NC State

[alfonse]

I was just reading how Tyler Lewis is transferring from NC State to Butler. I had seen him play in High school and followed him a bit through college. Kind of waited for him to reach his potential. It seemed like he did last year in the NCAA tourney. Was a pure passing play-making point guard, exciting to watch, creating for everyone. Now hes leaving. Reading this I could not help think of Rodney Purvis. If he had stayed at NC State I can only image he would be quite an impact player this year. To me this looks like the coaches at NC State do not treat their players very well. Not only do they leave, but they leave bitter and say not so nice things about the program. These are guys who should be TEAM leaders, and very close with the coaches. I know there will always be some transfers, but when you have two mcdonalds all american talented guards leave in 3 years that's not to good a track record. Just some thoughts...

Guessing NC State is not a very much fun place to play ball

 

[Zionn]

Have fun AMA

 

[upstater]

I knew that lifelong UConn fan from the Commonwealth had been steered wrong, but I never imagined it would be this bad. Whoever his handlers are, they should hang their heads in shame.

 

[HooperScooper]

Have fun AMA

I know someone who is very close to AMA and he said AMA is not happy at NC St. Maybe he'll get more comfortable as time goes on. Just food for thought if you see him transfer.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I know someone who is very close to AMA and he said AMA is not happy at NC St. Maybe he'll get more comfortable as time goes on. Just food for thought if you see him transfer.

Do you know why he ultimately chose NC State?

 

[superjohn]

I know someone who is very close to AMA and he said AMA is not happy at NC St. Maybe he'll get more comfortable as time goes on. Just food for thought if you see him transfer.

I think we all knew this would be the case, feel badly for the kid but what the heck was he thinking choosing NC State over UConn?!??

 

[James]

dawg if we had AMA!!! still sick about that one.

 

[Dooch]

Have a few friends here who are Muslim ( as is AMA) that are close to him at State ( he was at their house during Ramadan). According to my buddy who spoke directly to him, we were 3rd on the list behind State and Florida. Only reason we were on the list is because we were the 'hometown' school. Ultimately, feeling comfortable at State ( big Muslim population) was what supposedly swayed him. Of course, take all this with a grain of salt.

 

[alfonse]

Have a few friends here who are Muslim ( as is AMA) that are close to him at State ( he was at their house during Ramadan). According to my buddy who spoke directly to him, we were 3rd on the list behind State and Florida. Only reason we were on the list is because we were the 'hometown' school. Ultimately, feeling comfortable at State ( big Muslim population) was what supposedly swayed him. Of course, take all this with a grain of salt.

Remove us from the equation and I would pick Florida over State in a second. They have a great coach who has built a really good program down there. It was a big deal that State even made the tourney...

 

[aceboon]

Remove us from the equation and I would pick Florida over State in a second. They have a great coach who has built a really good program down there. It was a big deal that State even made the tourney...

Plus Florida/Donovan has put pros in the league at your position, just a really bizarre decision.

 

[tcf15]

Plus Florida/Donovan has put pros in the league at your position, just a really bizarre decision.

Yeah, especially considering that his AAU teammate initially selected Oklahoma State (although he ended up at URI). NC State & Oklahoma State for two of the best NE prospects? Just weird all around.

 

[tzznandrew]

Remove us from the equation and I would pick Florida over State in a second. They have a great coach who has built a really good program down there. It was a big deal that State even made the tourney...

Right.

No shame in losing to Florida for a recruit.

 

[scotty0330]

Nc state always seemed like an odd choice for
AMA. Always thought he would follow many before him and get away from gotfried

 

[aceboon]

Yeah, especially considering that his AAU teammate initially selected Oklahoma State (although he ended up at URI). NC State & Oklahoma State for two of the best NE prospects? Just weird all around.

Jermaine Samuels plays for that same program right? Hopefully there are no shenanigans when its time for him to pick a school.

 

[HooperScooper]

Have a few friends here who are Muslim ( as is AMA) that are close to him at State ( he was at their house during Ramadan). According to my buddy who spoke directly to him, we were 3rd on the list behind State and Florida. Only reason we were on the list is because we were the 'hometown' school. Ultimately, feeling comfortable at State ( big Muslim population) was what supposedly swayed him. Of course, take all this with a grain of salt.

I was told that he would have gone to UConn if Ollie wasn't on that short term contract at the time. He loved Ollie. Who knows, maybe this person was just telling me that because he knows I'm a big UConn fan.

I will start beating the drum for UConn with Jermaine Samuels (well not him directly). FWIW the Expressions Elite people think the world of Ollie.

 

[tcf15]

I was told that he would have gone to UConn if Ollie wasn't on that short term contract at the time. He loved Ollie. Who knows, maybe this person was just telling me that because he knows I'm a big UConn fan.

I will start beating the drum for UConn with Jermaine Samuels (well not him directly). FWIW the Expressions Elite people think the world of Ollie.

You're right about him and Ollie- even after he committed to NC State, I think he said his favorite coach in the entire process was Kevin Ollie. Wonder how Gottfried took that lol

 

[Jluc]

I was told that he would have gone to UConn if Ollie wasn't on that short term contract at the time. He loved Ollie. Who knows, maybe this person was just telling me that because he knows I'm a big UConn fan.

I will start beating the drum for UConn with Jermaine Samuels (well not him directly). FWIW the Expressions Elite people think the world of Ollie.

It's pretty head scratching to me how so many kids say they love Ollie and have the best relationship with him of all coaches yet still don't come to UConn. I feel like if I was a recruit the relationship with my coach would probably be the number one thing. Just my opinion.

 

[Samoo]

My dad's my favorite person in the world, but I might not want to play basketball for him, particularly if my uncle was going to let me start from the get go while dad had a couple of greyhounds in front of me.

 

[mauconnfan]

How long before AMA contacts KO to get the hell out of dodge, especially after he goes to the NIT and Rodney averages 15/5/3 and is headed to the Dance?

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I was told that he would have gone to UConn if Ollie wasn't on that short term contract at the time.

I don't think that makes sense timing wise. Ollie was only on his short term contract until December 2012. Abu didn't commit until September 2013.

 

[Dooch]

I was told that he would have gone to UConn if Ollie wasn't on that short term contract at the time. He loved Ollie. Who knows, maybe this person was just telling me that because he knows I'm a big UConn fan.

I will start beating the drum for UConn with Jermaine Samuels (well not him directly). FWIW the Expressions Elite people think the world of Ollie.

Who knows the real reason. But what I was told is that he just felt most comfortable here due to the Muslim population (Raleigh has a fairly large one, certainly compared to Gainesville or Storrs)...which I guess makes some sense if you are an 18 year old leaving home for the first time, and want to have some sense of comfort.

 

[CTBasketball]

How long before AMA contacts KO to get the hell out of dodge, especially after he goes to the NIT and Rodney averages 15/5/3 and is headed to the Dance?

Soon - no player likes to play at NC State, no matter what you do on the court, you're always dwarfed by whoever is putting up slightly above average numbers at Duke or UNC. TJ Warren had a MONSTER season last year, and Jabari Parker and Marcus Paige were all you heard about.

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't think that makes sense timing wise. Ollie was only on his short term contract until December 2012. Abu didn't commit until September 2013.

You know, that's what I thought about after he said that. I wish I had thought of it when he said that. I'll see him again and mention it.