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Post by friar71 on May 24, 2014 8:58:41 GMT -5
Am I the only one who is now spooked by the thought that we'll likely lose another player before the season begins? Rajay would be my first worry. For this season or one in the future. Beyond that, My constant drum beating regarding the constant need to fill out your roster and never, ever hold schollies for a future year. The fact that Fortune transferred is not an event unique to PC. There is not a deeper, systemic issue with our program. But rather it is rather a symptom of an issue that is pervasive in college basketball in 2014. And barring a rule change, it will be worse next year too. The answer lies in using the new world of college athletics to your advantage. You must understand that you will lose players every year and often unexpectedly. Fickle teens chasing the prized brass ring at the Crescent Park merry-go-round but them not understanding that in the new world the brass ring is also a moving, rotating target. The new world has you in a constant of hunting for players in an always changing topography that is unreliable and unexpected both in what the players you have and the players you have. All other thinking is archaic and medieval. Info: I agree but I would add a few additional thoughts: 1. Undergraduate transfers at 4 year schools in now estimated over 30%. This does not include community college students. So the modern generation looks at transferring schools differently than earlier generations. I remember Stacom's transfer caught a lot of attention because you didn't see it that often back then. Hell,I think this generation changes jobs more often than we changed our suit. 2. Coaching Changes are just as rampant. I think few kids actually pick a school. So the coach or even an assistant leaves and the kid wants a change. 3 Too many "advisors" even when they are in school. These kids have more than their parent(s) giving them advice. That trend has been growing as well and often the advice may not necessarily be best for the student-athlete. I am amazed though that so many kids are willing to "sit out a year". We hear so many stories of the one and done players who only go through the motions of school. I am sure a good number of student atheletes are much more athlete than student. I would think sitting out would be a big deal but obviously it is not to many.
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Post by wtm97 on May 24, 2014 9:02:17 GMT -5
We are?
I disagree. The entire system is in a state of transitional upheaval with no end in sight. Some programs have been hit harder than others but really all are affected - including PC benefiting by the pick-ups of Harris/CD. The recruiting gambol has always been dicey. costly and time consuming - given all these defections add frustration to that mix; red-shirting is dicey with the 5th year option emergent.
As for rock's paranoia?about others- who knows?
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Post by Rock on May 24, 2014 9:13:40 GMT -5
Yet we're so quick to point out the problems/ scumbag coaches when players transfer from other programs.....let's worry about our own house. I think we are. And let's remember, we just won a BE title, went to the NCAA tournament and saw five players get their degree! PC has put itself in a great position NOT to suffer these runoffs so it's doubly frustrating. I have never ridiculed another program over these issues (well, maybe Cuse in the 90's and when the devil was coaching Oak St) but it sure seems like an NCAA-wide epidemic right now. I blame it on the AAU culture and the directionless "leadership" of the NCAA. Heck, whole college programs leap frog from conference to conference like they were drunk on Match.com so what does that tell players, parents and mentors?
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Post by friara on May 24, 2014 9:47:44 GMT -5
Well said, Rock. I agree. I also think part of my love of college hoops was the ability to see kids come in as freshmen and graduate as seniors. The Cotton story is so fantastic with supporting roles from Batts and Lee and Kofane and Ted. These kids don't want to star in those types of stories anymore. Very frustrating.
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Post by mikey2 on May 24, 2014 12:56:12 GMT -5
...and let's not forget Cotton was ready to transfer as well. Fortune having to sit out a year (apart from a sick relative) makes me think that we're clearly not getting the whole story here. Coming off two years where he played and developed more than even he could have ever expected. He knows Cooley, the coaching staff, and the system....why transfer to an unknown? ?...and sit out a year as well? More to this than meets the eye.
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Post by Free Weyinmi on May 24, 2014 13:05:02 GMT -5
shocked ... disappointed ... hissed
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Post by Rock on May 24, 2014 13:21:31 GMT -5
So let's speculate - at the risk of sounding like idiots and being resoundingly unfair:
Fortune was a high playing time, oft-criticized player. One could imagine that behind closed doors his defensive weakness, poor shooting and shaky turnovers made life tough with the staff. There must have been times where Cooley would have loved to have benched Josh and gone to another player but with the injuries to Council, Dunn and, at times, Cotton he had nobody and, man, that must have left Ed and his staff with some major bottled-up frustration.
