BUZZKETBALL: 2018 Commit Jarren McAllister released from LOI

Per multiple sources, Jarren McAllister has been released from his LOI 3 weeks before school. Hmm.

Very weird offseason for basketball.

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Very weird offseason for basketball Virginia Tech.

FTFY

What is going on here?

Reach for Excellence!

VT Football: It'll get after ya!

Proud Hokie since 2004.

Flip to ECU?

We hired the S&C coach from VCU though so there is that

"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken" - Colonel Sanders via Ricky Bobby

Coaches leaving? Recruits leaving too? Too much smoke. It's obvious Buzz has a deal in place somewhere else. He's going to UNC for sure. Or Oklahoma. Or Syracuse. Or The Harlem Globetrotters. [/s]

https://www.highschoolot.com/heritage-s-jarren-mcallister-released-from-...

BTW, this says he's reclassifying to 2019, will attend a military academy and is opening his recruitment. Considering that, my guess its an academic thing that wasn't going to work out at VT.

That's correct. Reclassified to 2019 and enrolled at Massanutten Military Academy. He's playing in the AAU tournament this weekend in Vegas.

We covered some of this in the recruiting thread up right now, but Mcallister was the 254th rated player in his class, on the small size for a Buzz recruit that isnt likely to play point guard, and likely would have struggled his entire time here to find consistent floor time when having to compete with other wings, many of whom will be Top100 talent with how Buzz recruits. Coach Roccaforte was his primary recruiter, which I am sure played a role, and I would not be surprised to see him end up at ECU, along with the entire former class of 2019 for Tech, who all three received offers from the Pirates in the last month. At ECU, he is likely a starter right away or at least in the mix for starting minutes. Get used to these kind of transfers or withdrawals because they will likely keep happening while Buzz is here. The bright side is this gives Buzz another scholarship to recruit a much higher rated talent with while neither party is hurt in any significant way, considering short term Buzz will be able to find another practice fodder player to thrill with a one year scholarship.

Rob Peterson
VTCC
Charlie/Hotel Company
Class of 1999

It makes me a little uncomfortable to see the scholarship play at work in big time college basketball. Logically I get it. BBall has so few scholarships, and so few top players, that you have to start early on who you think will develop, and build a relationship that can help you recruit above your weight, but you also have drop those who do not develop into ACC caliber players to have the schoolies to pick up juco or transfers who develop into ACC players late. If we want to be in the top half of the ACC we HAVE to recruit this way, and I want that, I just wish the recruiting game was played differently. I guess the kids who are not going to be pros are learning the lesson in time to change their habits and/or focus on a degree?

Sometimes we live no particular way but our own

In the case of Mcallister, it appears to be more academic related or he likely would head right to ECU this year, so in this case its not really on Buzz. As for the other three, sometimes the relationship begins back when that ugly word POTENTIAL is all coaches have to go on, and honestly, I would much prefer the way Buzz handled it very early on, giving those three plenty of time to find another opportunity. The coaches I cant stand are the ones that strip an offer at the last minute from someone that was solidly committed to a program because another recruit comes in late that they were on the fence on. As we can see from the rankings on those three today, not much changed in how they compare so it was good for both parties. Buzz doesnt have someone sitting on a scholarship that likely wouldnt play and those three will now find a program where they probably can be starters.

Rob Peterson
VTCC
Charlie/Hotel Company
Class of 1999