Ralph Baer writes:
> Jayson posted a message last week that RPI recruit Tom Buckley has
> decided to play junior hockey instead of playing at RPI.
{snip}
> Another thought.  What is the most likely thing that will happen to
> Buckley's scholarship (assuming that he had one)?  Will it be offered
> to someone out there who is not currently planning to play for RPI
> (seems quite late for that), will it be given to a walkon currently on
> the team (Jeff Mathews comes to mind), or will it remain vacant for a
> year?
 
I imagine the coach could do any of the above.  It's pretty much the same thing
when a player suddenly decides to turn pro before his senior year, like Craig
Johnson just did.  Woog knew this was likely in this case and had promised that
scholarship to incoming frosh Casey Hankinson if Craig left.  In the past he has
divided suddenly available scholarship money among walk-ons and players with
partial scholarships (of which there MUST be a few, with the NC$$ limit of 18
scholarships) and I think this is the most likely thing to do.  Of course, a
coach may decide not to use the scholarship because he's going to need it for a
big recruiting class the next year and doesn't want the money committed to
someone else...  But with tuition like RPI's must be these days, I think it
might be a little hard to justify leaving it vacant when you probably have
players with partial rides suiting up every night.
 
Pam Sweeney                            Go Gophers!!!
[log in to unmask]      1993 & 1994 WCHA Playoff Champions!!!
                                  1994 NC$$ PHinal PHour!!!
                                        Ski-U-Mah!!!