EasyEd
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Post by EasyEd on Aug 11, 2023 11:42:49 GMT -5
Time to sign another "some random dude", SRD, big.
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conshyhoya
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Post by conshyhoya on Aug 11, 2023 11:47:18 GMT -5
According to sources, West Virginia had indeed offered Akok a bigger NIL package than what he was getting at Georgetown. However, Akok wanted a certain figure to enter the portal, and WVU wasn’t giving him the exact number he wanted, which is why this situation has been fluid for several weeks now. What is going on with the NIL$ bag that GU supposedly had for Dickinson? IIRC, since that failed recruitment, we haven’t signed a top eligible player who required a substantial NIL$ amount. Why couldn’t Akok get a larger cut from the allegedly available NIL$? Is Cooley holding out for someone coming soon? Asked about the mass exodus in his initial press conferences, he said that he didn’t want any players who didn’t want to be here (and I agree). Is that the case with Akok or was it NIL$? Supposedly, Cooley has an open-door policy. Someone (Hilltop, I’m looking at you) should stop by and ask him. I’m a Cooley fan and I will not blame him for this past season’s mass exodus, but Akok is on him. It’s not like this situation caught him by surprise. This has been brewing for weeks. It’s a week before the fall semester starts and we have 10 scholarship players. We have gone from having an old, experienced BE starter in a position without a proven backup (Ish plays more like a SF), with all the available pt that he could manage, to having no experienced PF and having to play the position by committee. I was looking forward to seeing what Cooley could do for Akok’s offensive game. It’s August and, once again, GU doesn’t have a set roster. When we signed Cooley, I didn’t think we would be in this situation yet again. Why waste NIL on a one year player if you most likely aren't going to be in a position to make it to post season play? Sure if you get Hunter you start getting the rest of the pieces in place. Seems like plan A was getting one of the top available transfers and if we were outbid like we were plan B was build for next year. I wouldn't waste my money on Akok either. I would have loved to see him stay but no need to waste future resources for someone who isn't part of the future. |
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TC
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Post by TC on Aug 11, 2023 14:06:19 GMT -5
Asked about the mass exodus in his initial press conferences, he said that he didn’t want any players who didn’t want to be here (and I agree). Is that the case with Akok or was it NIL$? Supposedly, Cooley has an open-door policy. Someone (Hilltop, I’m looking at you) should stop by and ask him. Hilltop already answered that : hilltophoops.substack.com/p/akok-akok-transfers-from-georgetownAkok Akok left a team that became national champions to go to a 0-20 Patrick Ewing led team - he could have had a ring this year. I think you can do the math there and figure out that his priorities are with the NIL $. |
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Aug 11, 2023 14:18:46 GMT -5
Asked about the mass exodus in his initial press conferences, he said that he didn’t want any players who didn’t want to be here (and I agree). Is that the case with Akok or was it NIL$? Supposedly, Cooley has an open-door policy. Someone (Hilltop, I’m looking at you) should stop by and ask him. Hilltop already answered that : hilltophoops.substack.com/p/akok-akok-transfers-from-georgetownThat’s not what I meant. Instead of sources, let’s have a Cooley post-summer interview and ask him on the record. He can be as vague or direct as he likes. |
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Aug 11, 2023 14:28:48 GMT -5
What is going on with the NIL$ bag that GU supposedly had for Dickinson? IIRC, since that failed recruitment, we haven’t signed a top eligible player who required a substantial NIL$ amount. Why couldn’t Akok get a larger cut from the allegedly available NIL$? Is Cooley holding out for someone coming soon? Asked about the mass exodus in his initial press conferences, he said that he didn’t want any players who didn’t want to be here (and I agree). Is that the case with Akok or was it NIL$? Supposedly, Cooley has an open-door policy. Someone (Hilltop, I’m looking at you) should stop by and ask him. I’m a Cooley fan and I will not blame him for this past season’s mass exodus, but Akok is on him. It’s not like this situation caught him by surprise. This has been brewing for weeks. It’s a week before the fall semester starts and we have 10 scholarship players. We have gone from having an old, experienced BE starter in a position without a proven backup (Ish plays more like a SF), with all the available pt that he could manage, to having no experienced PF and having to play the position by committee. I was looking forward to seeing what Cooley could do for Akok’s offensive game. It’s August and, once again, GU doesn’t have a set roster. When we signed Cooley, I didn’t think we would be in this situation yet again. Why waste NIL on a one year player if you most likely aren't going to be in a position to make it to post season play? Sure if you get Hunter you start getting the rest of the pieces in place. Seems like plan A was getting one of the top available transfers and if we were outbid like we were plan B was build for next year. I wouldn't waste my money on Akok either. I would have loved to see him stay but no need to waste future resources for someone who isn't part of the future. I get what you’re saying, but we need to be out of the BE’s bottom 3 asap to attract and retain talent. We just lost a senior BE starter who filled a position of need and brought balance (experience, age, position, etc.) to the team. Cooley better have an ace up his sleeve this year or we’ll be very thin in the front court. Btw, who knows who is “part of the future” with the transfer portal. |
