Jim Boeheim Talks Transfers As Syracuse Looks At Possibly Adding One

Jim Boeheim stopped by Colin Cowherd's show (yuck) this morning to discuss how the program is affected when players transfer out of the school and how limits, like the ones Bo Ryan initially placed on Jarrod Uthoff, are wrong.

You can listen to the entire interview here. Here's the pertinent bits...

I'm told there's 90 guys transferring this year and one of the things for the new academic thing (APR) is coaches really need to hold kids because when a kid transfers, you lose an academic point. That can hurt and affect your program going to the tournament, hurt the players in your program when you start losing academic points. So that's something you have to consider.

I've always felt if a kid wants to transfer, and I think there's some 30 or 40% of the students that go to college...do transfer. So I think it's something that's kinda natural order. I'd rather not have kids transfer but if a kid's not happy, he's not comfortable, he's not playing, he wants to go near home, he wants to get a better position...I think you release the guy.

You know, usually in a conference you can't transfer. You can't go from a Big Ten school to another Big Ten school. That's a conference rule. But other than that, I think...and Bo Ryan is a really good friend of mine, I love Bo Ryan, he's a straight-shooting guy...I don't think you should limit too much where kids can go, just let them go.

Cowherd then asked Boeheim about the last time he's had a player transfer out...

"I haven't lost a transfer in a while. It's been probably five or six years since I've had a transfer."

Poor DaShonte Riley...

How would Jim feel if a player wanted to transfer from Syracuse to go play for a rival?

I'd have mixed emotions. I wouldn't want to necessarily play against a guy twice a year, three times a year like we played Connecticut this year. But...I don't know...I don't think I would fight that. I've never fought a kid transferring. I try to talk him out of it, but whenever a kid has left, I've given him a blanket release, you can go anywhere you want to. I just think sometimes things just don't work out, Colin.

Interesting timing here as Adam Zagoria is reporting that Syracuse is among a group of schools reaching out to Duke Blue Devils freshman Michael Gbinije, who is transferring this year.

Sean McAloon of Benedictine (Va.) High told SNY.tv that Rutgers, Georgetown, Syracuse, Villanova and Alabama are among the schools that have called.

Nation of Orange has the rundown on the 2011 four-star prospect, who brings intriguing possibilities with his 6'6" frame atop the zone or on the wing as a small forward.

It's interesting timing because it raises a question as to whether or not Syracuse is barred from recruiting an ACC transfer. Are we considered an ACC school or a Big East school? If he came to play for the Orange, his first game would be as a member of the ACC, so there could be some wrangling over the specifics here. Stay tuned.