Andre Hollins: “I am not leaving."

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Shama:

Sophomore point guard Andre Hollins, the best of Minnesota’s returning players for next season, told Sports Headliners yesterday he didn’t want to talk about the basketball coaching change but apparently fans don’t have to worry about him transferring to another school.

“I am not leaving,” Hollins said.

Hollins was the team’s leading scorer at 14.6 points per game. He also led the Gophers in three-point shots made and three point percentage, .416. His 116 assists were tops on the team by 29.

There was concern this past winter that if Gophers’ coach Tubby Smith were fired, Hollins might leave the program. Hollins is a projected 2014 first round draft choice by NBAdraft.net and college programs across the country would welcome him.

Hollins and center Trevor Mbakwe were the team’s two most valuable players but Mbakwe and forward Rodney Williams were both senior starters who won’t be around next season. Key senior reserves Julian Welch and Andre Ingram have used up their eligibility too.

Whoever the new coach is replacing Smith, he will be happy to build around Hollins. Forward Joe Coleman, who will be a junior next season, and shooting guard Austin Hollins, a senior in 2013-2014, join Andre Hollins as returning starters on a 21-13 team that won only six games after January 8.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 

That's wonderful news. A Gopher squad without Dre next year would be one of the worst in recent memory.
 


MadtownGopher said:
Thank god. Now hopefully we can get Buggs to stay on.
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Why would you think Buggs would leave? That would mean he'd have to sit out two years in a row (this past year and next year). Someone would really have to hate an environment or school to choose that path.

Go Gophers!!
 



Glad Dre is on board. He's a very good player and will obviously be the "man" next year, regardless of who the coach is.
 

I wasn't extremely worried about him leaving for some odd reason, but it is a relief to hear him say it out loud. I think whatever coach we get is gonna love to have him for the next two seasons, cause he's just a great kid to have representing your program.
 

This is great to hear, but isn't the answer to the "are you considering leaving Dre?" question more apropos AFTER the new hire is named?
 

BleedGopher said:
Why would you think Buggs would leave? That would mean he'd have to sit out two years in a row (this past year and next year). Someone would really have to hate an environment or school to choose that path.

Go Gophers!!
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I know he'd have to sit out another year, but that isn't unprecedented. Just look at Wisconsin and Jarrod Uthoff. He had no problem redshirting and then sitting out an additional year to transfer. Buggs says in this video that he basically came to Minnesota because of Tubby.

 



Pretty much every player that comes to a school outside of their region came because of the coach. But that doesn't mean they instantly would leave if said coach is dismissed. He's built all types of relationships over the past year that could easily have an influence in why he'd stick around.

I think people have to remember, these guys don't just go to class and play basketball. They're in college, they gain friends outside of basketball. It's not easy to make a decision to just up and leave those people.

The additional piece with Buggs is the fact that he is already 20 or is about to be 20, and after playing prep, and then redshirting when he really didn't want to in the first place, I think he's just itching to play ball. I don't know if he'd want to sit out another season and be a 21 year old sophmore playing his first season of basketball.
 

Why is there an assumption that current players loved the old coach? Tubby doesn't seem to have been very close to this year's team.
 

At the end of the day, we want guys here who want to be here. A coalition of the willing. That said, unless any of these players does anything rash right off the bat, the new coach will have a chance to re-recruit them and sell them on the plan. If they want to bolt after that, they should bolt.
 

Just to be clear, I'm not predicting he'll leave. I'm just saying he's the one I'm most nervous about outside of Dre. Austin is a senior so he isn't going any where. Coleman is from this area has family ties to the University and sounds like he didn't get along with Tubby. Ellis seems pretty solid still and it was reported Foster is also solid until the new coach is hired and he'll decide then. I'd like just about everyone else to stay on, but Buggs would take priority.
 



MadtownGopher said:
Thank god. Now hopefully we can get Buggs to stay on.
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Question - I have seen a few posts you have made about Buggs. Can I ask why you are so high on this guy? Not saying you are wrong or he wont be a decent player, but I would have thought if he was that good he probably would have played this year?
 

gopherbadgerman said:
Question - I have seen a few posts you have made about Buggs. Can I ask why you are so high on this guy? Not saying you are wrong or he wont be a decent player, but I would have thought if he was that good he probably would have played this year?
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Well first, he is our only hope for a dynamic PF going into next year. Then if you look at some of the clips online you can see that he is just about as athletic as Rodney. You will also see that he already has a solid jumper, something Rodney never had. He's also a legit 6'8. They redshirted him because Trevor came back and the front court was expected to be full with EE, Ingram, Mo, and Oto also returning and Rodney playing more at the PF ever since the NIT run. There wasn't any room for him to get significant minutes.
 

