Sid says Travis Busch and Kevin Payton may not return

Donate To GopherHole
BleedGopher

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,764
Reaction score
16,153
Points
113
Guard/forward Travis Busch, who was an important contributor to the Gophers basketball team this season, is telling his friends he might not come back for his fifth year of basketball competition next season. Junior guard Kevin Payton, who was briefly suspended for academic reasons this past season, also might not return.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps/42105642.html?elr=KArksUUUU

Go Gophers!!
 

Is Busch on scholarship?? I can't remember. If he is, then that opens up another potential scholly, depending upon his status.

Bleed, what do you know on this???
 

Busch's scholarship was awarded on a year-by-year basis. Since we didn't use our entire allotment of scholarships this past year, he was awarded one, but it was never the plan for him to be on scholarship next year, so if he chooses to leave it won't impact the scholarship situation either way.

That being said, I hope he stays.

Go Gophers!!
 

Thanks Bleed!!!!!

I happen to like him as well, although with the recruits coming in next year and playing time figuring to be an issue, I can understand his position.

I hope he stays but won't fault him if he decides to go.
 

BleedGopher said:
Busch's scholarship was awarded on a year-by-year basis. Since we didn't use our entire allotment of scholarships this past year, he was awarded one, but it was never the plan for him to be on scholarship next year, so if he chooses to leave it won't impact the scholarship situation either way.

That being said, I hope he stays.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...


I'm always shocked on how little you hear about the awarding a walk-on a scholarship. Personally if I was a coach and had a extra scholarship sitting around collecting dust I would not have a problem awarding to a walk on who has worked hard for the team-perferably a senior. If you award it a junior or lower just say it's a year by year thing. Can only help to build your program.
 


Busch / Izzo

Talking with someone close to the team during the Big Ten Tournament, it was made abundantly clear that a few of our Gopher guys struggled with not knowing when, or if, they'd get playing time. There seemed to be an assumption that if you worked hard and did well in practice that you would get playing time.

I remember that dust-up with Bostick near the beginning of the season. Tubby asserted himself and I think things came into focus for the team after that: Tubby is running the show.

On another note, and not sure if this has been discussed before, but my old man noticed that Izzo doesn't handle the substitutions during the game. He may decide the 8or 9 guys that make the rotation, but his assistants send in the subs. He just handles the guys and calls the plays. (We noticed that over the course of two games at the BTT. Not sure if that is always the case.)

I wonder what people think about that. It seems like the coach would have to create an egalitarian atmosphere amongst the team. It needs to be a situation where everyone goes in for their 10-20 minutes and works like mad until they are taken back out of the game. Everyone knows their place and knows what is expected of them. In a word, the opposite of an NBA team. (It does help team morale when you average 28 wins per season!!!)

Back to Tubby... I can't imagine this transition has been easy for all of the guys. The coaching style of Monson seemed to have been more of an affable and "buddy, buddy" approach than that of our current coach. In that sense, I would think there would be more defections from the team because most, if not all, of the expectations have changed within the program in the past two years.
 

We have to free up two scholarships and I think there has been a consensus on this board that they would come from those two guys. Now that Busch has had a taste of playing time and a scholarship maybe he doesn't want to give it up. I bet he'd get plenty of playing time at a place like Winona State and I believe he wouldn't have to sit out a year. At the same time, what inside source does Sid have with TB? He's probably just speculating about TB leaving.

Shik -- I havent noticed Izzo's substitution patterns because I don't watch him that closely, but it seems like Tubby and the Gophers generally do it the same way. Sometimes he goes for a specific player, but especially at home games where he is somewhat distant from the bench, I've noticed he's up on his stool coaching the game and a sub comes in with him not turning around to the bench. Anybody else notice this?
 

Sid Warning!!

Not fully comprehend what is being said to him. We have no way of knowing if he got it right.
50/50 at best. Either he is or he isn't coming back.
 




leftyslefty said:
Not fully comprehend what is being said to him. We have no way of knowing if he got it right.
50/50 at best. Either he is or he isn't coming back.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I'm guessing the KP rumor is correct, and the Busch one is not. Busch got a decent amount of PT - and really made an impact in quite a few games. As Bleed said, his scholly was year to year, so he knew he wouldn't have one this year. Plus, he's already been to another school, transferred, and he's playing for his hometown school where he always wanted to go. I can't see him leaving, but I've been wrong before, and will be wrong many times again.

