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Post by upbasketballfan on Apr 14, 2022 20:45:24 GMT -5
It does bother me that we would hear ADs decision from Tony Paul.
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Post by calihanmole on Apr 14, 2022 20:46:00 GMT -5
I 100% feel AD made the best choice for him. My general thoughts:
Playing for another coach will be a valuable experience. There’s multiple approaches to the game. Seeing the game from a different perspective will help him.
Earning a degree from another institution is a good experience and taps into another alumni base and basketball network/coaching tree. This could be very valuable if AD wants to be a college coach in 10 years.
He needs to get away from his dad. I like MD. But AD is 23 years old and he’s pretty much been a project of his dad and brother his entire life. There was a quote from MD Jr. recently where he said he and Sr. “built Antoine in a lab.” FFS, it isn’t normal to live with your dad and brother and travel with them and play for them until you’re 24. I’m sure the past 4 years were very special for the family, but it’s time to leave the nest. Anyone who has a son knows what I’m talking about.
AD is going to have a better experience than a UDM player could ever imagine. As I’ve often stated, I also follow my other alma mater which is a P5 school. The difference in experiences that P5 players have compared to what UDM offers is like comparing MLB teams to a Single A ball club. AD will go to a P5 school. He’s going to have access to the best of everything. Probably a summer trip to Europe, the best nutrition, the best housing, best gear, sick uniforms, awesome facilities, a sports psychologist, academic tutors, a brand management specialist, and he’ll fly on charter flights and stay in the best hotels. College basketball is a world of haves and have nots. AD will be with one of the haves for a year.
As some have said, AD is taking a risk and he could end up a bench player. First, I doubt that will happen. Second, even if it does, he’ll just be in the same position he is now. He’s had scouts watch him play for years and he’s never been a consensus draft pick. He hasn’t been able to consistently play against P5 talent. Now he will and he has the chance to prove himself. If it doesn’t go well then he’s still going to Europe and having a great career.
Finally, AD will be smart and pick a school that is a lock for the NCAA tournament. The NCAA tournament is the greatest tournament in all of sports. AD is one of the greatest shooters currently playing. I’m sure he’s been frustrated the last few years not playing in that tournament. He deserves to play in it and now he will. I’ll be rooting for him. We all should.
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Post by hyperion on Apr 15, 2022 7:42:38 GMT -5
I had a sad thought today. AD was our floor leader for 4 years and was unable to taste winning, in terms of winning the conference title/tournament and reaching the NCAA tourny. Now he’s off trying to find an established winner that he can fit into, and to get a taste of winning.
What does this say about the last four years. I can’t help but feel sad about all this.
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Post by nctitan on Apr 15, 2022 7:53:24 GMT -5
Either he thinks he can make $$$ with NIL at another school, or else he doesn't see any recruits coming in who can make the team better.
I'm reminded of Jason Calliste and his transfer to Oregon. But it's hard to find a UDM player who transferred to a better situation.
Wasn't his original commitment to Houston, which went deep into the tournament the past two seasons and really needed a 3-point shooter each time?
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Post by upbasketballfan on Apr 15, 2022 8:01:35 GMT -5
We lose a starter and do not gain a scholarship. Are ADs Mother and Sister still in Houston?
