Fatts (Grad Transfer to Maryland)

[Rhodymob05]

I don’t get how you can have such a successful college career thus far in Kingston, with boat loads of fan support and national spotlight attention. And then one day you walk away. I think he’s staying.

[rambone 78]

Sounds like Martin really wanted to leave URI.

Is it just his personal issues, or part of a larger problem here?

I don't know what to think.

But if it's the latter, Cox won't be here much longer.

Thorr and Dooley will have to act...hell we only have half a roster right now.

Being a nice guy and knowing the game isn't enough. You have to be able to relate to the players and have them on board with what you're doing.

Too many players right now are thinking, well URI isn't good enough for me, I want to go someplace better.

[Running Ram]

Before Martin left, I was sure Fatts was staying. I don't believe he's the kind of player that shrinks from a challenge, getting us back to the tourney was still doable with Martin around. Now I'm teetering, hoping the staff is staying in close touch with Fatts and hopefully they can bring in guys he sees as puzzle pieces. Losing Martin is big but depending on how the dice fall maybe we land guys that fit.

[rambone 78]

I don't know RR.

Tyrese and Fatts are close.

If Fatts sees that we're aren't going to be very good next season he could go.

Again the next few weeks will tell. Beyond critical.

I think he'll declare for the NBA draft and wait it out before deciding.

[Running Ram]

bone, that gives the coaches some time to get guys in here that can be impact players. Hopefully Fatts sees an attainable goal of winning the A10 or beyond. Like I said (being optimistic) Fatts doesn't seem like someone that shrinks from a challenge.

[URIRecruitingInfo]

The primary goal for these players is the NBA. It's irrelevant if we think its a realistic goal or not, it is the primary goal even for players nowhere near Fatts and Tyrese's ability. I think Tyrese sees his NBA path as being a full-time perimeter player, a bigger conference might provide that path even if it doesn't match his strengths at this point. Fatts needs the ball and there's nowhere that he'll have the ball more than here.

[RhodeIslandBorn]

Just entered his name in the NBA draft on instagram

[Section104]

Just entered his name in the NBA draft on instagram

Same as Crutcher. Maintains eligibility. We should all support gin during this process.

[Blue Man]

Just entered his name in the NBA draft on instagram

Expected - even Cox said so publicly. Fully expecting him to come back senior year.

[DeanDome88]

If any NBA team gives Fatts a first round guarantee before the draft he woud be crazy not to enter the draft. I love watching Fatts play and hope he returns.

[steviep123]

Just entered his name in the NBA draft on instagram

Same as Crutcher. Maintains eligibility. We should all support gin during this process.

We should all support "gin" during this process. Is that a typo? I'm happy to support both Fatts and gin at the moment.

[RamStock]

He wouldn’t get picked in the second round, forget the first. There are many international players that none of us have heard of that will go way before him. It comes down to whether he plays at URI or goes somewhere else to try to be at a bigger school that has a shot at making the tourney. Being able to put your name in the draft and than pull it out is one of the few rules I like from the NCAA

[Section104]

Just entered his name in the NBA draft on instagram

Same as Crutcher. Maintains eligibility. We should all support gin during this process.

We should all support "gin" during this process. Is that a typo? I'm happy to support both Fatts and gin at the moment.

Haha yes meant to be “him”, but during lockdowns i endorse supporting Gin consumption as well

[LoveThoseRams]

Same as Crutcher. Maintains eligibility. We should all support gin during this process.

We should all support "gin" during this process. Is that a typo? I'm happy to support both Fatts and gin at the moment.

Haha yes meant to be “him”, but during lockdowns i endorse supporting Gin consumption as well

I am all in on supporting some GIN...that is what has been missing from my life these days!

[URI_05]

Can’t complain about this, even if he ends up coming back, it’s good to get his name out there.

[Blue Man]

If any NBA team gives Fatts a first round guarantee before the draft he woud be crazy not to enter the draft. I love watching Fatts play and hope he returns.

