USF Notes

DoubleDipper wrote:This is just a rumor at this stage, but there has been talk that USF's best, and my favorite player, 6-9 center Mark Tollefsen may be leaving the team.

As I recall, Tollefsen used a redshirt year and will graduate this May with a year of eligibility remaining.  

He could be looking for a graduate year somewhere in a program that USF doesn't offer.

Yup!  While others are saying, Mark Tollefsen is leaving USF, Coach Walters is saying...

Rex Walters wrote:Mark Tollefsen will be graduating this Spring and has decided that he would like to pursue opportunities at another school.

He will be eligible immediately for one more year.  Pac 12?  Cal?

USF is reporting that 6-9 forward Matt Christiansen has lost his "passion" for basketball and will return home and finish his degree at Oklahoma.  

By my count that means 10 players have left the 17 man roster at USF since the end of the season......five of whom still have eligibility remaining.

DoubleDipper wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:This is just a rumor at this stage, but there has been talk that USF's best, and my favorite player, 6-9 center Mark Tollefsen may be leaving the team.

As I recall, Tollefsen used a redshirt year and will graduate this May with a year of eligibility remaining.  

He could be looking for a graduate year somewhere in a program that USF doesn't offer.

Yup!  While others are saying, Mark Tollefsen is leaving USF, Coach Walters is saying...

Rex Walters wrote:Mark Tollefsen will be graduating this Spring and has decided that he would like to pursue opportunities at another school.

He will be eligible immediately for one more year.  Pac 12?  Cal?

Tollefson sighting tonight. In the Oregon-Arizona Pac-12 semifinal game, Oregon had a comfortable lead in the closing minute, up 4 with 12 seconds left. Then they missed a FT, UA came down, missed a layup with an UO block, the ball bounced out to the perimeter and a Wildcat made a 3PT with 0.07 seconds left. All UO had to do was inbounds. But the guy throwing it in was shaky, and Tollefson stepped in front of the pass, went up for a shot, and was fouled. Refs said 0.04 seconds left. I don't know how Tollefson could catch the pass and get a shot up in 0.03, but they said he did. Marc had 2 FTs to win the game. But he missed the first, made the second, and then UO closed it out in the OT.

As much as I was rooting for Tollefson to do well last evening, I was certainly looking forward to a UO win.

Both the Ducks and Utah Utes will no doubt be exhausted going into today's Pac-12 final after both teams won in overtime last night.

USF did well this season,  but just think how much better they could have done if Tollefson had still been on the team.....Walters' biggest problem and the biggest factor in his firing IMO, 20+ players defecting in his time on the Hilltop.

Tollefson and the Wildcats will be in the Tournament, and next season he'll be a professional!

This is late news, but LDS Missionary Jared Stutzman has been released from his LOI at USF....and this was prior to Rex being fired.

From his dad, Brian, in a tweet:

 Jared Stutzman ending mission April 5, has opened up his recruiting, looking to play basketball somewhere with some LDS students on campus

Jared was at one time recruited by UP, and it just seemed odd when he signed a LOI with USF.

I have heard nothing about UP's returning LDS Missionary, Alec Monson, slated to return from Ecuador in April or May.

Josh Gershon wrote: Utah Valley landed commit from Jared Stutzman, per a source. 6-6 shooter, 2014 Idaho POY. Signed w/USF out of HS, just returned from mission

He was apparently also considering Santa Clara, but as he was looking to be around more LDS Church members, it would seem Utah Valley is a better fit.

Well, Rex Walters has been gone for a couple of years (I believe he's still an assistant with the Detroit Pistons), so it's apparently not his fault, but freshman point guard Souley Boum is transferring.

As most recall, Boum scored 26 points in the Chiles Center, and averaged 11 points per game this season (the same as WCC Newcomer of the Year, Zach Norvell), while landing on the WCC All-Freshman Team.

One can only speculate, but with Frankie Ferrari now the starting point guard, former WCC All-Freshman guard Chuck Minlend returning to the team next season, and big-time point guard recruit, Trevante Anderson inbound, it could be that Boum is transferring for the same reason most guys transfer, not enough playing time.

DoubleDipper wrote:Well, Rex Walters has been gone for a couple of years (I believe he's still an assistant with the Detroit Pistons), so it's apparently not his fault, but freshman point guard Souley Boum is transferring.

My young friend, Souley, is heading to El Paso..

Jon Rothstein wrote:San Francisco transfer Souley Boum has committed to UTEP, per a source. Nice get for Rodney Terry.

Great fan base there, and good resources and tradition....won the NCAA National Championship in 1966 as Texas Western.

USF's leading scorer, Charles Minlend, Jr. (14.4) is transferring.

Immediately eligible with one year to play as grad transfer...he's originally form North Carolina.

San Francisco grad transfer Charles Minlend has cut his list to seven, he told @Stadium:

Butler, Arizona, BYU, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Indiana, and Gonzaga.

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1248059481952604162

Sound Voltex wrote:

San Francisco grad transfer Charles Minlend has cut his list to seven, he told @Stadium:

Butler, Arizona, BYU, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Indiana, and Gonzaga.

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1248059481952604162

Minlend is headed to a school that didn't appear on his list...Louisville!

I heard from a USF student-athlete that 7-2/235 Ukrainian Volodymyr Markovetskyy has transferred from WSU to the Dons.  (Have not seen anything to confirm this, however).

I remember his name mentioned somewhere on this forum, and the report from DD that he was considered too slow for Coach Legan's offense.

Still, he's 7-2!

Golden is off to Florida.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/florida-hires-todd-golden-san-francisco-coach-to-lead-gators-after-taking-dons-to-ncaa-tournament/

up7587 wrote:

Sound Voltex wrote:Golden is off to Florida.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/florida-hires-todd-golden-san-francisco-coach-to-lead-gators-after-taking-dons-to-ncaa-tournament/

The fear of every mid-major program.  Success leading to departure.

Who wants to start the "Please don't leave us Coach Legans" emergency fund if we start becoming successful?

Former Gonzaga Bulldog player and USD assistant Kyle Bankhead has joined the USF staff as an assistant coach...

https://usfdons.com/news/2022/5/3/duncan-bankhead-named-new-assistant-mens-basketball-coaches.aspx

up7587 wrote:Khalil Shabazz played 93 games for USF over three years, starting all 34 games last year.  He is now transferring.  Will he end up at Florida?

Nope!  He's ending up right back where he started from for his final year...USF!

All the WCC teams are having a good offseason, it would seem.