“BIG grad transfer: Saint Joseph’s guard Lamar [sic] Kimble is in the transfer portal,” Jeff Goodman, a college basketball insider at Stadium Sports Network, tweeted on April 2.
Moments later, tweets began to pour out from media outlets, fans and random people who felt the need to give their opinion on the matter even though Kimble has yet to put a statement out about his decision to enter the transfer portal.
Media outlets have taken control away from college athletes to announce their decisions regarding recruitment, transfer options and declaring for professional leagues. As a fan of Hawk basketball, I want to hear from the players themselves that they have chosen to leave the program.
No matter who the inside source is that has allowed the media to gain access to information regarding an athlete’s future, let the athlete make the announcement first. Let the player tell the public why they have made their decision.
Whether it be through personal accounts or through the men’s basketball social media, let the players decide how they will announce their decisions. Don’t create rumors about a player’s intentions or their reasoning for leaving. Don’t condemn the players or athletic departments for their decisions.
When rumors are trending on social media about a player’s decision, especially before the player announces the decision, you are removing control from the player.
For instance, redshirt sophomore forward Charlie Brown has officially declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, but the decision was leaked by various media outlets before his own announcement What if Brown had decided to rethink his decision, but it became so widely discussed on Twitter before his announcement that he felt he no longer had a choice?
When information is incorrect or misconstrued on social media, the images of student athletes are diminished. Fans are already disappointed that their favorite players are leaving the team. NCAA and NBA scouts have already begun to reach out to players. How then can the student-athlete return without being shamed or thought of differently?
Beginning with the firing of Phil Martelli, former men’s basketball head coach, local and national media outlets have been closely covering the moves of Hawk recruits, who have reopened their recruitment.
The media has also been closely covering the search for newly appointed Head Coach Billy Lange along with current Hawk players who are exploring opportunities outside of St. Joe’s to continue their academic and basketball careers.
Almost instantaneously after the Hawks’ 2019 recruiting class posted messages on their social media accounts reopening their recruitment, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Stadium Sports Media and St. Joe’s alumni began to develop stories about the players’ reasoning for leaving the program. They condemned the St. Joe’s athletics office for not doing more to keep the recruits committed to the Hawks.
Then, almost in harmony with the urges from the media and fans for the athletic department, namely Jill Bodensteiner, J.D., director of athletics, to do more to keep players and recruits in the program, reports of current players opting to enter the transfer portal began circulating.
At this time, freshman guard Jared Bynum, redshirt junior guard Kimble and graduate transfer Troy Holston entered into the NCAA Transfer Portal
Shortly after, an announcement by Black Cager Sports Media said redshirt sophomore forward Charlie Brown has declared for the NBA Draft created significant buzz amongst Hawk fans.
The issue is that Black Cager Sports Media has a history of posting questionable content on its social media. On the same day they announced Brown’s intentions to enter the draft, they posted that the university mascot, the Hawk, will be forgoing its “remaining years of eligibility” in order to tryout for an NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks.
On top of this, they announced that “the floor tiles and electrical outlets are transferring from St. Joe’s.” Questionable content like this creates confusion and misinformation, making it hard to know who to trust.
Every player has a choice to make at the end of each season, regardless of a coaching change. It is the least we can do for the student-athletes, who give their all to this program and to the university, not to judge them on their decisions.
Media outlets—whether they be local, such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, national, such as Stadium Sports Media, or bloggers and podcastors, such as @HawkHillHardwood on Twitter—must be conscious of what they are posting.
Student-athletes are more than just a story. They are individuals who give each day of their college experience to a sport. By spreading information without official notice , the player is being told they do not matter. Student-athletes should be able to have a voice to announce their own decisions.
