Transfers 2020

[vu72]

way, he has been one of the best players in VU history over two years, and could cement his legacy if he stayed.

True enough.  My thinking is that all record holders won't lose them to future players.  The idea that a player like Bryce, Lubos, Rowdy, Alec or...Javon, playing four years at Valpo is most likely a thing of the past.

[vu84v2]

I think that there is another factor here regarding transfers, and that is the near to mid term impact of COVID-19 on university budgets and how this will relate to college basketball.

Many here have talked about how mid-majors are disadvantaged because most major conference schools have much better perks (fancier practice facilities, fancier stadiums, great living accommodations, travel on private jets, etc.). However, you can make a good argument that these perks have been acceptable for mid-majors. My thinking is that the disparity between mid-majors and majors is going to become much greater in the next several years. Assume that the basketball budget at a school like Valpo has been X and assume that the basketball budget at a major conference school has been 2X (and the prior disparity has probably been more than that). A school like Valpo, to survive as a private university, has to cut its basketball budget by 50%...and the major conference school (also facing major budget issues at the university level) has to cut by the same dollar amount (thus, they cut to 1.5X). The disparity becomes much greater, but more importantly the perks that were once acceptable at the mid-major are no longer acceptable. Flying becomes long bus rides, no Thanksgiving tournaments, etc. for mid-majors, but the major conference teams are still way above acceptable. My guess is that some players will see this and prioritize going to schools that commit to have sufficient funding so that there is minimal tangible impact on their overall lifestyle.

I sort of doubt that this weighed into Javon's decision, but I do think that this much larger disparity - coupled with potentially allowing immediate transfers - will really increase the number of good players that transfer from mid-major schools.

[SanityLost17]

I don't actually think we should do this, but...

Lottich could just start marketing to 2-3 year guys.   Say.... "hey, come here for 2 years and declare for a transfer and see what you're options are.  If you think you can get into a top half Big10 school or top half ACC school, go for it.  If not stay one more year and then try again after your 3rd year.  If they still don't want you screw them and we will beat them in the NCAA tournament and tell them to go $)@#$*)# themselves."   

If I was a player that wasn't getting love from the big guys out of high school but thought I could play, I would love that kinda talk.   

[valpo64]

IF his transfer is correct and in motion, the thing still stinks.  I do not like being jacked around, saying one thing then doing another.  IF he is listening to some of the "big city boys" and the trolls of the major conferences, it is a character flaw on his part.  This transfer thing is getting waaaaay out of hand and now if the NCAA allows the big boys to raid the mid-majors without the player even sitting out a year, shame on all of them.  While there may be a rare exception now and then, it is time for the mid-major conferences to band together and tell the NCAA they want to go out on their own and tell the big boys to " shove it"!  Enough is enough!  And the NCAA will tell us that they are for the student athlete, building character and all that "malarkey".  They are contributing to the negative aspects of the student athlete's thinking and the year in and year out shady side of the big schools/conferences.  You do not build character in these kids by implementing these type of policies/programs.  If you want to hear how bad the big schools(like IU) and the other big time programs are, just ask M &M Copabianco(spell?) about what they and their son Bobby experienced before he transferred to Valpo. 

[vu72]

Moving along, Illinois State loses Ellijah Donnelly to transfer.  A 1 or 2 ppg guy.  Cnaference total up to 24, national total up to 835.

So a couple of relative locals who are eligible to go now:

Jalen Coleman-Lands  transferred from DePaul, from Indy.  4* SG

Lorenzo Edwards transferred from St. Joes, 6'8" PF. from Lake Forest, IL

[NativeCheesehead]

If the mid majors tell the NCAA to "shove it" the NCAA will tell them to shove their share of the multi billion dollar pile of CBS money. 

[PlumStreetBum]

I don't actually think we should do this, but... Lottich could just start marketing to 2-3 year guys.   Say.... "hey, come here for 2 years and declare for a transfer and see what you're options are.  If you think you can get into a top half Big10 school or top half ACC school, go for it.  If not stay one more year and then try again after your 3rd year.  If they still don't want you screw them and we will beat them in the NCAA tournament and tell them to go $)@#$*)# themselves." If I was a player that wasn't getting love from the big guys out of high school but thought I could play, I would love that kinda talk.

Frankly I think a lot of mid majors, especially in conferences with strong competition year in and year out, will take this approach. Instead of an Alec or Javon being a once-in-a-decade find, each team will have one or two of these guys on the roster every year - because now they can play 32min a game for a few years instead of taking a chance at earning a rotation spot at a high major, knowing they can transfer without penalty.

Think of it like the 1or 2 and done kids who go to Kentucky etc then bail for the draft, but for mid-majors.