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bigskyhoya
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Post by bigskyhoya on Aug 11, 2023 14:48:49 GMT -5
Why waste NIL on a one year player if you most likely aren't going to be in a position to make it to post season play? Sure if you get Hunter you start getting the rest of the pieces in place. Seems like plan A was getting one of the top available transfers and if we were outbid like we were plan B was build for next year. I wouldn't waste my money on Akok either. I would have loved to see him stay but no need to waste future resources for someone who isn't part of the future. I get what you’re saying, but we need to be out of the BE’s bottom 3 asap to attract and retain talent. We just lost a senior BE starter who filled a position of need and brought balance (experience, age, position, etc.) to the team. Cooley better have an ace up his sleeve this year or we’ll be very thin in the front court. Btw, who knows who is “part of the future” with the transfer portal. It's Mutombo time! No more excuses and nothing and no one to hold him back. He has shown flashes but for the first time the team will need to rely heavily on him. I believe he can be an important piece but if I am wrong, we will struggle big time this year. |
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DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Aug 11, 2023 15:02:53 GMT -5
One doesn't need to quote sources to know that Akok Akok was neither the present nor the future of this roster. Like far too many of the short-term adds of Patrick Ewing and his staff, Akok was a spot player with a limited upside due to injury. Supreme Cook will fill much of this role as a grad transfer, as a prelude to Thomas Sorber.
There are a number of players to whom the transfer portal did not yield a landing. Don't think for a moment that Cooley and his staff haven't done its homework on some options here.
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Post by BeantownHoya on Aug 11, 2023 15:08:18 GMT -5
One doesn't need to quote sources to know that Akok Akok was neither the present nor the future of this roster. Like far too many of the short-term adds of Patrick Ewing and his staff, Akok was a spot player with a limited upside due to injury. Supreme Cook will fill much of this role as a grad transfer, as a prelude to Thomas Sorber. There are a number of players to whom the transfer portal did not yield a landing. Don't think for a moment that Cooley and his staff haven't done its homework on some options here. ...but what options at this point is my concern. I don't doubt that we're not surprised by this result but unless there is some kid out there leaving their current program like Akok (and maybe there is) there is little to nothing in the Portal at this point at the 4... |
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conshyhoya
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Post by conshyhoya on Aug 11, 2023 15:12:04 GMT -5
Why waste NIL on a one year player if you most likely aren't going to be in a position to make it to post season play? Sure if you get Hunter you start getting the rest of the pieces in place. Seems like plan A was getting one of the top available transfers and if we were outbid like we were plan B was build for next year. I wouldn't waste my money on Akok either. I would have loved to see him stay but no need to waste future resources for someone who isn't part of the future. I get what you’re saying, but we need to be out of the BE’s bottom 3 asap to attract and retain talent. We just lost a senior BE starter who filled a position of need and brought balance (experience, age, position, etc.) to the team. Cooley better have an ace up his sleeve this year or we’ll be very thin in the front court. Btw, who knows who is “part of the future” with the transfer portal. I would think Cooley sold his vision to the guys currently here and he already has 3 seemingly good recruits for next year. Use that extra money and try and get a good piece to fill his shoes for next year via that portal or go all in on someone like Queen if he thinks he can get him and work with the pieces currently in place. I would have loved for Akok to stay but let's face it he isn't moving the needle enough and really isn't Cooley's type of big. It also helps that the NCAA is enforcing their two transfer rules so you have Rowan and Epps coming back next year unless they want to sit. Not saying there won't be people leaving but one would think Cooley will be a better coach and have a better retention rate than Ewing. I mean that bar is so low, him just retaining a handful of players will be better than Ewing. Plus the young guys here now will get more minutes with Akok gone along with Ryan. That should help retain Ryan for his senior year and get Fielder and Drew more minutes and therefore being more willing to give him an additional year to fulfill his vision. Now he needs to be able to actual develop someone which hasn't been the case with the past coaching staff. Still leaves an issue this year as you definitely don't want to look like the same team that showed up the last two years and one injury could make you a really small team. My expectations are he won't make any splashy moves but will at least try and bring someone in that only has a year left or look at one of the few higher ranked 2023 recruits still out there now that he can offer more minutes. With Sorber and looking at Queen I would think someone it would be someone that can play the 3/4. |
