I’m sorry, but doesn’t Jarace Walker blow your whole premise out of the water? When the freshman has the talent, Sampson has deferred to the talent, he just hasn’t consistently recruited at that high of a level during his tenure here instead taking lesser talents (Sasser, Shead)and coaching them up.
I understand what you’re trying to say about changing the lineup only after a loss, but that goes back several years I don’t know that it’s relevant with this team. Unfortunately, TA is struggling and never found his place here in Kingston is flourishing. I don’t think Sampson would’ve been as rigid as you believe.
there was no established returner that jarace would supplant (technically jwan, but we just started jwan at the 5)
also not to get too wordy, there is also design, if harwell had been healthy and lived up to the hype, even if TA was here i think harwell would have started (TA’s own doing by tryin to leave previous season/recruited over)… jarace was a designed starter, Harwell till his injury lingered was the designed starter …
i posted a preseason interview earlier, sampson noted that this is the 1st time in his career he had no idea who would start… in that scenerio, atleast for game 1 he is relying on the 4th year returner (who has started games previously)
the simple landing spot… Sampson is a creature of habit, does tend to reward seniority, so there a chance Terrance might have gotten the start… but Kingston is uniquely special that Sampson would have done something he has never done before and put talent over seniority in his system
I think the take would be fine if it was independent of what Coach Sampson directly said in an interview. If he didn’t directly state, “we had one kid transfer last year and it was mutual because we didn’t think he’d have a chance to start,” then your argument could hold weight. But it seems like you’d tell Sampson, himself, “that’s not true coach because based on what you’ve done previously, TA would’ve started.” I don’t think it’s about whether you or anyone else believe he is or was thought to be better than Kingston. It’s that you refuse to acknowledge that CKS literally said TA was likely not going to start. Much love
