It's October!

[Rob_AK]

Re: It's October!

Alaska kids have definitely played a major role at UAA, and I hope that will continue.

With Shane Rinner back as an assistant at UAA, I am expecting a little more intensity and focus. Not sure what his intentions are, but he was a heck of a coach and recruiter. Wonder when Rusty is going to walk away.

Oh, and BTW, I could do without being reminded of Brad Oleson;)

[tsull]

Re: It's October!

While I agree with this, it's a different world today, one that took me awhile to embrace. Last year Western Oregon (my alma mater) started Omlid (3-year player/Army transfer), Boughman (1-year player/Pt. Loma transfer); Malik Morgan (1-year player/Humboldt transfer); Riley Hawken (will be a 3-year player/Concordia transfer); Ali Faruq-Bey (2-year player/Idaho State transfer). They came together to put together a great season. I love the old ways of basketball, but the world has changed. Not being critical, a player can do what they want (coaches leave all the time), but players and schools invest in guys for multiple years and see them transfer. Couple years ago WOU took a couple kids from the Seattle area, they were high on them as preps, redshirted both, they transferred out. CWU 's fabulous guard transferred out; Miller transferred out of SPU; look at the above WOU players; WWU lost their two best guys.

Today I'm of the theory of take who you can, when you can. In a perfect world, you get a 4/5-year player ... that world is long, long gone -- sadly.

[northernGNAChoopfan]

Re: It's October!

Hey! Good to get conversation rolling. Thought I would be chewed up for my pessimism.

Hoosierdaddy34: Thanks for not chewing me up! I get it, you run deep in prep ball in Alaska; I don't. I've loved the Nooks since I moved to Fairbanks as a youngster. I occasionally follow prep ball in Fairbanks, but nothing like the intensity I devote to the GNAC... :laugh: I guess the pessimism comes from seeing a lot of Alaska kids try the 4 year gig in Alaska and not succeed (painful to see Reece Robinson not find success at UAF after POTY at Service). I love this level of play. I would love to see somebody named Patrick McMahon do well playing ball in state! I would love to see the 4 year Alaska kids have success in state, but agree with Tsull that it's a tough go unless a coach is committed to it. UAA and UAF constantly have JUCO guys coming in and I think a little bit because they don't feel they can afford to build with 4 year kids; they feel they need high impact transfers for this season. Neither team has looked like it's invested in the long term for a number of years. True, JUCOs are a little easier to predict in what their potential is and how they'll fit your puzzle. High school kids are a little harder to read and know what their final potential is.

Rob: So surprised you didn't chew me up!!! Brad Oleson was king my friend. If he had played in a green uniform you would still be talking about him too. Thinking he's gonna retire from pro ball in Spain any year now. Getting to be an old man. I think Travante Williams could've been on this level too in the GNAC if he had come home sooner!

Feels like a *new* season for both these teams. Hoosierdaddy34 has pointed out, rightfully that UAA's roster is really different this year than usual. Be interesting to see how that goes for them. UAF has the coaching equivalent of the polar opposite of Durham this year. He's got 9 Durham recruits and 8 of his own. Would really like to see them have fun, play with more joy and find success. If it's a disaster, I'll probably root for MSUB; soft spot for Durham despite many critics here in Fairbanks. I like the kind of game he put together when they were winning; losing was hard with him.