It is a disappointment that he is transferring, as has been the case with most of our recent transfers. He was probably the best of our big men when it came to offense and defense. Could commit some inexcusable fouls but I certainly would have liked to see him on next year's team.
Except for Omar, no player can say he did not get a decent shot to show what he could do. Some players may not have shown enough. No regrets from me. We needed more production across the board, but I do hope he finds a good starting situation.
I kind of felt from when Jay was announced that Wassef was not going to be a match with Jay young. I heard jay say repeatedly that if you want to be successful at FF under him u need to play aggressive defense. Wassef defense was at best passive. Many times I felt he was a lazy defender , often out of position which resulted in too many fouls. I hope he finds a better match and I wish him success.
In today's environment, the norm has become that players will seek out the best opportunity, and coaches will be less open to letting players simply stick around for four years even if they aren't producing.
I thought Wassef improved some this year, especially on the defensive end. That being said, I'm not sure he ever really learned how to play defense until this year. He had good physical skills, but I'm not sure he had a good understanding of how to play the game. On the defensive end he fouled alot and liked to try to block every shot. On the offensive end he was turnover prone, was a bit too enamored with shooting 3's, and his foul shooting was sub-par.
I hope he lands in a place where he gets to play a lot and can enjoy his senior year. Sad that he never lived up to the potential that he showed in his first game as a Stag. I don't think he ever was able to match that performance.
If I were a player transferring after my Junior year and if I were transferring to a school that was not academically near the same level as Fairfield, I would have the credits earned from my new school sent to Fairfield so that the record shows I graduated as a Stag. It is not unusual for a college to accept transfer credits, within reason, from other institutions. Players who transfer should be making judicious choices. When Flavors left after his first year for a school out West , a school that is very average, I thought that his decision was a bad one.
Post by nashvillestag on Mar 13, 2020 8:34:35 GMT -5
Whether you think Wassef would have been a plus, a minus or somewhat in-between going forward, it's his decision and one I respect. Doesn't surprise me at all. But I wish him well where ever he ends up.
For some reason his shooting touch seemed to disappear, this season.
I can't blame a kid for wanting to play. He definitely had some nice moments - and for a brief time, he and Omar had us thinking they had the talent to be part of a top front court - but Wassef never seemed to put it together consistently and was probably looking at a diminished role, next season.
This is kind of the test for JY - he has some roster flexibility. Can he bring in the "higher level" recruits the Stags need?
The number of transfers is starting to grow on a daily basis. Now up to 226 D-1 transfers. Recent years have typically been around 900 per year.
It will be interesting to see how Young and his staff approach these players. Obviously they are open to the possibility given that Green and Ngalakulondi are already on the team. More to come?
Post by reindeerfan on Mar 13, 2020 10:43:54 GMT -5
No surprise that Wassef is leaving. I would be surprised if Omar and Wassef do not end up at the same school. I am sorry to see him go and wish him all the best.
With regards to shooting percentages, I think that Wassef and Whipple were affected by the coaching. Players always had a green light to shoot with Sydney. Shooters need to be confident to shoot, Neither player showed that confidence this year. I think Young was critical of Wassef's shot selection, and as a resulted pulled him from games. That affected his conference and playing time. Wassef was not a good fit for what Young tried to do offensively and Wassef did not seem to buy into what the Stags were doing offensively. I understand how both might feel. I think wassef's defense improved under young;s coaching, I hope that is a positive he can take with him wherever he ends up.
Last Edit: Mar 13, 2020 10:55:19 GMT -5 by reindeerfan