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Poplar in Portal

gogeta4 said:
I dribble better than dude im in my late 30s and havent played structured basketball since the Pal League in middle school.

Dude has no chance of being Donte Divincenzo lol
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It was more positioning Poplar as a complementary player and what that upside looks like as opposed to the player comp
 
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HTXCane said:
Behind the paywal but Poplar explains why he left.

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Wooga Poplar put up career-best numbers this past season at Miami, but the toolsy, 6-foot-5 wing is looking for more. Poplar was a late addition to the transfer portal, and he's one of the top available wings left on the board.
Ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, Poplar was a popular breakout selection in just about everyone's eyes. In some ways, he lived up to most of the hype. Poplar shot over 40% on 114 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last year. The explosive athlete shot over 64% at the rim, with some rim-rocking dunks. Poplar had some big showings in non-conference play, including a 19-point, eight-rebound showing at Kentucky and 15 points and six rebounds against Kansas State in November.
But he didn't fully explode.
A nasty sprained ankle kept him out of two early-January games against Clemson and Wake Forest and hampered him for the rest of Miami's frustrating, 15-17 season. The injury was painful and annoying, but Poplar also expressed some frustration with his role at Miami. Poplar had just an 18.9% usage rate during ACC play. That was the second-lowest mark in Miami's six-man rotation –– behind Norchad Omier, Matt Cleveland, Nijel Pack and Bensley Joseph.

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"I felt like there was a better opportunity for me somewhere else," Poplar said. "Miami is a great school, but I felt like I needed to move on. When I was at Miami, I was kinda in the corner. No plays run for me. So I need to go to a school where I have plays run for me and I can get my teammates involved. I feel like I can do way more than just stand in the corner."
High-major programs like Arkansas, Villanova, Duke, Kentucky, Illinois, Georgia, Kansas State and Kansas have all been in contact.
"I feel like I can show more coming off ball screens," Poplar said. "I'm not just a spot-up guy. I feel like I can do everything on the floor. That's what I'm looking for in my next year. I felt like I was supposed to be that guy until the injury happened. Things happen for a reason. I'm just going to schools and seeing what anyone else can give me. I will work for my spot. I'm not looking for it to be easy. Wherever I feel comfortable and wherever is home for me, that's where I'll be attending."
 
FromDeeeeep said:
Wooga Poplar put up career-best numbers this past season at Miami, but the toolsy, 6-foot-5 wing is looking for more. Poplar was a late addition to the transfer portal, and he's one of the top available wings left on the board.
Ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, Poplar was a popular breakout selection in just about everyone's eyes. In some ways, he lived up to most of the hype. Poplar shot over 40% on 114 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last year. The explosive athlete shot over 64% at the rim, with some rim-rocking dunks. Poplar had some big showings in non-conference play, including a 19-point, eight-rebound showing at Kentucky and 15 points and six rebounds against Kansas State in November.
But he didn't fully explode.
A nasty sprained ankle kept him out of two early-January games against Clemson and Wake Forest and hampered him for the rest of Miami's frustrating, 15-17 season. The injury was painful and annoying, but Poplar also expressed some frustration with his role at Miami. Poplar had just an 18.9% usage rate during ACC play. That was the second-lowest mark in Miami's six-man rotation –– behind Norchad Omier, Matt Cleveland, Nijel Pack and Bensley Joseph.

​

"I felt like there was a better opportunity for me somewhere else," Poplar said. "Miami is a great school, but I felt like I needed to move on. When I was at Miami, I was kinda in the corner. No plays run for me. So I need to go to a school where I have plays run for me and I can get my teammates involved. I feel like I can do way more than just stand in the corner."
High-major programs like Arkansas, Villanova, Duke, Kentucky, Illinois, Georgia, Kansas State and Kansas have all been in contact.
"I feel like I can show more coming off ball screens," Poplar said. "I'm not just a spot-up guy. I feel like I can do everything on the floor. That's what I'm looking for in my next year. I felt like I was supposed to be that guy until the injury happened. Things happen for a reason. I'm just going to schools and seeing what anyone else can give me. I will work for my spot. I'm not looking for it to be easy. Wherever I feel comfortable and wherever is home for me, that's where I'll be attending."
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Meanwhile, he hasn't landed anywhere yet.
 
AmherstCane said:
It’s crazy because L loved him and saw him as a potential future NBA starter and was trying to help him improve his handle and develop his game… but without a handle the options are pretty limited.
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His stock was high a year ago because he projected as a complementary, athletic 3 and D player in NBA, which teams can never have enough of. Perhaps the staff overestimated his upside but he simply will never be a primary scoring option at a high-major program, and I think that's why he hasn't found a home yet.
 
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I know the past couple of years I have made comments that he has no handle ever since that Kansas elite 8 game. But I have to believe with his pure jump out of the gym athleticism the handle can be improved. Sure he’ll have to work and do a hella lot of drills but I don’t doubt it can be done.
 
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gogeta4 said:
I dribble better than dude im in my late 30s and havent played structured basketball since the Pal League in middle school.