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Post by Commissioner on Apr 15, 2022 8:11:12 GMT -5
I'm irritated, but less by Antoine's decision than the state of Titan basketball generally, and beyond that the state of college basketball. The former is really depressing--we've now had 9 seasons with a total record of 105--178 (a .371 winning percentage). Basically, we have sucked for a decade, and I don't see much sign that we can expect much immediate improvement. We just lost the leading scorer from a sub-.500 team. Neither recruits nor transfers are coming in. Leaving aside more transfers this year or next, we're losing McAdoo and Harvey after the coming year. The state of college basketball has turned mid-majors into a farm system, and it will be harder than ever to build back up, let alone better. Oh, and democgraphis trends, along with the MHSAA, have pretty much ruined Michigan as a recruiting ground. About AD in particular: when I zero in from my general irritation with the state of things to focus on his transfer, I'm disappointed, but in some ways ambivalent. The fact is, we didn't win with AD, and it doesn't seem like he was a draw for other top recruits. He was a very good player and I'm glad we had him and glad for the PR he brought. But we didn't win in the regular season, we didn't win in the conference tournaments, and we didn't win in the post-season. Unlike others, I'm not going to do a syrupy post about wishing AD well. I don't wish him ill-will, but I frankly no longer care about him--immediately, starting now. We talk about the lack of commitment and loyalty in our society, complain about everyone chasing the dollar, etc. Well, if those things are things we don't like we should act like they matter to us. AD just turned his back on his teammates, UD fans, and on the school that gave him the chance to be a star. I am so sick of reading social media posts from these kids when they transfer about how grateful they are and how much they love their school and their teammates and the whole community and gosh it just been great and I'm so sorry and I love you dearly, but now I've gotta be me--I'm moving on. "Hey Hon, I love you more than anything, but I've found a younger, better looking woman and I'm out the door. It's been fun, take good care of the kids for me and tell them I love them. Oh, by the way, you'd look better if you could lose a few pounds." If we think things like loyalty and commitment matter, we shouldn't be so quick to say, "oh, well, your decision is entirely understandable, dear--she is a younger, better looking woman, and has money, too. I wish you only the best and I'll be rooting for you." So again, no ill-will, but no "thanks for all you've done, you're the best, I wish you nothing but success and I'll be rooting for you." Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. You all recall that two summers ago, after AD's sophomore season, I did a long series of post on the greatest Titans, post-WWII. I then ranked AD near the bottom of the top 20. Though with two more years he now is all over the Titan career record books (I'll do another post on that), I doubt I would rank him much higher. The fact is, the Titans didn't win. AD could be electrifying at times, and I do think he's a better, more complete player than when he was a freshman, but not a whole lot better. Category | Freshman | Senior | FG % | .400 | .429 | 3Pt % | .380 | .379 | FT % | .857 | .882 | PPG | 26.1 | 23.9 | RPG | 3.1 | 3.6 | APG | 3.6 | 4.4 | SPG | 0.9 | 1.0 | BPG | 0.0 | 0.0 | TO pg | 3.3 | 3.3 | Eff. Rating | 22.4 | 24.2 | Win Shares | 3.1 | 4.4 | Box +/- | 2.2 | 2.5 |
I wish we were not losing Davis. But maybe after 4 years it will be better to see a more diversified offense, to see if Waterman and others can shine. I think now we'll see if Coach is dedicated, or is just going to go through the motions for another year. I think Coach Davis is a competitor--I don't think he wants to end his career on a low note. He's made a financial commitment to the program. I hope he plans to spend the last decade of his career here and leading the Titans to NCAA tournaments, but I guess we'll see. P.S. Lots more PT for Sonny Johnson!
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Post by fan on Apr 15, 2022 8:29:02 GMT -5
When MD came to UDM and brought along AD the whole team offense and defense along with the pieces that came along with it were built to favor AD and make him a star, and it worked. AD is leaving with a bunch of records. AD has no reason to stay at the UDM, not more than Willy does, next year would have been just like the past 4, and all he would do is add to his records, so what? next year there will be no NCAA, no NIT, no HL championship, no memories, just more of the same.
AD will get more exposure now by leaving than by staying. MD and AD got what they wanted from the UDM, AD was a star, he has his degree, he was a model team member, with no issues, no problems, it's time the AD era is done.
As for AD, by staying AD certainly would be a scoring leader, a good thing, which might make him more valuable to the league, but the question will be the same, Does he have an NBA body? As a one-and-done transfer, he will certainly have difficulty fitting in at a new team. He in one year would not fit into say a Duke, Gonzaga or even MSU, he needs to find a run and gun school where he can stand out, they are out there. The real key for him leaving is HIL money, it's not at the UDM. Going forward he can't fix to the UDM program problems, AD did the right move for AD, good luck to him, and thanks for the memories. I truely hope he gets into a good situation.
