LLP Dismissed
I guess this ends the wondering about whether Laval Lucas-Perry will be granted that 5th year of his scholarship for the 2011-2012 year. Press release:
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's basketball head coach John Beilein announced today (Wednesday, June 30) that redshirt-junior guard Laval Lucas-Perry (Flint, Mich./Flint Powers Catholic HS) has been dismissed from the program.
"The University of Michigan and our men's basketball program has established expectations essential to the success of all students and athletes," said Beilein. "These university and team standards have been clearly communicated to the team and Laval on numerous occasions through meetings, conferences and mentorship.
"Unfortunately, Laval has violated our team standards. Therefore, I have decided that he will no longer be a part of our basketball program. Given the fact that Laval is near the completion of his degree, he has been extended the offer to remain on scholarship for the 2010-11 academic year and graduate in May with our 2011 class."
After transferring from the University of Arizona midway through his freshman season, Lucas-Perry has played 58 games for U-M averaging 5.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assist per game.
/press release.
Standard "violation of team rules" dismissal, though he'll be allowed to remain in school. Your men's basketball roster for the upcoming season now is one guard shorter, meaning more time at the 2 for the likes of Zack Novak and/or Stu Douglass, and probably an increased role for Tim Hardaway Jr.
Big of Beilein to offer to keep him on scholarship. It might also leave the door open for him to rejoin the team at some point.
More good news.
...a significant loss. LLP was a colossal disappointment, IME.
Sorry he wasn't able to get with the program so he could stay with the program.
roster for next season, this IS significant loss.
IMHO Kelvin Grady was a significant loss, LLP not so much. LLP doesn't appear to have Big Ten level talent or skill
or was asked to leave. Sure he had defensive short comings but he filled a role no one else on the team could fill. I think he was way underrated and the team missed him a lot last year. Its too bad that he and JB were not on the same page.
I think, had he been on the team last year, they could have been near the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, instead of on the outside looking in almost the entire year.
He would have helped, but we still would have been massively undersized. The guy I wish had been around was Cronin.
Between him, Merritt, and CJ Lee, that was all the real PG experience gone.
...I disagree. Except for a handful of monster games, LLP consistently disappeared. He was ineffective at the one and the two and didn't play particularly good defense.
I don't see how the guard rotation takes a significant hit here.
I don't care how complete his game was, he was a contributor, and that wiill be missed.
There is a difference between missed and a "significant loss". His contributions may be missed but he was not a projected starter by anyone and he plays a position where we have other options.
I think it is less likely that Christian redshirts now in addition to the added time for Tim Jr.
If nothing else, LLP had shown that he has the ability to score, at times, in bunches, at the major college level. Unfortunately, and honestly, that is something we don't necessarily have in spades on our team for next year. Along those lines, I see it as a net loss. He was/is experienced, has had some good games (and no, I don't mean in the Ant Wright mold of the Oklahoma game) and had, at least, the potential to be someone who could be a (hopefully) consistent threat to score from the perimeter in the upcoming season. If nothing else, it is similar to the situation with the football team: he had talent; we don't know what this year would've held. It would've been nice to know.
Even if he was the third guy off the bench, he still would have provided depth, experience and, if we were lucky, upper classman leadership.
He averaged 21 minutes last year, which would be 4th most of the returning players. Any other year, and I might agree that the loss isn't significant. However, coming into a year with out our top two contributors from the previous season, any loss of experience is a significant blow. To put it in perspective, Vogrich is now our most experienced bench player with 5.5 minutes per game last year, and that's assuming two redshirt freshmen starting.
Just to be clear, in no way am I arguing that he should have remained on the team but the fact that he is done, for any reason, is disappointing IMO.
While it hurts a little to lose any player on this team, LLP was pretty underwhelming in his time with the team and he played the same role as 5 other players on the team so he's probably the one player we could most afford to lose. And, frankly I did not see him getting a 5th year (a la Wright) so this was probably his last year anyway.
When it rains, it pours. Across multiple sports too? Well, we will be seeing a VERY different basketball team this season.
Holy shit! Wtf? This came out of left field. I mean, I haven't been paying that close attention to MBB in the offseason, but yeah. Wow.
I am also very shocked by this. Everyone I know close to the program say LLP is a strong student and very drama- free.
While this guy had a pretty, pretty jumpshot, overall I just always felt he wasn't really a ballplayer. He could just never get over the hump.
He will have a real nice degree, though. And it's a chance to get some other guys out on the basketball court.
It started out soooo well against Oakland U. Hopefully this will spur LLP on towards his degree.
I was at that game (Thanks Free Beer and Hot Wings!) and had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Good luck straightening things out, LLP.
had a ton of potential. I remember his first game against Oakland: 18 points on 6 three's. I was frickin pumped. And he single-handedly bringing us back against Minnesota and essentially getting us into the NCAA tourney.
FWIW, I believe it was one of the mods/insiders over at GBW last week or so who said/implied that LLP was badmouthing the program to potential recruits...
...true that's beyond traitorous. It's self defeating and traitorous. What the hell would he have to gain from that kind of behavior?
Dylan Burkhard over at umhoops.com stated that this rumor is false.
I am stunned and shocked that something from the depths of a Rivals or Scout message board is not based in reality.
I wish people would stop coming here and parroting rumor talking points from those boards
I'm sure he was responsible somehow, made him prop the fire doors open in South Quad.
disappointing.
