Svoboda has decided to Transfer
 

Evan Daniels
‏Verified account @EvanDaniels
2m2 minutes ago

Dayton freshman forward Matej Svoboda is transferring, per a source. Svoboda is a native of the Czech Republic.

Good Luck Matej... One of the few that gave it his all unlike #20... Will be rooting for you!

I wonder if he is transferring or just leaving and going back home?

I'm a bit surprised and was hoping to see if he would develop next year. I wonder what type of school he could land at.

That 2 schollys to fill correct? His and XWs.

So far, yup

I am surprised, but Matej seemed like a good guy and I also wish him well.

So I'm looking at this with an optimistic lens as we've picked up 2 'ships from players that just could not or "would not" contribute anything to the past season. Go get 'em Coach Grant!

Good Luck Matej! I hope you find your spot.

Best wishes to Matej going forward. He was in a difficult position. He busted his tail.

That being said, we can use that scholly. The more new guys next year, the more the team psyche can leave this year in the dust.

Seemed like a good guy. Not sure what he ran into here was what he expected. Not sure we got what we expected either. I think this will be good for both parties. My guess is that Anthony had the end of the year talk with him and pointed out his game would have to improve significantly for him to see the floor next year. Wish him the best.

I'm going to guess this was like the Ralph Hill situation. AG has to have higher goals than foreseeing Svoboda gathering any kind of minutes in the future. Seriously, if we're going to improve and get back to anything resembling the success that we've had in AM's years, there's no way you can honestly tell this guy that there is playing time to be had as a Flyer in his future.

David Jablonski@DavidPJablonski
9m9 minutes ago
More
Matej Svoboda is leaving Dayton to return to Czech Republic, according to a source. He has a professional opportunity back home.

No surprise

@DavidPJablonski

Matej Svoboda is leaving Dayton to return to Czech Republic, according to a source. He has a professional opportunity back home.

John Bedell@JBedellWHIO
10m10 minutes ago
More
Just confirmed with a source that Matej Svoboda is leaving @DaytonMBB though he is not transferring. He’s headed home to the Czech Republic to play professionally.

I wouldn't have minded if he stuck around another year but I'm sure a year of competition over here helped his game.

He was gonna be a Euro pro anyway and now he can get started on earning a paycheck quicker

If he can make good money in Europe, there's a future in professional basketball for John Crosby too.

Seriously though, this is great news for the program. The sooner we can get AG's players in here the sooner his system gets to a point it can be evaluated. I'm not counting Kostas and Jordan Davis in this because I just don't see them holding AG's system back.

What does that do to academic progress? I hope he completes the term.

[QUOTE=Smitty10;544575]If he can make good money in Europe, there's a future in professional basketball for John Crosby too.



You Bad

I think that it does not affect the numbers at all, unless they are not in good academic standing. So if Mateg just abandons the current semester then it will affect the numbers, but if he finishes up, and is in good academic standing, then it won't.

These one and dones are ruining college basketball!😜

I wish Matej all the best and apppreciate his effort!
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Yeah, I was thinking same thing. He's the first Flyer that chose to turn pro after his freshman season.

Wooohooo. Best news since Xavier lost. He had defenders, can't fathom why as he was clearly the worst player on one of the worst teams in the conference. We need to cull the weak to get better. This is a great step in the right direction. Kudos to AG.
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Strong letter to follow.

We had guys who didn't get off the bench before walk-ons, but Matej was the worst? You cannot be serious, can you?

I think people will generally defend a guy who stays out of trouble and is perceived as a hard worker, and they should. I agree this could be good for the program depending on who his scholarship turns into, I also don’t mind recruiting over a kid. The coaches should always be trying to get better players. But I won’t celebrate and rip a kid on the way out when he did what he was supposed to while he was here. That’s not the UD I root for.

Is there any reason why a player who's planning on transferring or quitting wouldn't announce it by now? Just wondering why we haven't heard from Pierce yet, any chance he's staying?

