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Author Topic: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers  (Read 8875 times)

Tugg Speedman

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"Me thinks" Brent felt a need to explain himself because some of the Powers at VT are "concerned" that their new high priced coach/savior came to a last place team and half their existing players left.

---------------------------------------

Five players have left Hokies since Buzz Williams took over, but he’s rebuilding the ranks.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/five-players-have-left-hokies-since-buzz-williams-took-over-but-hes-rebuilding-the-ranks/2014/08/11/f71795f6-2176-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html

By Mark Giannotto
August 11 at 5:22 PM

Almost five months after shocking the college basketball world by coming to Virginia Tech, new coach Buzz Williams walked into a room at Cassell Coliseum on Monday and realized he hadn’t been to this part of the arena before. He shook hands with Virginia Tech employees he was meeting for the first time and remarked that he only left his office to go to a recent Blacksburg street fair because “my wife told me I had to.”

The long hours of seclusion have defined the early stages of a rebuilding project unlike any Williams has undertaken before.

“Don’t have a lot of hobbies. Not very good at anything that’s happening outside of the small world that I live in. And I just assume that everybody in my world lives the same way,” he said during a 35-minute news conference, his first since being introduced as men’s basketball coach in March. “If you sleep on the floor or you sleep on the couch, I just think, ‘That’s kind of what you’re supposed to do. And if you were any good, you wouldn’t be sleeping.’ That’s how I process it, and I know that’s really demented.”

Though a maniacal work ethic is in Williams’s DNA, it’s also out of necessity. Since he arrived at Virginia Tech, five Hokies have left a program that finished 9-22 last year.

Williams spoke publicly about the most recent departures for the first time Monday, noting sophomore guard Ben Emelogu elected to transfer to SMU last month after both sides agreed “it was better for his life probably to be closer to home.” Forward C.J. Barksdale is still enrolled in school, but “was just at the point in his life and in his career that he was just tired of being hurt,” after battling through several injuries in previous seasons, Williams added.

The coach buttressed the roster with two transfers (former Maryland guard Seth Allen and former South Florida forward Zach LeDay), a junior college transfer (Shane Henry) and five freshmen, but Virginia Tech will have just nine scholarship players available, and only one player taller than 6-foot-6, next season.

“If you just look at it from an analytical standpoint, none of those things bode well to have success,” Williams said. “I’m not opposed to the talent we have, but it has to get better. I think I’d be somewhat out of my mind if I told you it was good enough. We’ve finished in last place each of the last three years. If I’m not saying we need to get better, then [Athletic Director Whit Babcock] probably hired the wrong guy.”

Williams’s splashiest move thus far involved luring Allen to Virginia Tech, and he explained that the recruiting process proved to be as much of a whirlwind as his sudden departure from Marquette.

Allen averaged 13.4 points and three assists in College Park last year and won’t be eligible to play for Virginia Tech until the 2015-16 campaign. Williams claims to have never once watched Allen play a game in person or on film.

“It was manna from heaven, to be honest with you, that we would cold call somebody and he would show up and make a decision within seven days of their departure from a perennial top 30 program,” Williams said of Allen, who is still recovering from the foot injury he played through last season at Maryland.

For now, though, Williams can only agonize over what to do with this year’s team. Should he try to win as many games as possible with a limited roster? Or play the style he deems best for the long-term prospects of the program?

Whatever the answer, Williams’s obsessive approach will not change, something he made clear when discussing the hip replacement surgery assistant coach Steve Roccaforte underwent last Tuesday.

“He may not be tough enough to make it here,” Williams cracked. “It’s Monday morning and I still haven’t seen him.”

wadesworld

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2014, 05:37:55 PM »
Heisenberg is costing just about every single sports journalist out there the 100 or so clicks that could possibly come from Scoopers with all these articles. At this rate, Heisenberg may have Scoop menopolizing all internet news within the next year.
Rocket Trigger Warning (wild that saying this would trigger anyone, but it's the world we live in): Black Lives Matter

GGGG

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2014, 06:35:16 PM »
The long hours of seclusion have defined the early stages of a rebuilding project unlike any Williams has undertaken before.


He's only undertaken one rebuilding project before.  It was much more difficult.  And he quit in a year.

So this sentence is correct, but not in the way the author likely intended.

We R Final Four

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2014, 07:03:37 PM »
Didn't Brent once refer to Luke as 'Manna from Heaven'?
Apparently it happens more than I knew.

bilsu

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2014, 07:41:56 PM »
Only one player taller than 6'6" sounds like a team we should be playing.

tower912

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2014, 08:31:24 PM »
>6'6 = Satchel.
Luke 6:45   ...A good man produces goodness from the good in his heart; an evil man produces evil out of his store of evil.   Each man speaks from his heart's abundance...

It is better to be fearless and cheerful than cheerless and fearful.

Dawson Rental

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2014, 11:40:50 PM »
I'm starting to realize that there's probably only a small subset of players that are truly comfortable playing for Buzz.
You actually have a degree from Marquette?

