'06 SF Wesley Johnson (transferred to Syracuse)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Rivals.com

Recently left the Iowa State program.

Ht: 6-foot-7
Wt: 190 lbs

Bucknuts.com$

Basketball Bucks Interested In Iowa State Star........Johnson left the Iowa State program and was their leading scorer. An Ohio State staff member asked for a release for Johnson.

Link

Coach says Johnson took coaching personally


AMES (AP) ? Iowa State coach Greg McDermott believes that Wesley Johnson took some of his coaching personally and couldn?t get past it. That, along with the frustration Johnson felt playing through an injury-plagued season at a new position, is why McDermott thinks Johnson has left the program.

McDermott addressed reporters Wednesday for the first time since Johnson ? a rising star once seen as the ?face of the program? ? announced he would seek a transfer. Surrounded by his players, McDermott strongly disagreed with the notion that his relationship with Johnson had soured.

Continued.....

[Napoleonbuck]

I'd like the pick up.

Would be a good scorer with length and transfers count towards the APR correct? He looks like a 4 year player, so that's always a plus...

[LitlBuck]

Very interesting. Would not be eligible to play for the Buckeyes until 09. We must be serious if we asked for his release papers. Iowa State coach talks about not releasing him. Have mixed emotions because this certainly would cut down on our number of scholarships for 09-10 but the guy is a player.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

No one is a sure thing in the 2009 class......

[Napoleonbuck]

I'll take a proven player every day over most high school prospects.

Two years of a known quantity over 4 or less years of an unknown quantity is a slam dunk IMO.

[LitlBuck]

Originally Posted by OSUBasketballJunkie

No one is a sure thing in the 2009 class......

I know but it also might put a damper on another one for 10.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Not the way we keep losing players after one year....

[crazybuckfan40]

The staff is banking on 1 for 09' and 6 for 10' I believe...

I see a chance of Golden and Thomas being guys that could leave after 1 or 2 years, and same with Sullinger, but alot of his chances to leave early will depend on how much growing he does in the next couple years...

[osugrad21]

Link

ISU men's basketball: Top-tier schools covet ex-Cyclone guard

By RICK BROWN ? ribrown@dmreg.com ? May 28, 2008


Iowa State still has not granted permission for other schools to contact basketball player Wesley Johnson, but that may change soon.

Johnson is in the process of providing Iowa State a list of schools to which he would consider transferring.

?(Athletic director) Jamie Pollard and I are waiting to see that list of schools,?? Iowa State coach Greg McDermott said Tuesday.

The Des Moines Register asked for a list of schools requesting permission to talk to Johnson through Iowa?s open records law.

As of Tuesday, those schools were Arkansas, Cincinnati, Marquette, Mississippi, Ohio State, Sam Houston State, Southern Methodist, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Cont...

[Buckskin86]

Basketball: ISU grants Johnson a release for 8 schools
REGISTER NEWS SERVICES
May 28, 2008

The Iowa State athletic department announced today it has granted former Cyclone basketball player Wesley Johnson a release for eight schools.

The schools are Arkansas, Connecticut, Marquette, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Villanova and West Virginia.

Basketball: ISU grants Johnson a release for 8 schools | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

[BuckTwenty]

Boy, glad we didn't schedule any more games with ISU, seeing as though they would only grant his release to teams not on their future schedules or to another Big 12 team. Would have 3 years left to play 2.

Sophomore year averages: 12.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 33% from 3pt range, 1.4 assists per game, and 0.9 steals per game. Those stats are a little higher than his stats from his freshman year, though he did average almost 8 rpg and better than a block per game as a frosh. His point stats are a bit misleading though, as midseason it looks like he was getting 20 ppg on a pretty consistent basis against some good teams (Kansas x2, Kansas St, Oklahoma St, Alabama, Mizzou), but his production really went down as the team tanked near the end of the season (ISU lost 12 of their last 14 games last year). Wesley played 38 of 40 minutes when they visited the Schott his freshman season (against Oden & Co.). His stats from the game: 10 pts (4-11 fg, 2-5 3pt), 8 rebs, 2 blks, 1 ast. Not bad.

Anytime you can get a 6'7" forward with proven production at this level against the competition he faced in the Big 12, you take him and run with it. Wes would be a real asset to any of those teams. I hope we can aquire his services!

[crazybuckfan40]

Like I posted in another thread the reason for his up and down numbers, lack or rebounds etc. was due to a stress fracture in his foot that he played thru...

I would love to pull him in tho...Could be a guy that could see action at the 3 mostly and maybe some at the 4, in the 4 out 1 in offense...

His length would be a huge asset on defense as well...

On a side note he looks like Buford...

[LitlBuck]

The schools are Arkansas, Connecticut, Marquette, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Villanova and West Virginia.

Since he is originally from Texas that is an interesting list of schools although they would not release him to any other Big XII schools. I guess he doesn't mind being away from home.

[ScriptOhio]

I wasn't aware that a school could provide stipulations on releasing a player. I had always thought that either you released him or you didn't...period. I can understand why a couch wouldn't want a good player to transfer to another of their conference schools though; however, I thought most coaches just took the position that "if you don't want to play here, we don't want you either, so don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out". Very interesting....

[LitlBuck]

Originally Posted by ScriptOhio

I wasn't aware that a school could provide stipulations on releasing a player. I had always thought that either you released him or you didn't...period. I can understand why a couch wouldn't want a good player to transfer to another of their conference schools though; however, I thought most coaches just took the position that "if you don't want to play here, we don't want you either, so don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out". Very interesting....

Now that you brought it up that is sort of strange. Maybe it's just that he cannot transfer to a school within the Big XII. However, they also have the option of not releasing him at all and he would have had to stay as a student at Iowa State. It also could be similar to the Big 10 rule that if he transferred within the conference he would have to pay his own way and he did not want to do that but I did not think that is the reason.