I love Fatts. Even when he frustrates me. I want him back on this team and I want to see him set records here. We need him to have any sense of excitement or even hope for a competitive season.

But cmon. The only player I can compare him to is Isaiah Thomas - for obvious reasons. IT was almost Mr. Irrelevant. 2nd round 60th pick.

IT's splits his jr year: .445/.349/.719 avg 16.8 ppg in the Pac10. Won the Pac10 tourney on a buzzer beater. Won MVP of the tourney. Won a game in the NCAAT.
Fatts splits jr year: .388/.357/.824 avg 18.8 ppg in the A10. Probably weren't tourney bound.

If IT was only able to get himself barely on the board, that's probably Fatts' ceiling this year.

If his plan is to go to the G-league and go that way? I wish him well - but shame on Cox for not being able to articulate what being THE guy would do for him here as a chance to get drafted in a legitimate spot.

[Rhody15]

After all that has happened, we can’t EXPECT him to be back, we can only hope.

Waiting game now.

[hrstrat57]

The way Russell got pounded to the floor constantly towards the end of the A10 season I can’t argue with his desire to see if he can score a big payday. If he comes back we have to design offensive sets in our offense which won’t breakdown and leave Fatts no choice but to dribble drive. He certainly has elite NBA footspeed when healthy.

Hope he’s back but if he scores big money good for him!

[Rhody15]

Gotta love the Rhody twitter account tweeting out how it’s a good day / good start to the weekend...

Not the brightest move there.

The commitment is irrelevant when Fatts declared for the draft the same day.

[FDshoes]

Gotta love the Rhody twitter account tweeting out how it’s a good day / good start to the weekend...

Not the brightest move there.

The commitment is irrelevant when Fatts declared for the draft the same day.

Not overly suprised by this. I would be more suprised if he decides to stay in the draft and sign an agent. We all love Fatts but at best i see him as a late 2nd pick, at best. For his height he isnt a consistent enough shooter.

[JimSidd]

He wouldn’t get picked in the second round, forget the first. There are many international players that none of us have heard of that will go way before him. It comes down to whether he plays at URI or goes somewhere else to try to be at a bigger school that has a shot at making the tourney. Being able to put your name in the draft and than pull it out is one of the few rules I like from the NCAA

I had the same thought about international players and the second round of the draft. A lot of GMs take flyers on these guys with potential upside. I also like that NCAA rule. Why wouldn’t Fatts take advantage of it?

[RamStock]

He wouldn’t get picked in the second round, forget the first. There are many international players that none of us have heard of that will go way before him. It comes down to whether he plays at URI or goes somewhere else to try to be at a bigger school that has a shot at making the tourney. Being able to put your name in the draft and than pull it out is one of the few rules I like from the NCAA

I had the same thought about international players and the second round of the draft. A lot of GMs take flyers on these guys with potential upside. I also like that NCAA rule. Why wouldn’t Fatts take advantage of it?

He should

[NYGFan_Section208]

I think this "testing the NBA waters" stuff is funny. I wish him the best of luck...

[adam914]

Gotta love the Rhody twitter account tweeting out how it’s a good day / good start to the weekend...

Not the brightest move there.

The commitment is irrelevant when Fatts declared for the draft the same day.

This doesn’t make any sense. There is no downside to Fatts putting his name out there and going through the process to get feedback on where he stands. I think most people realize the most likely outcome is Fatts is back playing in college next year, but it's a smart move by him to go through the process and see what comes of it.

[Rhody15]

i could see him going second round.

[Rhody15]

Gotta love the Rhody twitter account tweeting out how it’s a good day / good start to the weekend...

Not the brightest move there.

The commitment is irrelevant when Fatts declared for the draft the same day.

This doesn’t make any sense. There is no downside to Fatts putting his name out there and going through the process to get feedback on where he stands. I think most people realize the most likely outcome is Fatts is back playing in college next year, but it's a smart move by him to go through the process and see what comes of it.

