TU's Clarkson asks for scholarship release

Harry · April 18, 2012

Tulsa all-conference guard Jordan Clarkson has asked for his release to transfer and was given permission to contact a limited number of undisclosed schools, athletic director Ross Parmley announced on Tuesday night.

Clarkson was a first-team All-C-USA guard in 2011-12.

Clarkson was the Golden Hurricane’s leading scorer last season, averaging 16.5 points per game. He scored in double-figures in each of his last 28 games, which was the longest streak by any player in the conference.

Clarkson, a 6-4 guard, became Tulsa’s youngest first-team all-conference selection since Shea Seals in 1994-95.

read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/TU/article.aspx?subjectid=94&articleid=20120417_94_0_Tulsaw961925

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 18, 2012

This is huge. Clarkson was one of the Top 5 prospects in Texas when he signed with Tulsa. He's a great player. Would love to have him here! Clarkson and Mitchell together would be dynamite!

But, we don't have a coach....

Tulsa will tank under Danny Manning. That may not be a fair thing to say about a guy who's been on the job for a couple of weeks, but...you lose your top player right off the bat, it's a problem.

glick1980 · April 18, 2012

Pick 'em up!

oldguystudent · April 18, 2012

Clarkson and Mitchell together would be dynamite!

If Tony's only staying one more year and Clarkson would have to sit out a year, is that even possible?

glick1980 · April 18, 2012

If Tony's only staying one more year and Clarkson would have to sit out a year, is that even possible?

Rec Center All-Americans?

foutsrouts · April 18, 2012

Who's gonna recruit him?

glick1980 · April 18, 2012

Who's gonna recruit him?

Tony Mitchell? Maybe he can be a player coach.

Edited April 18, 2012 by glick1980

EagleD · April 18, 2012

This is huge. Clarkson was one of the Top 5 prospects in Texas when he signed with Tulsa. He's a great player. Would love to have him here! Clarkson and Mitchell together would be dynamite!

But, we don't have a coach....

Tulsa will tank under Danny Manning. That may not be a fair thing to say about a guy who's been on the job for a couple of weeks, but...you lose your top player right off the bat, it's a problem.

We had very good talent leave when Trilli was fired and JJ was hired.

UNTLifer · April 18, 2012

We had very good talent leave when Trilli was fired and JJ was hired.

We had very good talent leave while Trilli was still coaching.

GrandGreen · April 18, 2012

We had very good talent leave when Trilli was fired and JJ was hired.

Nobody that I can think of left when JJ was hired. Miller and Erkin had left a year or two earlier. All the talent on that team stayed with JJ including Lenard Hopkins, Chris Davis and Will Smith. Although Trilli's teams were horrible, the cupboard was not exactly bare when Jones took over.

Cooley · April 18, 2012

Miller left after JJ was hired. JJ tried to talk him out of it to no avail. JJ appeared to be mad saying that he only wanted guys who wanted to be at North Texs. That statement kind of pissed me off at the time.

El Paso Eagle · April 19, 2012

.......... That statement kind of pissed me off at the time.

Have to ask, why?

greenminer · April 19, 2012

Have to ask, why?

Just guessing, but if you a coach says that after the fact then it's kind of a scapegoat/throwing-him-under-the-bus statement

Guaranteed22 · April 19, 2012

We had very good talent leave when Trilli was fired and JJ was hired.

Who?

PurpleOut · April 19, 2012

Clarkson was looking to transfer to Texas it seems, but Manning and Tulsa is only letting him transfer to three schools. Vandy, TCU, and one other that I can't remember right now. Pretty crappy move on their part if you ask me.

GrandGreen · April 19, 2012

Maybe Tulsa doesn't want him to transfer to a team they might have to play.

KRAM1 · April 19, 2012

Tulsa is not set to play UT any time soon. Manning is being a good Jayhawk and bloccking his move to any Big 12 school to protect the alma mater. Dick move across the board from Manning and Tulsa.

I would understand if he wanted to got Memphis or even UH or SUM, but locking ou the Big 12 is just low. Supposedly though his family is in the situation to just pay the entire first year and therefore the scholarship $$ and requirements trying to hjold him is pointless. It just hurts his development.

Just asking, but I don't get why you think Tulsa and manning are the "bad guys" here. Isn't or wasn't Clarkson on scholarship? Didn't he commit to playing at Tulsa and sign a scholarship offer with Tulsa? Seems to me that manning and Tulsa could have said "no" to a release and the kid would have to stay and sulk about it or play Juco or at a lower level than D1 or not at all.

I am sure you know much more about this than i do, so I just wondered why you think the bad guys are who they are in this deal? Does the kid not have some part to play in this thing? Why not stay at Tulsa?

And, are you saying a kid can back out of his scholarship and go play anywhere immediately if he pays his own way? Really? So Clarkson could go to Texas and play year one if he paid his own way? Is that how it works?

TheTastyGreek · April 19, 2012

And, are you saying a kid can back out of his scholarship and go play anywhere immediately if he pays his own way? Really? So Clarkson could go to Texas and play year one if he paid his own way? Is that how it works?

No, he'll still have to sit a year. I believe it's called the "year in residence" or something very similar.

