ESPN Recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein just tweeted. "Sean Obi has been granted his release from Rice & will transfer. Averaged over 11 points & 9 rebounds this season as a freshman."

That's too bad. I would have liked to see what he could do with a new system.

https://twitter.com/AdamFinkelstein

Not surprised. Did you see his body language at the presser yesterday? He was standing at the end of the line with his hands in his pockets. Didn't look like he was going to be a part of the new program. Doubt if he would have stayed anyway.

Bleep him then. Guess he is afraid to work hard under Rhoades. Added a tweet to Finklestein's and said I hoped the door hits Sean as he leaves.

Is his bro (Eggers) transferring too?



This transfer sh*t has got to stop.

It'll be interesting to see where he lands, as you'd have to think he would move somewhere and expect playing time.

Sad to hear him go, has heard he was a very nice person and a good student athlete.

(03-28-2014 03:34 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Is his bro (Eggers) transferring too?



This transfer sh*t has got to stop.

I imagine (and hope) Eggers is leaving too. Too bad Eggers wasn't on scholarship would like to have another one available.

It's tough. But not unexpected. Just about par for the course any time there is a major coaching change in any program.
Still... it stings pretty bad. The memories of the mass exodus are still pretty fresh.
Hope this is the last of this kind of stuff for a while.

(03-28-2014 03:26 PM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  Not surprised. Did you see his body language at the presser yesterday? He was standing at the end of the line with his hands in his pockets. Didn't look like he was going to be a part of the new program. Doubt if he would have stayed anyway.

Bob, I immediately noticed that as well, but I had been holding off mentioning that on the board. Every other player at the press conference video was smiling ear-to-ear except Obi, who seemed distant, even standing to the extreme side.

I can understand his trepidation about a coach like Rhoades who seems to ooze "hustle" and will no doubt expect his players to work hard like he did/does and run, run, run. If Obi is not up for that, better for both him and Rice that he leave now.

We want kids here who are willing to work hard and adapt. This can't be about any one player, no matter how talented. It has to finally be about Rice and about players wanting to play and stay here no matter what.

I don't doubt that Obi's decision to leave was made before Braun was let go.

(03-28-2014 03:26 PM)bobreinhold1 Wrote:  Not surprised. Did you see his body language at the presser yesterday? He was standing at the end of the line with his hands in his pockets. Didn't look like he was going to be a part of the new program. Doubt if he would have stayed anyway.

But that was his body language the whole season (and I think several others have said that besides me).

I don't understand the mindset of young athletes who want it all but don't want to work hard to get there. UCLA just had two guards declare early for the NBA draft including Zack LaVine, a freshman who scored 10 points total in his final five games.

It's just really made the sport of college basketball so much less watchable to me. Hopefully Rhoades will change that mindset at Rice at least. I know it isn't changing on the national level. Look at the coaches who are coaching in the sweet 16 and final 8. They're all hard-working gym rats who came from the Midwest (or New York). None were NBA stars - but all weren't afraid of working hard. And in many cases, that's the mindset of their players too, and why those teams are succeeding.

I would have thought that as a transition, we would have used Obi in the way Guy Lewis used Hakeem in the old phi slama jamma days - station him under the basket as a last line of defense while everyone else scrambled around the court harassing everyone for 90+ feet. Perhaps this will allow even more pressing.

Was Keith Washington at the press conference? I didn't see him in the brief video shot when they panned across the whole team.

There is no good spin to this. Ex obi we have the least talented roster in division one. So we start at bottom and work up.

On the plus side maybe the energy and vcu connection will attract transfers in. Scary to think Braun had zero of those

On the negative side Rhoads will get on p5 radar just by getting us to .500.

Well, we lost our one good piece. That's fine, I'm not worried. Rhoades just gets that much more opportunity to put his own stamp on the program quickly.

If Obi doesn't want a Rice degree, that's not our problem; it's his. I'd come by to pack his bags and drive him to the airport if I were in town.

If Obi transfers, does that mean his pal Hunter Eggars, who played with him in High school in Conn. will go as well, or does he want to stay at Rice anyway?

I want Coach Rhoades to do what he thinks is best for the program. Dr. Karlgaard already had said at the Braun press conference that all scholarships were safe and that all players were Rice Owls. But...if they do not want to be, then let them move on. I'm confident Coach Rhoades can find some good ones who do want to be at Rice and work hard to become their best.

Maybe he can contact Chadwick at Valpo who played in only 12 games and averaged 7 minutes or Reischel who started 7 games and averaged 17 minutes. Worked out well for them in terms of more playing time

Wow, bummer if true, I was looking forward to watching him develop. But if he doesn't want to be at Rice, then he is making the right decision for himself and the team. Biggest problem is that leaves Rice remarkably thin inside (yet again) with Drone the only guy over 6'8".

(03-28-2014 03:45 PM)MemOwl Wrote:  There is no good spin to this. Ex obi we have the least talented roster in division one. So we start at bottom and work up.

There is one good aspect: We are finding out who truly wants to be a Rice Owl.

(03-28-2014 03:41 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I don't understand the mindset of young athletes who want it all but don't want to work hard to get there. UCLA just had two guards declare early for the NBA draft including Zack LaVine, a freshman who scored 10 points total in his final five games.

How are these decisions at odds with hard work?

Well, that sucks. Maybe we can bring in a transfer?