The LOLercoaster Continues: ESPN.com Reporting Samardo Hiring Agent
by CardsFan922 on May 4, 2010 9:15 PM EDT
Email
Print
The brief high associated with the Coach Cal to the Bulls rumors have given way to this report from ESPN.com:
Louisville sophomore center Samardo Samuels will keep his name in the draft and retain the services of an agent, multiple sources have told ESPN.com.
An announcement is expected Wednesday.
Samuels is considered a fringe second-round pick and his entry into the draft shocked Louisville coaches and administrators, who believed he was making a mistake. But sources say there will be no turning back for the 6-foot-9 Samuels, who projects as a tweener between center and power forward in the NBA.
I thought the 2009-2010 roller coaster was over. Unbuckled my seat belt, exited to the left and everything.
Best of luck to you, Samardo. Thanks for the memories.
63 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Well damn...
I was hoping to see him at Louisville one more year…oh well. Good luck Samardo!
Touchdown, Ronnie Brown Edition!
On the bright side...
….Elisha Justice, congrats on not having to pay tuition and being singled out for being a walk-on by announcers for the next 4 years……assume you don’t leave early too. Or get addicted to convenience store breakfast burritos like Rod Council did.
An opportunity?
Maybe the Cards will be a more up tempo team next year and play better post defense? Good luck Samuels.
Pretty negative take from ESPN, but that’s to be expected.
“The departure of Samuels is a significant blow to Louisville, which already lost three starters from last season’s 20-13 team. The Cardinals have now lost their top three scorers from a team that bowed out in the first round of the NCAA tournament to California in March.”
Well...
My initial reaction was that this is a mistake, but it might not be as stupid as a lot of us are making it out to be.
I think you could read this decision as essentially a concession that his NBA potential is limited, and that he may never be a high draft pick. We’re all understandably focused on how he is not ready and all the obvious flaws in his game, and that is perfectly legitimate, but the other question is whether another year or two in college is going to do anything to improve his draft stock. I’m not convinced it will. Two of the big knocks on Samardo’s NBA stock are his tweener status and his athleticism. The young man is probably done growing so he will be a tweener in the 2011 or 2012 draft. The athleticism concern, which might better be described as an agility concern, is also something that may be impossible to correct at this point. Samardo got a lot stronger between his freshman and sophomore year. He clearly worked hard over the summer, and I think it showed at points, but there were still times when it seemed like he had 20 pound weights tied to his ankles. He just is not very fast, and more importantly, his vertical leap is questionable, especially if he has to jump multiple times going after a rebound. Is that going to change by next year? I doubt it. He can get in shape, but you can’t teach speed and hops after a point, especially to a well-developed college kid Samardo’s size.
In the end, I think he should come back, and not just for the selfish reasons that I want to watch him and see all the great things he could do for our team. I think he could have a great college career for two more years and then make it in the pros somewhere, just not in the NBA. All I am saying is that, from his perspective, this might not be such a dumb call if he thinks that the knocks on him are things he cannot meaningfully improve over the next two years.
Good luck, Samardo. If you are going to take a chance and stay in the draft, I hope we’re all wrong about your prospects.
By the way...
I guess I assumed a lot of people on here are going to think this is a dumb call based on the fact that everyone I have talked to seems to universally say this is a bad idea.
I think the point is....
….it is unclear whether Pitino can turn him into an NBA 4. It is unclear whether ANYONE can, but the NBDL or an NBA team maybe could.
Can’t imagine he’ll be drafted but it is not like this is a superstar class, except for the 5 players form the same team drafted in the first round.
Yeah, that's the only legit reason I could see for him leaving
But to throw away a year of high-level competition when he still has so many non-specific skills to work on is just asinine. I don’t want to see him end up in Europe in 6 months, but I just don’t see how he’s going to get good enough to be on an NBA roster any time soon, either as a PF or a C.
We will be alright I think this will be a big year for TJ
Our interior defense will be solid if Rick were to put TJ and G-Dieng on the floor at the same time…
where would offense come from exactly?
by Chris Redman is my hero on May 5, 2010 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Don't you know Marra is a 3 point beast
:) Seriously though, I like Gorgui’s shooting ability… at least TJ and Gorgui would be able to finish getting the ball into the basket. Who knows if Marra will shake off the funk, and I think Siva will give shooters better opportunities for a basket than Sosa will.
