'19 MD F Marial Mading (Pacific Commit)

[Roz]

Tertsea is still on the roster last I checked. I don’t think he ever left.

Yeah isnt this his senior year coming up

[DC_Rams]

Why are we condemning anyone if all we can do is speculate? No one here knows what is going on behind the closed doors of the athletic department. Information is never disclosed as to why, so we are left to only assume the worst. Sure, some instances are self explanatory, others not so much. No one wants to be the 9th-10th man on the team. It’s a tough pill to swallow. All we can do is wait and see. Thankfully, no one that has left has me changing my expectations or outlook on next season.

[DC_Rams]

Tertsea is still on the roster last I checked. I don’t think he ever left.

Yeah isnt this his senior year coming up

Believe he is on pace to graduate this year.

[Roz]

Tertsea is still on the roster last I checked. I don’t think he ever left.

Yeah isnt this his senior year coming up

Believe he is on pace to graduate this year.

At gorhody they have tertsea as a redshirt sophomore this past season. Did he leave the team?

[Rhody83]

Yeah isnt this his senior year coming up

Believe he is on pace to graduate this year.

At gorhody they have tertsea as a redshirt sophomore this past season. Did he leave the team?

Yes he announced he is transferring. That is the 2018-19 roster. It has Preston, Thompson, Omar etc

[adam914]

This kid went from our version of Kevin Durant to a roster filler who got recruited over by unranked players real quick!

[TruePoint]

I don’t really like the idea of pushing kids out, and I respected Dan’s philosophy about that. But I’m not against having some churning at the back of the roster. What benefit did having Tertsea here for four years bring? As far as I know, he handled his business off the court and was a good teammate, so I’m not mad they didn’t force him out, but if he had decided to leave after a year or two that roster flexibility could have come in handy. A recruiting mistake is on the coach, and he should have to carry that roster spot if the player wants to stay. But the nature of college basketball is that there will be mistakes, especially at our level when trying to find big guys - you take some chances and hope some work out. If it costs you a roster spot, fine. But better if it doesn’t.

So you hate the idea of guys being pushed out, but if it makes your team better, you’ll get over it?

What? What’s the point of quoting me to deliberately misstate what I said?

I don’t want guys to be pushed out. If they choose to leave I don’t see it as a negative, and actually think it might be good because it allows you to churn the back of your roster.

[ace]

I don’t really like the idea of pushing kids out, and I respected Dan’s philosophy about that. But I’m not against having some churning at the back of the roster. What benefit did having Tertsea here for four years bring? As far as I know, he handled his business off the court and was a good teammate, so I’m not mad they didn’t force him out, but if he had decided to leave after a year or two that roster flexibility could have come in handy. A recruiting mistake is on the coach, and he should have to carry that roster spot if the player wants to stay. But the nature of college basketball is that there will be mistakes, especially at our level when trying to find big guys - you take some chances and hope some work out. If it costs you a roster spot, fine. But better if it doesn’t.

So you hate the idea of guys being pushed out, but if it makes your team better, you’ll get over it?

What? What’s the point of quoting me to deliberately misstate what I said?

I don’t want guys to be pushed out. If they choose to leave I don’t see it as a negative, and actually think it might be good because it allows you to churn the back of your roster.

Sure, but you can’t think that every guy at the end of the roster just up and chooses to go, all on their own. That would be ideal, but it doesn’t just happen.

[ace]

[Rhody83]

Mading was not pushed out.

[ace]

Mading was not pushed out.

Never said he was. Sometimes these discussions move into generalities.

[TruePoint]

So you hate the idea of guys being pushed out, but if it makes your team better, you’ll get over it?

What? What’s the point of quoting me to deliberately misstate what I said?

I don’t want guys to be pushed out. If they choose to leave I don’t see it as a negative, and actually think it might be good because it allows you to churn the back of your roster.

Sure, but you can’t think that every guy at the end of the roster just up and chooses to go, all on their own. That would be ideal, but it doesn’t just happen.

