Another One - Elijah To The Portal

[whitehawk]

After you get momma bear pissed off, don't expect her to encourage her child to be very motivated to return to the fans who called her son out online, and she had to come and defend him. This is another factor in the transfer portal is everyone here and what you say online. Don't think for a second players are not getting feedback from any part of the internet regarding them. "Kids hear it all", as Coach Rocky Long said.

“These kids are under pressure to perform,” Dutcher said. “It’s more pressure with social media and everyone complaining about you. They forget these kids are college athletes, they’re students. They want to do well, and sometimes there is added pressure.

“I’m not a social media guy. It’s a different generation than me. But I understand it exists, and sometimes it just feels good to put a little bit of that behind you, just so you can relax and play your game. And I think Elijah has done that.” - SDUT, Feb. 19, 2024
Source: SDSU’s Elijah Saunders thrives in his new role coming off the bench

He made his decision to leave for whatever reason, and now it's time to find someone who wants to be here. Maybe be mindful to what you say online or say it with your open your wallets when you piss them or their parent's off after they've decided to leave to buy a replacement.

[sdsu1776]

Sucks. Elijah saw Parrish and Butler get paid. He wants the same.

So obvious.

We had a nice 15 year run.

But it is probably over in terms of trying to compete with the big boys.

[aztecking]

Apr 29, 2024 12:50:03 GMT -8 whitehawk said:

After you get momma bear pissed off, don't expect her to encourage her child to be very motivated to return to the fans who called her son out online, and she had to come and defend him. This is another factor in the transfer portal is everyone here and what you say online. Don't think for a second players are not getting feedback from any part of the internet regarding them. "Kids hear it all", as Coach Rocky Long said.

“These kids are under pressure to perform,” Dutcher said. “It’s more pressure with social media and everyone complaining about you. They forget these kids are college athletes, they’re students. They want to do well, and sometimes there is added pressure.

“I’m not a social media guy. It’s a different generation than me. But I understand it exists, and sometimes it just feels good to put a little bit of that behind you, just so you can relax and play your game. And I think Elijah has done that.” - SDUT, Feb. 19, 2024
Source: SDSU’s Elijah Saunders thrives in his new role coming off the bench

He made his decision to leave for whatever reason, and now it's time to find someone who wants to be here. Maybe be mindful to what you say online or say it with your open your wallets when you piss them or their parent's off after they've decided to leave to buy a replacement.

Or maybe he’s just has a weak mind? If he ends up at a P5 and isn’t playing well he’s gonna hear it 5 times worse there. Aztec fans are small potatoes compared to those fan bases.

[sdsu1776]

Apr 29, 2024 12:48:32 GMT -8 docmm said:

After 28 years of seasons tickets, I wonder whether this whole clusterf*ck of a system is worth it any more. I'm actually more sad than mad.

It is t worth it any more, IMO

[sdsu1776]

Apr 29, 2024 12:50:03 GMT -8 whitehawk said:

After you get momma bear pissed off, don't expect her to encourage her child to be very motivated to return to the fans who called her son out online, and she had to come and defend him. This is another factor in the transfer portal is everyone here and what you say online. Don't think for a second players are not getting feedback from any part of the internet regarding them. "Kids hear it all", as Coach Rocky Long said.

“These kids are under pressure to perform,” Dutcher said. “It’s more pressure with social media and everyone complaining about you. They forget these kids are college athletes, they’re students. They want to do well, and sometimes there is added pressure.

“I’m not a social media guy. It’s a different generation than me. But I understand it exists, and sometimes it just feels good to put a little bit of that behind you, just so you can relax and play your game. And I think Elijah has done that.” - SDUT, Feb. 19, 2024
Source: SDSU’s Elijah Saunders thrives in his new role coming off the bench

He made his decision to leave for whatever reason, and now it's time to find someone who wants to be here. Maybe be mindful to what you say online or say it with your open your wallets when you piss them or their parent's off after they've decided to leave to buy a replacement.

