Shift in the WAC balance of power?

[Pony4Life]

Carl English announced yesterday that he's leaving Hawaii a year early and entering the NBA draft.

[Eddie P]

Big news...the equivalent would have been Q leaving us last year.

I always forget he's a junior, not a senior.

[The CPC]

English is a senior. He has a medical redshirt year he could use (broke his ankle as a freshman) but he announced months ago he intended to turn pro. He's on time to graduate in May.

This isnt a shift in power, he's said publically since December that he intended to declare for the draft.

[Eddie P]

You're both right, actually...

I always believed he was a senior...even looked him up on the Hawaii website and they list him as a junior. They had a story about it on the Hawaii athletic website. He's not hiring an agent so he can return if he doesn't like his position in the draft. He will graduate in May, so can you graduate and not be a senior??

[TUfan]

On athletics websites they use their eligibility status. He could be a senior by academic standards and still have a year left (which he does). Students who do graduate before their eligibility is up can enroll in graduate/law school and complete their eligibility, but it has to be at the school from which they graduated.

[FloridaMustang]

Only a Tulsa fan... we get it.

[This message has been edited by UNFMustang06 (edited 04-03-2003).]

[The CPC]

It doesnt look like Hawaii is expecting English to come back, they're offering his scholarship to Jake Sotto, from Southeastern CC in Iowa. Sotto was the teams leading scorer and team captain of this years NJCAA D1 national champions. Southeastern finished 37-1, and Sotto averaged about 17 ppg. He's a big time 3 point shooter. Very slender frame, a 2 guard, not a forward, but a real bomber from the perimeter.

TCU lost a recruit they wanted bad today. Marques Lewis, a wide bodied juco power forward, has spurned the Frogs and committed to UA-Birmingham.

[Stallion]

speaking of balance of power I would think that UTEP is going to make a quick return to respectability with the signing of the two JC All-American types as well as some others. PG Filberto Rivera was MVP of The JC National Championship and (think his name is Omar Thomas was the leading scorer(over 34 ppg) in JC the last two years and the leading rebounder. Thomas was an All-American last year and would have been this year but apparently his coach forgot to nominate him. Advantage UTEP.

[The CPC]

Rivera is the real deal. Good enough that Sheldon Pace, another JC recruit, asked for his release. He knew he'd never start with Rivera there. Rivera and Sotto were teammates at Southeastern and its a little strange that there werent many other big named schools really in the chase for either of them. They were pretty much unstoppable at the JC level.
Thomas averaged 36 ppg and 17 rebounds a game. He's a one man gang on offense, but a liability on defense. He'll be interesting to watch, a midrange shooter with a knack for putting the ball in the basket, and a tenacious but not particularly athletic rebounder. I think he was actually the 2nd leading rebounder in JC ball, not first.
Both these guys will start, as probably will their other 2 recruits, Murphy and Williams. There werent alot of guys on the UTEP roster last year that belonged in D1 basketball. St. Amant might have a chance to hang on to the starting job at shooting guard, and if Roy Smallwood regains his previous form (knee injury) UTEP will have a pretty solid starting 5. Depth will still be a questions, though. UTEP will take a big step forward, but the upper half of the conference is still a year away for the Miners. They still need people to back up the guys they signed this year.

[The CPC]

San Jose State freshman guard Antonio Lawrence has also declared himself eligible for the NBA draft. Lawrence was the highest rated recruit in the WAC last year (in front of Hopkins), he was San Jose's 2nd leading scorer, despite starting less than half their games, and was on the WAC All-Newcomer team. But, he was also rumored to be a bit of a headcase, and a discipline problem. In any case, he is in no way ready for the NBA, but he has already dropped out of San Jose and has no plans to return. If he goes undrafted he will try to play overseas or in the NBDL or another minor league. Apparently his family has financial problems, and he just wants to make a paycheck, anywhere he can.

[LA_Mustang]

I dont recall many services that had him ahead of Hopkins. Seems like I remember him being ranked anywhere from 30 to 70. He was getting attention from big programs and it was a surprise when he chose San Jose. Rivals had him listed as a 3 star and Hopkins as a 5 star. Like you have said, I heard that he is a bit of a head case and wasnt comfortable in the college environment. I wish him the best but I seriously doubt he will be drafted.