Welcome Tony Hicks. 5th year guy who will join Cards next year. Has been UPenn's top scorer past 2 years. Solid guard although he does have a fiery temper he needs to corral.
5th Year Player for Next Year
- Thread starter Knucklehank1
- Start date
Per a source:
It appears Rick Pitino is enjoying life with 5th year transfers so much that he intends to go down the same road in 2016-17.
Card Chronicle has learned that Tony Hicks, a 6'2 guard who was Pennsylvania's leading scorer in each of the past two seasons, plans to transfer to Louisville to play his final season of college basketball. Hicks will graduate from Penn in May and then enroll at U of L this summer, following the same path that Trey Lewis and Damion Lee took heading into this season.
A three-year starter with more than 1,000 collegiate points to his name, Hicks averaged double figures in each of his three seasons with the Quakers. He led the team in scoring in both 2013-14 and 2014-15, averaging 14.9 and 13.2 ppg, respectively.
Hicks sent waves throughout the Ivy League when he announced in October that he planned to sit out the 2015-16 season instead of playing for new head coach Steve Donahue.l
"After speaking with Coach (Steve) Donahue about the best situation for Penn basketball and myself, I have decided the best decision for me will be to take a break from basketball," Hicks said in the release. "I plan to graduate from Penn in May, and then take my next step as a basketball player next year.
"This is a personal decision, and I wrestled long and hard with it because I have thoroughly enjoyed playing for Penn the last three years and wearing the Red and the Blue. I want to wish the guys on the team and the coaches all the best for this season and future seasons, and I will definitely be backing them in The Palestra during these next several months.
Hicks was a prep star in Chicago's Catholic League North, where he led St. Rita to a state championship and was named the Catholic League Player of the Year in 2012. From those days through his college career, Hicks has been labeled as an elite outside shooter with a quick first Step.
It appears Rick Pitino is enjoying life with 5th year transfers so much that he intends to go down the same road in 2016-17.
Card Chronicle has learned that Tony Hicks, a 6'2 guard who was Pennsylvania's leading scorer in each of the past two seasons, plans to transfer to Louisville to play his final season of college basketball. Hicks will graduate from Penn in May and then enroll at U of L this summer, following the same path that Trey Lewis and Damion Lee took heading into this season.
A three-year starter with more than 1,000 collegiate points to his name, Hicks averaged double figures in each of his three seasons with the Quakers. He led the team in scoring in both 2013-14 and 2014-15, averaging 14.9 and 13.2 ppg, respectively.
Hicks sent waves throughout the Ivy League when he announced in October that he planned to sit out the 2015-16 season instead of playing for new head coach Steve Donahue.l
"After speaking with Coach (Steve) Donahue about the best situation for Penn basketball and myself, I have decided the best decision for me will be to take a break from basketball," Hicks said in the release. "I plan to graduate from Penn in May, and then take my next step as a basketball player next year.
"This is a personal decision, and I wrestled long and hard with it because I have thoroughly enjoyed playing for Penn the last three years and wearing the Red and the Blue. I want to wish the guys on the team and the coaches all the best for this season and future seasons, and I will definitely be backing them in The Palestra during these next several months.
Hicks was a prep star in Chicago's Catholic League North, where he led St. Rita to a state championship and was named the Catholic League Player of the Year in 2012. From those days through his college career, Hicks has been labeled as an elite outside shooter with a quick first Step.
I see him being the '4th' guard.
Donovan and Q will start, barring any unforseen forces. VJ will be in along with Adel. Situational substitution.
Or id start VJ at the two
Donovan at the 1.
A 6'3 anf 6'6 starting backcourt!
Donovan and Q will start, barring any unforseen forces. VJ will be in along with Adel. Situational substitution.
Or id start VJ at the two
Donovan at the 1.
A 6'3 anf 6'6 starting backcourt!
Q hasn't shown any reason to believe that he will be an definite starter, he needs to get some confidence.