Quote from: muguru
No...and after reading many many psosts from people on this board that do...I have to say I'm MUCH better off, if this is the type of "intelligence" a degree from MU gets you. It sure is on full display I will say that.

tower912

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2014, 03:44:23 PM »
I'm starting to realize that there's probably only a small subset of players that are truly comfortable playing for Buzz.

That was obvious all 6 years at MU.   
Luke 6:45   ...A good man produces goodness from the good in his heart; an evil man produces evil out of his store of evil.   Each man speaks from his heart's abundance...

It is better to be fearless and cheerful than cheerless and fearful.

MattyWarrior

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2014, 03:47:37 PM »
When do they start to realize he really jobbed them,I say year 3.

esotericmindguy

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2014, 03:50:43 PM »
I really don't like guys who have to tell people what they're like, especially when it comes to work. Just work hard and people will notice. Always has been my complaint of Buzz, loves to share his story and how maniacal he is. It's basketball for cripes sake, and he doesn't even run set plays. What could he possibly be doing all hours of the day in his office?

3Mer

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #10 on: August 12, 2014, 03:52:50 PM »
"but Virginia Tech will have just nine scholarship players available"

- That sounds eerily familiar.

willie warrior

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2014, 04:05:45 PM »
I really don't like guys who have to tell people what they're like, especially when it comes to work. Just work hard and people will notice. Always has been my complaint of Buzz, loves to share his story and how maniacal he is. It's basketball for cripes sake, and he doesn't even run set plays. What could he possibly be doing all hours of the day in his office?
Now there is a great question. Is it like Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles? "Work, work, work" as he sits in his shorts? Or maybe Bill Clinton with Monica under the desk? Or Al Pacino planning the family vengeance? Many things can be done all hours of the day in your office.
I thought you were dead. Willie lives rent free in Reekers mind.

MuMark

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2014, 04:48:16 PM »
 Williams claims to have never once watched Allen play a game in person or on film.

Not sure I would brag about recruiting a kid I had never bother to watch

augoman

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2014, 04:57:41 PM »
Now there is a great question. Is it like Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles? "Work, work, work" as he sits in his shorts? Or maybe Bill Clinton with Monica under the desk? Or Al Pacino planning the family vengeance? Many things can be done all hours of the day in your office.
I believe he's probably writing all those postcards he's so famous for..., the supposed volumn of cards, letters, and calls he claims would take 25 hours a day.

ttheisen

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2014, 05:06:32 PM »
I really don't like guys who have to tell people what they're like, especially when it comes to work. Just work hard and people will notice. Always has been my complaint of Buzz, loves to share his story and how maniacal he is. It's basketball for cripes sake, and he doesn't even run set plays. What could he possibly be doing all hours of the day in his office?

Great post / question.

Dawson Rental

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #15 on: August 12, 2014, 05:08:16 PM »
When do they start to realize he really jobbed them, I say year 3.

Or in the case of Jameel McKay, practice 3.
You actually have a degree from Marquette?

Quote from: muguru
No...and after reading many many psosts from people on this board that do...I have to say I'm MUCH better off, if this is the type of "intelligence" a degree from MU gets you. It sure is on full display I will say that.

Tugg Speedman

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #16 on: August 12, 2014, 10:14:23 PM »
The media tour continues.

Brent must see these defections as a real problem for him to do this much 'splanin.

------------------------

Williams discusses Hokies basketball team

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/colleges/va_tech/williams-discusses-hokies-basketball-team/article_3858d0e3-1da1-54a9-b67e-158e0ca5ee88.html?mode=jqm


BLACKSBURG — The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team has undergone an extreme makeover since Buzz Williams was hired five months ago.

Williams recruited five new players, while five members of last year’s squad opted to leave the program.

“I’m not opposed to the talent we have, but it has to get better, and I think I would be somewhat out of my mind if I told you it’s good enough,” Williams said Monday at his first news conference since the March 24 gathering to announce his hiring. “We have finished in last place each of the last three years, so if I’m not saying we need to get better, [Tech] probably hired the wrong guy.”

The team has just 11 scholarship players, two below the NCAA maximum. Only nine of those players are eligible to play in the upcoming season. The squad includes four freshmen and a redshirt freshman.

“If you just look at it from an analytical point of view, none of those things bode well to have success,” said Williams, formerly the coach at Marquette. “I’d like to have a full roster … and I think at some point you probably want to get it to the point where there’s a little bit of a division amongst classifications. I don’t know that you want to have five guys in one class.”

The 11 scholarship players include just three players who saw action for the 9-22 Hokies last season — Joey van Zegeren, Devin Wilson and Adam Smith. Redshirt freshman Malik Mueller is also a scholarship holdover, but he was academically ineligible last season.

Trevor Thompson has transferred to Big Ten power Ohio State, while Marshall Wood transferred to Richmond. Maurice Kirby, who was redshirted last season, has transferred to a junior college.

There were two more exits last month. Ben Emelogu transferred to Southern Methodist — a school in his home state of Texas. C.J. Barksdale left the team but remains a Tech student.

Emelogu averaged 10.5 points as a freshman last season.

“As it played itself out, it was probably best for Ben to go closer to home,” Williams said. “Not because I’m trying to be Mr. New Coach and I’ve got all the answers and I’m running guys out of town — just think it was better for his life.”

