Bolton is now officially in Portal as expected.

[CyPack]

Sure feels like people are taking this way too literally. I highly doubt TJ got all the remaining players together except for Bolton and asked for a vote to decide his future, Survivor style. I think there is much more likelihood that TJ spoke with each player individually and Boltons name came up negatively in multiple conversations along with TJ's own conversations with him and the input from D-Rob and Micah probably all contributed to the decision to move on from Bolton. Anyone who thinks that it was left completely up to the players to decide Bolton's fate needs to take a step back and think about it for a minute.

 

[bosco]

I've wondered how much the players were involved with someone like Jacob Park's leaving.

I'd at least bet there was some eye rolling and 'there he goes' when he walked up to that Texas game all decked out.

I've said this before but I don't think it was a serendipitous accident that the team suddenly rallied behind Kempt to beat OU on the road.

 

[Acylum]

I’m trying to use common sense in thinking that TJ did not fully put the future of Bolton’s career in the hands of teenagers / young adults.

Thinking that TJ took their words and then instantly said “well alrighty I’ll go tell Rasir he’s off the team” is ridiculous.

Here's the thing- I don't recall him being suspended, seeing any behavior on the court, or hearing any rumors at all of him being a problem. Zip, zero, nada. But he either decides to leave or is forced out and people on here have to justify it somehow or use it as an opportunity to pass themselves off as something they're not. Or prop it up as TJ really being a leader and taking charge and ridding the team of a cancer, never mind in the next breath they point out it was a team decision. The same exact thing happened in the football thread about the grad transfer safety. Everybody was singing his praises until he opted for somewhere else, and then he was a "bad seed" we didn't want anyway. As someone speculated yesterday, it was probably as simple as Rasir wanted to play point, TJ didn't want him there and probably has a good feeling about Hunter, and it was pretty much a mutual decision. The timeline supports that more than anything else. I'm tired of college kids who attend class full-time and also give so much of their time to their respective sports being run down by pure speculation in order for a handful of posters to come across as "in-the-know".

 

[Cycl1]

Sure feels like people are taking this way too literally. I highly doubt TJ got all the remaining players together except for Bolton and asked for a vote to decide his future, Survivor style. I think there is much more likelihood that TJ spoke with each player individually and Boltons name came up negatively in multiple conversations along with TJ's own conversations with him and the input from D-Rob and Micah probably all contributed to the decision to move on from Bolton. Anyone who thinks that it was left completely up to the players to decide Bolton's fate needs to take a step back and think about it for a minute.

Even if it was somehow left up to the players, it was still the coaches call to give them that vote. People acting like TJ had no say are crazy. TJ might have let the team decide and then chose to respect their decision, but even letting them decide means he was okay with both outcomes.

 

[Statefan10]

Here's the thing- I don't recall him being suspended, seeing any behavior on the court, or hearing any rumors at all of him being a problem. Zip, zero, nada. But he either decides to leave or is forced out and people on here have to justify it somehow or use it as an opportunity to pass themselves off as something they're not. Or prop it up as TJ really being a leader and taking charge and ridding the team of a cancer, never mind in the next breath they point out it was a team decision. The same exact thing happened in the football thread about the grad transfer safety. Everybody was singing his praises until he opted for somewhere else, and then he was a "bad seed" we didn't want anyway. As someone speculated yesterday, it was probably as simple as Rasir wanted to play point, TJ didn't want him there and probably has a good feeling about Hunter, and it was pretty much a mutual decision. The timeline supports that more than anything else. I'm tired of college kids who attend class full-time and also give so much of their time to their respective sports being run down by pure speculation in order for a handful of posters to come across as "in-the-know".

I gotcha. I wasn’t trying to come off that I knew for sure what was going on. I was just trying to critically think about the situation. I’m sure there are some people in the know that know the exact reason as to why Bolton was asked not to come back. I’m not one of them.

When I heard the rumors of Bolton potentially transferring, I was shocked because I truly believed he looked to be one of the few guys who cared and was leading. Obviously there were things happening behind the scenes that none of us knew about.

 

[madguy30]

I've said this before but I don't think it was a serendipitous accident that the team suddenly rallied behind Kempt to beat OU on the road.

Add in that he got injured the next season and while iirc he may have been able to come back, he was the one to give the go ahead to CMC for Purdy to start at OSU.

The culture shift in football has been very enjoyable too and let's see if something happens in basketball.

 

[carvers4math]

I'm tired of college kids who attend class full-time and also give so much of their time to their respective sports being run down by pure speculation .

This is the part that bothers me the most. Probably because I have five sons ranging in age from 20-30, two of whom are still students. I am around this age group a lot.