I hope he doesn't leave, he bring a great work ethic and hustle to the team. He's the kind of kid I can't see walking away, he's a fighter, and has fought for every minute he has.

P.S. Wasn't it Sid that reported KP wouldn't be back next year as a fact a few weeks ago - is this new news? Or did he forget he wrote it?
 

We wouldn't have made the tournament without Busch this year. We would not have beat Louisville or Iowa without his contributions. I realize playing time might be hard to come by for him next year, but I hope he stays.
 


13 Scholarships And 2 Walk-Ons

If Busch and Payton graduate this spring, Payton may wish to transfer to lower level NCAA Div II or III (or even NAIA) school to play his last year of eligibility.

Busch may become Grad Asst replacing Ryan Saunders. DON'T KNOW, just wild guessing.

The 2 walkons would then be Dominique Dawson (for Busch) and Bryant Allen (for Payton).

No idea. Just speculating here.
 



I find the consternation concerning Travis quite funny. Most if not a majority of you didn't what him to play anyway. He came to the U with the intent to EARN a scholarship. In the three years he was on the team he was a Scholar Athlete three times, Academic All Big Ten this year, and if you ask any of the coaches and they are honest they will tell you that he never gave them a bad practice, and was the best practice player they had. He believes for that and contributions on the court he had earned a scholarship for next year but was told that would not happen by the head coach. He will graduate in may on time with a GPA above 3.0. I would say that the leak is with in the program because Ryan James had the information two hours after Travis met with the head coach and posted it on Gopherillustrated a week ago.

I understand the need to win and win now and hear coaches talk about loyalty, that the team is a family, looks like some are treated like step children. Yes I understand the head coach owes nothing to players that he didn't recruit.

Chem said they probably would not have made the tourney this year without him and without the pass last year at the Big Ten tourney the string of twenty win seasons would be over. Just asking were is the Love. Loyalty? Family?
 

If Payton gets his degree, he can enroll at any grad school that would take him and be eligible right away. It doesn't have to be a lower division school. That rule has been in effect for a couple of years.
 

shikenjanski said:
Back to Tubby... I can't imagine this transition has been easy for all of the guys. The coaching style of Monson seemed to have been more of an affable and "buddy, buddy" approach than that of our current coach. In that sense, I would think there would be more defections from the team because most, if not all, of the expectations have changed within the program in the past two years.
Click to expand...

There certainly has been a change in coaching style over the last couple years - and Tubby is definitely in charge. Not sure he would relinquish any of the in-game substitutions to his assistants though I think that might be an idea worth exploring. Time for Tubby to kick back a little and get comfortable in Minnesota - give a little more power to his assistants. I don't see many defections coming though other than KP, which seems likely - though I would like to know the story behind that. And Busch if he graduates and has no scholly - it seems a little economically questionable for him to pay his own way to graduate school just to play out his eligibility as the 8th, 9th, 10th or maybe even 14th or 15th man.
 

There is no way else to reach........

the scholarship limit of 13, short of telling someone who has never been a walk on to hit the road.

And I'm puzzled.....if he's graduating in May, why does he need a scholarship? Is it common to use the 5th year for grad school?

Regardless, I agree that he was/is a valuable team member. Maybe Tubby is just trying to get his rotation down to a manageble number.
 

Sounds like Sid might be right re Busch

Based on Chors Gopher's post here and previously posts made, it sounds like (s)he has some inside info. So, I'll assume Sid is correct when writing that Busch "is telling his friends he might not come back for his fifth year of basketball competition next season."

I'd hope Travis returns but can understand the situation that both he and Tubby find themselves in.
Chors Gopher said:
I find the consternation concerning Travis quite funny. Most if not a majority of you didn't what him to play anyway.
Click to expand...
I liked what Busch brought to this team and if he doesn't play next season, I will miss seeing his hustle and contributions. I'd quibble and say that "a majority" of G'holers haven't said one way or another whether they wanted TB to play ... some of us really like what he brought to the team while others didn't (but hardly "most" or even a "majority").

