Well This Is Quite The Development: Khem Birch Interested In Gonzaga
by Max Mandel on Dec 29, 2011 10:13 AM PST
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PrintWhen it was announced that Khem Birch was transferring from Pittsburgh, of course my interest piqued. Birch is an extremely athletic PF that runs the court and plays excellent defense. He also happens to be Canadian, which is a huge selling point for Gonzaga given the success of Kevin Pangos and Kelly Olynyk. However, with no initial school list mentioned and the fact he played his high school basketball on the East Coast, I figured that this was not a player the Zags would be in the running for.
In his first extensive interview since transferring, Birch with spoke Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com about his reasons for leaving Pitt, as well as a list of schools he is interested in. This is the part that Gonzaga fans will certainly want to focus on:
Birch reiterated that he wants to go somewhere more up-tempo and a spot where he can develop his four-man skills. "I want to play more four," he said. "That's one of the main reasons I went to Pittsburgh in the first place. I know I don't have the four-man skills yet, but I want to develop them."
He said that several schools have expressed interest thus far. His early list includes Florida, UNLV, Gonzaga, Washington, Xavier and New Mexico State. Birch is close with fellow Canadian Kevin Pangos at Gonzaga and also developed a friendship with big man Sim Bhullar - who is at New Mexico State.
So what should Gonzaga fans make of this potentially exciting development? The first point is that Khem Birch would be the highest-rated recruit to ever put on a Gonzaga uniform. According to Rivals.com, Birch was the 9th ranked player in the country in the 2011 class. Prior to his transfer, Birch was starting at Pitt, which is evidence of the athleticism and talent he possesses.
In terms of the depth he could add to the roster, it seems pretty clear that there is an immediate fit for him in the rotation. Having Birch at GU would allow the coaching staff to use Kelly Olynyk in that 3/4 role that Austin Daye thrived in. While many of us want Kelly to use his size to play in the post, the reality is that his skill set is more perimeter-based. That would leave Sam Dower, Ryan Spangler and potentially Elias Harris for 1/2 of a season. None of those three are even adequate defensive players at this point. The second Birch arrived on campus, he would immediately become the best defensive big guy on the roster. The year off to work on his skill development with a guy like Donny Daniels would be invaluable for Birch.
The other point that is clear in the article, which I encourage everyone to read before they start casting stones at a kid for transferring (yes, people will still bash him for transferring), is that Birch wasn't comfortable with his surroundings at Pitt. One of the things that Gonzaga has done a great job building is a family atmosphere and chemistry throughout the program. For a kid looking for a change of scenery, and a closer relationship with coaches and teammates, it would seem that Gonzaga would fit. If he wants to play at a quick tempo and learn to play the PF position, then once again, Gonzaga fits his need.
It will be very interesting to continue to monitor this situation with Birch. The fact that his list has four schools on the Western half of the country is important to note, as it makes it clear that distance won't be an issue. Stay tuned for fruther deveopments on Birch and the interest from Gonzaga.
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Wont get my hopes up...
But It would be a great get! Obviously he has some big name programs after him, and I imagine more in the mix with time. There are multiple factors in his decision im sure and all these schools listed have there own strengths…does he want to play in a more prounounced conference, bigger school, weather…who knows whats going on in the mind when transferring….
Pangos is doing very very well, Sacre has had success, KO the verdict is still out…If Pangos is friends with this kid who knows what conversations if any that he has had with Khem about coming to GU, but I would love to have him!
Imagine the possibilities if we do have a shot and land him. Could vision a pretty sweet lineup!
JSH
Exactly
Khem would be a great get! Would love to land him. Hopefully KP can work on him to come. That would really add to my excitment for 2012 season!
Add Red Shirt KD as the fourth guard to the rotation with KP, GB, DS.
Thats a good guard, great forward, and a red shirt Junior 7 footer to add to the roster.
Go Zags
didn't consider it plausible....
so never really thought possible…..
not getting my hopes up…..yet.
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
Nobody is worried?
About a kid who played in a grand total of 10 games and bails on his team because he wants to play PF, and not C? So what are his priorities? Is he only concerned about going to the NBA? Is he a serious student? Seems pretty quick to just quit on coach and teammates.
Sometimes our fans just get carried away and will take any player at any cost, just to get to that elusive Final Four. Honestly, I would prefer that we just start Spanger next year.
And this is not a Micah Downs or Dan Dickau type transfer. Micah had a lot of faimly issues and Dickau stayed at UW for 2 years.
by SanJoseZag on Dec 29, 2011 12:00 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Let me guess...you know this kid..right?
