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Thursday, 29 July 2010 14:05

Written by Colin Dunlap

And so it will be another outpost in the life of the very tall, who-knows-how-good-he-can-be basketball player, Englishman Morakinyo Williams.
The 7-footer will be playing at The Citadel, apparently. He will play there for his old high school coach.
Back in January in a Post-Gazette piece, some people closest to Williams insisted that he was not a basketball vagabond; that in order to be a vagabond, one must have choices as to where life takes you --- and he didn't.
That said, I bought it at the time, but, looking back – and now seeing this latest development – I really don't know if I do. Seems like I could have been duped. Maybe, just maybe, when you shift addresses this many times, you start to become the common denominator; you are the problem, you are the one who needs to look in the nearest mirror.
First it started with a few high schools, then the University of Kentucky, then Duquesne and now The Citadel – that's a ton of shuffling, and enough to where, no matter what anyone says, I'd classify it as vagabond status.
The crazy thing is, when Williams decided to leave Duquesne, it was hammered home to me – from both sides (his and the Duquesne coaches) – that he was very, very much looking forward to returning to England, that he wanted to get home, perhaps start a professional career and make the jump out of college basketball.
Perhaps I'll never know what changed in the span of time from the day Williams left Duquesne until now, the day I see he plans to play at The Citadel.

But, why even try to understand it --- just seems that everything in his life is tremendously difficult to understand, as it is ever-changing. I'll say it -- like that of a vagabond.

Comments (9)

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written by DukesFan, July 29, 2010 - 05:53 PM

Well, that certainly is odd. So that means he has to sit out another year. Maybe he just doesn't want to get a real job.

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written by c_dunlap, July 29, 2010 - 06:08 PM

Immediate eligibility...he is a grad student.

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written by TheFace, July 29, 2010 - 06:10 PM

I thought they changed the immediate eligibility rule...? Wasn't that the story after the Dukes got Almany Thiero, that he was one of the last players who could take advantage of that?

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written by c_dunlap, July 29, 2010 - 06:51 PM

There is all kind of Ivy League, really-smart-person, above-my-head language involved in the NCAA manual.
But, what I can gather, in the simplest terms is this:
--- If the school you are going to (Citadel in this case) offers a specific graduate curriculum you are enrolling in that the school you are transferring from (Duquesne in this case) does not then you are immediately eligible.
That said, Big Mike is enrolling is some graduate field of study Citadel offers that Duquesne does not --- thus, he is immediately eligible.
Make sense?

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written by TheFace, July 29, 2010 - 06:56 PM

Makes plenty of sense. It must have been the open version of that rule that was gone, with the grad program not mattering.

Sounds like he's been a little dishonest... fair to say?

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written by c_dunlap, July 29, 2010 - 07:02 PM

I don't know about dishonest, that seems a bit strong --- I'll just stick to call it all very puzzling, and him a vagabond.

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written by TheFace, July 29, 2010 - 07:04 PM

True, it is hard to know what happened in between. For all involved - including himself - to feel strongly about a return to England and for this to happen now... meh, who knows. "Curiouser and curiouser."

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written by Econ69, July 29, 2010 - 11:35 PM

My theory about Williams:

Recruited by Rigot for Tubby Smith at Kentucky.

Tubby leaves for Minn. Tubby doesn't see Rigot or Williams fitting into his plans at Minn. Rigot needs job and is hired by RE. Rigot brings Williams who needs a place to play and decides his best chance for playtime is with Rigot at DU. RE needs a big man, the fans demand a big man.

Williams does not work out at DU. It could have been the competition or the coach or a combo. For whatever reason, Williams decides to leave since he is graduating. Decides to pursue pro career in Europe. This doesn't work out so he contacts old high school coach who is now head coach at The Citadel. I am speculating but Williams may have planned this all along as a plan B to plan A which is pro ball in Europe.

Is Williams is vagabond and or dishonest? I think he is an individual who listens and thinks and makes decision based on what is in his best interest and not necessarily the best interest of the coach or school. What an attitude to have--especially in regards in to Division I sports.

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written by TheFace, July 30, 2010 - 08:11 PM

Ehhh, maybe. I don't think we'll ever know. I have to imagine that Rigot's departure had something to do with it. Perception is often reality, even if behind the scenes it was a different situation.

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