Transfers 2020

[VUGrad1314]

This is why the MVC hates us. We have bad facilities and gave the league no immediate plans or timetable for improvement, our fans don't travel very well at all, we have underachieved relative to our talent until this year where we started to play up to its level; and on top of that, we have "Fans" like this who call themselves "leaders" but don't lead or do anything for student engagement and who aren't even from the Midwest, didn't grow up as Valpo or as MVC fans who kick programs when they're down. Drake was one of the nicest fanbases who were the most welcoming when we joined. Wishing them ill is just terrible. I don't know for sure how I am viewed as a poster by conference posters by and large primarily because I can be a bit obsessive about expansion and to a lesser extent scheduling. But that comes from a position of love for the MVC and a desire to see the MVC strong and do well. My goal is the struggle for\procurement of at large bids which should be any fan's goal in a respectable mid major conference. That HH is so short-sighted not to realize that Robbins leaving actually hurts Valpo is disappointing but it isn't surprising. He doesn't understand the finer points of college basketball like schedule strength. He is by his own admission too hung up in wins and losses, which leads him to adopt this simplistic Drake lose player good for Valpo viewpoint without looking at the wider picture and context.

[usc4valpo]

This really sucks. Top players leaving the Valley and transferring like this is bad for Valpo, the MVC and mid-major basketball. Recruits wanting immediate  playing time and love will now opt for a mid-major, play for a year or two, then take their enhanced skills and transfer to a Power 5 school.  Mid-majors appear to look like a minor league for the Power 5. The Robbins transfer is an example of this. For Valpo, this transferring is certainly not something to celebrate.

As for HH, he needs to see the big picture. You become better by better competition and a weaker conference doe snot enable that. It makes the product weaker. I don't want to see the MVC as a ham-an-egger conference like the Horizon and WAC. Who wants to see a in a race with an a Nissan Altima competing with Ford Pintos?

[VUBBFan]

Honest question, does Happening Hoops post on this forum?  Who is he to us on this forum?  I know some of you follow him on twitter and other mediums but is he active here?

Ethan used to post to the forum but stopped because of all the negative flack he got on his posts. Says he occasionally looks in but does not comment. This was his senior year, so I would guess he will not be as active talking about Valpo/MVC next year especially since he lives on the East Coast.

[M]

Robbins with about the fastest declaring to transfer to signing with a new school ever.

[FieldGoodie05]

Robbins with about the fastest declaring to transfer to signing with a new school ever.

Turns out his uncle is Assoc HC there.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/247sports.com/college/basketball/recruiting/Article/Liam-Robbins-Minnesota-145735190/Amp/

[vu72]

De'Avion Washington is transferring from Indiana State.  That brings the Valley total to 22(I think) and the National total to 651. That' three fro Indiana State. So. Illinois leads with 5.

[VU2014]

De'Avion Washington is transferring from Indiana State.  That brings the Valley total to 22(I think) and the National total to 651. That' three fro Indiana State. So. Illinois leads with 5.

Former Valpo recruit. I think Valpo was his #2 choice at the time. But he won't be coming to Valpo, because it's highly unlikely we'd ever recruit a kid who just transferred directly from another Valley school. He was a was Coach Rags recruit. Also obviously scholarship limits.

https://twitter.com/tribstartodd/status/1246849231899578368?s=21

[VUGrad1314]

And we're already very well covered for his position anyway (unless JFL stays in the draft)...

[valpo64]

This transfer thing is getting way out of hand and something needs to be done soon to correct it.

[VUGrad1314]

Not a thing is going to be done because it benefits the correct conferences. For the privileged few transfers work whether they're coming or going. Either they lose a player that doesn't fit or they gain a critical piece of their rotation. For us, we tend to be hurt more than we're helped most of the time (the last few years in the MVC have been an exception.)

[vu72]

Marten Linssen is transferring.  Also Matt Haarms from Purdue. 

[NativeCheesehead]

Lol Linssen. Is Dave Maravilla his advisor?

[crusader05]

I believe there has been a coaching change there so it might be related to that.

[talksalot]

I believe there has been a coaching change there so it might be related to that.

https://uncwsports.com/news/2020/3/13/mens-basketball-seahawks-name-siddle-new-head-coach.aspx

[valpo95]

Marten Linssen is transferring.  Also Matt Haarms from Purdue. 

Linssen has some talent, and would have made the 2018-19 and 2019-20 teams better. VU fans might recall that he averaged 2.0 PPG for VU as a freshman in 2017-18, yet 10.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG  in 20.5 MPG for UNCW this past season. One might argue that he got out at the right time in his career, though he also had no way of knowing about the large numbers of transfers at the end of the 2019 season. Where he lands is TBD, yet we should hope for the best for him.

[valpotx]

That Robbins case seems so sketchy, after finding out that his uncle is an Associate HC, but there is no way to prove that they tampered.  No one should be happy about that transfer, regardless.

[VU2014]

That Robbins case seems so sketchy, after finding out that his uncle is an Associate HC, but there is no way to prove that they tampered.  No one should be happy about that transfer, regardless.

definitely tampering but Minnesota didn't hire the family member to primarily to land him. He's just a nice side piece to the hire.

It's not WKU level tampering or Zion Williamson's family members getting a house level tampering.