[zurac315]

Apr 29, 2024 12:18:20 GMT -8 aztecking said:

It’s hard to really even care deeply about the sport anymore. Essentially we will just have a mostly new team year to year. Not fun at all.

Agree totally. I also find it much harder to care about the players if they're just going to split.

[sdsu1776]

Apr 29, 2024 12:50:03 GMT -8 whitehawk said:

After you get momma bear pissed off, don't expect her to encourage her child to be very motivated to return to the fans who called her son out online, and she had to come and defend him. This is another factor in the transfer portal is everyone here and what you say online. Don't think for a second players are not getting feedback from any part of the internet regarding them. "Kids hear it all", as Coach Rocky Long said.

“These kids are under pressure to perform,” Dutcher said. “It’s more pressure with social media and everyone complaining about you. They forget these kids are college athletes, they’re students. They want to do well, and sometimes there is added pressure.

“I’m not a social media guy. It’s a different generation than me. But I understand it exists, and sometimes it just feels good to put a little bit of that behind you, just so you can relax and play your game. And I think Elijah has done that.” - SDUT, Feb. 19, 2024
Source: SDSU’s Elijah Saunders thrives in his new role coming off the bench

He made his decision to leave for whatever reason, and now it's time to find someone who wants to be here. Maybe be mindful to what you say online or say it with your open your wallets when you piss them or their parent's off after they've decided to leave to buy a replacement.

Nah. Parrish and Butler and all will be criticized wherever they go. 

it’s all about da dollar. 

[aztecking]

Apr 29, 2024 12:52:07 GMT -8 sdsu1776 said:

Sucks. Elijah saw Parrish and Butler get paid. He wants the same.

So obvious.

We had a nice 15 year run.

But it is probably over in terms of trying to compete with the big boys.

I agree. Unless major limits are placed on NIL, which seems unlikely given that the NCAA keeps losing court cases. That’s why I’m so happy we got the 2023 run in when we did. That was the dawn of NIL and we snuck in under the wire. Doubtful we will be able to continue competing the way we have the last 4-5 years. It will probably turn into us mostly being 7-12 seeds and just hoping we win 1 tournament game.

[FULL_MONTY]

Apr 29, 2024 12:50:03 GMT -8 whitehawk said:

After you get momma bear pissed off, don't expect her to encourage her child to be very motivated to return to the fans who called her son out online, and she had to come and defend him. This is another factor in the transfer portal is everyone here and what you say online. Don't think for a second players are not getting feedback from any part of the internet regarding them. "Kids hear it all", as Coach Rocky Long said.

“These kids are under pressure to perform,” Dutcher said. “It’s more pressure with social media and everyone complaining about you. They forget these kids are college athletes, they’re students. They want to do well, and sometimes there is added pressure.

“I’m not a social media guy. It’s a different generation than me. But I understand it exists, and sometimes it just feels good to put a little bit of that behind you, just so you can relax and play your game. And I think Elijah has done that.” - SDUT, Feb. 19, 2024
Source: SDSU’s Elijah Saunders thrives in his new role coming off the bench

He made his decision to leave for whatever reason, and now it's time to find someone who wants to be here. Maybe be mindful to what you say online or say it with your open your wallets when you piss them or their parent's off after they've decided to leave to buy a replacement.

Man, San Diego is as tame as it comes either online from fans, around town from fans, or the Journos. These players want the bag and the limelight, but not what comes with being semi-pro, criticism.

If Saunders bolted because he was benched and took criticism, then his rebounding was not the softest part of his game.

[rednblk]

Basically a player can have a breakout year and find out he’s not quite ready for the NBA and end up transferring to a bigger paying program.

[zurac315]

Apr 29, 2024 12:25:54 GMT -8 AzTex said:

Not my normal language, but I'll join the group of WTF's being posted.  Not sure how much longer I'll be able to follow college sports any more.  I never thought that might include the Aztecs.  I'm really feeling bad about all of this right now.

