Willis to Grad Transfer from Minnesota

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71GopherFan said:
Seems players everywhere are going everywhere these days. Why not just make things simple from here on out in college basketball, and make it like old-school playground pick-up games. Have 20 random guys show up for each game, and have two captains pick teams.
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How would you decide who gets to be "Skins"
 

Vandy was not that high on him either, so this is not a surprise. He could have been an ok bench player this year. Fingers crossed that this brings us to KW. RP seems to be doing a good job assembling a roster..
 


Willis came here because he's buddies with Curry.

What if Curry is leaving? Or is medically retiring?
 

GopherNuts said:
9 points for a 4th year player that played what? around 30 minutes a night isn’t all that impressive. He’s a solid role player but I think you could get similar production out of Walton as a freshman while KW has a higher ceiling as well. Would you start freshman year Gabe over Willis? I would and Walton’s a superior prospect to Kalscheur coming out of HS with legit interest from UNC, Ohio State and Arizona.
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I wouldn't say Kerwin is a superior prospect. He is ranked higher but Gabe averaged over 17 PPG on the best regular season team in the EYBL and led the EYBL in total 3 point makes and I believe percentage as well. I don't know exactly how Kerwin did last year but I don't believe it was as good as Gabe. And what Gabe did as a true freshman is not typical. Just because he did that doesn't meant we should expect that from Kerwin even if Kerwin actually is a better prospect. Yes, Willis was nothing amazing but I would still give him the edge over Kerwin as a true freshman.
 


A few days ago I wrote that I would have preferred if Willis was our 7th man playing ~18-20 mpg...looks like he was not thrilled with that possibility! Not surprising I guess.

If Walton doesn't come, Williams needs to step up his game and shoot better. I like the energy and defense he brings to the table.
 

It's crazy, just 5 years ago you'd think you're set up for the next couple of years with this roster.

Seniors
Johnson

Juniors
Robbins
Jarvis
Gabe
Carr
Curry

Sophomores
Ihnen
Tre
Freeman
Greenlee

Freshmen
Mashburn
Mitchell

Add in Peterson or Walton as junior and freshman, respectively. Now you don't know who's going pro, who's transferring, etc. This roster would be set-up big-time for the next couple years if it would stay together.
 
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Otis said:
I'd be surprised after this statement if I paid attention to your next post.
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What has you so infatuated with Walton? Yeah, he's a solid prospect and shot very well from 3 this year but let's not act like is is our savior or some top 50 level prospect that can come in and start right away like Oturu and Coffey did.
 




leib0039 said:
Not to vent but this is another example of poor roster management by RP, 2 years to get 1 and then leave, thats not great.

That said i am just fine with this, Williams should get better and see more time, Mash can play more, maybe get another guy in the transfer market. Willis had AWFUL advanced metrics so move on.

I am fine with new blood, but RP needs to make it work, I got pretty sick of "well we had 7 new players his year, you knew we would struggle!" That can't be a complaint again next year, it doesnt matter if its the same team or 100% new, he needs to make it work.
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Given what he is facing next year, the "new players" response won't be acceptable. The number of new additions makes it even more critical that virus separation end sooner rather than later so these guys can be ready in November.
 

skiumah1 said:
It's crazy, just 5 years ago you'd think you're set up for the next couple of years with this roster.

Seniors
Johnson
Curry

Juniors
Robbins
Jarvis
Gabe
Carr

Sophomores
Ihnen
Tre
Freeman
Greenlee

Freshmen
Mashburn
Mitchell

Add in Peterson or Walton as junior and freshman, respectively. Now you don't know who's going pro, who's transferring, etc. This roster would be set-up big-time for the next couple years if it would stay together.
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Pretty sure I read that Curry will actually be a redshirt junior this next season. Pretty sure he was awarded a 6th season and would have two years left to play if all goes well. This would have been his 4th year, but he has already missed two full seasons due to injury
 

LongLiveMilesTarver said:
I despise this rule, to be honest. It is free agency every single season.
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The NCAA really needs to take a cue from the rest of every other major sports association in the world.

They all disallow such a silly idea as "free agency". Ha! Who would ever allow such a thing?? No coach anywhere in the world would put up with it.
 

WriterGoph said:
Pretty sure I read that Curry will actually be a redshirt junior this next season. Pretty sure he was awarded a 6th season and would have two years left to play if all goes well. This would have been his 4th year, but he has already missed two full seasons due to injury
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Wow, so he's been given 2 medical redshirts? Or just the normal redshirt with a medical RS? I know they do allow that so it would make sense. I think you're right.
 



skiumah1 said:
I can't handle him, period. I'd love for MN to grab a guy or two that is consistently on the radio that is really an intelligent guy and breaks things down with sources and reasoning. Kills me.
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Well said. I don't get how more people don't see it. He literally engages with random twitter idiots that are just rando burner accounts for people to try to prove he has the info, or that his angles are correct. It just further reinforces that he doesn't get it and seeks validation from random people. I thought journalists were supposed to report on the truth and seek it, not play games to make it appear that you are correct/informed?

This may seem like a long rant against just Doogie, but its more so just against reporters letting ego/questioning of their scoops get in the way of doing their job. When you seek validation from others you always lose. When you make a statement without a basis or one that has some plausibility, back it up instead of being a baby and quoting idiots on twitter to play the I showed them game. Burns does the same thing and this applies to many that don't cover sports as well. Can't stand it.
 

skiumah1 said:
Wow, so he's been given 2 medical redshirts? Or just the normal redshirt with a medical RS? I know they do allow that so it would make sense.
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He's only played two seasons. You get four total. So he has two seasons left to play.

