Jio Update

[Fred T.]

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/06/24/rosario-fontan-head-to-new-zealand-jio-looking-at-juco/

[fordhamram]

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/06/24/rosario-fontan-head-to-new-zealand-jio-looking-at-juco/

For such a talented player, he keeps digging himself a deeper hole. All I'm saying is if he isn't EXCELLENT as a JUCO, he is going to fall off the map. Plus, moving to a JUCO would just show a lack of care for academics.

I have been a long supporter of keeping Jio here, but eventually enough is enough. Nobody who is essentially getting paid $50,000 a year to play basketball should continually be stating he wants to leave the place he chose to play at a year or two before. It's disrespectful and I respect the administrations position.

[Fred T.]

All I'm saying is if he isn't EXCELLENT as a JUCO, he is going to fall off the map. Plus, moving to a JUCO would just show a lack of care for academics.

The article says he doesn't think he will play hoops at the JUCO.  "Fontan said he’s received offers to play professionally in the Caribbean and Europe, but is considering attending a junior college in the states next year. He said he probably won’t play ball there though."

[John]

So why don't we just recruit a point guard for next year, end this soap opera and move on? The way this is going, I'm afraid that this time next year, DW (if he's still the coach) will be trying to re-recruit Jio out of some JUCO. [BTW, coach, getting a serviceable point guard now will increase your chances of still being the coach this time next year.]

Face it, Coach. You recruited a kid that some bigger schools wanted. His first year at Fordham was rough. He fell under the influence of "advisers" who wanted to broker his move to another school. He decided to listen to the advisers instead of you. So far, his advisers (some shadowy AAU figures and a gaming machine executive from Puerto Rico -- all we need now is Master P) have steeped him in hoops, hoops and more hoops -- the academics don't seem to matter any more. The kid's sleeping with basketballs. You think Jio would be better off staying at Fordham; a lot of us agree with you. But it isn't going to happen. Who's right? Only time will tell. Maybe in 3 years, you'll be in the NCAA tournament and Jio will be riding the bench at Paducah State. Or Jio will be in the NCAA tournament and you'll be assistant coach at Paducah State. Or maybe -- let's hope -- everyone will be doing well.

But you've got a bunch of kids who want to be at Fordham and are looking forward to playing for Fordham, and it's not fair to those players -- our players, your players -- to let them be held hostage by the Jio saga any longer. Time to stop pining for what could have been (and 3-25 is what was), and get to work on helping the kids who want to play for you and Fordham.

End this, coach. It's time.

[Fordham Ball Boy 04-09]

Does Jio really think he is accomplishing anything by playing at JUCO? I go to school at Marquette University and Coach Buzz Williams really likes JUCO players signing 6 in two years. Those players though have played in JUCO the whole time. Now Jio is trying to go from the A-10 at Fordham to a JUCO somewhere close? What is that accomplishing? To me it is just lowering his standards and it is making him look bad. If he goes to play at JUCO, I think he is making a really bad decision. Although for Jio right now, there aren't many decisions he can make.  

[KPW]

Rosario and Fontan strike me as two guys that are just doing whatever they want to do - institutions, propriety, decorum, humility, coaches, teammates and manners be damned.

Both players enjoy talking about themselves a little bit too much, IMO.
They are the greatest things to hit the basketball scene, ever, in their own humble opinions.

Did you ever know or work with someone that 'just doesn't get it' ?
Good luck to both of them.

[John]

Question -- Jio says he wants to go to JUCO for a year, but not play ball there. Am I correct in assuming, however, that he would burn one of his 4 years of eligibility by enrolling at a JUCO? He could transfer back to a 4 year school, but he'd only have 2 years of eligibility left, as far as I can see. I know the NCAA gives you 5 years to play 4 years, but generally, you get an extra year only if the school you're playing for redshirts you, if you're forced to sit out a year as a transfer, or you get a medical redshirt approved. I've never heard of a school getting an extra year of eligibility for a player because he sat out at a JUCO.

[jimbo65]

Question -- Jio says he wants to go to JUCO for a year, but not play ball there. Am I correct in assuming, however, that he would burn one of his 4 years of eligibility by enrolling at a JUCO? He could transfer back to a 4 year school, but he'd only have 2 years of eligibility left, as far as I can see. I know the NCAA gives you 5 years to play 4 years, but generally, you get an extra year only if the school you're playing for redshirts you, if you're forced to sit out a year as a transfer, or you get a medical redshirt approved. I've never heard of a school getting an extra year of eligibility for a player because he sat out at a JUCO.

