I know speculation on potential departures is a bit bunk around here, but for the sake of conversation, I could see as many as three scholarships come open at the conclusion of our season.
Paveletzke: Has come around a bit lately which you love to see, but he is a Sophomore that will have a hard time supplanting any of the other 3 guards in front of him for playing time, regardless of his improvement. He is in the same class as Tamin, one season behind Gilbert, and would have another year of sitting behind C. Jones assuming he takes a covid year. So at best, he sticks around and hopes he can start as a senior in 2025-26, yet even then, a starting backcourt of both he and Tamin is unattractive due to them both being on the small side. Take into additional consideration that waiting in the wings will be two talented freshman guards in Hamilton and Indrusaitus. If the end goal for Pav is to be a 6th man on a good Big 12 team perhaps he sticks it out. Otherwise I feel like he is currently auditioning for playing time at another school with our remaining games this season.
Watson: With Watson, I kind of just feel like time is running out. He seems like he has a P6 motor and athletic ability, but the skill level just isn't there. Depending what his career aspirations are, I could see him looking to go down a level or two where he can compete a little bit better offensively and become a small ball 4, unless he's happy playing out his days as a Cyclone averaging 10 minutes a game.
Biliew: I hope he sticks around, in fact I'd love all of these guys to, but the reality of the current landscape of the sport tells me I should know better by now. Omaha will have a big decision to make in the offseason. Seems like any conversation about him entering the draft and being a one and done no matter what have cooled substantially since the start of the season, so now it begs the question that if he does come back to college for another year, will it be at Iowa State? Or does he harbor some resentment for TJ and the program for putting a very large damper on and/or destroying his desired career path?
Honorable mention for Curtis Jones: he seems least likely of this group to leave, and has a covid year to use. To me he is back unless he wants to try and become a starter somewhere (although he could start for us next season IMO) or just wants to move on with his life after basketball.