The Transfer Era? Richard Pitino is Adjusting as the College Basketball Landscape Changes

[BleedGopher]

per Ekstrom:

Across the nation, college basketball players are staying home, hunkering down during the Coronavirus pandemic as they look ahead to an uncertain summer. But in a broader sense, there is more player movement than ever before.

While debates rage over whether to compensate college athletes, players are finding new ways to hold some power, aided by the NCAA’s loosening grip on the transfers-must-sit-a-year ultimatum. New York Times reporter Adam Zagoria tweeted Wednesday that, according to a source, there were a staggering 788 Division-I players in the transfer portal, a total that will only grow if the NCAA passes its one-time transfer proposal that will only players to switch teams without sitting out.

“I think it’s changing,” said Golden Gophers head coach Richard Pitino Thursday, speaking to reporters on a Zoom call. “I don’t think it’s necessarily if it happens, but I think it’s when it happens that they allow the one-time transfer.”

Until that day comes, players can still apply for waivers to escape the one-year sit out. The criteria is vague, however. Minnesota assumed Marcus Carr would be eligible in 2018-19 after transferring from Pittsburgh, but his waiver was denied shortly before the season. They are trying again with coveted Drake transfer Liam Robbins, who agreed to join the Gophers as the de facto replacement for NBA-bound big man Daniel Oturu.

“Obviously for our program when you have a guy like Liam who’s an impact guy, that’ll drastically impact your program,” Pitino said. “It’s also been very, very challenging because there are certain transfers out there that we feel like we can get, but we don’t know if they’re going to be eligible right away or not. I don’t know, we’ve got to be patient somewhat because I just think we’re in such a different time right now that what we’ve been before.”

The Transfer Era? Richard Pitino is Adjusting as the College Basketball Landscape Changes - Zone Coverage

Across the nation, college basketball players are staying home, hunkering down during the Coronavirus pandemic as they look ahead to an uncertain summer.

zonecoverage.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Gopherbbdude]

After Walton makes his decision on the 25th..... chips will fall for the Gophers. We will know alot after that

 

[Otis]

Hopefully Walton picks the Gophers! for the following two reasons:

1. He will be eligible in the fall.
2. He could help start Minnesota kids to stay at home. (Alon with Oturu, Coffey and the 2021 commit)
3. He fills a need and is a bigger size for that position.
4. He could be the 3rd Minnesota recruit to go to the Gophers and to the pros in a row. (don't think Gabe is gonna make it.)

 

[Biggsohnasty]

Count me as one of the crotchedy old man yelling at the clouds types who isn't completely in love with all the transferring.

I know, I know, I'm not supposed to be 'siding with millionaires' and rather should only endorse the poor exploited college athletes so everything I say will ring hollow. But I don't side with either party. I side with my own viewing pleasure and I think all the player movement (transferring) is bad for the game.

There is no such thing as a program player anymore. The guy who comes in and plays a little bit as a freshman, plays a little more as a sophomore and grows into an all-conference type as an upperclassman. The freshman who didnt play enough (or sometimes even played a lot by freshman standards) now just leaves because he either wants a better opportunity, or just wants attention and to be wined and dined by another handful of coaches.

I'm not against all transferring. I do think there are situations that can't be fixed if a player is to stay, so leaving is the best option. But nowadays, it seems like leaving is the first option and rather than see guys stick it out, earn more minutes, fight through some things, they bail for "greener" pastures.

Yet all we ever hear is people say 'good for them doing what's best for them.' But every time a young kid does something stupid, people defend it with the old 'kids do stupid things when they are kids.' There's an inconsistency with that thought-process that bothers me. How does the kid know he's doing 'what's best for him' if they do stupid things when they are young?

Ultimately, I know this issue isn't going away, so it's best to be able to adapt to it and I think Pitino is better at recruiting transfers than high schoolers, but it gets exhausting when every team is turning over half its roster every year. It makes the viewing product less enjoyable for me, which is what I care about more than the millionaires or the exploited kids.

 

[Holy Man]

Count me as one of the crotchedy old man yelling at the clouds types who isn't completely in love with all the transferring.

I know, I know, I'm not supposed to be 'siding with millionaires' and rather should only endorse the poor exploited college athletes so everything I say will ring hollow. But I don't side with either party. I side with my own viewing pleasure and I think all the player movement (transferring) is bad for the game.