Honestly, I think when he says worst, he's referring to his play not his work ethic which is why he got off the bench over others most people think. I mean, he certainly doesn't have the skill of XW, but due to attitude and other things, he got playing time and XW didn't. Good kid obviously, coach liked him enough to give him lots of minutes due to problems with others. But as a fans who watched him play, I and I'm guessing Maddog too, just don't think he brings anything worthwhile to the table to help UD win. Not ripping on him, just our own honest evaluation of his play.

Are you and Maddog an item?

Seriously: he couldn't score in his last five appearances!
He was last in fg%, last in minutes played, last in fg, a grand total of 25, made 2--two ft's, last in scoring average, not last in blocks!!! He had, count em ...2, way last in 3pt %, last in rebounds. His performance speaks for itself. He was horrible. Going pro, what a laugh. I'm amazed his withdrawal took so long.

Now we need Crosby to go. Unfortunately UMBC is probably not an option, he couldn't make that squad.

AG----Making the Flyers Great Again!
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Seriously, does the fact I agree with him for the first time really bother you that bad? Are you an item with all that have warm and fuzzies over Svoboda? The guy was a terrible player. Anyone who takes off their Flyers glasses can see that.

That's not really much of an insult. After watching them destroy Virginia and battle Kansas St. to the end, is there any reason to believe many on our roster could make that squad? We couldn't put together two respectable games all season, UMBC did it on the big stage against a 1 and 4 seed.

It makes me concerned that we have players with zero interest in getting a college degree. I get Kostas, he has family money. But Svoboda showed nothing to indicate he's gonna make a good living in pro ball, and throwing away an oppty to get a free degree from a very good American university while playing ball seems to me short sighted.

You seem to revel in finding negative attributes of certain players and amplifying them as much as possible, then you rinse a repeat.

If you have kids, I hope the world does not treat them the way you treat some of the players on our team.

I think what seems even more short sighted is turning down the opportunity to make a decent wage to support your girlfriend and 2 kids in your home country. Especially when the alternative is you ride the bench for three years making zero dollars in your prime, 1,000s of miles from your family.

If getting his name on a piece of paper is that important to him, he can do it over there.

I can only see 2 reasons for a lack of an announcement regarding Pierce:

1) If a certain upperclassman (who has since announced his intentions to transfer) was such a bad influence that it drove Pierce to act as he did, and Pierce was sufficiently humbled to the point of asking Coach Grant for another shot, I can see Grant as the kind of coach who might be willing to bring him back on a short leash. Or

2) Pierce's grades are at a point where no one can commit to anything until after the semester ends and final grades have been posted. I mean, what school would want to accept a transfer who's a 2nd semester freshman academically, but a sophomore eligibility-wise?

Are we here to talk basketball or sugar coat things to make our players feel good about their game? Svoboda was the worst player in my memory that got the minutes he did. He was AWFUL!!! Matter of fact, I don't think Svoboda will be shocked by this. Surely he has to know how bad he played. But I will admit, he's a better player than I am. OH NO, I just hurt my own feelings :(

Thanks for the effort, Matej. Best wishes to you and your family in the future. You're always a Flyer in my book.

#2 seems like a stretch. I mean, players don't usually wait until they have committed to another school to announce they're leaving the program. Well players that aren't already suspended like Sam Miller.

Coming from Europe we all expected Svoboda to score more and he struggled with his shots. But I was impressed the last third of the season he would come in and get a couple rebounds. It was clear he was trying to help his team win and find a way to contribute. Especially after this year, I respect that. We certainly didn’t get it from everyone on the roster this past year.

I’m happy for him that he is going home to pursue his career. I hope he enjoyed his time at UD and stays in touch with some Flyers and coaches. I only wish him the best. And I’m happy we have his scholarship to move this program forward. This looks like a win-win for everyone.

One important thing that has not been mentioned is that we don't know what occurred in practice. While some players may have not taken it as seriously as they should have Matej may have stood out hence he earned the playing time.

He may have been draining 3 pointers in practice! After watching his you tube videos they just don't play the tough, in your face defense in the Czech Republic and the play is not as physical as it is in the U.S. His game could not match the talent of the competition.