At least most if not all of our known “head cases” are gone from the team. I’m hoping mental and emotional toughness will improve this year… I don’t see why it would not.
I think TJ can be a beast on offense too with a summer to work on it.
i worry more about foul trouble. TJ obviously has trouble staying in games when we need him and Dieng is a freshman. Not saying Dieng will be in foul trouble, just that freshmen tend to pick up stupid fouls sometimes, especially when they are still adjusting to the speed and size of all the players and the offensive/defensive systems their teams run.
I think TJ fouled a lot simply because he didn't play much
If you play 8 minutes a game, go all out and be as aggressive as you can be
No idea what he's thinking
I’m not mad at him, but I really think he’s making a huge mistake by leaving right now. Where he is in his progression right now, I don’t think any rational person can look at him and say that he’s NBA ready. His stock was never really that high, he never really dominated at this level and he was likely to see an increase in production this upcoming season… from a on-the-court perspective, pure nonsense. Obviously there must be forces working behind the scenes… the promise of money? Incredibly bad advice from greedy handlers?
I guess it’s time to seriously think about where this leaves us for next season.. TJ is going to have to step up in a big big way, and Gorgui is going to have to come in ready to make an impact…
It's a mistake not matter how you look at it, but anyways on to TJ....
I agree we will have much better post defense, and TJ will develop offensively or else it could be a long season in the middle. Congrats Elisha Justice for getting a scholarship out of this, you deserve it.
Raise your hand if this surprises you
Seriously. He was as good as gone as soon as he declared a couple of weeks ago. All of the bad information that was going in his ears from the people in Jamaica. A lot of pressure is on this young man to perform for his family and represent his country. Not saying I agree with his decision, but given the circumstances, I’m really not surprised he’s gone.
Did he have a good enough year to even enter the draft? Let alone enter without the fall back plan of building back up at U of L and trying again the next year?
by mp502 on May 4, 2010 10:23 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Daniel Orton
says yes.
"You win some, You lose some but you never stop trying to do your best" Denny Crum
Daniel Orton
Agrees with you.
"You win some, You lose some but you never stop trying to do your best" Denny Crum
I hate to say this...
…but I’m glad he’s leaving. We will be better without him. This will allow TJ to finally get the minutes he deserves. As good as Samardo was at times last season, particularly against inferior competition, we never truly saw the potential of TJ. Considering Dieng will also be in the rotation along with a healthy George Goode, the new frontline will be quicker and more athletic. I wish Samardo all the best, and while it’s unfortunate he’s making this colossal mistake for himself, I look forward to next year without him.
my thoughts exactly
samardo and his concrete hands/feet can go elsewhere
if anyone doesn’t want to be here, i don’t want them here. so since samardo doesn’t want to be here, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. yes we will miss his inside presence, but he seemed to have a very hard time trying to get a rebound. he couldn’t rebound in the big games if his life depended on it.
some nba team may take a chance on him, but his professional destination is going to end up somewhere on the other side of the atlantic, maybe with larri obannon.
OH NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What are we going to do without his complete lack of a defensive presence, his 7 boards/gm despite being 6"9, 240 (2-3 boards against actual competition), his disappearing act when playing against big east big men, his ONE post move, his constant dribbling up to his chin while in the paint surrounded, and his pouty look on his face every time he gets beat???
Okay, that was way too harsh. It just disappoints me that if he just worked on all this over the summer (thought the NBA camps would have showed him point blank all those weaknesses), he could have been a top-tier big man (what he could have been the last two years). It is also disappointing that he actually believes he is NBA ready. Maybe he needs the money for his family, and if so, then I will respect him keeping their best interest in mind. Yet, I somehow doubt that is the case, and it’s just people wanting to leech off of him telling him he’s ready so they will get paid.
Oh well. We would have been better with him, but I truly believe that Jennings will now get a chance to shine, and this could be a good thin. He can run the floor better and is 10x the athlete Samardo is. Imagine a fast break wit Siva, Coleman, and Jennings. Very exciting.
And this definitely does nothing to make me stop laughing about the Bulls/Squid liklihood. And even witn SS gone, we still have a better roster than UK next year. They will rely on all Freshmen, who have 1/20th the talent of the ’09 class, have no upperclassmen leadership, no big men depth, and may end up with only 9 scholly players. And their coach is probably gone. Hilarious.
