All Things Rakeem Buckles Thread

Donate To GopherHole
G

GameDay

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
2,592
Reaction score
311
Points
83
Per Zach Johnson of Gophers Illustrated and Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN, Rakeem Buckles will transfer to the University of Minnesota.

Buckles is a 6-8, 215 lb Power Forward who transfered from Louisville and signed with FIU, before Coach Pitino jumped ship to the "U". He will fill a HUGE, HUGE HOLE IN THE LINEUP when he becomes eligible. He could possibly become eligible for next season, or in 2014 otherwise.

Career stats and accolades...

HS Senior- 23 ppg, 13 rpg, 3.5 bpg and Florida Class 4A Player of the Year
#36 Recruit by rivals and #78 by ESPN (2009 class)

Louisville
FR- 4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 11.5 minutes per game, 32 games played
SO- 7 ppg, 6 rpg, 19 minutes per game, 16 games played
JR- 4 ppg, 4 rpg, 13.5 minutes per game, 11 games played

*Notes: Missed this season do to ACL recovery which is very common nowadays, and the big question is if he can get eligible for this season.

Hopefully so because we have solid potential under Coach Pitino this season, but there is a missing gap in an otherwise filled starting lineup at Power Forward! We need him eligible this season, so cross your fingers! Obviously Oto isn't capable of being a starter under any circumstances, no offense to the young man.

Possible starting lineup...

G- Andre Hollins (6-2)
SG- Austin Hollins (6-4)
G/F- Joe Coleman (6-4)
PF- Rakeem Buckley (6-8)
C- Elliot Eliason (7-0)

Key Bench:
PG- Mav Ahanmisi (6-0)
SF/PF- Charles Buggs (6-8)
Surprise Contributor/Another Newcomer??
 



@DarrenWolfson

Per @ZachJohnsonGI, PF Rakeem Buckles told source he's going to #Gophers. Ex-Louisville player. Would be nice get. Question = when eligible.
 

Hope he can play this year - it would be a huge help.
 



Posted this in the spring recruiting thread as well, but how awesome would this scenario be?

Let's say Buckles gets a waiver to play next year, Malik Smith uses the graduation rule to transfer and we get Alvin Ellis to recommit.

PG-Smith
SG-Dre
SF-Austin
PF-Buckles
C-EE

Bench
Coleman
Buggs
Wally
Ellis

Reserves
Mav
Oto
Mo
Halvorsen
Shell

That would be a very interesting team. The best part? Buckles and Smith would be done at the end of the year so we'd still have 4 open scholarships next year (Austin, Mav, Malik, and Buckles).
 

What would be the reasoning for Buckles being eligible this season? Just curious.
 

MadtownGopher said:
Posted this in the spring recruiting thread as well, but how awesome would this scenario be?

Let's say Buckles gets a waiver to play next year, Malik Smith uses the graduation rule to transfer and we get Alvin Ellis to recommit.

PG-Smith
SG-Dre
SF-Austin
PF-Buckles
C-EE

Bench
Coleman
Buggs
Wally
Ellis

Reserves
Mav
Oto
Mo
Halvorsen
Shell

That would be a very interesting team. The best part? Buckles and Smith would be done at the end of the year so we'd still have 4 open scholarships next year (Austin, Mav, Malik, and Buckles).
Click to expand...

If Coleman doesn't start he'll transfer.
 



If he can be eligible this year, that would be perfect - fulfills a need for next year, then get the scholly back for next spring and load up.
 

Nice! Let's hope he's able to suit up right away!
 

scher215 said:
What would be the reasoning for Buckles being eligible this season? Just curious.
Click to expand...

He sat out last season to transfer to FIU and then his coach left and took the job here, It's up to the NCAA to grant the waiver.
 

Is Smith's transfer speculative or real?
 



Whether he can play this coming year or cannot- this says something to me about Coach Pitino. Here's a guy in Buckles who has now followed Pitino to two places. Guys want to play for him. Take notice Big 3. :)
 

Is that ethical? Not sure I know many instances where a coach allows a player signed to his former team to follow him to his new job. I'm not sure if it's an unwritten rule in the coaching fraternity or not, but I just don't remember many examples of this. Even slimy Calipari wouldn't take his Memphis recruits and players to Kentucky.
 


KyGopherfan said:
Is that ethical? Not sure I know many instances where a coach allows a player signed to his former team to follow him to his new job. I'm not sure if it's an unwritten rule in the coaching fraternity or not, but I just don't remember many examples of this. Even slimy Calipari wouldn't take his Memphis recruits and players to Kentucky.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's fairly common ...
 


Buckles (and Smith) are the perfect kind of players to add to our team. As someone else pointed out, they "fit" what Pitino wants to do and they won't clog our recruiting numbers in the future, better yet, they both appear to be able to play.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Buckles (and Smith) are the perfect kind of players to add to our team. As someone else pointed out, they "fit" what Pitino wants to do and they won't clog our recruiting numbers in the future, better yet, they both appear to be able to play.
Click to expand...

Who is smith, I haven't followed other thread
 


Johnnyboy18 said:
If Coleman doesn't start he'll transfer.
Click to expand...

Why?

If his not starting would force him to transfer, i'd let him leave. It would have nothing to do with not like Joe's skills, it's because that kind of mindset kills a team. If you look in the National Championship Game, there are plenty of guys who have sacrificed for the sake of the team. If Joe Coleman isn't that kind of guy, I'd set an example with him.
 



MadtownGopher said:
Malik Smith, PG from FIU. He can use the graduation transfer rule to play next year.
Click to expand...

Malik Smith (from the tiny bit I know about him), is more of a SG trapped in a PG's body. He'd be an undersized SG. Deric Hill was their PG.
From the tiny bit I know about Smith, he does seem to be a decent ball handler, so he'd help and could switch off with Dre. But I think Dre would probably still be our primary ball handler. I could be wrong.
 

Coleman will get plenty of minutes starting or off the bench.
 


Hey, if the NCAA grants a 6th year to a "perceived troubled kid" in Mbakwe after an ACL tear, I'm sure they'll give it to Buckles who has already sat out a year due to injury, and is good for the college brand because of his great behavior shown throughout his career, but just wanted to follow his coach. At least hopefully!

And what's the deal with Malik Smith? What on that front right now? Do keep in mind he would probably become a 3rd guard for us though averaging in the ballpark of 5-7 ppg, which would be real, real nice for us to give an awesome guard spark of the bench!
 

jaymil said:
Malik Smith, FIU's second leading scorer last year who has one more year of eligibility and has already announced he will transfer.
Click to expand...

Word on if he is skilled? Big 10 skilled?

This is a good place for him to come here though, already knows the system, mature, need position....
 


You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom