Melo makes the 5th Manning recruit to transfer out of the program before graduation (Hudson, SJM, Mitchell, Rich Wash) and the 6th overall (Woods). He’s been here 4 years. I’ll let you do the math.
1.25? Did I get it right?
Hudson and SJM were dismissed
Mitchell and Woods were rotation players
Rich Wash and Melo were not rotation players.
For me, the guys to focus on who left are Mitchell, Woods, Doral Moore, and Crawford.
Mitchell left despite getting good run his sophomore year and having a sister at Wake. Yes, he was 3,000 miles away, but still. This one was a concern. We have two guys coming in who play some version of his position, so I could see an argument that he felt he was being recruited over, but he would most likely be our starting 4 this year had he stayed. And playing 20+ minutes a game. This one totally on staff
Woods - hard to tell. In some ways, it reminds me of Kawhi Leonard. We have constantly heard reports of Woods' Dad and playing time/usage. Reminds me of Leonard's Uncle. I have a feeling that Woods' Dad is working hard to leverage his son't college career into an immediate pay day playing in Europe. Not a $40,000 a year job in Belgium, but a $250,000 a year job in Italy. Fair enough. There were whispers of problems before Woods got hurt last year. We just couldn't hide his bad defense, either because our staff cannot coach Defense, and/or we didn't have the players to cover his man when he skipped past him. This one is on both Woods and staff.
Moore leaving is all about him wanting to get paid for working so freakin hard to get good. I get it. He was advised by Manning to stay. He didn't. This one is on Moore. I think if Manning was Daddy figure like Coach John Thompson was, he'd have got him to stay for the betterment of his career, but Manning is not John Thompson. He doesn't strike me as the warm and fuzzy mentor at all. He's more lunch pail taciturn. Make me happy today and tomorrow we start afresh. You have to make me happy then too. For some kids, like John Collins, that is easy. For others, like Moore who may want to take a day or two off, maybe it is more difficult. Still this one is on Moore.
Crawford leaving I have to point a finger at Chill. Now, maybe he is conflicted because Craw leaving means more oxygen for his son, but the fact is that Crawford came in a flawed player with a load of borderline NBA talent and left a more experienced, more muscled flawed players with a load of Euro talent. My only positive takeaway is that our strength and conditioning program is elite.