THE DAILY FEED 7.11.11 // Shaq Roland Commits to Gamecocks; Bryce Sherman Leaving Program?

by Gamecock Man on Jul 10, 2011 12:20 PM EDT in South Carolina Gamecocks Football

Scout.com: Five-star Commitment Shaq Roland

The nation's No. 2 wide receiver commits to South Carolina. This is the biggest recruiting coup we've pulled so far.

Sherman won't return - College Football - Rivals.com

Strange news here, and it seems to be developing:

A source close to the team confirmed the news to GamecockCentral.com on Saturday afternoon. The source said that Sherman had decided to quit, although receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr., Sherman’s position coach, told GamecockCentral.com that if the decision had been made, Sherman had yet to inform the coaching staff. Sherman, when reached by phone, said, "I don’t want to say nothing right now."

I wouldn't rule out the possibility that things may change here by tomorrow. However, if this sticks, I'm not sure I would worry about it too much. Sherman is by all accounts well liked by his teammates, but he wasn't exactly making a big impact on the field. He hasn't had many memorable kickoff returns, and he wasn't seeing the field much at RB / WR. The only difference his departure will likely portend will be that we'll see Ace Sanders or Damiere Byrd join D.J. Swearinger on kickoff returns sooner than later, and I'm not sure that isn't for the best anyhow. That said, Sherman seems like a really good kid, so I wish him the best in whatever he decides to do.

Georgia RB King ruled ineligible - College Football - Rivals.com

Running back Caleb King has been ruled academically ineligible for the 2011 season, likely ending his career at Georgia. This is being discussed as a huge blow to Georgia, but I'm not so sure I think it's a big deal. Although King was tabbed as a likely starter, it's no mystery that the Dawgs are placing their hopes on incoming freshman Isaiah Crowell to take that spot sooner than later. King's departure eliminates Georgia's safety valve if Crowell isn't ready to be this year's Lattimore or Dyer, but it's not like that wasn't something the Dawgs were dreading all along. If Crowell doesn't produce, Georgia's offense was always going to struggle, with or without King. It's Crowell or bust for the Dawgs, same as it ever was.

Ohio State vacates 2010 wins, self-inflicts probation. Is the NCAA appeased? - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF Blog - Yahoo! Sports

And that means that Ohio St. is again 0-9 against the SEC.

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I was thinking about this yesterday

after Gamecockrock and I went back-and-forth on Friday about how we felt about Jarvis Giles. I suppose it breaks down to “what is the commitment that a USC players owes to USC?”

Is it for four years (or 5 if redshirted/hardshipped for one season)? Or is it three? Are we going to be upset that Alshon Jeffery is almost-certain to declare for the NFL draft at the end of the season? Or that Marcus Lattimore will likely do the same at the end of the 2012 season? Are we disappointed that Sydney Rice left us after basically one break out season (since he had been red-shirted)?

Those guys (Rice, Jefferey, Lattimore) are all-stars who have delivered big on the field – does that give them more or less right to decamp early? What about medium-talent guys? Do they owe “more” in terms of years since they are more role-players than super-stars? Am I more upset that a back-up like Jarvis Giles leaves for extra p.t. or that a starter like Tori Gurley is talked into going into the NFL draft – but isn’t drafted? How do I compate feeling ambivalent about both Giles and Gurley, when I was upset about Captain Munnerlynn and Emmanuel Cook leaving early?

I’m not sure I know. I feel like I said on Friday that this sort of attrition comes with the territory. The more highly-recruited the guy, the more he wants p.t.. And can we blame him? Starters work with the first team (the other starters) – thus, they play with better caliber athletes and get more coaching; they also see more game-action. It’s a catch-22 but its more than just working hard in practice that ensures on-the-field success – its also on-the-field experience. And, lest we forget, these scholarships are one-year contracts for all-intents-and-purposes. Either you deliver (or at least meet expectations) or you’re gone … or at least pushed out willingly or not.

If you think about it, WR Bryce Sherman is buried on the depth chart. After two years, he has 48 receiving yards total – and all of those were in his freshman campaign (nothing in his sophomore season last year). I had forgotten but he was a walk-on who came to Carolina on a track scholarship – and he had to sell himself to Spurrier. He is small – listed anywhere from 5’5" to 5’7" and probably isnt 175 in pads. He’s got speed, but he never was a threat on the field. Should we be upset he left? Or recognize that we’ve just got more talented players and wish him well? Was he pushed to the door? Or does he love the game and will have a better chance to live his dreams on a FCS or DII team?

