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https://twitter.com/NickyNort22/status/9...4162428928

Kevin Sweeney @CBB_Central

UAB grad transfer Nick Norton has committed to Drake, per his Twitter page. Good get for the new staff there, an experienced starting point guard who is a really good leader. Norton chooses the spot with more playing time over the multiple High-majors interested.

so...when i take the 10 minute drive to watch him play, do i wear one of my 100 UAB shirts, or my 1 Drake shirt?

Good for Nick. I'll watch them any time they are on tv.

He had Purdue, Ohio State and Ole Miss as his visits. Then out of the blue picks Drake? Must be a family tie there with the new coaching staff at Drake. Best of luck, Nick. Thank you again for your time at UAB.

(04-15-2018 04:09 PM)blazerball25 Wrote:  He had Purdue, Ohio State and Ole Miss as his visits. Then out of the blue picks Drake? Must be a family tie there with the new coaching staff at Drake. Best of luck, Nick. Thank you again for your time at UAB.

I'm guessing he wanted playing time and learned he would be a backup at those high majors.

I don’t know how much of a connection Nick has...but I know multiple people in town that know his dad quite well

Nick is back to a familiar area. I believe there are 4 teams in the conference from Illinois.

There is a tie with the HC and his dad (Randy coached him) plus more PT at Drake.

If playing time was the issue then why did he leave a school where he started every game?! Really wish I could have been a fly on the wall at that end of year meeting.

Don’t know what graduate level program he plans to enroll in at Drake, but I bet whatever it is doesn’t rank as highly as the graduate degree from UAB does.

Nick wasn’t going to start for us next season, many of us have been saying this.

Ohio State passed on him and are after Woods and Coleman. And when we(“I”) thought our recruiting was going to go well to fill these 3 spots, I was really reaching. recruiting is not going well at all at the moment. If you have to ask bloggers who are good recruits to give a look at.....

(04-15-2018 08:25 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  Nick wasn’t going to start for us next season, many of us have been saying this.

Ohio State passed on him and are after Woods and Coleman. And when we(“I”) thought our recruiting was going to go well to fill these 3 spots, I was really reaching. recruiting is not going well at all at the moment. If you have to ask bloggers who are good recruits to give a look at.....

If you have to ask bloggers who are good recruits to give a look at.....
Is this really happening?

(04-16-2018 09:06 AM)Jball Wrote:  

(04-15-2018 08:25 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  Nick wasn’t going to start for us next season, many of us have been saying this.

Ohio State passed on him and are after Woods and Coleman. And when we(“I”) thought our recruiting was going to go well to fill these 3 spots, I was really reaching. recruiting is not going well at all at the moment. If you have to ask bloggers who are good recruits to give a look at.....

If you have to ask bloggers who are good recruits to give a look at.....
Is this really happening?

It happens all over the country. I think it has a negative stigma attached but there's a reason Norton & Darling were trying to get their names out there in the twitter-sphere.

(04-15-2018 07:43 PM)blazerball25 Wrote:  If playing time was the issue then why did he leave a school where he started every game?! Really wish I could have been a fly on the wall at that end of year meeting.

Don’t know what graduate level program he plans to enroll in at Drake, but I bet whatever it is doesn’t rank as highly as the graduate degree from UAB does.

I am with you on this. I know the order of the day seems to be congratulating Nick for his move to a new school, but I still feel a little burned by it--especially when his transfer is to what most would believe to be a step down from us (though I have no idea about their academics).

Many have been giving the coaching staff the benefit of the doubt, saying they are making the changes some of us feel is necessary for HCRE to turn the corner. Some have been selling the idea that the transfers left because they were told they wouldn't be starting, that we had better players coming in, and that this indicates a new commitment to the defensive end. I have my doubts about that, though I am excited about the new recruits. I really want to be wrong--and hope that the players leaving is a sign of major changes coming next season.

Nick was a good Blazer, but the conference is changing and Basketball is more guard oriented...and that start at the point..the point is usually the most athletic player on the floor. He need to guard multiple positions..and the type of players are mostly taller than 5-8.

(04-15-2018 07:43 PM)blazerball25 Wrote:  If playing time was the issue then why did he leave a school where he started every game?! Really wish I could have been a fly on the wall at that end of year meeting.

Don’t know what graduate level program he plans to enroll in at Drake, but I bet whatever it is doesn’t rank as highly as the graduate degree from UAB does.

In order to be able to play next year, he has to be pursuing a degree program UAB doesn't offer.

"Student-athletes who have graduated are subject to the same release requirements as undergraduates and must have at least one year of eligibility remaining. To be eligible for the one-time transfer exception, football, basketball, baseball and men’s ice hockey student athletes must have been denied a scholarship renewal at their original school. If the student-athlete wishes to pursue a degree program not offered at the original institution, he or she is eligible for a waiver to compete immediately at the new school." http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/medi...-transfers

(04-16-2018 02:48 PM)bftb Wrote:  

(04-15-2018 07:43 PM)blazerball25 Wrote:  If playing time was the issue then why did he leave a school where he started every game?! Really wish I could have been a fly on the wall at that end of year meeting.

Don’t know what graduate level program he plans to enroll in at Drake, but I bet whatever it is doesn’t rank as highly as the graduate degree from UAB does.

I am with you on this. I know the order of the day seems to be congratulating Nick for his move to a new school, but I still feel a little burned by it--especially when his transfer is to what most would believe to be a step down from us (though I have no idea about their academics).

Many have been giving the coaching staff the benefit of the doubt, saying they are making the changes some of us feel is necessary for HCRE to turn the corner. Some have been selling the idea that the transfers left because they were told they wouldn't be starting, that we had better players coming in, and that this indicates a new commitment to the defensive end. I have my doubts about that, though I am excited about the new recruits. I really want to be wrong--and hope that the players leaving is a sign of major changes coming next season.

Generally, I'd wager Drake's programs are probably ranked higher than the equivalent at UAB, but let's be honest--we all know that's not why Norton chose Drake.

I really like the new recruits, but I don't see how Nick and Darling wouldn't have played heavy minutes next year.

Darling would have played. I mean, there is always room for a 6-4 guard who can shoot, even if he is a defensive liability.

Our issue was having him and norton on the floor at the same time meant we had 2 minus defenders, Lee was always being kept on the perimeter by whoever he was guarding, and Cokely was never really a rim protector. You combine all of that with just how poorly we were coached defensively and it made for some ugly possessions on the defensive end.

Getting more athletic will help, but i dont see us playing a more fundamentally sound brand of defense until there is a change in the coaching staff. I really wish we would bring in a "defensive coordinator" like Coach Marsh was to help Eshan out.

(04-16-2018 04:59 PM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  Getting more athletic will help, but i dont see us playing a more fundamentally sound brand of defense until there is a change in the coaching staff. I really wish we would bring in a "defensive coordinator" like Coach Marsh was to help Eshan out.

IMHO you can't get a better description of what T.R. Dunn would bring to the staff at UAB. Now he may not want to get back into floor coaching or move back to B'ham, but the job description fits his talents to a "T".