Packi and I had a quick chat about this yesterday. Go back and re-read the release. It was clear that Yurt wouldn’t be back, which is why we are after graduate transfer big men. There may be more here than meets the eye.
On the surface, and with a positive spin, it makes sense for Yurt to go and play for one of the best big men to have played the game. If that is the reason, then it is probably a smart business move. He needs to bulk up and the year off gives him that. If it gives him a year of skills development day in and day out, then that might actually help him more than getting on the court and showing his weaknesses in games (and thus limiting his draft stock).
I wish him the best and hope he does well. Without him we would not have made the tournament this year.
As for our program, we have an open assistant’s spot. I hope we use it on a big man coach, even if we do plan on playing 4 around 1 or 3 guards and two bouncy, smaller PFs. It is fine to favor guards, and I think college basketball is a guard’s game. We probably need somebody who can help the big men we have maximize their potential and Yurt leaving and talking about development probably doesn’t send the best message.
