Monday, April 25, 2011

Penn State Loses Taran Buie, Gains Juwan Staten

This past week Penn State lost a good prospect and gained a really good player: Taran Buie is out, Juwan Staten is in. Buie wasn't a shock. He had been suspended from the team in 2010-11, and by the end of the year most people were doubting whether he'd ever play for them again. He was one of the most highly touted recruits Penn State had landed in recent years, and he'll be a tough loss. But if he was a behavior problem, and particularly given that he didn't really contribute in 2010-11, it can't be too bad for their immediate future.

Juwan Staten is a great signing for Penn State. He was a big time 2010 recruit for Dayton, and he had immediately lived up to that hype with 8.5 points and 5.4 assists per game as a true freshman. Penn State has a gigantic dearth of talent, and Staten will likely be the best player on the team when he shows up. He'll lead them for three years.

The problem for Penn State is that Staten will have to sit out a year, and with Buie gone this just makes me even more confident in my pick of Penn State finishing last in the Big Ten. The 2011-12 season will simply be an opportunity to rebuild for 2012-13, when Staten will be able to play.

For Dayton, the loss of Staten is killer for their future. I was only projecting a sixth place finish in the Atlantic Ten with Staten, so 2011-12 was going to be a rebuilding year for them anyway. But Staten was going to be the piece they could build around. Now it's going to be a complete rebuilding job with a brand new coach - a new team built from scratch. It could be several years before Dayton contends near the top of the A-10 again..

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