Regardless, I've enjoyed watching Busch play and will regret if we fans don't have a chance to say goodbye at next year's Senior Day. If he does leave after this year, I hope Chors Gopher passes along the message that most of us, if not a majority, appreciated his efforts as a Gopher.
(TB) believes for that and contributions on the court he had earned a scholarship for next year but was told that would not happen by the head coach.
Click to expand...
I guess I understand TB's feelings in this regard ... but would look at the fact that he got a scholarship in 2008-09 without demonstrating much in the preceding year (when he sat out). Let's say that Tubby hadn't granted a scholarship in TB's first year of playing for the Gophers -- I'd think TB would have a more legitimate complaint. But he's gotten two years on scholarship ... I'd look a the first year as "accelerated recognition" that offsets the lack of recognition in 2009-10.
Just asking were is the Love. Loyalty? Family?
Click to expand...
Legitimate question. Also legitimate to ask where the love, loyalty and family is for receiving a scholarship in 2008-09 when TB hadn't played a minute of ball for the Gophers. While I don't think TB owes the Gophers a fifth year, I have a harder time feeling on the whole that he's being mistreated.

I also have to believe that as smart as TB is, he could do the math and know that there were more athletes than scholarships for next year. I suspect that his meeting with Tubby confirmed his "worst fears" but didn't come as a surprise. But I'm not an insider, so I won't pretend to "know."
 

A Couple More Things

Even smart people who can do the math will often not see themselves as the odd person out. It is incredible in how many situations people will blind themselves to reality in numbers situations.

On the other hand, he may just want to get on with his life. Some hard working D-1 athletes really do want to move on, get a job, and join the rest of us in the "real" world. It sounds like Travis is ready to join us and prepped to do very well.

Finally, of all the accurate and kind things said about Travis and his contributions, one seems to have been left out. He fired a perfect baseball pass with 1.5 seconds remaining in the BTT quarters last year that provided the best memory in Gopher basketball in a decade. No Travis. No Hoffarber heroics.

Staying or going, scholarship or not, good luck Travis. You gave the program and the fans everything you had. We could not have asked for more.
 

Personally, I'd rather have Travis stick around another year, as a walk-on, than Dawson (if he does come here). Nothing against him, but people always think the grass is greener, Travis has earned my respect and proved himself to be able to contribute at certain points in the season, Dawson has not. I think it's a greater asset having an experienced player on our team for one more year, than an unknown.
I wouldn't fault him if he wanted to move on, since he is without a scholarship, it's completely understandable - but if he wanted to stick around, I'd want to make a place for him.

And yes, Holy Man - I remember his heroics, he is our Grant Hill
 

MNSnowman said:
I guess I understand TB's feelings in this regard ... but would look at the fact that he got a scholarship in 2008-09 without demonstrating much in the preceding year (when he sat out).
Click to expand...

I agree with your entire post, but the years in your post are off. Busch's time at the U:

2006-07 - transfer year; sat out; paid his own way
2007-08 - got scholarship after sitting out; made pass to Hoff in BTT; has school paid for
2008-09 - got scholarship; played some quality minutes, contributed
2009-10 - ????? (I hope he's back, but he knew the deal)

Totally agree he got that 2nd year paid for without ever demonstrating in a game anything. But, that 2nd year was 2007-08 and the year he made the pass to Hoff.
 

tjgopher said:
I agree with your entire post, but the years in your post are off.
2007-08 - got scholarship after sitting out; made pass to Hoff in BTT; has school paid for
Click to expand...

Yep, I got off by a year ... that'll teach me to multi-task .....:eek:.....
 

BleedGopher said:
Guard/forward Travis Busch, who was an important contributor to the Gophers basketball team this season, is telling his friends he might not come back for his fifth year of basketball competition next season. Junior guard Kevin Payton, who was briefly suspended for academic reasons this past season, also might not return.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps/42105642.html?elr=KArksUUUU

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Is it true that UV sent a private plane to pick up Kevin? Or are they really after Travis? Let the debate begin.
 

Let's make it interesting

Good chance that either Kevin or Travis won't be back next year - that makes sense. But let's put some odds on it.

And while we are at it, why don't we throw Sid in the mix? Of the three (Sid, Travis or Kevin) who is least likely to come back next year? Anybody wanna start putting down some odds?
 

I wouldn't be surprised if they both left, but let's face it: when was the last time Sid said something that had an ounce of truth to it?
 

I would like to see Travis stay in state.... possibly go on a national title run a few miles down the road at the University of St. Thomas?
 

With the exception of that ill-advised pass against Penn State, Travis played great for the Gophers this year. Loyalty is a moot point; we can really use his contributions next year. If it's a matter of trading him for a walk-on, I think that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (Note my not stooping to overt pun.)
 

Bush has been a class act on and off the court. He is a good player who can help us yet again if needed. Why wouldn't you want someone like that on your team?
 

Would you rather have Busch on scholarship or Mbakwe/Rodney/Royce?
 

IMHO....Gopher4Life should receive a scholarship.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom