Ryan Weber Transferring

[Penquin68]

I agree that the loss of Weber is bad for us.  But I think it is a case of him being homesick and girlsick more than anything the current staff did or did not do.  It is unfortunate, but difficult to blame someone for his exit.

[jjysuwin]

Kid doesn't want to win. Lacks the "it" factor.

Chooses his girlfriend and playing for the MAC bottom feeder.

Let him leave, and don't let the door hit him on the way out.

[popsicle]

jj
Why are you bashing the kid? What is the "it" factor? Most improved kid on the team? Seems to me that he worked at "it" in the off season.
I looked at Ball St page and they seem to be on the rise. New coach has two incoming freshman that are on the Indiana All-Star team! Wow!
As for the girlfriend stuff? Really? A kid is gonna transfer, sit out a year, all to be with his girlfriend? C'mon man. I think the girlfriend stuff is really a disguise by YSU to hide some other stuff. Why no announcement from Coach Slocum on his departure? Maybe I missed it. I have never seen a key player depart a school before, and nothing ever be released by the SID or coach. Have you?
Oh well. I wish him well. Hope he has a good career and finds what he was missing, whatever that may be. I don't have "it" in me to bash a kid on making a decision on facts I don't have knowledge of. I guess you do have "it".

[ysufan0505]

Can't blame the kid if he wants to be closer to home. He will be a big loss for us. His game was really developing. 2nd best player on the team.

[ysuhoops24]

hurts to lose him, but as for Ball State being on the rise....nope.

[ValleyTalk]

As for the girlfriend stuff? Really? A kid is gonna transfer, sit out a year, all to be with his girlfriend? C'mon man. I think the girlfriend stuff is really a disguise by YSU to hide some other stuff.

Believe what you want, but you don't CHOOSE to sit out a year to play at a MAC bottom feeder. If you don't think the girlfriend played a role, then you being naive.

[paladin]

Considering how far away he was from family and a supposed girlfriend, how little time he would have had to be with the girlfriend over the last two years and weighing what future, if any, with the girlfriend, I'd be more inclined to look at the program and not the personal B.S.  No question he was the second best player on the team but in a program at a commuter school and not a real university setting, had  been assaulted and the offending player returning to the team and playing for a considered bottom feeder.  I believe the program and not  girlfriend problems were at the core of the problem.  The decision apparently makes him happy. He simply moves from a long time losing program to another, but much closer to home and a fresh start  in a  traditional university setting. Plus he gets a 5th year to complete his degree and work on a Master's.  Those are all pluses for him.

[Lets_Talk]

Even if the girlfriend played a role in his decision, so what? How does that mean he does not have the "it" factor? Ball State may not have a great basketball program now, but neither does YSU. And, I agree with Paladin that there were likely many issues other than his girlfriend that led to the decision to transfer.

Hard to blame the kid for wanting to be closer to home. BSU may or may not improve much over the next 3 seasons, but I do not expect much from YSU either. So, given the incident at practice where his nose was broken after being punched, the way YSU played the final half of the season, and whatever issues he likely had with either the coaching staff, or other players, may as well transfer and get a fresh start.

As a fan of YSU, I don;t like seeing him leave, because the kid is a solid player with potential to get better. But, I'm not going to bash a 20 year old for transferring to another school, especially a D1 school that is close to his home, and in a conference on par with the HL.

I wish Ryan the best at Ball State and hope he is able to be part of helping improve the BSU basketball program and has a great final 3 years of college.

[jjysuwin]

The kid is not a winner. Period. How many games did this second best player on the team help us win last year?

I've talked to people around the team. He's not a leader. Shy guy, who never connected with his teammates. He's the typical "me" player.

Doesn't make people better. Doesn't play defense. Doesn't win.

Would I like to have him, sure. But our program is not significantly better or worse without him.

And Paladin has no room to talk about someone doing something for a girlfriend. He simply cannot relate to us married people.

[Penguin Nation]

The MAC has a higher conference RPI than the HL, so this is an upwards move for Weber.  If the girlfriend was the motivating factor, than that was a poor decision.  I suspect  there were concerns he had with the YSU program, and getting assaulted during a practice is unacceptable.  The player who assaulted him is returning?! If true than that is an outrage.

He would have been the best returing player for the 2014-15 squad.  It is a huge loss for the program.  His assault, and his departure, should be investigated by the Athletic Department.  Why is a quality athlete being assaulted?  Why is a quality athlete, in which resources were spent being recruited, not being retained?

Being an objective fan who has the ability to do more than cheerlead, this looks bad for Slocum.  We know he can't win.  But he can keep his players safe, or keep them content enough to not move away?

What are the performance standards for a YSU MBB HC? 

[ValleyTalk]

The MAC has a higher conference RPI than the HL, so this is an upwards move for Weber.

I think that is complete BS. Ball State has gotten worse over the past 3 years and they have an RPI that has been worse than YSU the past 3 years, which tells you how bad they actually are. We may never know the exact reason, but let's stop this nonsense that he transferred to Ball State because they are a better program or on the rise because their results speak otherwise. He had Purdue and some better MAC schools after him, so if he wanted to go to a better program he very well could have. IMHO, the GF was a bigger fact than some of you folks will acknowledge.

2013-2014 Season RPI
YSU: 242
Ball State: 312 (3 Division 1 wins all year per RealTimeRPI)

2012-2013 Season RPI
YSU: 188
Ball State: 233

2011-2012 Season RPI
YSU: 171
Ball State: 255

Source: RealTimeRPI.com

[popsicle]

Nice stats Valley. We look like we are going backward! IMHO? We are all entitled to one. Hope the kid lands on his feet....and hope the BS never comes out. Good luck 'Guins.

[ysuhoops24]

Ball State is horrible and will remain horrible.  Hate when people assume because of a new coach they are on the rise.  When you suck that bad your going to have a new head coach fairly often.  Have fun losing.  I'll take Keene anyway between the two...kid can create his own buckets and we're going to need that.

[popsicle]

"When you suck that bad ..you are going to have a new coach fairly often"? WOW! Just showed your insight (or lack there of). I wish Marcus the best. Kids make mistakes.

[ysuhoops24]

some people were refering to the fact they had a new coach last season and appear to be on the up swing.  Fact of the matter is, new coaches don't always makes things better.  Slocum is a case where things got better at YSU and he has raised the bar and possibly peaked.  Ball State is just not a good basketball program.  Keene is a scorer, Weber is a shooter.  I'll take a scorer any day over a shooter.  Let's just hope he does not turn out to be Doug Underwood like.