Duane Wilson Tweet

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Isn't the timing curious?  We don't have a commitment.  Or has Kalif promised perhaps?

Well, it is curious that he has cancelled his two other official visits but has kept his one with MU. If he makes it here next week, gotta believe we are the frontrunner.

[damuts222]

If the Wally story is true, there's no reason he couldn't be a walk-on and get a track scholarship..is there?

If not, Henry can pay his tuition if he stays for track.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Katin Reinhardt better be really effin good.

Assuming Wally is gone, Young signs up, and no other roster changes are made, then Reinhardt will be the third best player on an NCAA tournament caliber team, IMHO.

[4everwarriors]

Yeah, so where is Cigs at already? Anyways, schollies are 1 year commitments that are renewable. So, next man up, hey?

[MuMark]

If the Wally story is true, there's no reason he couldn't be a walk-on and get a track scholarship..is there?

If not, Henry can pay his tuition if he stays for track.

You can't play basketball on a track scholarship.

[wadesworld]

Katin Reinhardt better be really effin good.

Or else...?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If the Wally story is true, there's no reason he couldn't be a walk-on and get a track scholarship..is there?

If not, Henry can pay his tuition if he stays for track.

As others have stated in this thread, it is against NCAA rules for a player to have a track scholarship and walk on for basketball. This is to keep schools from stashing extra basketball players on the track team.

[MUMonster03]

If the Wally story is true, there's no reason he couldn't be a walk-on and get a track scholarship..is there?

If not, Henry can pay his tuition if he stays for track.

This has been asked multiple times. There is some rule due to Football teams placing players on track scholarships and then walking on for football to save scholarships. Therefore it is not allowed.

[LAZER]

Get out ahead of what? Have Wojo hold weekly pressers about Wally's status or continually stating that they did not use Wally as bait for Henry?

At the end of the day, there were misunderstandings in one camp and an attempt to thread the needle too much on the other. It happens, and I fully believe that all parties will get past this at some point, but it's fresh pain right now and I get that. Nothing permanently damaging has been done and if we are trading Wally for Young we are getting better for next season and several seasons after that.

I wouldn't assume there was a misunderstanding.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

For 2 years now there's been the idea that Wally is only here to get Henry. The staff can't be oblivious to this and has to understand the potential backlash, both short term in the media and long term in potential negative recruiting tactics.

In the past, Marquette has failed to get out in front of stories that were pretty obvious from the get go. This would disappoint me both from the perspective of using Wally like a human bargaining chip and the perspective of not grasping the potential negative fallout of such actions.

Further, if RC's account is true (and he's the first poster I trust bringing info to the table) the staff should have realized this 9 months ago and been pushing Wally to become degree eligible. Just a failing on numerous levels.

Honestly, I don't think there will be that much backlash. At worst, Marquette makes a statement to the effect of "Wally is pursuing his dream of being a professional track athlete" and the Ellensons say nothing publicly in response because that would be in their best interest. Some Badger fans might start a thread on Buckyville saying "Proof that Wally was just Henry bait" that will quickly die after a week or two. Maybe, maybe the MJS does a story on it but without the Ellensons or Marquette giving them anything, the story is just speculation. Maybe a few coaches try to use at as a negative recruiting tactic, but all Wojo has to do is say "Wally was the 13th man on the roster and wasn't going to get playing time. You will never be the 13th man on my roster. Especially not your senior year." Recruits don't care what happened to others, they only care what a coach will do for them. I also don't think the Ellenson family is as connected in Wisconsin high school basketball as some seem to think. So we don't get anymore recruits from Rice Lake. I think our positive relationship with SPASH through the Hausers would be much more impactful.

Reality is 99% of the college basketball world will be completely unaware that this even happened....and the 1% will forget about it by the time next season starts.

[JakeBarnes]

Honestly, I don't think there will be that much backlash. At worst, Marquette makes a statement to the effect of "Wally is pursuing his dream of being a professional track athlete" and the Ellensons say nothing publicly in response because that would be in their best interest. Some Badger fans might start a thread on Buckyville saying "Proof that Wally was just Henry bait" that will quickly die after a week or two. Maybe, maybe the MJS does a story on it but without the Ellensons or Marquette giving them anything, the story is just speculation. Maybe a few coaches try to use at as a negative recruiting tactic, but all Wojo has to do is say "Wally was the 13th man on the roster and wasn't going to get playing time. You will never be the 13th man on my roster. Especially not your senior year." Recruits don't care what happened to others, they only care what a coach will do for them.

Reality is 99% of the college basketball world will be completely unaware that this even happened....and the 1% will forget about it by the time next season starts.

Scoop Never Forgets.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Actually no. Nothing counts until August school starts if I'm not mistaken.

Right, I didn't mean literally.  But the sooner the better in terms of Wally moving on assuming he is going to try to find somewhere else to play. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Scoop Never Forgets.

Truer words have never been spoken. I'm continually amazed by scoop's ability to remember who posted what years ago. Hell, people remember what people posted on other boards before scoop existed!

[Litehouse]

Why? He just has to be better than Wally.

We all know we needed a 4, and Wojo took Reinhardt with the last available slot, so I see that as the trade off.  We already have JJJ to play major minutes at the 3 with Sandy to back-up.  Regardless of what the true story is, MU is going to take a big PR hit for this, damage relations with our newest high-profile NBA player, and give our opponents plenty of material for negative recruiting.  I see all of this as a big negative, so I hope Katin is worth it.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Scoop Never Forgets.

