Bowling Green coach Todd Simon questions a call during the second half a game against Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday at the Stroh Center. (Scott W. Grau|Sentinel- Tribune)
After a 20-14 season in Bowling Green State University mens basketball coach Todd Simon’s first year, he and his staff are in the process of figuring out what holes need to be filled.
“You identify things that work and didn’t work and we do that on the fly as we go,” said Simon. “There is no question that roster construction is what is going on this time of year.
“You’ve got to have some end-of-the-season meetings with guys, see where their heads at, and it’s that time of year where we have to start building next year’s roster and fill some deficiencies.
“Obviously, we didn’t shoot it great this year. That is going to be a big thing that we have got to address.
“We’ve got to be able to build depth, and we’ve got to get guys healthy, and we’ve got to be really good in the weight room—that is an area where we need to be stronger in and try to prevent some of these injuries.
“You just have to go through and say, ‘These are what we’re really good at.’ I think we checked a lot of boxes this year in terms of building an expectation to win, an expectation in the classroom, an expectation in the weight room, an expectation off the floor and community service. We built those expectations. Now it’s about filling in the cracks.”
Believe it or not, the process of building next year’s roster is already in the works and the new rules in college sports do not make it any easier.
“Unfortunately it has already started. It’s a shame the system that they’ve kind of done to college basketball. I mean, there is no way the portal should be opening on Monday while teams are still playing in the NCAA tournament and all of these things,” said Simon.
“It’s crazy. You’ve got fired coaches, coaches coaching in an NCAA tournament with no insurance or paycheck. You’ve got teams committing guys, players into the portal while you’re flying to your destination to play.
“We’ve really lost our way a little bit in this thing, and I don’t think you would create any professional league where everyone is a free agent every year with no salary cap. It would be an insane way.
“Things are just different and we’ve got to roll with the punches. No sense complaining about it. We’ve got to operate that way.”
Simon says he is seeing the impact that the transfer portal is having already.
“There are 30 MAC players in the first two and a half days in the portal. I mean, you’re talking about 30 — there are more guys in the portal than graduated in the MAC already in 48 hours,” said Simon.
“It’s a unique place to be as a strong mid-major conference because guys can transfer down and stay D-I, guys can transfer up and get poached by the poachers. It’s OK. I have no problem with it. I’ll be honest, I’m OK with all of it.”
That includes four seniors who may transfer just because they are looking for a grad school. So, whoever goes and whoever stays, he’ll live with it.
“We built the team, we enjoy it like crazy, we teach, we get the between the lines and the ones who want to be at BG and get better will be here,” said Simon.
“The ones who have different opportunities, hats off to them. That is how things work and I think if you fight it or get distressed by it, it is just kind of negative energy.
“We’ll start those processes and we’ve got four seniors who have a COVID year who have some decisions to make. You have all kinds of opportunities, the way I look at it.”
