Raffa Rumor

[Clickclack]

Raffa is granted permission

 

Looks like Anthony for all intents and purposes is a gone...sorry to see it happen but we'll be alright.

[Clickclack]

Latest update....

 

Update: Sallee Raffa, Anthony’s mother, said when contacted at her home that UAlbany has instructed the family to not talk to the media as a condition of granting the letter of permission.

 

Tampering?

[Zalman B]

What rule is it you think may be at issue bosiydid?

[sarge965]

Latest update....

 

Update: Sallee Raffa, Anthony’s mother, said when contacted at her home that UAlbany has instructed the family to not talk to the media as a condition of granting the letter of permission.

 

Tampering?

 

 

I doubt it. Sounds like the young man just did not want to play here anymore.

[Dane96]

Whatever....wish him luck...but I am not pinning this one on Brown. Though I believe he needs to chill ever so slightly...Raffa had a choice to make: become a point guard, and work his ass off to do it....or battle with Watts, Aronholt, Barazza and Ambrose.

 

Honestly...he wouldnt have seen much time in respect to that...and I understand his want to leave. Put it this way, even if Aronholt and Watts drop to the three (and I only think Aronholt is ready right now to do that because of his strength), you are still looking at Ambrose getting the majority of minutes.

 

Let's hold the ride...see what happens to Scotty McRae. If nothing good happens with him, it looks like we have a nice front court situation for the next three years in Glanton, Gifford, Puk, and Metcalf. Go recruit a Juco PG to battle with Johnson if McRae leaves...and bring in a true frosh the following year with Raffa's ride.

 

good luck to the kid...but I think he is going to look back and say...what if I just tried to become a pg.

[DanesRGood]

Too bad it couldn't work out but I don't see it as a HUGE loss.

 

Looks like McRae wants to stay. http://blogs.timesunion.com/collegesports/?p=3567

[OrangeDane]

Could someone with knowledge of this lexicon explain this to the rest of us....he is seeking a release from his scholarship but the press release says he was granted "a permission to speak release" so he can talk to other programs...did not sound like he was released from his scholarship obligation...but I'm no lawyer let alone a college compliance officer...is it not conceivable that he might in fact not find a suitable situation and then decide to stay??? Just wondering if folks might be putting cart before horse ....sure sounds like Brown and his prep mentor would prefer he stay...

[KingDane]

Something is wrong here.

 

Having to talk about the departure of of promise every year - Turley, Martin, Raffa - is getting old. Continuity is impossible and that makes success difficult.

[Dane96]

I am usually a very good reader between the lines-- it really sounds like Raffa's family, Coach, and his high school coach are against the move...but are supporting his decision.

 

This is solely a Raffa move and not a program issue. The kid basically had a challenge in front of him-- learn to play the point and split time with Mike next year and become the man for his junior or senior years...or play at the logjam at the 2.

 

He didnt accept the challenge....that is sad.

[Clickclack]

I am usually a very good reader between the lines-- it really sounds like Raffa's family, Coach, and his high school coach are against the move...but are supporting his decision.

 

This is solely a Raffa move and not a program issue. The kid basically had a challenge in front of him-- learn to play the point and split time with Mike next year and become the man for his junior or senior years...or play at the logjam at the 2.

 

He didnt accept the challenge....that is sad.

 

On this latest transfer...Raffa, I'm pretty sure D96 just about nailed it! This one is not a program issue, Anthony is concerned for his playing time next season and would rather go somewhere where he doesn't have to fight an established starters (Timmy) for minutes.

[uofalbany]

If he really leaves, which appears to be the case, 20 months is a hell of a long time to go without playing a real D1 game. I thought he got 'sitting out' out of his system, after missing his real freshman year, having to go to Prep School due to academic shortcomings. He'll be a grandpa before he finishes (if he finishes) his college basketball career with the decisions he makes.

 

I agree with 96. The issues reside within Raffa himself. The coach gave him extra days to reconsider. His former coach publically stated that he disagreed with Raffa leaving. UAlbany would have been a good environment to improve his skills and be a solid baller. Raffa had a long, long way to go. His 'ultimate' impact on our program was far from written. He could have been Great or he could have wound up being a Flop.

[I rock(ed) the Cape]

Something is wrong here.

 

Having to talk about the departure of of promise every year - Turley, Martin, Raffa - is getting old. Continuity is impossible and that makes success difficult.

 

 

You absolutely cannot blame CB for any of those 3 departures. Turley went through summer workouts with the team and was supposed to be a nice contributor this year until he decided that he was homesick and wanted to go play football for the rest of his college career instead of basketball...literally nothing CB could do on that one.

 

 

The truth around Josh never came out, but again, that wasn't something that was CB's fault. If I remember correctly (and I may be wrong) I believe he was asked to leave the program after the season (Who knows why, but if coach thought he didn't fit for whatever reason, so be it)

 

 

Finally with Raffa, CB gave him 20+ minutes as a frosh and had him take the 3rd most amount of shots. After all that exposure, if the kid wanted to pack up and leave, there is no way you could really blame that on Coach IMO.

[Clickclack]

Al was on campus all summer taking classes and working out....went home in August and came back to only pick up his stuff if he even did that much.

[Clickclack]

Does anyone have APR and GSR numbers?

[S-money]

You can make the argument that it's out of Coach's hands, but Coach recruited him and we don't know what he told Raffa during the process.

 

I do agree with D96 that Raffa could work hard on his game in the summer and come out a transformed player and a PG. While the situations are very different, it reminds me of that guy Todd Martin in '04. He was something like 6'7" but always camped out around the arc, didn't rebound much, and ended up transferring to D2. On the other hand, Brent Wilson would mix it up inside and score a few hook shots even though he was most comfortable behind the arc. A player's got to be willing to be molded; the style and position he plays in high school doesn't necessarily define the rest of his career.

 

One could argue, and I don't have a strong opinion on this, that the coach ought to be able to judge the player during recruiting on whether there will be a compatibility problem if the player's game needs to change. This is not a case of Raffa being recruited over, as has been the case with some other players, though I do appreciate the fact that the SG position is getting a big crowded. But again I think he's capable of being a PG if he wants to. Should the coaches have realized when recruiting that this kid may not be willing to change? Maybe, and that would be a program issue. I'm just rambling and throwing this out as a suggestion while avoiding work on a Friday. I hope Scotty stays.

 

S$