There is no such thing as a program player anymore. The guy who comes in and plays a little bit as a freshman, plays a little more as a sophomore and grows into an all-conference type as an upperclassman. The freshman who didnt play enough (or sometimes even played a lot by freshman standards) now just leaves because he either wants a better opportunity, or just wants attention and to be wined and dined by another handful of coaches.

I'm not against all transferring. I do think there are situations that can't be fixed if a player is to stay, so leaving is the best option. But nowadays, it seems like leaving is the first option and rather than see guys stick it out, earn more minutes, fight through some things, they bail for "greener" pastures.

Yet all we ever hear is people say 'good for them doing what's best for them.' But every time a young kid does something stupid, people defend it with the old 'kids do stupid things when they are kids.' There's an inconsistency with that thought-process that bothers me. How does the kid know he's doing 'what's best for him' if they do stupid things when they are young?

Ultimately, I know this issue isn't going away, so it's best to be able to adapt to it and I think Pitino is better at recruiting transfers than high schoolers, but it gets exhausting when every team is turning over half its roster every year. It makes the viewing product less enjoyable for me, which is what I care about more than the millionaires or the exploited kids.

It damages the community aspect of college basketball too. It was good to see guys grow from the time they arrived to the time they graduated. I'm no fan of the mass transfer either. I think it's bad for the game, hurts development of teams over time, and in many cases probably isn't great for education, either.

Some of this is purely basketball related, but some of it is cultural. Young people, for better or worse (some of both I suspect) are much more likely to make decisions to move on from what they are doing than we were in our 20's. That's the world, not just athletes. Like Pitino says, it is the way of the world, and I hope everyone makes good decisions and the best of it, because it isn't changing any time soon.

 

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

It damages the community aspect of college basketball too. It was good to see guys grow from the time they arrived to the time they graduated. I'm no fan of the mass transfer either. I think it's bad for the game, hurts development of teams over time, and in many cases probably isn't great for education, either.

Some of this is purely basketball related, but some of it is cultural. Young people, for better or worse (some of both I suspect) are much more likely to make decisions to move on from what they are doing than we were in our 20's. That's the world, not just athletes. Like Pitino says, it is the way of the world, and I hope everyone makes good decisions and the best of it, because it isn't changing any time soon.

It could also have to do with being used to/forced to move around all the time as kids too. I teach in the southern metro and the population in our district is so transient it is unbelievable. Kids come and go and come back and disappear ALL the time. If that is what you are used to, then it seems that could apply to transferring in college as well.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Count me as one of the crotchedy old man yelling at the clouds types who isn't completely in love with all the transferring.

I know, I know, I'm not supposed to be 'siding with millionaires' and rather should only endorse the poor exploited college athletes so everything I say will ring hollow. But I don't side with either party. I side with my own viewing pleasure and I think all the player movement (transferring) is bad for the game.

There is no such thing as a program player anymore. The guy who comes in and plays a little bit as a freshman, plays a little more as a sophomore and grows into an all-conference type as an upperclassman. The freshman who didnt play enough (or sometimes even played a lot by freshman standards) now just leaves because he either wants a better opportunity, or just wants attention and to be wined and dined by another handful of coaches.

I'm not against all transferring. I do think there are situations that can't be fixed if a player is to stay, so leaving is the best option. But nowadays, it seems like leaving is the first option and rather than see guys stick it out, earn more minutes, fight through some things, they bail for "greener" pastures.

Yet all we ever hear is people say 'good for them doing what's best for them.' But every time a young kid does something stupid, people defend it with the old 'kids do stupid things when they are kids.' There's an inconsistency with that thought-process that bothers me. How does the kid know he's doing 'what's best for him' if they do stupid things when they are young?

Ultimately, I know this issue isn't going away, so it's best to be able to adapt to it and I think Pitino is better at recruiting transfers than high schoolers, but it gets exhausting when every team is turning over half its roster every year. It makes the viewing product less enjoyable for me, which is what I care about more than the millionaires or the exploited kids.

Agreed.

Watching the Jordan documentary last night made me sad. Jordan stayed for 3 years, and he played with other great seniors like James Worthy. Those college teams were real powerhouses. These freshman and sophomore led teams would be like deer in headlights going against those guys.