Powell Leaving

[jry04]

He didn't say I will definitely be coming back next year he said "As of right now I am coming back." Big difference between the two.

Thank you for letting me know there is a difference in the two. However, he said he had not even thought about leaving. If what Mike Irwin is saying is true, and I have no reason to doubt Mike Irwin since he is usually spot on, then Powell deliberately mislead fans. He made it sound like he was not even considering leaving, but in reality he told Mike Anderson all along he was leaving. I have absolutely no problem with him leaving. I do think it is a little odd he took to twitter to say he was likely staying. (Not his exact words, but what he was implying.)

[Porked Tongue]

Most people probably are not aware that MP has been playing guardian for a younger brother for the past few years.  That brother graduates this year from high school.    Close observers would have seen him near MP.

Money has always been an issue.

He'll go overseas if need be and won't regret it either.

I don't expect Powell back under any scenario.

[Knot2brite]

He is about to get his degree ( the old fashion reason for going to college) and he has a opportunity to help his family financially. As much as we would all love for him to come back, he is making a grown up decision in a grown up situation. I applaud the fact that he has a degree to fall back on. Good luck to him and God bless him with health and good fortune.

[Mike Irwin]

Thank you for letting me know there is a difference in the two. However, he said he had not even thought about leaving. If what Mike Irwin is saying is true, and I have no reason to doubt Mike Irwin since he is usually spot on, then Powell deliberately mislead fans.

Mike Anderson said last week that he had not talked to Powell about his decision and would do so when he returned from spring break.

Was Anderson lying?

In my mind no and neither was Powell. Until the decision was made and announced it's not official. He could have changed his mind. There was a 95% chance he was leaving and it became 100% today.

[jry04]

Mike Anderson said last week that he had not talked to Powell about his decision and would do so when he returned from spring break.

Was Anderson lying?

In my mind no and neither was Powell. Until the decision was made and announced it's not official. He could have changed his mind. There was a 95% chance he was leaving and it became 100% today.

Not even remotely close to the same thing.

It is all irrelevant now. Hopefully he can stay healthy and have long career in whatever league he ends up in.

[Fatty McGee]

You will not believe how much of an influence this can have on an athlete.

Or a human in general.

[Fatty McGee]

Thank you for letting me know there is a difference in the two. However, he said he had not even thought about leaving. If what Mike Irwin is saying is true, and I have no reason to doubt Mike Irwin since he is usually spot on, then Powell deliberately mislead fans. He made it sound like he was not even considering leaving, but in reality he told Mike Anderson all along he was leaving. I have absolutely no problem with him leaving. I do think it is a little odd he took to twitter to say he was likely staying. (Not his exact words, but what he was implying.)

Fans should not be so delicate.  He's a young man considering his possibilities.  Like most of us, he probably goes back and forth.  If you're feelings are going to get hurt when he changes his mind, you probably shouldn't follow him on Twitter in the first place.

[HognotinMemphis]

Fans should not be so delicate.  He's a young man considering his possibilities.  Like most of us, he probably goes back and forth.  If you're feelings are going to get hurt when he changes his mind, you probably shouldn't follow him on Twitter in the first place.

Lol!

[94 Hawg]

hate to see him leave early, but wish him the best. He left it all on the floor, and as a fan you have to appreciate that.

[clew]

He is leaving Arkansas in good standing with regard to APR.  He is getting his degree and he WILL make some money somewhere.  His freshman season gave us such high hopes for how he would develop, but injuries definitely slowed that progress.  I wish nothing but the best for MP.  I hope he is wildly successful and looks back fondly on his time at Arkansas.  Good luck!

[Speedracer]

I don't think Mike was lying but still had an idea MP was leaving, I think he took the politician answer on it which I respect.  You don't want to break that news and not let the player do it.  Good luck to him.

[GreenwayTigerHog]

Still good money to be made overseas.  Wish he was still going to be around next season, but good luck to him. 

[PoormansRobbyHampton]

Not too shabby.
How many college graduates start out in Arkansas making anywhere even close to that? Not very many.

