Transfers/Seniors with Remaining Eligibility

[SpringSt7]

Ryan Turell will not be able to easily catch on with a G-League team.

[WUPHF]

I suspect for those popular degrees, it's tough for IWU to compete with Illinois State right around the corner.  Volume helps keep costs down.

This is most certainly part of it, but the Masters of Education programs are usually very cheap to administer and get students who are finishing up a degree without a career plan in mind.  And those who believe that there is a correlation between cost and quality.

There's no reason a player couldn't move on with their life and get a job and still manage that load and basketball - lots of them are doing it this year.

That could be an interesting story, I think, if you were looking for something to write about.  The last story was very good by the way...

[Pat Coleman]

I suspect for those popular degrees, it's tough for IWU to compete with Illinois State right around the corner.  Volume helps keep costs down.

This is most certainly part of it, but the Masters of Education programs are usually very cheap to administer and get students who are finishing up a degree without a career plan in mind.  And those who believe that there is a correlation between cost and quality.

There's no reason a player couldn't move on with their life and get a job and still manage that load and basketball - lots of them are doing it this year.

That could be an interesting story, I think, if you were looking for something to write about.  The last story was very good by the way...

Ryan wrote about this in December:
https://d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-nation/2021-22/back-for-an-extra-year

[WUPHF]

Of course he did... Thanks Pat! +1

[thebear]

This is most certainly part of it, but the Masters of Education programs are usually very cheap to administer and get students who are finishing up a degree without a career plan in mind.  And those who believe that there is a correlation between cost and quality.

Not exactly true, depending on the state, there is a lot of administration [tracking observation and practice teaching hours etc.] required to offer teacher certification programs, esp those that allow undergrad libbies to morph to teacher ed.  The state schools have an advantage as most of them have robust teacher education programs, and since in most states a masters degree is required for continuing employment as a teacher, they already have those in place.  They are not exactly cheap, - I used to be a budget officer for a state school that had both undergrad and grad teacher ed programs.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The other question will be whether the NCAA continues its loosened enrollment requirements through the next three years, or if they'll tighten things back up again.  Currently, you can be full eligible with just one class in fall semester (if its your last class for an undergraduate degree) and then two in the spring - but there's no guarantee that'll continue.  If it does, though, and all the players who are eligible for the extra COVID year can play under those circumstances, you might find more players using that 5th year.

There's no reason a player couldn't move on with their life and get a job and still manage that load and basketball - lots of them are doing it this year.

DIII (not the NCAA) will likely continue to monitor the allowances they are giving on a year to year basis. But to be fair ... no senior needed to take a full credit load in their final semester in any sport prior to this. The limit was certainly based on each institution, but it wasn't like the rule currently being put to the side forced a full student credit load. As long as the student is in good standing with the institution, they can play sports in their final semester with a part-time load.

[WUPHF]

Not exactly true, depending on the state, there is a lot of administration [tracking observation and practice teaching hours etc.] required to offer teacher certification programs, esp those that allow undergrad libbies to morph to teacher ed.  The state schools have an advantage as most of them have robust teacher education programs, and since in most states a masters degree is required for continuing employment as a teacher, they already have those in place.  They are not exactly cheap, - I used to be a budget officer for a state school that had both undergrad and grad teacher ed programs.

I worked at a small private in Illinois and they targeted certified teachers who needed the sheepskin.  They used other elementary and secondary teachers as adjunct professors.  That was the model I was thinking about.  But I understand your point...public institutions especially.

[nescac1]

It's fair to say that the COVID year is going to lead to, once again, a lot of high-profile transfers this year.  Who are the D3 guys who might head to D1, or make a huge impact as D3 grad student transfers?

Wesleyan's Sam Peek and IWU's Matt Leritz are both officially in the transfer portal, and it will be interesting to see where they land.  I imagine both are eyeing D1, but I'm sure, say, a UAA school would love to leverage their extensive grad programs to grab either. 

Matthew Schner, Jarred Houston, Lukas Isaly, Jaecee Martin (who started his career in D1) and Marcus Azor seem like other guys with a year of eligibility left who would make for intriguing transfers that would be game changers for ANY D3 team or could potentially get a shot at the scholarship level, but I'm not sure what their plans are ...

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Azor's going pro. Isaly is either back at Marietta or getting a job.

[Next Man Up]

It's fair to say that the COVID year is going to lead to, once again, a lot of high-profile transfers this year.  Who are the D3 guys who might head to D1, or make a huge impact as D3 grad student transfers?

