Interest shown in transferring Smith
Reggie Smith, the freshman guard who received his release from Marquette University last week, is being pursued to this point by a handful of schools.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/112818749.html
Not an impressive list of options. Reggie must have been pretty sure that he was going to lose out to Cadougan in long run or really disliked Buzz in order to justify leaving his current playtime at Marquette and potential opportunity to be a main contributor. All the schools mentioned are substantially farther away from Chicago so that throws out the family justifications as well.
Here are the schools ...
Fairfield, LaSalle, South Alabama and Tulane.
In addition, a source said Nebraska, TCU and UNLV are also interested in possibly landing Smith, although TCU becoming a member of the Big East in 2012 might cause some issues with regard to the conference rule prohibiting players from transferring within the league.
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It's been a while since I was 18 years old and I understand that teenagers are different than the rest of the human race. ...
Why does a player leave after 12 games and transfer to one of these schools? Did Smith (or whoever is talking to him) just conclude he is a second rate player and needed to go to a second rate basketball school? No interest in trying to "do what it takes" to make it at a top flight BE school? At least JMay went to Tenn, who was top ten ranked a month ago (before the wheels fell off).
Why not transfer to North Central and be a D3 All-American.
I just don't get it, please help me understand.
A couple ideas...
1. He cares more about playing time than he does about playing at the highest levels.
2. He simply didn't like Buzz.
3. He, or his family, completely misjudged the demand for Reggie's services.
I wish he would have stuck around so we could have watched him grow over the next 4 years, but I'm sure he had his reasons. Best of luck to Reggie in his future endeavors!
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 03, 2011, 03:06:30 PM
A couple ideas...
1. He cares more about playing time than he does about playing at the highest levels.
2. He simply didn't like Buzz.
3. He, or his family, completely misjudged the demand for Reggie's services.
Door Number Three sounds like a winner
Yeah, that is where I am leaning too warthog. I also think if they would have waited until the end of the year, with still having a redshirt to burn, the demand could have been much higher.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 03, 2011, 03:13:16 PM
Yeah, that is where I am leaning too warthog. I also think if they would have waited until the end of the year, with still having a redshirt to burn, the demand could have been much higher.
Rog. Mid season market value is diluted by availability. I do question the character of those who deem it appropriate or acceptable to bail in mid season. That has to be a factor for some coaches.
Quote from: warthog-driver on January 03, 2011, 03:10:30 PM
Door Number Three sounds like a winner
Is that based on empiricism?
;)
South...I'd add a few more
4. He liked Buzz but just didn't feel right at Marquette University
5. Reggie was a reach recruit and he realized he would be bypassed by other players down the road so he got out while he still could salvage 3 years of playing time
6. MU, and it's coaching staff, misjudged the skill level of Reggie's abilities
I'll grant you #4.
But #5 and #6 are just like my #1 but from a different POV. He wasn't a reach recruit however. He was ranked just outside the top 100 right?
Trouble with grades?
If it were trouble with grades, Reggie would likely not have initiated this. I don't think MU is particularly hard for an incoming freshman compared to any other school.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 03, 2011, 03:29:19 PMI'll grant you #4.
But #5 and #6 are just like my #1 but from a different POV. He wasn't a reach recruit however. He was ranked just outside the top 100 right?
Yeah, ESPN graded him a 90, Rivals had him as a high three-star rated #112 overall in the country, and Scout had him as the #39 point guard in the country, also a three-star.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 03, 2011, 03:29:19 PM
I'll grant you #4.
But #5 and #6 are just like my #1 but from a different POV. He wasn't a reach recruit however. He was ranked just outside the top 100 right?
Yeah, probably so that 5 and 6 are like 1. When I say "reach recruit", I mean that despite the rankings, perhaps not living up to the billing.
The rankings are nice, but they are so subjective based on where the kid played, who he played against, etc, etc.
Quote from: Marquette65 on January 03, 2011, 03:30:22 PM
Trouble with grades?
If so, he might want to scratch Tulane off his list.
Reggie would have done just fine at Marquette. He started like 5 games and played a lot. I think he could have been a very solid player and may have been the point next year.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 03, 2011, 03:22:14 PM
Is that based on empiricism?