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EtomicB
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Post by EtomicB on Aug 11, 2023 16:53:46 GMT -5
Asked about the mass exodus in his initial press conferences, he said that he didn’t want any players who didn’t want to be here (and I agree). Is that the case with Akok or was it NIL$? Supposedly, Cooley has an open-door policy. Someone (Hilltop, I’m looking at you) should stop by and ask him. Hilltop already answered that : hilltophoops.substack.com/p/akok-akok-transfers-from-georgetownAkok Akok left a team that became national champions to go to a 0-20 Patrick Ewing led team - he could have had a ring this year. I think you can do the math there and figure out that his priorities are with the NIL $. Be fair about his leaving Uconn TC, it was for PT not NIL. |
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CTHoya08
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Bring back Izzo!
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Post by CTHoya08 on Aug 11, 2023 20:25:25 GMT -5
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hoyaboya
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Post by hoyaboya on Aug 11, 2023 20:36:35 GMT -5
Etienne committed to DePaul. |
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Post by professorhoya on Aug 11, 2023 20:56:50 GMT -5
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Aug 11, 2023 23:31:54 GMT -5
For those of you wringing your hands about the timing--Georgetown's second summer class session just ended. As of May, Akok Akok was NOT listed as a graduate at Connecticut, and there was no indication he graduated from Georgetown either (and DFW pointed out he could not as a mattter of policy anyway). If I had to guess, this was an impossibility for him in May and became possible over the summer. Akok was my favorite player last year, so I don't like that he transferred. Is it "on" Cooley? I guess to some extent, after all he's the coach. But, Cooley did not recruit Akok, virtually the entire roster turned over, and the staff turned over. Nobody was shocked when everyone else transferred. If this happened in April or May, nobody would have thought anything of it. The timing is very odd, but I think in Akok's case it was likely driven by a need to graduate first, NIL money at WVU that may not have been available in the past (not to mention Huggins' leaving), and wanting to play with his friend during his last year of eligibility.
I would much prefer a team with Akok than one without him. But, I also don't think it is a disaster either, for the reasons I stated in the other thread. Akok was a great player, and he would have made an impact, but it's not like we are losing a 2007 Jeff Green or 2013 Otto Porter. And frankly, the rest of the team is weak anyway, and on last year's weak team Akok didn't get us out of the toilet. I would have loved to see him play Akok under a real coach.
As far as retention, Ed Cooley has never had significant retention problems in his career, so I am not going to worry about that now.
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Post by professorhoya on Aug 11, 2023 23:49:36 GMT -5
For those of you wringing your hands about the timing--Georgetown's second summer class session just ended. As of May, Akok Akok was NOT listed as a graduate at Connecticut, and there was no indication he graduated from Georgetown either (and DFW pointed out he could not as a mattter of policy anyway). If I had to guess, this was an impossibility for him in May and became possible over the summer. Akok was my favorite player last year, so I don't like that he transferred. Is it "on" Cooley? I guess to some extent, after all he's the coach. But, Cooley did not recruit Akok, virtually the entire roster turned over, and the staff turned over. Nobody was shocked when everyone else transferred. If this happened in April or May, nobody would have thought anything of it. The timing is very odd, but I think in Akok's case it was likely driven by a need to graduate first, NIL money at WVU that may not have been available in the past (not to mention Huggins' leaving), and wanting to play with his friend during his last year of eligibility. I would much prefer a team with Akok than one without him. But, I also don't think it is a disaster either, for the reasons I stated in the other thread. Akok was a great player, and he would have made an impact, but it's not like we are losing a 2007 Jeff Green or 2013 Otto Porter. And frankly, the rest of the team is weak anyway, and on last year's weak team Akok didn't get us out of the toilet. I would have loved to see him play Akok under a real coach. As far as retention, Ed Cooley has never had significant retention problems in his career, so I am not going to worry about that now. If the academic rules are correct, then it seems disturbing that the academic side of the university would bend their own rules to allow him to graduate which effectively sabotages the basketball side of the school. "Students must complete a minimum of four semesters of full-time study (exclusive of summer study; for these purposes a semester is considered to be fall or spring in the regular academic year only) in residence at Georgetown. Study abroad at one of Georgetown’s campuses (GU-Q, Villa le Balze) counts toward the four-semester residency requirement, but all other Georgetown-approved study abroad programs do not. "A minimum of 60 credits must be completed in residence, in Georgetown coursework“ Someone in the Hoya media needs to investigate this. |