John, as I understand the regulation, a player has a five year window during which they are eligible to play four years.  One exception is a Mormon who goes on mission for one year so the window is expanded to six years.

Jio will be held to the five year window.  If he plays at a JUCO, he will have two years of D1 eligibility remaining.

[LXRF]

It's no coincidence that the recent BB Spring signing announcement listed Bennen Melvin first. Yes, he is unheralded and basically unknown in these parts, but he is a 6'-4" point guard with decent scoring numbers, percentages, FT and rebounding numbers.  Even more telling is his 4.5 pg assist record. If Brown and Gaston come through as advertised, having a big point guard who can get them the ball, and be productive when open, is essential.

[ace93]

Question -- Jio says he wants to go to JUCO for a year, but not play ball there. Am I correct in assuming, however, that he would burn one of his 4 years of eligibility by enrolling at a JUCO? He could transfer back to a 4 year school, but he'd only have 2 years of eligibility left, as far as I can see. I know the NCAA gives you 5 years to play 4 years, but generally, you get an extra year only if the school you're playing for redshirts you, if you're forced to sit out a year as a transfer, or you get a medical redshirt approved. I've never heard of a school getting an extra year of eligibility for a player because he sat out at a JUCO.

The bigger question to me is if going JUCO and *not* playing fulfills the requirement to sit a year at the institution he eventually enrolls in.  On the surface it would appear that it would not fulfill the requirement, but I am not sure if it being a JUCO makes all the difference in the world.

[John]

It's no coincidence that the recent BB Spring signing announcement listed Bennen Melvin first. Yes, he is unheralded and basically unknown in these parts, but he is a 6'-4" point guard with decent scoring numbers, percentages, FT and rebounding numbers.  Even more telling is his 4.5 pg assist record. If Brown and Gaston come through as advertised, having a big point guard who can get them the ball, and be productive when open, is essential.

The interview at the link below indicates that Fordham has told Melvin they want him to play "a lot of point". Makes sense. So maybe our PG search is over.

If so, even more reason to close out the Jio saga.

http://www.swflhoops.com/Story-BrennenMelvinSignswithFordham_2009.html

[Ram 91]

Let me see if I have this right:

Fontan doesn't want to attend Fordham and play D-1 basketball.

He is considering attending a junior college next year, but not play for the school's team.

Does anyone else get the impression now that, with all these advisers hovering around him and pulling him in different directions, we have moved away from Fontan playing basketball at one college or another to effectively removing the college component from his decision?  Nothing he appears to be doing now is consistent with maintaining both eligibility and interest on the part of potential D-1 suitors.

There are so many mixed signals coming from his camp that it's time for our program to completely ignore him unless and until he registers for classes at Fordham in the fall.  It's a real shame but the bad advice he's getting pulls him farther and farther away from reality.

ACE, regarding the JUCO question you raise, I remember a prohibition on the part of the NCAA against a player who has not obtained a release going to a junior college for a year and then jumping right into eligibility at a four year.  It was called the 4-2-4 rule, or something similar.  He would still need to attend a year at the new four year college before becoming eligible, plus obtain an associates degree from the JUCO.

[Stringer Bell]

The interview at the link below indicates that Fordham has told Melvin they want him to play "a lot of point". Makes sense. So maybe our PG search is over.

If so, even more reason to close out the Jio saga.

http://www.swflhoops.com/Story-BrennenMelvinSignswithFordham_2009.html

I say we divvy out the PG minutes to Butler, Melvin and (God forbid) Tanner if need be.  Let's face it, our "pass the ball around the perimeter 12 times" offense doesn't even require a PG once we cross mid-court, so I don't see the point in handicapping our future scholarship situation to add a hand-me-down point guard now.  There's a lot of local talent at the position in 2010 and it would provide us the flexibility to add a 3rd player to the class at whatever position is still determined to be a need. 

[ace93]

ACE, regarding the JUCO question you raise, I remember a prohibition on the part of the NCAA against a player who has not obtained a release going to a junior college for a year and then jumping right into eligibility at a four year.  It was called the 4-2-4 rule, or something similar.  He would still need to attend a year at the new four year college before becoming eligible, plus obtain an associates degree from the JUCO.

That is basically what I recall also and therefore do not see how going JUCO for one year helps him in the slightest other than buying him some time to figure things out.  I don't think it allows other schools to recruit him and it would cost him a year of eligibility due to the 5 year limit.

[Ram 91]

Here's the NCAA's publication for transfer students and eligibility:

http://www.ncaapublications.com/uploads/pdf/transferguide_10_85bf197c1-f15a-49e5-a90a-e3fb5a76fd5b.pdf