You can't fault him for his effort. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! I refuse to take shots at him now that he is gone! Both benefited. He gets to go back home to his family and the Flyers get another scholarship!

Not aware that he has a family he and his girlfriend are raising- that would change things. Absent that I disagree with your point. I work in a global Fortune 500 company and I see seldom see people passing up an oppty to get here. Perfecting his English, getting a degree that separates him from other eastern Europeans, making relationships here, and having a great foothold on obtaining a US work permit are advantages I sense he's not going to otherwise ever get. He could leverage that into a nice lifestyle back home.

I guess it all boils down to the fact none of us have really seen the BB skills that could be parlayed into a great living. But he's still a young man and I get that he sees the world quite differently than me.

An American degree means nothing when he can play over there...make a living for 15 years...then get involved in coaching and further his career. It's Europe....I've seen average DIII players make a living over there.

Family comes first and from many accounts over the course of the season, that was more important to him than appeasing UD fans. Good for him. It probably wasn't easy leaving them and it probably wasn't easy leaving UD.

Not really. Teams can only have so many Americans depending on the league(usually just 2 or 3)

Some of you have a very myopic view of the rest of the world. Stay here and earn a degree (what cause they don't have university in Europe?). Learn english (really do you speak Czech?). Earn money in the USA. There are other ways to make money beside here in the 'states'.

I hope none of you talking like this are liberal arts majors/graduates. It'll ruin what little faith I have remaining in that major already! :D

He is what 22? 24? Of all the things he had to contend with, being with a bunch of guys 2-4 years younger probably didn't help. Especially problem guys.

I wish him luck and hope he returns to his home country and has a wonderful life.

I hope he is successful and happy over there. I think he could have helped us in a year or two. Fundamentally he was sound but a little slow for the US game. I think his shooting became a mental thing as it looked like he had good form and had previously shot much better.

AG took the job last year with only one senior. Now he has an opportunity to bring in up to five recruits (I think I'm stating the obvious about Pierce). That is an opportunity to completely remake the roster in two years. For some posters, this means his window to be successful just got smaller.

The red/blue game is going to be interesting this year. It could include up to six new players and MikeSell returning.

And now he is leaving, voluntarily. What is the point of of the negative stuff? Take the win, keep it classy.

Still not ripping on him?

Gee, I don't remember you all being this understanding when Trent Meacham didn't honor his commitment? Don't tell me there's a big difference because there isn't. They both are moving on to what they thing are opportunities advantageous to themselves. So don't make him out to be a victim.

Oh wait, I see the difference, one was a good basketball player and the other, well, can I be honest with you? Stunk up the joint.

It’s easier for guys from Europe to make it in Europe (a certain number of players on a roster have to be citizens). Wouldn’t have minded to see him return but not a big loss. Was surprised how much he struggled from 3. He looked like a shooter. He was playing out of position.

EU passport, he can work anywhere in Europe. Americans get restricted as others mentioned

If you're recruiting guys from Europe you need real connections over, not sure if the previous staff had any

St. Mary's gets those guys from Australia because one of their assistants is from there

Red shirt, he could, maybe he straighten himself out.

I think they stayed at a Holiday Inn Express because they didn’ t see him play & neither did Grant he trusted Archie and YouTube.

Anxiously waiting to see who Grant pulls in. This is the time of the year where coaches call recruits from the locker room.

What????Are you saying there are countries that have laws and rules that protect jobs for their citizens over allowing unrestricted migration from legal aliens not to mention illegals? How can this discrimination be allowed?

Sorry I couldn’t resist this response......

One guy was an integral part at PG who, more importantly, left in mid June and the other in mid March. You able to guess which one was which and what the difference is?

I wish we got more from Svoboda, and with 3 years of eligibility left I think we would have seen good contributions from him eventually. But I don't think he was ever going to be a star for us, and to have success you need some stars. This gives another chance to find one.

Good for Svoboda. Better to get money the old fashioned honest way than under the table or in shoe boxes with the names of clothing companies on them.

