Fifth Player Leaving VT Since March (Another Starter)

[Tugg Speedman]

If you're wondering what they have left from the worst team in the ACC, see the bolded part.


C.J. Barksdale will leave Virginia Tech basketball team, fifth to do so since March

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/cj-barksdale-will-leave-virginia-tech-basketball-team-fifth-to-do-so-since-march/2014/07/10/57e8dccc-0828-11e4-a0dd-f2b22a257353_story.html


Forward C.J. Barksdale has informed the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program that he will not be a member of next season’s team, a person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed.

Barksdale, a rising senior from Danville, Va., becomes the fifth player to leave the program since Buzz Williams took over as the team’s head coach in March. His departure means all but one member of Virginia Tech’s vaunted 2011 recruiting class, considered the best in school history at the time, will have left campus before their senior year.

At this point, the Hokies have just five scholarship players back from last season (guards Devin Wilson, Adam Smith, Malik Mueller and Will Johnston and forward Joey van Zegeren), only two of whom appeared in more than 15 games and averaged more than 3.2 points per game. Forwards Trevor Thompson (Ohio State), Marshall Wood (Richmond) and Maurice Kirby (Coffeyville Community College) and guard Ben Emelogu have also moved on from the program since the 2013-14 season ended.

Emelogu has received interest from SMU, Tulsa and Rice, among others, since his decision to leave Virginia Tech became public last week.

Barksdale began last season by serving a three-game suspension for a violation of team rules and dealt with nagging knee and ankle injuries as the Hokies stumbled to a 9-22 record. The 6-foot-8 power forward averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last year and started 31 of the team’s 32 games as a sophomore.

Barksdale always wowed with his diverse skill set, but never committed himself to conditioning like former coach James Johnson and his staff would have liked. It’s unclear whether he clashed with Williams’s new staff, which was formally announced by Virginia Tech on Wednesday.

Six of Williams’s eight new hires came with him from Marquette, including assistant coaches Isaac Chew and Jamie McNeilly and director of basketball operations Jeff Reynolds, a former head coach at Air Force. Former Lamar coach Steve Roccaforte, most recently an assistant at South Florida, will also serve as an assistant coach under Williams.

Chew worked as an assistant under Williams at Marquette and McNeilly played for Williams at New Orleans before serving in an administrative position at Marquette the past three years. This will be McNeilly’s first full-time assistant coaching job.

Williams and company have been hard at work trying to address the roster attrition. The Hokies had two open scholarships for next season when college basketball’s live evaluation period began Wednesday.

A person within the program said another transfer is on Williams’s initial wish list. Former Kansas guard Andrew White is scheduled to visit Blacksburg, Va., in the next 10 days. The 6-6 Richmond native has been to Nebraska and Notre Dame and is slated to visit Florida State this weekend as he searches for a new team.

Virginia Tech has already added former Maryland guard Seth Allen, former South Florida forward Zach LeDay and junior college transfer Shane Henry to the roster since Williams arrived in March. Like Allen and LeDay, White would not be eligible to play until the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Williams has also reportedly been eyeing 6-6 shooting guard Maurice O’Field, who spent his freshman season at Midland Junior College in Texas this past winter.

In addition, the Hokies welcome a four-member freshmen class that includes former Marquette signees Ahmed Hill and Satchel Pierce and guards Jalen Hudson and Justin Bibbs to the fold this fall.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?board=3.0

[Dawson Rental]

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?board=3.0

Thread Nazi.

[bilsu]

What I am waiting to see is whether Buzz loses one of his own recruits, which happened pretty often at MU? McKay, Taylor, Roseboro, Mayman and Smith never made it through there first year after showing up on campus.

[MU82]

Frankly, if I were Buzz, I'd be glad to have all the crapola cleared out. He has no pressure to win, so he might as well start as fresh as he can with his own players. Much more is expected from Wojo than from Buzz.

