Redhawk Struggles, Transfer Thoughts, Texans Win in Gillispie's Absence, Title Game Struggles
Redhawk Struggles, Transfer Thoughts, Texans Win in Gillispie's Absence, Title Game Struggles
Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
Man, that turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and stuffing sounds so good right now. I know some people eat some very random foods for their Thanksgiving dinner but I won’t hold that against you.
I am a pretty simple guy who likes simple things.
Simple is a fun word. For the Seattle U women’s basketball team, everything and anything is far from simple.
Former Portland associate head coach Skyler Young moved a few hours North to take over as head coach of the Redhawks. Young replaces Suzy Barcomb who had been at the helm for the past seven seasons. During Barcomb’s time, the Redhawks won the WAC Tournament in 2017-18 and made a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
And outside of a shortened 2019-20 season that included a win in the WAC Tournament, life hasn’t been all roses in the Pacific Northwest. In Barcomb’s final season, the Redhawks won six games, one of which was in an upset win over UT Arlington in the WAC Tournament.
Skyler Young steps into a tough spot. And on Tuesday night, at the Redhawk Center, Young’s team lost by 25…to Cal Poly.
Sitting at 0-5 on the young season, the question has to be asked: will the Redhawks win a game? Here is their upcoming schedule: at Portland State, Utah Valley, at Southern Utah, San Diego State, UTSA, and at Arizona.
It is hard to see a win in there.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am rooting for the Redhawks to get wins. But, it is hard to see where that win will come from before January with what’s in front of the Redhawks.
We will keep you posted on how things go.
Two-Time Transfer Thoughts
By now, everyone knows that some of the big name two-time Division I transfers have had their waivers approved. Good for them. The rule stinks. There is no denying that. It’s probably safe to say in most cases the student-athletes were told they would have their waivers approved so they committed to their current schools.
That is where the trouble lies that nobody wants to talk about. Let me be very clear about something before this rant goes on
I hope and pray that Aziz Bandaogo is getting help for the mental health issues he is dealing with according to his social media posts. I truly do. I want nothing but the best for one of the best players to wear the green and white. And I am ecstatic that he will be able to step on the floor in 2023-24.
However, whether or not it was the right decision by the NCAA Committee is not the focus of this rant.
It’s the fact that teams, and coaching staffs knew the rule in place…that a two-time Division I transfer that was not a graduate transfer had to sit out or redshirt one season. It was plain as day. Was it right? Let’s say it wasn’t. Unfortunately, it was still the rule. The coaches all knew it. The schools are knew it. Compliance staffs at the institutions knew it. Hell, those same Compliance staffs even told players who were thinking of transferring to a Division I school for the second time that it was the rule that they would have to sit out.
The ONLY loophole in the process that teams/student-athletes could use as a way to become immediately eligible was applying for a Medical Hardship/Mental Health Waiver. And here is how those would be approved.
Moving forward, student-athletes must meet one of the following criteria to be granted a waiver to compete immediately:
A demonstrated physical injury or illness or mental health condition that necessitated the student’s transfer (supporting documentation, care plans and proximity of the student’s support system will be considered), or
Exigent circumstances that clearly necessitate a student-athlete’s immediate departure from the previous school (e.g., physical assault or abuse, sexual assault) unrelated to the student-athlete’s athletics participation.
We could add in the threat of a lawsuit from a state’s Attorney General as another way to get a waiver approved. Aziz Bandaogo was denied not just once, but twice by the Division I Council. And it wasn’t until there was a threat of a lawsuit being filed that the Council changed its tune.
Was it the right call? Perhaps. Does playing immediately relieve a person of the mental health issues they were adamant about on social media? Maybe, maybe not.
But, one thing is for sure, the NCAA opened a can of worms with its decision to grant Bandaogo immediate eligibility. The precedent has been set that they cannot now, nor ever, deny a Waiver for Mental Health issues again.
Texans in MTE Without Head Coach
When the Tarleton men’s basketball team headed to the West Coast on Sunday, they did so without head coach Billy Gillispie.
Per a release from the school:
On Sunday morning, Tarleton State released that head coach Billy Gillispiewould not be traveling with the team to the SoCal Challenge due to medical circumstances. Assistant coach Joseph Jones will fill in for coach Gillispie in California.
The Texans knocked off Austin Peay on Monday night.
Jakorie Smith had a game-high 28 points and Lue Williams chipped in 15 as the Texans earned a trip to the SoCal Challenge title game against CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday.
It is the second straight MTE where Tarleton will play for a title. In 2022-23, the Texans played in the Paradise Jam title game, losing 71-64 to Drake.
Title Game Struggles
Speaking of a championship game, have you seen what the WAC has done in MTE title games this past week?
Whew. It hasn’t been good.
After a hot start to the Paradise Jam title game, ACU couldn’t keep up with Missouri State in an 87-69 loss.
In the Jacksonville Classic Bay Bracket title game, Utah Valley’s offense fell flat in the second half in a 74-61 loss to Cornell.
And on Tuesday night in the Cayman Islands, one night after hitting 14 3-pointers in a dominant win over Drake, SFA’s offense was nowhere to be found in a 79-49 loss to Utah State in the Cayman Islands Classic title game.
Sheesh. That is a lot.
Here is to hoping that Tarleton can break the spell on Wednesday against CSU Bakersfield.