Colby Rogers’ jumper: so smooth it can’t be held for more than one season.
Word on NCAA Championship Monday came down from the personal social media account of sharp-shooting second-team All-MAAC player Colby Rogers that he would be entering the Portal to pursue other opportunities.
On its face, learning that a Georgia born college student who went to high school in New Jersey then transferred to Siena from a college in California is deciding to check out another new location is….not at all surprising.
What is surprising is that Rogers’ departure is the type that I would expect to see less and less of these days: the sit-out second-time transfer. With the current transfer rules in place, all players are allowed a one-time transfer without the penalty of a sit-out “redshirt” year. You can plug-and-play a transfer immediately. Since this is Rogers’ second time transferring, he’s no longer afforded the luxury of being able to play immediately (unless a hardship waiver is granted, which will be allegedly a significantly more scrutinized process).
In other words, Colby is deciding that he’s fine with sitting out of college basketball games next season in exchange for a new opportunity. This tells me one of two things (and possibly a bit of both):
- His experience at Siena was so abysmal, he needed out.
- He has an opportunity lined up that is simply too good to ignore.
Personally? I’d hedge more that it’s the second option over the first.
Rogers finished the season with the eighth best three point shooting percentage in the entire country, narrowly edging out some dude named Jordan King by two hundredths of a percent. (#AlwaysASaint).
I wonder what kind of team would be interested in a 6’5″ guard with a wet stroke? Maybe, just maybe, SEC teams near his native Georgia like…Georgia, South Carolina, and LSU that all have new coaches and plenty of scholarships available (and in LSU’s case, when I say they have scholarships available, I MEAN THEY HAVE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE). Maybe one of the myriad Big East schools in the same retooling boat like the idea of stashing a shooter with upside to pad out their roster? Shaheen Halloway got a good enough look at Colby’s stroke to understand his potential value in a power conference.
My point is this: If Colby Rogers ends up following in the footsteps of Don Carey & Jalen Pickett, dipping his toes in high major collegiate basketball to test his mettle, then that isn’t a Siena problem. That’s an awesomeness problem. I will never besmirch a kid for testing himself at the highest level possible. Let’s not kid ourselves here. Colby Rogers, the Georgia born college student who went to high school in New Jersey then transferred to Siena from a college in California…did not grow up dreaming of playing for Siena College. He probably didn’t know Siena College existed until either the 2008 NCAA tournament, or when he saw them on Cal Poly’s schedule.
I’m very confident Colby Rogers has his next move already lined up, and since Colby seems like a smart kid, I’m betting that it’s a move that’s worth sitting out a year to make. If I’m wrong, and he ends up at Liberty instead of the University of Georgia or the like? Then I’ll just delete this entire blog post faster than Siena basketball deleted Colby Rogers from our collective memory.
So good luck Colby Rogers. I hope this gamble pays off. As your send off, one last time, with feeling…a tribute to Colby Rogers’ jumper.
This & That
Farewell to Aidan Carpenter (#JesusWasACarpenter) – I don’t think it was a surprise to most Siena faithful to see Aidan transfer out after this most recent season, which was hampered by injury as well as a steadily improving Freshman guard Javian McCollum that was coming for his minutes. I’ll miss Aidan’s no-nonsense straight-line wrecking ball drives to the rim and enthusiasm for the game.
Graduation’s Loss Is Our Gaines? – Whispers of a potential Anthony Gaines return next season have been abundant. The All-MAAC Northwestern transfer went down with a season-ending injury on the very final play of this season’s regulation slate, a bitter ending to an uneven season for Gaines.
At his best, Gaines can be an All-MAAC player whose defensive absence is unreplaceable, evidenced in Siena’s disappointing MAAC tournament defeat to Quinnipiac. At worst, retaining Gaines’ talent and leadership could potentially gobble up available minutes for up-and-coming underclassmen. My opinion? If an All-MAAC level player with a positive reputation and something to prove wants to return for one last run? I am here for that. Bird in the hand worth two in the bush, and all that. If Siena’s starting 5 next season ends up as: McCollum – Platek – Billups – Gaines – Stormo? Yes please.
Tip Of The Hat St. Peter’s – St. Peter’s Elite 8 run as a 15 seed is something that I’m typing right now as a factual statement and not some fanfic post. That happened?!? It almost feels like a fever dream. What a thrill to see the MAAC represented in such a way. An unprecedented historical run for a 15 seed, slaying giant after giant along the way. Congrats to the Peacocks and good luck at Seton Hall, Shaheen.
TO THE PORTAL! – This blog will be mostly dormant for the next several months, save for any truly momentous Siena Hoops news. With scholarship spots to fill, I’d expect Siena to be scouring the transfer portal and reviewing any undeclared high schoolers to offer spots. Conversely, here’s hoping the Siena roster portal fallout stops at two, honestly an extremely reasonable number.
Until next time!
Stay Gold
Bleed Green
And Be a Saint In-Between
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