Dude has no chance of being Donte Divincenzo lol
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Wooga’s ceiling is a three and D guy. He has a horrible handle for this level but he’s a good spot up shooter. In his mind he wants to be something he’s not , a complete player that is more than a spot up guy. His role last year was perfect.
 
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AmherstCane said:
Poplar was NOT a cancer.

I dont actually know the exact situation, but Poplar is a good kid who L really liked as a person.

But last year was a really tough year… on a bunch of levels. It wasn’t good for Wooga and it wasn’t good for L.

Also, I think this year the money is being used to try to build exactly the roster that L wants rather than just trying to keep and fit together the pieces that were more readily available.
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This is propaganda at its finest. I witnessed Poplar quit on this team during the UNC road trip. Coach L and him had over a 30 minute talk about his attitude and not playing when he was ready to go. He decided to stay in his pajamas all day long. We had an NIL budget for the final four of less than 950K, this year that budget double and tripled. Do not make excuses for him. The staff, the training staff all wanted him gone, and this is a fact
 
ErickMarreroU said:
This is propaganda at its finest. I witnessed Poplar quit on this team during the UNC road trip. Coach L and him had over a 30 minute talk about his attitude and not playing when he was ready to go. He decided to stay in his pajamas all day long. We had an NIL budget for the final four of less than 950K, this year that budget double and tripled. Do not make excuses for him. The staff, the training staff all wanted him gone, and this is a fact
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I think there’s a little overstatement there. L really liked Poplar… as a person and a player. There was a reason L was selling him as having the best midrange jump shot in America… and likely the teams leading scorer with a high NBA ceiling.

This year was a bad year for poplar and the team and it got worse as the season progressed. Poplar had attitude problems that were new and really were a problem, but there was also a relationship that had been built over the two prior years.

Life teaches you it's better not to burn bridges…Wooga almost certainly would have been welcomed back with a reasonable NIL deal (at least before running his mouth about being “put in the corner”). Now he’s a guy with a bad attitude who wants a role he can’t fill.

Edit: bottom line… success went to Wooga’s head followed by some adversity which melted him shockingly quickly.
 
AmherstCane said:
I think there’s a little overstatement there. L really liked Poplar… as a person and a player. There was a reason L was selling him as having the best midrange jump shot in America… and likely the teams leading scorer with a high NBA ceiling.

This year was a bad year for poplar and the team and it got worse as the season progressed. Poplar had attitude problems that were new and really were a problem, but there was also a relationship that had been built over the two prior years.

Life teaches you it's better not to burn bridges…Wooga almost certainly would have been welcomed back with a reasonable NIL deal (at least before running his mouth about being “put in the corner”). Now he’s a guy with a bad attitude who wants a role he can’t fill.

Edit: bottom line… success went to Wooga’s head followed by some adversity which melted him shockingly quickly.
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Exactly. The guy that marched in the office as a freshman and asked what he needed to do in order to play(and took the coaching and blossomed) and the sullen, detached player we saw last year might as well be two different guys. Wooga didn't deal with success well and once the injuries piled up, it was a wrap. L likely realized that a change of place was what Wooga needed, sometimes you need to move on, in order to move forward. I doubt L wanted to see him go, but it was what is best for Wooga and the program.
 
ErickMarreroU said:
This is propaganda at its finest. I witnessed Poplar quit on this team during the UNC road trip. Coach L and him had over a 30 minute talk about his attitude and not playing when he was ready to go. He decided to stay in his pajamas all day long. We had an NIL budget for the final four of less than 950K, this year that budget double and tripled. Do not make excuses for him. The staff, the training staff all wanted him gone, and this is a fact
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Where was this report when it happened?
 
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Angry Ibis said:
Thanks for confirming. This place has gotten way too comfortable kicking players when they are down or gone, but I am sad to hear Poplar had gotten to that point.
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It was a shock to all of us, it was more of a slap in the face to the coaching staff. Nijel Pack who was ruled out days before the game was working out with the team and stretching in the shoot around 6 hours before the game. He was in pain and was still trying to get his body right for the future games.
 

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ErickMarreroU said:
It was a shock to all of us, it was more of a slap in the face to the coaching staff. Nijel Pack who was ruled out days before the game was working out with the team and stretching in the shoot around 6 hours before the game. He was in pain and was still trying to get his body right for the future games.
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Interesting physical vs mental health dynamic.
 
JZCane0825 said:
His stock was high a year ago because he projected as a complementary, athletic 3 and D player in NBA, which teams can never have enough of. Perhaps the staff overestimated his upside but he simply will never be a primary scoring option at a high-major program, and I think that's why he hasn't found a home yet.
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He also can't defend the basketball, at all
 
ErickMarreroU said:
This is propaganda at its finest. I witnessed Poplar quit on this team during the UNC road trip. Coach L and him had over a 30 minute talk about his attitude and not playing when he was ready to go. He decided to stay in his pajamas all day long. We had an NIL budget for the final four of less than 950K, this year that budget double and tripled. Do not make excuses for him. The staff, the training staff all wanted him gone, and this is a fact
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funny thing is, its very easy to see when people quit, its clear as day.
 
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