Virginia Tech forward Satchel Pierce has made public his intention of transferring to continue his college basketball career elsewhere.
Thank you to everyone in hokie nation for your amazing support. This was a very hard decision to make. pic.twitter.com/RpJGB2JGtT— (@satch1032) April 6, 2016
Pierce averaged 3.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2014-2015, but saw those numbers drop as playing time became sparse in his sophomore campaign. Pierce made zero starts as a sophomore and recorded minutes in just 20 of 31 games.
Pierce was a highly-recruited forward out of Barberton, Ohio, who was once committed to Marquette, but the 7-footer opted to follow current Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams to Blacksburg.
With Ahmed Hill primed for a return and Delaware transfer Kory Holden rumored to have Virginia Tech among his final list of potential suitors, it appears that Williams may once again field a faster, smaller lineup in his third year at the helm of the Hokies.
Pierce has not yet disclosed where he intends to transfer.
Comments
Wish all the best for Satchel. Hopefully he can go somewhere and develop into a good player.
Well thanks for trying big Satch. Good luck wherever you land.
For the team future of the team this could be very good. He wasn't developing at all, and opening up a scholarship for a transfer could have a big impact next season.
Sad but not unexpected. He could be a force down low at a mid-major program if he improves his ball handling. I wish him all the best.
So we have 3 openings with the loss of Pierce, Outlaw, and maybe Wilson.
When did we lose Outlaw? I didn't see anything about that. Do you mean Shane Henry?
Marcus is no longer on scholarship.
WHO IS MARCUS?! I thought I watched every game this year and knew the team pretty well. Guess not.
right there with you....who is this Marcus guy and what about Outlaw?
My thoughts are that it's an attempt to make a joke where Marcus Vick is an Outlaw. With regards to Outlaw, some rumors are that he will not be cleared medically to play. Other rumors are that he will. So who knows really.
Well that went right over...
via GIPHY
I don't see why french_explaining_something_to_laura_dern.gif is the proper choice here.
Ha, thanks for clarifying. I was lost there for a minute.
I seem to have that effect on people. Even more awkward in person (having to act out Emma Watson .gifs just makes things worse).
Outlaw....prevailing opinion is that he will never play, similar situation to Chaney. So I am anticipating his scholly will be back on the table
Kind of weird seeing that there is a big hole behind Blackshear and plenty of playing time available at the 5. He wasn't developing where we had hoped but I thought he could still improve for next year enough to contribute. That mid range shot was looking nice too. Either way, good luck Satchmo and thank you for giving me those Notre Dame tickets last year.
Zero people are surprised by this, and it's without a doubt the best thing for both parties.
Come to Campbell we need big men you'd be a god amongst camels...
I think he could really get over the hump at Campbell
Yeah, he could probably smoke 'em as a Camel.
Aw man. I was really pulling for Big Satch to develop into a productive center off the bench. I guess it just wasn't in the cards. Good luck, dude.
Not at all surprised. Good luck big fella.
Sad to see. He appeared lost in the up tempo shown this year. He appeared over matched against ACC bigs. I'm sure he can find a program where he can provide service.
I like the fast tempo that Buzz is using, but it would be nice to have a "big" inside that can add that missing dimension. Satch seemed lost down low, or was just not weighty enough to be a factor. I do wish him well.
Hate to see anyone leave. I wish him and his future NCAA tournament bound team good luck.
The one that I am gonna miss the most about this guy is the fact that almost every game he was in the announcers could rarely get his name right.
"Satchel Page on the put back"
Thank you Satchel for being a corner piece to the start of VT basketball becoming relevant again.
Good luck, Satchel. You'll always be a Hokie!
Saw him on campus the other day and his hair was dyed hot pink. I was looking forward to seeing that look on the court next season, too.....
I saw that too haha. Pretty bizarre
He's got interesting fashion sense to say the least
And a great name, to go with it. I will miss him, but it seemed like he was already gone, didn't it?
I guess that ranks with other poor decisions!
The ACC was a little above his abilities and he has been slow to improve. Good luck with your future b-ball decisions.
Can't say that I'm surprised with the dip in minutes he took this year. Good luck where ever you land Satch!
Out of curiosity I wanted to look this up, Buzzketball transfers where are they now:
Ben Emegolu:
'13-'14 @ VT: 27.2 mpg, 39% shooter, 3.1 reb, 10.5 ppg
'14-'15 @ SMU: 15.2 mpg, 28% shooter, 1.8 reb, 2.8 ppg
'15-'16 @ SMU, did not play, knee injury.
