Florida: Top Sophomore Transferring

[tornado]

BU opponent for 11/16, Florida just lost one of it's best young players- Jai Lucas.
He started all 36 games last year and was expected to be a starter this year.
He is a McDonald's and Parade All-American who averaged 26.3 points and 7.5 assists at Bellaire (Texas) High, and 9 ppg last year as a freshman, leading the Gators in 3-pt shooting.
He apparently will remain at Florida until the end of the semester.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/8760600/Lucas-to-transfer-from-Florida

[BUBraves06]

Wow, that is a big loss for the Gators. I see that the story mentions some incoming talent but Lucas was a solid player and I think that this will hurt them big time.

[SFP]

If you have seen Kenny Boynton playing you know why Lucas is leaving. Lucas would be lucky to see any meaningful minutes next year. Lucas was a big time recruit for Florida the other school that was hot on him was Maryland and OK St. It will be interesting to see where he goes.

[BUBraves06]

If you have seen Kenny Boynton playing you know why Lucas is leaving. Lucas would be lucky to see any meaningful minutes next year. Lucas was a big time recruit for Florida the other school that was hot on him was Maryland and OK St. It will be interesting to see where he goes.

Ya, if I remeber correctly, Florida has one of, if not the top recruting class in the country, I just hope that their freshman are rattled by our pressure. I'd much rather BU face a couple of highly-touted freshman in one of their first college games then a solid sophmore guard who has a year of experience under his belt.

[tornado]

Here's a related story...Gus Gilchrist...fell out of favor at Maryland and transferred to South Florida..but

The NCAA has given the kid a waiver...thus he can play right away and doesn't have to sit out..

http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=36686&SPID=2923&DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=1618782

as I have done before....let's see if anyone can find an example of this kind of NCAA gift of immediate eligibility that happens when a kid goes to a mid-major...
We've seen it happen for kids going to Tennessee, to Georgetown, to Iowa, and even at Texas Tech----helping them knock off Texas on National TV

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/03/miami-dt-transfer-perry-cleared-to-play.html

But, I have yet to see a case like this of a kid getting this kind of waiver at a school like BU.

[Fetz86]

I thought Lucas was down to Florida or UK before he commited?

[SFP]

I thought Lucas was down to Florida or UK before he commited?

I'm going by memory but I'm sure MD was in the mix because his dad did play for the Terps in the 70s and there was high expectation he would want to follow in his foot steps. OK St. may be a stretch though. He was considering KY when Tubby was there.

[Da Coach]

Jai Lucas' 5 official visits were to Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.
Scout Rivals both had him as the #7 best point guard in the high school class of 2007--

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=1282221

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=2&pr_key=30744

He's from Houston, TX. Does Bradley have any connections there?


Here's more comment on why he's transferring---

http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/blogs/view/6271764

[houstonbrave]

Everyone may remember this but his father is former NBA'er John Lucas.

[SFP]

Everyone may remember this but his father is former NBA'er John Lucas.

His older brother was the starting point guard a few years ago for a pretty good OK. St team. I know they did pretty well in the NCAA, I'm just not sure how far they went.

[Scouter]

His older brother was the starting point guard a few years ago for a pretty good OK. St team. I know they did pretty well in the NCAA, I'm just not sure how far they went.

I believe they beat St. Joe's in the Elite 8 and lost in the Final Four.

Add: That's correct. His brother was John Lucas, and they reached the national semifinals before losing to former Bulls great Luke Schenscher and Georgia Tech.

[tornado]

as I have done before....let's see if anyone can find an example of this kind of NCAA gift of immediate eligibility that happens when a kid goes to a mid-major.......

my opinion still stands....as the NCAA just ruled on two kids who left IU last year and went to mid-majors...
both were denied their requests to play immediately and a 3rd is also expected to be denied.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3742351

This doesn't surprise me at all, as most such waiver requests are denied....except for some of the ones at BCS schools.

His older brother was the starting point guard a few years ago for a pretty good OK. St team. ....

funny you should mention that...as he is just such an example of a kid who transferred to Oklahoma State
and was granted immediate eligibility without having to sit out a year.

[JMM28]

my opinion still stands....as the NCAA just ruled on two kids who left IU last year and went to mid-majors...
both were denied their requests to play immediately and a 3rd is also expected to be denied.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3742351

This doesn't surprise me at all, as most such waiver requests are denied....except for some of the ones at BCS schools.

Will Harris transferred from Virginia to Albany and was just granted immediate eligibility.

http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2008/11/12/sports/doc491bbb5a8fe8d662749425.txt

[SFP]

They also just denied that guy who left NC for USC to be closer to his sick dad. They said that they are cracking down on these types of exceptions.

[tornado]

Will Harris transferred from Virginia to Albany and was just granted immediate eligibility.

http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2...d662749425.txt

this one is certainly an exception to the rule, but the kid is a senior, and wouldn't be any kind of impact player....plus his mom is a single mom with younger children and he is needed to help in the home, so I guess that's the key.