College Hoop Blog: Good 'N Plenty

Magnum Rolle has left LSU – but not without a measure of controversy.

Rolle’s legal guardian and former coach back in the Bahamas, Darrell Sears, was ticked off at some recent comments made by LSU coach John Brady in the News-Star.

``First of all, he said it was a “sudden departure” and that’s not the case at all,” Sears said. “It’s been obvious that Magnum was unhappy at LSU since December. I have a hard time understanding how it could be a shock.”

Sears said he was unhappy that Brady had Glen Davis in early-season blowouts (he played 32 minutes in a rout over Louisisna-Monroe and 31 in a pounding of McNeese State) when he could have gotten Rolle extended playing time. Sears and Rolle also didn’t feel as though the 6-foot-10 sophomore had a chance to play through his mistakes.

Rolle averaged 4.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 16.7 minutes.

The blog in the News-Star also said that Rolle told Brady that “unless he was given the freedom to shoot from all over the court he would transfer.”

``That’s a flat-out lie,” Sears said. “Magnum never spoke to them about that. That’s not true at all.”

``He just wanted to be able to work though his mistakes so he could grow as a player,” added Sears. ``He wasn’t able to do that and was frustrated. The closest thing to that we ever said was that we’d like the opportunity to showcase some of the other skills that Magnum possesses.”

Sears, who works as an air traffic controller in the Bahamas and doesn’t even earn a salary while coaching a high school team, said that Rolle left school in mid-April and that the LSU staff wanted him to return for his junior season. However, Rolle is hoping to find a situation in which he could have a chance to develop – especially since he picked up the sport late in the Bahamas.

Sears said that the four schools who have emerged of late are Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Wyoming and Delaware.

``We know he’s not Kevin Durant, but for those who don’t know who Magnum Rolle is, in the next couple of years you’re going to hear about him,” Sears said.

It won’t be in Baton Rouge.

NOT PEELE-ING BACK

Randy Peele knows it’s not going to be easy to follow in Gregg Marshall’s footsteps, but he’s ready to give it a shot.

Marshall led Winthrop to seven NCAA tournament appearances – including a 29-5 record and a first-round upset over Notre Dame last season - in nine years before leaving in April for Wichita State.

Peele’s task got even more difficult because he lost three of his top four scorers in big man Craig Bradshaw, guard Torrell Martin and Phillip Williams – and also lost sophomore point guard D/Andre Adams, who died on May 16 as a result of a car accident.

``Ultimately, don’t we all want to measure ourselves under the most difficult of circumstances,” Peele said. “That’s what I’ve got.”

However, the Eagles will return their leading scorer in Michael Jenkins (14.8 ppg) and return point guard Chris Gaynor, who led the Big South with an 3:1 assist to turnover ratio. They will also bring in five newcomers – headlined by 6-foot-9 German Andy Buechert, a one-time UMass commit who spent last season in the junior college ranks – and two players who redshirted last season.

``We won’t have a lot of D-1 experience on the floor,” Peele said. “The challenge is going to be difficult, but I can’t get caught up in looking ahead.”

Peele also realizes he’ll be judged by how often he gets to the Big Dance.

``Here our success and failure is based on our ability to get to the NCAA tournament, but that’s OK,” he said. “I’m not running from that at all.”

OPPENHEIMER STILL LOOKING

Josh Oppenheimer, who left his position as the associate head coach at Kent State, had to turn down an assistant position at Kansas State due to “family issues.”

Oppenheimer was previously with Dave Leitao at DePaul, where he recruited current NBA forward Dorell Wright.