Now, Josh sees this, feels it, begins to show moderate to good improvement but sees talented incoming players and a staff desire to play multiple ballhandlers and says to himself, uh oh, I'm really gonna catch it next year so I better trade-high and capitalize on my strong finish as a starter on a BET champion and get out now.
This is not to impugn Cooley or kick Josh. I sure complained about him enough and I gotta think the staff did too but had to swallow hard and play him anyway. Can you imagine how that must have felt for both sides? By all accounts Fortune is a great kid and he sure did nothing but be a credit to the Friar program. Too bad because I think he would have had less pressure on him next year and would have been a better player with a reduced role and maturing into an upperclassman. To Cooley it has to suck because you played and developed the kid when he wasn't really worthy of it and now on the dawn of his being worthy he bolts. Love to have witnessed some of the conversations between all the parties. Well, maybe not.
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Post by friara on May 24, 2014 13:24:13 GMT -5
What incoming player is threatening his playing time??? Do we have any other true 2 guard?
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Post by jaf97 on May 24, 2014 13:57:18 GMT -5
At this point, I thought he'd get 30 mpg at least again this year.
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Post by friara on May 24, 2014 14:22:31 GMT -5
The only recruit who would have seriously effected his minutes was Graham. Every other one would be a complimentary player. Fortune would have easily gotten 25 mpg no matter who else we took in.
There was no way it had to do with minutes. I worry this is something deeper.
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Post by Rock on May 24, 2014 14:44:06 GMT -5
Lindsey, Lobamba, Dunn all could have chipped away at Josh's time. Add in any of the guards we've been in high pursuit of and you can see, from Fortune's perspective, that any continued struggle in any area would have landed him in a pressure-cooker with the staff. I'm not saying he's seeing it right, just trying to suggest how he might be seeing it. Then again, maybe it's a girl, romance, broken-heart etc....who really knows. No doubt however that the athletic department is NOT happy.
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Post by oaklawnbob on May 24, 2014 15:10:14 GMT -5
Well said Rock and Infoman. It's crazy out there with over 500 transfers this year and well over 400 transfers last year. I don't think there is any way this will be curbed. Why these kids want to sit out a year is beyond me.
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Cteve
Blue Chipper
Posts: 1,640
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Post by Cteve on May 24, 2014 15:11:31 GMT -5
saying of bad things happen in 3's" ----------------------------------------------
Well it's pretty easy to see what the 3rd is. The college is going to be sued under Title 9. To be filed on the appropriate date (the Golf Party or Midnight Madness).
That and Bullock possibly leaving for the obvious reason or connected to Fortune somehow? I forget if they went to the same HS or not. Which could mean they are involved with the same advisor.
Anyway you can't be a successful program if you can't shoot threes. It would be easy to pack a defense in against this team (as it stands). Henton can't be the leading 3-guy and top rebounder at the same time.
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Post by friarsue on May 24, 2014 18:08:12 GMT -5
Very disappointing! How much more could he want? He had ample playing time and was one of the main cogs on this team. Where is the team commitment? I am sure that this has already been said but this is truly a shame!
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Post by TheInfoMan on May 24, 2014 19:43:07 GMT -5
John Rooke echo's FriarSue's remarks:www.golocalprov.com/sports/john-rooke-thinking-out-loud138Really surprised by Josh Fortune's transfer. Reportedly, he wants to be closer to home in Virginia, and it's hard to argue with that. However, after playing major minutes and coming up big for the Friars last season...and growing exponentially as a player in his two years (especially on defense), can't help but feel he's letting himself and his team down. He got his shot, he came up big. He benefitted from his coaches, and improved playing against guys like Bryce Cotton. And now, he leaves? We've taught an entire generation of teens and 20-somethings that commitments mean nothing...
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