If he truly is going back to his home, you have to wonder how long he really would have stayed at UD or was he just with us for some experience and playing before big crowds. My guess is with more playing time next year, he would have left after next year anyway.

I must have missed it but did XW already transfer or was he just run out of school by the messages and comments on these boards?

Good for him. Sad to see him go - but maybe this ends up being a win-win for everyone.

Good luck!

Also - one guy was 4,500 miles from home speaking his second language and adjusting to a new culture. He was also playing for a coach who didn't recruit him. Instead of leaving right away he gave it a shot - and it didn't work out. But yeah, it's the same thing.

I don't know I would call this a transfer. He is going PRO in Europe. Do we call the players leaving early for the Pro's transfers? I don't remember them being refereed to like that.

Wish Svoboda all the best. He put out effort, he struggled but was a team player and did what was asked of him.

XW announced on selection Sunday that he was transferring out of UD. Was he run out of school by the comments on this board? I doubt it, though they probably didn't help the matter. Either way, I hope it works out best for him, Svoboda and UD.

I guess I saw a different player from the one Smitty and Maddog saw play. I was disappointed with the inability to score but I saw a decent player in the other aspects of his game. His passing was on target, his movement on offensive sets was good, his defense was at least as good as anyone else on the team and his effort was 100% when he was on the floor. He had good size to play the 3 spot on this team. His defense against the VCU big man was better than anyone else who was assigned to guard him.

He ran himself off.

Does this mean Svoboda joins Johnny Davis as going pro early?

What I find interesting on this board is the line of thought that suggests when a player, like Svoboda, doesn't produce immediately, his scholarship should be taken away in the name of not settling for mediocrity.

Conversely, if things aren't great, for whatever the reason, and he decides to leave of his own accord, he isn't living up to his commitment.

An athletic scholarship is an agreement between the school and the player. Either side, within the confines of NCAA rules, can end it.

Svoboda finished the season and by all accounts, worked hard, was a good teammate, and did what was asked of him. He decided that it is best for him to leave UD. I don't understand why that has wadded up so many panties.

The fact that this is the 66th post on this "event" tells quite a bit about this past season.

I think we can technically say that UD is joining the ranks of the "one and done's".

I hope for the sake of the APR he finishes the semester

You must mean the 1st and 2nd time we played against him. The 3rd time our coach finally wised up and put Kostas in the game against him and he was pretty much shut down. 1st game Kostas was sick or hurt. 2nd game coach didn't play him for some unknown reason. 3rd game Kostas pretty much stopped him as much as he can be stopped.

You really care about the APR score? Like really? We can't get 2 road wins and APR score is your concern?

I know for all the white collar jobs I interview people for, I am literally just FIGHTING OFF Latinos who apply, like 70-100 at a time! :rolleyes:

Let's not pretend like illegals are out here taking mass amounts of decent jobs away from able bodied people.

Let's also save the political BS for Off Topic.

Bad APR can come back to bite the program

UConn got a postseason ban Ollie's first year there for it

Well said. I thought the same.

Not wanting to push the off topic stuff, but I have seen pipe fitting company, almost 100% illegal.

Don't worry-about-it. Both Smitty and Maddog can't live up to their own standards either .... of course at my age ... neither can I, but I don't give a flip :eek:

I was hoping forever that this would be a politics free zone

So, what was his motivation for leaving, all I heard was he had a chance to play pro in Europe. THAT IS ALL I HEARD. I didn't hear that he was uncomfortable in the US, playing for AG, and communicating. No, all I heard was he was leaving to make money. So don't fill this with nonexistent evidence of culture shock and some trooper who sacrificed his way through some torturous 9 months at UD. It's garbage. You like him because his leaving doesn't hurt the program. PERIOD. And the reason it doesn't hurt the program is because he sucked. PERIOD.

Just wait to see the reaction if someone else decided to leave the program in one form or another.

I had actually posted a while back about how it's not uncommon for European players to have a slower development in the NCAA than their American counterparts. I used the kid at Kansas (whose name I won't try to spell - so I will use his initials SM) as an example. As freshmen they both played about 11 minutes per game. SM shot 33% from inside the arc, 29% from 3 and averaged 2.8 points per game.

