Nick Aldridge transferring to UC?
Nothing's final yet and no one at UC is commenting, but it appears that 6-7 Western Carolina sophomore forward Nick Aldridge might transfer to UC. You might recall that Aldridge originally committed to UC when Bob Huggins was still the head coach, but changed his mind after Huggins left. He enrolled instead at Western Carolina, where he averaged 18.3 points and 7.0 rebounds last season and scored 22 against UC earlier this season.
I just talked to Aldridge, who attended the UC-Miami game last week, and although he said he's still trying to decide between UC and Marshall, he did say that he planned to be in Cincinnati on Thursday. When I told him that sounds like you have already decided to go to UC, he replied, "You can take it however you want. I'm not going to say anything for sure (until Thursday)."
32 Comments:
Welcome aboard Nick. UC should be loaded and ready to make noise by the time you get here next year.
This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for from this blog... hopefully good news... but Bill, where does that leave the remaining potential recruits in the '08 and '09 classes?... does this transfer mean someone else on the current roster may be transferring out, ala Tim Crowell last year?
Thanks again for the info...
Awesome find..Bill thanks for the information
Great to get this type of info from your blog, Bill. Much appreciated. I'm sure you have many connections from your years of covering UC.
I saw Nick Aldridge play against UC earlier this year. He has talent.
Thanks for the info, Bill! Great scoop.
Just found your blog. Its in the favorites list now.
I like this kid, but would he have just two years of eligibility left and be required to sit out all of next year?
So Bill...would this make him eligible next year?? I assume his transfer year would start ASAP? Sounds good to me.
What kind of impact would he make for a BE team? He would have to sit out all of next season correct? If he put up 22 against us, it seems like he would be able to help somewhat in a year or so off of the bench...If he comes....WELCOME Nick!
i hope he is a walk-on and has not been promised a scholarship.
That's the good stuff Bill. Not quite a news story, not quite gossip....perfect blog material. You're a fast learner.
Great scoop!!!
As I recall watching him play against our guys earlier this season, he is an adept and creative scorer in traffic around the basket. His would be an interesting skill set to add into the mix of guys we currently have or will add next year.
If I'm recalling correctly from past transfers, as long as he enrolls somewhere by the time school resumes, he should become eligible early next December when UC wraps up its fall quarter.
He is not quite big enough to play inside in the BE. Is he quick enough to play the wing?
Why is he leaving? Why is he choosing UC? It just seems strange that he is leaving in mid season and from a school that he is getting good playing time and puting up good numbers.
Why?
I would guess that if he enrolls in scholl immediately(winter quarter) that he would be eligle to play after fall quarter 2008 ends!
Nice work Bill.
Nick was in th class of 2006, so this is his second year at W. Carolina. My guess is that he would be eligible for us for two years starting in 2009. Vaughn will be a Senior. Current six Freshmen will be Juniors. Yates and Cashmere will be Sophmores. McElroy has committed for 2009. Williams may be eligible, but with Williams and Aldridge the total would be 12. One scholarship left for 2009.
Interesting. Aldridge = quality depth, something you obviously need in the BE.
Two years from now, this team should be pretty exciting. Mick is quickly building up a quality pipeline of recruits, and they should only get better.
I've not even been much of a Bill Koch fan in the past as he's been too negative about UC, not to mention flying with an anonymous letter on sex, lies and videotape and then trying to dig up supporting material when there NEVER was a story. HOWEVER...
Don't you think it's a little condescending to tell him he's a "quick learner" r.e. this blogging thing? It's not like he crawled out from a reporting rock yesterday, and he's certainly been reading everyone else's blogs, I'm sure. I feel the same way when people say MT has "grown into" his job. I met him early on and he's the same now as he was then. People just accept him in that role now. Bor this blog, Josh K is a hard act to follow, that's all.
I'm sure Bill welcomes your suggestions, but let's not assume he's clueless on running a blog, either.
Why would Aldridge have to sit out next year?
As long as he didn't enroll or play for West Carolina the second semester and he enrolled at his new school in time for the second semester, he's eligible around Christmastime.
Witness~ Aldridge didn't play past the end of November:
http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/
ncb/player/
profile?playerId=32300
With all that in mind, where does this time at WCU leave him?
Nice job of reporting Bill. That's the stuff we UC fans like to see!
BTW...Josh fessed that he was a Georgia Bulldog. You have an affiliation?
6:05 - Sorry Mama Koch, we didn't mean to upset you. Guess Bill's admission that this blog stuff was new to him threw us off.
We bad.
GO BEARCATS!
great info, thanks bill!
Aldridge COULD play as soon as the game after Fall Quarter ends in December 2008 (if he comes to UC).
The 2008-09 season would be his Jr year and 2009-10 his Sr year, then.
But, but I thought UC wouldn't take kids with questionable pasts and are known trouble makers.............
OH.....thats right, hes averaging 18+ so hes just misunderstood and he deserves a chance.
Hypocrites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When does football season start again?
12/13/07: Former South Webster standout Nick Aldridge has quit the Western Carolina team because of disciplinary problems. A preseason All-Southern Conference selection, Aldridge was the Catamounts leading scorer at 18.8 points per game and averaged 5.2 rebounds. WCU head coach Larry Hunter said in a statement that Aldridge quit because he "had some issues that we felt were being detrimental to the development of our team, and we have for some time been trying to help him work through these issues. He has chosen not to work with us any longer. The bottom line is he has quit our team." - Ironton (OH) Tribune
I would like to know about how beating the Cards will affect recruiting for the years to come. Also, what are the chances we get Hopson or Mackey?
Gee, Koch must have changed the tone of the blog. Since New Years day, I have not seen one bashing of MC. What a great win over our biggest foe will do.
GO CATS.
Hope UC does not waste scholarship on this kid.
Do some research Bill and find out why this kid left WCU. The quotes from Larry Hunter are not flattering and there seems to be some smoke there. Why would Mick want to take on a troublesome kid? If the kid backed out on UC two years ago why should UC take him now?
I read that Aldridge's "disciplinary issues" centered around a tape involving group sex with recruits.
There was found to be nothing to it, so Mick made him an offer.
No one bothers to thank the blogger for his posts in Comments sections, unless it's the blogger himself. Are you worried about your job, Bill?
I thought that the main reason for the coaching change at UC was to change the image of the program?
This player had it made at WCU, everything a player would want, and he still wasn't happy? Go figure.
A coach (Larry Hunter) with over 25 years of experience and over 500 wins certainly knows what he is doing.
Google will tell the story.
Good luck!
* Our online blogs currently are hosted and operated by a third party, namely, Blogger.com. You are now leaving the Cincinnati.Com website and will be linked to Blogger.com's registration page. The Blogger.com site and its associated services are not controlled by Cincinnati.Com and different terms of use and privacy policy will apply to your use of the Blogger.com site and services.
By proceeding and/or registering with Blogger.com you agree and understand that Cincinnati.Com is not responsible for the Blogger.com site you are about to access or for any service you may use while on the Blogger.com site.
<< Home