who's gone

[bilsu]

Now we have to see who is not coming back. We are one over the limit so somebody has to be gone. Also there was a post a couple of weeks ago about Crean trying to recruit another bigman. If that is true than two players are gone. Are they James and McNeal? Are they Hazel and Christoherson? Does Fulce stay in junior college another year? Does Culliban leave? Did Mbakee play because he was leaving anyways and there was no reason to save the redshirt year? It will be interesting to see how this evolves. I feel pretty confident that Matthews, Aker, Burke and Hayward will be back.

[LastWarrior]

edited... i don't want to speculate on transfers right now.  I think DJ, Wes, & Jerel test the waters to see what they need to improve on to make the next level.  That said, I think all three will be back to make a deep run in the tourney.  A loss like yesterday has to sting and i'm sure none of them want to go out like that.  They still have something to prove and they have unfinished business.

[MUFanInGreenBay]

I cringe at the possibility of both James and McNeal leaving. Those two are by far our two most explosive players - offensively and defensively. They're the only ones that can really create off the dribble and get in the lane effectively. Without a true stud down low, and without McNeal and James creating off the dribble, how the heck are we going to score next year? I hope we at least get McNeal back. Losing both would be devastating.

[dwaderoy2004]

my guess is buzz williams gets a head coaching job somewhere and then we release fulce and/or otule from their letters of intent if neither DJ nor McNeal enter the draft.

[Mayor McCheese]

I don't think McNeal will leave, I really don't, give him a senior year and a lot of hype going into the NBA draft.  James, although I think he should be back (would he even get drafted), is the one in question for me.

[bilsu]

The best thing that could happen to James would be to leave his name in the draft and not get drafted. Then I think he coulod come back and actually be a free agent after his senior year. That is what happen with the Kentucky player.

[TallTitan34]

I think DJ, Wes, & Jerel test the waters to see what they need to improve on to make the next level.

I don't think DJ can test the waters again.  I was under the impression if he declares himself eligible he can't return.

[Marquette65]

under rules,  DJ can't test the waters again.  Once is name goes in,he is finished at MU 

[oldwarrior81]

Randolph Morris is the player from Kentucky that declared for the NBA draft, had some miserable workouts and wasn't drafted.  He returned to play for Kentucky the next season.  NBA rules also prohibited him from being allowed into a second draft. 
He supposed was a free agent that any NBA could have signed during the Kentucky season.  He played the entire season and signed as a free agent with the Knicks when Kentucky dumped Tubby Smith.

Did the NCAA close this option/loophole?

Imagine Dwyane Wade declaring for the NBA draft after his first season, getting bypassed and then exploding like he did his junior season.  Let the free agent bidding begin.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The best thing that could happen to James would be to leave his name in the draft and not get drafted. Then I think he coulod come back and actually be a free agent after his senior year. That is what happen with the Kentucky player.

Uhm, if he does that then he loses his eligibility.

[oldwarrior81]

I'll answer my own question.

The NBA allows a player to withdraw from the NBA draft twice but NCAA only allows one withdrawal.

[77ncaachamps]

DJ: stays on for his senior year

McNeal: tests the NBA waters (Good for him. He had a great end of the season run.)

Wes: stays on. (He should really test the waters just to get some helpful hints.)

Transfers...I think one will transfer out. Or the Buzz leaving and leading to an exit of a signee is very possible.

[Schoolyard]

My money is on Cubillan & Hazel.  The fact that Hazel couldn't get a minute vs two 7 footers tells me he is not in the picture.  As for DC, with the surplus of guards only increasing, someone has to be the odd man out.

[Markusquette]

This will be interesting.  If we lose a guard, I definitely want to choose Cubillan.  He is a pesky defender at best, and I really think he is overrated.  He hasn't shot well in forever.  I assume Patrick Hazel is not performing well enough to play along with him being a freshman.  I wouldn't be surprised if he transfers to a smaller name school to get more playing time.  As for McNeal....I don't see him leaving until he can prove himself even more next year.

[chapman]

Just for some more info, Morris actually played a year and a half more with UK after testing the NBA waters.  He had accepted travel money and arrangements from NBA teams interested in him, which resulted in a season-long NCAA suspension.  The NCAA reduced the suspension and reinstated him in December 2005, and he ended up playing the rest of 05-06 and all of 06-07 before signing with the Knicks.

As far as a lost player, I don't want to lose anyone, but someone will have to leave or never come to school.  I hope that the consequences aren't too bad if Buzz Williams leaves.  As far as I know, Erik Williams can still re-open his recruiting if he chooses to.  We'll have to put our faith in the coaching staff getting the players to commit to the school as a whole rather than a coach, which they should be doing, though Buzz's track record with Fulce following him around three times raises doubts.  We don't want to have Fulce, O'Tule, or Tyshawn Taylor begging to be released from their LOI or sticking around for a short, unhappy time before transferring (since Scout does credit Buzz Williams with recruiting Taylor, though that could be inaccurate/misleading). 

With Hazel, it's hard to tell if he's at all in the picture.  He practiced all season but got the minutes of a walk-on, and was passed on the depth chart immediately when Mbakwe returned.  He's only 6'7" and 220, which means he would almost have to play the 4, probably competing with the likes of Mbakwe and Fulce for some minutes.  We do lose three taller players this year, so his chances of cracking the rotation are better.  But if he's not going to get any playing time, you would think he would want to go to a smaller school for a chance to play rather than ride the bench for three more years. 

I would agree that Cubillan has the best chance of transferring of any of the guards, but I don't really think the chances are too great yet.  He's a talented player and good on the ball defender.  If freshmen are going to be taking his minutes, which were already reduced by about 3 a game this year, he's gotten enough exposure to have other schools interested and it would make sense for him to want out.  But does he mind the decrease in minutes enough to want to sit out a year and then play for someone else?  Do we really want to lose a would-be junior with obvious talent, or is the frustration more about him not hitting shots over the last month?