Svoboda shot 52% from inside the arc, 20% from 3, and averaged 2.2 points per game.

SM, as a senior, is shooting 42% from 2, 45% from 3 and is the 2nd leading scorer on the team (15 ppg).

If Svoboda developed into half that player he would help this program greatly. PERIOD.

So don't try to tell me why I am or am not happy for him. I think it is a loss for this program. But I also think his circumstances are different than most and I wish him well.

Moving half a world away from everything you know isn't easy.

I wish him good luck. You can feel free to be bitter.

LMAO. Yeah, Svoboda put up those whopping stats up against the likes of Akron, Richmond, GM, etc... Without looking it up, I'm going to guess that SM played against a heck of a lot better competition than our bum did. And of course because a european for the Kansas Jayhawks improved exponentially that means our european would do the same. Because all players from the same continent are all the same. :rolleyes:

He left to make money. That's all that's out there. You can speculate all you want but the fact is, that's all we know. I speculate that Trent Meacham got beat up by the rest of the team every day after practice. I speculate the coach whipped him unmercifully every day. I speculate that coming from Champaign, IL to a crime infested hellhole like Dayton was just too much culture shock for him. Trent Meacham was a trooper who stuck it out for a season. Svoboda on the other hand was a European looking for a free ride adventure in the US before leaving to satisfy his evil greed.

See how that works?

Oh by the way, great comparison, SM had just turned 17 years old when his freshman season started. Svoboda was/is 21. Do you see the problem with your comparison? I'm guessing you don't.

Smitty10 so you known Svoboda mindset, well I see you as a person who comes on here to satisfy your evil need.

See I can guess as to motives too.

Nowhere did I claim to know his mindset, that was MNfats. I base my opinion on what was reported. I also base on what I do know and that was that he was awful on the court yet I'm getting people like you with your mob mentality accusing me of speculating.

This site is really becoming entertaining rather than factual. Everyone of you saw this hot mess on the court and are now rewriting recent history. Same as you have done with the Archie Miller years. Ooops, was I allowed to mention the man who carried UD to it most successful 4 year period before leaving for a better opportunity or is that forbidden because he's no longer a UD coach? However some bum from another country comes here and plays the worst basketball for one season anyone in a Flyer uniform has played in the past 7 seasons and leaves, and he's worshipped.

I used to like this site for good basketball talk, now it's pure fictional entertainment.

I found out who Smitty10 really is: :D

https://i.redd.it/fnlyifjhgv701.jpg

You like this site so you can sit behind your keyboard and stir the pot.

You said earlier you saw no difference between Meachum and Svboda. Posters point out two very specific things and you completely ignore the most important difference (the timing) and belittle the second cultural, language, distance differences. I'd add a third: there was a sense, right or wrong, that Meachum was just auditioning at UD and he went into his one season with UD with the sole intent of showing off his skills to get the Illinois scholarship.

I still think there was a chance Matej could have done something for us down the line.

Even if a player here isn't great I don't see the point of bagging on them. Even X and Pierce or guys that have done stupid stuff I think you just hope they get their lives straightened out. They're college kids who come from who knows that type of a background.

So now you have called him terrible, awful, and "some bum from another country." (And I may have missed a couple.) Still not ripping on him? (You don't seem to be a very happy person.)

Smitty and maddog like to act tough behind their keyboard. Neither would say sh!t to Svoboda's face. I don't understand the anger and hostility towards this kid. You would think that both have never seen a freshman struggle in their first year of D1 basketball. Have a stiff drink and let it go or do you enjoy acting like miserable, angry people?

Those defending Svoboda are likely the same that have backed Crosby every year. They are never wrong because they speculate on future development despite all the evidence to the contrary. Seemingly we could justify keeping anyone based on "development". Glad AG isn't buying the on the come. Rather he's trying to improve our team by rooting out the weak, like any good executive or coach would do. I think he's likely a better evaluator of a players future potential than us, although when a guy is slow, or can't shoot, or defend, or hold on to the ball, or all of the above; these are major clues.

