MBB: University Athletic Association

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I was curious today if Hakeem Harris, a player who has transferred three times in his career, was returning to NYU for the 2015-2016 season.  NYU has an updated roster, but Harris is no where to be found: http://www.gonyuathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&

I thought he had at least one more semester of eligibility, if not another year.

Definitely one of the best Division III players I have seen in real life.

If he is not returning, I hope he finds a team in which to complete his career.

He does have at least a year of eligibility left from what I was told last year... but I wouldn't necessarily trust a roster in mid-August as being the definition of whether a player is back or not. There are so many factors that could lead to no decision on his part at this point in the year. A roster and more particularly a game in November or even January will be the ultimate answer.

Thanks Dave!

I am definitely not suggesting his NYU career is over, but the fact that his name is missing from the roster may indicate that he is no longer on the team.

From what I have learned... he is done playing. Apparently he has decided to graduate this semester from NYU - so he won't be playing for the team.

Sometimes, academics and life become a priority as we all well know in this division... so I applaud Hakeem Hicks for making what I am sure was a tough, but smart decision.

[WUPHF]

From what I have learned... he is done playing. Apparently he has decided to graduate this semester from NYU - so he won't be playing for the team.

Sometimes, academics and life become a priority as we all well know in this division... so I applaud Hakeem Hicks for making what I am sure was a tough, but smart decision.

Thanks so much for the update.

I guess I should be happy that both Hakeem and Royce Muskeyvalley are no longer playing, but definitely big, big losses for NYU, Chicago and the UAA.  As you said though, applause and best of luck to both.

[WUPHF]

Out of curiosity, Dave, do you have any thoughts on Emory this season?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I'm doing my Top 25 ballot as we speak... so I really should be off these boards in terms of writing (taking time away from the process - LOL)... but I am pretty much looking them over as I write this. So, I will promise you this: I will post my thoughts later this week along with my blog.

[WUPHF]

Thanks Dave! I look forward to your weekly blog!

[hopefan]

Washington University has posted the 2015-2016 roster: http://bearsports.wustl.edu/sports/mbkb/2015-16/roster

Possibly the most St. Louis area players (3) and least Illinois players (5) on the roster in the 9-10 years I have followed the team.

Yikes... not only do we lose the graduates, but Brandon Staffiel and Mitch Styczynski, two big men who have made positive contributions in the past, do not appear on the roster... my first thought is that they may have been 3-2 program students who opted to go elsewhere..... WUH, do you know what happened to them?...Styzynski was very good down the stretch last year... that's a huge hit....

the roster shows 8 frosh, 6 of them at 6'4" or better...  wonder if any will challenge for playing time?  Seems like spots will be wide open with only one returning player with legit varsity game experience....2 if you include Mike Bregman, who looked very athletic on the court until he got hurt....

[Gregory Sager]

Washington University has posted the 2015-2016 roster: http://bearsports.wustl.edu/sports/mbkb/2015-16/roster

Possibly the most St. Louis area players (3) and least Illinois players (5) on the roster in the 9-10 years I have followed the team.

More relevant than the fact that there are only five Illinoisians is where those five are from. Only one of them is a Chicagolander, Evanston product Kevin Kucera. Chicagoland has been a bread-and-butter recruiting zone for Mark Edwards for a long time now, so the absence of any other Chicagolanders besides Kucera is glaring.

The other four from the Land of Lincoln are downstaters, three of them extreme downstaters. One's from near Springfield, one's from a small town near Centralia, and the other two are from a tiny hamlet near Carbondale. Those are the kinds of locales that you'd expect to see on a roster for a St. Louis school, as those hometowns certainly wouldn't look out of place on a Fontbonne or Webster roster. They're a little surprising for a school that recruits nationally rather than locally. It's been my observation that Wash U's always been more likely to bring in the kids from the big, high-powered suburban schools (e.g., the Chicagolanders of whom I spoke) rather than the kids from the tall corn south of I-74.

Yikes... not only do we lose the graduates, but Brandon Staffiel and Mitch Styczynski, two big men who have made positive contributions in the past, do not appear on the roster... my first thought is that they may have been 3-2 program students who opted to go elsewhere..... WUH, do you know what happened to them?...Styzynski was very good down the stretch last year... that's a huge hit....

Any time that there's a big man with eligibility remaining who averaged 9.2 and 4.5 while starting 26 games but who doesn't come back, that's a big loss. Staffeil averaged 9 mpg in 25 games, so on a team with only one senior his absence will be felt, too.

[WUPHF]

Yikes... not only do we lose the graduates, but Brandon Staffiel and Mitch Styczynski, two big men who have made positive contributions in the past, do not appear on the roster... my first thought is that they may have been 3-2 program students who opted to go elsewhere...

Yikes indeed.  I missed the fact that Styczynski is not on the roster.  That is a big loss.

Incidentally, Washington University is the 2 in the 3-2 programs.  The school that other students transfer to.

[WUPHF]

More relevant than the fact that there are only five Illinoisians is where those five are from. Only one of them is a Chicagolander, Evanston product Kevin Kucera. Chicagoland has been a bread-and-butter recruiting zone for Mark Edwards for a long time now, so the absence of any other Chicagolanders besides Kucera is glaring.

Truth be told, Washington University probably has more students overall from Chicagoland than from St. Louis.  The University recruits Chicago very well.  The team had been trending downstate (outside Kankakee range) for a few years, but I have no concerns that this may affect Chicago area basketball recruiting in the short or long term.

[Gregory Sager]

Incidentally, Washington University is the 2 in the 3-2 programs.  The school that other students transfer to.

I was thinking the same thing. NPU's had several students move on to Wash U via the 3-2 program over the years.

[hopefan]

Incidentally, Washington University is the 2 in the 3-2 programs.  The school that other students transfer to.

I was thinking the same thing. NPU's had several students move on to Wash U via the 3-2 program over the years.

ok.. that makes sense... still wonder where Styczynski and Staffiel ended....Frat league?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Per the 3-2 program... I had a teammate of mine at Goucher's who was in the 3-2 program with Hopkins. Three years at Goucher; two years at Hopkins (engineering). The cool thing about the program... he was allowed to continue playing at Goucher his fourth year despite the fact he wasn't actually on campus at Goucher that year. Just thought I would share.

[hopefan]

Per the 3-2 program... I had a teammate of mine at Goucher's who was in the 3-2 program with Hopkins. Three years at Goucher; two years at Hopkins (engineering). The cool thing about the program... he was allowed to continue playing at Goucher his fourth year despite the fact he wasn't actually on campus at Goucher that year. Just thought I would share.

A Fontbonne kid did that several years ago too... went to Wash U, played at Fontbonne.... Two are leaving Fontbonne this year that are in the program, haven't heard yet whether either can or are still playing....

[WUPHF]

I had no idea that one could do that, but for the NCAA to allow it makes a lot of sense.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Yeah... it makes sense. They are technically still part of the school they were at for three years. My friend actually graduated with two degrees: BA from Goucher and I think a BS from Hopkins. It is only fair. It would suck to tell a student-athlete they had to change programs because of the educational program they are in.