Fair enough. I don’t know which, if any, guys were pushed out. And if they were, I’m not on board with that. But that’s a different discussion. You know i wasn’t saying what you said I said. And if it wasn’t clear from that post (I think it was pretty clear), I’ve been consistent on my view on this topic for years.

[PeterRamTime]

I feel like we never learn any players reasoning for leaving.

Why is it such a damb secret?

I dont think it's such a big deal.

[rhodylaw]

Not good but this is another non-rotational player leaving. There are 849 players entered in the Transfer Portal.

849 / 353 = 2.4 average per program. We are at 3 so we are essentially on the number.

Again that 2.4 per program is heavily driven by coaches getting fired which isn't relevant to us and we've lost 7 players early in the last 14 months. We're not essentially on the number, we're well over it

But we did have a coaching change...sooo I think it is a normal number. We have yet to lose a can’t miss impact player.

[RhowdyRam02]

I feel like we never learn any players reasoning for leaving.

Why is it such a damb secret?

I dont think it's such a big deal.

Because outside of fan's morbid curiosity who or what does it help? Unless the program can cite not following team rules it doesn't help them and if a player says what happened fans complain that they're being whiny and self-centered

[RhowdyRam02]

849 / 353 = 2.4 average per program. We are at 3 so we are essentially on the number.

Again that 2.4 per program is heavily driven by coaches getting fired which isn't relevant to us and we've lost 7 players early in the last 14 months. We're not essentially on the number, we're well over it

But we did have a coaching change...sooo I think it is a normal number. We have yet to lose a can’t miss impact player.

We were told we had to hire Cox for continuity now we can't hold Cox accountable for what's happening in his program because there was no continuity? God, one day I hope to have a job that has the same lack of accountability you people want for Cox.

Also we've lost three of the eight players he's brought in as head coach. That's not a normal number

[RamStock]

Again that 2.4 per program is heavily driven by coaches getting fired which isn't relevant to us and we've lost 7 players early in the last 14 months. We're not essentially on the number, we're well over it

But we did have a coaching change...sooo I think it is a normal number. We have yet to lose a can’t miss impact player.

We were told we had to hire Cox for continuity now we can't hold Cox accountable for what's happening in his program because there was no continuity? God, one day I hope to have a job that has the same lack of accountability you people want for Cox.

Also we've lost three of the eight players he's brought in as head coach. That's not a normal number

Keep in mind we are losing 10-13 in terms of rotation players. In each case the guys that we are replacing them with have a better shot to make an impact it seems. Who have we lost whether new or a player that was currently on the roster that anyone is losing sleep over? Akele, Thompson, Mading, Tertsea, Silverio, Aris and Layssard. I get the idea of wanting to have some continuity and it isn’t a great look, but these players were never going to make an impact and in today’s college basketball they realized if they wanted to play it was going to be somewhere else. Not sure where Aris can play-lol. The idea that we have recruited some of the wrong players is a fair argument.

[ace]

But someone has to be the 11th, 12th, or 13th guy on the roster. Unless they get two sit-out transfers, not everyone is an immediate-play upgrade.

With his size, Mading would have been an intriguing guy to occupy one of those.

I wonder if he goes the JUCO route like his brother did? Seeing as he went back home to Australia in the last day or so, it looks like he’s taking some time to consider his next step and not taking any immediate visits.

[Rhodymob05]

If this kid becomes an all American and gets drafted I swear to god!

[rhodyblue12]

I agree, but those guys have to buy in. These days, every kid thinks he is going pro and it's tough to convince him that there is a plan.

Good for Mading though - no drama, just said "I'm out". Better than being a malcontent all year.
And he also didn't wait until it was too late for us to make a move if we choose to.

I don't understand any criticism of the staff here - for what? Getting too many good guys?

[ace]

I agree, but those guys have to buy in. These days, every kid thinks he is going pro and it's tough to convince him that there is a plan.

Good for Mading though - no drama, just said "I'm out". Better than being a malcontent all year.
And he also didn't wait until it was too late for us to make a move if we choose to.

