Wally Ellenson

[ChelseaFriar]

http://www.anonymouseagle.com/2016/4/21/11482986/he-gone-wally-ellenson-is-no-longer-a-part-of-marquette-basketball

[Mufan15]

This isn't as black and white as some here seem to be suggesting. Wojo was clear with the ellenson's about what wally's role would be when he recruited him (energy guy off the bench), the ellenson's felt Wally should of been getting more minutes last year and possibly even starting. It was clear Wally was gonna be at the end of the bench next year so wojo probably felt it was best to tell Wally to take a full ride scholarship for track rather than deal with a situation next year where the ellenson's are constantly complaining about wally's usage. Now obviously if Henry came back Wally would still be on the team so it's not like this isn't a bit immoral on wojo's part. But it's not as simple as wojo used Wally to get Henry and now that Henry is gone he kicked Wally off the team.

Also it's not like Wally is being forced to pay tuition next year. He's still getting a full ride and there's a reasonable argument to be made that he should be focusing on track full time anyway since that's where his future as a professional will be.

[BigmanU]

This isn't as black and white as some here seem to be suggesting. Wojo was clear with the ellenson's about what wally's role would be when he recruited him (energy guy off the bench), the ellenson's felt Wally should of been getting more minutes last year and possibly even starting. It was clear Wally was gonna be at the end of the bench next year so wojo probably felt it was best to tell Wally to take a full ride scholarship for track rather than deal with a situation next year where the ellenson's are constantly complaining about wally's usage. Now obviously if Henry came back Wally would still be on the team so it's not like this isn't a bit immoral on wojo's part. But it's not as simple as wojo used Wally to get Henry and now that Henry is gone he kicked Wally off the team.

Also it's not like Wally is being forced to pay tuition next year. He's still getting a full ride and there's a reasonable argument to be made that he should be focusing on track full time anyway since that's where his future as a professional will be.

Well thought out post, but any scenario that alienates his one and probably only lottery pick is stupid and short sighted. It may not but a total dick move but definitely a stupid move and will not help recruiting going forward. His team better ball out next year to prove his worth.

[Hall2012]

Honestly, it's probably as simple as he knows he's pretty close to having another recruit locked up and needed to clear a scholarship, so he took one away from a kid on the end of the bench. It happens all the time in CBB and in this case it happened to be Wally. Personally, I think it's a dick move every time a coach does it and I feel bad for the kid, but unfortunately it's a business and Wojo decided this was the best business decision. Usually this kind of thing happens to a little known kid who hardly plays any minutes. It's just a big story this time because he's Henry Ellenson's brother. Perhaps part of the reason Wally was the guy to get the axe is that Wojo knew he still had the track and field scholarship to fall back on, but that doesn't make it much better in my opinion. Wally had made it clear that although he knows he's better at T&F, he loves and wants to play basketball. I don't buy for a second that this is about him focusing on T&F or that he had any say in the matter.

[GoldenWarrior11]

This is an upsetting situation, no doubt. A lot of different opinions about this on our board, including the apparent continuation of Spring Creaning and Buzz Cutting. The sad reality of the situation is that this is part of the collegiate basketball landscape at the higher levels. When you are at an institution where the expectations are to win and reach the NCAA tournament, the stakes are higher and decisions are eventually made that could be labeled under "ethically wrong". It is a byproduct of scholarships essentially being year-to-year contracts. It protects the school, it protects the coach, but it is a disadvantage for the player.

I am disappointed that Wojo has seemingly burned a bridge to the Ellenson family (each member has unfollowed him on Twitter). We can only speculate at this point, but I would be curious to know what the expectations of both Wally/Henry were when they were being recruited and what expectations Henry/Wally had of the program (and Wojo) when they were here. A lot of different factors were undoubtedly a part of those discussions, such as whether Henry would leave after one season, would Wally fully commit to basketball or track/field, would Wally be guaranteed minutes in order to play with Henry, if Henry leaves - would Wally still be guaranteed not just a spot on the team but minutes to play.

If Wojo and the Ellensons were open and honest with each other during recruitment, and each party was true to their word, then there would have been no reason for this break-up to occur. However, it is abundantly clear that expectations were not only not met, but that decisions have been made that countered what was supposed to happen.

I'm going to guess that both parties are a little at fault here, as well as some outside circumstances that may have affected the relationship. Bottom line, the Marquette basketball program is bigger than one player, one coach, one family or one team.

[Mufan15]

Well thought out post, but any scenario that alienates his one and probably only lottery pick is stupid and short sighted. It may not but a total dick move but definitely a stupid move and will not help recruiting going forward. His team better ball out next year to prove his worth.

Yeah, Henry probably won't be a great ambassador for the university anymore. And other coaches will certainly use this to negatively recruit against wojo. But wojo still has other lottery picks that will endorse him to recruits, Jabari Parker even plays pickup games with Marquette guys. And as far as how this affects wojo's relationships in the local recruitong scene, Marquette still has 5 other guys on the team from Wisconsin so I think there will be enough AAU people around the state willing to vouch for Wojo. This certainly won't help recruiting but I don't think it will be as big a deal as some suggest.

I'm probably coming off as just blindly supporting Marquette basketball but I actually wish wojo would of just kept Wally on the team,never signed Reinhardt, and used that scholarship for a big instead. I'm just trying to present how wojo likely saw the situation and how there could be some justification for his action. It annoys me that the ellenson's will likely get their side of the story told but the Marquette staff will just have to keep their mouths shut.

[milksteak]

I'm going to guess that both parties are a little at fault here, as well as some outside circumstances that may have affected the relationship. Bottom line, the Marquette basketball program is bigger than one player, one coach, one family or one team.

Even if this is true, Wojo and Marquette Basketball lose a hell of a lot more than the Ellensons in the long run.

[Rum_Ham]

I think we are overacting to how this affects the program going forward, this whole situation will blow over in a week. I don't think it was a moral move for Wojo but his job is to win games and if that means taking a scholarship from our worst player and giving it to someone that can contribute then so be it.

[ArmyVet]

I think we are overacting to how this affects the program going forward, this whole situation will blow over in a week. I don't think it was a moral move for Wojo but his job is to win games and if that means taking a scholarship from our worst player and giving it to someone that can contribute then so be it.

I don't know as much about this as you guys close to MU do, but the impression I get is that the family is very unhappy about how it was handled. That says a lot to me and the perception we have is largely based on that.

[JohnW22]

I think we are overacting to how this affects the program going forward, this whole situation will blow over in a week. I don't think it was a moral move for Wojo but his job is to win games and if that means taking a scholarship from our worst player and giving it to someone that can contribute then so be it.

I think your right. Unless in the near future their is a decent basketball player who has an All American brother and you have to get the decent one to get the all American