;)
South...I'd add a few more
4. He liked Buzz but just didn't feel right at Marquette University
5. Reggie was a reach recruit and he realized he would be bypassed by other players down the road so he got out while he still could salvage 3 years of playing time
6. MU, and it's coaching staff, misjudged the skill level of Reggie's abilities
7. He wanted to be more of a scoring guard than groomed as a backup or change of pace PG.
All these points make sense if you leave AFTER your Freshman year (see Jamil Wilson). That I get. But to get the hell out of dodge after 12 games, because staying two more months to finish the year was intolerable makes no sense.
I guess I'm asking why Reggie thinks he better off now than 8 days ago before he asked to be released. As much as I stretch, I cannot figure out how to spin this positively for him.
In the end I'm left with a kid that made a bad decision that reflects completely on him and not at all on MU or Buzz? To be clear, it about transferring mid-season, not about leaving at end of the school year. That makes sense, this does not.
Disagree?
Added:
If a kid left at the end of the year, and their grades were in good standing, and left for a mid-major that offered more time and opportunity, I get that and understand it. But to bolt at mid-season for an early season "buy-a-game" school (LaSalle?, Fairfield?) is just wrong.
Sorry for being so redundant, I'm saying the same thing over and over because this is such a confusing and irrational decision on Reggie's part.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on January 03, 2011, 04:10:21 PM
In the end I'm left with a kid that made a bad decision that reflects completely on him and not at all on MU or Buzz? To be clear, it about transferring mid-season, not about leaving at end of the school year. That makes sense, this does not.
Disagree?
Nope. I cannot understand the mentality of a mid-season transfer just because your options are limited and you don't get as much playing time in the end.
I wonder how much of it was being at home for Christmas and people talking in his ear. The other question is, knowing what he knows now, would he have still made the same choice? Or would he stick out for the rest of the season?
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on January 03, 2011, 03:22:14 PM
Is that based on empiricism?
;)
No, It is what we in the flying world call the SWAG...there is a science to this sort of wild ass guess!
If you buy into the fact that Buzz thought he was soft, than the reason for transferring was that he did not want to work so hard. Assuming that is the case then he is going to transfer down to a less demanding program. I still think he was physically sick and probably would not have played much the rest of the year anyways, so there was no reason for him to stay.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 03, 2011, 03:06:30 PM
A couple ideas...
1. He cares more about playing time than he does about playing at the highest levels.
2. He simply didn't like Buzz.
3. He, or his family, completely misjudged the demand for Reggie's services.
4. Coaches tend not to clamor over kids who start as freshmen, perform poorly then bail at mid-season over a lack of playing time.
Reggie may yet develop into a high-level player, but nothing he showed in his brief tenure at MU shows that's anywhere near a lock. Combine that with the squirminess some coaches may feel over the way he left, and this is what you can get.
Don't know why he left, but if anyone from his camp says it's because he wouldn't participate in weekly Satanic rituals at Buzz's home they'll be some here who'll insist that it's the gospel truth.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 03, 2011, 04:14:40 PM
Nope. I cannot understand the mentality of a mid-season transfer just because your options are limited and you don't get as much playing time in the end.
I wonder how much of it was being at home for Christmas and people talking in his ear. The other question is, knowing what he knows now, would he have still made the same choice? Or would he stick out for the rest of the season?
+1. Does anybody honestly believe that Reggie made this decision on his own?
Maybe LeDarryl Billingsly is a family friend and convinced him to head to the Green Wave. ;D
Quote from: Lennys Tap on January 03, 2011, 09:47:30 PM
Don't know why he left, but if anyone from his camp says it's because he wouldn't participate in weekly Satanic rituals at Buzz's home they'll be some here who'll insist that it's the gospel truth.
Teal is your friend, although I think you probably really believe what you wrote. Sad.
If he does not go to a school spring semester and instead waits until fall would he still be eligible to play next December or would he have to sit out the entire 11-12 season?
Quote from: Skitch on January 04, 2011, 01:04:53 AM
If he does not go to a school spring semester and instead waits until fall would he still be eligible to play next December or would he have to sit out the entire 11-12 season?
SIT OUT 11-12
Quote from: Jay Bee on January 04, 2011, 01:06:38 AM
SIT OUT 11-12
Wow. 2 minutes. That's pretty prompt service at 1 am. Thanks Jay Bee
Quote from: Benny B on January 03, 2011, 09:49:33 PM
+1. Does anybody honestly believe that Reggie made this decision on his own?