Trevor Thompson (still disappointed we lost him, looked forward to seeing him grow)
'13-'14 @ VT: 16.2 mpg, 41% shooter, 4.7 reb, 5 ppg
'15-'16 @ OSU: 17.9mpg, 52%, 5.1 reb, 6.5 ppg
Marshall Wood
'13-'14 @ VT: 15.7 min, 36%, 3.5 reb, 4ppg
'15-'16 Richmond: 23.4min, 44%, 3.9 reb, 8.6 ppg
Maurice Kirby
Redshirted @ VT prior to Buzz
'15-'16 Loyola: 6.9 min, 44%, 1.5 reb, 1.4ppg
C.J. Barksdale
Gone pro, playing in Europe I believe, but I can't find any stats
Malik Mueller
Same
JVZ (kicked off team, then transferred)
'14-'15 @ VT: 20.4min, 60%, 5.3 reb, 9.8ppg
'15-'16 Northwestern: 11.4 min, 62%, 3 reb, 3.6 ppg
Adam Smith
'14-'15 @ VT: 29.9 min, 44%, 2.6 reb, 13.4ppg
'15-'16 @ GT: 30.5 min, 41%, 2.3 reb, 15 ppg
Not really any game changers there other than Adam Smith. That's a change from previous years when if you transferred from VT you turned into an all-star, especially around tournament time.
Ben Emelogu, freshmen team captain in 13-14. I can remember thinking 'this must be rock bottom', when he and JVZ were James Johnson's choice to go to ACC media days.
Did Wood and Barksdale call it quits during Buzz's tenure? Or was that the tail end of Weaver and JJ?
I thought Emelogu was a good player who would have been a really good fit with Buzz. Similar to Ahmed Hill (although I don't think Emelogu will ever be the shooter Hill will be)
Pretty sure Barksdale and Wood called it a day after Buzz got hired, but could be wrong.
Both left after Buzz was hired but before the next school session started.
C.J. is definitely still in Blacksburg.
Yep. I saw him about a week ago.
He is listed on the roster of the South East Ballers League's Gateway Steam in St Louis, but seems to be way down the bench there as he doesnt even have a number assigned.
Malik Mueller is playing in Germany as a reserve guard for the Bamberg Brose Baskets. They are the top team in the Beko Basketball Bundesliga. He is only getting about five minutes a game, averaging 2 points per game so far.
So I guess Malik subscribes to the brose before hose philosophy.
Get it? brose? I'll see myself out...
I was thinking of a few more names, but then I realized they left after SG got fired. Looks like some of these guys are getting the same minutes and production but on similar (GT) or somewhat better (OSU) teams.
Thanks for this good summary.
Thanks Joey Coogan for the surge in content lately. All good stuff and very timely!
According to Chris Arvin on 247 (free), Delaware transfer Kory Holden is visiting VT this weekend. Has to be a plus that he will be here for the Spring Game.
Great, it has been on/off whether we would get a visit from Holden.
Some competition for our last spots. Assuming Wilson makes the football team, we have three spots open. Looks like we are reportedly pursuing:
Transfers: Holden, Savon Goodman, Terrell Allen, Dayon Griffin, Evan Maxwell, and maybe
L.G. Gill(Gill has chosen 5 visits and VT ain't one of them, probably end up at Texas with Shaka)2016: Antwan Walker, Alpha Diallo
2017 (we will have at least three scholarships from Allen, Leday and Hamilton): Raiquan Gray, Jerald Butler
...and maybe more.
I thought Gray and Butler were 2017 kids, are they reclassing to 2016?
You're right, I'm off by one.
Dang that's a shame Gill is heading out of state. Played against him a lot growing up, would've been nice if he stayed in VA, ie Blacksburg. I guess if he went to Duquesne, he doesn't care much about staying local tho.
I am not that excited by the prospect of Holden choosing us. He will have to sit out a season, then he will end up being a junior in with Clarke, Robinson, Blackshear behind a stellar Senior class so his impact on this team will be most likely as a backup two years from now and possibly a starter as a senior as a wing/point combo guard assuming Buzz doesn't bring in a better talent before then. I get that he scored 17.7 PPG at Delaware, but when you look at their atrocious schedule, some of our guys played against better talent in high school and they still went 7-23. Holden to me was a lesser version of Delaney when he was a senior here. His scoring was up because he was the one of the only ones at Delaware who could score. He does however have a reliable outside shot which was something we could have used one more of this season.
