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Post by GuyF on Jun 23, 2011 10:09:38 GMT -5
From NYRivals:
After a long journey from East to West, attending six different schools while never giving up on his college dream, Malcolm Pope can now breathe a sigh of relief realizing his dream is now a reality.
On Tuesday, Pope finally made the call. "Yeah, I'm going Iona. It's definitely been a long time. I feel great now. A weight is off my shoulders," he said.
Pope's passion for basketball kept him going mentally although still in disbelief. The guard spoke about his commitment saying, "I'm still in shock about the whole situation. I won't play right away. I'm going to red shirt this season."
On the road less traveled, Pope would first enroll in the Blair Academy in NJ, then Rice HS in Harlem. Later, he would have a short stint with Mount Zion Academy, NC. He attended one more prep school, Apex Academy in NJ and then North Dakota State College of Science. Finally the guard would land at Oxnard College in CA before returning to NY this summer.
Pope looks forward to returning to New York and playing basketball locally. The guard has been on campus twice. "I was at Iona twice for a visit. I should start taking classes this summer. I'm not sure yet," Pope said.
As Pope continues to live his dream, be on the lookout for this pass first point guard once he makes his Gaels debut.
***** OK, it's me again. Key thing in there is the redshirt year. But that's still a 'ship, so someone else isn't coming.
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Post by hawaii bill on Jun 23, 2011 10:23:19 GMT -5
So the speculatin' begins.
The three guys who haven't been announced - Jones, McGrew, Gomez. McGrew and Gomez are bigs.
One of our current guards transferring?
I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. Whoever is leaving, or deciding not to come, God Bless them in whatever they do.
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Post by jb on Jun 23, 2011 10:24:43 GMT -5
My guess Josh Gomez.
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Post by epatrick on Jun 23, 2011 10:37:30 GMT -5
There's another possibility: Paying your own way for the year.
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Post by Mr Doom on Jun 23, 2011 10:42:51 GMT -5
Am I the only one out here who is starting to feel somewhat uneasy about a trend that seems to be developing around our recruiting? Hopefully, all of our recruits are high quality young men who will only bring honor to Iona and themselves both in the classroom and on the basketball court! That said, I just hope that our apparent focus on what I will term "instant gratification" does not turn out to be a long term problem.
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Post by GuyF on Jun 23, 2011 11:43:24 GMT -5
OK, as Epatrick just stated, I just heard that Pope will be paying his own way this year. That means that no one is departing to make room for him.
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Post by Joebird on Jun 23, 2011 12:17:19 GMT -5
If he is a redshirt and pays his own way I think this is a good move.
An experienced point guard to replace Machado is a good idea, this way Mo Mo doesn't have to play the point, but is available to play there if needed.
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Post by ic59 on Jun 23, 2011 12:17:32 GMT -5
While it's always nice to have the Pope on your side, there are questions that I'm sure our AD has asked. But I don't think we should turn down anyone name Malcom, as I don't remember having a player named Malcom, though I'm sure we must have. Anyone have specific info/video on the guy?
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Post by GuyF on Jun 23, 2011 12:23:06 GMT -5
Anyone have specific info/video on the guy? He's #11. hard to make it out--but he's the guy making all the pretty passes. The article above did describe him as a "pass first" PG.
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Post by tau on Jun 23, 2011 13:08:56 GMT -5
www.recruitrecon.com/index.php?option=com_recruit&task=showplayerprofile&id=579Malcolm is a small and quick, penetrating point guard. He can drive to the hoop and get by defenders with either a good crossover or a spin move. He passes fairly well and can also knock down the three point shot but could stand to be a little more consistent. He does however shoot with good form and alot of confidence. He releases the ball fairly quickly around the hoop to convert layups. He can make a brilliant pass but will also throw the ball away at times, he needs to learn to make better decisions when running an offense. He has a lot of talent but needs to work on the mental aspect of the game.
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Post by ichoops on Jun 23, 2011 13:27:47 GMT -5
wowsa..... We are now officially "the Gonzaga of the east".....
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Post by hawaii bill on Jun 23, 2011 16:48:47 GMT -5
wowsa..... We are now officially "the Gonzaga of the east"..... Fershizzle
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Post by ghostofwillard on Jun 23, 2011 21:51:25 GMT -5
Am I the only one out here who is starting to feel somewhat uneasy about a trend that seems to be developing around our recruiting? No; I am not waving pom poms for all these moves, I would like to see more of the traditional 4 year players, JMO.
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Post by gregcrow on Jun 23, 2011 23:58:06 GMT -5
Am I the only one out here who is starting to feel somewhat uneasy about a trend that seems to be developing around our recruiting? No; I am not waving pom poms for all these moves, I would like to see more of the traditional 4 year players, JMO. I would say you are probably not the only one with some misgivings about the what is happening with our recruiting. I hear what you are saying and there is a part of me that is also uneasy about it. As a mid-major, some of the charm of being a fan is seeing a team develop over time and watch as the players that come behind them develop and mature. Also it's not like we haven't got burned by this type of recruiting before (Do i need to list the names?). However, the other side is that there is a new coaching staff and administration and this is there style and we don't know yet that what things will look like long term I am also VERY excited by the players they have recruited. Basketball-wise there is no doubt in my mind that Iona has stepped up to another level. I was up till three in the morning last night watching Arizona basketball games and this MoMo is the real deal. As long as these student-athletes are good peoiple I find it hard not to be excited about the team. If it turns out otherwise I will be deeply disappointed. I'm taking the optimistic approach and putting my faith in the coach. That being said, I get where you are coming from Doom and Ghost.
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Post by Cjb on Jun 24, 2011 6:44:05 GMT -5
I could be wrong but my guess is that this is a short-term strategy to backfill a very talented existing team. With the exception of Snoop, it wouldn't surprise me to see a shift back to recruiting traditional 4 year players with the 2012 recruit class. With what we'll be losing to graduation, that class will be given a lot more opportunities than this one. JMO.
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