Kaleb Joseph to transfer to Creighton

[cuseguy]

how do you know this?

It's well documented already.

 

[rhcuse]

"Bookworm" follows Bryce Drew to Vandy?

UB, St. Bona, Iona, Monmouth, Wagner, Stony Brook, insert regional little D1 guy here.

 

[Dave85]

Bottom line - if we continue to land players that were as highly regarded as KJ - more often than not they will pan out. Whether he could have been an impact player for us if circumstances were different is just speculation.

I think KJ had a terrific work ethic. I think what he was missing was a killer instinct and moxie. I think Battle will not disappoint us this coming season.

 

[pfister1]

I am sorry that it didn't work out here for Kaleb. He seemed like a nice kid and good teammate and I wish him well where ever he ends up. However, I am glad that he is moving on for a couple of reasons. (i) I don't think he is good enough to provide the type of help we need, (ii) I think the roster spot can be better used to take a shot on another kid and (iii) over the last 3/4 of the season I saw a kid who appeared to be content with his role which was zero playing time......based on that, my impression from a distance is that he doesn't have the internal makeup to fight himself back into a position to be a contributor in this program or any high D1 program. Obviously that last assessment is from a distance, so I may not have all the information I need to have an accurate read there.

The larger discussion kills me.

(i) Not everyone that is recruited into the program is expected to develop to the same degree or along the same curve. Some guys are brought in with the intent that they are able to help immediately, others are brought in with the intent that they will help in a year or two and still others are brought in as a gamble....maybe they will be a help down the road maybe not. Without knowing how the staff classified each of these guys, its really hard to label them a bust.

(ii) Labeling someone a recruiting bust (implying that a mistake was made in evaluation) is really difficult when the circumstances under which they were recruited changed significantly while they were here. What do I mean? Guys were recruited onto a roster that had slots for 13 scholarship players. Guys that are 10, 11, 12 & 13 are not expected to make contributions while they are in those spots on a JB roster. JB rarely plays more than 7-1/2 guys, maybe as many as 9 in rare cases, so guys at the bottom of the roster need to be a mix between guys that aren't ready and could develop and guys that are projects or practice players. They may move up higher on the roster as they gain more experience, gain strength etc, or they may be recruited over and never rise about 12th or 13th man. Those spots on the roster have to be used on these types of guys, because while they are at the bottom of the roster they have to be content with no playing time. Guys that are ready to play in the ACC aren't going to be content in that position. If you bring in guys who are capable of stepping in and paying at the ACC level and they don't play, they will leave.

(iii) Early departures change the dynamic. Sometimes you can recruit replacements for guys that depart early, because you are reasonably aware that it is a possibility e.g. Chris McCullough. Other times the departure takes you by surprise and you are left with a hole. When Jerami left, I would venture that it was a surprise. I don't think there was a reasonable opportunity to bring in a replacement that could win the playing time void his departure left. Those minutes opening up didn't make BJ anymore ready to take the minutes.

(iii) The scholarship reductions have changed the roster dynamic significantly. A guy like BJ or Ron who might have had a career trajectory where they might be develop into valuable bench players or even a starter as a junior or senior suddenly is recruited over because his scholarship has to be used for someone that we are sure can help NOW. The developmental scholarships are now gone, but the developmental guys who those scholarships were offered to are still here.

 

[Madbiker]

Kaleb is a good kid, a good teammate, and he handled his "demotion" with class. He was cheering on his teammates on the bench and not sulking. Wish him all the best. I'm sure he gave it his best. Might be best to go someplace slightly lower on the spectrum like an Iona, Boston U, Vermont.

 

[longtimefan]

If he knew this was coming in January, he should quit playing basketball and move to Vegas.

Maybe you should quit posting and move to Vegas?

 

[CorduroyG]

I think Buss and BJ would have been good players here. They were victims of the loss of scholarships. Buss was a very good defensive player who played with a lot of energy, while BJ would have been a very good shooting 3 for us once he bulked up. Time will only tell when he takes the court next year with LaSalle.

dont agree about buss, terrible offensive player. bj i think could have been a very good player for us by his junior and senior years.

