Iowa State's top Player Leaves/Transfers

[tornado]

"Wesley Johnson has informed Iowa State men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott that he intends to transfer."

Johnson was the top scorer and best returning player.
This will likely hurt McDermott as much as any loss he's had yet.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080519/SPORTS020604/80519025

[BradleyBrave]

No wonder they want to postpone their game with us this year...

[houstontxbrave]

I bet Frost Bite Falls is looking pretty good right about now for old G McDermott.

This likely will be his last season at ISU, though Johnson was the teams best player on a bad team he still was their best player. ISU has gone through a lot of transfers in the time McDermott has been the head coach, his teams have not shown much improvement and his style is not exactly eye appealing.

Wonder if Johnson and Dodie are best of buddies?

[scout4126]

Wonder if Johnson and Dodie are best of buddies?

They are...

[MacabreMob]

Wonder if Johnson and Dodie are best of buddies?

They are...

Huh-oh. KW - are you on this?

[tornado]

The report out of Ames, IA is that Wesley Johnson is transferring to Kentucky!
Apparently Billy Gillispie likes the kid, and even was on him when Wesley Johnson was a high schooler in Texas

http://kentucky.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=31816&sport=2

...and has somehow persuaded Johnson to pull a Marcus Arnold and leave Iowa State, and head to Kentucky.
No press confirmation yet....


AND.........Here is some more interesting news....
most will remember Lucca Staiger, the German kid who was at Decatur Christian, recruited to Iowa State, then was deemed to have played on pro teams in Europe and was penalized by NCAA nad had to sit out all of last year.

Well, this morning's news out of Ames is that Lucca is returning to Germany to play ball this summer. He has not said he will play professionally, but the lure will be there, especially is he can play at a top level and impress scouts of the Euro pro teams.
A lot of the Iowa State fans are a bit worried that they will lose Lucca to the Euro pro teams the way Wichita State just lost Gal Mekel.



Also, the thread on the Cyclone board about Wesley Johnson leaving has turned into a RECORD-26 page Greg McDermott bashing.
A few supposed Iowa State fans are trashing McDermott because of all the players (eight of them) who have left in just the past two years, numerous of whom were Greg McDermott's own recruits (like Johnson, Dunson, Mike Tyalor, Cory Johnson, Marcus Brister, Clayton Vette, Corey McIntosh, etc...)

Kentucky just lost one of their 4-star recruits to transfer

http://unlv.rivals.com/

http://unlv.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=808620

and reportedly Billy Gillispie likes Wesley Johnson's uptempo SF style.

[scout4126]

McDermott has now lost twenty players in two seasons. When he first got to Ames, the entire team from the previous year was there and 12 of the 13 decided to leave whether they entered the draft or transferred. After his first season, Dodie Dunson and Corey McIntosh decided to transfer out, Ross Marsden decided to forego his final two years, and Mike Taylor was dismissed from the program. This year, Marcus Brister, Wesley Johnson, Clayton Vette, and Cory Johnson have all decided to transfer.

[Braves4Life]

McDermott has now lost twenty players in two seasons. When he first got to Ames, the entire team from the previous year was there and 12 of the 13 decided to leave whether they entered the draft or transferred. After his first season, Dodie Dunson and Corey McIntosh decided to transfer out, Ross Marsden decided to forego his final two years, and Mike Taylor was dismissed from the program. This year, Marcus Brister, Wesley Johnson, Clayton Vette, and Cory Johnson have all decided to transfer.

Maybe it's because his style of play is SO BORING and holds back the truely talented players. Since he really didn't have any superstar-caliber players at UNI he didn't have this problem.

[Da Coach]

I agree. Some coaches, when they move from a midmajor to a major school continue to coach the same way, and that can sometimes negate the natural talents of more gifted players. I think we will see some of the same tendency with Lickliter at Iowa. Eventually, I think they adjust their coaching style, or they will have limited success.

[tornado]

I wouldn't count all those spoiled Wayne Morgan recruits who left even before McDermott was in place, but it is surprising that so many of his own recruits were either underproductive and "run off" or left with issues.

I have said all along with recruits like Brister, Dunson, Vette, McIntosh, Cory Johnson, etc....that McDermott was bringing in mid-major caliber recuits.
With what's happening, he is already alienating a large portion of his own fan base, and he'd better start winning soon, but prospects for that don't look too good in the near future.