I didn’t think so. But hell you don’t have to right…..you read an article by Seth Davis!
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
by mattydog73 on Dec 29, 2011 12:19 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Not worried...
…about an 18 yr old kid that knows he made a mistake about picking a school. He obviously wants to play next year and not have to sti out a whole year or he may have finished the year.
The reason I’m not worried is b/c the coaches will talk to this kid and find out whether he fits at Gonzaga or not.
I know only one thing about this kid…he has the talent to play at Gonzaga!
by suzag on Dec 29, 2011 12:21 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
He apparently didn't feel like he fit with the program
on or off the court, which I understand. It’s not like he was run out or had to leave because of discipline issues. Give him a break.
by CLT_ZagsFan on Dec 29, 2011 12:26 PM PST up reply actions
I don't tend to get worried about rumors
That is just me, though.
As for his personality, attitude as a student, desires for the NBA, etc…I will let Few and Co. do their due diligence if things progress with Khem.
So, no, not worried at all…because I have no bearing on his transfer.
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
by Zach Bell on Dec 29, 2011 12:40 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Tough decisions
From the GU perspective, I agree with Zach that the coaching staff should do a decent job of protecting the team and school from a head case. Just because he is a quick transfer doesn’t raise red flags about this kid’s character any more than it does about Poling, Gibbs, Arop, or even Micah Downs.
Did a quick read of current articles and didn’t find anything that looked to scary except perhaps abandoning his team in mid-season.
Interesting to see that Tony Bennett is having some transfers out of his Virginia program also. If the Virginia blogs are anything like this GU blog, they will get years of play out of these transfers.
San Jose is just looking at all the players who have flaked at GU
I mean, with only 2.5 years of eligibility, he PROBABLY won’t transfer again, but who knows?
and what about all the criminal elements of players Few has recruited? What if Khem is into mushrooms?
Geez, thanks San Jose, you are a real good fan for reminding us of the potential pitfalls of this “timebomb”,,, thanks for tempering our homerism so well!
Stupid NCAA rules are stupid
Guys transfer colleges all the time for various reasons from not liking the culture on campus to a bad break-up. There’s no indication he had a bad fight or arguments with the coach or teammates. I personally think its a bit ridiculous that the NCAA restricts movement in addition to making $$$ of the unpaid labor of college students.
I have been looking and can't seem to find
what class he is. Anybody know?
He would have 2.5 years at Gonzaga
or wherever he transfers to…same situation at Micah. He would be eligible for second semester next season, plus two years after that.
Final 4 or bust
Here
by SanJoseZag on Dec 29, 2011 12:06 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Its not my point.
It’s a discussion of kids who really could care less about going to school or getting an education. Its all about AAU, suspicious “prep” schools, changing high schools like changing socks, etc.
But I can see that most fans are completely blinded by the hope of getting an All American.
Wasn’t Theo Davis a top 25 recruit at one point? And didn’t he go to several high schools and a suspicious “prep school”?
And the whole “perfect fit for GU” stuff? Any school can say the same thing.
by SanJoseZag on Dec 29, 2011 3:47 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I have disagreements
I’m not sure any other school he is looking at, apart from maybe New Mexico St., can provide Birch with a person he is already comfortable with like Pangos. If bonding with his teammates was in fact an issue, then that is an important quality Gonzaga can offer.
I’m not going to argue with you about why kids choose certain schools, but it would be naive to think that most kids are choosing schools based on the education level. It should be the goal of every single Division I basketball player to play at the next level, and I will never hold it against a kid that does what he thinks is best to get there. Just like every regular student in college wants to be successful in his/her field. I wouldn’t hold it against any student if they transferred schools because another school offered a better chance to enter his/her field of choice, would you?
As for Theo Davis, of course certain recruits/transfers don’t work out. But for every Theo Davis, there is a Dan Dickau, Erroll Knight and Micah Downs.
Final 4 or bust
by Max Mandel on Dec 29, 2011 4:05 PM PST up reply actions 6 recs
Ding, ding, ding
This mentality that division one athletes should be banished for transferring schools because they feel it gives them a better chance at the next level is so absurd to me. If I went to a school and didn’t like the teachers in the field I wanted to be in and thought I would be better served somewhere else, it would be a total disservice to myself to not make a move. But, because someone’s gift is basketball and they want to do the same thing, he is vilified. That is why guys like Seth Davis drive me up the wall. His article is nothing but high-horse blathering with a few quotes from scorned coaches about supreme talents transferring schools.