I don't understand any criticism of the staff here - for what? Getting too many good guys?

We hope they’re good players. I don’t know that any criticism is necessarily warranted, but I do think it’s worth monitoring. Are they communicating with their current guys when they bring in new players? Are they recruiting the right guys, who understand the developmental plans the staff has for them? Cox is still a relatively new head coach, and this is all part of the gig. The staff might want to take a step back and critique what they’re doing- not because they’ve messed anything up but because that’s what quality staffs do. The staff is stretched a bit thin right now, and they should want to make sure nothing’s getting missed.

[TruePoint]

Again that 2.4 per program is heavily driven by coaches getting fired which isn't relevant to us and we've lost 7 players early in the last 14 months. We're not essentially on the number, we're well over it

But we did have a coaching change...sooo I think it is a normal number. We have yet to lose a can’t miss impact player.

We were told we had to hire Cox for continuity now we can't hold Cox accountable for what's happening in his program because there was no continuity? God, one day I hope to have a job that has the same lack of accountability you people want for Cox.

Also we've lost three of the eight players he's brought in as head coach. That's not a normal number

What do you want to hold him accountable for, though? If Jeff, Fatts and Harris bounced this offseason I think people would be upset about it. But when I think of continuity, I’m not necessarily thinking about the bottom of the roster being static. You want people to get big mad about some stuff that won’t hurt on-court performance and may actually enhance it?

[Ramulous]

Would our fans accept a coach like Bill Belichick as our coach.....if he wins big then yes.....if he loses then no....

Belichick brings players in and when they don't fit what he wants they are gone....sometimes in days....no matter what the fans think....

May Cox has some of this in him.....I said some.....If he wins big and gets us to the NCAA tournament on a consistent basis, and wins a couple of games when he gets there.....no one will care how many players come and go so long as the base remains.....

[Seawrightspostgame]

I feel like we never learn any players reasoning for leaving.

Why is it such a damb secret?

I dont think it's such a big deal.

Strong post. I like what you did with damb. Like damn/lamb, but for the rams.

Go Rhody!

[Rhody74]

Where he ends up will probably give us a hint why he left.

[Rhodymob05]

I think a big reason that the reason for his leaving should be made public is how it will affect future potential recruits. Put yourself in their sneakers, "I wonder why Mading left, should I be interested in URI anymore?"

[Billyboy78]

I was one of the ones who was intrigued with this kid. I think he has lots of potential. It will be interesting to see where he ends up.

[RF1]

Wasn't expecting any other transfers. Surprised by this given he was only here a few months.

[Rhody83]

I think a big reason that the reason for his leaving should be made public is how it will affect future potential recruits. Put yourself in their sneakers, "I wonder why Mading left, should I be interested in URI anymore?"

Mading left because he felt that they recruited over him with the Toppin commitment. The staff isn’t going to come out publicly and say that. They can bring that up to future recruits to put any concern to rest. Mading went home for the break and was influenced by someone on this. He must not have much confidence in himself if he doesn’t want competition and gives up because they recruit a player late with some upside potential.

On hiring Cox for continuity, it was to retain the returning regulars - Jeff, Cyril, Fatts and keep the top recruiting class - Harris, Martin & Tate. I would say they have made two recruiting mistakes - Aris and Omar. The Omar situation can happen when a new coach is grabbing a late recruit to fill a spot.

[Rhody83]

A hypothetical- What would be the reaction of the Board if Cox didn’t bring in a JUCO big man because of the feedback from Walker and Harris?

[Rhodymob05]

I guess that makes sense, but damn talking about height specifically, we recruited a 6'7 over a 6'11.

[Rhody83]

I guess that makes sense, but damn talking about height specifically, we recruited a 6'7 over a 6'11.

Rhody recruited a 6’8” player and a 6’10” 195 lbs player decided to leave.

