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Roster turnover needs to end
Date Posted: 2010-05-08
I’ve waited a few days since the Charles Boozer story broke to write this column. Assaulting a woman, which Boozer allegedly did on May 1, is a serious issue, one Boozer is now seeking treatment for.
But that’s not the issue I want to talk about, and I wanted any discussion of assault — which was warranted after what happened — to have its own platform. I want to discuss another issue stemming from Boozer’s arrest, one that has to do with the Iowa State men’s basketball program.
The Cyclones have a player retention problem. Boozer leaving the program is just the latest example of it.
Twelve players have left the program in the last three years. That number doesn’t include Marquis Gilstrap, whose appeal for an additional year was denied by the NCAA.
The Cyclones rival NBA teams when it comes to roster turnover. And in college athletics, that’s not necessarily a good thing.
With no continuity, a basketball program is always at stage one. The basics are constantly being taught. There is little room for growth in the program.
Player turnover also keeps the players from taking control of a program and leaving their print on it.
I had a conversation with former men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott at the Big 12 Conference Tournament about this.
He said upperclassmen can show newcomers what the expectations are in a program, what the right way is to go about things and what it takes to win.
Look at the Miami Hurricanes football program. Miami is known for being a tight-knit family. Former Hurricanes in the NFL come back to train with the current players each summer. They show impressionable 18- and 19-year-olds what it takes to be a part of Hurricane football.
To be part of a program that’s won five national titles since 1983.
McDermott thought the Cyclones, for the first time in years, were going to have a core group of veterans for newcomers to learn from this summer.
That’s not really the case anymore, and it hasn’t been since McDermott was hired in 2006.
Now, Miami has won despite losing players early, on an annual basis, to the NFL. And men’s basketball coach John Calipari has won at Memphis and Kentucky despite a revolving door of players.
But there is a difference with those programs and ISU.
Losing players because they are good enough to play professionally is different than losing players who show they are good enough to play professionally on other teams (Wesley Johnson), make the pros after being kicked off the team (Mike Taylor) or leave despite being a starter (Justin Hamilton).
Losing a player to the NBA, or NFL means the player is an elite talent. It also usually means he played well for his college team, which means success. It also helps that Miami and Kentucky keep bringing in elite talent, replacing the departing pros with future pros.
Teams can win doing that, but that’s not what is happening with the Cyclones.
Of the 12, Craig Brackins is the only one to leave school early for the NBA. Everyone else transferred, quit or was dismissed from the team. It’s nearly impossible for a program to overcome that and succeed on the court.
Right now, it doesn’t really matter why retention has been a problem in the past. Nearly all the departures were with another staff. It’s unfair to throw all the retention problems at the feet of new head coach Fred Hoiberg.
But it is fair to say player retention must improve under Hoiberg. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past or why it happened.
It can’t be an issue with this new staff. It’s that simple. Now, some player movement is a given, but a repeat of this past year where three players transferred, one was dismissed and another left in midseason for Europe can’t happen under Hoiberg.
A lack of continuity was one of the biggest reasons McDermott never turned around the program. Hoiberg can’t let it be a reason for him too.
This winter, Diante Garrett will be the first four-year Cyclone in three seasons.
Talent wins in college basketball.
Some talent stays for four years. Some leaves early for the pros. Even though it wasn’t the top-ranked team during the season, Duke won the national championship and was one of the elite teams all season long.
And, yes, the Blue Devils had four-year players, like guard Jon Scheyer, and NBA talent, like forward Kyle Singler. Now, Singler, a surefire first-round NBA pick, decided to return to school.
But that doesn’t change the fact that Duke had a mix of both players. Some were four-year players. Some had the ability to leave early for the NBA if they wanted to.
That’s how teams win in college basketball. That’s what ISU needs to get to.
And it starts with keeping players on campus.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
Date Posted: 2010-05-08
I’ve waited a few days since the Charles Boozer story broke to write this column. Assaulting a woman, which Boozer allegedly did on May 1, is a serious issue, one Boozer is now seeking treatment for.
But that’s not the issue I want to talk about, and I wanted any discussion of assault — which was warranted after what happened — to have its own platform. I want to discuss another issue stemming from Boozer’s arrest, one that has to do with the Iowa State men’s basketball program.
The Cyclones have a player retention problem. Boozer leaving the program is just the latest example of it.
Twelve players have left the program in the last three years. That number doesn’t include Marquis Gilstrap, whose appeal for an additional year was denied by the NCAA.
The Cyclones rival NBA teams when it comes to roster turnover. And in college athletics, that’s not necessarily a good thing.
With no continuity, a basketball program is always at stage one. The basics are constantly being taught. There is little room for growth in the program.
Player turnover also keeps the players from taking control of a program and leaving their print on it.
I had a conversation with former men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott at the Big 12 Conference Tournament about this.
He said upperclassmen can show newcomers what the expectations are in a program, what the right way is to go about things and what it takes to win.
Look at the Miami Hurricanes football program. Miami is known for being a tight-knit family. Former Hurricanes in the NFL come back to train with the current players each summer. They show impressionable 18- and 19-year-olds what it takes to be a part of Hurricane football.
To be part of a program that’s won five national titles since 1983.
McDermott thought the Cyclones, for the first time in years, were going to have a core group of veterans for newcomers to learn from this summer.
That’s not really the case anymore, and it hasn’t been since McDermott was hired in 2006.
Now, Miami has won despite losing players early, on an annual basis, to the NFL. And men’s basketball coach John Calipari has won at Memphis and Kentucky despite a revolving door of players.
But there is a difference with those programs and ISU.
Losing players because they are good enough to play professionally is different than losing players who show they are good enough to play professionally on other teams (Wesley Johnson), make the pros after being kicked off the team (Mike Taylor) or leave despite being a starter (Justin Hamilton).
Losing a player to the NBA, or NFL means the player is an elite talent. It also usually means he played well for his college team, which means success. It also helps that Miami and Kentucky keep bringing in elite talent, replacing the departing pros with future pros.
Teams can win doing that, but that’s not what is happening with the Cyclones.
Of the 12, Craig Brackins is the only one to leave school early for the NBA. Everyone else transferred, quit or was dismissed from the team. It’s nearly impossible for a program to overcome that and succeed on the court.
Right now, it doesn’t really matter why retention has been a problem in the past. Nearly all the departures were with another staff. It’s unfair to throw all the retention problems at the feet of new head coach Fred Hoiberg.
But it is fair to say player retention must improve under Hoiberg. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past or why it happened.
It can’t be an issue with this new staff. It’s that simple. Now, some player movement is a given, but a repeat of this past year where three players transferred, one was dismissed and another left in midseason for Europe can’t happen under Hoiberg.
A lack of continuity was one of the biggest reasons McDermott never turned around the program. Hoiberg can’t let it be a reason for him too.
This winter, Diante Garrett will be the first four-year Cyclone in three seasons.
Talent wins in college basketball.
Some talent stays for four years. Some leaves early for the pros. Even though it wasn’t the top-ranked team during the season, Duke won the national championship and was one of the elite teams all season long.
And, yes, the Blue Devils had four-year players, like guard Jon Scheyer, and NBA talent, like forward Kyle Singler. Now, Singler, a surefire first-round NBA pick, decided to return to school.
But that doesn’t change the fact that Duke had a mix of both players. Some were four-year players. Some had the ability to leave early for the NBA if they wanted to.
That’s how teams win in college basketball. That’s what ISU needs to get to.
And it starts with keeping players on campus.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
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