8:29 PM Mon, Dec 26, 2005 | Permalink
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As of Monday night, PC forward DeSean White was AWOL from the basketball program. White was expected to return to campus from his home in Philadelphia for a practice on Christmas night, but did not show. He was not on campus Monday, either.
Coach Tim Welsh said White was struggling recently with the death of his grandmother but he had thought White had resolved his issues after some extensive talks with the coach over the last few weeks.
If White doesn't return to the team, the Friars will have just 8 scholarship players for the rest of this season.
More on White's plight in Tuesday's Journal.
-- KEVIN McNAMARA
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To Whom It May Concern:
It appears that PC sports officials and administration have to do a much more thorough job in learning about their prospective recruits.
The heavy toil of "drop outs" over the past couple years is truly a matter of concern.
Certainly, everyone associated with the program as well as the fans should be proud of the academic efforts and court achievements of the those players who completed their degrees but no college should be approaching a point where drop outs begin to equal scholarship players.
Maybe a closer investigation of the players social-economic and psychological background is called for as well as their academic deficiencies.
Best of luck for the rest of the season.
GAC
A former PC student and Rhode Island resident.
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As positive as things seem with these freshman.. Remember another "could have been Friar" Quinton Hosley? True he had academic challenges, but looks like he went back to JC, became eligible and is now starring for 7-3 Fresno St. 9.7 rb's and 20.6 pts from a 6-6 flyer would fit nicely with the youngsters about now wouldn't it?
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has he came back to school yet?
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In response to the recent comments regarding the defection/loss of some recent PC basketball players, and the relative success of lost? recruits: To quote a now-famous line from one of my favorite sports movies,"This is your team, these are your players. We are going to work hard. They need your support."
I believe to talk about the players who chose to either leave, or not come, for whatever reasons, is to overlook the effort of the PC players who choose to come, and who work hard for our enjoyment. Perhaps the arm-chair analysts who write these gems for us fans to ponder, need to take a reality check and look at other programs across the country, and in our own conference. Young men make poor decisions every day. The laundry list of players who have squandered opportunities at any number of high-profile programs is staggering, and will continue. The support systems at PC are substantial for the athletes who choose to take advantage of them. This in no way guarantees their success.
We don't hear about all the efforts of the coaching staff to a) land the best possible athletes/people, or b) maintain constant vigilance and support these young men and women to achieve their best in academic and athletic pursuits. To administer MMPIs(Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventories) to all prospective recruits, or to understand every individual's personal demons leading to poor decisions is impossible.
Let's give thanks to a coach who wants to make a home at PC, instead of using it as a stepping stone to a greater? job. Let's appreciate the efforts made to put a competitive team on the floor against schools with much larger enrollments, huge financial supports, and wildly enthusiatic student and alumni support for their men's and women's basketball programs.
One more thing...read more than the Sports page, specifically the box scores, won/lost records, and stories about recruiting failures? and defections from teams. Take a hard look at the current flavor of youth today, as well as the global picture of the world we live in now. Expand your horizons before you criticize the people/program. This is your team. These are your players. They need your support.
You also should read Bill Reynold's column regularly. His insights and philosophical approach to sports is better than his jump shot was...and that wasn't too bad!
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"Let's give thanks to a coach who wants to make a home at PC" - yeah - lets do that! Who? - Where is this guy? Or,,,, are you talking about the guy who would have left us if he had a better opportunity? coach left IONA, which was more of a home for him than PC, but PC was the next step and if the money, situation and timing was right he'd leave PC. I think for PC fans the taste of his NC State dealings still stay with us. If timing, money and the situation was better - he would have been there. The recruits of the last 3 years are the caliber players/risks that resemble a man who wants a quick fix/fast results/gamble/"take the money and run" type. The players resemble the coach. They want the NBA, and he wants the step up. When the players and coach both say - "this is our chance, this is our day - we're in it for the long run" - then they'll win. Right now you have players who have no affection for PC and you have a coach who wants results now. maybe its the pressure!
Go FRIARS! Hang in there! You can win! Confidence, selfless team play and DEFENSE!.
V/R
Andy
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