It never hurts to have an elite outside shooter on the roster. Hopefully he can play defense too. Welcome aboard Mr. Hicks!
Q better get some confidence fast, I don't think Frankie Hughes will be liking confidence. He is 6'3 and from what I watched of him he is pretty quick, shoots pretty good. VJ will play forward I believe 6'7 listed at small forward could be wrong. He and Adel I think will lock the forward position down next year.
Welcome aboard, Tony Hicks! The need at guard position is filled for next season then. Should be a solid back court with Snider, Mitchell, Hughes, and Hicks. And of course adding VJ King is big boost.
No thanks on this guy. Failed drug test, punching an opponent and a total of 4 suspensions. We don't need more knuckleheads. Certainly sounds like lots more trouble than he's worth.
My personal opinion is that Mangok will certainly be back next year. He is a valuable part of the rotation now, and will only be better next year. UNLESS, he has financial concerns and Pitino feels he could earn a decent living playing overseas. The guy I could see being suggested to seek playing time elsewhere is Stockman. I'm not sure I see Stockman ever being a reliable rotation player for UofL.
With Chinanu trying to go pro (he needs another year, or two), this will be a rare instance
of a player getting another year. Unless Mangok is ready to go himself, he should be
back and starting Center, barring unforseen circumstances.
Steelers,
Before the season I would have whole heartily agreed with you about stockman. However after watching him in the short time he gets minutes, I think he can definitely contribute before he leaves. As many posters have said, you cannot teach height. Felton spencer was a guy who literally could not get up and down the court without tripping. Matz is actually fluid but lacks strength. Once he gets stronger there won't be anybody who can stop his jump hook
Before the season I would have whole heartily agreed with you about stockman. However after watching him in the short time he gets minutes, I think he can definitely contribute before he leaves. As many posters have said, you cannot teach height. Felton spencer was a guy who literally could not get up and down the court without tripping. Matz is actually fluid but lacks strength. Once he gets stronger there won't be anybody who can stop his jump hook
Looks like another Chris Jones. NOT a team-ball kind of guy!
Exactly. Looks like another troubled player that Penn was glad to get rid of. He isn't even playing this year ! Can you say Chris Jones without the game. Very disappointing.
Great comparison. I certainly do remember Felton and how clumsy he was early in his career. I hope you're right and Matz does follow Felton's progression.
I'll leave the decision making up to Pitino, he has done a good job so far.
Correct. If he misses with this one then it'll fix itself soon enough. Bottom line is coach wanted him, and in the end that's all that matters today.
How can you compare this guy to Chris Jones? Will any player with off the court issues now be compared to Jones? None of us know this guy and the circumstances of his problems. What we do know is Pitino wants him to be a Cardinal. The guy is a Ivy School graduate which means he's pretty smart. Also, it was his decision not to play this season. Penn expected him to play but he wanted to transfer.
He has one season left of college ball so I'm betting he wants it to be a successful one. This notion that he will behave like Chris Jones has no basis in fact. Maybe he will mess up but who's to say any player may mess up? No way Pitino would take him if he didn't believe in the guy. I bet all you who are judging right now will be cheering the guy next season when he's making plays.
Risk is part of anything and this university has given many a athlete second chances. I don't get how fans can be so quick to dismiss a guy when there's more success stories than failures. Disappointing? Yes, with some Cardinals fans.
A quick google search will tell you what you need to know about this knucklehead. My goodness, we could sign Hitler himself and some of you would defend it. Don't need this guy or his baggage. So to say "none of us know" the particulars is incorrect. Pretty common knowledge that he's got issues.
I'm willing to give a young man a second chance, but what really bothers me is what this says about our recruiting. Come on man, we're in a friggin' league with North Carolina and Duke now !
I'm not defending him. I'm defending coach Pitino's decision to accept him as a 5th year done and one player. He'll have his degree, and he'll be coming in on a very short (1 year max) leash.
When you become the head coach of the University of Louisville, then I'll defend your decisions too.