 

[Dave85]

It's well documented already.

And it said it in the article:

. Grant Mullins, Columbia Lions

Mullins averaged 13.3 points and 3.3 assists for a Columbia team that won 25 games and took home the CIT title. Michigan, Cal, Syracuse and Hawaii have already contacted the 6-4 guard, and his list of suitors could grow.

 

[Madbiker]

I am sorry that it didn't work out here for Kaleb. He seemed like a nice kid and good teammate and I wish him well where ever he ends up. However, I am glad that he is moving on for a couple of reasons. (i) I don't think he is good enough to provide the type of help we need, (ii) I think the roster spot can be better used to take a shot on another kid and (iii) over the last 3/4 of the season I saw a kid who appeared to be content with his role which was zero playing time...based on that, my impression from a distance is that he doesn't have the internal makeup to fight himself back into a position to be a contributor in this program or any high D1 program. Obviously that last assessment is from a distance, so I may not have all the information I need to have an accurate read there.

The larger discussion kills me.

(i) Not everyone that is recruited into the program is expected to develop to the same degree or along the same curve. Some guys are brought in with the intent that they are able to help immediately, others are brought in with the intent that they will help in a year or two and still others are brought in as a gamble...maybe they will be a help down the road maybe not. Without knowing how the staff classified each of these guys, its really hard to label them a bust.

(ii) Labeling someone a recruiting bust (implying that a mistake was made in evaluation) is really difficult when the circumstances under which they were recruited changed significantly while they were here. What do I mean? Guys were recruited onto a roster that had slots for 13 scholarship players. Guys that are 10, 11, 12 & 13 are not expected to make contributions while they are in those spots on a JB roster. JB rarely plays more than 7-1/2 guys, maybe as many as 9 in rare cases, so guys at the bottom of the roster need to be a mix between guys that aren't ready and could develop and guys that are projects or practice players. They may move up higher on the roster as they gain more experience, gain strength etc, or they may be recruited over and never rise about 12th or 13th man. Those spots on the roster have to be used on these types of guys, because while they are at the bottom of the roster they have to be content with no playing time. Guys that are ready to play in the ACC aren't going to be content in that position. If you bring in guys who are capable of stepping in and paying at the ACC level and they don't play, they will leave.

(iii) Early departures change the dynamic. Sometimes you can recruit replacements for guys that depart early, because you are reasonably aware that it is a possibility e.g. Chris McCullough. Other times the departure takes you by surprise and you are left with a hole. When Jerami left, I would venture that it was a surprise. I don't think there was a reasonable opportunity to bring in a replacement that could win the playing time void his departure left. Those minutes opening up didn't make BJ anymore ready to take the minutes.

(iii) The scholarship reductions have changed the roster dynamic significantly. A guy like BJ or Ron who might have had a career trajectory where they might be develop into valuable bench players or even a starter as a junior or senior suddenly is recruited over because his scholarship has to be used for someone that we are sure can help NOW. The developmental scholarships are now gone, but the developmental guys who those scholarships were offered to are still here.

Yep. All the NCAA accomplished with their scholarship reduction was to take opportunity away from innocent kids.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

how do you know this?

Johnsyracuse told us.

 

[orangepassion]

Best of luck to Kaleb, who seems like a great kid. I could see him ending up at Providence as the player to be named later in the Chukwu trade. They really liked him coming out of HS.

 

[Toga]

Would love to be able to watch him at Siena.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Boston College?

What's lower?
Rutgers?

 

[Dave85]

What's lower?
Rutgers?

He's from the Boston area and I was thinking the other way around. KJ would be an upgrade.

 

[Millhouse]

And it said it in the article:

. Grant Mullins, Columbia Lions

Mullins averaged 13.3 points and 3.3 assists for a Columbia team that won 25 games and took home the CIT title. Michigan, Cal, Syracuse and Hawaii have already contacted the 6-4 guard, and his list of suitors could grow.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/grant-mullins-1.html
!!!

