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PG Anthony Crater (transfer to South Florida & Georgetown College)

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So where is he going to transfer to? Andy Katz wrote on his blog that a "representative" of Crater contacted Miami (FL) to see if they were interested - the 'Canes said 'no thanks' (apparently not because of Crater's ability to guard Jack McClinton).

Most of the schools he's reportedly looking at (Arkansas, Florida, Notre Dame, Tennessee) aren't going to give him what he apparently wants, which is a starting spot with no competition. The only school that I've seen mentioned that makes any sense is South Florida, which is a place where he probably could start but he'll be getting his butt whooped in almost every conference game - maybe he's willing to accept that, maybe not. Ideally, he'd go to a program like South Florida or a MAC school.

There aren't any good high majors that he could've gone to and produced as little as he did from a scoring perspective (1.2 ppg, 14% on 3s and shot only 1 2-point shot in 131 minutes played at OSU) and started.
 
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Dispatch

December 29, 2008

Promises, promises (or not)

Hey, it's Bill Rabinowitz pinch-hitting for the great Bob Baptist.
I listened to Thad Matta's radio show tonight and he addressed the Anthony Crater transfer. He said all the predictable things about wanting Crater to be happy and wishing him success. But it was obvious that one comment that came out of the Crater camp -- his former AAU coach, to be specific -- stuck in Matta's craw.
The AAU coach, Carlos Fordham, claimed Matta promised Crater a starting job and then reneged on it. Matta said he would never pledge a starting position to any player.
"If someone ever promises you anything in recruiting," Matta said he tells recruits, "turn and run the other way because this is life and there are no promises in life. The greatest answer, if I?m ever asked that question is, 'I didn?t promise Greg Oden he would start.' If there was one guy I could have made a promise to start, it was Greg."
Matta said when he talked with Crater on Saturday, the subject came up.
"I said to Anthony, 'Did I ever promise you anything?'" he said. "He said, 'No, you didn?t.'"
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has he officially quit going to classes and I assume practice? Any chance this can get worked out after Fordham/Crater realize how limited the options are?

Again, I feel for Anthony, who may have quit on the team against WVU, but he's also an 18 year old kid. It's unfortunate Fordham has that much power over him. I'd like to see it worked out if possible...
 
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billmac91;1366278; said:
has he officially quit going to classes and I assume practice? Any chance this can get worked out after Fordham/Crater realize how limited the options are?

Again, I feel for Anthony, who may have quit on the team against WVU, but he's also an 18 year old kid. It's unfortunate Fordham has that much power over him. I'd like to see it worked out if possible...
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I think that is very wishful thinking on your part. Most of the quotes came from his high school coach but do we really know if all of them came from that coach. Unfortunately, I think Anthony has burned a bridge that can that be reconstructed especially with Matta and I don't see how his former "teammates" could ever accept him back. He has certainly put this team in a bad situation worse only one true PG.
 
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I understand this is totally presumptive, but I feel like I can just see how this all transpired.

Anthony gets recruited by Matta. Matta works his magic, tells Anthony he has a chance to start, given the eventual departure of Jamar Butler. Anthony gets excited, and - with good reason - feels confident that he will start. He tells his friends, he tells his coach, and they all agree that he's a top-flight talent and deserves to start. This all snowballs until the entrance of Simmons rains on the Crater parade. Anthony (and all his toadies and hangers-on) start in with the en masse 'bullshit' chant, and at the first sign of adversity (notice how nobody was moping during the nine-game winning streak), out it all comes.

I'm a big 'player advocate' in nearly all cases, and this isn't really an exception. I think Crater is incredibly talented, and if he wants 30 minutes a game, then that's what he should have. I wouldn't even have been opposed to him getting that here at Ohio State--but that decision is Matta's and Matta's alone. Not Crater's, not Simmons', and damn sure not Carlos Fordham's.