I think my trepidation is that we have an abundance of better guard/wing players on this roster already so I would rather the slot go to someone that can contribute down low to replace LeDay since he will have graduated before a transfer can play. A taller winger (6'8 - 6'9) or a full big body (6'10 and up)
A bit of the same trepidation hangs with Terrell Allen but he gives us one more year that Holden does not so he could be the starting point guard once Robinson graduates and gives us solid depth along with a scoring touch while passing. I think this addition would be cleaner in terms of depth/role. It also gives us a Dematha grad presence on the roster which is a solid recruiting connection for Buzz to have in feeding talent down the line. He also seems to have one thing that Buzz is always looking for and thats the knack for playing tough one on one defense better than Holden.
Savon Goodman would be a great addition for next season but leaves us searching again after one year since he is a graduate transfer, although he would be dropped straight into the mix of getting time with the other wingers or possibly off setting Leday. Coming off a pretty strong season at ASU considering he put up 9.6 PPG with 6.4 RPG on only 21 minutes on the floor. Great touch from the floor but terrible at the charity stripe. He would give us someone that likes the same role LeDay has, that shorter big body that doesnt mind getting in the mix down low. He is a bit of a knucklehead though so I dont know how that would go over with Buzz. Had to miss an entire season in 2013 after being charged with a string of crimes.
L.G. Gill is another small forward that could come in and make an immediate impact for one season. Having LeDay in the role he is though may make us a less attractive option for Gill because they essentially play the same game. Considering our lack of depth in terms of bigs for next year though, I could easily see Buzz having Gill and LeDay out there with Robinson, Allen and pick your poison of Bibbs, Hill, Outlaw(pending medical outcome), Clarke. Once you make a list like that, its kind of easy to see why Hudson decided to find somewhere else to finish his career. I know Gill has a full plate of suitors but I never count Buzz out if its someone he really wants in the program.
Dayon Griffin really doesnt do much for me. Seems a less talented mold of Clarke, Hill, Bibbs and even Hudson. He had a decent sophomore year but considering the opposition, I would have liked to have seen better numbers than his 11.7 PPG and 4.6 RPG. He does appear to have a solid shot from outside but seems a step slow on the defensive end, quite often getting beat along the baseline, allowing easy lay ups.
Evan Maxwell would make for a great addition. Someone that has shown he can play down low, has the body size to be able to post up with most bigs in the ACC at 6'10 and 245 Lbs, getting a season of conditioning under Buzz could only help and then he could step in as a Junior with Kerry Blackshear to work down low, hopefully with Khadim Sy backing both of them up by that point. With Pierce, Hamilton and Henry gone by the time he would be eligible, it would be great to have an experienced big stepping in rather than grooming another freshmen behind Sy to try to fill the role. Unless Sy dramatically improves, I dont see him really delivering much to the program until probably his Junior season. I think it will take his first two years on campus to really catch up considering how little basketball he has actually played. My concern here is that Maxwell may try to find a school close to home and attempt for a hardship waiver so he can play next season. Maxwell appears to be down to Virginia Tech and Baylor so I would hope that if Buzz wants him he can make the final push to bring him in.
Another big out there that would be interesting is Daniel Giddens, who is leaving Ohio State. Defensively he is ready to play in the ACC down low, offensively he is a work in progress, but another season working with Buzz could give us a dynamic duo in Giddens and Blackshear. The other good news is that Giddens is only a freshmen so he would have three years remaining once he sat out.
A couple other transfers I could see in Orange and Maroon are Donovan Gilmore College of Charleston (considering how LeDay flourished with Buzz, he is another I think could fit that mold), Roland Griffin Illinois State (Griffin had a somewhat productive freshmen season and wants to flourish on a bigger stage), Francois Lewis Florida A&M Rattlers (another decent freshmen season, looking to do bigger things, nice touch around the rim, 6'9, 200 lbs) and Elijah Minni Robert Morris (12ppg/6.6rpg as a soph, 6'8, 210 Lbs, good feet around the rim, positions well for rebounds)
A few graduate transfers I wouldnt mind seeing Buzz pursue would be Laron Smith Bethune-Cookman (6'8, 230 Lbs, solid 7 and 7 guy with a big enough body to give Leday a breather), Anthony Livingston Arkansas State (6'8, 230, from DC, put up 15.5 PPG/9.4 RPG last year), Merrill Holden LA-Tech (6'8, 215 Lbs, 8PPG/5RPG, better than 70% at line),
I disagree with you on Holden. A lot of schools are really utilizing a two-(point)guard lineup. UConn a few years ago won with Napier and Boatright. Villanova this year used a combo of Arch/Booth/Brunson and their opponent, UNC, used Paige/Berry/Britt. Buzz was increasingly putting Allen and JRob on the floor together and I expect that to continue next season. When Allen leaves, Holden would slide right into his position and Buzz wouldn't have to rely on a freshman. The "stellar senior class" will likely only be Bibbs, because Outlaw and Hill should get medical redshirts. You don't like Holden's talent/ability because he played against lesser competition and you don't believe his numbers are reflective of his talent/ability. I'd argue that D-1 ball is still D-1 ball and he's got experience playing D-1 ball. I feel like that argument is akin to arguments against any mid-major player like the ones going to the NBA (Curry, Lillard, McCollum, Fareid, etc), 17.7 ppg is a lot anywhere. He'll have a year off to work on his game, and that year off can be transformative as we've seen recently with Kyle Wiltjer at Gonzaga and with our own Zach LeDay. How much better can he get from 17.7 ppg, 39% 3PT, 4.2 apg? That's something I'd like to see.
