http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/7522442</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div>Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie faces his first defection just six games into his tenure.</div> Wildcats freshman shooting guard Alex Legion has decided to transfer, said sources close to the situation.</p> According to one source, the move primarily concerned Gillispie — and wasn't about playing time.</p> "He was told he'd get his release later this week," the source said. "It wasn't about his playing time at all."</p> Legion has played six games and averaged 6.7 points in 17.5 minutes per game. He played just six minutes in Saturday's loss to North Carolina and finished with seven points, but logged 31 minutes in a game against Liberty last month.</p> The Detroit native was a consensus Top 50 player in the Class of 2007 (Scout.com, No. 39), so don't be surprised to see Legion wind up in the Big Ten. He signed with Michigan and was let out of his letter of intent by current Michigan coach John Beilein after the coaching change. </p> </div></p>
From John Clay, a sports columnists for the Lexington Herald-Leader</p> http://johnclay.typepad.com/sidelines/2007...ction-legi.html</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Alex Legion wasn't the first and he won't be the last.</p> Kerry Benson, who had seen an encouraging amount of playing time for a walk-on, departed last week. Now Legion is out the door. The guess here is that there will be more. Maybe one. Maybe two. The semester ends at UK after next week's final exams. Would not be surprised to see some more bags packed then.</p> You can blame Legion's mother, who obviously played a role in her son's exit. You can blame Billy Gillispie, whose first year as UK basketball coach has not been without bumps in the road. The blame game doesn't matter as much as how this might play out in recruiting, how prospects will take to the news that a high-profile recruit, the first signed by UK's new coach after getting the job, hit the exit ramp after just six games.</p> We are learning one thing. Gillispie isn't for everyone. He's hard-nosed, demanding, and not afraid to ruffle feathers. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that can't be ignored. I've heard and read that somehow Kentucky was soft, that the Cats need the toughness that Gillispie is trying to instill. That may be true. But what Kentucky needs more than anything right now is players.</p> The Cats lost one last night. That one's over. Time to move on. How will Legion's departure effect the reception Gillispie receives on the recruiting trail? How will Gillispie answer the questions bound to arise? Those are the bigger questions.</div></p>
Looks like he might stay</p> http://www.kentucky.com/254/story/249706.html</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Freshman Alex Legion may bring new meaning to the basketball term crossover. A day after being granted permission to transfer, he might decide to return to Kentucky’s team.</p> “The last 24 hours they’ve been working on my son,” the player’s player, Annette Legion, said Tuesday night.</p> She likened her son’s second thoughts to someone not realizing what they have until it’s gone.</p> “It’s like a divorce,” Mrs. Legion said. “You don’t know how valuable that person is till you’re divorced. When you’re married, you couldn’t see it.”</p> The player’s mother said she heard from two people (one from their home state of Michigan) about the possibility of her son coming to an understanding with UK Coach Billy Gillispie. She had not heard directly from her son.</p> “I’m told Billy and he have worked out their differences,” Annette Legion said. “If that’s true, I will support him. I don’t have a problem if he goes back. He’s the one that’s doing the hardship. He’s the one doing the workouts.”</p> Quoting a source close to Legion, Seth Davis of CNNSI.com first wrote that the player was reconsidering the transfer.</p> On Monday night, UK announced that Legion would transfer. The announcement came hours after Gillispie spoke of trying to convince the player to stay.</p> “You always hate to lose a valued member of your program, and Alex was definitely that,” Gillispie said in the news release Monday night. “He has tremendous potential as a player and a student, but most importantly, he is a wonderful young man. We hate to see him leave, but if he can be happier elsewhere then all you can do is wish him the best.”</p> Legion had started twice and played in all six UK games. He averaged 6.7 points in 17-plus minutes per game.</p> In talking with reporters after his radio show, Gillispie noted that such mid-year transfers had never happened in his head coaching career.</p> “Hopefully it won’t happen now,” the UK coach added.</p> Whenever a player decides to transfer, speculation centers on playing time. Legion did not enter the game against North Carolina on Saturday until the 11:07 mark of the second half. That after fans chanted his name. Booes filled Rupp Arena when Gillispie took Legion out of the game 22 seconds later. But after giving him instruction, the UK coach returned Legion to the game at the 9:21 mark.</p> Legion played a season-low six minutes, and scored seven points against North Carolina.</p> His mother said playing time was not the problem. “It has nothing to do with basketball,” she said.</p> </div></p>
This feels like Joe Crawford a couple years ago. Whatever the case, it's no shock. Legion reneged on his comittment to UM, why should we be surprised by this? These top recruits are so pampered anymore, if they don't become the top option on their team from Day One, they want to transfer. Kentucky is loaded in the backcourt, and Legion knew that. So you have to hustle, play defense and rebound to earn playing time. If Legion thought he could play for a traditional power but not do the dirty work necessary to win games, he shouldn't have gone to play for Billy G in the first place.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Schaddy)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> This feels like Joe Crawford a couple years ago. Whatever the case, it's no shock. Legion reneged on his comittment to UM, why should we be surprised by this? These top recruits are so pampered anymore, if they don't become the top option on their team from Day One, they want to transfer. Kentucky is loaded in the backcourt, and Legion knew that. So you have to hustle, play defense and rebound to earn playing time. If Legion thought he could play for a traditional power but not do the dirty work necessary to win games, he shouldn't have gone to play for Billy G in the first place.</p> </div></p> You know, it's funny how similar this situation is to Crawford's. if I remember correctly Crawford's parents were upset and they left the night of the UNC game. Now, it seemed as if Legion's mom was behind the transfer talk...it seems like parent's meddling to me. Maybe Legion and Crawford both explained to thier parent's that they want to stick it out? I'm not sure what to think anymore because these kids change their minds like I do underwear. It just goes to even further prove my point that Coach Gillispie didn't deserve near the amount of criticism he was getting at the time the news broke...</p> </p>
Damn, I had forgotten about that Joe Crawford transfer debacle. If only hehad gone through with the transfer and played for Michigan State this season... </p>
Seems like he is back to leaving UK. Per a Detroit Paper</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Former Detroit Country Day standout Alex Legion is out at Kentucky.</p> And, Legion said, he never had second thoughts about returning to the Wildcats despite comments from coach Billy Gillispie.</p> "If you notice, there are no articles with me actually saying anything," Legion said. "Yeah, I did decide to transfer, but as far as me coming back, I have no idea how that came out. I never went to any paper or writer and told them I had any thoughts of coming back."</p> Legion said he's considering transferring to Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame and Arkansas. Legion gave the list to Kentucky, so officials know which schools are allowed to request his release for a transfer.</p> "Those are the only schools that can contact me," said Legion, who confirmed that Notre Dame is the only school that has offered a scholarship, requested and received his paperwork from Kentucky. "(Kentucky) has told me that this isn't like high school, where everyone can contact me. I give a list of schools to (Kentucky), and it's given to coach Gillispie (and he makes a decision about a transfer among those interested).</p> "I could have given a list of 10 schools, but that would have been pretty stupid."</div></p>