And, honestly, is it in his favor that at least he’s left before the season started – remember Jarvis left during last season.

Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)

by tryptic67 on Jul 10, 2011 2:23 PM EDT reply actions

I should make it clear

that i know he became a top kick-off return man relatively late in 09 and started at that position all of 2010 of course, and he had some rush yards. But both years he averaged just less than 21 yards-a-return, never broke one for more than 40 yards and never scored on special teams.

Maybe that’s the result of our poor blocking schemes … or the fact Coach Beamer fils isnt the special teams maven as Coach Beamer pere … or that Coach Spurrier doesnt devote enough practice times to special teams … or maybe Bryce isn’t getting along with John Butler. But the point is still the same. I think this is what happens when we’ve got so many great players. I’ll miss Sherm the Worm but I think his replacement will be as good if not better.

Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)

by tryptic67 on Jul 10, 2011 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Sherman isnt looking to play football anymore

from what I heard, he was looking to regain his track scholarship

by Gamecockrock on Jul 10, 2011 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions

This is what I've also heard, but it doesn't make sense. Can't he run track while on football scholarship (you can't play football while on track scholarship, but you can do it the other way around)? Does he want to devote all his practice time to track?

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog By and For Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Jul 10, 2011 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I am thinkin he just realizes he has no future

in football, so he is devoting his time fully to track in which he could have a career at.

by Gamecockrock on Jul 11, 2011 8:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Well, going back to the old oversigning discussion...

It’s worth remembering that scholarships are only a one-year commitment from the coaches. I don’t have a problem with a player acting under the same assumption. There are, of course, good decisions and bad decisions in this regard—clearly, E. Cook made a bad decision when he bolted. But his decision is bad because he wasn’t ready for the NFL, not because he “owed us something.” JMHO.

As far as Sherman’s skills go, he’s superfast in space, but that didn’t always translate on the football field. He can’t break a tackle to save his life, and most returns require a broken tackle or two to get started.

Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog By and For Gamecocks Fans.

by Gamecock Man on Jul 10, 2011 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions

A good return man

possesses an almost quasi-mystical field-vision thing, even more than an ability to break tackles, I think. It’s like he sees an infitesimally small crease. Even then he still gets creamed more often than not. It’s one of things I can wait to see from Bruce Ellington on the gridiron – you watch his Berkeley H.S. film and he just glides.

Yeah – I agree with you. Seeing it as a year-to-year thing actually gives clarity. It means that the players should make dang sure they are focusing on academics.

Someday someone will have to explain to me why its ok for college baseball players to be drafted while they maintain amateur status, but football and basketball players cannot. Or why there cannot be a middle ground, where a player with one or two more years of college eligibility cannot return to the college ranks if un-drafted?

Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)

by tryptic67 on Jul 10, 2011 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions

if you mean why its ok for baseball players to leave early

its simple…. they dont have to come to college to play baseball, they can go straight into the Majors, so if a talent is willing to give you 3 years of their professional career you take that gladly.

If you are talking about why the MLB is allowed to take kids right out of high school, im with ya on that, its stupid… but it will never change, because MLB clubs have to fill their Major League rosters as well as all their farm systems (which in general is at least 4-5 minor league teams per Major League club). Collegiate ranks simply wouldnt have the numbers to sustain it.

by Gamecockrock on Jul 11, 2011 8:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I get all that

what I don’t get is why there is one set of rules for baseball, and another set of rules for basketball and football. I suppose the best explanation is that MLB does its own farming, so if colleges want good baseball players, then the NCAA has to “play ball” with the MLB draft …

… whereas the NFL and NBA use the NCAA as their farm system, so the NCAA can dictate to them by draft restrictions on football and basketball players that do not exist for baseball players – chief among them being able to be drafted and not lose NCAA eligibility.

Or maybe the better reason is that football and basektball make the universities (and by extension the NCAA) piles of money, which is why they regulate it more than baseball players.

