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Source: DeShawn Mitchell leaving Rider
DeShawn Mitchell will leave the Rider basketball team before playing a game, a source close to the program told The Trentonian Wednesday.
Mitchell, a transfer from UNLV, had clashed repeatedly with the coaching staff, according to the source, who wasn't authorized to speak for the team because an official move hasn't been made. Mitchell will remain at Rider at least for the remainder of the semester. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 1.6 points per game as a freshman at UNVL before transferring.
Mitchell, a former high school standout at Monmouth and Oak Hill academies, will be the third Rider player this spring to leave the program with eligibility remaining. Sophomore forward Jermaine Jackson and freshman guard Carl Johnson both transferred, opening up scholarships that Rider will fill with incoming freshman Tommy Pereira and Virginia transfer Jeff Jones.
The Broncs, coming off a 17-16 season in which they fell short of lofty expectations, have a highly regarded recruiting class coming in. Rider has signed letters of intent from 6-7 power forward Danny Stewart and 6-4 combo guard Anthony Myles, and a verbal commitment from Pereira, a 6-2 shooting guard from Nottingham, England.
Mitchell's departure gives coach Tommy Dempsey one additional scholarship, which the team may fill with another transfer.
Mitchell, a transfer from UNLV, had clashed repeatedly with the coaching staff, according to the source, who wasn't authorized to speak for the team because an official move hasn't been made. Mitchell will remain at Rider at least for the remainder of the semester. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 1.6 points per game as a freshman at UNVL before transferring.
Mitchell, a former high school standout at Monmouth and Oak Hill academies, will be the third Rider player this spring to leave the program with eligibility remaining. Sophomore forward Jermaine Jackson and freshman guard Carl Johnson both transferred, opening up scholarships that Rider will fill with incoming freshman Tommy Pereira and Virginia transfer Jeff Jones.
The Broncs, coming off a 17-16 season in which they fell short of lofty expectations, have a highly regarded recruiting class coming in. Rider has signed letters of intent from 6-7 power forward Danny Stewart and 6-4 combo guard Anthony Myles, and a verbal commitment from Pereira, a 6-2 shooting guard from Nottingham, England.
Mitchell's departure gives coach Tommy Dempsey one additional scholarship, which the team may fill with another transfer.
posted by Kyle Franko at
5:06 PM
10 Comments:
Unreal. What is going on over there in Lawrenceville?
Ok, I officially amend my 26 wins mantra, since having Mitchell was a big part of that prediciton. Ugh. This program is in disarray. anyway, doods, thanks for the info and the always timely and solid reporting. It's too bad you can't get a decent team to cover.
D-Mitch didn't want to go to class and the coaches had a problem wit that
Why do they care if he goes to class? He there to play basketball. (only kidding)
I'm not saying that this is Dempsey's fault, but we are seeing a pattern here. If this open spot is going the transfer route, will it be a JC transfer that would be available this season?
If he didn't want to go to class can't blame the coach for that, I know that is not tolerated at Rider, I have confidence the staff will replace mitchell with a quality player
TMD,
I'd be very surprised if it's a JuCo kid, especially since being able to play next year won't really be a priority. In fact, if they did take a JuCo kid, there wouldn't be any playing time available anyway.
You're right that if they take a transfer, it'll be the fourth one they've taken in three years (Youngblood, Mitchell, Jones), but unlike Loyola, the transfers aren't the centerpiece of their recruiting efforts.
How this all plays out remains to be seen, but I maintain Rider fans should be excited about the players they have coming in.
Ben, I hope they don't have too many injuries otherwise you might have to suit up.
When Rider has been good it has been because they have guys who have been in the program for their full 4 years. Going to class will not be tolerated so if that is the case, good riddance.
We all love talking about wins and losses here in the blog is fun, but the bottom line is Rider guys graduate and will continue to do so.
At the same time this continual turnover in the program is an issue as well.
Ben,
I don't know how you can say a JuCo kid won't get any time. Mitchell would have gotten minutes, so there is time available. Without a JuCo transfer, we are putting a lot of eggs into the baskets of freshman.
Also, how does all the transfering out of the program effect the graduation rate?
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