You get a five year clock, normally, and his has been extended to six years via medical hardship waiver.
 

die hard gopher said:
What has you so infatuated with Walton? Yeah, he's a solid prospect and shot very well from 3 this year but let's not act like is is our savior or some top 50 level prospect that can come in and start right away like Oturu and Coffey did.
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Well, he's taller than Gabe, higher ranked than Gabe, got better schools after him than Gabe and he is more athletic than Gabe. Question is? Why do you not want him? or think he couldn't beat out Willis?

Besides, the announcer could say, " 6'6". 6' 9" with the afro."
 

MplsGopher said:
He's only played two seasons. You get four total. So he has two seasons left to play.

You get a five year clock, normally, and his has been extended to six years via medical hardship waiver.
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Curry only played a whole season his true Freshman year.
He missed all of his true Sophomore year.
Played only 280 minutes in his true Junior year.
Did not play in his true Senior year. Which was this past season.
 

Otis said:
Curry only played a whole season his true Freshman year.
He missed all of his true Sophomore year.
Played only 280 minutes in his true Junior year.
Did not play in his true Senior year. Which was this past season.
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Junior year still counts.

Football is the only sport that has rules in the books allowing an athlete to participate in some amount of games but not have it count as a participated season.

All other sports, if you play one play in any game, that counts as a season.
 

skiumah1 said:
Now you're ideally locked in on:
1 Carr and Mash w/ Greenlee sitting this year
2 Gabe, Tre, Mash
3 Ihnen, Gabe, Tre, w/ Mitchell sitting this year
4 Johnson, Ihnen, and Jarvis OR Curry
5 Robbins, Johnson and Jarvis OR Curry w/ Freeman sitting this year
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I don't know why we would want Greenlee redshirting this year, unless the staff totally thinks he's a late bloomer with a much higher ceiling than it appears. Half this board wants him out right now, so why would we want him soaking up five years of scholarship?

But I'm also higher on Freeman than most, and think he would improve with a redshirt year. Except, with the way college basketball is right now, that extra year might very well end up being redeemed at another program.
 

Urbandale said:
I don't know why we would want Greenlee redshirting this year, unless the staff totally thinks he's a late bloomer with a much higher ceiling than it appears. Half this board wants him out right now, so why would we want him soaking up five years of scholarship?
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Scholarships are guaranteed now. Pitino can't officially cut him. He has to agree to leave.
 

MplsGopher said:
Junior year still counts.

Football is the only sport that has rules in the books allowing an athlete to participate in some amount of games but not have it count as a participated season.

All other sports, if you play one play in any game, that counts as a season.
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But then he would only need an exception to play past the 5 year rule and would not need a second waiver. Right?
 

MplsGopher said:
Scholarships are guaranteed now. Pitino can't officially cut him. He has to agree to leave.
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I understand that. My point is that half this board seems to want him to agree to leave right now. If that's the case, and he's that ineffective a basketball player, then why would we want him to redshirt and thereby add another year to his time on the team?
 

Otis said:
Well, he's taller than Gabe, higher ranked than Gabe, got better schools after him than Gabe and he is more athletic than Gabe. Question is? Why do you not want him? or think he couldn't beat out Willis?

Besides, the announcer could say, " 6'6". 6' 9" with the afro."
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1. I'd love to have Kerwin and believe he'd a very solid backup wing next year. I just don't think he'd be ready to start in the Big Ten over a 5th year senior. Very few non blue chip recruits are.

2. He may be higher ranked that Gabe but Gabe played better on the AAU circuit than Kerwin did and averaged over 17 PPG, and led the EYBL in 3 point makes and percentage I believe and this was on the best regular season EYBL team. I don't know exactly how Kerwin did last year on the circuit but I don't believe he played as well as Gabe did in the EYBL.

3. Even if he did play better than Gabe and is a better prospect than Gabe, that doesn't we should expect him to be just as good as freshman Gabe as that is rather atypical for a freshman in the Big Ten. Many think Steven Ortiz will commit to the gophers tonight but just because he was rated higher than Winfield jr doesn't meant we should expect he will be better than Winfield.
 

Walton played on a great AAU team with Garcia, Ben Carlson, Crowl, and two Eden Prairie kids.
A team that lost one game last summer? I don't have his numbers handy, but they were good.

Walton is much more physically imposing than Gabe....and a better prospect....and I really like Gabe.
 

leftyslefty said:
Walton played on a great AAU team with Garcia, Ben Carlson, Crowl, and two Eden Prairie kids.
A team that lost one game last summer? I don't have his numbers handy, but they were good.

Walton is much more physically imposing than Gabe....and a better prospect....and I really like Gabe.
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And Gabe played on the #1 regular season EYBL team with Tre Jones, Oturu, Nnaji, Roddy, Omersa, Sy Chatman and was lights out for them.
 

Gabe played on a better AAU team. Really will not mean much now. I do think Walton is a must get for a top 3 conference finish with Carr back. Thanks to Willis for contributing to the team and conducting yourself the right way.
 

die hard gopher said:
It’s absolutely a big deal to lose a very likely starter. Doubt Kerwin would have started over him and Peterson may have to sit out.

this is a big blow, no other way to spin it.
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This def not a big blow. Williams should have been getting some of those minutes Willis was getting last year and he is probably leaving because he knows his spot may not be solidified
 

Willis likely got his eval and outlook loaded with information that tells him where he is at today. That and his desire to either be a go to guy at a smaller school or to transfer to a big time winner.
 

cjbfbp said:
Given my past sentiments about Pitino, I hate to agree with you but I must after these two transfers.
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Plenty of room on this party bus, so hop on. We're riding this baby to the sweet 16, you know what I mean?
 

salzie said:
Bit frustrating to sit 1, play 1, and transfer out
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We have had one situation like this after another. How many scholarship-years have we squandered for guys who only gave us one year of service?
 

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