Here come the UCONN transfers....Crean must have run them off

[ChicosBailBonds]

heavy sarcasm


Ben Eaves (who MU recruited) will be transferring.  There is rumored to be as many as three.

http://www.projo.com/uri/content/sp_bkc_uri29_03-29-07_3J52331.36902a1.html

[NavinRJohnson]

I have no idea what the scholarship situation is there, but I gotta believe Calhoun is making room for JUCO's and others. To quote Majerus...UConn is a train wreck right now and needs some new talent.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Since the UConn season ended, all the local papers have been running stories related to Jim Calhoun's comments stating that "Don't worry there will be personnel changes next year."

[CTWarrior]

Calhoun is running those kids out of the program.  Please do not use any analogy that suggests because Calhoun is doing something, it is OK for us or any other program.  What he is doing is shameful.  He has free reign because of the national championships, but for the first time that I can remember there are grumblings about him here in CT.  I suppose the first discontent started with his mismanagement of last year's team, which despite 5 NBA players playing in their final college seasons they failed to win the BET or make the FF.

I just get the feeling that UConn has begun a slow slide out of elite status. 

[AlumKCof93]

I don't think I had much of an opinion either way about Calhoun before, but he has seemed like a cranky SOB the past few years.  Maybe he has let the power get to his head, but creating a situation where players are being shown the door seems beneath him after all the success he's had there.

[ToddPacker]

Coaches like Calhoun and Pitino are going to end up creating a lot of problems with the NCAAs if they continue to run multiple kids from their programs every year.  Personally, I am not too thrilled that MU is one over the limit.  It seems each year we get further and further from the idea that these are student-athletes. I do not know what the solutions are, but if we continue down this road, the NCAA will have to do something.

[NavinRJohnson]

Coaches like Calhoun and Pitino are going to end up creating a lot of problems with the NCAAs if they continue to run multiple kids from their programs every year. 

Every year?  ???

Calhoun pretty much had to rebuild an entire roster as a result of guys who left early for the NBA. Anyone could have reasonably assumed that those guys were going to go, but there was certainly no guarantee of that. So, as a result he ended up with having to sign a whole slew of new players, some of whom probably weren't right for UConn. So, I guess the question is, would they be better off staying there or finding a more appropriate place to play and go to school?

[Big Papi]

Coaches like Calhoun and Pitino are going to end up creating a lot of problems with the NCAAs if they continue to run multiple kids from their programs every year.  Personally, I am not too thrilled that MU is one over the limit.  It seems each year we get further and further from the idea that these are student-athletes. I do not know what the solutions are, but if we continue down this road, the NCAA will have to do something.

I wouldn't worry about being one over the limit.  If TC bolts a potential scenario could be that Mbakwe and Christopherson ask out of their scholarship, DJ bolts for the NBA and Trend could still not cut it in class.  In which case we would be 3 under the limit.  In other words there are too many uncertainties that most of us just don't know about.

[ToddPacker]

Sorry, Navin, that excuse does not cut it for Calhoun.  Pitino has run players off in the last few years, and I do not believe this is a first for Calhoun either.  Maybe I overstated the issue, but I do not care what the excuse is--it is directly contrary to what the goals and mission of the NCAA should be, and it will eventually have consequences.

[NavinRJohnson]

it is directly contrary to what the goals and mission of the NCAA should be

That's fine if that's your opinion, but in reality, that doesn't match with what the goals and mission of the NCAA actually are, so why on earth would we single out Jim Calhoun? The goal of these basketball teams - and that means UConn, MU, UW-MAdison, Winthrop, you name it...whether anyone wants to admit it or not, is to make money and market the school. Jim Calhoun is paid (and I assume rather handsomely) to do just that.  Just as Tom Crean is, Bo Ryan, Jerry Wainright, Tom Izzo...Jim Calhoun is doing what his employer expects of him. Put a winning team on the floor, get on TV and fill seats. If you think it is better for those kids to stay at UConn and get bar-b-qued by the fans, media, etc. for a couple more years, fine, but there is a reality to these situations. He made some recruiting mistakes as all coaches do, and either he or the player sees the need to correct them. What's wrong with that?

[ToddPacker]

That's all well and good.  I agree, Calhoun is doing what his employer expects of him, but he is doing it in a despicable manner. Rather than actually coach the kids he committed to, he is turning around and running them off. If you are not committed to the kids, why offer them in the first place.  The thing is, every team at every level has kids that ride the pine and do not play.  Was Grimm a recruiting mistake?  Should TC have run him off in favor of someone else?  Fans get on kids when they transfer, they should do the same to coaches that run them off.  Just my opinion. 