[Iggy1979]

The staff spent a lot of time on him. i recall three coaches at one of his games. Then they brought him in early and worked with him on his game and body. Then after one semester he bolts. Obviously caught the staff by surprise but i can't think of anything they could've done different. He decided to leave.
I think juco makes sense because otherwise he'd probably have to sit out a year. That would be basically two years without competitive basketball.

[Iggy1979]

Ace: I'd hate to see your pro-Hurley stance turn into anti-Cox. just saying.

[DC_Rams]

Ace: I'd hate to see your pro-Hurley stance turn into anti-Cox. just saying.

You’re seeing it unfold right before your eyes.

[ace]

Ace: I'd hate to see your pro-Hurley stance turn into anti-Cox. just saying.

Dave’s one of the best people I’ve ever met. Your comment is laughable, especially since others have actually criticized him (player turnover, missing out on their top 3 recruits, called the situation “ugly,” making recruiting mistakes).

Dave’s big on self-reflection and is continually learning. It’s one of the benefits of having a strong background in education, IMO. The staff will look at the situations with Aris and Mading, for example, and see if anything different could’ve been done. If not, and that’s just how it goes with coaching young men, cool. Was me saying the staff shouldn’t be criticized confusing to you? I also really don’t need you policing my posts. I’d hate to see that.

[ace]

Where he ends up will probably give us a hint why he left.

It seems like JUCO might be his path? There’s a lot to sort out here with eligibility. That would give him minutes to develop, which he really needs.

[ace]

I think a big reason that the reason for his leaving should be made public is how it will affect future potential recruits. Put yourself in their sneakers, "I wonder why Mading left, should I be interested in URI anymore?"

Coaches share things in conversation with future recruits that don’t necessarily have to be made public, so I don’t think it’s much of a concern.

[Rhodyram]

I had a feeling that there was another shoe to drop after Toppin coming on board. I don't think this was a surprise to the staff either.

[bkoeppen]

Where he ends up will probably give us a hint why he left.

It seems like JUCO might be his path? There’s a lot to sort out here with eligibility. That would give him minutes to develop, which he really needs.

FWIW, his brother went a similar route (committed to UC Riverside and is now at a JUCO). And from what I remember he was decently ranked recruit.

[DC_Rams]

I wanted to see what the staff saw in Mading. The staff continued to recruit at the same position. Maybe it was indicative of something, maybe not. Bottom line, wish the kid the best and I trust we will be OK. Excited about the prospects of this team.

[RhowdyRam02]

Tertsea is still on the roster last I checked. I don’t think he ever left.

Tertsea is gone

[ace]

Where he ends up will probably give us a hint why he left.

It seems like JUCO might be his path? There’s a lot to sort out here with eligibility. That would give him minutes to develop, which he really needs.

FWIW, his brother went a similar route (committed to UC Riverside and is now at a JUCO). And from what I remember he was decently ranked recruit.

Daniel was initially committed to ASU. These Madings get around!

[RhowdyRam02]

Would our fans accept a coach like Bill Belichick as our coach.....if he wins big then yes.....if he loses then no....

Belichick brings players in and when they don't fit what he wants they are gone....sometimes in days....no matter what the fans think....

May Cox has some of this in him.....I said some.....If he wins big and gets us to the NCAA tournament on a consistent basis, and wins a couple of games when he gets there.....no one will care how many players come and go so long as the base remains.....

Actually I will care, because until college players get paid and have control over their own name and likeness they shouldn't be treated like pro players. What Bill Belichick does with an NFL roster is completely and totally irrelevant to how a college basketball coach should handle theirs. Nice try linking Cox to Belichick though...

[eli#10]

YAWN!!!!!!!

[Rhody83]

Marial is originally from Sudan and grew up in Australia.
He is the younger brother of Daniel Mading 6’ 10” (‘17) who has been all over the place. Daniel played a year for Bob Hurley Sr but had to transfer after that because he was too old to play High School ball in NJ. Finished at The Rock School in FL. Early verbal to ASU in 2015 but decommitted. In 2017, his final two schools were PC and Texas Tech. Signed with Tech but didn’t have the grades so he went JUCO. Now going to UC Riverside starting this year. A big fall off.

