To the players
by Grady Clapp on Mar 30, 2009 5:31 PM PDT
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PrintOK, this is the important post - not just random mindless venting on my part.
Klay, DeAngelo, Marcus, Nick, James, Mike, Abe and our incoming freshmen:
Please stay committed to WSU.
I can't emphasize this enough. We're all shocked right now, and we're all hurt. That's understandable. But we're all behind you, too. If you stick around Pullman I know there's no fanbase that will support you through thick and thin as much as we will.
I know you have a personal decision to make, and I promise we won't turn our backs on you if you do feel it's best to transfer. This wasn't your fault.
What I do know is that Jim Sterk will find the very best possible replacement at head coach. He will find someone who can help you develop, someone who can help you reach your goals and give you the best chance of reaching the next level.
So, rather than sit out a year, remain a Coug. Think about your teammates, and think about Taylor Rochestie and the Senior class that just left. If you ever want to know why you should stay in this town, don't hesitate to ask one of them.
They know why Pullman is special.
Awesome news update: Per KREM-TV in Spokane, DeAngelo Casto has said he does not plan to transfer.
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Besides
Your gym is a very good home court, they stay and who knows next year?
Proud member of Duck nation!
There's a facebook page
I think we have to start of focus on the players. We have been about Tony and look what it got us? Now it is about the players and letting them know we are behind them. I haven’t joined but I just might.
Does a group exist?
If not, someone should make one. Try and let the players know how much we support them.
I pimped it on my own page
but can’t seem to find a way to join it. Am I just blind or is there no join up button on the side?
You have to be a member of the WSU Network
Which I’m not, and can’t join because I don’t have an email from wsu anymore. If anyone is in the group and wants to let the admins know that there are alum that would love to join.
A little off topic but who put that new cougcenter slogan up there?
“Et tu, Tony?” I only ask cuz that is exactly what my friend put on his facebook. Just wondering if it is a coincidence or not.
he does, but we're on the 2nd floor
I think its more of something to take his mind off things then something serious.
Awesome news update: Per KREM-TV in Spokane, DeAngelo Casto has said he does not plan to transfer.
Excellent news.
http://www.spartyandfriends.com/
I wouldn't put too much stock in player comments today
There’s still a lot of time for them to change their minds — one way, or the other. They’re still trying to wrap their brains around this, just like we are.
That makes me feel better
When it comes down to it, I really care more about the players than about the coach. Today can’t take away all the great moments Derrick, Kyle and Taylor gave us.
Condolances from a UCLA fan
I feel for you guys…I’m just trying to imagine how I would feel if Coach Howland suddenly bailed on UCLA after saying it was his “dream job” and rebuilding our program…I’d be totally crushed. Bennett really did a great job and while I have to say I’m somewhat happy we don’t have to face him twice a year anymore…this is pretty lame how he ended it. Hope you guys hang onto your players and find a good replacement
Thanks
Condolences are usually reserved for when someone dies, but somehow it seems appropriate today.
lol
i couldn’t really think of a better word…and honestly you must feel pretty bummed
by bucknellbruin on Mar 30, 2009 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Bummed doesn't even begin to describe it
But I, and others here I’m sure, appreciate other fans stopping by to say their sorry. As a conference, we look better if we have strong coaches and teams.
Heading west over pullman at 6:03
i don’t have great vision, but I’d say so
is there any way
we could get a poll to see who the coug fans want as their new coach?
or is it too soon?
mourning is also reserved for people dying
we got dumped.
tonight’s the night for getting drunk and cranking alanis morrissette :)
Once a Coug always a Coug.
Jim Sterk will get you an awesome coach.
More from the Coaches are moron files
Calipari is leaving Memphis for Kentucky
This is where per game statistics go to die.
CougCenter
Rumor is 8 years 35 million
For a coach who loves the attention, that is understandable. But without an ego, I don’t know why any coach would want to walk into those expectations. Luckily for Calipari, he can take some of his amazing recruits with him.
I didn't think so I was just curious
of the link request, I thought maybe you only read the first sentence or something
Yeah, that's the thing about Cal
He’s a snake oil salesman. He usually gets his man, and if a couple of those freshmen follow him to Kentucky, and he can convince Patterson and Meeks to stay, he’s already got the best team in the SEC.
http://www.spartyandfriends.com/
he is getting something like
$750,000 more then any coach per year, for eight years. Sounds like arod all over again.