Wesleyan's Sam Peek and IWU's Matt Leritz are both officially in the transfer portal, and it will be interesting to see where they land.  I imagine both are eyeing D1, but I'm sure, say, a UAA school would love to leverage their extensive grad programs to grab either. 

I believe Leritz grew up/went to HS about 10 minutes from WashU so........................... 

[Riley Zayas]

It's fair to say that the COVID year is going to lead to, once again, a lot of high-profile transfers this year.  Who are the D3 guys who might head to D1, or make a huge impact as D3 grad student transfers?

Wesleyan's Sam Peek and IWU's Matt Leritz are both officially in the transfer portal, and it will be interesting to see where they land.  I imagine both are eyeing D1, but I'm sure, say, a UAA school would love to leverage their extensive grad programs to grab either. 

On the ball habatim podcast the other day, Leritz basically said he is looking at pursuing a scholarship because of the cost of a MBA program. It sounded like it was outside of D3 because of the mention of the scholarship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMDGeidDdEE

I believe Leritz grew up/went to HS about 10 minutes from WashU so........................... 

[nescac1]

As reported on the CCIW board, IWU's Luke Yoder is looking to transfer to a scholarship program (two years of eligibility left). 

[WUPHF]

I thought that the portal musical chairs phenomenon was going to leave players stranded last season or cancelling the transfer altogether, but a fair number of players found new homes.  I am thinking more of Division II players here, but I was surprised how many Division II players moved up to Division I.

It will be interesting to see how many players return for a fifth season overall, having completed a full season and a tournament in 2021-2022.  I am not sure that the completion of a mostly normal season will result in fewer returning players, but let's see.

[SpringSt7]

It's just really hard to imagine a world in which most of the players mentioned can find homes in D1 when there are so many other options for coaches at that level. Duncan Robinson and Austin Hutcherson were appealing also because of the fact that they had to sit a year out which allowed them to physically prepare for that level. I don't really know why a D1 coach would want a D3 kid who is just getting thrown into the fire and has to adjust on the fly---by the time he figures out how to play, the season will be almost over.

Schner and Peek to me from the names I've seen so far are really the only guys who look physically capable of making an impact at a D1 program, and even then I would expect their impacts to be marginal. There are just too many other options.

[nescac1]

Whether or not guys ultimately prove successful in transferring up, it seems clear that next season will have fewer major impact fifth-year guys in the D3 ranks.  This year, the season (and especially the tournament) was dominated by such players ... Buzz Anthony, Jack Davidson, Jake Rhode, Jack Nolan, Jason Ellis, Conner Delaney, Jordan James, Luke Rogers, Gabe Leiffer, Quentin Shields, Jason Aigner, Luke Morrison, Nyameye Adom, just to name a few, the list goes on and on including lots of important role players on top teams.  But the early indications for next year are that we will see very few pre-season all-American types who are fifth year seniors.  Most guys seem to either be moving on, or trying to move up.

I think there are three major reasons for that.  First, with the last TWO D3 seasons left unfinished, I think a lot of guys felt they had unfinished business in college and wanted to stick around for a full season, including a full tourney.  This year, at least, everyone had a chance to make a full run at the brass ring.  It must have especially burned guys whose teams were still alive when the tourney was called off in 2020 to never get the chance to go to a Final Four, so it's unsurprising that LOTS of guys from those teams (Elmhurt, Tufts, Wash U., RMC, Yeshiva, CNU, Swarthmore all had notable fifth-year guys) in particular decided to postpone graduation for a year. 

Second, I think some of the truly elite players who are graduating with a year of eligibility left got to (unlike last year) showcase their skills and put together a full highlight tape for D1 teams, so they probably feel that they have a better shot of leveraging hoops into a year of playing D1, and maybe a scholarship to grad school, or even going the professional route like Turrel and, apparently, Azor. 

Third, there just aren't a lot of teams who "just missed" this year, who have significant fourth-year seniors with an extra year of eligibility left who might be especially inspired to stick around for a title run.  Illinois Wesleyan comes to mind but clearly they have some guys looking to transfer up.  But if you look at the rest of the top 10, those teams have a lot of great players who exhausted eligibility, and not very many key 4th year seniors.  I imagine it's a lot more tempting to come back for a fifth year, disrupting your post-graduation plans, if you think you will be on a legit national title contender.