I think you could argue getting Tucker or Gilder or one of the more sought after GT to go with an eligible Bolton would have been better than Grill/Bolton/Johnson but it seems like Prohm was looking for a HS/Sit out/eligible guy from the get go. Taking that in to account, I'd give a class with Bolton an A.
The really nice thing about Bolton is, he fills the gap left by the two early departures, a gap that would cover multiple seasons. It also sets things up perfect for 20-21 and beyond. Barring something out of the ordinary happening next year, Prohm should bring back at minimum, 4/5 starters for 20-21, that's with Solo and some younger guys with potential at PG and on the wing in mix as well. Perfect fit for Foster and Carlson.
Tucker has "will he graduate or go pro" concerns and only "proved it" at UALR. Gilder has injury concerns, though it appears that he is now healthy. Both of them would be one-year rentals, and Bolton could be here as much as the next three years.
Bolton is definitely the volume scorer we need from the 2-3 spot and proved it at a high-major level. I know we like to rag on the Big Ten here, but that conference was
really good last year, too. Penn State finished #32 on Bart Torvik and #43 on KenPom, so while it was not a great team, it was at least a decent one. It was parallel in the computer rankings with teams like Oklahoma, Oregon, Syracuse, and Baylor who all made the tournament.
I think there's a case that Tucker or Gilder would have higher upsides for next year, but assuming Bolton is immediately eligible, I do not see there being much of a drop-off from the graduate transfer guys down to Bolton. Bolton could be a starter for the next 2-3 years in Ames, too, which automatically makes him a better long-term play.
I think James Kane was the one that targeted Johnson. He is the same one who found Ja Morant at Murray so I trust his talent evaluation.
Yeah, I thought the story was that Kane wanted Johnson at Murray (or whichever place fits the timing of his career) and did not end up with him. If Kane thinks he sees something there, and a guy with Shayok size who hit 40%+ from three as a freshman is definitely something, then I trust Kane and Prohm on that one. I know he was not very good at Troy, but I doubt he had the coaching and system to make him shine like he will in Ames. Another year to practice, mold him, and get better could turn him into a
really nice piece. I remember some SEC schools, like South Carolina, started sniffing around him towards the end, too, so the fact we targeted him early and locked him down before the competition came in feels good.