MadtownGopher said:
Well first, he is our only hope for a dynamic PF going into next year. Then if you look at some of the clips online you can see that he is just about as athletic as Rodney. You will also see that he already has a solid jumper, something Rodney never had. He's also a legit 6'8. They redshirted him because Trevor came back and the front court was expected to be full with EE, Ingram, Mo, and Oto also returning and Rodney playing more at the PF ever since the NIT run. There wasn't any room for him to get significant minutes.
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Take it with a grain of salt, of course, but I think anybody that has watched Buggs in the exhibition games, in scrimmages, or in Howard Pulley has been excited. He may not pan out, but he's certainly got a huge level of talent. Very, very athletic, coordinated, and with a pretty sweet shot that he can hit on the move.
 




notoriousgod71 said:
I'm more concerned about Oto.
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Same situation as Buggs- he already redshirted and would lose a year of eligibility. If anything, I'd think he could play this year (perhaps get his degree after 4 years of school) and play his senior year somewhere else as a grad student. It would be crazy of Oto or Buggs to sit out a year and lose a year of eligibility when they both have a chance to start. Most especially for Buggs, who has an opportunity to become a 4 year starter.
 

Why would Andre leave? It's not like he blossomed under Tubby's tutelage. Tubby leaving isn't detrimental to his development. In fact, there is a chance his game improves under new direction.
 

cjcarter8 said:
Why would Andre leave? It's not like he blossomed under Tubby's tutelage. Tubby leaving isn't detrimental to his development. In fact, there is a chance his game improves under new direction.
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WTF are you saying?
 

cjcarter8 said:
Why would Andre leave? It's not like he blossomed under Tubby's tutelage. Tubby leaving isn't detrimental to his development. In fact, there is a chance his game improves under new direction.
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I think he got a lot better during the two years. He went from about 9ppg to 14ppg...not saying it was because or in spite of Tubs...
 


That's good to hear for Minnesota fans - I think used in the right way he can give this team a chance to win some games. Dre has a great opportunity here to lead.

I think he's the type of kid who means what he says and will probably stay... but, you never know until the season starts and he's on the floor.

There are examples of kids who say one thing and later do the complete opposite with no warning.
 

I think Andre will benefit from a coaching change, a part of his game he never really got to use because of Tubby's reluctance to allow it was his driving ability. I think we will see Andre drive more which will not only result in him being more dangerous but also result in more open shots for others on drive and kick outs to the open shooter.
 

I love Dre and am looking forward to watching him the next two seasons. I hope the next coach plays him off the ball though, I think he can be much more dangerous concentrating on scoring instead of having to be the team's playmaker AND top scorer.
 

jaymil said:
I love Dre and am looking forward to watching him the next two seasons. I hope the next coach plays him off the ball though, I think he can be much more dangerous concentrating on scoring instead of having to be the team's playmaker AND top scorer.
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So who does he play on the ball next year then? Mav's a cool dude, but I don't want him as my starting point. Now, in spurts, yes, and even Tubby started doing that more as time went on. But Dre is going to be our starting point for the foreseeable future I think. The following season though, if we get who we want to get......haha
 

jaymil said:
I love Dre and am looking forward to watching him the next two seasons. I hope the next coach plays him off the ball though, I think he can be much more dangerous concentrating on scoring instead of having to be the team's playmaker AND top scorer.
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That's the problem - still one starting guard short, whether it's the 1 or the 2. I wonder if the new coach sees that and considers a JC transfer. (That's how Oto might end up being the odd man out - in favor of a more vital need.)
 

Monty519 said:
So who does he play on the ball next year then? Mav's a cool dude, but I don't want him as my starting point. Now, in spurts, yes, and even Tubby started doing that more as time went on. But Dre is going to be our starting point for the foreseeable future I think. The following season though, if we get who we want to get......haha
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In my opinion Tubby should have been going after a JUCO PG instead of a PF. Maybe the new coach will agree.
 

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