The really sad thing is that in Fordham's tiny little brain, Crater is this world-beater; a basketball superstar sure to play in the NBA. Proximity always makes people more attractive than they really are. The girl that lives upstairs, all else being equal, is hotter than the girl that lives down the street. So what this Fordham clown doesn't realize is that there are a hundred guys just like Crater out there, and there are a hundred other assholes just like himself, and they've all got their own delusions. Just sucks that an AAU basketball coach - and an adult - is capable of the same petulance you'd expect from a six-year-old. Sucks more that such a person has influence over a young man like Crater.
 
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vrbryant;1366309; said:
I understand this is totally presumptive, but I feel like I can just see how this all transpired.
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Excellent post and I agree with everything you have said but the one thing that I don't understand is the quote from the coach saying that Anthony wanted to play a more up-tempo game. That's what I don't understand. I mean didn't the kid watch Ohio State last year. The Buckeyes are not an up-tempo team and I don't know if that was Anthony talking or his tiny little brain former high school coach talking.
 
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Even if Crater was unhappy with PT, I still don't understand why he'd leave mid-season. Why not gain valuable experience this season, then leave the team? Seems like such a waste of time that could've really helped Noopy in the long run no matter where he ultimately ends up.
 
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vrbryant;1366309; said:
I understand this is totally presumptive, but I feel like I can just see how this all transpired.

Anthony gets recruited by Matta. Matta works his magic, tells Anthony he has a chance to start, given the eventual departure of Jamar Butler. Anthony gets excited, and - with good reason - feels confident that he will start. He tells his friends, he tells his coach, and they all agree that he's a top-flight talent and deserves to start. This all snowballs until the entrance of Simmons rains on the Crater parade. Anthony (and all his toadies and hangers-on) start in with the en masse 'bullshit' chant, and at the first sign of adversity (notice how nobody was moping during the nine-game winning streak), out it all comes.

I'm a big 'player advocate' in nearly all cases, and this isn't really an exception. I think Crater is incredibly talented, and if he wants 30 minutes a game, then that's what he should have. I wouldn't even have been opposed to him getting that here at Ohio State--but that decision is Matta's and Matta's alone. Not Crater's, not Simmons', and damn sure not Carlos Fordham's.

The really sad thing is that in Fordham's tiny little brain, Crater is this world-beater; a basketball superstar sure to play in the NBA. Proximity always makes people more attractive than they really are. The girl that lives upstairs, all else being equal, is hotter than the girl that lives down the street. So what this Fordham clown doesn't realize is that there are a hundred guys just like Crater out there, and there are a hundred other assholes just like himself, and they've all got their own delusions. Just sucks that an AAU basketball coach - and an adult - is capable of the same petulance you'd expect from a six-year-old. Sucks more that such a person has influence over a young man like Crater.
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That scenario seems highly plausible.

If Crater stuck it out the entire season and decided OSU wasn't the place for him then I would completely respect his decision. But to make it so quickly, so early in the season (and during a 9-1 start), suggests an immaturity and sense of entitlement that'll only lead to more problems down the road. If one caves to that behavior now, they end up like Terrell Owens later.

Best of luck to him...elsewhere.
 
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Tacking onto the end of vrbryant's "how it might have come about" theme.

On the up-tempo team becoming half-court sets are us - when he was originally being recruited and Conley Jr. was on the court there was a great deal more fast break and high tempo play in front of his eyes.

Conley Jr. (and others) depart, Matta, unsurprisingly shifts style to suit current roster and voila, you have the team not of Crater's dreams.

(Which as others mention - came about before he ever set foot on campus).
 
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Anthony's (Fordham's) decision to transfer seems like its mainly based on the fact that OSU's style of play/ his PT didn't showcase his talent enough for the NBA scouts. Not to put him down or anything, but I doubt wherever he ends up going that he'll be attracting much hype from professional teams, at least at this point in his career. He is putting his education at risk here I think, since its not a forgone conclusion that he will ever play in the NBA. Was he really expecting to be one and done? I do understand his situation though, coming from a tough background in Flint. Time to move on...

Good luck to him (but please don't go to Florida).
 
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