This is not a loss. Sorry to say it but it is a plus - he was essentially a non-contributor. Beilein once again demonstrates the class act he is in allowing him to stay on scholarship. I seriously doubt he has any chance to return to the team.
This is, simply, asinine. Let's just say that your statement re: "non-contributor" was correct. Okay, given that, then, you do realize that his spot will now be replaced by a walk-on for the next season, right? Not a net loss-- a player that played at Arizona, and came here and got limited run but still showed flashes of at least competent D-1 play? Not a loss? Walk on vs. LLP next year? Come on, man. All rumors aside, just comparing talent, I don't see it.
You can disagree without the "asinine" part, but whatever. His statistics were minimal given his playing time. Defense was indifferent at best. I was commenting on the broader picture. Whatever he was doing to get kicked off the team, removing that behavior from the picture will be a net plus.
Fair enough. And you're right- using "asinine" was kinda douchey of me. Dammit commenting when drunk.
Not that it matters this late in the game, but his scholarship doesn't count toward the team if it's used just to complete his course work while not on the team, right?
The rules around that kind of thing usually only apply to a player that chooses to stop playing because of health/medical issues like Antonio Bass.
Otherwise, think of the ways schools would abuse this. Have a 3rd year guy not really contributing but is a good guy? Just give him the scholarship anyways and recruit 35 guys in your next class!
Think about it this way, the Alabama and/or Southern Miss situation from a few years ago would have never existed if they could just shuffle guys off the team and keep providing the with a scholarship.
Not sure, but it doesn't really matter since Michigan will be working a couple scholarships in the black this year anyway.
I think that its a really classy move allowing him to remain on scholarship so he can graduate next year.
I am not looking forward to Bball season...its going to be a rough year...Douglas and Novak cannot carry this team, im sorry.
I am actually looking forward to the season quite a bit. It will be interesting to see what Beilein can mold out of what he has left: a team devoid of stars but with some hard-working, good character players and promising young talent.
Perhaps this is the year that Beilein really gets the chance to lay the foundation for the type of team he was routinely assembling at WVU. Beilein is a good coach and this team should progress throughout the season, and I would think they have a reasonable chance of making the NIT at least.
I'd say give him a year with a little better talent to judge him like this. Which he may not ever really have, I realize. My point is, if Zack and Stu are our leaders, that's cool. If they're our best players, I think it would be difficult with Christ himself coaching us to win 18 games.
I think it's funny that 'Christ' is the go-to basketball coach. Where has he succeeded before? And with what type of talent?
Lenghty NBA career, third overall pick out of Texas A&M
http://www.theonion.com/articles/christ-returns-to-nba,1996/
my friend
There will be no seniors on the team, 2 juniors - Novak and Douglass, 2 sophomores that have played any real time - Morris and Vogrich....sheeesh!
Is he still getting financial aid? If so, I declare bullshit. I'm cool-ish, I guess, with letting him stay in school to finish his degree, but he needs to pay his own damn way.
Retributive justice feels nice, but would essentially fuck over LLP's future. If he wasn't able to pay for school, he'd have to drop out and wouldn't get his degree. It sucks that he's been kicked off the team, but I'm still rooting for him to succeed in life.
Who's talking about retribution? You're talking to a guy who thinks players should get paid a stipend. He's no longer on the team, why should he receive athletic benefits?. Seems to me that he fucked his own future over.
There are PLENTY of kids at U of M who pay their own way, I was/am one. He's just a student now and, therefore, should have to pay his own way just like the rest of the normal student body.
This isn't an instance of a kid needing a chance; he's been given a chance, many of them, and he wasted them all. Hell, he's being allowed to finish his degree at a University he might not have been accepted to if he weren't an athlete. That's a HUGE break. Good luck to him, but he needs to get to bootstrappin'.
How is this different than Cissoko's case?
How is this different than Cissoko's case? Really?
Sorry to cherry pick, but how about armed robbery? Come on. Are you really so self-righteous about YOUR U of M education. For the record, I paid my way too. Two degrees. I don't get all indignant on it, man. Come on. I pay a metric fuck-ton each month and will until age 46, but that's a deal I made. Apples to oranges comparing folks like you and I to athletes. Unless you were supposed to be the next Louis Armstrong and got admitted to the music school or something like that.
Did Cissoko commit armed robbery while he was a student? No. He did some knuckle-headed shit, repeatedly and got kicked off the team. Only after he was dismissed did he commit armed robbery. Up until Cissoko broke the law, his case is basically the same as Laval's. If you see significant differences, please enlighten me.
Where am I being self-righteous about my education? How am I being indignant? I have no issue what so ever with athletes receiving special benefits for their gifts. Lower admission standards, full ride, choice tail...I can understand and support all of that; it's all logical. However, when a person is no longer an athlete, then they're no different than anyone else who played high school ball. And that's just it, Laval is no longer an athlete; now he's just athletic. There are plenty of athletic people playing IM sports who have to pay their own way. Yes, he's exceptionally athletic, but that is no longer relevant. He did it to himself.
The deal Laval made was to play basketball for Michigan, stay academically eligible, and adhere to the code of conduct of the athletic department. He has voided his deal and should now have to pay his own way if he chooses to remain a student at the University of Michigan.
Give his scholarship to the walk-on that will play in his place.
In all honesty, re: LLP, I cannot disagree with your logic on the points you're making. Touche.
Also: No lie, when I read the part about "tail," I was like, "damn. Man has a point."
I'm serious- your points are very, very valid. (insert version of anti /s or whatever. point is, no sugarcoat.)
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