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(08-25-2021 09:40 PM)QSECOFR Wrote:  I wish Keith nothing but good things. By all accounts, he is a fine young man and given what he put up with over the previous two seasons, he deserves a heapin’ helpin’ of good things coming his way.

Ditto. Hoping he stays healthy and makes some noise for WKU this season.

I'd have thought Williams would try his luck overseas. He's already mature and probably isn't going to blossom into an NBA-level player. But he's the type of player who could earn big $$$ in a mid-level European league.

Maybe COVID is shutting down that option?

By the way, it's a black eye to the Enquirer that they don't have a story yet on Keith's transfer. Not even a Twitter update. I thought they usually covered WKU news pretty well.

Hope WKU works out well for him. I could see him having a big year and getting his efficiency up for them. Honestly at this level he was a perfect 3rd or 4th starter who could help the team a bunch of ways (as we saw 2 seasons ago), but was miscast as the main guy trying to play the SK / Jarron role at this level.

Keith worked hard. Never seemed to complain publicly. He gave us four years of hard work and some incredibly memorable moments.

(08-26-2021 09:23 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I'd have thought Williams would try his luck overseas. He's already mature and probably isn't going to blossom into an NBA-level player. But he's the type of player who could earn big $$$ in a mid-level European league.

Maybe COVID is shutting down that option?

He probably wants a final year of tape without a staff tying him into a pretzel trying to be something he’s not rather than showcasing and utilizing his strengths.

I’m not familiar with their roster at his position but I’m betting he’ll do just fine down there in a year under Rick Stansberry.

(08-26-2021 09:38 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  Hope WKU works out well for him. I could see him having a big year and getting his efficiency up for them. Honestly at this level he was a perfect 3rd or 4th starter who could help the team a bunch of ways (as we saw 2 seasons ago), but was miscast as the main guy trying to play the SK / Jarron role at this level.

Keith worked hard. Never seemed to complain publicly. He gave us four years of hard work and some incredibly memorable moments.

I agree. I'm a little surprised he's taking the COVID year to transfer to a smaller school. I'd think when you've played at this level that if you're transferring you're transferring up. I'd think he's done enough to get an overseas job which I'd rather get paid than slum around CUSA.

(08-26-2021 10:29 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(08-26-2021 09:38 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  Hope WKU works out well for him. I could see him having a big year and getting his efficiency up for them. Honestly at this level he was a perfect 3rd or 4th starter who could help the team a bunch of ways (as we saw 2 seasons ago), but was miscast as the main guy trying to play the SK / Jarron role at this level.

Keith worked hard. Never seemed to complain publicly. He gave us four years of hard work and some incredibly memorable moments.

I agree. I'm a little surprised he's taking the COVID year to transfer to a smaller school. I'd think when you've played at this level that if you're transferring you're transferring up. I'd think he's done enough to get an overseas job which I'd rather get paid than slum around CUSA.

I mean, he was an 11ppg guy here...he's not moving up and doing better than that given his limitations. I think that's a good move, he will be the best player on that team and probably put up anywhere between 15-18ppg and be in the running for CUSA POY.

(08-26-2021 10:29 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(08-26-2021 09:38 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  Hope WKU works out well for him. I could see him having a big year and getting his efficiency up for them. Honestly at this level he was a perfect 3rd or 4th starter who could help the team a bunch of ways (as we saw 2 seasons ago), but was miscast as the main guy trying to play the SK / Jarron role at this level.

Keith worked hard. Never seemed to complain publicly. He gave us four years of hard work and some incredibly memorable moments.

I agree. I'm a little surprised he's taking the COVID year to transfer to a smaller school. I'd think when you've played at this level that if you're transferring you're transferring up. I'd think he's done enough to get an overseas job which I'd rather get paid than slum around CUSA.

Nysier Brooks is a great example of why transferring "up" from UC doesn't always pan out as intended. After his junior year in Clifton, he looked like he was surely on his way to a long and prosperous professional career.

He transfers to Miami, redshirts, then has a less-than-impressive season for a 10-17 team that finished 13th in the ACC. Now he's transferring to Ole Miss for a 6th year.

Not to say his career is doomed by any means, but it is surely not the path he envisioned for himself when he declared he was transferring from UC.

(08-26-2021 10:36 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  I mean, he was an 11ppg guy here...he's not moving up and doing better than that given his limitations. I think that's a good move, he will be the best player on that team and probably put up anywhere between 15-18ppg and be in the running for CUSA POY.

(08-26-2021 10:52 AM)BrooklynRocket Wrote:  Nysier Brooks is a great example of why transferring "up" from UC doesn't always pan out as intended. After his junior year in Clifton, he looked like he was surely on his way to a long and prosperous professional career.

He transfers to Miami, redshirts, then has a less-than-impressive season for a 10-17 team that finished 13th in the ACC. Now he's transferring to Ole Miss for a 6th year.