Of course not....but 99% of kids his age don't make such decisions on their own either.
What's brad forester's take on all this?
From where I'm sitting, it looks pretty clearly like he read the writing on the wall, and made the decision to go someplace where he felt he would have a better opportunity to get minutes. These guys want (expect) to play. If he wasn't good enough to contribute here, then going somewhere else may be the best thing for him.
As far as the mid-season transfer thing goes, I have a hard time believing that's much of a factor as to his options. If Smith had the talent of Vander Blue, the schools on that list would be a who's who of college basketball.
I was wondering during the WVU game if aiming for a 10-man high D1 rotation is realistic in today's college ball. With so many guys wanting to come in and play right away, and having the opportunity to do so at mid-major schools, I'm just not sure you can get enough guys and keep them happy.
If the stat is 45% of freshmen atheletes transfer, that is a huge problem across the board. In this day of instant gratification, a lot of kids want it all and want it now. It is a serious problem beyond atheletics. I like the concept of no freshmen transfers that the coaches are pushing for. In most cases, I would think the kids would be fine their sophomore year and glad they did not transfer. It also removes some of the power of the handlers and others promoting the instant gratification syndrome.
Quote from: NavinRJohnson on January 04, 2011, 09:20:20 AM
From where I'm sitting, it looks pretty clearly like he read the writing on the wall, and made the decision to go someplace where he felt he would have a better opportunity to get minutes.
But he would have played more (3 seasons v. 2 1/2) and had more options, if he would have just waited out this next semester.
Quote from: NavinRJohnson on January 04, 2011, 09:20:20 AM
As far as the mid-season transfer thing goes, I have a hard time believing that's much of a factor as to his options. If Smith had the talent of Vander Blue, the schools on that list would be a who's who of college basketball.
OK, let's say that Jamil Wilson wanted to transfer last year at this time and Maymon didn't leave. MU would have had no room for him scholarship wise. Unless he paid his own way, MU would not have been an option for him. Schools that are maxed out on scholarships aren't going to look at Reggie right now.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 04, 2011, 09:32:55 AM
Schools that are maxed out on scholarships aren't going to look at Reggie right now.
Fine, but how many schools does that describe? I don't know, but I assure you that LaSalle, Fairfield, Tulane, etc. are not the only ones with spots open. If he's a good player, he's a bird in the hand to the schools (like Jamil Wilson for MU).
Quote from: NavinRJohnson on January 04, 2011, 09:42:01 AM
Fine, but how many schools does that describe? I don't know, but I assure you that LaSalle, Fairfield, Tulane, etc. are not the only ones with spots open. If he's a good player, he's a bird in the hand to the schools (like Jamil Wilson for MU).
I don't disagree with that, but you said that "you had a hard time believe that was much of a factor." It's actually a pretty significant factor. You don't think Chicago area schools the likes of Valpo or Loyola might be interested, but are currently maxed out? Sure, a school like Duke might have spots open, but aren't going to sniff at Reggie, but Reggie has mid-major talent. The schools that might take a shot at him had he been a end of year transfer would be a significantly longer list.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 04, 2011, 08:17:44 AM
Of course not....but 99% of kids his age don't make such decisions on their own either.
Actually Sultan, there are a couple hundred thousand kids Reggie Smith's age who are in combat in the Southwest Asia Area of Operations making life and death decisions daily, sometimes hourly. These young men and women have my deepest, most profound respect.
Amen to that, warthog
Quote from: warthog-driver on January 04, 2011, 10:22:42 AM
Actually Sultan, there are a couple hundred thousand kids Reggie Smith's age who are in combat in the Southwest Asia Area of Operations making life and death decisions daily, sometimes hourly. These young men and women have my deepest, most profound respect.
Good lord, give it a rest already.
Quote from: Skatastrophy on January 04, 2011, 10:31:28 AM
Good lord, give it a rest already.
I was raised to ask, How have I served today?
Quote from: bilsu on January 03, 2011, 09:21:05 PM
If you buy into the fact that Buzz thought he was soft, than the reason for transferring was that he did not want to work so hard. Assuming that is the case then he is going to transfer down to a less demanding program. I still think he was physically sick and probably would not have played much the rest of the year anyways, so there was no reason for him to stay.
