Shumpert on his choice

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Let's get something straight, as I've seen it referenced several times.

Shumpert did not pick Georgia Tech because he feared he wouldn't play right away at MU. He is quoted in a great article in the Chicago Tribune that he felt his playing opportunities were equal at all three schools.

It's a convenient excuse for losing out on him, but it's just not true.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-shumpert19oct19,0,6010958.story

[1990Warrior]

Injury factor????

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Let's get something straight, as I've seen it referenced several times.

Shumpert did not pick Georgia Tech because he feared he wouldn't play right away at MU. He is quoted in a great article in the Chicago Tribune that he felt his playing opportunities were equal at all three schools.

It's a convenient excuse for losing out on him, but it's just not true.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-shumpert19oct19,0,6010958.story

Shocking, but I agree with you somewhat (again).

Playing time was probably a factor... but there were a lot of factors.

All 3 schools were good choices, so while I'm disappointed that he isn't coming, I understand that the other choices were good.

[ONeills Barstool]

Per the Tribune article, "The other factors -- playing right away and my relationship with the coaches -- were pretty even among the schools."

Per Shumpert's press conference, "I would say that Georgia Tech is a place where basketball wise I can produce there, and i feel like its a good opportunity for me. Right now they are low on guards and I feel its a good opportunity for me to come in and be able to play."

Sounds to me like it was a factor because I don't think MU qualifies as "low on guards".  Pretty even is one of those relative terms.  Either way, no excuse required for losing out on him.  TC and staff did all they could and should be commended for their effort...he picked GT.

[Murffieus]

Well if Iman is as good as what i read, which I'm sure he is, he shouldn't be afraid of being bumped at ANY school for PT by someone else. Many times stated reasons aren't the main reason!

[MUinCO]

Let's get something straight, as I've seen it referenced several times.

Shumpert did not pick Georgia Tech because he feared he wouldn't play right away at MU. He is quoted in a great article in the Chicago Tribune that he felt his playing opportunities were equal at all three schools.

It's a convenient excuse for losing out on him, but it's just not true.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-shumpert19oct19,0,6010958.story

I disagree, I think you are mixing up two different Shumperts here...Shumpert the recruit v. Shumpert the decider.

I believe Shumpert took extra care to be even, dispassionate, and diplomatic throughout his recruiting process and was always careful to portray each school equally in his comments.  Just look at how tightly he kept secret his decision, I believe he measured all his statements DURING the recruiting process in order to not tip his hand and make his press conference as big a splash as it was.  Doesn't bother me much, it's his press conference...he can make it as big and splashy as he wants to.  

However in his press conference he had to abandon his habit of making carefully balanced statements and reveal why GT was best for him and why MU and UNC were not; these are the statements we need to listen carefully to.  I heard two things, 1) he was more comfortable at GT as a school...through that injury scenario he envisioned himself as Joe average student at each school (maybe the babes were hotter, the weather better, who knows) and...

It may have been subtle so let me translate it for you...2) playing time baby!  

Make no mistake, when a kid who has carefully measured every statement he has made since day one indicates a shortage of guards (translation = I am the man, zero competition will dilute my greatness) and then says its a "good opportunity for me to come in and be able to play" that just screams immediate playing time, immediate impact.  He wants to be a big fish in a smaller pond, I think he's making a big mistake, but I guess Shumpert knows more of what's important to Shumpert than I do.

[mufan924]

he is going there because he wants the opportunity to play as soon as possible and as much as possible.
he wants to get paid. final anwer. the kid is not a PR genius either, so let's stop labeling him that way. don't get me wrong i would have liked a talented player at our school, but i think he is going to need some extra helping making his grades.

[ecompt]

Best of luck to him. We'll move on and survive. I think we might have had him until TC told him he wanted him on the wide post.

[MUinCO]

Never said he was a "PR genius."  Only implied that PR was important to him, something he paid attention to.  Took no genius, in the end all he had to do was take a little extra care in speaking about each school equally throughout the process.  When he was asked about one school he was careful to mention how the other two were just as good.

My point is that his statements prior to his press conference should be taken with a grain of salt, what he said during the press conference is what matters. 

And you're absolutely right, he chose GT because he wants to play now and get out and get paid as soon as possible.

[MarquetteVol]

He handled his recruitment in a very classy way and represented himself exceptionally well. I'm disappointed that he won't be wearing the Blue & Gold, but despite that, I will root for Iman Shumpert because he is a quality young man.

