Another Virginia Tech Defection
Josh Barr has already handled this in the Recruiting Insider, but it's interesting enough to mention in multiple places, I think.
Earlier in the month, Barr reported that Va. Tech basketball recruit Augustus Gilchrist requested a release from his letter-of-intent because of the shootings.
"I want to send my condolences to the families and the victims. It's a terrible situation that happened," Gilchrist said. "I'm not mentally prepared to go there for this [coming] year. I think the campus needs time to heal. The campus needs time to mourn the first year. I don't know if I'm prepared to do that next year."
Bloggers, such as The Big Lead, were not impressed. And Hokies Coach Seth Greenberg said he wouldn't be surprised if rival coaches were using the tragedy to recruit against Tech:
"For someone to stoop to that measure is sad," Greenberg said. "I think all of America is pulling for Virginia Tech to heal and to bring back their spirit. But is that a harsh reality of (recruiting)? Without a doubt."
And now tight end Brandon Barden is leaving Virginia Tech, with his mom citing the shootings as one of the reasons in a Nashville City Paper story:
Partly due to being shaken by the April shooting spree on the Virginia Tech campus, Hokies football player Brandon Barden is attempting to transfer to Vanderbilt, the player's mother said....
Barden lived at Ambler Johnston Hall, where two students were shot dead. Soon after, he decided to transfer to another school.
"I know that had an impact, and I know it bothered him, but I don't know if that's all of it," Becky Barden said.
And this being sports, people are now hinting that Barden is attempting to use the shootings as an excuse to transfer without having to sit out a year. I sort of thought there would be a window of like a year or so before nastiness like this would bubble up. Guess not.
Virginia Tech Tight End Might Transfer to VU (Nashville City Paper)
Hokies Recruit Withdraws (Daily Press)
Gilchrist Says He Won't Play For Hokies (WaPo)
By Dan Steinberg |
May 23, 2007; 3:59 PM ET
| Category:
College Football
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Posted by: hmmmmm | May 23, 2007 04:34 PM
Tech fans haven't had much luck with transfers the last couple of years. They lost some considerable incoming talent when Tom Brands left the wrestling program to become head coach at Iowa too.
There were some hard feelings on both ends when the school refused to release the athletes from their scholarships forcing them to sit a year. But I don't think that particular transfer rule applies to the major sports.
Posted by: Prophet | May 23, 2007 04:35 PM
I wouldn't put too much stock in people talking on TSL.
The transfer-release rule doesn't apply to the major sports because, in Division I for b'ball and I-A for football, they almost always require the athlete to sit out a year at their new school (only exception is for athletes already graduated and moving on to grad school), in order to limit predatory recruiting between schools.
The release allows athletes in non-revenue sports to bypass the year off if the first school consents, which happens in nearly all situations where it's an individual athlete that wants to leave. The problem with the wrestlers was that practically the entire team wanted to transfer to Iowa with Brands, which would have nuked the program.
Posted by: JoshC | May 23, 2007 08:30 PM
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eeek.... u linked TSL.