44% from three last year

great from the FT line too, 3 point shooting isn't a fluke

 

[Dave85]

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/grant-mullins-1.html
!!!

44% from three last year

great from the FT line too, 3 point shooting isn't a fluke

That would be helpful. Look what Villanova did to UNC with good 3-point shooting.

 

[NYCSUGrad]

I think Kaleb is shooting for a bit higher program. Probably wants something in a P-5 league.

I usually like snark, but considering Ollie won the NC in no later than his third season as HC, this is really an inapt example of it.

 

[SU94]

We just made the #@$ final four, and you spew this sky is falling crap?

Unsubscribe.

JAB --- and our coaching staffs --- have really had a terrific batting average the last 30 years when it comes to scouting and player development of young talent. So many great stories, Andy Rautins, Sherman, Gbinije, Otis Hill, Moten to name a few. You know all the names.

But they aren't infallible. There have been misses along the way, and they weren't all in the name of depth or the last scholly. Off the top of my head, in the last 20 or so years, I'd offer up these examples: the Wright Bros., Chuck Gelatt, LeShawn Howard and Greg Davis. Now we can add Kaleb to the list. He was a miss, unfortunately. Might be more on player development that scouting, but it did not work out as intended (of even close to it). I am sure there are some back stories along the way, but they are still part of JAB and the staff's "permanent" record.

Truth be told, I'll take JAB's scouting eye and development program over anyone in college hoops. I am biased, but I mean that. But he's not perfect and that is okay. There is nothing fundamentally wrong IMHO, it's just pure math sometimes. Our model is not broken, but they've had a few misses in a shorter span of time. To this, I say ... who's coming next JAB?

 

[NYCSUGrad]

Guys there's a reason for that. Joseph wasn't good enough. JB didn't want G to play point guard. He just realized that if the team wanted to succeed and win, he can't play Joseph. If that means putting G at the point, he had to do it. JB wanted his best players to be on the floor and if that meant G had to move over to point, he was willing to make that adjustment and change

Yes, as a freshman, he wasn't good enough to be a starter. But as others have said, if he had been a back up for one or two seasons as was expected, he might have blossomed by his junior or senior year as so many SU players have done.

 

[andyw715]

Come on down to UNCW Kaleb, beach, nice weather, coeds, and a great coach and team!

 

[NYCSUGrad]

If I'm a high quality combo that can shoot, and I was looking to transfer for my final year of eligibility, why would I choose to go to a team where the best player has just left? Wouldn't I want to go someplace with a better chance of going deep into the tournament than a Mali-less SU?

I get why SU would want or need the player. I can't understand why this highly-sought after commodity would choose SU under these conditions (if malicahi leaves).

It can be debated whether Mal or Lydon is the best returning player. As for what happens in a tournament which is a full year away, who can say what will happen? Did anyone think SU would make the Final Four as a 10 seed, only the fifth double digit seed to ever do that IIRC? Did anyone think MTSU would upset Michigan St., not the first 15 seed to upset a 2 but probably the biggest surprise to date? Only the most cockeyed optimist of each team's fan base would have. Any savvy student athlete planning to transfer would know this, and dismiss your argument.

 

[NYCSUGrad]

how do you know this?

It's in the article about all the potential transfers someone linked earlier.

 

[midloviking]

Yes, as a freshman, he wasn't good enough to be a starter. But as others have said, if he had been a back up for one or two seasons as was expected, he might have blossomed by his junior or senior year as so many SU players have done.

Yep, Kaleb should be mad at MCW & Ennis for messin' with the plan.

 

[tee1222]

how do you know this?

Join us on the recruiting side, brotha!

 

[rstone7727]

I think KJ had a terrific work ethic. I think what he was missing was a killer instinct and moxie. I think Battle will not disappoint us this coming season.

IMO, in addition to the killer instincts, KJ simply lacked lateral quickness at the top of the zone. This problem is not easily remedied.