On a totally meaningless note
Klay Thompson joined the group “Please stay with us Cougar BB players”
$$
The school had decided to forgo charter flights for the basketball team next season, had raised a red flag concerning the cost of phone bills and had eliminated a planned trip to the Final Four for Bennett and his staff.
I love that WSU is paying a Russian History teacher $250k a year to teach 1 class at WSU tri-cities, but had to cut Bennett’s trip to the final four. no excuse to leave, but disapoiting none the less
How could we eliminate funding a FF trip for Bennett and staff?
That sounds absurd. All coaches go to the FF, right?
by westsidecougar1 on Mar 30, 2009 10:11 PM PDT up reply actions
WSU is NOT granting releases.
WSU athletic department has decided not going to let players out of their LOI’s to go with Tony to Virginia. Thank god we are looking out for ourselves…at we are being smart about this and not bending over as usual. If we keep Klay, DeAngelo, Marcus and the incoming frosh class, we will have the makings of a nice squad. GO COUGS!
I disagree.
As much as we love our team, remember, these are 17-18 year old kids who need to do what’s best for themselves. Remember the way UW handled the June Daughtrey recruits? They all left anyway, but with some of their eligibility used up as a result.
uw fired daughtrey
there’s a difference.
this is a two way commitment. wsu committed to them, it sucks that you have to learn that as an 18 year old, but you signed that LOI knowing it could happen.
No link
This has not that has been reported as far as I know—but it is fact.
I'd be surprised if any decision has been made yet
by Jeff Nusser on Mar 30, 2009 10:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Also
No Current Assistants will be interviewed for the job
by Ike Fontaine on Mar 30, 2009 11:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Actually, I would not say its crazy that they would not let players
go with Tony to Virginia. But if they wanted to transfer elsewhere, you can’t say no. I don’t blame them for not wanting Tony to take any of the players (would he even?). He pulled a fast one on us and we should not help him on his start there, we have ourselves to worry about.
Mychael Thompson: KLAY NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!!!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/budwithers/2008952129_withers31.html
“I can’t really be mad at him,” said guard Marcus Capers. “Without him and the coaching staff, I ain’t in college. I hope he does well at Virginia. But I’m still hurt.”
Klay Thompson was speaking similarly with his dad. Then Mychal Thompson, whom Bennett had called with the news, brought him back to reality.
“Klay’s fine. He’s calmed down after the initial shock,” Thompson said. "I told him, you’re not going to go anywhere. Why would you go and sit out a year [in transferring]? You’ve got a nice nucleus with Marcus Capers and DeAngelo Casto.
"I said, ‘Do you like Pullman?’ He likes it. ‘Do you like your teammates?’ He loves his teammates.
“Anybody who criticizes [Bennett] is a hypocrite. When you get involved in sports, this is what we do. This is no different from Blake Griffin leaving Oklahoma and James Harden leaving Arizona State, moving on to better situations.”
Where do the Cougars, hoping to have a replacement in a week, turn now? Surprisingly, athletic director Jim Sterk said Monday night he was ruling out Bennett’s assistants.
Ken Bone of Portland State will get a long look. He and Sterk worked together briefly at NCAA Division II Seattle Pacific, and Bone has taken the Vikings to two straight NCAA tournaments.
The search could have all sorts of Gonzaga fingerprints on it. Sterk acknowledged he will talk to San Diego coach Bill Grier, the longtime Zags assistant coach.
Sterk logically will sound out Gonzaga aide Ray Giacoletti, who has taken Eastern Washington and Utah to NCAA tournaments, and he might also take the temperature of Dan Monson, the former Gonzaga and Minnesota coach now at Long Beach State.
by Ike Fontaine on Mar 30, 2009 11:00 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
It's being a hypocrite to value loyalty and honesty?
I mean, why is Virginia such a better situation than Indiana was? He was the talk of the country after being named the national coach of the year and had multiple offers at the time, but he turned them down after lowly WSU scraped together enough funds to keep him satisfied. Furthermore, he offered lip service up until two days ago that he simply didn’t have to say.
Perhaps I just don’t “understand” because I’m not an athlete, but why can’t it be more then just about the money? I’d like to think that I have the integrity to say what I mean and do the right thing by my players I recruited and honor my contract, but again, I’m not “involved in sports.”
Guess that means you can’t see anything but dollar signs.
Mychal Thompson understands it's a business better than most
However, he doesn’t understand what it means to be a Coug. Only Klay will.
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