Yet, still it’s ironic. The two best big men (at least on paper) we have recruited the last decade never came close to living up to their hype and left the program before they should. They will both be in the draft together, and both may not hear their name called. Good luck to SS and DC, we’ll always appreciate what you did, but always wonder what could have and should have been.
Good luck to Samardo, but...
This is not just a bit mistake, it is catastrophic. With the right production and development in another 1-2 years of college, he might have squeezed into the late first round of the draft and gotten guaranteed money. He has no chance of that right now, and he has little chance to make an NBA roster. If NBA money is his goal, more college could not have hurt him at all; he couldn’t exit college in a much worse position than he is this year in terms of likely draft position.
All that said, the consensus word on the street seems to be that Samardo isn’t terribly in love with playing at Louisville, and if that is the case, for our sake, I don’t mind this at all.
by cardsinindy2010 on May 4, 2010 11:16 PM EDT reply actions
I blame Mike
and his April fools post that apparently kicked off some foolish thinking.
All the best to Samardo, but I’d say there’s a good chance he would have made considerably more money waiting another year, and may not make it at all in the NBA now.
The awesomeness continues. The only memories I have of Samardo are him losing his tooth and that monster dump he took against MSU.
Folks, 2010-2011 season is going to be bad, really bad. Don’t fool yourselves. There is just not enough proven talent and we still don’t know about Coleman.
It’s early yet, but I believe it will be Pitino’s last season. He will retire after coaching the first season in the new arena.
I'll remember
Whackjob when we have a great year in 2010-2011. What a Debbie Downer.
"You win some, You lose some but you never stop trying to do your best" Denny Crum
Honestly
I think you’d be happier on the ITV free boards. I know you post there, surely you’ve noticed that’s where the pity party is at.
A dose of reality is a good thing. I’m just really tired of Louisville fans having nothing better to say than “it will be alright”. Was it alright last season? Was it alright when Teague chose elsewhere? Was it alright when Tyler headed to Israel? Is it really alright that Samardo is leaving when there seems to be no one to take his place? What might everyone say IF Coleman is not eligible?
It’s not enough to just say we’ll be fine even though the evidence is we won’t be fine. I’m not blaming Pitino for Samardo, but that doesn’t change my view as to how I see next season. If I’m wrong though, I’ll be here to take my lumps. No problems being told I was wrong. Let’s just not get into the mode of saying everything will always be fine. Our motto shouldn’t be “Everything’s fine. There’s nothing to see here”.
Was everything alright in 07-08? How about 08-09?
Therein lies the problem. You can’t just cherry-pick last year for your argument that the sky is falling. Rick has a strong track record of success here. If you think that anything short of a Final Four cannot be considered a success, well, you’re going to be disappointed most years by almost every coach out there.
Losing in the first round of the NCAAs in a rebuilding year cannot be considered an abject failure. Do we have to discuss again where UNC and UConn ended up last year?
I can imagine next year being better than last year; I can also imagine it being worse. Much depends on the development of 3-4 guys in the offseason. Some of it probably depends on Coleman’s academic status. But none of us will know until next year, and there is no reason to think that the sky is falling now.
by cardsinindy2010 on May 5, 2010 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Past the past is the past. You can point to two very good seasons in a row, but why weren’t we able to capitalize on them with recruiting success? I know that’s not what this post is about though.
As for calling last season a rebuilding year, that’s Pitino spin. No one at the start of the season was saying it would be a rebuilding year. Most people on this board and elsewhere were predicting a Sweet 16 appearance before the season. It became a rebuilding season when it became obvious the talent we thought we had recruited wasn’t going to live up to its billing.
It’s easy to say the sky isn’t falling, but something seems to be falling all around the program right now.
You realize that even if everything you've brought up does go poorly...
UofL will still be playing basketball next season? And if you are a real fan, you’ll be here too. With that logic in mind, that regardless of performance, you are a fan; why choose to be such a pessimistic nay-sayer about every potential problem? That is of course, unless you just enjoy being negative; then I’d kindly suggest you find a new Cardinal blog to shi express your opinions on.
I think “we will be alright” next season, with or without Samardo. We’ve got a talented team and team chemistry is going to be different after losing 3-4 starters.
by Remote Cardinal on May 5, 2010 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
April Fool's joke?
