This year, although young, has already sent two men to New Orleans to endure one of the most challenging tests in all of sports: taking over as a head coach for a struggling team.
Like his football counterpart Willie Fritz, Mike Dunleavy, Sr. just recently became the head man for Tulane’s basketball team and, also like Fritz, he must now absorb the transfer of one of his players.
Earlier this offseason, sophomore Dylan Osetkowski announced his transfer from Tulane. It didn’t take long for guard Kajon Mack to follow suit. Last week Mack declared his wish to graduate from Tulane in May and play out his senior year elsewhere.
If he successfully graduates next month and is able to find a graduate program that Tulane doesn’t offer, then Mack won’t need to suffer the transfer penalty of one-year ineligibility to play.
With the loss of the junior, the Green Wave also lose speed and height. Mack, measuring 6-foot-3, had a knack for quickly getting up and down the court; a quality that Tulane will undoubtedly miss next season.
However, the news here isn’t all bad. Mack’s departure will make it so the Wave now has two scholarship openings for their basketball team. Also, he only played in five games last year while trying to overcome injuries.
Wherever he ends up, Mack will try to put a respectable finish on a career that was riddled with health issues, keeping him on the bench for much of the time. With the Wave, he only recorded nine total blocks, 17 three-pointers and a 40.8 field goal percentage.
That being said, Mack still did contribute to the team. In his first two seasons (excluding 2013-14 when he took a redshirt due to health issues) he played 60 games. In 2014-15, he put up 72 rebounds and in 2012-13 he notched 77 points.
Is losing Mack a backbreaker? No. Nevertheless, if Tulane can’t get the right signees to commit, then his departure will still be noticeable. Throw in Osetkowski’s departure and Dunleavy has himself a bit of conundrum.
In order to fix this problem (along with the loss of Osetkowski), Dunleavy and his staff will need to use their recruiting period to attract the right kids to fill those shoes. Someone with speed will do the job (at least partly) of replacing Kajon Mack. Yet, whoever this newcomer is must also have the patience to spend a fair share of time on the bench as Mack had trouble breaking into the starting five while with Tulane.
Again, though, there is no reason for Wave fans to worry too much. The former NBA coach is no stranger to losing of one of his players and will almost-certainly find a suitable replacement. Still, Mack’s parting ways with Tulane is a nice little “welcome to college basketball” for Dunleavy.
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