Gillenwater to forego senior season at NMSU
By Jason Groves
LAS CRUCES — New Mexico State forward Troy Gillenwater will not return for his senior season with the Aggies.
On Sunday, the deadline for NCAA underclassmen to withdraw their names from the NBA Draft pool and return to school, Aggies head coach Marvin Menzies said the redshirt junior power forward will keep his name in the NBA Draft.
“There was some back-and-forth but eventually it was the financial needs of his family,” Menzies said.
Jason Groves can be reached at (575) 541-5459
Hope to have more later today
18 comments:
enter remi berry..
Wish him the best.
Anybody else tired on Menzies recruiting guys with talent, then waiting for a year on clearing house issues, and when they finally get on the court, they have to sit out a semester due to grades, only to have them leave a year early? What did Gillenwater give us? a year and a half of basketball?
Are you kidding me?
Big Wen is the only one who has stuck it out through the tough times. Grades, indecision, injury.
2011 will be another average season for the Aggies. Remi is good, but I think he is a perimeter player. Big Wen will get you rebounds, but not a real offensive threat. Where will the inside points come from? Stone Hnds Rahman or Bulldozer Chili?
I'm frustrated!
And another thing, I hate to pull this card, but our pathetic fan base can share the blame for these departures.
If these players felt any type of connection to the community, they wouldn't leave with a year remaining of eligibility knowing damn well that they weren't getting drafted. Its hard to establish a connection when 3000 fans show up to your games! If there was a packed house making these guys feel special night in and night out, I guarantee you they would think twice before leaving. everybody loves their ego stroked!
I understand the family may need money, but there is plenty of assistance out there to survive for 1 year.
This from ESPN:
Troy Gillenwater, forward, New Mexico State: If this is the first time you've found yourself seriously considering Gillenwater's draft prospects, well, you're not alone. The New Mexico State forward was something of an afterthought throughout this draft process, which is what happens when a) you play at New Mexico State and b) you're ranked outside the top 100 prospects in your draft class by most NBA scouts and general managers. In other words, like early-entry teammate Jahmar Young last year, Gillenwater seems likely to go undrafted, which is why it's hard to consider this a prudent decision on the junior's part.
Response to ESPN blurb --- Troy is looking forward to playing in middle eastern leagues for small bucks in order to hone his craft and prepare to play in Europe before retiring at the ripe old age of 25 years of age.
On an unrelated note --- What's the latest on Remi Barry? He expected to play this upcoming season?
Great comment, anon 8:31. Growing up in LC, Basketball was the thing to do and the Pan Am rocked.
So much so that here I am 25 years later, following this team from Switzerland!
It is hard to imagine such little support for the team in Las Cruces. It must be the downside of my ability to follow the team from far away.
It must be the internet and people have lost their attention for what is going on in their own towns because they are busy following events far away.
I better get off the computer now and go for a walk :-)
I agree with anon 8:31 on the fan support. These guys would definately think twice before leaving if it was "fun" to play in the Pan Am in front of 10,000 night in night out.
Personally, I don't think this will hurt the Aggies as much as one might think. He could definately score, but he was also a cancer who often disappeared when things got tough.
I hope Remi Berry can pick up some offensive slack but the Aggies are going to have to play D and rebound at a very high rate to win the league.
Anon 8:31,
You made a comment about our "pathetic fan base" and why there is no connection with only 3,000 fans showing up at the games. You should hate the pull that card because it is NOT on the fans. It's on the basketball program overall somewhat because the brand of basketball is not exciting, there are constant mistakes that fall on the coaches and the coaches just aren't that good. However, the onus of the "pathetic fan base" falls on Steve Macy, with his big title; Associate Athletic Director of Marketing, making $120K a year and giving us very little in return other than alienating the fan base with terrible, horrible in-game marketing. I highly doubt I'm the only one who has noticed this. The lack of a quality in-game experience for the fans, the kind that was there as recently as 2007, is what is keeping the fan-base from coming to the games and spending hard-earned money.
Good luck to Troy Gillenwater. I think his decision was a good personal decision because he's not going to the NBA this year, nor will he next year. He's going to sign a contract somewhere in Europe or Australia, i.e. Tyrone Nelson, Jonathan Gibson, Martin Iti, Hatila Passos, Justin Hawkins, Fred Peete ... regardless if he does it this year or the next. Only this year, his name has more excitement to it because he's leaving after his junior year so he's more marketable to teams.
Remi Barry is more of a perimeter player if you did your research.... That said, I dpn't think a freshman can handle the load, he definatly will help though....
Just curious regarding the fan base comments. Has anyone noted that we lack a quality announcer and we lack sound techs that mix properly? The announcer, Lawrence, lacks a solid voice and excitement and he could use a better interest in the game himself. We need first to hear something besides his squeaky voice and second he needs to do more besides having that "I'm reading from a piece of paper" mentality. My interest in the game and supporting our team keeps me coming back to the Pan Am. If it weren't for that I would do like many others do and listen to Jack on the radio. He generates excitement in the game because he wants to be there and you can hear him.
I am looking forward to the coming year with Wendell back. The fact that, because of the injuries that plagued the team, the lower classmen got a chance to hone their skills can only help give Wendell the support he needs. One of his strengths is he understands the importance of team play and we need that leadership. It lacked this last year.
I feel for Gillenwater. It's too bad he's throwing away getting a degree. The NBA will still be there in another year and Troy isn't likely to be making enough money during what would have been his senior year to make this a wise decision.
