KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

SG EDIT: March 14, 10 a.m. - Malik Martin gets things started.

SG EDIT: March 14, 1 p.m. - Leggett declared his intent to explore the transfer portal as well.

SG EDIT: March 14, 1:51 p.m. - Tres Berry has also put his name into the portal.

SG EDIT: March 14, 3:44 p.m. - Walker is a graduate transfer.

SG EDIT: March 20, 8:27 a.m. - Ayo-Faleye announced that he will explore transfer opportunities.

SG EDIT: March 20, 1:38 p.m. - Betrand also puts his name in the portal.

SG EDIT: March 25, 5:35 p.m. - Malik Martin pulls out of the portal, will return to URI for fifth year.

SG EDIT: March 28, 3:30 p.m. - The Mitchells put their names in the transfer portal.

SG EDIT: March 30, 4:19 p.m. - Leggett pulls his name from the portal.

I expect everyone to do this.

Billyboy78 wrote: ↑2 years ago

The first domino to fall, expecting a lot more.

Honestly I didn't expect him, especially to be first

Can't blame any of these guys if thats the decision they choose. I appreciate that he left open the chance to come back still, I think it makes sense for him to weigh his opportunities and see whats out there and also wait and see what happens with our new coach.

It’s the right thing for every single player on the roster to do. What if the new coach doesn’t like your game and has no intentions of giving you playing time?

Go figure out what options you have. I’m sure URI will be back in the mix for any players the next coach views as valuable

I would expect most of our guys to move on or at the very least open their recruitment.


If anyone is upset or worried about this, don't be. We are a bottom A10 team with the roster we have. We need a new coach with his guys and his type of system. If he feels like some of our guys could fit his system I'm sure he will do his very best to keep them..I would love to see Malik come back, but we can replace him if he doesn't. We have NO stars on this team. We have ZERO all A10-level players. We have a team full of average A10 players.

I wish Malik nothing but the best moving forward!!

We have mostly average A10 players, and some below average.

Cox's latest recruits were below average, and that's being kind.

I love that players have options. It’s what they deserve.

My biggest hope is that he finishes his last year at Rhody as part of a winning team. All of the Martins deserve nothing but the best.

I wish him the best.

To be honest there isn’t one player on this team that I think of as one of our guys. Start fresh

KingstonLane wrote: ↑2 years ago It’s the right thing for every single player on the roster to do. What if the new coach doesn’t like your game and has no intentions of giving you playing time?

Go figure out what options you have. I’m sure URI will be back in the mix for any players the next coach views as valuable

Agree what do they have to lose. Can pull their names at any time if they choose to and can put their name out there to see what type of interest they may get.

They are all free agent rent a players these days. One of the reasons why I am souring on college basketball.

The new coach will have to re-recruit everyone he wants. Kind of what Danny did.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what happened with our assistant coaches?
What I've seen done is the AD meets with the players and explains the situation. He/she would request that players stay to meet the new coach, but will support their decision to transfer. An assistant coach would continue to remain on as the point of contact, run off season workouts, check grades etc.
I say all of this with no inside knowledge of what is happening at URI.

A race to the portal....

I've never seen an entire or most of a roster transfer out before. That means you would have to recruit/transfer in like 10 guys?

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑2 years ago I've never seen an entire or most of a roster transfer out before. That means you would have to recruit/transfer in like 10 guys?

Yes, that’s why these head coaching vacancies get filled so quickly. If you waited even a month to hire your candidate every player they’d have interest in is gone

RF1 wrote: ↑2 years ago They are all free agent rent a players these days. One of the reasons why I am souring on college basketball.

Are they? I'm not 100% familiar on all of the transfer rules, but I understand how Malik would transfer. He would be consider a graduate transfer and is free to pursue a program that has a course of study that he would be interested in. Would Walker, Betrand and Carey all be in position to graduate and transfer as well? Also, what about the Mitchell twins. Would they potentially have to sit out and use a year of eligibility if they leave?

Bos8 wrote: ↑2 years ago Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what happened with our assistant coaches?
What I've seen done is the AD meets with the players and explains the situation. He/she would request that players stay to meet the new coach, but will support their decision to transfer. An assistant coach would continue to remain on as the point of contact, run off season workouts, check grades etc.
I say all of this with no inside knowledge of what is happening at URI.

I don't have any inside information, so maybe someone can chime in, but... It seems like TJ would serve as a bridge from one staff to the next, at the very least. He's got knowledge of the program, and I believe he was the only holdover from Hurley to Cox, and given his playing career, back from Baron as well. Austin Carroll is young, so maybe he doesn't have any other options to continue his employment. Bozeman, who knows? AFAIK, none of them have updated, active Twitter accounts, and it's not like they can recruit right now.

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑2 years ago I've never seen an entire or most of a roster transfer out before. That means you would have to recruit/transfer in like 10 guys?

Not to get too far off the topic title, but... Opportunity kind of cuts both ways, which is why you rarely see 10 guys transfer, even with a coaching change. If for example, the Mitchells, Malik and Sheppard all decide they're done with URI basketball, suddenly, there's a bunch of minutes up for grabs among the group of Thomas, Berry, Samb, etc. Even if you look from the last Baron year to the first Hurley year, six players (not counting walk-ons) stuck around.

Bos8 wrote: ↑2 years ago

RF1 wrote: ↑2 years ago They are all free agent rent a players these days. One of the reasons why I am souring on college basketball.

Are they? I'm not 100% familiar on all of the transfer rules, but I understand how Malik would transfer. He would be consider a graduate transfer and is free to pursue a program that has a course of study that he would be interested in. Would Walker, Betrand and Carey all be in position to graduate and transfer as well? Also, what about the Mitchell twins. Would they potentially have to sit out and use a year of eligibility if they leave?

With a coaching change they should all get waivers granted. I know of no player who did not get to transfer with immediate eligibility this past year. Waivers like watermelon seeds as Rothstein stated multiple times. Players staying will likely be the exception not the rule.

I will add one procedural note for folks going forward - Please use descriptive topic titles when possible.

re: Malik transferring, I'm of the mindset that players should always be able to transfer if the coach that recruited them gets fired. Only seems fair to me, plus, it's probably better for the program if players are allowed to smoothly transfer out.

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑2 years ago I've never seen an entire or most of a roster transfer out before. That means you would have to recruit/transfer in like 10 guys?

Wichita St had it happen couple years ago.

Noah Fernandes from UMass was one of those players.

Rhody15 wrote: ↑2 years ago

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑2 years ago I've never seen an entire or most of a roster transfer out before. That means you would have to recruit/transfer in like 10 guys?

Wichita St had it happen couple years ago.

Noah Fernandes from UMass was one of those players.

Yes, especially in our case where our HC was also our lead recruiter.

I wonder if so many people would be complaining about transfers all the time if URI had gotten and developed the right ones. Stan and KI were beloved, and other A10 teams have managed to hang on to their freshmen. It is still possible to do both. Winning cures a lot.

No need to tell me you would still be upset. Good for you.

ace wrote: ↑2 years ago I wonder if so many people would be complaining about transfers all the time if URI had gotten and developed the right ones. Stan and KI were beloved, and other A10 teams have managed to hang on to their freshmen. It is still possible to do both. Winning cures a lot.

No need to tell me you would still be upset. Good for you.

Not upset but not unexpected.

last one to the portal is a rotten egg!

ace wrote: ↑2 years ago I wonder if so many people would be complaining about transfers all the time if URI had gotten and developed the right ones. Stan and KI were beloved, and other A10 teams have managed to hang on to their freshmen. It is still possible to do both. Winning cures a lot.

No need to tell me you would still be upset. Good for you.

To add to this, I don’t think there will be a more unsettled time in college basketball than right now, with the immediate eligibility rule combined with the extra year of eligibility afforded everyone. Weather this storm and see what happens.

Leggett should be soon if not already out there

ramster wrote: ↑2 years ago Leggett should be soon if not already out there

rambone 78 wrote: ↑2 years ago We have mostly average A10 players, and some below average.

Cox's latest recruits were below average, and that's being kind.

I think you are being kind on both fronts. There is little to no talent on this roster-especially the recent recruits.

I did like Martin though. Plays hard

Well, shit. I'm just going to rename this one to be a catch-all thread...

SGreenwell wrote: ↑2 years ago Well, shit. I'm just going to rename this one to be a catch-all thread...

SG, I think you will be busy adding on and renaming this thread.

Every player is going to enter the portal and then decide when new coach is hired if there is a fit. This is the new NCAA. Get use to it.

If I had to guess, Leggett would be in line for a down transfer, and Malik could go to a similar type school, and maybe a slight up transfer.

MArtin and Leggett played hard and are good teammates who are defensive role players whose offensive skills are below A10 level.
Tres Berry we hardly knew you.

And so it begins.....

Iggy1979 wrote: ↑2 years ago MArtin and Leggett played hard and are good teammates who are defensive role players whose offensive skills are below A10 level.
Tres Berry we hardly knew you.

But I think surrounded by the right talent they could certainly contribute. Martin in particular could be an ideal 5th starter or 1st guy off the bench as a 5th year guy. if Ish does in fact leave, will be interesting to see what level he ends up at.

ace wrote: ↑2 years ago I love that players have options. It’s what they deserve.

My biggest hope is that he finishes his last year at Rhody as part of a winning team. All of the Martins deserve nothing but the best.

This. 100 times this.

The roller-coaster has begun.

Not sure where Verbal Commits got the info from, but Berry makes it "official" on his Twitter a couple minutes later anyway:

SGreenwell wrote: ↑2 years ago Not sure where Verbal Commits got the info from, but Berry makes it "official" on his Twitter a couple minutes later anyway:

Isn't the portal public for anyone to see?

Berry probably officially entered the portal shortly before he posted his tweet.

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑2 years ago The roller-coaster has begun.

More like a nose dive.

Rhody15 wrote: ↑2 years ago Isn't the portal public for anyone to see?

Berry probably officially entered the portal shortly before he posted his tweet.

I think so? In any event I'm 100% certain the operators of Verbal Commits have access to it.

Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑2 years ago I've never seen an entire or most of a roster transfer out before. That means you would have to recruit/transfer in like 10 guys?

It happened to us 2 years ago!!!
Martin, Toppin, everybody…

Fatts was out, then back in.
Walker was, until Fatts said he would stay, the only returning player we had.

The 3 seem to have written this together as it's all similar writing.



I wonder if Tres will try to play with his bro up north.

ace wrote: ↑2 years ago

Oh NO! How will we ever replace his 0.001 ppg?!

SGreenwell wrote: ↑2 years ago Not sure where Verbal Commits got the info from, but Berry makes it "official" on his Twitter a couple minutes later anyway:

I think Martin can sue Berry for plagiarism

Don't panic it will all work out fine.
Players leave new one come in. If we have the right coach the players will come and play at a high level. I think next year will be a successful season. I'm thinking positive