 

[Cyclonsin]

Good lord, I need a bottle of aspirin after reading through this cluster **** of a thread.

 

[Acylum]

Why do you care? You don't "know" anything about the situation but it hasn't stopped you from making comments full of speculative criticism.

Quote them.

 

[isucy86]

Sure sounds like it. Does OTZ think he'll land a better transfer than Bolton? Doesn't make sense.

Makes a lot of sense. A team and its culture are bigger than any 1 player, even its best player. Over history, there are a lot of cases of "addition by subtraction" when it comes to sports teams.

 

[Kurttr]

Here's the thing- I don't recall him being suspended, seeing any behavior on the court, or hearing any rumors at all of him being a problem. Zip, zero, nada. But he either decides to leave or is forced out and people on here have to justify it somehow or use it as an opportunity to pass themselves off as something they're not. Or prop it up as TJ really being a leader and taking charge and ridding the team of a cancer, never mind in the next breath they point out it was a team decision. The same exact thing happened in the football thread about the grad transfer safety. Everybody was singing his praises until he opted for somewhere else, and then he was a "bad seed" we didn't want anyway. As someone speculated yesterday, it was probably as simple as Rasir wanted to play point, TJ didn't want him there and probably has a good feeling about Hunter, and it was pretty much a mutual decision. The timeline supports that more than anything else. I'm tired of college kids who attend class full-time and also give so much of their time to their respective sports being run down by pure speculation in order for a handful of posters to come across as "in-the-know".

Sounds like you're passionate about staying positive about players. OK, sounds like a good position to have.

Re: after-the-fact supporting a player leaving, I'm not sure why a 2-22 team needs to worry about how it's perceived that a player's leaving. So, if it's simply as you described it - difference in playing philosophies - that's cool too. TJ needs to get the team where he thinks it needs to be.

I'd note that a poster or two did mention this likelihood (Bolton leaving) early on after TJ was hired, so I've not taken their comments as justifying what has actually occurred but shedding some light on what they understand happened. Those individuals seem to have a good track record of their posts playing out - may or may not be the exact case here; don't know; just appreciate them sharing. If you only want clear, publicly available facts to support any posts, probably best to stick with the front-page articles and skip the message board.

 

[isucy86]

In reading this thread there is one part of the equation that I haven't seen brought up- Daniyal Robinson and Micah Byars. Both coaches have been part of the team the entire time Rasir Bolton was a Cyclone. I am sure they had some insight on the team dynamic and needed changes. Players could have just confirmed their observations.

IMO people need to move on and let's focus on the 2021/22 Cyclone mens basketball team. I am going to stay optimistic the right things are being done outside of the public eye.

 

[CoKane]

Reading through this thread and seeing people coming to the realization or still being in denial that Steve's locker room culture was ********* is hilarious since it's been obvious ever since the Shayok team had their huge collapse back when. The denial of that for so long really has been something.

 

[Wally86]

Because Jeremy said he was "voted off the island", although I doubt he meant it to be taken literally.

Ahhh, someone understands artistic license when it comes to language!

 

[t-noah]

That's 'speculation'. Do you know 'why' he played for that many HS teams? Couldn't you equally speculate that number of transfers messes with a young man's temperament, attitude, and personality? There's too many unknowns to fully tarnish a young man.

Agree...and no reason to.

 

[quasistellar]

Sounds like Rasir Bolton was behaving more like Ramsay Bolton?

This situation kind of reeks, but I'm sure lineup changes will get ISU back in the game and competing for the throne in the next couple years.

 

[t-noah]

I don't remember that. What was he wearing again?

ehr. see next post

 

[Statefan10]

Sounds like Rasir Bolton was behaving more like Ramsay Bolton?

This situation kind of reeks, but I'm sure lineup changes will get ISU back in the game and competing for the throne in the next couple years.

 

[t-noah]

I've wondered how much the players were involved with someone like Jacob Park's leaving.

I'd at least bet there was some eye rolling and 'there he goes' when he walked up to that Texas game all decked out.

I don't remember that. What was he wearing again?

 

[t-noah]

So we’re paying coaches millions of dollars but 17 and 18 year-olds are making the personnel decisions. Okay, got it.

I actually don’t care if it is “inside information” or not, if it’s true or not. How would you feel if you were the player involved? Maybe Bolton hated losing and didn’t handle it perfectly. Maybe he called players out in private, who knows. But if TJ needs opinions from freshmen and sophomores on who to have on his team, and then leaks information to support running a player off, I don’t have much confidence in him having success here.

Talk about over-analyzing. Give it a rest dude.