To Anon 8:31, have you considered that the fans may have NOTHING to do with his decision to leave? We can have the greatest fan base in college basketball and he would still leave simply because he can't make it in the classroom. What's the point of staying for another year when he faces being ineligible again in the fall? what are fans to do about his lack of performance in the classroom?
007,
I agree with you as well. This is on everybody including the athletic department, AD, and lets not forget Menzies.
The game experience is very poor. I just wish the fans would suck it up for a season and pack the place. I guarantee it would help the team. There really isn't much else to do in las cruces, especially as a poor student. They freakin get in free and still don't attend.
The problem is that the old folks that were packing the Pan Am in the early 90's literally have died. The students, like myself, who attended the games during this same period have all moved away, and the product being put on the court has not generated enough excitement (wins) to get the casual fans in. This is where your marketing department comes in, and as you have pointed out, they have done a poor job as well. I agree with you that they have no clue.
I attended the NMSU V. USC basketball game in LA 3 years ago, and bought tickets through the USC website. To this day, they are still sending me emails regarding upcoming USC athletic events. By contrast, I have had NMSU season tickets in football and regularly drive from Albuquerque to attend basketball games, and I NEVER receive anything from NMSU. Last time I checked, emails are FREE, so we can't blame it on the marketing budget.
I kind of went through an entire story to let you know that I agree with you.
I'm just very frustrated with our university and the way athletics is being run, and nobody with the authority to do anything about it gives a damn!
If our fan base causes our top players to leave their Junior seasons.....what must the fan bases be like at Kentucky or Duke if their players leave after their Freshman year
If youre leaving youre leaving, having a great/mediocre fan base wont make you stay. Or we would not have the whole one and done issue.
GS
As far as the fan base, all the Aggies need to do is win. This business of getting clobbered in preseason as a preparation for the conference season just takes the wind out of the fans.
When you lose 9 of the first 12 games, the fans aren't going to be motivated to see the team. Until the Aggies can win consistently, the fans are going to stay at home.
Groves you are forgetting about Remi Barry. Remi Barry was once rated the 28th best player in the nation after his junior. His stock only dropped because he didn't play his senior year. Barry is good enough to guard PG, SG, and SF while he can play SG and SF. Barry is a good shooter who can create his own shot and has some nice passing skills and ball handling skills. He averaged 24 PPG, 11 RPG, and 6 APG last summer for his AAU basketball team. McKines is also better than Gillenwater. McKines might not have the scoring skills that Gillenwater did bring but McKines is the best rebounder in the WAC. McKines also did a good job getting assist and being a team player while Gillenwater was all about his points. You are an idiot Groves if you think that we will be in trouble without Gillenwater. Gillenwater hurt this team a lot last season more than he helped. He had no heart and didn't play defense. I am one who is glad that he decided not to come back. This team will be much better next season. Bank on it.
there isn't enough room on here to go through all the problems. the problems start and end at the office of the "know it all" athletic director. Boston has done nothing to make any of us feel as though this is our program and we are wanted. we have had some good coaches here, who were treated very badly by boston and the moral in that department is horrible. the people boston has brought in to run the place and bring about some life are horrible. he has this "one of the best mid majors in the country" crud spewing out of his horrible public speaking mouth that is way off. when is the last time he has ever walked through the stadium or arena and introduced himself to anyone? never. he is a bad leader, a liar and a bad person.
now, marvelous marvin menzies develops horrible relationships with his players, which is why they want to get out of here. mm pretends to know it all by running his mouth all the time and telling his stupid jokes, but deep down he has no clue. he recruits players who struggle to get in to school, they don't qualify through the ncaa clearing house and then sit at the dona ana branch juco to serve a one year residency. so, if you want to see the future players, just go to the practice gym late at night and you will see them. the best games on that campus are played in the practice gym around 10pm.
menzies needs a better staff. Mick Durham is a quality basketball mind and has a clue, but MM doesn't allow him to do his job. MM lets the Canadian recruiter; Paul Weir act like he is John Wooden and runs around practice cussing and yelling and does nothing to teach the game. Paulis the defensive coordinator, which tells you right there what is the problem once they get on the court. The head coach does nothing to emphasize the defensive side of the ball. MM needs a better staff.
Don't get me started on Macy or James Hall,,,,,those guyes take a big paycheck home and do abslutely nothing. The best promoter we had here used to be the guy who coached the women's basketball team. that guy ran all over town promoting his program, i saw him at all of my daughters middle school games and youth games. the guy even slept in a tent to sell season tickets and got zero help from the department. he is out of a job now and these other clowns are still there.
Boston needs to step up and get something moving or this place will soon be worse than we know it is.
Anon 7:51,
Couldn't agree more. People like Macy & Hall are what is preventing the Athletics department from being a successful program. They epitomize everything that is wrong with the Athletics department. Guys like Mike Jordan and Darin Spence are who we need, but Boston showed Spence the door to bring in his buddy from USC and will lose Mike Jordan one of these days to a bigger, better school. Dewayne Walker has been doing a good job in my eyes so far, but in reality, all he had to do was not be a stuck-up coach like Mumme; he had this too-good-for-NMSU-aire about him when he absolutely wasn't too good for NMSU.
Now, Walker needs to show that his recruits can get it done because his first-class are now juniors and the "face" of the team. Time to show.
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