Looking at the Danny Manning numbers at Wake Forest:Is it time to Dial 911???

Looking at the Danny Manning Numbers at Wake Forest:Is it time to Dial 911???(Jordan Stowe in the Know)
Special to GreensboroSports.com, from Jordan Stowe, Wake Forest Basketball Researcher…..

When you look at the current affairs that is plaguing Wake Forest University Basketball it is easy to see why they are struggling, and where the blame should be placed. Let us look together at some quick facts about Danny Manning first, before we dive into this wormhole. Danny Manning was recruited by Hall Of Fame coach, Larry Brown. Larry Brown was in his second year at Kansas University. He played all four years and was selected first overall in the NBA Draft in 1988. He has won two National Championships with Kansas, one as a player and one as am=n assistant coach. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist. However, he has been quoted that the Gold medal game against the Soviet Union was the biggest disappointment of his life. He was not able to score a single point. Wake Forest thought when they hired him to be Jeff Bzdelik’s successor they were striking a gold mine. However, it has been anything but. But, don’t take my word for it, let’s look a the numbers and specifics.

In the 2014/2015 season, Danny Manning inherited a basketball team that saw only three Deacons graduate. And that trend has continues. The 2015/2016 season saw five seniors graduate, none of which Manning recruited. In total, Manning’s program has only seen nine players graduate in six years. Nearly half, four of which were non-scholarship walk on players. Sixteen Players make up a roster on a Division 1 basketball team. Danny Manning has seen a staggering FIFTY-ONE new players in his six years at Wake Forest. Meaning he has had to replace nearly half of his whole squad in only six years. Sixteen people to a roster, sixteen times six (for the seasons he has coached), is only ninety-six. Seeing fifty one new players in your career means a lot of different issues from recruiting to lack of leadership, to lack of quality individuals, to poor judgment.

This last season alone shows four have either declared for the NBA Draft, which none are projected to be drafted. (Sarr and Brown) or have entered the transfer portal (Wright and Wynn). Bryant Crawford is now playing in Lithuania after leaving early for the NBA draft; again undrafted. Sixteen people have transferred to other programs or declared prematurely for the draft. Several have been dismissed from the program due to various “athletic policy reasons”. Jaylen Hoard and John Collins are the only two that are in the NBA. John Collins is a stud in Atlanta for the Hawks and Hoard has a two way contract with the Portland Trailblazers.

Every year has become a rebuilding year for Danny Manning. He is creating a pattern for the best players only staying one year at best and then they will be replaced the next year, because he will encourage them to enter the draft or they transfer to make another team better. This was exactly the case for Aaron Rountree at Iona University. Having only a 5.6% Graduation rate among his players is worthy enough of a termination in my book. Especially when half of those are non-scholarship walk on players.

Wake Forest University needs to WAKE UP and realize it’s time to CANN the MANN. ECU, UNCC, IONA, Old Dominion, Drexel, among others are happy to get our players in the transfer portal. However, with these numbers I have to wonder when will this trend end and when will Danny Manning finish building this program that seems to have to rebuild every year? With an 18 million dollar guaranteed buyout you can’t say he’s going to step down on his own before 2024. Most coaching contracts have an amount that decreases year after year. Recently, it has been discovered that his buyout is $18,000,000 regardless of when it happens and does not depreciate as time goes on, as some believe.

This article was written and researched by Jordan Stowe. He is a North Carolina resident and can be reached at 336-500-5638 or jordan.stowe@hotmail.com . Until we see the ball bounce or hear the crack of the bat again, remember everyday above ground is a good day!

One thought on “Looking at the Danny Manning numbers at Wake Forest:Is it time to Dial 911???

  1. Well, my first comment is, NCAA basketball is a business and Danny Manning must have read Donald Trumps book, “The Art of the Deal” because his contract was Artistically dealt in his favor, and because you can get fired at anytime for any reason, Why would this guy fall on a $18 million dollar sword. He might not be perceived as a Genius coach, but he is a Genius at current contract negotiations. So, since 18 mil is on the table, what about trying to look at the glass half full instead of half empty, Heck, players on Wakes football team have been transferring lately also. So there may be some systemic reasons also that players are leaving. So riddle me this, you have these athletes at Privileged private college and they look out the window and say, I dont want to go go to class and do this work and be held to the expectations of other students, I can try my hand at pro ball,NBA, D-league-Overseas,as the opportunities are more abundant now again, Wake is alot different than other Public Universities. So, Manning wears his philosophy of basketball on his sleeves so you know what type of coach he is. He cant take the shots for his guys, saying that, most ACC recruit themselves, Wake is different in that sense, and we know that. So timetable, well with all the things Wake has been going thru (Inhouse racial issues ). I do not see Wake progressing unless some blue chip guys Parents persuade them to get an education from Wake and play basketball on the side!!!!!!!

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