Or psychic powers?
This is such a bad idea for him. As SA1985 pointed out, he may be way past getting NBA-ready. I just don’t think he’ll ever have the skills to be a 4 or the size to be a 5. But that’s no reason to bolt early. On the contrary, that’s more reason to stay in school and get a damn degree. That way you have something besides 300k/yr Israeli ball to fall back on once the NBA experiment is a bust.
On top of that, there’s no way that we’re better with Jennings and Goode rather than Samuels. Jennings may be able to block shots (decently, anyway), but don’t confuse that with good defense. His help defense is absolutely atrocious half the time, as he has no idea where anybody is on the floor at any given time. He’s quicker and more athletic, but he has no post moves and no jump shot. He’s basically relegated to put-backs and open dunks. The only areas where he’s better than Samuels is playing above the rim and rebounding, and those are marginal and no way make up for his deficiencies. I hope he works hard and gets better now that he knows the starting job is his, but I’m not convinced it’s going to happen.
At least Justice is getting a scholarship out of all this.
One thing that may be lost
I think Samardo should stay four years just to get a college education. I mean, he doesn’t come from the best circumstances, and even if he ends up in the league for a couple of years, he’s going to need something to fall back on. I wish he/his family could have seen this. Best of luck to Mardo if he does go, I wish him no ill will, just sad that this may end up being a poor life decision for him.
by Chris Redman is my hero on May 5, 2010 12:52 AM EDT reply actions
It is very simple...
It is really simple, this kid’s family is poor as can be and if he makes $30,000 playing in the “poot butt” league it will be more money than his family has ever seen. He was the USA Today High School Player of the Year and I am sure his family and him thought he would be able to get drafted by now. Now he is not ready and he can’t jump, rebound, or play defense but it is a lot more to life than playing for our school to some people. When you are poor these decisions are really simple. He doesn’t care where he plays next year but he wants to get a paycheck. He will… in Saudi Arabia somewhere but as I said before it will be more money than his entire family would make in ten years. I wish him well though I would love for him to stay but….. I see JASON OSBORNE all over this kid… As for the Cards that we have I believe we will be better because we will get better and more consistent guard play and we will be able to rebound and play defense. Our three point shooting should improve and yes we will have some post presence with what we have. The key is we will be more athletic top to bottom! Rick does need to make some adjustments though!!!!
by TRUMP on May 5, 2010 1:01 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Agreed.
We don’t know what the family situation is. They might have a pressing need for some cash immediately; there are plenty of possible reasons they might be better off with less money in the long run, but some money now. So I won’t judge him. I think in the long run he could have improved his chances with another year or two of college ball, but if the need is for some money today then he’s doing what he has to do. And if the rumors were true that he wasn’t seeing eye-to-eye with CRP, maybe he’ll be better off in the D-league or overseas as he tries to get himself into shape to play in the NBA.
The one thing that amazes me is how so many people spent last season saying how lousy he was, and so many are now saying that his departure is going to kill us. You can’t have it both ways.
why can't we have it both ways?..
he was lousy with foot work and handles, but compared to the rest of our players it will hurt us next year… we don’t have anyone else that will draw double teams and open up space… i’ve said it all along, while he has alot of improvements to make, samardo is more established when it comes to post moves and playing ball further away from the rim than TJ does. I hope TJ will learn a few tricks and gets to working now that he knows he will have significant playing time.
Cards will probably be better off without him
He never lived up his recruiting tout. Might have gotten somewhere in the ballpark had he continued his tenure here. But, all in all, he was never aggressive enough and often seemed a step behind the action.
Giving Jennings and Dieng that spot might prove to be better for us in the long run.
Good luck, Mardo. You’re making a stupid decision, but thanks for the contributions.
________________________________________________
~LK
www.myspace.com/lordkayoss
www.youtube.com/lordkayossrippro
www.lordkayoss.com
Take care Samardo,
We will see you again on YouTube playing Europe ball.
Not much else to say, but my thoughts are...
that SS is making a decision for himself and I can respect that. He’s not ready for the NBA now but may never be. The scouts might be telling him that and he’s looking at it from that perspective; can’t go to the NBA, then why not just start getting paid now? His family could use the help I’m sure.
