Byrd not eligible, will play at Paris JC

OldTimer · August 16, 2002

open scholarship. The 6-10 center from Alief Hasting did not qualify academically according to an article in the DMN. NT has been hoping he would be a partial qualifyer.

Tough luck for NT.

MeanGreenHoops · August 16, 2002

Thanks for getting my day off to a bad start.

IronMan4 · August 16, 2002

Does this mean that if he plays well and gets his grades up another school could snatch him? Or does he still have a letter of intent for NT?

NT80 · August 16, 2002

I think he's free game again from junior college. We sent a couple to Kansas to JC and Tech signed one (Jamal Brown?). I think we just signed a Waco JC kid that Baylor wanted didn't we?

Zeke · August 16, 2002

This is just like the Chris Jackson situation......who we NMSU got to after we sent him to a school where Brandy Perrymen's (sp?) father was the head coach.

Harry · August 16, 2002

If he's a decent player you can bet he's a goner. Tough news for JJ and the program. He will bounce back however.

ScreamingEaglesFan · August 17, 2002

What about the big guy (center I believe) that was out with a medical red shirt, isn't he supposed to be back this year?

OldTimer · August 17, 2002

Justin Barnett from Arlington Martin, about 6-10, is supposed to be on the team this year. Hope his injury bug is missing...he missed most of two seasons in HS with injuries and his freshman year had surgery on his foot and redshirted.

Don't know how much he will contribute...let s just hope he does.

GreenFlag · August 17, 2002

Justin was 6-10 coming out of HS. He looked 7-0 on the bench last year.

Buford_Julep · August 18, 2002

There is a chance Sam Byrd might sign with NT after blossoming at Paris JC. Loyalty does exist.

Texas A&M Head Coach Melvin Watkins was the first to show interest in Antoine Wright of Lawrence Academy in Groton Mass. Wright was an unknown at the time. Now he is considered one of the top incoming Freshman in the nation. He proved his rating with his performance in the Dallas Global Games. Later Wright was recruited by Arizona, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, Stanford, Miami (Fla.), Maryland, Georgetown, Arizona State, UCLA, USC and many others. Wright elected to stay with A&M, hardly a big-name basketball school.

The below quote from Wright was borrowed from the official Texas A& M Athletic site.

"Texas A&M has been really loyal and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me," Wright said. "Even when I wasn't getting that much attention earlier this year, A&M was always there. I think I can go there and play right away. I think I can get it done in the Big 12. I've worked hard and I think I've been able to improve on my game without getting caught up in all the hype. I think Coach Watkins can help me elevate my game to the next level and get me where I want to go."

Chris Jackson and Jamal Brown didn't think that way, but Sam Byrd might.

Harry · August 18, 2002

Buford, I appreciate your point. However, the flaw in your analogy is that Watkins can recruit players to the Big 12 league more than he can Texas A&M Basketball. Johnny doesn't have that luxury. Honestly the whole Chris Jackson, Jamal Brown, etc. experience has led me to see it this way.

Perhaps this young man is different...I hope so.