I just have to say this...
 

My 1st post on this site years ago was a new thread about listing the former players that we wish would have stayed in the bench. I was ripped to shreds about it and it was so bad that I asked the mods to remove the post in the interest of decorum and the possibility that recruits would read this and become dissuaded from signing with UD.

That was tame compared with the nastiness some of you people are spewing against kids that are still kids...not former players who have become grown men.

What the he'll is wrong with you people? We have a bad season and you lose your **** about every little thing you don't like about the coach, players, the schedule, etc.
Nothing is off limits. Home life, grades, personalities...God forbid these guys fail to live up to your life standards. And this is before they even step on the court. And woe be to them if they don't come out and play up to what you have set their potential to be.

But you'll say, "I pay this money and they get a scholarship so they are fair game." I call Bull****. Their lives are not fair game. Only their play. But holy crap, it doesn't have to go this far. "This player didn't play as well as we hoped," is a fair criticism. But he's the worst POS that ever wasted a scholarship is not the way for fans to talk about young people who are playing a game.

Some of the things you are saying if it was to the father or families of these players, in front of them...well, you wouldn't say it to their face.

There were even some of you who were just ridiculous towards Big Steve when he was having trouble with his classes. Some of the things you said, you wouldn't admit to now that he's passed. But I doubt you'd even feel remorse since he was a ball player who you paid for to get a scholarship.

This **** just has to stop. Grow up and stop calling out young men for not being perfect. As fans, watching this team is supposed to be something we do for fun and an escape from the day to day stresses we all go through.

I'm sure some of you keyboard vigilantes will light my ass up for calling you to the floor on this, but I'd say the same thing to you in person.

See you all next season...I'll be the one in 302 smiling and having a good time.

See, it doesn't take a psychiatrist to figure out what's going on here.

1. AG is an alumni, therefore in the eyes of you and your fellow mob, AG only loses due to legitimate excuses and is always right.

2. AG disciplined players that have proven in the past that they can contribute. Those players must be bad, very bad human beings.

3. AG played Svoboda so therefore Svoboda is good, Svoboda is great, Svoboda is a saint. Because even though he can't put a basketball into a hoop, he is liked by the alumni coach who only loses due to circumstances outside his control. And therefore he's a great ball player who would've carried this team to heights we've never seen. So while people with objective opinions can see his ceiling is below a Bobby Wehrli, the AG apologists see another Devin Oliver.

Most of us, as you wrongly assume aren't defending Svoboda's play this past season. However, the issue is your personal attacks on a Czech college kid that had a rough freshman season. Once again, he's not the first freshman to struggle in their first year. Give it a rest, tough guy!

I just hope all these people defending Svoboda were also defending Crosby, but I doubt it because I only remember myself and a few others.

I have to admit Maddog is consistent and right on both players, while I was wrong about Crosby.

They're giving Svoboda a heck of a lot more love than Baby D. got his whole time here.

You must be "mad", dog.

Wow...I apologize for wishing him good luck. I didn't mean it and I hope his basketball career fails miserably. I also hope he gets popcorn stuck in his teeth and it takes days to get out.

Happy?

For real though...Good Luck Svoboda!!!

I noticed the way you skipped over my post Smitty. Just ignore when you really don't have a response...not the first time either!

Wow jack really...this thread is about Svoboda going home, did I miss something. Did Crosby decide to leave toi.

Svoboda got plenty of flack from posters all year, not sure where you were just as Crosby did. So not sure where you can say people are defending Svoboda and trashing crosby.

And the notion that trent mecham and Svoboda are comparable is a joke. Both were here for one year. Trent at the 11th hour while Svoboda has given ample time to AG.

When crosby decides to stay or leave then we can compare the two, but until then this thread is about Svoboda decision to return home to take care of family.

I am sure Svoboda talked to AG and considered his best options. As I am sure AG was open and honest with him.

AG will do the same with all remain players.

Miserabledog07...