MBB: Transfers infuse program with talent yet again

By: Kyle Janowicz – Staff Writer

Ryan Bass. Charles Cooke. Detwon Rogers.

Get to know their names, Flyers fans. They are the most recent additions to the University of Dayton men’s basketball team, upholding a recent trend of players transferring in and out of the program.

“Transfers are a different ball game in this day and age,” head coach Archie Miller said. “Transfers are almost like its own separate recruiting element … it has to be the right fit.”

The most prominent recent transfer outflow experienced by the UD team has been the departure of point guard Khari Price.

Price proved to be a significant player in the Flyers’ breakout season last year, providing excellent outside shooting and tough perimeter defense. However, because Price’s knee gave him some trouble last season, he was not able to fully display his skill set in the Flyers’ Elite Eight run.

While Dayton lost Price as a transfer, they gained transfers redshirt senior guard Ryan Bass from Oakland University and redshirt sophomore forward Charles Cooke from James Madison University along with the arrival JUCO transfer junior forward Detwon Rogers from the College of Southern Idaho.

Bass is a 5-foot-9, 170-pound guard who grew up in and played high school ball in Dayton. Because Dayton is his hometown, this season will be extra special for him.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was kid,” Bass said.

Bass enters UD as a redshirt senior in graduate school and will have the opportunity to immediately contribute to the Flyers’ efforts in the 2014-15 season as he has been granted a year of eligibility. He looks to bring explosiveness and an uncanny athletic ability for a player his size to the point guard position.

“From the get-go he has brought energy on defense and offense,” redshirt senior guard Jordan Sibert said.

Cooke also enters the program this year. Cooke is a 6-foot-5, 192-pound guard coming from James Madison University. During his career at James Madison, Cooke averaged close to 10 ppg and started 40 of the 62 games he played in his time at JMU. Cooke nabbed Third Team All-Colonial Athletic Association accolades last season.

“He’s got super long arms, he can shoot the ball, he can put it on the floor a little bit, he rebounds,” junior forward Devon Scott said.

While Cooke will sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules, he has still made great contributions towards the Flyers’ preparation for this season and has shown what kind of role he can provide the Flyers in the future.

“He kind of covers the scoring of Vee Sanford and the effort aspect of Devin Oliver,” Scott said.

While Cooke will sit out this season, JUCO Rogers looks to contribute to UD’s campaign this year as soon as possible. Rogers is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward from the College of Southern Idaho where he was his team’s second leading scorer and rebounder. He was an integral part of the team that was ranked as high as the No. 2 JUCO school in the country.

While he is still “battling an injury” according to Miller, there still may be a possibility that Detwon could play a role for the Flyers late in the season.

“He brings one skill that I already know he can do. He can really shoot the ball as a forward,” Miller said.

UD has proven that while it may lose players by transfer, it can obtain just as many new players by the same means, as the transfer process continues to hold power within the program.