[VUGrad1314]

And yet absolutely nothing will be done about any of this... Maybe WKU will get the hammer but that's because they play in a mid major conference the NCAA doesn't care one wit about.

[bbtds]

That Robbins case seems so sketchy, after finding out that his uncle is an Associate HC, but there is no way to prove that they tampered.  No one should be happy about that transfer, regardless.

His uncle was an asst coach at Minnesota since 2016-17. His title was changed to Associate Head Coach for the coming season. So I don't think his uncle's change in title was the reason Robbins decided to transfer.

https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/ed-conroy/1991

Why didn't Robbins sign with the Gophers from the beginning? Obviously Pitino, Conroy, Jeter and the rest of the Minnesota staff felt that they had their center position covered with sophomore Daniel Oturu and freshman Sam Freeman. Oturu has now declared for the draft and has said he will sign with an agent. The Minnesota staff had a hole to fill at center suddenly and it wasn't hard at all for Robbins to see he had a golden opportunity to fill that hole.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28944086/minnesota-forward-center-daniel-oturu-plans-enter-nba-draft


https://www.startribune.com/gophers-land-7-foot-center-liam-robbins-from-drake/569397772/

"I originally started this process because I wanted to challenge myself against tougher competition and see what my options were after putting my name into the portal," Robbins told the Star Tribune on Sunday. "I got contacted by 25 schools, but after talking with Pitino extensively last night and my uncle, this was the best place to challenge myself and also be surrounded by family. With the pandemic going on, to be surrounded by family was very important to me."

Replacing Oturu was the top priority in spring recruiting for the Gophers once the third-team All-America selection declared last month for the NBA draft. The 6-10 sophomore averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this season.

"Oturu was a fantastic player," Robbins said. "Hopefully, I can replicate that and make Gophers fans proud and help Minnesota win some games."

[valpo84]

Amusing side note about family member coaches -- some of you don't go back that far, but watching the 1988 Kansas/Oklahoma game, they kept panning to Ed Manning on the bench for Kansas.  Former NBA player for the Cincy Royals and assistant coach for KU while Larry Brown was there.  Ed obviously was hired about the time Manning was recruited to KU.  It was one of the first father/close relative hirings I remember, but there could have been some before that.  Interesting 2d side note, Manning had Randolph Childress (former Wake Forest great) on his staff, and Brandon Childress was a primary player for Wake the past few years.

[SanityLost17]

That Robbins case seems so sketchy, after finding out that his uncle is an Associate HC, but there is no way to prove that they tampered.  No one should be happy about that transfer, regardless.

His uncle was an asst coach at Minnesota since 2016-17. His title was changed to Associate Head Coach for the coming season. So I don't think his uncle's change in title was the reason Robbins decided to transfer.

https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/ed-conroy/1991

Why didn't Robbins sign with the Gophers from the beginning? Obviously Pitino, Conroy, Jeter and the rest of the Minnesota staff felt that they had their center position covered with sophomore Daniel Oturu and freshman Sam Freeman. Oturu has now declared for the draft and has said he will sign with an agent. The Minnesota staff had a hole to fill at center suddenly and it wasn't hard at all for Robbins to see he had a golden opportunity to fill that hole.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28944086/minnesota-forward-center-daniel-oturu-plans-enter-nba-draft


https://www.startribune.com/gophers-land-7-foot-center-liam-robbins-from-drake/569397772/

"I originally started this process because I wanted to challenge myself against tougher competition and see what my options were after putting my name into the portal," Robbins told the Star Tribune on Sunday. "I got contacted by 25 schools, but after talking with Pitino extensively last night and my uncle, this was the best place to challenge myself and also be surrounded by family. With the pandemic going on, to be surrounded by family was very important to me."

Replacing Oturu was the top priority in spring recruiting for the Gophers once the third-team All-America selection declared last month for the NBA draft. The 6-10 sophomore averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this season.

"Oturu was a fantastic player," Robbins said. "Hopefully, I can replicate that and make Gophers fans proud and help Minnesota win some games."

Gotta add in that pandemic statement to make sure he is eligible to play immediately due to a Covid-19 hardship waiver. 

Smart kid! 

[FWalum]

Marten Linssen is transferring.  Also Matt Haarms from Purdue. 

Linssen has some talent, and would have made the 2018-19 and 2019-20 teams better. VU fans might recall that he averaged 2.0 PPG for VU as a freshman in 2017-18, yet 10.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG  in 20.5 MPG for UNCW this past season. One might argue that he got out at the right time in his career, though he also had no way of knowing about the large numbers of transfers at the end of the 2019 season. Where he lands is TBD, yet we should hope for the best for him.

Redshirt sophomore Marten Linssen put his name in the transfer portal Monday, the school confirmed. Jeff Goodman of Stadium first reported the news. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

I guess this means he will be a graduate transfer? Certainly he is not going to burn an eligible year sitting out.

[M]

It'll be kind've funny if Matt Harms, who has also entered the transfer portal, winds up in Minnesota - saw them on his list.

[valpotx]

Robbins better not be given a waiver to play immediately.  His statement in leaving had to do with challenging himself more, and nothing to do with family.

[usc4valpo]

Your statement won't pass in an NCAA court of law, valpotx.