And he will be making that money by playing basketball. I can think of worse jobs.

[Silky_Jackson]

    BJ is what NBA teams covet far more than guys with well rounded, nice games-- an extremely efficient transition scorer, with a true NBA skill that fits the professional game's pace better than it does college ball.  In a 30 pick first round, there will be about a dozen guards taken-- it's a guard oriented league, for better or worse-- and no, there aren't a dozen better candidates, particularly without projecting a number of early entries.     There are more nice college players, who have reached their ceiling, who outplayed BJ this year, but those guys are much-lower ceiling and are going to be available well after he is off the board.   It does help a good bit that most of the draft-eligible guards at around his level are almost all two to three years older than he is  (Green,  Smith, Kabongo, Franklin being the most noteworthy 4)

Barring completely bombing draft camps and having his background check come up with red flags, there is no reason to anticipate him not being a 1st rounder.

You obviously do not follow NBA basketball very closely if you seriously believe BJ Young has the type of game they want. Please remember these guarantees next season when he is not on an NBA roster. He can probably go play in Europe; but lazy defense, pouting, and inability to knock down jumpers does not translate to the NBA and is certainly not what they "covet."

He has an above-average first step and ability to finish, but so does nearly every 2 guard in the league. Outside of that, all other parts of his game are below average.  Ronnie Brewer and Joe Johnson were miles above BJ Young as of right now. I believe his best bet is to stay another year and work on maturity, defense, and shooting. Although I don't mind seeing him go as he negatively affects team chemistry.

[Silky_Jackson]

didn't mean to derail this thread...

Marshawn was great for the hogs and I wish him the best

[Dogtown Donkey]

Then why go to twitter a week ago claiming you are coming back?

As good a reason to leave as any other. He definitely was a good ambassador for the U of A. Just seems silly he knew he wasn't coming back but says he likely is t the end of our season.

Hopefully I get a logical response before this post is deleted for no reason.

You know the deal.

He saw his college career coming to an end and it tugged at his heart strings. He's spend four tumultuous years here, and he was feeling a lot of love from the fans and students. He got caught up in his emotions. It happens. The season ended, he went home for spring break, and he was able to think about things logically.

IMO, and it's an outside opinion, he really only considered staying for maybe a week, week and half out of the last 2 years. He was going to go pro after last season but he blew his knee out 3 games in. This has been 2 years in the making. For a week in early March he was thinking and speaking from his emotions. That's all there is to it.

[Dogtown Donkey]

However, he said he had not even thought about leaving.

Where are you seeing this?

I'm looking at the original tweet and it does say that.

as of rightnow I'm playing again next year as a hog.........not really thinking about everything else

I don't think that's really the same thing.

[Hawg Balling]

As long as he doesn't get an agent, this doesn't mean sqat.

Do we always have to do this with every Hog who declares? 

[Dogtown Donkey]

As long as he doesn't get an agent, this doesn't mean sqat.

Why wouldn't he get an agent? There is no "testing the waters" anymore. The NCAA deadline for withdraw is April 16th. The NBA's is April 28th. You can get an evaluation without entering the draft.

[ErieHog]

You obviously do not follow NBA basketball very closely if you seriously believe BJ Young has the type of game they want. Please remember these guarantees next season when he is not on an NBA roster. He can probably go play in Europe; but lazy defense, pouting, and inability to knock down jumpers does not translate to the NBA and is certainly not what they "covet."

You couldn't be more wrong.  I fully expect BJ to play about 3-4 minutes a game next year with a ton of DNP-CDs, but he's going to be on an NBA roster.    Shooting is the most teachable thing out there-- and having a much better conversion rate as a freshman is a huge green light for teams, when they're looking at what can be developed.    The NBA covets unique skills, particularly in the transition game-- and BJ is simply dynamite in transition;  the statistics argue, that, at absolute worst, he was one of the three best transition guards in all of college basketball this year.

He has an above-average first step and ability to finish, but so does nearly every 2 guard in the league. 

