Burnt ROUX - Cleveland Pancake Thomas

[I_Bleed_RED]

JJ Thomas needs to focus on being a better player. This year he almost looks like a ball hog. I often recognize when he will take a shot even when it is clear that he should not. At the pace he is playing he will be lucky if Marlin offers him a renewal.

You can't be serious...

I don't even know where to start with this.

[BBOYD]

Let Pancake go to a prep school, no waiver. The younger Thomas has no good reason to request a wiaver except, whatever he says is a good reason from his viewpoint. JJ Thomas needs to focus on being a better player. This year he almost looks like a ball hog. I often recognize when he will take a shot even when it is clear that he should not. At the pace he is playing he will be lucky if Marlin offers him a renewal.

Come on Man, he is just trying to get his groove back... Everyone needs to realize we need JJ...

[Turbine]

Sophomore slumps happen all the time even WITHOUT injury. Fans and players always over react.

Elijah Millsap went from 12.4 points a game as a freshman, to 9.4 as a sophomore. He panicked went somewhere else only played one more year. I know he would have averaged more if he had stayed put.

Travis Bureau had his slump between his 2nd and third year where his output was cut in half, but then he bounced back to shoot 50% as a senior. Slumps happen, rebounds are a pretty thing.

JJ will be back.

[moorecajun]

JJ came here when he was granted a release from his scholarship (SFA I believe), so it is obviously a genetic trait! I wonder if JJ had any strings attached to his release ... I'm sure a certain fellow from Richmond has that answer.

Anyway, if he had doubts he should have waited to sign ... whatever, I didn't have my head screwed on right at 18; actually I'm not sure if I do now! If he wants to move on, let him move on; if he wants to be a Cajun and just isn't sure, make sure!

[I_Bleed_RED]

Sophomore slumps happen all the time even WITHOUT injury. Fans and players always over react.

Elijah Millsap went from 12.4 points a game as a freshman, to 9.4 as a sophomore. He panicked went somewhere else only played one more year. I know he would have averaged more if he had stayed put.

Travis Bureau had his slump between his 2nd and third year where his output was cut in half, but then he bounced back to shoot 50% as a senior. Slumps happen, rebounds are a pretty thing.

JJ will be back.

For the record, I believe Bureau was playing with a F'd up groin during his sophomore season which contributed to his sophomore slump. But I still agree with you. It seems like there's always someone going through a sophomore slump on this team.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Come on Man, he is just trying to get his groove back... Everyone needs to realize we need JJ...

We need the 2010-11 JJ. Come on Man I know he is hurt and not 100%, but you still have to play smart. He makes more bad decisions than good ones for whatever reason.

[CajunEXPRESS]

JJ came here when he was granted a release from his scholarship (SFA I believe), so it is obviously a genetic trait! I wonder if JJ had any strings attached to his release ... I'm sure a certain fellow from Richmond has that answer.

Anyway, if he had doubts he should have waited to sign ... whatever, I didn't have my head screwed on right at 18; actually I'm not sure if I do now! If he wants to move on, let him move on; if he wants to be a Cajun and just isn't sure, make sure!

Well one thing about the difference between the two brothers. In one case the coach JJ signed with left the program so a new coach was coming in, and in another he just wanna be free.

[CajunFan89]

despite his perceived drop off, we still need JJ for the minutes that he plays on the court. when he is on the court he produces a threat that, even though he is not playing at maximum performance, has to be guarded against by the opponent or run the risk of him having an on night. Pancake is still young and, while i wish he would come here, wish him the best of luck in all his endeavors. maybe after prep school we'll still see him in a Cajuns uniform after all.

[Just1More]

Don't turn this into a JJ thread.

As for Pancake, it's up to Marlin to grant or not grant the waiver. He'll know more about this situation with Pancake, and he'll definitely know more about the effect it has on the Cajun MBB team by either granting or not.

The exciting thing is... the guy that we wanted to come to UL is now much more likely to... oh heck... I shouldn't have said that. Retract that statement. It is way too early to inform RP of the upside to this Pancake drama. Dangit... I wish my backspace worked... I just shouldn't have let that juicy news out of the pooch this darn early. Shame on me!

[CajunT]

despite his perceived drop off, we still need JJ for the minutes that he plays on the court. when he is on the court he produces a threat that, even though he is not playing at maximum performance, has to be guarded against by the opponent or run the risk of him having an on night. Pancake is still young and, while i wish he would come here, wish him the best of luck in all his endeavors. maybe after prep school we'll still see him in a Cajuns uniform after all.

JJ has played hurt all season and had to have his knee drained Friday before the ASU game last Saturday. What JJ needs to understand is that he can no longer do some of the things he could when he was healthy and sometimes he serves the team better on the bench when he is not playing well and the game has a good flow without him. There are times when he has hurt the team more by being on the floor because he is not healthy or focused. He is fraustrated and its a tough life lesson to go through. The kid just wants to win and he has put the team before his health. That's all anyone can ask from a athlete. Unfortunately he won't be able to play as many minutes the rest of the season and he has to adjust to that role.

[Benchwarmer]

As a parent who's son was not released from a NLI when he decided not to attend the school, I must say release the kid. This is a short life we live, you really only have 4-5 years of college sports and then real life kicks. And as most of us old guys know, real life can be all down hill. Why punish a kid that has made it clear that he has changed his mind. Understand, I agree that there must be concessions by the kid, cannot sign with other conference team (and I believe release or no release conference rules may prohibit). A release can be given at any time, even after he enrolls and begins to attend a new college. So UL can wait, let him enroll and grant him a release at the end of next years BB season. Not releasing the kid means that he will lose one year of eligibility and that year cannot be counted as a red shirt year. If he is released any time prior to the end of his 4 yrs, he would get his year back. Girls Softball has made a living on transfers. Hasn't hurt them with players coming and going. If our team falters because of the loss of Pancake then the rest of the recruits must be terrible. I say let him go, wish him the best and if he ever comes to the dome, pound him.

[RaginDave]

I hate to talk about Burnt Roux, like some others do here, but noticed that Cleveland "Pancacke" Thomas played 16 minutes in a win for New Mexico vs a pretty good Davidson team in whcih he shot 2-3 and score 4 points and pulled down 3 boards.