I agree. I feel my "caring" slowly slipping away. I don't care about pro sports and now college sports is becoming similar.

[azteclou]

Really sucks. NIL is awful for fans and coaching staffs but great for players. I’m confident Dutch will be able to replace him.

[sdsu1776]

Apr 29, 2024 12:55:33 GMT -8 aztecking said:

Apr 29, 2024 12:52:07 GMT -8 sdsu1776 said:

Sucks. Elijah saw Parrish and Butler get paid. He wants the same.

So obvious.

We had a nice 15 year run.

But it is probably over in terms of trying to compete with the big boys.

I agree. Unless major limits are placed on NIL, which seems unlikely given that the NCAA keeps losing court cases. That’s why I’m so happy we got the 2023 run in when we did. That was the dawn of NIL and we snuck in under the wire. Doubtful we will be able to continue competing the way we have the last 4-5 years. It will probably turn into us mostly being 7-12 seeds and just hoping we win 1 tournament game.

Yeah. Probably will need to win MWC tourney in order to get in. Big time conferences will get more than there share of NCAA tourney teams. 

Smaller conferences will almost rarely get at-large bids.

[sdmotohead]

🤦‍♂️

[mfaulkhof2011]

I could understand when Keshad, Lamont and Parrish left because they gave us 4 years or in Parrish's case his junior and senior years but this stings. Now we have no reason now to grow a player if this is what is going to happen. Kentucky used to be the 5 star one and done freshmen university. Maybe we become the transfer portal one and done because molding high school players may be a thing of the past for us.

[zurac315]

Apr 29, 2024 12:55:33 GMT -8 aztecking said:

Apr 29, 2024 12:52:07 GMT -8 sdsu1776 said:

Sucks. Elijah saw Parrish and Butler get paid. He wants the same.

So obvious.

We had a nice 15 year run.

But it is probably over in terms of trying to compete with the big boys.

I agree. Unless major limits are placed on NIL, which seems unlikely given that the NCAA keeps losing court cases. That’s why I’m so happy we got the 2023 run in when we did. That was the dawn of NIL and we snuck in under the wire. Doubtful we will be able to continue competing the way we have the last 4-5 years. It will probably turn into us mostly being 7-12 seeds and just hoping we win 1 tournament game.

Agree. If things stay this way a gradual slide downward is inevitable. Sad situation.

[aztecking]

We shouldn’t even waste our time recruiting high school guys. If Compton or Goon have a strong freshman year they’ll be gone next year too.

[montezumaduck]

Apr 29, 2024 13:06:52 GMT -8 aztecking said:

We shouldn’t even waste our time recruiting high school guys. If Compton or Goon have a strong freshman year they’ll be gone next year too.

I don't know about completely dropping high school guys, but certainly the focus needs to shift to maybe one or two a season with the remainder coming (and filling) from the portal.

[hoobs]

Apr 29, 2024 12:18:20 GMT -8 aztecking said:

It’s hard to really even care deeply about the sport anymore. Essentially we will just have a mostly new team year to year. Not fun at all.

Yup, this is exactly where I'm at. I'm not really interested in college sports where 20-40% of the roster transfers every year. And that applies to SDSU as much as the rest of the programs around the country.

[biotec]

Apr 29, 2024 13:14:57 GMT -8 hoobs said:

Apr 29, 2024 12:18:20 GMT -8 aztecking said:

It’s hard to really even care deeply about the sport anymore. Essentially we will just have a mostly new team year to year. Not fun at all.

Yup, this is exactly where I'm at. I'm not really interested in college sports where 20-40% of the roster transfers every year. And that applies to SDSU as much as the rest of the programs around the country.

The quality of the basketball will go down, as well.  It takes time for players to learn to work together so all this roster upheaval is going to make for a less appetizing end product.