[VU2014]

If Todd Ickow is retweeting this tweet, then it's ALL you need to know about the back channel influence in this decision...

https://twitter.com/evanwalls6/status/1255186745190240256?s=21

[VUGrad1314]

I am so sick of this notion that players can't find their way to productive NBA careers through the MVC I'm going to give you guys a decades long list of players from the MVC who made the MVC who really really sucked in the NBA and wish they could have a do over in college so that they could transfer to a higher profile school in a better conference:

Larry Bird

Walt "Clyde" Frazier

Hersey Hawkins

Paul Silas

Benoit Benjamin

Xavier McDaniel

Doug Collins

Antoine Carr

Danny Granger (Started Career at Bradley before transfering to MWC New Mexico)

Anthony Parker

Kyle Korver

Landry Shamet

Fred Van Vliet

Anthony Tolliver

Troy Hudson (ended career at SIU)

Doug McDermott

Walt Lemon

[VUGrad1314]

Thinking about it: Javon's transferring is just karma for one of our most vocal twitter presences making an absolute posterior of himself when Robbins left Drake. Surprised the entire Valley isn't cheering this news because of him. It would totally be fair.

[wh]

If Todd Ickow is retweeting this tweet, then it's ALL you need to know about the back channel influence in this decision...

https://twitter.com/evanwalls6/status/1255186745190240256?s=21

Later tweets - same account:

https://twitter.com/colinwalls23/status/1255190566670909441?s=21

https://twitter.com/maxbehrend7/status/1255191285218058243?s=21

[ValpoDad89]

I was a big fan but not so sure anymore. Like a lot of his game but turning on your word less than 2 months after saying the opposite is not a good look and neither is transferring out of the same school 2 years in a row. Was excited upon his change of heart last year and thought he saw the true value of Valpo but this is high school stuff. High schoolers pull this commit / decommital stuff all the time and an occasional colllege kid too (more than 1 transfer). Usually the college kid never pans out at either of the latter schools. Maybe this speaks to his level of maturity to some degree.

Despite his track record of "truth" I'll trust that his decision is "family" based. It appears that 5 schools have already reached out already, Oregon, BYU, Arkansas, Marquette and DePaul. Three are miles away from Chicago. Another is equidistant or maybe farther than Valpo and the last school is in Chicago but playing on a perennial last place team in the Big East and for a scrub coach like Leitao is a better situation? Good luck in whatever he decides. I did appreciate the 2:years he played here.

[tiny707]

If Todd Ickow is retweeting this tweet, then it's ALL you need to know about the back channel influence in this decision... https://twitter.com/evanwalls6/status/1255186745190240256?s=21

I



Interesting that Todd retweeted the Evan Walls tweet. Marcus transferred from Crane to King High School when Landon Cox ran the show. Landon recruited public league players and would use every option available. Coaches started boycotting playing him and they eventually changed the transfer rules for the Chicago Public League in 1996.

[vu72]

I recall someone thinking that Northwestern wouldn't work because of academics, though if he isn't getting good grades in sport management I would be surprised.  If he ends up at a place like Oregon, then the whole family thing is really a joke. Let's move on.  We may leave the scholarship open as we did last year.  For all the concern about mid-major players moving up, there are plenty of high-major players moving down and we have had plenty of guys do that who worked out very well for Valpo.

[IrishDawg]

If Todd Ickow is retweeting this tweet, then it's ALL you need to know about the back channel influence in this decision...

https://twitter.com/evanwalls6/status/1255186745190240256?s=21

Later tweets - same account:

https://twitter.com/colinwalls23/status/1255190566670909441?s=21

https://twitter.com/maxbehrend7/status/1255191285218058243?s=21

I mean, he could have transferred at any point and you're not finding a replacement for him. MVC POTY candidates are really hard to replace no matter when they leave.

I also think it's a bad look to say that the people around JFL don't have his best interests at heart, and that Crusader fans know what's best for him.

It sucks for sure, but Valpo has done a great job at finding those diamonds who are under recruited, and I think will be just fine going forward.

[IrishDawg]

FYI, doesn't look like the one time transfer change may be in the cards after all

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1255890388424015872

[VU2014]

FYI, doesn't look like the one time transfer change may be in the cards after all

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1255890388424015872

Gunning for a hardship waiver...

[VU2014]

I wonder if JFL would have transferred sooner or at least had the courtesy/honor to tell the coaching staff this was a possibility, maybe we'd be in on a kid like Jeremiah Williams more. He has the right to transfer and leave but it's the way it went down that shows no respect to his teammates and coaches...

[valpo64]

JFL's actions speak louder than his words.  Wanting to transfer is one thing, but handling it like he has is very disappointing and I guess shows a character flaw that we hadn't seen before.  Let's move on and perhaps get one of the still remaining quality prospects for next year.  Isn't it interesting that he requests respect after the way he showed none to Coach Lottich and the Valpo team.

