Junior College Recruiting

[50's PONY]

RISKY BUSINESS
Schools can flourish or founder when it comes to transfers
By JEROME SOLOMON
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

In the world of college basketball, the term "transfer" is a stigma and "junior college transfer" is even worse.

If an athlete transfers from one school to another, almost whatever the reason, he is a player with baggage, and we're not talking luggage.

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy and the fact that authorities consider former teammate Carlton Dotson a "person of interest" in the investigation has opened the door to questions of whether the pressure to win has coaches and schools taking risks on problem players.

Translation of "problem" players: transfers.

Dennehy transferred to Baylor last fall from New Mexico. Dotson enrolled at Baylor last fall after two years at Paris Junior College.

In all, seven of the 16 players on Baylor's men's basketball roster last season were transfers from other universities or junior colleges.

Without question, it is unfair, but when word leaked that police officials in Waco thought Baylor players might be involved in foul play in Dennehy's disappearance, the first red flag was the number of transfers on the Bears' roster.

Is there an inherent risk in bringing in transfer athletes, or is that an exaggerated concern? If a roster is dotted with transfer players, is that an indication of a potential problem?

Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes said character is an issue, regardless of where players are recruited from, and stressed that because a program elects to build or stock its team with transfers doesn't make it a renegade program or suggest there will be issues with that team.

"I don't think you can label a whole program," Barnes said. "It's not a character flaw for a guy to go to a junior college or transfer from one school to another."

Barnes said his goal is to build his program with high school players because his staff has an excellent track record of development, and that is more easily done with four-year players.

Last year, Texas advanced to the Final Four with only one transfer on its roster -- little-used backup guard Terrell Ross. But in the 1999-2000 season, six of Barnes' 12 players were transfers of some sort, yet he had no noteworthy disciplinary problems.

Still, the well-worn line among the college basketball coaching fraternity is "if a player is at a junior college he must be there for a reason." And the implication is that the reason is almost always a bad one.

Alex Scales, who played at San Jacinto College and the University of Oregon, laughs at the stereotype.

"I went to a JC, and I'm not a criminal," said Scales, who was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2000. "I'm doing just fine."

Dave Bliss, who took over as head coach at Baylor for the 1999-2000 season, has had several transfers from New Mexico, his previous stop, and various junior colleges around the country, yet there haven't been any noticeable difficulties for his players -- in or out of the classroom -- before this summer's events.

In fact, according to the school, Baylor has had more players graduate (19) in the last four years than any program in the country.

Bliss believes that is an indication of the type of players he accepts, whether from high school, junior college or other colleges.

"The only people (who) consider transferring fit at Baylor," Bliss said. "The example of junior college players, they played for good people I know. They're friends of mine like (the coaches at) Paris Junior College and Lon Morris. And we've gotten players from New Mexico, where I know people. I've got a better feel for these (players)."

Bliss may take care in selecting players, but there is a general understanding that regardless of disciplinary problems, grade problems, attitude problems, even legal troubles, if a player is good enough, someone will take a chance on him.

Many such moves backfire.

Houston overlooked Kevin Gaines' troubles at Michigan, including a driving-under-the-influence arrest, and he lasted about two months before being suspended after being arrested on assault charges in February 2002.

Missouri was excited to bring in well-traveled Ricky Clemons, who attended three junior colleges in three states in one summer to get eligible. He made it to mid-January before being arrested on a domestic violence charge, similar to what he was accused of at a junior college in 2001. He currently is in jail but is slated to return to the basketball team for the 2004-05 season.

"You can't look at those cases and hold it against everybody, because every coach in the country knew what those guys were about, and most of us wouldn't touch 'em with a 10-foot pole," one college basketball coach said. "You can't stop recruiting junior college players and accepting transfers because of those guys. Everybody knew they were trouble."

Some schools have no choice but to recruit junior college players and have a somewhat open-door policy for transfers. Coaches in the Big 12 Conference, where Baylor is trying to climb out of the lower division, say it is unrealistic to expect schools to rely solely on high school players to stock their rosters.

If you equate the unsolved mystery and possible tragedy at Baylor to transfers, then you know it could happen anywhere, not just in Waco. Last year, eight Big 12 schools had as many junior college transfers as did Baylor.

Kansas State entered last season with eight junior college transfers on its roster. Colorado had seven, including James "Mookie" Wright, who recently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor trespassing charges after accusations that he crawled into a woman's dorm-room bed.

Bob Knight, who with rare exceptions steadfastly refused to recruit junior college players when he was at Indiana, has become a regular on the junior college banquet circuit since arriving at Texas Tech two seasons ago. The Red Raiders had five junior college transfers on last year's roster, and two of their three newcomers next season will be from the JC ranks.

"Each school is different, but every program wants to be successful," Barnes said. "Some schools have a built-in advantage, whether it's tradition, location or the league they're in.

"We feel we can be more selective because of what we have to offer. Others have to have a wider pool in which to choose from. There's nothing wrong with that."

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