re: N'Faly Dante is basically the second coming of Shaq...

Here's video from him 3 months ago.

He weighed in at 249 pounds last weekend in Indianapolis, with a 7'5" wingspan. That's almost identical to Shaq as a senior in high school except Shaq might have been an inch taller.

And if you watch his game it's eerily similar. He can even go coast to coast like Shaq did in the McDonald's game.

Not saying he's quite as good at this stage. But as for a dominant physical presence in the paint, this guy's got it.

If Wade pulls this off your team is going to be really, really tough to beat. I don't see an SEC roster better than LSU's with Watford and Dante on it.

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Where does the Dante optimism come from? I haven’t seen anywhere other than LSU sites anything indicating we are under serious consideration, much less favorites.

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We’ve been leaders for a bit and still have the CB lead

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Where does the Dante optimism come from? I haven’t seen anywhere other than LSU sites anything indicating we are under serious consideration, much less favorites.

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Word around the program and among the 247 experts, not to mention the subtle panic in Kentucky's camp that they lost out on Matthew Hurt and it looks like they're going to lose on Jaden McDaniels, and they don't feel like they can get Dante away from LSU now that Wade is back at it.

It's too early to say that this is going to happen, but the winds are starting to blow favorably.

That's the direction this seems to be moving in, yeah.

This other guy Ojiako is definitely reclassifying.

In an absolutely perfect world Wade would pull Dante and Ojiako, redshirt Ojiako and be loaded in the paint for at least the next two years. Then he can take this kid Gray for next year, who's another developmental big, because he won't need an impact player in the post.

I think you're better off with developmental post players most of the time. The NBA is so starved for athletic bigs that they'll draft practically anybody who's close to 7 feet tall if they can walk and chew gum at the same time. That gives you an advantage if you can develop people; you're out there with grown-up kids 20 and 21 years old against 18-year olds who don't have the conditioning or maturity, and you can impose your will on them.

But it's hard to find good developmental bigs.

Wade found one in Bigby-Williams. I want him to keep finding them.

What’s the timetable for when we will know about Dante reclassification?

In the we're-not-living-well-enough-to-even-contemplate-this world, you'd get Dante, Ojiako and Kyree Walker with your available scholarships.

If Wade could pull that off it'd pretty much ruin SEC basketball for everybody else in the league.

Watford, Dante, and Cooper is all you would need to play.

That would be the same, in essence, as last year with an upgraded 4 and 5 position imo and a more developed Cooper.

Going off some of Wade’s comments on Cooper last year some of you are sleeping on him a bit. Wade seems to like him.

If Dante signs with LSU in ‘19 I may soil my shorts.

I like where we are with Dante.

Kentucky has been vocal about him staying in the 2020 class. But they may need him now more than ever with potential draft departures/ recruits choosing other schools.

WW seems to be supportive of the reclassification and Dante doing so would play into our hand. Kentucky would have to change their opinion on his reclassification choice which would look bad IMO