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TC
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Post by TC on Aug 12, 2023 7:52:03 GMT -5
Be fair about his leaving Uconn TC, it was for PT not NIL. Was it? I don't believe that and I don't think wanting to transfer from a championship team to an absolute garbage program for 10 more minutes a game is more admirable. |
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TC
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Post by TC on Aug 12, 2023 7:58:37 GMT -5
If the academic rules are correct, then it seems disturbing that the academic side of the university would bend their own rules to allow him to graduate which effectively sabotages the basketball side of the school. "Students must complete a minimum of four semesters of full-time study (exclusive of summer study; for these purposes a semester is considered to be fall or spring in the regular academic year only) in residence at Georgetown. Study abroad at one of Georgetown’s campuses (GU-Q, Villa le Balze) counts toward the four-semester residency requirement, but all other Georgetown-approved study abroad programs do not. "A minimum of 60 credits must be completed in residence, in Georgetown coursework“ Someone in the Hoya media needs to investigate this. I think you are misunderstanding what people are suggesting - Akok Akok spent three years at UCONN. DFW and 2003 are suggesting that he may have transferred the Georgetown credits he earned back into UCONN and received a UCONN degree. No one thinks he has a Georgetown degree. |
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EtomicB
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Post by EtomicB on Aug 12, 2023 8:31:59 GMT -5
Be fair about his leaving Uconn TC, it was for PT not NIL. Was it? I don't believe that and I don't think wanting to transfer from a championship team to an absolute garbage program for 10 more minutes a game is more admirable. It wasn’t a secret that Hurley was very high on Karaban.. www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/Akok-Akok-UConn-Georgetown-Hurley-Ewing-17658374.php
Akok, who essentially missed out on what would have been two years of important development, averaged 14 minutes a game last year, half of the 28 he averaged as a freshman. He could not be guaranteed more for this season. Hurley didn’t even play Akok in either of UConn’s two Big East Tournament games last season, when he averaged 3.4 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Asked how conversations with Hurley and the UConn staff went after the season, Akok said, “They just said to ‘Stick in there, keep your head up high, your day will come.’ Things like that. ‘Your time is coming. Stay ready. Opportunity will present itself.’”[/b] |
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TC
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Post by TC on Aug 12, 2023 8:36:23 GMT -5
That’s not what I meant. Instead of sources, let’s have a Cooley post-summer interview and ask him on the record. He can be as vague or direct as he likes. Hilltop getting access is something I think we all are behind - especially with Casual deciding to go full St. John's/Rick Pitino troll four and a half months in. |
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Post by professorhoya on Aug 12, 2023 9:23:16 GMT -5
If the academic rules are correct, then it seems disturbing that the academic side of the university would bend their own rules to allow him to graduate which effectively sabotages the basketball side of the school. "Students must complete a minimum of four semesters of full-time study (exclusive of summer study; for these purposes a semester is considered to be fall or spring in the regular academic year only) in residence at Georgetown. Study abroad at one of Georgetown’s campuses (GU-Q, Villa le Balze) counts toward the four-semester residency requirement, but all other Georgetown-approved study abroad programs do not. "A minimum of 60 credits must be completed in residence, in Georgetown coursework“ Someone in the Hoya media needs to investigate this. I think you are misunderstanding what people are suggesting - Akok Akok spent three years at UCONN. DFW and 2003 are suggesting that he may have transferred the Georgetown credits he earned back into UCONN and received a UCONN degree. No one thinks he has a Georgetown degree. Both you and 2003 are just guessing. Under 2003s scenario, Akok would likely have to transfer back to UCONN, then graduate from UCONN to grad transfer to West Virginia, etc. NCAA would really frown on the kind of gaming the system and the participants in this would get in deep trouble. |
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