need another big. And I don't mean a PF type. And I would love two perimeter players (Phelps would be one if we land him). But we only have the room today to land 1 player.

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Is Phelps really a perimeter player per se? He can't shoot.

A guard is a perimeter player regardless of if he can shoot. He's on the perimeter. Doesn't mean that's where he's ultimately going to score from. Just like if a guard scores everything at the bucket you wouldn't say he's an interior player. Mark meant guard/wing

Yes that's what I meant. Another shooter would be nice, but doesn't have to be a shooter.

MarcAg said:

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PJYoung said:

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MarcAg said:

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I'm curious to see if we land Phelps are we shutting it down? Or will we look to add more than one more piece

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Liucci thinks over under was 3.5 and he is leaning over.

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That was also before we missed on guys like Harris, Pope and Oweh. So unsure that we are in on that many guys left, but guys are entering daily still. They thought they were getting Harris.

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Yeah good point.

AgEfan said:

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A guard is a perimeter player regardless of if he can shoot. He's on the perimeter. Doesn't mean that's where he's ultimately going to score from. Just like if a guard scores everything at the bucket you wouldn't say he's an interior player. Mark meant guard/wing

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Yeah, I guess I just really desire another guy who can shoot from deep. That also helps open up the lane for the bigs and guys like MO to drive to the hole when you have outside scoring threats.

See the "Bet the House" thread.

Fanatic15...Drs2B! said:

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Posting this everywhere I can:

This guy's an absolute MUST GET!!!

I'm an Albuquerque resident and follow UNM - and this kid, who played his high school basketball in Dallas and was Texas High School 4A POTY before coming to UNM this year is a truly skilled big man with NBA potential.

We need to pull out all of the stops and scrape up all remaining NIL money to try to get him!

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40056801/new-mexico-frosh-jt-toppin-enters-transfer-portal

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If he wants to return to Texas it feels to me like a Baylor or Texas landing spot. That's where the money is. Plus the Dukes, Arkansas, UCONNs and Kentuckys of the world are probably after him as well. I don't know how we compete against that.

But FYI, on March 26th I messaged one of the top guys with Aggies United about Toppin. I said this is the big man we need. It was rumored he was going in at that time.

I'm thinking outside of the money issue with Payne, Garcia and Washington this is a tougher sell now too. Would be huge, but lot of things working against us I feel

May be out of our portal league

MarcAg said:

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Fanatic15...Drs2B! said:

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Posting this everywhere I can:

This guy's an absolute MUST GET!!!

I'm an Albuquerque resident and follow UNM - and this kid, who played his high school basketball in Dallas and was Texas High School 4A POTY before coming to UNM this year is a truly skilled big man with NBA potential.

We need to pull out all of the stops and scrape up all remaining NIL money to try to get him!

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40056801/new-mexico-frosh-jt-toppin-enters-transfer-portal

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If he wants to return to Texas it feels to me like a Baylor or Texas landing spot. That's where the money is. Plus the Dukes, Arkansas, UCONNs and Kentuckys of the world are probably after him as well. I don't know how we compete against that.

But FYI, on March 26th I messaged one of the top guys with Aggies United about Toppin. I said this is the big man we need. It was rumored he was going in at that time.

I'm thinking outside of the money issue with Payne, Garcia and Washington this is a tougher sell now too. Would be huge, but lot of things working against us I feel

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Thanks! I don't disagree that we might not be able to compete.

I also mentioned him on a post maybe 6 weeks ago as someone we should try to pry away from UNM. Would love to have a guy like this on the team - and could see a rotation with him, Garcia, Solo, and Payne making our front court as good as any in the conference.

I would not be shocked if he already has a big NIL deal with UCONN or Calipari's new team.

last min entry with him testing the draft waters also, surprised Mashburn ended up in Temple over Lexington

Donovan Dent was the other one I was watching for there with maybe the highest pro potential but no motion from him yet

Agree that Dent would be a great player for anyone as well.

I guess that because Toppin is from Texas, made me think we might have a chance. Especially if he knew some of the Dallas kids already on the team like Wade or Manny.

We have a commitment!

Great news!

Closest thing to a Boots replacement we will be getting!

Agreed, we need 2-3 more playmakers and scorers.

FTAG 2000 said:

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Agreed, we need 2-3 more playmakers and scorers.