I don’t care what the chances are he stays or Leaves, when a Top 30 Naismith candidate player declares for the draft it’s never a “good day” just because we got a mid level recruit.

[DC_Rams]

Gotta love the Rhody twitter account tweeting out how it’s a good day / good start to the weekend...

Not the brightest move there.

The commitment is irrelevant when Fatts declared for the draft the same day.

This doesn’t make any sense. There is no downside to Fatts putting his name out there and going through the process to get feedback on where he stands. I think most people realize the most likely outcome is Fatts is back playing in college next year, but it's a smart move by him to go through the process and see what comes of it.

Agreed. At worst, Fatts comes back with a new set of things to work on.

It’s also good pub for the program to have a player be able to say that.

[FDshoes]

Gotta love the Rhody twitter account tweeting out how it’s a good day / good start to the weekend...

Not the brightest move there.

The commitment is irrelevant when Fatts declared for the draft the same day.

This doesn’t make any sense. There is no downside to Fatts putting his name out there and going through the process to get feedback on where he stands. I think most people realize the most likely outcome is Fatts is back playing in college next year, but it's a smart move by him to go through the process and see what comes of it.

I don’t care what the chances are he stays or
Leaves, when a Top 30 Naismith candidate player declared for the draft it’s never a “good day.”

But thats what top 30 Naismith candidates do

[Rhody15]

So it’s a “Yay! We potentially lost a great player today and one of the best in the country for next year! Great day!”

Yeah that’s a no for me.

[FDshoes]

So it’s a “Yay! We potentially lost a great player today and one of the best in the country for next year! Great day!”

Yeah that’s a no for me.

More like yay URI can produce guys who are good enough to atleast test the waters. And i say again i would be SHOCKED if fatts was projected to get drafted and shocked if he signs an agent. This is the least of my concerns as of late.

[DC_Rams]

So it’s a “Yay! We potentially lost a great player today and one of the best in the country for next year! Great day!”

Yeah that’s a no for me.

[HASwatTeam]

I really don't see any chance higher than 1% that he gets drafted. Because of that, this is a good thing.

[STC]

Fatts will not be drafted if he decides to stay in the draft.

[Rhody15]

So it’s a “Yay! We potentially lost a great player today and one of the best in the country for next year! Great day!”

Yeah that’s a no for me.

That’s one mans opinion, and I have mine. And that’s ok!

[Ramulous]

My uninformed thoughs on Fatts

It's a no-brainer to test the NBA without an agent....if you get assurances that you are a first-rounder you keep your name in the draft...

...anything less than a first-rounder you return to college...

...and the best option for him is Rhode Island....he will be the focal point of the team....the leader....his senior season with a whole lot of underclasspeople....

....he transfers up to a P6 team he is not the leader.....he is a complementary piece on a good team.....on a bad team he may have trouble mixing in with their current roster....even on a good team he may not mesh....his goal is to show the NBA he can play in the league....he will need to score a lot of points....and his new teammates may resent that.....

....so the smart move is return to Rhody....and we know that Fatts is not a dope....

[bigappleram]

Gotta love the Rhody twitter account tweeting out how it’s a good day / good start to the weekend...

Not the brightest move there.

The commitment is irrelevant when Fatts declared for the draft the same day.

This doesn’t make any sense. There is no downside to Fatts putting his name out there and going through the process to get feedback on where he stands. I think most people realize the most likely outcome is Fatts is back playing in college next year, but it's a smart move by him to go through the process and see what comes of it.

Jalen Crutcher made the same announcement yesterday. Dayton twitter and their fan base all supported it and saw it as a positive. No difference to what is happening here except the RI mentality creeping in for some.

[DC_Rams]

So it’s a “Yay! We potentially lost a great player today and one of the best in the country for next year! Great day!”

Yeah that’s a no for me.

That’s one mans opinion, and I have mine. And that’s ok!

Right on.

[ramster]

My uninformed thoughs on Fatts

It's a no-brainer to test the NBA without an agent....if you get assurances that you are a first-rounder you keep your name in the draft...