Barksdale was a junior last season, when he missed the final two games with an ankle injury. He missed five games earlier in the season because of other injuries.

“Throughout the entire spring semester, he continued to stay in a boot [because of the ankle injury],” Williams said. “He was at the point in his life and in his career, he was just tired of being hurt and emotionally he was like, ‘You want me to rehab [again] and I don’t know if I want to.’ ”

Two players on this year’s roster will have sit out this season under NCAA transfer rules — former Maryland point guard Seth Allen and ex-South Florida power forward Zach LeDay.

Allen averaged 13.4 points for the Terrapins last season.

“It was manna from heaven, to be honest with you, that we would cold-call somebody and they would show up and make a decision within seven days of their departure,” Williams said. “He’s definitely somebody that we can build around.”

The other recruits brought in by Williams were freshmen Ahmed Hill and Satchel Pierce and junior college transfer Shane Henry.

The team will also include two freshmen who signed with then-coach James Johnson last fall — Justin Bibbs and Jalen Hudson.

Unlike last year’s team, the Hokies will lack size this season.

Among the nine eligible scholarship players, the only players taller than 6-foot-7 are the 6-10 van Zegeren, the 6-8 Henry, and the 7-foot Pierce.

Given that lack of size and because he has just nine eligible scholarship players, Williams is trying to figure out what style to play this season.

“Is it better to establish what you want to be about and how you want to play long term, even though your personnel doesn’t necessarily dictate that in year number one?” he said. “Do you want to teach them one way to play and then entering year two you want to play a different way because hopefully a year from now we have more of a full roster?

“It’s a delicate balance act and I’m not exactly sure what the answer is.”

The Hokies went 2-16 in ACC play last season.

“If there’s 15 teams in the league, how do you get from [No.] 15 to [No.] 10?” Williams said. “You have to realize that 11, 12, 13 and 14, they’re trying to get to 10 too. So we’ve got a long, long way to go.”

Williams might hold on to his two unfilled scholarships in case he gets a midyear transfer, or he might give them to walk-ons Will Johnston and Christian Be
« Last Edit: August 12, 2014, 10:16:01 PM by Heisenberg »

rocket surgeon

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #17 on: August 14, 2014, 06:15:41 AM »
the more i think about buzz's departure and what has occurred since, it makes me wonder if buzz has any trepidations about his decision to choose vt.  i understand his options at the time had dwindled from just the previous few months, but he really wasn't in a good position to strike when the "irons" were hot.  there  were a few better schools seemingly throwing there hats in the ring for buzz after each of his previous successful seasons that typically occur as young up and coming coaches do well with a mid-major or not quite ready for prime time organization.  prior to buzz's last(disappointing) season, smu, texas, oregon, missouri, illinois, ucla, lsu, oklahoma, etc...were all said to be hot for buzz.  ok, thank you buzz for shunning all those others, but obviously something happened between 2012-2013 and the product he put out on the floor showed.  suddenly, vt is the only choice he has?  i'll tell you why vt is always going to be a tough sell and win.  location, conference, and football.  remember when big time pro ballers didn't want to come to milw.   because it lacked "culture" read-night life?  well blacksburg makes milwaukee look like las vegas.  it's off the beaten path, and to compete with the dukes, north carolina, syracuse, pitt, georgia tech, nc state, florida state,  day after day, has got to give you a tummy ache.  bottom line, i think buzz is going to really struggle here for the next few years(if that) only to get a 2nd chance at a school where he can have at least a fighting chance to show 'em that he really can recruit/coach.  but vt hasn't really been a basketball power, ever, and with all due respect to buzz, it ain't gonna happen under him.  i think he blew his chance to be a marquee coach right here at marquette if he could have contained himself-marquette was his for the taking and i'm talking a career place like a krychevsky, mcguire, boeheim, et.al.   he could have owned mu without being the bull in the china shop
don't...don't don't don't don't

MisterJaylenBrownMU

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #18 on: August 14, 2014, 03:33:44 PM »
It was manna from heaven, to be honest with you, that we would cold-call somebody and they would show up and make a decision within seven days of their departure,” Williams said.

As a T-Wolves fan, I just got shivers.  I think Brent is trolling me.

http://deadspin.com/5588342/darko-milicic-is-bread-from-god-and-other-crazy-things-david-kahn-believes

GGGG

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #19 on: August 14, 2014, 03:37:15 PM »
the more i think about buzz's departure and what has occurred since, it makes me wonder if buzz has any trepidations about his decision to choose vt. 


I think if Buzz knew that Mizzou was going to open up, he would have waited.

4everwarriors

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #20 on: August 14, 2014, 07:59:12 PM »
Bumstead went after Auburn's gig before VT.
"Give 'Em Hell, Al"

ChitownSpaceForRent

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Re: Brent Explains To The Washington Post Why He Had Five Transfers
« Reply #21 on: August 14, 2014, 08:01:29 PM »
Bumstead went after Auburn's gig before VT.

Forgot about that. What happened with that did Auburn not want him cause that would be hilarious. Buzz reallly wanted to bounce.