Update and Correction on Sacramento State Post

A couple of days ago, I posted an article on Walter Jackson of Sacramento State quitting the basketball team, and including this snippet:

Jackson is the second player to leave the team this year, as Anthony Costetino quit the team before playing a game for them before the season started, not saying a word to Head Coach Brian Katz. For Katz, players leaving is becoming a disturbing trend, despite Sacramento State always saying that Katz graduates all of his players. Eventually, Sacramento State fans and boosters are beginning to be disenchanted with Katz, as a source tells me that boosters may slowly be mobilizing to buy out Katz's contract, of which next season is the final year on his deal.

I want to correct an error that was made, as next year is not the final year of Katz' contract. I am being told that he originally signed a 5 year deal, but he re-upped a couple of years ago, so there are three years remaining on his deal. I am not sure if all of the years are guaranteed, but I was incorrect when I said that his contract was out next year, and I want to apologize for that error.

I did also want to expand on one other part of this point. One commenter (there were a couple of boosters who posted some excellent comments on the original post) posed this question to me, and I wanted to reply in a post, as well as throw out a question to Sacramento State fans and boosters. The commenter said: "Speculating as to why Walter Jackson or any other player leaves his team is simply unfounded conjecture unless you have personally spoken to Mr. Jackson. Why would you simply conclude that the problem lies with Coach Katz?"

I just want to clarify this - I have no idea why Walter Jackson left the team, and I didn't mean to insinuate that it was because of Coach Katz. I simply don't know. But, I do know this -- there is a pattern or trend developing of guys leaving the program, and that is what I was saying. According to some fans counts, the number of players that have simply left the program under Katz has reached double figures.

Last season, two players (Zach Nelson and Antoine Proctor) left the team in the middle of the season. Big man Alpha N'Diaye was declared ineligible and left the team. This season, big man and solid JUCO recruit Anthony Costetino left the program before ever playing a game for the Hornets. And now Walter Jackson has left the team in the middle of the season as conference play is beginning. That is five guys since the start of last season that are no longer with the team.

Now, for all I know, all of them could have left for reasons independent of the Coach. But here is my question to Sacramento State fans -- does that bother you that many players are leaving? I have seen suggestions that they are leaving because Coach Katz is a disciplinarian, and some players can't handle that. I get that if it is some guys leaving, but at what point is he maybe a little too hard on them? Or at what point is it his responsibility to bring in guys that can handle his coaching style?

I am not doubting his coaching ability, and I am not doubting his character or anything of that nature. For the former, the team has improved every year (a trend I think will continue into next year, when I think they will be very solid), and he certainly has a strong track record. To the latter point, I've never heard a bad thing about the guy, and he is from all accounts a stand up guy.

As an outsider, it is my opinion that if this were my school or my team, I would be worried about the program because it has seen so many players leave it over the past few seasons. However, I know there are people out there that know the Sacramento State program better than I know it, so I would love your opinion. What do you think of the job that Coach Katz is doing? Does the amount of attrition worry you?

Please share your thoughts, I would love to hear them.

Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball

Walter Jackson Quits Sacramento State Team

As seen on Sac State Sports:

For the second time in three months, the Sacramento State men’s basketball team has lost a player because of personal reasons.

Guard/forward Walter Jackson left the team prior to their conference-opener against Northern Arizona. According to a team spokesman, Jackson’s departure went unreported in the hopes of maintaining a competitive edge over the Lumberjacks.

Hornets Coach Brian Katz said Jackson came to him about two minutes before practice Dec. 26 and told him he “didn’t want to play basketball anymore.”

Jackson is a senior that was entering his final semester of basketball. He was averaging 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, and had been one of their most efficient guys. He was shooting about 58% from the field, and blocking a nice amount of shots for them.

Jackson is the second player to leave the team this year, as Anthony Costetino quit the team before playing a game for them before the season started, not saying a word to Head Coach Brian Katz. For Katz, players leaving is becoming a disturbing trend, despite Sacramento State always saying that Katz graduates all of his players. Eventually, Sacramento State fans and boosters are beginning to be disenchanted with Katz, as a source tells me that boosters may slowly be mobilizing to buy out Katz's contract, of which next season is the final year on his deal.