I agree, you slide Holden right in for Allen. Very similar players. A guard who can get to the rim and knock down threes....I will take all day.
I guess my thought here was that with Robinson and Clarke confirmed to be Seniors with Holden unless they leave early and possibly Hill/Outlaw getting medical redshirts, that Holden's senior year would still have quite the log jam in terms of the 2-3 spots on the floor Buzz usually has for guards/wingers. Talent wise, I think Holden is behind all four of those listed, so I would rather see a younger developing player be the guy brought in in terms of guards to back those guys up, especially a point guard. Thats why I indicated I would be more ok with bringing in Terrell Allen if Buzz can get him. Would really like to see us find that 3-4 spot scholarship turnover each year so we dont have the down year amidst a good run. If Holden comes in, and the other four above turn out to be Seniors that year, plus Blackshear, you are looking at a 6 scholarship turnover in 2019.
Class turnover would definitely be a concern, I agree with you there. But maybe Buzz expects some guys to leave for the NBA early? I think he said somewhere that they thought at the beginning of the year that Clarke might only be there 2 years. And if Outlaw and Hill are all they're cracked up to be and have NBA dreams, Holden would be good security.
Clarke will be a great college player but he doesn't have an NBA future unless he drastically (like super drastically) improves his shot and his handle. He's a great athlete but way undersized for an NBA forward so he needs to be able to space the floor at least a little bit.
It's a much better bet that there is turnover from that class in the way of transfers than it is early departures for the NBA imo
That's kinda what my eyes see too.
Never know. I watched Erick Green as a freshman and he was an awful shooter. Senior year he led the country in scoring and got drafted so never know how he will develop.
You're right you never know how someone will develop. But Erik Green always had solid shooting mechanics though and was a dependable ball handler. He also made more 3's than Clarke attempted as a freshman in fewer minutes which suggests the coaching staff back then believed in his ability to shoot. There were times this year it kinda looked like Buzz told Clarke to not shoot anything outside of the paint.
In any case I think he will be here for 4 years which I meant to be my original point, sorry I was a bit unclear
True...you never know. But the odds are pretty long that Clark develops into a sharpshooter like Green. Even as a frosh, Green had a more natural shooter's stroke...he just couldn't make them.
I like those names at the end, guys who can slide in next year and backup Leday.
So much bad news today for Hokie sports...
Damn!!!!
We have a chance with Diallo, after meeting with Buzz he cancelled his visit with Fla. Hopefully, he may visit us.
I always thought Hudson would transfer up, Pierce would transfer down. Hudson visiting Texas seems to verify that he will transfer up. Luckily, PSU is a "transfer down" for VT hoops.......which is something because that wasn't the case only a few months ago.
And Jalen is from Richmond. Shaka was king there when he was at VCU. Looks like Jalen is looking there too, I feel like he'll end up either at Texas and VCU.
Satchel Pierce tweets he will attend Penn State.
Good landing spot for him, Chambers is a good coach
Just heard this confirmed on the local radio today. Maybe I'll stop by and see him play after he sits out a year
Kyle Guy looks like a ripoff jack Nicholson Joker
Edit: oops wrong thread
how do you post this in the wrong thread when the last comment was at least 9 months ago? lolol
Searched up Satch thread during big man discussion, turned phone off, turned phone back on, didn't realize in wrong thread, post, go to tracker, awe crap
Hmmmm: TKP Member with name "" THE bestHokiesHelmet" searches for "Satch". Seems reasonable....
umm..what?
you're not alone. But I'm not very smart so we might be in the minority. I don't get it.
Me three