...anything less than a first-rounder you return to college...

...and the best option for him is Rhode Island....he will be the focal point of the team....the leader....his senior season with a whole lot of underclasspeople....

....he transfers up to a P6 team he is not the leader.....he is a complementary piece on a good team.....on a bad team he may have trouble mixing in with their current roster....even on a good team he may not mesh....his goal is to show the NBA he can play in the league....he will need to score a lot of points....and his new teammates may resent that.....

....so the smart move is return to Rhody....and we know that Fatts is not a dope....

His new teammates may resent that at a new team, and his new teammates may resent that on his current team.

[reef]

Yeah agree he is smart putting his name out there and he has options to come back to URI

[rhodyfan3000]

Sounds like Fatts is doing this the right way. Martin was egging him on to declare during their instagram video. Fatts said no. Then they had a conversation about sitting out a year. Fatts said he was totally opposed to doing that. So, we can surmise where his head is at.

He is going to test the waters. No first round, he was probably coming back here in all likelihood, but if that new rule doesn't go into affect this year, he definitely is not leaving to go sit for a year, while Martin didn't have a problem with sitting.

[SmartyBarrett]

Wild take here, but I think having a player on your team who has a shot at the NBA is actually a good thing.

[ramster]

The new rule will go in. I’ll eat my computer if it doesn’t. A famous poster here once said that.

[Ramulous]

How does the voting get run in these things....so all Division 1 schools get a vote or is only the big 6 conferences?

I would think the number of votes in the other 25 or so conferences combined would dominate the vote....and why would they think it is a good thing for them?

Are they afraid of a lawsuit from a player who has to sit would topple the rule anyway?

Because any smaller school voting for it would be foolish....

[PeteRI]

Fatts has to come back for another year because it will take me that long to find a better avatar than the one I already have.

[rhodyfan3000]

Where's he going to go? To UConn? Maybe Hurley will make him 6th man again.

Honestly, it would be weird seeing Fatts play for anyone other than Hurley or Cox at this level.

[KevanBoyles]

Hope he comes back. Even if he gets drafted in the second round that means the G league and that sucks. If he does that, it’s certainly not about the money. Otherwise his option is overseas. However, if he really does want to play in the NBA someday it makes sense for him to stay through his final year.

[NYGFan_Section208]

How does the voting get run in these things....so all Division 1 schools get a vote or is only the big 6 conferences?

I would think the number of votes in the other 25 or so conferences combined would dominate the vote....and why would they think it is a good thing for them?

Are they afraid of a lawsuit from a player who has to sit would topple the rule anyway?

Because any smaller school voting for it would be foolish....

I'm thinking if we're not at, we are close to...the P5 schools just breaking away from the NCAA if the rest won't act like sheep for the rules the cartel wants. While this transfer change doesn't seem like it would be good for smaller schools (I'm still not sure about that) if it comes to a vote...it passes.

[SandorClegane]

I don’t think most people on this board understand what this means. Tons of guys do this every year. Grady did last year so did Toppin. It just gives them a little bit more recognition and allows them to get to know some NBA teams. Worked out very well for Obi. Guys go, work out at the combine and get to talk to NBA executives. This is not a bad thing for Fatts or for URI unless he has no desire to return here. Either way, this most likely won’t sway that.

[UCH21377]

I think what Fatts is doing is good for URI. I think it lessens his chance of transferring because he'll be that much further down the road. So he tests the NBA, and if it works for him, then good for him. If it doesn't he comes back here. IMO this greatly increases his chances to return here next year.

[PeterRamTime]

I think what Fatts is doing is good for URI. I think it lessens his chance of transferring because he'll be that much further down the road. So he tests the NBA, and if it works for him, then good for him. If it doesn't he comes back here. IMO this greatly increases his chances to return here next year.

Not only that.

He will develop more going through those workouts, than he would here.

Very likely we will be getting an even better Fatts next year.