YESSSS!!!!!!!!!! YESSSSS!!!!!! YESSSSSSSS!!!!!! This is not only great for us. It should be even more beneficial to him and his future NBA career. I think this year could do wonders for him.
If Barnes uses him correctly and doesn't try to showcase him to the NBA all next year this is going to be a nasty team.
So, the elephant in the room.....who loses a scholarship, or gets forced into transferring? Any chance Jai Lucas pays his own way for a year?
I've been insufferable at times towards TripsLeft for him discussing James' return for his senior season as a realistic option. I have a lot of crow to chew on.
What perks said. I hate to admit it, but he helps Texas 2009-10 a lot more than he helps an NBA team, this year or in the near future. Might as well have a little fun and play some forward for one more year and hopefully get to the Final Four.
Speaking as a mod, as far as this board is concerned, specific maneuvers ("I wonder if they'll cut So-and-so loose?") are off limits. Speaking as a fan, SLX has said they've worked it out, and I would believe him (except for anything he now says about Damion James ). And Rick Barnes has always said, "These things have a way of working themselves out." I definitely believe him.
I enjoy being wrong almost as much as I enjoy being right, especially among friends. If you're not willing to take the abuse when you're on the other side of an issue, you have no business dishing it out when you're right about something. And I do enjoy dishing it out. In this particular case, I'm ecstatic to have Damion James returning. Not only because he helps the team, but because I enjoy rooting for him personally, as a player and as a person. I hope it ends up working out for him as the right decision. However, stepping back a bit, I considered Dexter Pittman the player Texas couldn't afford to lose early more than Damion James. I'm just glad to have them both.
The Link SLX, you said the scholarship issue has been taken care of. So who's out then if any? Hill? Chapman? Brown? Ward?
Huge favorite to make the Final Four now. If we take care of KU at home we could definitely win the conference. I can't even imagine the amount of talent that we will have. If J'Covan makes it in...sick, absolutely sick. Our second string would make the NCAA tournament. Not sure whether I'm more interested to see how the schollie numbers work out or the playing time works out.
Unfortunately, unless Lucas offers to pay his way for a year (his family can obviously afford that), someone is going to get screwed. College coaches are put in a tough position of projecting who is going to go pro and who isn't. In this case, Barnes guessed wrong and he's probably going to have to pull a scholarship from someone who was promised 4 free years at Texas. I'm ecstatic to have James back, but I don't envy Barnes for having to do that to a kid. They may have a plan in place, but that plan pretty much has to include pulling a scholarship and Texas has never been stuck in that position before. If J'Covan qualifies as expected now, someone else is getting screwed. We'll have 13-15 guys on the bench (depending on J'Covan or a potential transfer). Only one of those guys is a legit bench warmer. The others all are real players who can contribute at the college level. Do we redshirt a guy who wouldn't make it on the floor, rather than waste a year of eligibility at the end of a stacked bench?
I'm calling it: Bevo Slam We're gonna hold the baseball, football, and basketball national titles simulataneously.
Good decision for sure. I really do believe that he will be one of the standouts and an outstanding team, and will reap the benefits in next year's draft. I cannot wait to see this team take the floor!