FW: Why to not throw in the towel

[Schroeder, Tom]

Actually, I think that the intent was to give more time to some of the younger guys...not a wholesale substitution for the rest of the season.  I think that this translates to 3-4 of the younger guys getting more minutes, not 35 minutes each. I don't think that this applies to guys like Taron or Leonard, more like Johnson, Hollman and Flowers.

As far as what these players "deserve", scholarships are issued on a one-year basis.  It is not out of the ordinary for a player on a top-flight team to be told that they are just not cutting it (for whatever reason) at this level and subsequently told that they will be recruited over.  Many of the top programs have done this in different ways.  Just because you are recruited to play for a team at a given level doesn't mean that you are guaranteed to keep your spot for all four years.  It's not like signing a 4 year pro contract.  If a kid goes to School A and takes the attitude that he's made it and doesn't think that he has to maintain his spot then he can be unceremoniously told that he should start looking elsewhere.  If Hollman and Johnson aren't living up to snuff, then they need to know that.  

Having said that, it's a little different for Jucos than freshmen.  Jucos don't really have the option to "move on".  Hollman and Johnson will have to earn their position on the court over any other scenario, such as going to a 4 guard line-up, where they would see a reduction in their time.  They are kind of stuck in the situation of put up or sit down.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Macomber [mailto:address@hidden
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 2:41 PM
To: address@hidden
Subject: [UC Basketball] Why to not throw in the towel



A quick response to those who mentioned playing the young guys and get them ready for next year:

It would be quite an injustice to not only tell players "we're giving up this season", but to tell a senior like Taron Barker "thanks for coming, but since you're a senior you're gonna sit more".  Or even worse, tell Leonard Stokes "Thanks for 3 1/2 years of playing for the university, but we're throwing your senior season away to get ready for next year".

Or tell the UCATS members, the alumni, and ticket holders that we've given up on the team, but next year should be great.  Hey why doesn't every team in div 1 with a losing record sit their seniors and play just next years lineup?

If this was a professional franchise then I might agree that the long term performance might improve by looking ahead now, but the university has an obligation to compete to the standards of NCAA and student-athletes.  Integrity is the issue here, not the bottom line.

I definitely haven't given up on this good (not great) team.  Plus, Huggins doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would give up at anything!


Jon M