The biggest weapon schools have over a kid who wants to leave is that they can decide whether or not to release him from his scholarship. If he gets a release, the destination school is able to financially support him like any other member of the team. This is what happened with George Odufuwa and other D-1 transfers we've received here. They can't play, but they are on scholarship and they can practice with the team.

But if a school refuses to release a player to a school (or list of schools... check out the current situation with Bo Ryan and a Wisconsin player), that player has to either go somewhere on the approved list of destinations, stay put, go to a non-D-1 school, or pay their own way at the school of their choice. For most kids, that isn't a viable financial option. But apparently Clarkson can tell Tulsa to shove it, pay out of pocket for a year, and end up anywhere he wants (that's willing to put him on the team after his sit year).

UNT90 · April 19, 2012

Just asking, but I don't get why you think Tulsa and manning are the "bad guys" here. Isn't or wasn't Clarkson on scholarship? Didn't he commit to playing at Tulsa and sign a scholarship offer with Tulsa? Seems to me that manning and Tulsa could have said "no" to a release and the kid would have to stay and sulk about it or play Juco or at a lower level than D1 or not at all.

I am sure you know much more about this than i do, so I just wondered why you think the bad guys are who they are in this deal? Does the kid not have some part to play in this thing? Why not stay at Tulsa?

And, are you saying a kid can back out of his scholarship and go play anywhere immediately if he pays his own way? Really? So Clarkson could go to Texas and play year one if he paid his own way? Is that how it works?

Nope. He has to sit a year, but his parents have the cash to pay for a year at UT (because he can't be on scholly like Patton is right now if TU doesn't release him.

It is a complete D move by manning. If you don't want to release him, fine, don't, but then you have someone on your team that doesn't want to be there. Not the recipe for great team chemistry.

Many teams release the player with the stipulation that they can't transfer in conference, which is understandable for obvious reasons. For Manning to put the Big 12 down as a no transfer conference is sorry.

If I were a tU alum, I would be wondering where Manning's loyalties really lie.

Edited April 19, 2012 by UNT90

Green P1 · April 19, 2012

Boo hoo.

KRAM1 · April 19, 2012

Unless you get a hardship waiver, not kid can go and play yhe next year. What is happening is that they are refusing to allow him the option to be able to receive grant and aid from the new university he is planning to transfer to the first year. With how out of state tuition has risen and the financial situation of many throughout the country, this effectively stops kids from being able to transfer because of the whim of a coach or administrator.

The problem is that he can leave and transfer where ever he wants to under the NCAA guidelines. The understanding of the concept to limit or exclude potential destinations through the restrictions in grant and aid is in place to make sure a player does not get to transfer within the conference or division. I can completely understand that idea and it is something that is within the best interests of the university. Blocking kids from transferring to schools, that have no bearing on the school or as an a potential opponent, just to help protect a different program in a different conference is is petty and somewhat embarassing.

Look at it through a lens like this: Would you be upset is "hypothetical player A" from UNT wants to transfer, has already looked around and has the full blessing from Kansas to transfer there and Mac says Kansas is off the list, even though there is no way "hypothetical player A" ever sees the field against UNT, to protect the interests of ISU? That is the problem with all of this.

The more insulting part in all of this is that the starting QB for Tulsa is a UT transfer and there are several other UT transfers that have been a part of Tulsa teams in the past.

This whole thing stinks of KU basketball and Manning watching out for the best interests of Kansas and not the student or the university.

I understand what you are saying...appreciate Tasty, you, UNT90 filling in some holes for me regarding these NCAA rules. Are we 100% certain Manning said no to any Big XII transfer or is that just rumor? I don't care one way or the other as he's not playing at UNT. I think there is always more to the story than the public knows (or think they know) in most of these cases. Sort of a tough situation for both Manning and the kid. Don't see why either one would be very happy about it.

NT03 · April 19, 2012

If I were a tU alum, I would be wondering where Manning's loyalties really lie.

bingo

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 19, 2012

Because the scholarships are year-to-year and coaches can decide to not renew them, I think it's fine for a kid to leave. It's a two ways street. Why would a kid have to be more loyal than his coach, an adult?

Also, the kid only has four or five years of his life to play. A coach can make a career of it at one or many schools as a head coach or assistant. So, really, a kid should do what a kid has to do.

As a TU alum, I wasn't thrilled with any of the last three hires - the AD, the football coach, or the men's basketball coach. Time will show whether they can keep recruiting the type of talent the former coaches brought in.

NT03 · April 20, 2012

I would not be surprised to see him @ LSU

KRAM1 · April 20, 2012

OK, then under this logic let's see no one here compalin if Mitchell, Williams or Jones decides to leave UNT. Just sayin.....it's a two-way street after all you say. In reality I get that, and I think the NCAA needs to seriously look at some of the inane and ridiculus "rules" it has relating to athlete transfers, scholarships, donors, etc., etc.

I know I am "old school" when it comes to the idea of contracts and how one should view a signed contract...even if a better deal comes along after the fact or during the term of that contract...but, even so, the NCAA's rules do seem a bit inane when it comes to this sort of thing and pretty one-sided...and not in the athletes favor I might add.