Dejuan Wheat

[KerryRhodes]

He threw a little shade on Denny in an interview after his Sr season. Not sure if it was intended to be crappy but it came off that way. He said something like the system held him back and he wasn't able to really showcase what he could do. Maybe another old-timer has a better memory than I do on it.

Alvin plainly stated Coach Crum messed up his game.
Coach Crum never publicly responded to my knowledge.

 

[KerryRhodes]

Billy, while my initial post was waaaay off and inaccurate I was thinking Wheat but it was actually Allen Houston. He would have indeed been a freshman (had he been a Card) during Ellison's senior year. And, Denny releasing him (which was the correct thing to do) did IMO cost us a National Championship.

But, I have often contended that where Crum really screwed up on this deal was not releasing Houston but how he allowed the whole thing to go down.

Wade Houston was a hot commodity at the time, he had been interviewing for head coaching jobs for about 2-4 years each spring but just hadn't found a program willing to give him his shot. Still, Crum signs Allen in the early (fall) signing period and we lose all the other guards we were recruiting to other programs. Then Wade leaves, we release Allen and we're a player short in our NCAA run, losing to a very good Illinois team in the Elite 8.

Ummmm no.
Pervis senior season was 88-89.
Allens freshman year was 89-90.

He was a big miss, however the biggest miss was Chapman.
He would have been a freshman on UofL's defending champion team in 86-87.
Cards wouldnt have missed the tourney.
Had Chapman stayed 4 years, he would have been a Senior and Allen a freshman
during the 89-90 season. Imagine that backcourt,

Of course Chapman was told not to sign here by Walls and that Traitor Kenny Payne.
That and the brand new Camaro.