Is Dave Leitao Scaring Players Away from Virginia?

By all accounts, Dave Leitao is a one scary dude.

But is his intensity too much?

At first blush, you’d think so.  Leitao has managed to run off a fair number of recruits during his tenure at UVa: Derrick Byars, Gary Forbes, T.J. Bannister, Donte Minter, and Will Harris—to name a few.

The most recent article in the Daily Progress reports that senior center Tunji Soroye is considering a transfer.  Soroye just received a medical redshirt from the NCAA to return to his senior season.

The article suggests that Soroye may switch to a Division II school to avoid the NCAA’s requirement that Division I transfers must sit out one year.

I’ve gotten called out in the past by speculating that speculation about Leitao’s tenure would occur if this upcoming season wasn’t a “success” (for examples of said skewering, look here and here). 

Which brings us back to the crux of the issue: Is Leitao’s coaching style scaring players away?

I don’t think so.  It appears to me that both Leitao and the players were justified in parting ways.

That is to say, each one of these transfers can be rationalized away, and this argument would be forgotten after a solid season.

First, Byars, Forbes, Bannister, and Minter were all Pete Gillen recruits that didn’t want to stick around when Leitao started.

This is understandable: To change the mentality of the program, Leitao had to win his way.  Every college coach does—that's his/her job.

This strategy requires a modest amount of shake-up, including the roster.  Did all of those players have to leave?  Not necessarily, but Leitao's success thus far can justify it.

Second, Harris played for Leitao for two years (one was shortened due to injury).  However, Harris was a kid who couldn’t quite make up his mind.  He first committed to Nebraska, then UConn, then finally Virginia.

Leitao recruited younger, better players over him.  Those players sapped his minutes and his injury derailed his season.  It makes sense that he would change his mind and would want to play elsewhere.

Finally, Soroye is a little different than Harris.  Soroye was a major part of that ACC regular season championship two years ago.  He’s a capable inside presence that contributes rebounds and blocked shots, an element the Wahoos were sorely missing last year.

He could be a big part of ushering in new big men Assane Sene and John Brandenburg.

I don’t have any inside information, but I just don’t think that Soroye has intentions of moving to a D-II school.  I also don’t buy Rob Mahini’s account of it being total BS.

Owing to Harris’ departure, Leitao has one scholarship left for this season and can offer it to Soroye or the likely starting point guard, Calvin Baker.  So far, Leitao hasn’t made any indications as to whom he was going to offer it to.

By making this threat, Soroye forces Leitao’s hand.  It’s a smart move by Soroye, who’s said on many occasions that he can’t afford tuition. 

Baker isn’t likely to leave after sitting out a year, so that means Soroye will likely get his wishes.  Therefore, we have no idea if Soroye's actually unhappy with Leitao's coaching.  He might be a little annoyed that he hasn't gotten the offer yet, but a couple of starts at center would calm him down.

So it’s not that Leitao has been scaring away these players.  Decisions have been made, and (at the time, anyway) it’s all made sense.

Virginia is a peculiar place to recruit—Terry Holland once said that it takes a special kind of kid to come to Charlottesville.  Therefore, I'm completely comfortable with Leitao's pickiness with his roster. 

He's got a plan.  It's going to work.

I hope.