At 5-8 overall and 0-2 in the Big Sky, Katz could use some wins in a hurry.

UPDATE: Part of this post was factually incorrect. I have made a correction and posted further comments, which can be found here.

Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball

Sacramento State Beats UC Davis In The Causeway Classic

Sacramento State's impressive start to the season continued with a victory over UC Davis in the Causeway Classic on Tuesday. The Hornets trailed by as many as 17 in the first half, and outscored the Aggies 47-29 in the second half en route to a 69-61 victory.

Different guys stepped up for the Hornets, which is one reason Brian Katz is so excited about this group. Last week's Big Sky POW Joe Eberhard contributed 16 points and 8 rebounds, also getting to the line 9 times. Walter Jackson was a bit more efficient with his 14 points and 6 rebounds, most of which came in the second half. Konnor Veteto had an extremely productive day, scoring 14 points and pulling down 9 rebounds in only 19 minutes. He was a terror inside, going 8/9 from the line.

One of my favorite storylines so far this year is the A:TO ratio of Dylan Garrity. He had 6 assists and 2 turnovers in this one, bringing his season totals to 31 assists vs 6 turnovers. Before the game he was ranked in the top 5 nationally in assists, now he sits just outside the top 5.

For the Hornets, who have not had a winning season in over 20 years, the fact that they now sit at 3-1 is extremely positive. That they won a rivalry game on the road by coming back from a big deficit has to make it even sweeter. Up next for Sac State is a home date with McNeese State on Saturday and a chance to move to 4-1.

Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball

Where Will Sacramento State Get Their Offense From?

Last season Sacramento State had one of the worst offenses in the NCAA. Their AdjO of 90.1 ranked 319th in the country, and last in the Big Sky. Their EFG% was a dreadful 44.4%, 322nd in the nation. Their turnover percentage was 22.5, 293rd in the country. They shot 30.4% from 3-point range and 43.8% from 2s. They had an inordinate number of shots blocked.

Other than that, their offense was just fine!

After last season, their first and third leading scorers graduated (though I am not positive this is a bad thing. Leading scorer Sultan Toles-Bey shot 34% from the field - though in the interest of fairness he had an excellent 32.0 ARate), and their 5th and 6th leading scorers transferred. All of this begs the question - where are they going to get offense from?

The guy that seems the best best to lead them in scoring is junior John Dickson, a 6'6'' forward. He was an honorable mention Big Sky performer, and finished 2nd on the team in scoring last year behind Toles-Bey. He scored 10.9 PPG for the reason, but upped that to a team-best 12.6 PPG during conference play. His best attribute is his ability to get to the line. He shot 139 FTs last year, making 76.3% of them, a solid number. If he can stay away from shooting 3s (5/39 last year) and focus on what he does best, he will be a nice building block for Coach Brian Katz.

Another returner that will have a big role is Jackson Carbajal, who booked a lot of minutes last year as a freshman. At 6'3'' he will be handling the ball a lot, which may or may not be a good thing (had an almost 3:1 TO:A ratio last year). He took more 3s than 2s, but made 31% of 3s compared to 57% of 2s. He needs to take better care of the basketball this year, and he will likely be one of their leading scorers.

Walter Jackson is another guy that put in solid minutes for them last year, though he was more of a selective scorer. He is a 6'5'' G/F combo that averaged 6.0 PPG last year, but did it with a very efficient 49% shooting (though he too needs to avoid the 3 ball). He is also a solid offensive rebounder, and his 8.7% OR% was highest on the team of anyone that played as many minutes as he did. He started 19 games last year, and should get a starting role again.

Then, there are two newcomers who I think could have a big role in the offense. The first is Dylan Garrity, a 6'2'' G who averaged over 20 PPG last year in high school. He is a dangerous outside shooter, and I think could have command of the offense sooner rather than later. I am excited to see how he plays for the Hornets.

Another key guy could be JUCO F Anthony Costentino, who scored 18.7 PPG last year. At 6'7'' he can play both forward spots, and his versatility will be key for a team without a ton of depth. He can score both inside and offense, and should be their best offensive threat down low. He should get all of the minutes he can handle right away.

Who do you guys see as leading Sacramento State in scoring? Anyone I am missing that will have a big impact?