In addition, this definitely solves the big man minutes conundrum that we had going on. Now TJ, Buckles, Dieng and even Goode & SVT will see their share of minutes.
I wish Samardo the best of luck and truly hope he sneaks in that late second round. If not, I hope he does well wherever he lands.
by Remote Cardinal on May 5, 2010 10:20 AM EDT reply actions
I feel a little sorry for him at this point.
He has to be getting some bad advice or some undue pressure from someone. Or he must feel enough pressure to help his family financially that he feels he cannot wait. Either way, he is costing himself an opportunity to be in a much better draft position (which would just mean being projected somewhere on the draft boards) down the road. I don’t know if he will ever be NBA-ready, but he certainly isn’t now. I hope to be proven wrong, but I can’t see it.
by cardsinindy2010 on May 5, 2010 10:58 AM EDT reply actions
What people are missing here
is that SS doesn’t need to make the NBA to improve the lives of his family. If he makes 60-100K playing overseas somewhere, I’m sure that would go pretty far in Jamaica.
Best of luck to him and his family. It sucks it had to come to this. It doesn’t seem like this was a basketball decision, but a financial one.
by johnnyjoejohnson on May 5, 2010 11:49 AM EDT reply actions
i agree
hopefully players (highschool top 100) will see we are lacking depth and jump on the Card wagon..
by Final4Galore on May 5, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
$60K would go a long way in Jamaica but after paying his own living expenses in Europe/Asia, how much $$ can he reasonably send home? How often will he spend $ to fly back & forth?
by UL is my hot hot sex on May 5, 2010 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions
A lot of those teams overseas
Pay room and board. I think some of the players don’t have to pay Income taxes.
"You win some, You lose some but you never stop trying to do your best" Denny Crum
Sounds about right
I imagine some players overseas have contracts w/ things like transportation & food stipends included as well. Still wonder how much he’d get paid and what he’d have left over for his family each month, should the NBA not draft him. Obviously we wish him well but would love to know what his family is expecting.
by UL is my hot hot sex on May 5, 2010 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
They'd probably
settle for a real house with four walls and a roof. I don’t know the living conditions in Jamaica but I’ve heard it’s pretty bad.
"You win some, You lose some but you never stop trying to do your best" Denny Crum
You're right, it's bad
Spent some time in/around Highgate, a town in St. Mary Parish, a couple yrs ago. It was common to see giant holes in the walls & roofs of overcrowded homes. Most considered a bucket filled with rain water their shower. Yet oddly enough, everyone had a cell phone (dirt cheap plans)…just like Afghanistan.
Samardo’s hometown Trelawny, which several Jamaican track stars like Ben Johnson & Usain Bolt hail from, is one of the relatively better areas of Jamaica but $60K – $100K would still go a long way.
by UL is my hot hot sex on May 5, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Good Stuff
He started last season terribly, finally started playing like he should in january. He’s slow, loses the ball, and has low energy 80% of the time.
Im anxious to see our team next year being faster and not relying on him soo much. I’m sorry but you knew our gameplan was pass to mardo and hope for something (the Cal game)
I bet we have a better season next year than this year and thats without him and the two “amazing” guards we lost. Still waiting on swopshire to not suck……..
The interior was Cal’s biggest weakness and Rock exploited it. Without Samardo, the 2010-11 season will be another question mark until Jan/Feb. Even then, the answer might be an actual question mark about the team’s potential, as it was this year. Should be fun either way.
by UL is my hot hot sex on May 5, 2010 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions
okay okay
So I totally understand if this decision was made to better the life of his family. I totally get that and respect him 100% for it. I however dont totally understand how his family could push him into that situation. (if thats the case)??
The difference in SamSam going to the NBA now vs a year or 2 from now probably means $500k+ difference per year of income if not more… If I were a parent who wanted out of poverty but had a child who could set himself up for life by holding out a year or two I would gladly say sure ill live in my box an extra year in order for you to have the chance to be a millionaire!!!! Heck momma Sam Sam would be living better if she waited… It might very well mean the difference of momma Sam Sam getting a house in the USA vs a better shack in Jamica.
SamSam would always have the chance to play overseas, regardless if its now or later.
Unless he has some crazy agents in his ear or people giving him false info I just cant see where this is coming from. Hes such a long shot for the NBA I was completly caught off guard when I head about all this.
?
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