[mp91]

JFL's actions speak louder than his words.  Wanting to transfer is one thing, but handling it like he has is very disappointing and I guess shows a character flaw that we hadn't seen before.  Let's move on and perhaps get one of the still remaining quality prospects for next year.  Isn't it interesting that he requests respect after the way he showed none to Coach Lottich and the Valpo team.

Okay guys, let's calm down here. You know nothing about his situation. You are just randomly speculating. JFL said he was transferring because of family issues and you call this a character flaw? You are just assuming he is lying. This is a large reason why so many student-athletes are fed up with the system because everyone always expects the worst out of them with no evidence to back it up. Sure, if he ends up going to Texas, then go ahead and say what you want. But to attack someone without any evidence is kind of ridiculous.

Furthermore, a lot of people are saying he is transferring because he doesn't think he can get drafted. I am friends with a great deal of college basketball players and this generally is not the thinking. It's either: 1) they want to play higher quality competition to challenge themselves and learn to prepare them for the next level or 2) even more so, it's that Valpo and other small school environments just aren't built for everyone.... Even having love for the University, let's be fair – there isn't much to do on or off campus beyond sports, the demographics of the University are basically homogeneous with very little diversity, and a lot of players are coming from cities/urban environments and aren't necessarily built for the semi-rural, townie environment. It's more of a fit issuer than people often bring up.

[wh]

As others have noted, short of living with his grandmother, Valpo is as about as close as he's going to get --- if she lives in Chicago.  Does someone actually know, or are we just assuming.  Both of my late grandmothers lived in other states.  Both of my wife's late grandmothers lived in other states.

[mp91]

As others have noted, short of living with his grandmother, Valpo is as about as close as he's going to get --- if she lives in Chicago.  Does someone actually know, or are we just assuming.  Both of my late grandmothers lived in other states.  Both of my wife's late grandmothers lived in other states.

Exactly. We don't know where she lives. People on here are just hating on him without the facts. I will disagree with you on one point tho, if she is in Chicago, there are definitely closer schools. Sure, Valpo isn't "far" but say she lives around the corner from UIC or a quick bus ride away from DePaul. A 15 minute commute instead of one hour of traveling can make a big difference, especially for a busy student.

[valpo64]

Correction:  I am not saying he is lying.  IF he actually is transferring,  IF...  declaration of his intent now shows a flaw, especially after his recent comments about  VU.  Things as important as this do not develop overnight.  The turning pro somewhere along the line holds no water with me.  Alec Peters pursued the draft and was told he should stay at Valpo and it would not effect his situation as far as a professional career was concerned.  If a college player is good enough for the pros, he will be identified as such no matter at what level he is playing in college.  There are  many examples to prove that.  Let's face it...some young men do make mistakes and execute poor judgement at times, sometimes listening to the "wrong" people for advice.  Sorry...at this point I am not buying the narrative.  I am sure that somewhere along the line the facts will come out and  perhaps prove my thinking was incorrect.   Time will tell.  Wouldn't it be great if he decided to return to VU?  In any event, I am looking forward to a fun and good upcoming season of VU hoops!

[M]

Why so we can do this all over again next summer?

[FieldGoodie05]

Correction:  I am not saying he is lying.  IF he actually is transferring,  IF...  declaration of his intent now shows a flaw, especially after his recent comments about  VU.  Things as important as this do not develop overnight.  The turning pro somewhere along the line holds no water with me.  Alec Peters pursued the draft and was told he should stay at Valpo and it would not effect his situation as far as a professional career was concerned.  If a college player is good enough for the pros, he will be identified as such no matter at what level he is playing in college.  There are  many examples to prove that.  Let's face it...some young men do make mistakes and execute poor judgement at times, sometimes listening to the "wrong" people for advice.  Sorry...at this point I am not buying the narrative.  I am sure that somewhere along the line the facts will come out and  perhaps prove my thinking was incorrect.   Time will tell.  Wouldn't it be great if he decided to return to VU?  In any event, I am looking forward to a fun and good upcoming season of VU hoops!

Javon is a special player, he would have continued to have the green light to shoot whenever he wanted at VU.  But if his shooting percentage stayed relative low it would have looked very bad at a mid-major school where he had the green light?  Maybe he was given a perspective that said if you can improve your efficiency from deep in a more serious league to boot . . . . well maybe that is the path to NBA.  I truly don't know, but it is safe to say he didn't have a ton to prove to himself at VU after this last season.  I wish him well and hope that this team has the offensive chops to replace his volume with more efficiency (and more consistent defense at times).

He is an outstanding player and young man (from what has been reported).  Good luck Javon.