Crean and staff did everything they could to get this kid. Sometimes you lose. Shumpert didn't pick Utah St. or UWM. There's no shame in losing a recruiting battle to Georgia Tech

[Bob "Big Daddy" Wild]

People keep saying it is 'playing time' or he shouldn't worry about competing for PT.  That isn't the factor, the factor is Iman projects himself at a 1 in the NBA, and wants the opportunity to most develop and get the most PT at the 1 in college.  He would get PT at MU and UNC, just not enough at the 1.  GT is the choice there.

He would not get much time at the 1 at UNC, and as a frosh (remember, he may have 1 and done on his mind), he would not get much if an PT at the 1 at Marquette with James staying (which there is a very good chance he is).

It an interview he had a month or two back when comparing the coaches, IS' quote was along the lines of "Coach Crean always talks basketball, etc etc" and was all praise.  What was his opinion of Hewitt?  "He has made it clear to me that I am his man at PG."  Nothing about his personailty or style or anything like that.

Basically, in my mind we lost because Crittenton went pro and James did not.  Oh yeah, and unfortunately GT develops PGs just as good (if not better than) MU in recent history.  They are by no means the second rate program that some of our Blue and Gold tilted fans believe they are.

[Big Papi]

I think the reasons why Shumpert picked GT was that he had a better connection with Hewitt than with Crean and definitely Roy and that at GT he is probably going to exclusively play the point where at MU he was probably going to fit into Dom's role where he plays the point and the 2 position equally where the ball is not always in his hands.  Just my opinion.  Either way it was a very tough loss not from a talent level or a need level but from a recruiting level where we went up against the big boys and lost for a recruit we desperately wanted.

[MUinCO]

GT may not be second rate, but they were middle to bottom of the ACC last year and they can pretty much count on the same this season.

Shumpert will get his playing time, in the position he wants, early and often.  I think GT will be stuck in the middle of the ACC for some time, the addition of Shumpert may fix that, but I really don't think so.

[rocky_warrior]

Injury factor????

Yeah - I know - those parts of the article are *very* weird...

"All the factors were split between the schools (North Carolina, Marquette, Georgia Tech), but then I asked myself: 'If I blew out my knee and ended my career, which school would be the most comfortable for me?'" Shumpert said.

And with that, the 6-foot-4-inch guard and No. 1 prospect in the state announced for Georgia Tech on Thursday..

"The other factors -- playing right away and my relationship with the coaches -- were pretty even among the schools," Shumpert said. "But that injury factor is what made me choose Georgia Tech."

[Sir Lawrence]

Injury factor????

Yeah - I know - those parts of the article are *very* weird...

"All the factors were split between the schools (North Carolina, Marquette, Georgia Tech), but then I asked myself: 'If I blew out my knee and ended my career, which school would be the most comfortable for me?'" Shumpert said.

And with that, the 6-foot-4-inch guard and No. 1 prospect in the state announced for Georgia Tech on Thursday..

"The other factors -- playing right away and my relationship with the coaches -- were pretty even among the schools," Shumpert said. "But that injury factor is what made me choose Georgia Tech."

I think he's just saying that if an injury ended basketball for him that GT would be the place he'd want to finish up a degree at. 

[MUCHI814]

I think that's not weird at all and makes perfect sense.  It's where he feels most comfortable outside of Basketball.  FWIW, I'm guessing he picked GT simply because he liked the brand name of Georgia Tech over Marquette.

[mviale]

Hip hop nation loves atlanta - could have been a factor

[rocky_warrior]

I think he's just saying that if an injury ended basketball for him that GT would be the place he'd want to finish up a degree at. 

Right but for *now* you'd think he'd be focused on hoops.  If he blows out a knee - he can transfer to any school in a nice climate and never worry about hoops again (that is - if he does well academically).

I guess, I'm just saying, that's a pretty pessimistic way to look at it.  And I think his final decision was based on that thinking exactly.  He says it right in the article - everything else was fairly equal, so he wanted a good climate just in case he ever couldn't play basketball.

I'm all for having backup plans (like - and education), but it seems a little silly to me.  Then again, he's just a kid...

[1990Warrior]

"I guess, I'm just saying, that's a pretty pessimistic way to look at it."
Exactly.  And the part that I thought that really made it weird was this quote.


"It was [Oak Park coach] Al Allen who made me think about the injury factor and would I be happy at the school I picked," he said. "There have been some Oak Park players who played in college, got hurt, then left school and came back home. They didn't know what to do."

So if he goes to MU and gets injured, he is going to wind up some "loser" in Oak Park?  I just hope that if this was a concern, he would have talked about it with Crean.