I wouldn't blame McNeal for testing the waters.  But if he keeps working hard and can do what he did the last five games over the course of a season, he's in the running for BE Player of the Year and will have a lot more NBA attention.  Plus if McNeal has NBA aspirations, Maurice Acker will need to be injected with some Mugsy Bogues or Earl Boykins DNA real soon or next season will be their last chance to play together.

[TallTitan34]

Plus if McNeal has NBA aspirations, Maurice Acker will need to be injected with some Mugsy Bogues or Earl Boykins DNA real soon or next season will be their last chance to play together.

If McNeal has NBA aspirations or not next season will be his last at MU.  He will be a senior next year.

[chapman]

Plus if McNeal has NBA aspirations, Maurice Acker will need to be injected with some Mugsy Bogues or Earl Boykins DNA real soon or next season will be their last chance to play together.

If McNeal has NBA aspirations or not next season will be his last at MU.  He will be a senior next year.

Sentence must have been confusing.  I meant next season is McNeal's last chance to play with Acker, which can only help McNeal's chances of staying to have another year with his buddy rather than leaving this year.  Chances are not good they end up playing together overseas somewhere, especially with McNeal looking more and more like NBA material, and Acker has no shot of joining McNeal in the NBA.

[MUfan12]

I have to think it's going to be a guard.... not sure who at this point.

Hazel seemed to be a prime candidate to transfer, but the frontcourt minutes will be there for the taking.

[CTWarrior]

I'm not sure I want to get into this thread, but since nobody mentioned it, the guy that makes the most sense to me to be gone is Christopherson.  We just recruited over him with the three wings coming in next year, especially the two big time guards.  I don't see where he fits in the future with this team.

I want to make clear that I hope nobody feels pressured to leave and if push comes to shove, I'd prefer that a recruit not come like Saunders last year to losing one of our current players.

But these guys only get four years of college ball, and if I was a player and had a choice of playing 25-30 minutes per game on a full scholarship at Loyola, Ball State, UW-Green Bay or something vs. riding the pine at a bigger school, I think I'd take the playing time.

What I REALLY hope (strictly from basketball perspective) is that whoever the player is that won't be with us next season, that it is not James, McNeal, Matthews, Hayward, Mbakwe, Burke, Taylor, Otule or Williams.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

For those of you suggesting Matthews might "test the waters"...what are you smoking? Wesley is a nice college player but is nowhere near NBA material. McNeal might get a look after his senior year, but is not a 1st round prospect, that's for sure. James isn't either.

We seem to be looking at our own players through rose colored glasses here.

[NYWarrior]

For those of you suggesting Matthews might "test the waters"...what are you smoking? Wesley is a nice college player but is nowhere near NBA material. McNeal might get a look after his senior year, but is not a 1st round prospect, that's for sure. James isn't either.

Both McNeal and Matthews should declare.

College kids have the right to declare and go through the process.  At the very least players learn about the business side of the game, they get access to scouts and coaches who can point out aspects of their game that need work, they can workout against other kids trying to make a living at the game, and the NBA pool of scouts provide a consensus recommendation.

These guys would be foolish not to take advantage of that opportunity (though there are no guarantees they'd get into the pre-draft camps, they can still work out for individual teams and other activities).

[muarmy81]

Good point NYWarrior,
We all know that neither JM or Wes would get drafted this year but at least they'd get more insight into what the NBA people are looking for in terms of their position as well as future development...

[MDMU04]

For those of you suggesting Matthews might "test the waters"...what are you smoking? Wesley is a nice college player but is nowhere near NBA material. McNeal might get a look after his senior year, but is not a 1st round prospect, that's for sure. James isn't either.

We seem to be looking at our own players through rose colored glasses here.

I agree wholeheartedly.  McNeal is a very good defender because of his activity in the passing lanes, his athleticism, and his long arms.  That can translate at the college level because he is simply quicker and more athletic than most of the players that he defends.  But at the NBA level?  I don't believe the outlook is as good.

He is probably big and athletic enough to defend an NBA 1, but he does not have the offensive skills necessary to be an NBA 1.  He can get to the basket at this level, but so could Travis Diener.  Even if his shot improves a great deal through the offseason and his senior season, he would still be shut down by just about any NBA 2.  McNeal is also not large enough to guard an NBA 2.  He is probably as athletic as a good portion of NBA 2 guards, however most 2's are at least 2-4 inches taller, and a good portion are much more athletically gifted.  He would have to play the 1 in the NBA, but he has never been a PG through his career.

McNeal may test the waters this offseason, but he will return for his senior season.  I also expect James will return for his senior year.  Matthews probably doesn't warrant NBA consideration at this point.  He has the best NBA body of all of our "big 3", and with a solid senior season would have a shot to be a 2nd rounder.

[NavinRJohnson]

I'm jumping in late here without having read everything since most seems to be centered around guys declaring for the draft, but I could see many scenarios...


- Hazel not seeing opportunity and leaving.
- Christopherson and Crean collectively agreeing he may not be a Big East player (don't know/think this is the case, but admit it may be possible), getting buried on the bench and deciding it may be best to leave.
- Cubillan seeing himself getting pushed to the margins a nit and deciding he may be better off elsewhere.
- James deciding to go get paid some where.
- Mbakwe deciding to go elsewhere for whatever reason.
- One of the incoming freshmen changing his mind.


All are feasible in my mind, and I'm sure we'll find out relatively soon.

[MuMark]

It won't be Trevor. People can knock that one off the list.

Time will tell on the others.