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I have a theory, there are four types of transfers:

1) "I want to get paid" transfers. These are guys like Askew last season, put up some big stats on a poor team and transfer to someone who will write a big check.

2) "I believe my HS hype and the offers I got out of HS, more than my lying eyes" transfers. These are guys like Dallas Washington, who was by far our most hyped frosh in a while. He is assuming that the Coach is the problem, not that he was not ready to make an impact even on a poor team. This type is not new to LB. A few years ago we had a kid out of Maryland who was rated #1 in Maryland (his name is escaping me), talking to a player from that era, he was an unbelievable athlete, easily the best on the team, but he did not learn, did not adapt to D1 where athleticism was inadequate. He transferred out, then did so again and eventually was a role player in D2.

3) "I am over my head here" transfers; these guys come in fight for time and frankly are not ready for D1. They are not big enough, or quick enough or skilled enough to make it on this level and they know it. These guys generally struggle to get off the bench here. Their transfers may be prompted by their own realization of their situation, or the staff informing them they will not be renewing their scholarships. Normally this is either the end of the road for these guys or they head down to D2/NAIA. They differ from the #2s because they understand where they are at generally.

4) "I am leaving for other reasons" transfers. These are guys that have earned a role on the team, but are not good enough to get a raise somewhere else. But, either there are family issues, or school issues, or they don't feel like they fit with the Coaching staff etc.

Last season, we had a number of guys who appeared to be in each category. Askew was a #1. Lloyd was a #2. Djordevic was a #3. Several players may have been in the #4 category.

My view is that to build the program, we need continuity. In this era, it means you are going to lose some #1s, the better mid-majors hang on to a few of them here and there. You have to minimize the #4s to get continuity. Guys like Levillain, and Diaz good enough to play, but not stars yet. Keep them, develop them, build around them.

There is a subgroup of guys like Bender, who we got as a move up from a lower level league. He is not going to draw the interest that Sykes does, but he aspires to be a #1, hanging on to these guys helps a ton too.

We are in an impatient world. Building a solid D1 basketball player is usually a project that takes years. Switching Coaches, systems and schools every year may impede progress. The current system does not encourage schools to make the longer term investments in getting a player to where he can be, if that player is going to take the fruits of that effort elsewhere.