[Niv Berkowitz]

Navin and Packer, you're both right IMO.

Yeah, the school uses the team to make money, promote the university, and then (hopefully) graduate players. The coach is supposed to coach and make the guys better players and hopefully people.

The problem w/Calhoun's situation is, these guys that bolted for the NBA weren't exactly "surprise" candidates for the draft. They were blue-chippers that scouts clamored over for 12-24 months about declaring. So, if there's one thing you should criticize Calhoun over, is...if you don't want these problem-players and you don't want to run players out of the program, don't load up your team with a bunch of guys that want nothing to do w/college and are gone in one or two seasons.

It's tough to do, but Calhoun does have a decision regarding the kind of players he brings in.

[ToddPacker]

Love the Niv pic, btw.  What an interesting recruitment and series of events surrounding that young man.

[ecompt]

Calhoun is and always has been a horse's rear end, as well as a bully. Hope he takes UConn into the abyss before he quits.

[Marquette84]

I wouldn't worry about being one over the limit.  If TC bolts a potential scenario could be that Mbakwe and Christopherson ask out of their scholarship, DJ bolts for the NBA and Trend could still not cut it in class.  In which case we would be 3 under the limit.  In other words there are too many uncertainties that most of us just don't know about.

I think if there's a new coach, the LAST two players he'd let out of their scholarshikp would be Christoperson and Mbawke.

Now if Trend came asking . . .

[augoman]

The most glaring example of a coach rescinding scholarships is probably Majerus... when he took over from Hank he notified several (I can think of 3 including Terry Reason) returning players that he had no room for them.  Now, the previous year he was not the head coach, but took part in their recruitment as an asst.  Regardless, at least 3 in one year created a taint on MU in the world of high school recruits-IMHO.

[NavinRJohnson]

The most glaring example of a coach rescinding scholarships is probably Majerus... when he took over from Hank he notified several (I can think of 3 including Terry Reason) returning players that he had no room for them. 

There were other issues associated with some of those.

[Murffieus]

It isn't the quantity of scholarships that's important because the throw a lot of crap against the wall technique in the hopes that some sticks doesn't usually work out (too few minutes by too many players---- which results in a lot of transfers resulting in a fragmented rotation from year to year).

If I were coaching in Div 1 today----I would still use the Al McGuire model----recruit 2 blues each year (8 all together)----tell them I won't bring in anyone behind them at their specific position for 2 years (my risk) unless they plan an early exit.

Then 5 schollies (approx 1 each year) given to projects (athletic but raw people or locals----all of which are told not to expect any PT for at least their first year) by their 3rd or 4th years at least one, maybe two of these guys will be able to be added to the rotation if/when needed without taking a hit productionwise.

This model guarantees major minutes to the base of 8 in the rotation (a major recruiting tool)  ----and the 2 year rule eliminates the possibility of a guy like Frasor (UNC) sitting on the bench his Soph year because someone else brought in right behind him may be marginally better (another great recruiting tool).

[Niv Berkowitz]

Murf, in theory, your plan works great. The problems you run into today are many, though.

a) player re-nigs on his verbal
b) the multitude of underclassmen going pro (no, not in the grand scheme of all total players, but I'm talking about blue-chippers here)
c) even those blues that you get, many already have their eye to bolt after two
d) the player/coach may plan on the guy bolting, early, but what if he's not ready by his pre-planned target date? Then what?
e) the "unexpected" breakout star - see Wade and Crean when he had nobody ready to replace him after his junior year as one example

Not shooting you down. A good theory, just not totally workable for the most part in today's premier D-1 programs.

[Murffieus]

How many recruits re-nig on their verbal?---- unless there is a coaching change---maybe 1 %.

Well they have to go to college for at least one year now----and if I were fortunate to recruit a guy that good (NBA after 1 year)----I'd forsake the 2 year rule and bring in someone right behind him----but you don't need the "one year wonder" types to be successful----hard to get them anyway-----go for one level lower "2 year wonder" types.

If they bolt after 2 years(2 year wonders)----my promise to them would be fulfilled-----I have another guy coming in behind him 2 years after he started.

If you planned for a bolt and it didn't happen after two years---plan A is that you have that guy coming in behind him after 2 years as youpromised----Plan B, you end up with 9 blues for a year (worse things could happen).

Well TC had Mason to replace DW with----but really----is anyone ever going to be able to replace a DW?

Good questions though!

[Niv Berkowitz]

tou che Murf. Tou che.

(and yes, that's spelled incorrectly)