Post from last year above.
Marial was in three different schools in the last two school years. He didn’t finish a complete school year at any of the three.
In the last 18 months he has lived in Baltimore, Springfield and Kingston. None of which are his home (Australia).

[reckless jake]

We have 3 guards- Dowtin, Russell and Sheppard;
and 3 "bigs"- Langevine, Harris and Walker

And then we have 5 guys who can play out on the wing-
Martin, Tate, Long, Hammond and Toppin. Maybe Mading, who in spite of height is really a wing player and not an under the basket big man, saw all that talent and didn't have the confidence in his talent and/or the dedication in his work/practice habits to try and out play the others and earn his minutes.

[4Diffs]

A hypothetical- What would be the reaction of the Board if Cox didn’t bring in a JUCO big man because of the feedback from Walker and Harris?

An interesting hypothetical. It makes me think if the reaction from Harris is the reason why Ryan Preston played so little. Hard to come up with anything else. In my opinion, the team was better when he played and it frustrated me that he got so little run until the last month of the season. He was not a great player by any stretch, but he definitely was better than what a hobbled Harris was giving them.

I am a Dave Cox fan. I like him personally but I hope he knows what he is doing because this does not look good. This has nothing to do with whether Mading is a good player or not. The staff made him a priority in recruiting, brought him on campus in January and now, after signing a 2 star player, he leaves? Roster construction is more than just putting together the best players. There has to be a fit there as well and I was certain after Thompson left, the team would bring in another guard as I think they could use another one. Yet they do not, they bring in another small forward. I can certainly understand Mading's frustration with this. Not sure Dave even considers something like this, but if he liked Mading at all as a player, he should have.

I tell my partners all the time that decisions have consequences. When we decide to send one person to a conference and not somebody else, have we thought about how that decision might impact others? Do we care? If we do, we will go out of our way to talk to that person about it and maybe send them to another conference. We want them to know that they are valued. Managing people is not easy, but if you care about your team or your Company, it needs to be done well. Maybe Cox thought about this and was fine with the consequences. I hope that is the case, but I have my doubts. I think the roster turnover has been excessive. I hope everyone saying no big deal are correct.

[DC_Rams]

Let’s take a step back and look at things holistically.

Akele - left to go play professional ball back home. Nothing anyone could’ve done to change his mind.

Brendan Adams - left with DH, and is regretting it.

Omar Silverio - late roster replacement for Brendan Adams. Spot filler, let’s see how things work out. Had anything happened to Jeff or Fatts, Omar would’ve had to step up. Omar is better suited at Hofstra.

Aris - practice player. If he showed flashes, great, if he didn’t great. Needed a body. Sutton’s US Team connections recommended Aria to coach. Unfortunately, he wasn’t worth the gamble. It happens. Was it a mistake? Sure. Did it hurt anything? Not really.

Tertsea - Big that never developed. Could he have thrived elsewhere? Who knows. It happens.

Layssard - violated team rules, had to go.

Mading - Sutton recruit. Loved his upside. Saw the number of guys coming in at the same position and did not have any interest in competing for minimal playing time.

CT - he served his time here. Well liked, missed home immensely. Likely wanted to go out his senior year as a starter. That was not guaranteed here. He will play closer to home and likely play 30 minutes a game. Again, better suited for him. Tulane will be a tough team in that conference for sure.

Looking at all these guys, minus CT, none of them effected the nuclei of the team. They weren’t even considered rotational. Yes, it sucks, but would you prefer to have a wallflower at the end of your bench, or a guy you can put in and trust to spell CL when he’s in foul trouble, or Harris when he is limping, or Fatts when his shooting is off. I think Cox knows, in order to be successful, he needs to be able to count on his depth, last year, we had none. This year’s roster looks to change that.

Again, all the best to Mading.

[Billyboy78]

What exactly did Layssard do to make him 'have to go'?