No, he has an elite first step;  that's the thing that no one can give, that he has.    It's the sort of thing that goes fast, when it goes, so injury has to be a real concern for any consideration of returning.

Outside of that, all other parts of his game are below average.

Not even remotely true;  his handles are more than adequate, he rebounds pretty well for a smaller NBA 2, he's an above average passer-- and most importantly, even when his shot has regressed, those areas of his game still saw significant growth this year.

This sort of thing is why I can't take the anti-BJ animus that is so popular here seriously.  People are bitter that he didn't realize the full level of his potential, but refuse to recognize that the player he is,  is still the best that's been in a Razorback uniform since Joe Johnson.

Ronnie Brewer and Joe Johnson were miles above BJ Young as of right now. I believe his best bet is to stay another year and work on maturity, defense, and shooting. Although I don't mind seeing him go as he negatively affects team chemistry.

Joe was a lottery pick, and an all star caliber player.  Brewer was a reach lottery pick with a couple of skills that projected into being a rotation player, taken by a Utah team that specialized in molding parts into their model.      No one is arguing BJ is going in the Lottery-- but he is going in the first round, and has a higher NBA ceiling than Brewer has reached.

[Porkem]

I wish Marshawn nothing but the best. Anyone know how much he can expect to make overseas?

[Dogtown Donkey]

I wish Marshawn nothing but the best. Anyone know how much he can expect to make overseas?

Probably around 65-100k staring out, maybe even tax free.

[99toLife]

Probably around 65-100k staring out, maybe even tax free.

If so that's better than most of his classmates.. go for it.

[No1Hog27]

Best of luck!!!

[No1Hog27]

He's been gone for a long time and they knew it. He told Mike Anderson some time back that his family has been poor all his life and the time had come for him to make some money.

Hard to argue against that.

Can't blame him for wanting to take care of his family.  For most, this is merely entertainment, coaches make millions, and they can barely afford to do some of the things we take for granted.....

Best of luck again MP.

[secfan30]

Then why go to twitter a week ago claiming you are coming back?

As good a reason to leave as any other. He definitely was a good ambassador for the U of A. Just seems silly he knew he wasn't coming back but says he likely is t the end of our season.

Hopefully I get a logical response before this post is deleted for no reason.

Corliss and Scotty said they were coming back after the loss to UCLA.

[Wild Bill Hog]

As long as he doesn't get an agent, this doesn't mean sqat.

Spot on.  This way he can get some evaluation feedback before he makes a final decision either way.

[Fatty McGee]

I wish Marshawn nothing but the best. Anyone know how much he can expect to make overseas?

Depends on the league and how many he plays in.  And it depends on if they actually pay.  Contracts aren't quite as enforcable overseas.

[Mrcoolhog55]

Thank You Marshawn Powell for being a Hog, and playing for our Hogs. Best of Luck to you, and I hope you make it big in the NBA, or European Ball, or where ever. Thank You, and BJ for all the exciting times in Hog basketball you guys have brought us Hog fans. You will always be a Hog. If you ever run across Talent like you, please them them about the Hogs, and maybe we will have someone like you in the future?? Go Hogs Go....

[HognotinMemphis]

Thank You Marshawn Powell for being a Hog, and playing for our Hogs. Best of Luck to you, and I hope you make it big in the NBA, or European Ball, or where ever. Thank You, and BJ for all the exciting times in Hog basketball you guys have brought us Hog fans. You will always be a Hog. If you ever run across Talent like you, please them them about the Hogs, and maybe we will have someone like you in the future?? Go Hogs Go....

Marshawn read this and says thanks for writing it.

[Arkygrocer]

Thanks for being a Razorback, Marshawn and here's hoping for great success at the next level.

[Beaverfever]

I don't blame him, he's 23. But has Europe written all over him. Charles Thomas is making a good living overseas.

anyone know what caliber of a league he plays in and if he makes any real money?

[TRUHOG718]

I hope Powell at least gets a camp roster spot. Would be nice to see him going against other NBA hopefuls, rookies and second year guys and see where he stands.