I hope this is the reason we choose to hate Wojo when he leaves rather than the other reasons a coach leaves (failure)

[brandx]

If what's being said on here is true, it will have ZERO effect on recruiting. Do you think some star HS baller is going to care that Wojo "cut" a 12th man who the kid has never heard of?

This kind of stuff happens all the time. I don't like it and I don't think it's fair, but that's how the system works.

I disagree.

I remember back when Illinois was unable to get any kids out of Chicago for a span of several years because the HS coaches were mad at the university for what they perceived were slights towards Chicago.

The problem will not be the kids. It will be the HS coaches that see a Wisconsin kid being slighted.

[Da 'Lanche]

Instead of looking at this moment in time, I look at the entire "ellenson marquette journey" and have a hard time seeing the injustice (if this is even true).

Two years ago Wally decides to leave Minnesota as he is not pleased with his playing time, relationship with new coaching staff...whatever.   At that point he is a flyer in terms of what he can do at the D1 basketball level for a program.

Wojo signs him as a transfer knowing our roster is decimated and hoping he can contribute but also obviously hoping it influences his brother to come to MU (as a likely one and done).  But...there are NO guarantees of this...it was not a package deal.   It was quite possible Henry could have ended up somewhere else or, quite possible if Wally signed somewhere else (like a smaller school where he may have gotten lots of playing time) that Henry would not have followed him and they would not have had a year to play together in college.

Wally sits out last year but kills it in Big East track and field setting all sorts of conference records.   Wojo gets to see him for a year in practice and watch if he develops.

Henry joins MU and brothers get to practice together, play together, be part of the same team/program.

While the team did not achieve post season play, it was a good year for Henry as he ends up a likely lottery pick which means he got to showcase his skills against quality opponents and reaffirm his already likely lottery status entering college.

Wally does not play near the minutes some thought as Wojo is able to assess the talent on the squad and has seen Wally for two years so he knows what he has in him as a basketball player.

Henry leaves.    But, he leaves having gotten the unique opportunity to play one year with his brother (who could have stayed at Minnesota...gone to a smaller school...focused just on track...whatever).    Henry set for his future.

Wally left behind with either a limited role on the team or the possibility he has been asked or agreed to explore other options.    If the original "flyer" on him following his 2 years at Minnesota would have been affirmed that he is a high D1 basketball talent...it may be different.   

Now we shall see if Wally is leaving or not...and may never know the full circumstances and what has been discussed between coach, player and family.     But, to look at the past two years and all the variables that could or could not have happened...I'd say it was a good year at MU this year for the Ellensons.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

We all know we needed a 4, and Wojo took Reinhardt with the last available slot, so I see that as the trade off.  We already have JJJ to play major minutes at the 3 with Sandy to back-up.  Regardless of what the true story is, MU is going to take a big PR hit for this, damage relations with our newest high-profile NBA player, and give our opponents plenty of material for negative recruiting.  I see all of this as a big negative, so I hope Katin is worth it.

I really think you are overestimating the "PR hit" this will cause. Most of the college basketball world won't realized it happened. Most of those that do won't care. The few who do will forget before next season.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I disagree.

I remember back when Illinois was unable to get any kids out of Chicago for a span of several years because the HS coaches were mad at the university for what they perceived were slights towards Chicago.

The problem will not be the kids. It will be the HS coaches that see a Wisconsin kid being slighted.

Spurning the outright payments or deference to the Chicago AAU/high school scene and this are not even close situations. 

[mu03eng]

I wouldn't assume there was a misunderstanding.

Perhaps misunderstanding is not the correct word, failure to accept what was being said is probably more accurate but seems harsh.

We all want to believe our own truths, even if they are the universal truth so to speak.

[MerrittsMustache]

Spurning the outright payments or deference to the Chicago AAU/high school scene and this are not even close situations.

Not to mention that the basketball talent in Wisconsin is not in the same ballpark as Chicago.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I disagree.

I remember back when Illinois was unable to get any kids out of Chicago for a span of several years because the HS coaches were mad at the university for what they perceived were slights towards Chicago.

The problem will not be the kids. It will be the HS coaches that see a Wisconsin kid being slighted.

Chicago has other i$$ue$ when it comes to recruiting.

This event might hurt us with the coach of Rice Lake....its not going to hurt us in the parts of the state that actually matter (Milwaukee, Madison, SPASH, etc)

[wadesworld]

Can you believe what a huge hit UW took with the Jerrod Uthoff situation?  I mean, obviously Bo and the program could never recover from that downfall.  What a horrendous PR hit that was.  So glad that happened and UW was never to be heard from in the NCAA Tournament again...

Oh wait.

[brewcity77]

Get out ahead of what? Have Wojo hold weekly pressers about Wally's status or continually stating that they did not use Wally as bait for Henry?

At the end of the day, there were misunderstandings in one camp and an attempt to thread the needle too much on the other. It happens, and I fully believe that all parties will get past this at some point, but it's fresh pain right now and I get that. Nothing permanently damaging has been done and if we are trading Wally for Young we are getting better for next season and several seasons after that.

Push Wally to be in position to graduate so he can continue to pursue basketball as a graduate transfer if he so desires. Breach the topic throughout the season so that it doesn't come as a surprise to Wally or the family in late April when the silly season is in full bloom. Above all, don't secure a commitment from his replacement before you inform him that he won't be back, which is really what the Reinhardt commitment feels like right now.

The situation just feels like it could have been better thought out and planned than a last minute notification and a likely late-Friday announcement. And if it is announced at 4:55 tomorrow, all the more reason I'm not in favor. The only reason for press releases at that time is when you know you f***ed up and hope the media ignores it.

[Spotcheck Billy]

If WE really wants to play another year of bball it looks like his only option is for HE to pays his way