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Post by friartitan on Apr 15, 2022 9:17:13 GMT -5
My Prediction for the 2022-23 season: More than 14 wins!..Without Covid AD’s eligibility would be exhausted..It is time to move on and for the coaching staff & players to step up to the challenge of winning without him..
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Post by upbasketballfan on Apr 15, 2022 9:19:38 GMT -5
I'm irritated, but less by Antoine's decision than the state of Titan basketball generally, and beyond that the state of college basketball. The former is really depressing--we've now had 9 seasons with a total record of 105--178 (a .371 winning percentage). Basically, we have sucked for a decade, and I don't see much sign that we can expect much immediate improvement. We just lost the leading scorer from a sub-.500 team. Neither recruits nor transfers are coming in. Leaving aside more transfers this year or next, we're losing McAdoo and Harvey after the coming year. The state of college basketball has turned mid-majors into a farm system, and it will be harder than ever to build back up, let alone better. Oh, and democgraphis trends, along with the MHSAA, have pretty much ruined Michigan as a recruiting ground. About AD in particular: when I zero in from my general irritation with the state of things to focus on his transfer, I'm disappointed, but in some ways ambivalent. The fact is, we didn't win with AD, and it doesn't seem like he was a draw for other top recruits. He was a very good player and I'm glad we had him and glad for the PR he brought. But we didn't win in the regular season, we didn't win in the conference tournaments, and we didn't win in the post-season. Unlike others, I'm not going to do a syrupy post about wishing AD well. I don't wish him ill-will, but I frankly no longer care about him--immediately, starting now. We talk about the lack of commitment and loyalty in our society, complain about everyone chasing the dollar, etc. Well, if those things are things we don't like we should act like they matter to us. AD just turned his back on his teammates, UD fans, and on the school that gave him the chance to be a star. I am so sick of reading social media posts from these kids when they transfer about how grateful they are and how much they love their school and their teammates and the whole community and gosh it just been great and I'm so sorry and I love you dearly, but now I've gotta be me--I'm moving on. "Hey Hon, I love you more than anything, but I've found a younger, better looking woman and I'm out the door. It's been fun, take good care of the kids for me and tell them I love them. Oh, by the way, you'd look better if you could lose a few pounds." If we think things like loyalty and commitment matter, we shouldn't be so quick to say, "oh, well, your decision is entirely understandable, dear--she is a younger, better looking woman, and has money, too. I wish you only the best and I'll be rooting for you." So again, no ill-will, but no "thanks for all you've done, you're the best, I wish you nothing but success and I'll be rooting for you." Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. You all recall that two summers ago, after AD's sophomore season, I did a long series of post on the greatest Titans, post-WWII. I then ranked AD near the bottom of the top 20. Though with two more years he now is all over the Titan career record books (I'll do another post on that), I doubt I would rank him much higher. The fact is, the Titans didn't win. AD could be electrifying at times, and I do think he's a better, more complete player than when he was a freshman, but not a whole lot better. Category | Freshman | Senior | FG % | .400 | .429 | 3Pt % | .380 | .379 | FT % | .857 | .882 | PPG | 26.1 | 23.9 | RPG | 3.1 | 3.6 | APG | 3.6 | 4.4 | SPG | 0.9 | 1.0 | BPG | 0.0 | 0.0 | TO pg | 3.3 | 3.3 | Eff. Rating | 22.4 | 24.2 | Win Shares | 3.1 | 4.4 | Box +/- | 2.2 | 2.5 |
I wish we were not losing Davis. But maybe after 4 years it will be better to see a more diversified offense, to see if Waterman and others can shine. I think now we'll see if Coach is dedicated, or is just going to go through the motions for another year. I think Coach Davis is a competitor--I don't think he wants to end his career on a low note. He's made a financial commitment to the program. I hope he plans to spend the last decade of his career here and leading the Titans to NCAA tournaments, but I guess we'll see. P.S. Lots more PT for Sonny Johnson! I agree with this post almost 100%. I think the move is bad for AD but good for UD. Now we will finally get a chance to see MD coach and see what he has left in the tank. I think the team will be better but we still need 3 more necessary pieces. Maybe now we get Meechie Johnson or another strong guard who can penetrate. I hope MacAdoo is gearing up for a huge season!
