With the Syracuse Orange and Kansas Jayhawks announcing a 2017 non-conference game today, this story becomes even more topical here.
KU coach Bill Self spoke with the Associated Press over the weekend to decry the bane of rich, old (mostly white) people associated with the NCAA: graduate transfers. Self, who used to coach current Syracuse grad transfer Andrew White III had this to say:
Kids performing uncompensated labor want to go to a place that better positions them to perform that labor in front of a large audience AND maybe later get paid? Now THAT’s a societal problem.
Of note — and the original piece calls this out as well — Self has three transfers on his current roster. He didn’t seem to have a problem with the rule when they came aboard.
ACC commissioner John Swofford also joined the parade of rich, NCAA-affiliated folks pining for the days of old.
Again, self-determination for these young people is a societal issue, for some reason. Meanwhile, any coach can leave their job immediately and coach somewhere else for a better opportunity. Swofford also drops some “waiting their turn” language, which... that’s a far more realistic expectation in football than basketball, since the former makes you wait three years before getting drafted. If you can parlay one great basketball season (anywhere) into an NBA contract, why should anyone/anything stand in the way of that?
Belmont coach Rick Byrd also opines similarly in the article. “Yesteryear” is a strong, strong pull for these folks who just want everything to go back to the way it used to be...
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Given the makeup of Syracuse’s roster for 2016-17, it’s also sensible that the AP spoke to Orange coach Jim Boeheim. SU will suit up three transfers this year: White (Kansas, via Wisconsin), Gillon (Colorado State) and Pascahal Chuwkwu (Providence). Said Boeheim:
According to OrangeHoops, SU’s taken 49 transfers all-time (including the current ones), many of them walk-ons. Those who stand out the most are those Boeheim’s clearly alluding to here. Michael Gbinije, Wesley Johnson, Leo Rautins, LeRon Ellis and Jason Cipolla being some of the bigger adds.
Boeheim has said he doesn’t love the rule, but also understands it’s now part of the game -- and he’s willing to embrace it to his team’s advantage.