Whatever reason, it is a dumb rule. It also penalizes the hell out of basketball and football stars. It’s not like its just trying to protect gridironers and cagers from the lure of dirty money … MLB clubs pay big bucks to early rounders too. Why do we trust a top college pitcher (like the UCLA or UVA guys) not to sign with agents but stll consider big-time money offers, but not football and basketball players. It’s non-sensical.

A better system would allow football and basketball players to declare for the draft, participate in drills, combines and team workouts, while being allowed to return to college if it doesnt work out. Maybe the schools could act as their kids’ agents – or designate an approved agent for all eligible underclassmen.

Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)

by tryptic67 on Jul 11, 2011 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Im not really sure what your complaint is if those 2 responses doesnt answer it haha

the demand of MLB clubs to fill their rosters in the minor leagues and Major League club is simply too high for colleges to supply the players.

If all you are saying is that you think undrafted players should be allowed to come back to school… I cant answer that, that is on the retarded NCAA head honchos. But ultimately its the players responsibility to know if he has shown enough to logically be expected to get drafted (which means not listening to agents, cause they will always tell you that you are ready).

by Gamecockrock on Jul 11, 2011 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah - that is my point

they should get to come back if they’re not signed. my biggest problem is that the real scouting for the draft takes place at the combines and individual work-outs. Even the NCAA’s advisory committee screws up its projections – saying that a kid is, e.g., a 4-7 rounder, and then he goes undrafted. How often have we seen that? I dont have a link, but if recollection serves, it happens quite a bit.

So I agree with you …. its on the “retarded NCAA head honchos” – there is no reason to treat football and basketball players differently than baseball players other than sheer inertia and/or hypocrisy.

Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)

by tryptic67 on Jul 12, 2011 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions

How do they treat baseball players differently???

they cant come back if undrafted, which is rare since there are 50 rounds.

by Gamecockrock on Jul 12, 2011 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Not following you

if a USC baseball player is drafted – he can choose to stay or go. He doesn’t have to opt in or out of the draft. From my understanding, he can even talk to scouts (e.g., Roth told scouts he was almost certain to return to Carolina, which partially explains why he went in the 31st round rather than earlier). It happens whether he wants to come back or not. He can decide to go ahead and leave school early and play minor league ball – or he can decide that another year at school will improve his draftability – and, thus, put him in position to make more money and/or have higher standing in the organization. In other words he is in complete control whether it’s the first round, 25th round or 50th round.

Contrast that to a football or basketball player. He is not in control. He has to declare for the draft weeks/months before it happens – even if he doesn’t have an agent. If he does, then he has lost his NCAA eligibilty forever in that sport. He cannot have contact with NFL scouts to the best of my knowledge. He cannot participate in combines or individual work-outs or interviews (which are where the real decisions are made) unless he is “all in” the draft process. All he has to go on before he blows his eligibility is to seek the advice of an advisory committee – which reports are often notoriously vaugue and wrong (since they don’t take into account combine, interview and individual team work-outs).

My point is why the difference? Give basketball and football players the exact same leeway as baseball players. As long as they don’t take money or sign with an agent let them be scouted and participate in combines or team try-outs. Let them be interviewed and evaluated on whether they intend to leave early or not. Let them be able to be in a real combine (even if its a special “underclassman” combine overseen by the NCAA in conjunction with the NFL).

Emmanuel Cook and Captain Munnerlyn would have benefitted from the flexibility that Michael Roth enjoys. I think Cook and Munnerlyn would have returned to Carolina for another season. Ditto Tori Gurley. That is the point of where I am coming from.

Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee! UNIVERSITAS CAROLIN MERID. 1801 Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Ovid)

by tryptic67 on Jul 13, 2011 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions

ah okay I see what you are saying now

that goes to the fact they can forego college all together and play pro ball… they dont actually decide to enter the draft, whereas in football they have to make it a formal arrangement to enter draft. Its just a matter of if their name is called, they decide wether they wanna take that team up on their offer or finish out their schooling.

by Gamecockrock on Jul 13, 2011 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

It is also due to the difference in quanitity

MLB has the 50 round draft, so if a player decides to finish his college career its not that harsh to the professional team, while football only has the 7 rounds… they have to know that if and when they pick someone, they are going to follow through on their commitment the that NFL team.

by Gamecockrock on Jul 13, 2011 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions