Two players quit team at SIU

[tornado]

wow- was the loss to Bradley that earth-shattering??
their board already has a 21-page thread about it...

It is being reported by one of their local news stations that Torres Roundtree and Chris Cornelius are quitting.
Rumors that Anthony Booker might be leaving also...and worries that it could affect the other freshmen, Dillard, Hare..

http://www.wsiltv.com/p/sports_stories_detail.php?newsID=6502&type=sports

http://www.wsiltv.com/p/videos.php?videoID=3774&newsID=6502&type=sports&vidType=smMov

http://salukitalk.net/st/viewtopic.php?t=25148

Here's the funniest line of the multi-page thread...
"This hurts but we still have a final four cliber team in two-three years"

and the saddest...
"I'm utterly embarrassed to be a Saluki right now. The coaching staff and the players are all making me totally disgusted. This is a complete joke"
...what's almost funny is that some poster thinks this'll open a scholarship and now they'll be able to land Darius Smith!

[Da Coach]

Report

http://www.wsiltv.com/p/sports_stories_detail.php?newsID=6502&type=sports

SIU junior Christian Cornelius and freshman Torres Roundtree have both left the team. Roundtree cleared out his locker following Wednesday night's 59-51 loss to Northern Iowa. Roundtree told News 3 he has no hard feelings toward the coaching staff, but that he didn't fit into the program...particularly the offense. Roundtree played in 11 of 13 games averaging one point a game.

Cornelius informed the staff Thursday he was leaving. Christian played in 12 of SIU's 13 games. He did not play in the loss to UNI. He averaged two and a half points and two rebounds a game. News 3 was unable to reach Christian Thursday night.

Roundtree and Cornelius become the fourth and fifth Salukis to transfer since last season. The list includes Brandon Wood, Jordan Armstrong, and Joshua Bone.

[Da Coach]

Roundtree was surprised to discover he didn't fit into the Saluki's offensive scheme. What exactly did he expect, a run and gun, high flying offense? Didn't he watch that team at all the past few years before committing? I recall that he de-committed once before after verbally committing his first time, then eventually re-committed to Lowery.

I expect the remaining freshmen might hang around a while now thinking they might pick up the rare minutes that will be available now that Roundtree and Cornelius are gone. But I do not expect to see more of Bocot, Hare, and Booker, since they are the same types of players as Roundtree, me-first, "gimme-the-ball", no-defense, poor-shooting gunners which we know Lowery doesn't like.

The question is "why did Lowery recruit so many of the same type of players that don't seem to fit their style of play, and are so offensively and defensively challenged?"

[ser_solace]

Wow that's pretty shocking to have them just leave in the middle of the season. No need for that. Why not at least get an education for free for another year? Or can they transfer immediately since most schools have not started their spring semester?

[Da Coach]

Yes, I think that is a part of the reason here. If they transfer and enroll elsewhere before the 2nd semester starts, they will be eligible and the end of the first semester next season- usually around Dec. 20.
It sounds as if Roundtree may have already been checking out other options. There is speculation he could transfer to Saint Louis University, where his high school teammate Femi John is at.

[tornado]

good question.....many on Salukitalk are wondering the exact same thing....what's he doing recruiting kids who don't even fit the system.
That's why the worries over Booker, Dillard, Bocot, and Hare leaving, as they also like to run and gun.

If the entire team self-destructs, and even if CLo falls upon disfavor and maybe leaves, then is even Carlton Fay likley to stay there?
The place is truly in a full melt down, but didn't some actually predict this?

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=6032#post6032

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=78873#post78873

[tornado]

he could transfer to Saint Louis University, where his high school teammate Femi John is at.

but his high school teammate Anthony Booker is at SIU and that wasn't enough to keep him there,
and Femi John is also not getting any playing time at all....he's likely to redshirt.

[Braves4Life]

When the same player revolt happened at WSU Turgeon grabbed the first life jacket and sprinted for the exit. The players tried this at CU and Altman grabbed the wheel and righted the ship.

What will Lowery do? I predicted that those fickle SIU fans would call for his head (and they are). I think Lowery takes the first offer just like Turgeon.

[RoyalShock]

When the same player revolt happened at WSU Turgeon grabbed the first life jacket and sprinted for the exit. The players tried this at CU and Altman grabbed the wheel and righted the ship.

What will Lowery do? I predicted that those fickle SIU fans would call for his head (and they are). I think Lowery takes the first offer just like Turgeon.

Actually, there was not player revolt at WSU. At the end of Turgeon's last season four players left - David King, Ryan Bradley, Chris Brown and Sean Ogirri. King, Bradley and Brown were asked to leave (no PT for them and Brown had a back problem) and Ogirri left after Turgeon took the A&M job. So it's a different situation. Turgeon didn't have a problem keeping players, he just didn't recruit well his last 2-3 years.

I think Lowery's stock has already dropped too far to leave the ship for a better gig. It's sink or swim time for CLo.

[lefty]

Actually, there was not player revolt at WSU. At the end of Turgeon's last season four players left - David King, Ryan Bradley, Chris Brown and Sean Ogirri. King, Bradley and Brown were asked to leave (no PT for them and Brown had a back problem) and Ogirri left after Turgeon took the A&M job. So it's a different situation. Turgeon didn't have a problem keeping players, he just didn't recruit well his last 2-3 years.

I think Lowery's stock has already dropped too far to leave the ship for a better gig. It's sink or swim time for CLo.

I think you are right.

[MacabreMob]

I think Lowery's stock has already dropped too far to leave the ship for a better gig. It's sink or swim time for CLo.

Maybe some room can be made for him as an Asst at UIUC.

[dogsrus]

I take NO joy in seeing this happen at/to SIU....not saying anyone here is but I think we should tread lightly. We went through this with just not to long ago and we all know how it ####'s.

I hope they can get back on track and things settle down...SIU is good for the Valley and what hurts them can hurt us all. A STRONG Valley is a BETTER VAlley.

[RedbirdFan21]

Someone on the ISU board (granted it is someone with only 5 total posts) said he is hearing Roundtree could end up at ISU. After looking into it a little further, ISU, along with previously mentioned SLU, had an offer out to him.

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=2&pr_key=57833

I figured someone on here would know this. Does the MVC have a special set of tranfer rules for those student/athletes that transfer within the conference- different then the NCAA tranfer rules? Do you have to sit out more a year or anything like that?

Thanks in advance for the help...

[tornado]

Maybe true about Ogirri on the dates, but...
as you and I both know, Ogirri was creating some discord as far back as mid-season 2006-2007.
It was pretty certain he was going to leave or be booted even before Turgeon left.

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=30058#post30058

a few more thoughts.......

regarding this year's freshman recruiting class at SIU....Lowery didn't need a point guard (he has Mullins) as much as he needed shooting guards. Lowery has never been able to come up with the replacement for his predecessors great 2-guards, Darren Brooks, Jamaal Tatum, Tony Young...
BUT I can't tell you how many time I saw Roundtree hyped and predicted to be the next GREAT SIU SG!!!
In some sense, Lowery went overboard and nabbed several shooting guards all at one time in bringing in Roundtree, Hare, Freeman, Bocot...and even Mullins has been shifted a bit to SG with Dillard running the point...and now CLo is having a hard time making them all happy with playing time.
And Roundtree probably believes all the hype about himself and thinks he is good enough to start and play 30 minutes, and just doesn't see that happening in Lowery's system in the near-term future.

Roundtree actually DID get his chance, but obviously he thinks he deserved even more.
Torres Roundtree actually was a starter for four games early in the season, and yet he couldn't hit a shot, not even his FTs.
Oh well.....the coach is still in charge....and just like so many kids who quit and transfer, they are never heard from again.
If he goes to ISU as was suggested, it'll only contaminate what appears to be a good chemistry there
...is that what the Redbirds want??

[bert notorius]

This is the kind of thing you would only expect to see at a mid-major.