Here is the press release:
Freshman Chace Stanback Will Not Return Next Season
The 6-foot-8-inch guard/forward will transfer after the spring quarter.
April 30, 2008
LOS ANGELES - UCLA men’s basketball head coach Ben Howland announced today that 6-foot-8-inch freshman guard/forward Chace Stanback will not be returning for next season. Stanback, a two-time state champion from Los Angeles’ Fairfax High School, will transfer to play his final years at another school.
Stanback, the 2007 California Division I Player of the Year, will leave UCLA after the spring quarter and hasn’t made a decision as to where he will transfer.
“Chace [Stanback] is an outstanding young man and we appreciate what he did for this program this past year,” Howland said. “He helped us win a Pac-10 championship and get to the Final Four and we will always be appreciative of his efforts. We are supportive of him and his future in whatever direction he decides to go.”
Stanback averaged 1.0 points and 0.7 rebounds per game while appearing in 25 of the 39 games without making a start during the 2007-08 season. He played in 144 minutes (5.8 minutes per game) while shooting 40.4 percent (19-for-47) from the field and 33.3 percent (7-for-21) from three-point range on the year.
“After speaking with my family and thinking about it for a long time, I feel that it is in my best interest to explore other opportunities,” Stanback said. “I want to thank my coaches and teammates because they have helped me improve as a player and grow as a man and I am thankful to them for that. I have a lot of great memories and really enjoyed my time here at UCLA.”
April 30th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
one has to really wonder about this decision. chace would likely have significant playing time next year with national exposure and continued education from the premiere coaching staff in the country. now, he will need to sit out a year (at least that is my understanding) not play at all next year to perhaps get more playing time as a junior? what could explain this unusual decision? makes you wonder if there were academic concerns or work ethic concerns. in any case, it seems, from the outside, a strange decision.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
First of all Chace will have to sit out one year if he transfers to a D1A school. I have read on other sites that they are worried that he will transfer to SC or another Pac 10. If he wanted to transfer in-conference he would give up two seasons so that isn’t happening.
From what I understand, under Ben Howland, playing time is directly correlated to how hard you work in practice. Also from what I understand defense is the main focus of the whole program under Ben Howland. From his numbers that leads me to believe that he didn’t show the defensive intensity in practice that Howland requires. I am going to back the coach as we have made the last 3 Final Fours with Howland.
However, it does raise a question about Howland’s coaching philosophy and the ability to retain (and in the future attract) top talent. I will leave that to a future post……
April 30th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
I think molson pretty much nailed it, except the two year transfer rule has been abolished in the pac-10. I remember Stanback’s father having doubts when his son committed to UCLA precisely because of these issues. I wonder where he’ll end up.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:29 am
as above, makes one wonder about the kid’s work ethic. either academically (anyone know how he is doing in school?) or athletically.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:14 am
Two year rule has been abolished? Is this just for Basketball or am I a total idiot? Continue to take everything I write with a grain of “I might have my head up my ass”
May 1st, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I don’t think he was doing well in class. I was his TA and I gave him a pretty bad grade….
May 1st, 2008 at 8:27 pm
I assume that you taught him during the Winter quarter which included the bulk of the season. I know that they take lighter classloads in season and have a ton of tutors, but that might explain him struggling.
I still think it had to do with his playing time and “fit” with the program. He came in as the #1 California HS player and ended up the eighth or ninth option on the bench playing clean up minutes. If it was just academics I think those could be taken care of in the spring/summer.
All that said, you had actual interaction with the kid and maybe he couldn’t take the demands. Where he ends up might be telling.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:46 am
hahahahah. It’s basketball and football. They changed it a few years ago. Jamere Holland of Oregon just transferred in from USC and he’ll be eligible next year.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:31 am
To “unknown” -
There are two possibilities:
1) You are a lying sack of s*** and have never been Chace’s “TA” or
2) You are an unethical sack of s*** exploiting your position as an “educator.”
Take your pick.
It is one thing to speculate and/or report. To lie and/or violate privilege (understood not legal) is another.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Dude, you asked in a comment above for information about his academic progress. “Unknown” didn’t provide any information (TA’s name, class, section, grade, academic term, etc…) that would give away anything other than Chace got one bad grade. When you asked “anyone know how he is doing in school?” what did you want? Now if “Unknown” is lying then…. well… welcome to the internet.
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:46 pm
“George,” or whatever the hell your name is, there are 3 possibilities:
1) You are a bit slow and did not understand the question you were asking
2) Your life is uneventful thus you spend all your free time on-line
3) You are a friend of CS and cannot stand to hear that the dude could not cut it in one, at least, of his classes
You pick. This is a discussion forum, don’t ask questions when you are not prepared to hear the answer. D**khead.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Dude, George, you just put in your place, there is a reason TAs are working on their Ph.D. You need to know when to keep your mouth closed.