One and Done

[1981 grad]

I read somewhere on this forum that 500 b ball players are transferring this year.  Are these student athletes getting an education or just looking to play b ball for their next team when they have a grievance with the coach.  I understand why Cotton transferred.  However, I was surprised by the Parish and Patton.  Can somebody with some insight indicate why they left the program.  It took me about half a season to figure out who was who on the roster and now it starts all over again. 

 

In the past we had kids transfer when they learned that they did not have enough talent to play division one and transferred out.  It seems that we are recruiting kids who are transferring from another program.  It makes me wonder if they were unhappy somewhere else will they be happy here.   I want to praise Ivey since he will be our only 4 year senior next year.  Thanks for staying with the program!! 

[ewbrooman1]

4 hours ago, 1981 grad said:

I read somewhere on this forum that 500 b ball players are transferring this year.  Are these student athletes getting an education or just looking to play b ball for their next team when they have a grievance with the coach.  I understand why Cotton transferred.  However, I was surprised by the Parish and Patton.  Can somebody with some insight indicate why they left the program.  It took me about half a season to figure out who was who on the roster and now it starts all over again. 

 

In the past we had kids transfer when they learned that they did not have enough talent to play division one and transferred out.  It seems that we are recruiting kids who are transferring from another program.  It makes me wonder if they were unhappy somewhere else will they be happy here.   I want to praise Ivey since he will be our only 4 year senior next year.  Thanks for staying with the program!! 

I agree about Ivey. Also about the heavy concentration of multiple high school and college transfers. Where is the traditional freshmen class? Guys like Big Dog, Kwan, Reggie and Jake.

[Captain Kangaroo]

18 hours ago, 1981 grad said:

However, I was surprised by the Parish and Patton.  Can somebody with some insight indicate why they left the program.  

 

It seems that we are recruiting kids who are transferring from another program.  

My take from the JAR Section 2B -

 

Parrish's reasons for leaving?

• He wasn't a Groce recruit, he was a Dambrot recruit. Sometimes you aren't simpatico with a new staff and philosophy
• He bought into a program that was a perennial 20 game winner. I'm sure the team he played on last season wasn't at the competitive level he envisioned when he originally signed.
• He wasn't all that keen on playing defense. He got better at the very end of the year, but performance on the defensive end seemed to rub the coach the wrong way.
• I liked Parrish, and I think he'll do well wherever he ends up. His departure is a shame because he's a baller who probably just needed to mature a bit. For him, I think the Zips loss will be someone else's gain.

Patton -

• One of Groce's late recruits who had no other offers at the Zips level. He was the best player we could get under the circumstances. And from his standpoint we were the best Program to show an interest in him. 
• Hustler. Good rebounder. Took defense seriously. Good role player.
• A garbage man under the hoop that otherwise has a really long way to go on the offensive side of the ball. 
• I think the writing was on the wall that his playing time would be limited as the new guys gained eligibility. If he wanted minutes, and to develop his offensive game, he needed a fresh start elsewhere.

On the influx of transfers -

• I think in Division 1 sports today, athletic directors and fans want to win NOW. They don't give a new staff 5 years to recruit freshman and build a program the traditional way.
• The post-Dambrot Zips program was heavily gutted by transfers & graduations . Thank God for BCS transfer Duvivier. BCS transfers are a way to become competitive quickly. 
• Like Bowden in football, when you inherit a decimated team, you need to win some games to attract recruits. So you need some talented, mature, short term "mercenaries." Once you begin winning, the transfers dwindle. I think this Zips basketball staff has a good pulse on the transfer "waiver wire" and had brought in some solid talent. I'd expect they'll get out of the transfer business soon. Groce doesn't really have a reputation for building his program on transfers. It's just a necessity based upon the situation he inherited. 

Again - just my opinion from 2B.

[1981 grad]

Thanks for the reply.  I do not know who is advising these kids but I think both had a future at Akron and would have only gotten better with experience.  They both got extended playing time as a result of our depleted roster.  If Parish left because he did not want to play defense good luck finding another school that does not want him to play defense.  I thought Patton played his best basketball at the end of the year and I thought he needed to work on his outside shot but he could contribute next year.  I hated to see these guys leave and I hope they were not pushed out for better talent.  

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

Thanks for the reply.  I do not know who is advising these kids but I think both had a future at Akron and would have only gotten better with experience.  They both got extended playing time as a result of our depleted roster.  If Parish left because he did not want to play defense good luck finding another school that does not want him to play defense.  I thought Patton played his best basketball at the end of the year and I thought he needed to work on his outside shot but he could contribute next year.  I hated to see these guys leave and I hope they were not pushed out for better talent.  

 

- I think you're in the minority on Patton. He was too underdeveloped for where this program has been and is headed. 

 

- Have you watched modern-day basketball? Defense is a thing of the past for a lot of programs/teams. 

 

- I don't necessarily hope they were pushed out if they were 100% bought into the program, but I do hope they are replaced with better talent. 

 

 

I think @Captain Kangaroo hit the nail on the head. The transfers - at least in Akron's case - are being use to not only stop any bleeding quickly, but get us back on course to being a strong mid-major. 

[LZIp]

FWIW - KD had 4 scholarship players transfer out of his program this year (compared to our 3). He also brought in a large freshman class. It may work out for him in 3 years, but is Duq going to be patient for that long? Would we give Groce that long?

 

I think I like Groce's approach better for now personally. We've had our transition year. Time to stop the bleeding and maintain/build upon what the program was prior to last year. Can't waste valuable time waiting/hoping for freshman to develop. Cap'n did a good job on hitting on how it compares to the football program. More freshman will come in once the program is stable again.

 

As for the 500 college transfers. This is the state of college basketball.

Edited May 3, 2018 by LZIp

[zippy5]

3 minutes ago, LZIp said:

 

As for the 500 college transfers. This is the state of college basketball.

And that's still less than 2 per school, for the people thinking this offseason will be the norm for UA and other schools.

[clarkwgriswold]

The quickest way to get a program back up to speed is JUCOs and transfers.  It's simply the hand Groce was dealt in a world that demands fast results.  If it works, we'll start seeing more of the freshman recruit talent in time.

[ewbrooman1]

I get the plugging holes aspect of this, but I still don't see any reason there shouldn't be at least a couple of freshmen with potential, even if they redshirt. This isn't Groce's first year and he should have enough historical recruiting ties in the area to get them. Not all of these transfer guys are going to be able to play anyway just based on the numbers. I wonder how they will take having to sit.

I also assume we have all these new guys discussed previously, but the athletic dept doesn't seem to be announcing any of it. Maybe they still have to clear everybody first?

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by ewbrooman1

[Let'sGoZips94]

11 hours ago, ewbrooman1 said:

I get the plugging holes aspect of this, but I still don't see any reason there shouldn't be at least a couple of freshmen with potential, even if they redshirt. This isn't Groce's first year and he should have enough historical recruiting ties in the area to get them. Not all of these transfer guys are going to be able to play anyway just based on the numbers. I wonder how they will take having to sit.

I also assume we have all these new guys discussed previously, but the athletic dept doesn't seem to be announcing any of it. Maybe they still have to clear everything first?