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Post by Commissioner on Apr 15, 2022 9:47:09 GMT -5
I agree with this post almost 100%. I think the move is bad for AD but good for UD. Now we will finally get a chance to see MD coach and see what he has left in the tank. I think the team will be better but we still need 3 more necessary pieces. Maybe now we get Meechie Johnson or another strong guard who can penetrate. I hope MacAdoo is gearing up for a huge season! It's not a bad move for AD. It's probably the best financial move he could make for his future. He isn't an NBA player. He could play in the G League or Europe for years and make a decent living but he just isn't a true PG that is going to make it in the league. Being a star at Detroit or a role player on a P6 school isn't going to change his pro potential. His best chance to make serious money for his future is to cash in this year with a NIL deal. Tanner Holden left WSU to go to Ohio State. From what I have heard, he is going to make more money from his NIL deal than most of the coaches in the HL make. AD or any college athlete would be foolish to turn that down and that truly truly sucks for college athletics. Unless the NCAA reverses course and changes the transfer rules and puts some kind of cap on NIL money this is really the end of college sports as we know it. There are going to be 50-75 schools that will be able to compete in the age of NIL and the rest of the schools will turn into minor league systems to develop players for them. I think Tanner Holden is a fine player, and I don't doubt you, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why Tanner Holden would be worth in excess of $250K for NIL. (That's a rhetorical comment not demanding a response from anyone).
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Post by calihanmole on Apr 15, 2022 10:11:23 GMT -5
I respectfully disagree with you, commissioner, on your loyalty analysis. This is nothing like marriage. AD was a teenager who agreed to play basketball and decided he wanted to play for his dad last minute when his DAD DECIDED to take a new job a thousand miles away. Did his dad talk to AD and did they decide to take on the move together? Possibly, but we don’t know. Even if they did, again, Antoine was a damn kid. Also, AD received his degree, represented the school extraordinary well as far as being a model student athlete. He’s been the guy practicing and shooting 10,000 shots a day, diving over scorer’s tables and coming out with a sling on his shoulder. Not you, not me, not any of us.
Maybe the question is, when does one’s loyalty become no longer required or expected? I agree that marriage is for life. But using that as an analogy for a kid playing basketball seems rather silly. Have you ever in your life changed jobs? Did you earn a graduate degree from a school that was not your undergraduate school? If so, I guess you’re not loyal.
I could see if AD transferred without graduating or departed by putting down the school in some way. But people grow and move on to other chapters in their lives - 23 year old basketball players included.
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Post by fan on Apr 15, 2022 10:31:12 GMT -5
well put Calihanmole
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Post by kirky313 on Apr 15, 2022 10:46:08 GMT -5
I am with the mole, he did his time with us, but he did not win.. he can cash in on NIL and make the tournament.. be a star on CBS for a few weekends. Good for him. Our program is in a state of distress, it's not AD's fault it's years of poor leadership and bad decisions compounded.
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Post by ptctitan on Apr 15, 2022 11:25:11 GMT -5
If it weren't for Covid, we'd be facing this issue this year anyway.
The NIL money I hear about at power schools is ridiculous. The ____ State University that first caused the NCAA to enact the Clark Kellogg rule on summer jobs is now reportedly throwing around 6 figure NIL deals to lure players. The HL looks like it has been clear cut or strip mined.
I was saddened by the unexpectedness of the news yesterday. Now, I am focused upon helping our team and our school build a program that is not dependent upon a magical AD, a magical coach or one or two short-term players. I don't want us to be a shooting star like St. Peters. We have decades of bad decisions and outright neglect to overcome. We don't have the luxury of building things on the State's credit rating. I will no longer accept the excuse from administrators, "We've always done it this way."
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Post by professorjackson on Apr 15, 2022 13:51:44 GMT -5
The university paid a head coach $2.5 million dollars for the last four years for the level of basketball we've seen? Good lord. There must be a better use for that kind of money.
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