8. Reggie was not willing to work as hard as Buzz demands for 3-1/2 more years so he bailed now.
Quote from: warthog-driver on January 04, 2011, 10:45:46 AM
I was raised to ask, How have I served today?
Then start a thread in the Superbar about it.
I took it to mean your 99% was absurd
I'm not saying this is the reason but I can't believe that people here completely discredit anyone who suggests Smith may not have wanted to play for Buzz. To be honest, I think Buzz is a great coach, but not sure I would enjoy playing for him. Would I want to play for a coach who stops practice to pray for a player who made a shot? Or who is eccentric in many ways? Or consistently says he loves every player that plays for him? Some players like that and some don't. I can see players thinking he is over the top. This isn't dissing Buzz, just saying you can't win over every player.
Quote from: warthog-driver on January 04, 2011, 10:22:42 AM
Actually Sultan, there are a couple hundred thousand kids Reggie Smith's age who are in combat in the Southwest Asia Area of Operations making life and death decisions daily, sometimes hourly. These young men and women have my deepest, most profound respect.
Understood, but aren't all enlisted personnel (and even most officers, for that matter) supposed to be acting only under the instruction of their superiors?
In any event, let's not discredit our troops by comparing them to Reggie Smith (or vice versa). Buzz's boot camp isn't the Crucible, and Reggie obviously defines dedication and hard work differently than our men and women in uniform.
Quote from: warthog-driver on January 04, 2011, 10:22:42 AM
Actually Sultan, there are a couple hundred thousand kids Reggie Smith's age who are in combat in the Southwest Asia Area of Operations making life and death decisions daily, sometimes hourly. These young men and women have my deepest, most profound respect.
And everyone here (I suspect) is extremely grateful for those kids, their sacrifices, their families sacrifices. They have a special calling that few do.
Let's stipulate moving forward, Colonel, that you and others have the metal that few on this board or this country do. For that, thank you.
With that stipulation, perhaps we shouldn't be comparing our student athletes (even those that "abandoned" their team) to those soldiers or other military personnel. They aren't of the same metal and few are, but that doesn't mean they aren't very hardworking kids, good people, etc.
Quote from: warthog-driver on January 04, 2011, 10:22:42 AM
Actually Sultan, there are a couple hundred thousand kids Reggie Smith's age who are in combat in the Southwest Asia Area of Operations making life and death decisions daily, sometimes hourly. These young men and women have my deepest, most profound respect.
OK...congrats! Irrelevant to my point, but congrats!
My point is that very few kids make decisions about where to go to college on their own. Most have their parents input in varrying degrees. So when someone says "Does anybody honestly believe that Reggie made this decision on his own?" My answer is "No...most kids that age don't make decisions about where to attend college on their own."
Quote from: Benny B on January 04, 2011, 12:05:16 PM
Understood, but aren't all enlisted personnel (and even most officers, for that matter) supposed to be acting only under the instruction of their superiors?
The concept is Centralized Command, Decentralized Execution. A hallmark of the US military is that officers and NCO's are expected to operate independently and to exercise judgment in the face of rapidly changing situations...Adapt, Adjust, Overcome. This is in marked contrast to the Soviet Armed Forces or the Luftwaffe/Wehrmacht. Our approach to war fighting reflects our society and, quite frankly, not only suits the American psyche but is superior to totalitarian models.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on January 03, 2011, 03:06:30 PM
A couple ideas...
1. He cares more about playing time than he does about playing at the highest levels.
2. He simply didn't like Buzz.
3. He, or his family, completely misjudged the demand for Reggie's services.
My money's on door number 3. Especially since other schools cannot express interest until his release is given. Someone, I believe, misled this poor lad about how wonderful his options would be. I wonder how much better his possibilities would have been if he'd demonstrated more intelligence by waiting until the end of the year to transfer. It can't help that he's seen giving up on his first school one third of the way into this first season.
Quote from: warthog-driver on January 04, 2011, 10:45:46 AM
I was raised to ask, How have I served today?
Please, allow me to answer. Poorly.
Quote from: LittleMurs on January 04, 2011, 09:02:40 PM
Please, allow me to answer. Poorly.
I cannot fathom the anguish of living in a cube farm where the biggest decision of the day is what time to take one's morning dump.
Why not just end your post after; "I cannot fanthom"?