We need another point. But what we really need is Edey from Purdue
Free agency in college basketball, that is what you get when you start paying college athletes for something beyond a scholarship and let them transfer at the drop of a hat without sitting out a year.
It is rare for a school to build a culture when guys are transferring in and out and leaving for the pros after one or two years.
Chaos is what we have in this world more with each passing day. It is understandable we see it in college sports. You are dealing with teenagers and guys in their early twenties with no life experience and treating them like professional athletes, which is what a lot of them are at this point.
I have no idea what Pop Isaacs’ issue is, but we have a guy like Marcus Adams looking at moving to his 4th school in less than a year. Is it money? That may be the issue with Isaacs. With Adams it could be money or playing time. I think he didn’t play because he wasn’t ready yet. Next year he probably would start. So what does he accomplish by leaving unless it is the money?
I think if they took a poll among Head coaches, you would probably see a 85% disapproval of the portal.
Even Nick Saban, who benefited from the portal has spoken out against it.
Now more positive things:
Check this out about our newest Tight End:
Why BYU freshman Ryner Swanson is straight out of central casting – Deseret News
more like 100%
And yet we see guys staying for the greater good (and possibly getting paid a whole lotta NIL) Edey comes to mind as a guy that came back for a run at the title.
There is talk about Robinson coming back. I doubt it once he gets outside of the BYU clutter and talks around. As all of you know, I am a very big Pope fan, he is our guy! BUT…the blame for guys leaving etc. is NOT just about money. It is also about Coaching ability and the fact that Pope is a very GOOD coach at home where the 3s fall but a very POOR road coach where you have to change things up, get inside and dirty things up.
The second thing Pope has to clear up is his ridiculous devotion of certain players. As Tom points out, Knell has no business playing D1 ball, let alone, start for BYU. also of note, Pope’s lack of understanding “the Moment”. Here we are about to play Duquaine and he goes with Knell and a broken down, bum leg, fasting Khalifa (who showed every bit of the fasting part) over a rested powerful inside player, Foos, who by the way, was built to take down a smaller Duquaine.
So if we want to blame players for transferring, we also have to acknowledge that Players want to Play for a WINNER.
Pope is my guy but he has to learn from this and make sure that if we lose, it is because someone got hot and beat him, and not by being hardheaded.
If you are correct in what you say, who is going to approach Pope and explain this to him. Tom? Where’s Tom anyways? Not a peep from him.
By the way, as I have said before, I agree with the change in starting lineups based on matchups. However, we do have to realize that before the refs have a chance on how they will call the 1st half, we may end up with guys in foul trouble and not having them in the end of games. So, I’m sure Pope will have responses for you.
Aro is right, players who will normally go pro after a year or two can make enough money now to stay for 4 years like in our days.
I was being generous, maybe there is a coach or two that likes it.
Yesterday on Channel 2 Sports Talk, they interview Ben Bywater about why he chooses to stay, instead of going on to try the NFL.
He basically said, Betty (defensive end) called him and told he is staying, and Ben said that was one reason, the second reason was that he only got to play a few games for his senior year and finally he said the BYU final record did not set well with him.