Not to say his career is doomed by any means, but it is surely not the path he envisioned for himself when he declared he was transferring from UC.

Both reasons why I'd think he'd be better off playing overseas. I agree if he transfers laterally or high major he's a 4th or 5th starter but I'd think that environment would beat going to WKU and trying to be CUSA POY. Like you said though maybe he's got big academic ambitions like Nysier and prefers the free education to the overseas cash.

You can really see the talent drain in our classes after Jarron/Scott's class. Our best talent were role player caliber guys. We had no big time players on the roster. It's very clear Brannen dug his own grave and deserved to go, but the talent in the upper classes was severely lacking.

(08-26-2021 11:28 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  You can really see the talent drain in our classes after Jarron/Scott's class. Our best talent were role player caliber guys. We had no big time players on the roster. It's very clear Brannen dug his own grave and deserved to go, but the talent in the upper classes was severely lacking.

I agree. I remember during the first season, there was a lot of arguing between those who thought Brannen was underachieving, and those who believed he wasn't left as good of a roster as the other side. I think both things can be true; Brannen should have done better than 20-10, but he also wasn't left much of a roster beyond Jarron, Tre, Nysier (who obviously bolted), and Keith.

In retrospect, I'm amazed Brannen brought in so many good players his first two years considering his (lack of) personality. Davenport, MAW, Saunders, Madsen, Eason, DDJ, and Harvey were all good pickups. Vogt and Jaevin were obvious adds due to relationships, Sorolla was serviceable as a backup, and McNeal, Gabe Madsen, and Ivanauskas were busts. Honestly wasn't a terrible success/failure rate for having to put together his first class on short notice. His main problem was managing those relationships once he got the guys on campus.

Anyway, sorry to derail into Brannen discussion. I wish Keith all the best at WKU. It's really not a bad place to have landed. They've been consistently good and have a strong fan base, plus he should put up big numbers in C-USA. I'm thinking he'll average 17 or 18 per game as a super senior and hopefully go on to have a successful pro career in Europe.

(08-26-2021 11:23 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(08-26-2021 10:36 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  I mean, he was an 11ppg guy here...he's not moving up and doing better than that given his limitations. I think that's a good move, he will be the best player on that team and probably put up anywhere between 15-18ppg and be in the running for CUSA POY.

(08-26-2021 10:52 AM)BrooklynRocket Wrote:  Nysier Brooks is a great example of why transferring "up" from UC doesn't always pan out as intended. After his junior year in Clifton, he looked like he was surely on his way to a long and prosperous professional career.

He transfers to Miami, redshirts, then has a less-than-impressive season for a 10-17 team that finished 13th in the ACC. Now he's transferring to Ole Miss for a 6th year.

Not to say his career is doomed by any means, but it is surely not the path he envisioned for himself when he declared he was transferring from UC.

Both reasons why I'd think he'd be better off playing overseas. I agree if he transfers laterally or high major he's a 4th or 5th starter but I'd think that environment would beat going to WKU and trying to be CUSA POY. Like you said though maybe he's got big academic ambitions like Nysier and prefers the free education to the overseas cash.

is overseas an option? i know some places are opening up, maybe more conservatively than others, but the market for overseas bball might not be so hot right now. Either way, it may be for the better that he pump up his numbers at a lower level. 11 ppg against AAC competition may not get you the contract numbers you want, overseas or not. 25 ppg, even against lower competition, at least shows scouts that you know how to put the ball through the rim.

(08-26-2021 11:28 AM)bearcatmark Wrote:  You can really see the talent drain in our classes after Jarron/Scott's class. Our best talent were role player caliber guys. We had no big time players on the roster. It's very clear Brannen dug his own grave and deserved to go, but the talent in the upper classes was severely lacking.

Why do you have to bring Brannen into everything?

(08-26-2021 06:51 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(08-25-2021 09:40 PM)QSECOFR Wrote:  I wish Keith nothing but good things. By all accounts, he is a fine young man and given what he put up with over the previous two seasons, he deserves a heapin’ helpin’ of good things coming his way.

Ditto. Hoping he stays healthy and makes some noise for WKU this season.

he should do a better job this year at WKU. He seemed to back off and lose aggressiveness around the basket when he didn't have 2 OTHER athletic front liners playing with him. He'll be fine but probably won't set any records there. He seemed to back away from that at UC.

(08-26-2021 11:47 AM)eroc Wrote:  is overseas an option? i know some places are opening up, maybe more conservatively than others, but the market for overseas bball might not be so hot right now. Either way, it may be for the better that he pump up his numbers at a lower level. 11 ppg against AAC competition may not get you the contract numbers you want, overseas or not. 25 ppg, even against lower competition, at least shows scouts that you know how to put the ball through the rim.

You may be right; I just assumed since all our leagues are running all theirs were but even if that's true their scouting of American prospects had to have been limited.