[Tugg Speedman]

Frankly, if I were Buzz, I'd be glad to have all the crapola cleared out. He has no pressure to win, so he might as well start as fresh as he can with his own players. Much more is expected from Wojo than from Buzz.

But the opposite is happening.  He's losing all his starters including his best player in Trevor Thompson (going to tOSU) and all the "crapola" is staying (because they cannot leave).

Right now, next year is looking far worse than this year.  Yes no pressure next year but if he buries himself the first year or two, how does he dig out?  This is not Indiana with a storied history and kids in the entire state dreaming of playing for them.  This is a backwater bball program (again, bball program) surrounded by the nation's best programs, in addition to a FF team with a young dynamic coach at Virgina.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

But the opposite is happening.  He's losing all his starters including his best player in Trevor Thompson (going to tOSU) and all the "crapola" is staying (because they cannot leave).

Right now, next year is looking far worse than this year.  Yes no pressure next year but if he buries himself the first year or two, how does he dig out?  This is not Indiana with a storied history and kids in the entire state dreaming of playing for them.  This is a backwater bball program (again, bball program) surrounded by the nation's best programs, in addition to a FF team with a young dynamic coach at Virgina.

Holy Cripes...I would hardly call Tony Bennett "dynamic" (or young, for that matter.). Virginia and VT are obviously not going after the same student athletes. Besides, I'd be surprised if Bennett is ever able to duplicate last season's success.

[SaveOD238]

On a positive note, congrats to Jamie McNeilly on getting promoted to the Assistant Coach level.

[Tugg Speedman]

Holy Cripes...I would hardly call Tony Bennett "dynamic" (or young, for that matter.). Virginia and VT are obviously not going after the same student athletes. Besides, I'd be surprised if Bennett is ever able to duplicate last season's success.

Buzz is 41 and Bennett is 45 (per their wikis). So why is Buzz a "young coach" and Bennett is not.

Fact is Bennett won the ACC this year and that changes things.  Ask Crean (he cut down the nets even though they lost the day they clinched).

[swoopem]

Buzz is 41 and Bennett is 45 (per their wikis). So why is Buzz a "young coach" and Bennett is not.

Fact is Bennett made the FF this year and that changes things.  Ask Crean.

Didn't UVA lose to Michigan St in the sweet 16? Then MSU lost to UCONN

They did win the ACC tourny and regular season, I believe

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Virginia definitely didn't make the final four

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Didn't UVA lose to Michigan St in the sweet 16? Then MSU lost to UCONN

They did win the ACC tourny and regular season, I believe

Yupp. The upset that everybody predicted.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

But the opposite is happening.  He's losing all his starters including his best player in Trevor Thompson (going to tOSU) and all the "crapola" is staying (because they cannot leave).

Right now, next year is looking far worse than this year.  Yes no pressure next year but if he buries himself the first year or two, how does he dig out?  This is not Indiana with a storied history and kids in the entire state dreaming of playing for them.  This is a backwater bball program (again, bball program) surrounded by the nation's best programs, in addition to a FF team with a young dynamic coach at Virgina.

Buzz has lost exactly 2 starters. Jarell Eddie (leading scorer and assistman) who graduated and Ben Emelogu who transferred and hasn't landed somewhere yet.

Barksdale was the first player off the bench, he did start some games, but only after Adam Smith went down with an injury.

Thompson was not his best player. He may have been the best freshman and maybe had the most potential, but he was only the third player off the bench this past season.

The "crapola" that are staying were last season's starting PG, SG, and C. Plus, the 2nd player off the bench and one benchwarmer. All of them are capable of transferring to other programs. The only one who wouldn't land at a quality program would be Christian Beyer (the benchwarmer).

He has also brought in one of the best recruiting classes that VT has seen a long time. One that might get better if Andrew White decides to bring his talents to Blacksburg.

And again, Virginia definitely didn't make the final four last season.

Yes, it is bad news for Buzz that he has had five players leave the program since he took over. But there is no need to exaggerate to try and make it seem like a more dire situation than it is.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Buzz is 41 and Bennett is 45 (per their wikis). So why is Buzz a "young coach" and Bennett is not.