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2-3 more? Seems like a lot.

Current Guard Rotation:
Taylor, Phelps, Manny, Carter, Mills, and Wilcher.

Current Forward Rotation:
Payne, Garcia, Coleman, Solo, Turkson

And that doesn't include Hefner, Lee, and Ringgold.

Ringgold is gone

I honestly think we could use a backup for Payne (somebody taller than Henry) and another guard/wing who has multiple years of eligibility. But for each additional player we add now it will require somebody else not coming back. We are maxed at our 13 scholarships right now

1. Wade
2. Manny
3. Jace
4. Garcia
5. Washington
6. Payne
7. Phelps
8. Wilcher
9. Dockery
10. Turkson
11. Mills
12. Coleman
13. Hefner

I think he means compared to last year.

Last year we had Taylor, Radford, and then a mystery revolving door of Obaseki, Carter and Hefner, and until the last couple weeks of the season you couldn't count on any of those three to handle the ball or score. Even Radford was pretty dicey as a primary ballhandler a lot of the time and even when Manny came on late in the season he's still pretty rough as a passer.

No one player of Phelps, Mills and Wilcher is going to replace Boots, but when you look at them as a group along with Taylor and Obaseki and Carter that's a much better group on paper than what we had a year ago. I mean up until the last few weeks of the season Carter was playing like 30 minutes a game because Manny and Hefner couldn't give us anything. Now you're looking at Carter as maybe a 4th or 5th option depending on the matchups and the game flow?

I agree that we are in good position at guard assuming we get end of season Manny. He changes so much for this team because he can play 1-4 positions.

Would be nice to get one more big guy but I have a feeling we might be done.

Fanatic15...Drs2B! said:

---

Posting this everywhere I can:

This guy's an absolute MUST GET!!!

I'm an Albuquerque resident and follow UNM - and this kid, who played his high school basketball in Dallas and was Texas High School 4A POTY before coming to UNM this year is a truly skilled big man with NBA potential.

We need to pull out all of the stops and scrape up all remaining NIL money to try to get him!

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40056801/new-mexico-frosh-jt-toppin-enters-transfer-portal

---

34.4% 3 point shooting from Mr. Toppin.

He is a double double machine! Any outside shooting is a bonus.

But most posters here have expressed their feelings that this kid will be out of reach for the Aggies in terms of the NIL $$$ he will require to sign.

I agree (as i stated in another thread) that no ONE will "replace" Boots - but to get a good defender (likely better than Boots) who can rebound (likely NOT better than Boots) and score at the rim - Phelps may be best single candidate to fill the hole Boots' departure left in our team - OBVIOUSLY along with (hopefully) the continued emergence and improvement of Manny - plus, perhaps FINALLY a three-point shot maker in Wilcher (though no guarantees) and, who knows?, maybe Jace (and Hefner - if he returns) will regain their outside shooting form next year as well.

Bottom line is that our guard rotation will be stronger and much deeper than it was most of last year - and should hopefully take some pressure off of Wade. And that isn't even counting on a potentially really good incoming fish in Mills - who may warrant some minutes of his own.

Overall, when you count what and who we are going to gain - even if we stop now - compared to what we lost off of last year's team, we definitely APPEAR to have an overall talent upgrade.

Now it's up Buzz and his coaching staff to get all of the new guys to mesh well with an excellent group of returning players - and potentially make this coming year our best year yet!

Mikeyshooter said:

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I agree that we are in good position at guard assuming we get end of season Manny. He changes so much for this team because he can play 1-4 positions.

Would be nice to get one more big guy but I have a feeling we might be done.

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At least Payne has multiple years of eligibility left, my biggest concern is Guard, especially PG, for the future. We have two portal SG who are on their last years, plus Wade, Carter and Manny, all who are also on their final years.

The only guard we will have on campus in the fall with any eligibility left (at this moment) is Mills, and he isn't really a PG.

I bet you are right in that we are probably done, but MAN it would be nice to grab a truer PG with multiple years left to take over in 2025.

Mikeyshooter said:

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I agree that we are in good position at guard assuming we get end of season Manny. He changes so much for this team because he can play 1-4 positions.

Would be nice to get one more big guy but I have a feeling we might be done.

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Hop said he thinks if they add another it will be a guard.