Not as goofy as you whining about something you can't change. Pitino wants the kid. Pitino offered the kid. The kid accepted. You bitching about it does not change those facts.
It's a sports message board. Guys talk sports, good and bad. Well smart fans do. Sycophant fanboys don't. Nobody was whining. You're obviously a fanboy type and that's fine. But don't get your panties in a wad when smart fans question some things.
I agree it's a sports message board, but one of the rules we're all supposed to abide by is not attack the players. You don't know this player any more than anyone else who posts here. Why bash this kid when the risk is low with the potential reward being high? If he screws it up, he'll be gone quick. He can't play more than 1 year, and it's coach Pitino's decision to make. Might as well accept it. You can't change it. I can't change it either. I just think there's bigger and better things to complain/talk about (it is a message board after all where you have that right) than this. If you choose to continue to complain, then by all means, continue. Just be ready to read others complaining about your complaint. It's not personal. It's just sports.
Coach Pitino has been given second chances.
We ALL have.
God forgives, why cant man ?
Hicks was immature like most 18, 19 year olds. Pick any student out of the
general student body. Are they perfect? Do they receive 2nd chances ?
Damion has supposedly vouched for him. If Coach Pitino's desire isnt good enough,
how about Mr. Lee's.............
We ALL have.
God forgives, why cant man ?
Hicks was immature like most 18, 19 year olds. Pick any student out of the
general student body. Are they perfect? Do they receive 2nd chances ?
Damion has supposedly vouched for him. If Coach Pitino's desire isnt good enough,
how about Mr. Lee's.............
Hasnt Q started every game this season, save one ?
How quickly we forget that Q had to start for Chris after he was kicked of the team.
He avg 11 PPG in leading the team to the elite 8.
He's the closet to a 'true' point and will be a junior next season.
i say he has plenty of confidence.
Seems like he's had several "second chances." Failed drug tests, punching an opposing player, etc. Yep that's the kind of guy I want representing my team but hey we can't criticize "coach" for anything. Had my fill of knuckleheads
Probably an excellent pick up. Also, whether the doubters want to believe it or not, probably also another high character guy. Playing without a scholarship, seeing his basketball life curtailed because of the diffident take on the Ivy League towards scholarships and basketball madness.........and graduating from an Ivy League school show some serious moxie.
I like this guy. Could we have done better? I doubt it or we'd be on them.The circumstances of 5th seniors cut a lot of different ways, with long stories attached.
I like this guy. Could we have done better? I doubt it or we'd be on them.The circumstances of 5th seniors cut a lot of different ways, with long stories attached.
All true, and he's still getting his shot with the Cards because Pitino wants him. You really only have two choices here. Accept things as is or not. Either choice you make, he's still going to get another second chance. Nothing you have pointed out changes the fact Pitino wanted him, and the kid has accepted the scholarship offer, and as of today, he will be in a Cardinals uniform at the start of next basketball season.
Yes?
He didn't have "failed drug tests". He failed one drug test his freshman year.
We don't know what his attitude will be, but one would hope and expect that he has matured as he has gotten into his 20's. To be able to play basketball while earning a degree from an Ivy League school requires a high level of discipline. Also he had been voted as a team captain, so he must have had the respect of his teammates.
Yep named captain and promptly quit on his team. Sounds like a high character guy. I'm sure he "has the respect of his teammates" now. Suspended at least once in each of his three seasons.
So the part about him being voted captain of his Ivy league school by his peers means nothing? The part about Lee speaking well of him to coach Pitino means nothing about what his character is today versus 4 years ago?
I am ignoring your personal attacks on me because you're exposing your true agenda for posting here with most every post you make. I've seen it over and over again now on this board and it makes me laugh out loud. Personally I don't care how you feel about this kid, the UofL coach or me for that matter. I just like pointing out that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. The kid will play for UofL next year unless coach Pitino or the kid changes their respective minds. You can always hold out hope for that to happen. Good luck.