Fact is Bennett made the FF this year and that changes things.  Ask Crean.

Buzz isn't young, either. He was when MU hired him. Now he's well-traveled.

Al McGuire retired at 48!

[Lennys Tap]

Buzz is 41 and Bennett is 45 (per their wikis). So why is Buzz a "young coach" and Bennett is not.

Fact is Bennett made the FF this year and that changes things.  Ask Crean.

Fact is Bennett is 45 and has 1 S16 to his credit. That is very different from 41, 2 S16s and an E8. No need to ask Crean.

[Tugg Speedman]

Virginia definitely didn't make the final four

I meant "won the ACC" and brain cramped that into "made the FF"

[Dawson Rental]

I meant "won the ACC" and brain cramped that into "made the FF"

Always stay well hydrated while posting on Scoop!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I meant "won the ACC" and brain cramped that into "made the FF"

Well if youre ESPN theyre basically the same thing.

[Spotcheck Billy]

So this latest transfer is listed as a rising senior, won't he be out of eligibility when he sits out a year?

[4everwarriors]

I see Buzz is gettin' better his own self, aina?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

So this latest transfer is listed as a rising senior, won't he be out of eligibility when he sits out a year?

No, rising senior means he will be a senior next season.

[Tugg Speedman]

Buzz has lost exactly 2 starters. Jarell Eddie (leading scorer and assistman) who graduated and Ben Emelogu who transferred and hasn't landed somewhere yet.

Barksdale was the first player off the bench, he did start some games, but only after Adam Smith went down with an injury.

Thompson was not his best player. He may have been the best freshman and maybe had the most potential, but he was only the third player off the bench this past season.

The "crapola" that are staying were last season's starting PG, SG, and C. Plus, the 2nd player off the bench and one benchwarmer. All of them are capable of transferring to other programs. The only one who wouldn't land at a quality program would be Christian Beyer (the benchwarmer).

He has also brought in one of the best recruiting classes that VT has seen a long time. One that might get better if Andrew White decides to bring his talents to Blacksburg.

And again, Virginia definitely didn't make the final four last season.

Yes, it is bad news for Buzz that he has had five players leave the program since he took over. But there is no need to exaggerate to try and make it seem like a more dire situation than it is.

Barksdale was hurt and suspended last year but started 31 games the year before when he was healthy.  Thompson was a starter at the end of the season.

Point is crapola is not leaving.  Or to turn it around, what is left?  From the story ....

At this point, the Hokies have just five scholarship players back from last season (guards Devin Wilson, Adam Smith, Malik Mueller and Will Johnston and forward Joey van Zegeren), only two of whom appeared in more than 15 games and averaged more than 3.2 points per game.

[MU82]

Barksdale was hurt and suspended last year but started 31 games the year before when he was healthy.  Thompson was a starter at the end of the season.

Point is crapola is not leaving.  Or to turn it around, what is left?  From the story ....

At this point, the Hokies have just five scholarship players back from last season (guards Devin Wilson, Adam Smith, Malik Mueller and Will Johnston and forward Joey van Zegeren), only two of whom appeared in more than 15 games and averaged more than 3.2 points per game.

"Crapola" was a poor choice of words on my part. Mea culpa.

All I meant was that starting over for a coach in Buzz's position might not be the worst thing. With the talent VT has lost, just about any wins will be a bonus. He's got a good class coming in and probably will follow-up with another. Then that will be his team. Plus, Buzz seems to thrive off the whole underdog schtick.

We'll see. I certainly like to think Wojo will do a lot more winning at MU than Buzz will at VT.

I also like to think I will be mostly ignoring VT after this!

[Dawson Rental]

Virginia definitely didn't make the final four

Final Four Nazi.

[GGGG]

Virginia and VT are obviously not going after the same student athletes.

Oh Marial Shayok....how quickly you have been forgotten!!!