UE- Ryan Sawvell

[squirrel]

It sounds like he's a kid that wants PT. If he's not getting it this year, next year doesn't look any better with Brzoja entering the mix.

It's a shame, because he could be that prototypical role player that makes the difference between an ok team to good team and good team to great.

But if that's not a role he's willing to embrace, then it's probably for the best.

[TheAnswerMan]

The young team and lack size excuse is getting old. How many soph and junior bigs has he ran off? Johnson, House, Sawvell, Haarsma just to name a few. I thought last year was suppose to be "the year" for Marty. Colt was a senior and was his 6th year at the helm. NCAA? No. NIT? No. Pay 40k to play in some fifth tier tourney? Yes.
I predict Rokas will leave soon too as his playing time went from something his F year to nothing the past two. With him the fellow countryman will go as well. Martys record of keeping or even developing Bigs is pathetic.

Let's be fair. Johnson was not run off. He injured his knee, redshirted and left before his freshman year. House was not run off. He also had knee problems and transferred to another school and did not play because of...wait for it...an injured knee. Haarsma was not run off. He was a starter and transferred to be closer to his home in Wisconsin. Common. Rokas is on crutches, should he be on the floor with them? Let's add some names you missed. Jahr was run off for breaking team rules. He transferred to D2 and can't start there either. The Valpo transfer Bouchie quit again and stopped playing basketball altogether. Marty doesn't have that kind of power. Bouchie's lack of interest ran him off, not Coach Simmons. It's fine if you want to bash Coach Simmons. But at least try to be accurate with your criticism. No one he "ran off" set the world on fire under a different coach.

[FanOfBB]

House actually went to Sauk valley JC and played quite a bit then to SEMO where Michael Porter played in front of him . Haarsma "closer to home" code for tired of being a pick setter and outlet passer for C. Ryan. There has been other Bigs that either left or went undeveloped.
Lets say all these people were not any good and did not produce at next school. Most were starters at one point for UE, so if that many were not any good that falls on bad eyes/scouting/ recruiting. Who runs that ship? Marty.

Just like this young excuse and "wait til next year" all the time. This is year 7. This program didnt start yesterday and is restricted to 17-18 yr olds only. Seems to me bad planning and recruiting skills.

If Steve Merfeld was a UE alum and took them all the way to round 2 of the NIT as a player almost 30 years ago, would he still have excuses made for him and a job?

[agrinut]

Hard enough to play for the Aces, add in that you are nothing more than a glorified mannequin in a system destined to inflate a guards numbers. I wonder if Marty and Grinnel's coach Arseneault are exchanging coaching secrets.

[Aargh]

Here's the link:

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/d ... l-program/

I've read plenty of articles about players leaving programs. Most just say "personal reasons", "to be closer to home", or the one that indicates a conflict "to pursue other opportunities". If thee's much of anything past that, it usually goes..."w wish him the best in whatever he does" or "we will help him in any way with what he chooses next".

But, not Marty:

I think it opens up some opportunity — the next man up theory

...and...

It opens up some doors that we didn’t have before. Obviously, we’re going to have a scholarship we didn’t anticipate

Simmons is losing an experienced player and listing all the positives about that in the press. It makes it sound like he's happy Sawvell is leaving. I'm sure there have been many (if not all) coaches who have been thrilled when a player leaves, but they don't go to the press with that info. I'd prefer Marty showed a little more respect for a player he recruited and coached. Maybe if Sawvell didn't progress in college, just maybe that's not totally on the player.

[acesfool]

The young team and lack size excuse is getting old. How many soph and junior bigs has he ran off? Johnson, House, Sawvell, Haarsma just to name a few. I thought last year was suppose to be "the year" for Marty. Colt was a senior and was his 6th year at the helm. NCAA? No. NIT? No. Pay 40k to play in some fifth tier tourney? Yes.
I predict Rokas will leave soon too as his playing time went from something his F year to nothing the past two. With him the fellow countryman will go as well. Martys record of keeping or even developing Bigs is pathetic.

Let's be fair. Johnson was not run off. He injured his knee, redshirted and left before his freshman year. House was not run off. He also had knee problems and transferred to another school and did not play because of...wait for it...an injured knee. Haarsma was not run off. He was a starter and transferred to be closer to his home in Wisconsin. Common. Rokas is on crutches, should he be on the floor with them? Let's add some names you missed. Jahr was run off for breaking team rules. He transferred to D2 and can't start there either. The Valpo transfer Bouchie quit again and stopped playing basketball altogether. Marty doesn't have that kind of power. Bouchie's lack of interest ran him off, not Coach Simmons. It's fine if you want to bash Coach Simmons. But at least try to be accurate with your criticism. No one he "ran off" set the world on fire under a different coach.

You should change your name to Marty's excuse man.

[pafan]

But, not Marty:

I think it opens up some opportunity — the next man up theory

...and...

It opens up some doors that we didn’t have before. Obviously, we’re going to have a scholarship we didn’t anticipate

Simmons is losing an experienced player and listing all the positives about that in the press. It makes it sound like he's happy Sawvell is leaving.

Yeah ... uh. I hadn't read that since it was updated with the interview with Marty.

With respect to the "typical departure": they usually come in April, not December. This clearly wasn't a kid who was homesick after being in E'ville for 2.5 years. I'm not sure what Marty was supposed to say, but "no further comment" would have been better than this...

[aceslifer]

just maybe all this speculating of the reasons Sawvell left the team is just that; Speculation. How about this: perhaps he was not giving 100 percent effort, perhaps he was a loner, perhaps he had an attitude perhaps he was disruptive in practice, disruptive in locker rooms perhaps high maintanence, perhaps not a true team player,... so I could go on and on, .....so quit the speculating and move on. NEXT MAN UP...go ACES.

[Black]

just maybe all this speculating of the reasons Sawvell left the team is just that; Speculation. How about this: perhaps he was not giving 100 percent effort, perhaps he was a loner, perhaps he had an attitude perhaps he was disruptive in practice, disruptive in locker rooms perhaps high maintanence, perhaps not a true team player,... so I could go on and on, .....so quit the speculating and move on. NEXT MAN UP...go ACES.

That was a whole lot of speculation.

[aceslifer]

perhaps speculation, perhaps inside knowledge?????