Chris Gradnigo Granted Transfer Release by UL

[Parrott]

I agree, Turbine. Without his marked improvement as a senior, Tyren isn't getting paid to play anywhere this next season. Belgium is a good place for him to grow and mature for at least a year.

As for Gradnigo, be the top offensive option for mid-major with a proven coach or sit out one year and have to start all over again in a new program with only one season to play? Seemed like an easy choice from the outside looking in, granted he needed to do whatever he felt was best for himself.

[RaginDave]

_ I agree, Turbine. Without his marked improvement as a senior, Tyren isn't getting paid to play anywhere this next season. Belgium is a good place for him to grow and mature for at least a year.

As for Gradnigo, be the top offensive option for mid-major with a proven coach or sit out one year and have to start all over again in a new program with only one season to play? Seemed like an easy choice from the outside looking in, granted he needed to do whatever he felt was best for himself. _

Although, I might be in the minority, I hate seeing Chris leave, but if that is what is best for him, good. Granted he never reached his potential, but Chris at half best was better then many of our other options.

My bigger concern is former Coach Lebato, does anyone else have a problem with a former coach, who is unemployed, contacting 3 current players and trying to get them to transfer? I think he must have been using Chris, Ramoyne and Javan as pawns for him to get a new job somewhere. Could he have possibly been telling some D-1 teams that he could get 3 transfers to come, if they hired him. If so, this guy is a peice of work, and I only used work to cover the fact that I wanted to call him a peice of something else, that my dog does every morning and evening.


I really think Raymone has a chance to be a very good one with the Cajuns, and I like the upside of Javan.

[ManAboutTown]

_ Although, I might be in the minority, I hate seeing Chris leave, but if that is what is best for him, good. Granted he never reached his potential, but Chris at half best was better then many of our other options.

My bigger concern is former Coach Lebato, does anyone else have a problem with a former coach, who is unemployed, contacting 3 current players and trying to get them to transfer? I think he must have been using Chris, Ramoyne and Javan as pawns for him to get a new job somewhere. Could he have possibly been telling some D-1 teams that he could get 3 transfers to come, if they hired him. If so, this guy is a peice of work, and I only used work to cover the fact that I wanted to call him a peice of something else, that my dog does every afternoon and evening.


I really think Raymone has a chance to be a very good one with the Cajuns, and I like the upside of Javan. _

I've been thinking along the same lines.. How is it within the rules of the NCAA for a former coach to be in touch with players on the current roster, trying to lure them away to another school; especially if it's going to boost said coaches job opportunities? I realize that this is all hear-say, but if someone stepped in and started asking questions, chances are, the players would tell the truth (Maybe not Gradnigo). If this story has any legs at all, it should not be taken lightly, IMO.

I don't think you're in the minority Dave. I think everyone is sad to see a kid with that much potential both waste it and leave the program. But at the same time, I think its best for both parties at this point. Nothing against the guy personally, but to quote Mike Singletary, "I want winners". That guy is not a winner. Not with an attitude like that, and an immaturity problem that infects a locker room.

[ULtimateCajun]

I'm glad to see Gradnigo leave. Good luck to him in the future. (my mom said you can't say something nice, don't say nothin'.....so i'm leaving it at that.)

[Turbine]

For the past 3 years there has been some talk of Gradnigo holding the program hostage with threats of leaving if coach Lee were to be let go.

I may be mistaken but if at any time in the past he had left (in the manner he is leaving now) there would have been no additional APR penalty.

[Turbine]

After requesting a release from his scholarship, the rising senior forward was granted his wish and told first-year head coach Bob Marlin on Wednesday that he would transfer.
The rest of the story

I have seen "rising" used a lot lately to describe players.

What exactly does this mean?

I was thinking it meant that they passed to the next grade and were rising through the ranks of their collegiate career.

[SlappyCajun]

Turb

In general irbid used during the summer to describe kids rising to the next grade level. So kids playing in AAU who will graduate in 2011 would be called rising seniors.

I have seen "rising" used a lot lately to describe players.

What exactly does this mean?

I was thinking it meant that they passed to the next grade and were rising through the ranks of their collegiate career.

igeaux.mobi

[Parrott]

Turbine, what Slappy said is correct. Easier to write "rising senior" instead of trying to explain that he was a junior last season and will be a senior this season.

The rumors about Gradnigo possibly "holding the program hostage" for the past few years if coach Lee was let go are interesting. If that had happened, coach LeBato would have more than likely been let go. With no LeBato, there would have been no Gradnigo at UL.

[Cajunsmike]

_ Turbine, what Slappy said is correct. Easier to write "rising senior" instead of trying to explain that he was a junior last season and will be a senior this season.

The rumors about Gradnigo possibly "holding the program hostage" for the past few years if coach Lee was let go are interesting. If that had happened, coach LeBato would have more than likely been let go. With no LeBato, there would have been no Gradnigo at UL. _

APR may have been an issue in those previous years. It is no longer so this move won't hurt us in that regard.

[Parrott]

Mike, I know APR (multi-year and yearly) was an issue in the past. I wrote a series of stories that looked into the issue. The multi-year APR won't be a concern with the most recent scores.

But it might not have been an issue with Gradnigo, even during the historical-penalty years, if he met the following criteria to receive an APR waiver when he left:

*Have at least a 2.6 cumulative GPA.
*Be eligible and earn "E" in the last term at their institution.
*Transfer immediately to another four-year school. Documentation is required.
*The committee will develop criteria for considering adjustments for students with less than a 2.6 GPA who meet all of the other defined criteria.

The Cajuns weren't penalized when Elijah Millsap transferred to UAB after he met the mentioned criteria. He was a "1-for-1" instead of a "1-for-2" (leave early or ineligible) or "0-for-2" (leave early and ineligible) in his last term at UL, so there was no penalty for the program.