There is no hint at any balanced reporting from Davis in the linked piece. The fact that he says something along the lines of “Birch ostensibly left to boost his NBA stock” is completely unfounded and even if it is true, why should he get lectured by a journalist??? God forbid a college kid wants to improve their stock for their future profession.
I don’t know a damn thing about Birch’s personality and have actually never heard him speak which is why it is always my fundamental belief to let us do the wondering and the staff do the diligence. I’m sure he will take a good look around and maybe the Zags are a pipe dream but I still can’t wrap my head around why I or any other Gonzaga fan should be ‘worried’ about a guy like Khem transferring.
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
by Zach Bell on Dec 29, 2011 4:22 PM PST up reply actions 5 recs
Right on Zach
Did you see Long Beach State dismantle Pitt? Don’t forget we dismantled Notre Dame (admittedly on our court) but ND killed Pitt. Is Wagner a household name? Let’s give the kid a break. Maybe he’s as mature as Pangos and sees Dixon and Pitt are not right for him. Pitt has all kinds of talent and there is no reason for Pitt to have three losses now. As our friend Hamlet would say, “There’s something queer in Denmark.”
The good news is whether he comes to GU or not is not the call of our urstwhile bloggers. It’s up to Birch and the coaching staff to reach an agreement on what’s best for the Zags and best for Birch. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but I vote for waiting to see and if he is close to Downs or Dickau why wouldn’t we trust the staff to make the call???
Burgess is still head and shoulders above any Zag since. Let’s win the conference and head to the big dance once again.
Norman L. Gillette
Yess
he would be the highest ranked recruit to ever play for Gonzaga. The fact that there’s a 5 year clock means that he’s not going to transfer again if he decides to play for us. This is definitely good news but i’m not getting my hopes up
Give the kid a break!
He was even remotely close to a Micah Downs talent, I’d lay out the red carpet considering he’s someone over 3’4" guards the Zags have been recruiting the past 3 years!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL
Bingo
Very true, Mike. Landing talents like Birch, Lavine and possibly Amedeo Della Valle could really position this program down the road and make up for the rash of recruiting misses from previous classes.
Final 4 or bust
So, Perhaps SANTA'S saving Zag fans best present for last...
I stopped believing in Santa after Calipari stole Wiltjer away, but if we land Khem Birch? I’m once again a believer!!~
Is there one Khem Birch in your gift bag for us Zag fans please Santa? I admit I have not been all that well behaved this year…but, I promise to make up for it next year!
Final 4 or Bust!!~
by gaz-tastic on Dec 29, 2011 4:39 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Pitt Fan's perspective
Look I am a lifelong Pitt fan and a current Gonzaga student so maybe I am bias against him. Having said that, I have a couple of thoughts.
First the bad I did not like the way he left, mid season. It tells me that he is not mentally tough, the kid made it through 10 where he was starting and doing well. Look I know hes still a teenager, but what kind of person simply quits on a team, Pitt really took a hit when he left, they have since had losses to Wagner and Notre Dame(who as we all witnessed earlier this season is having a down year) I watched every Pitt game he played in, he is a real talent, one of the best shot blockers I have seen and would be Gonzaga’s premier big man defender if he were to transfer.
Now the good.
Look don’t get me wrong, he is a talent. And let me tell you his interest in Pitt is real. He left Pitt because he didn’t have any friends there, He already has a friends at Gonzaga and Gonzaga’s team is made up of a much more diverse group of players than Pitt. Pitt is made widely of players from the east and really only one foreigner(Talib Zanna) and Honestly the pressure would not be as high at GU than as at Pitt.
In conclusion, I think he has some maturity issues to deal with, but really could be an excellent pickup for the Zags.
by Pittzag21 on Dec 29, 2011 5:07 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
Thanks for the post
Really good insight and I had the same take away from watching him a few times at Pitt. Very good motor for a freshman and he has jump out of the gym athleticism.
I am not surprised by maturity issues at his age, and really do think that a year to just focus on practice and his teammates could be the best thing to ever happen to him.
Final 4 or bust
Hey Max!
Don’t forget to peek in on the BYU/SMC game tonight on ESPN2. Might be on the BYU channel also
This is a great post
Please continue to stop by often!
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
Thanks for the insight
It’s interesting to get a Pitt fan’s take and find out more about what he likely didn’t like about Pitt. I love that you seem to think Gonzaga is a player!
A teenager with maturity issues? There's definitely something wrong with this kid.
Good post and good insight. I can’t help but think Birch just finally learned there is no other team that consistently underachieves with more talent than Pitt. Is it just me or has anybody else taken Pitt deep in their tourney brackets only to have the whole thing blow up in your face.
But seriously, how does a kid ever know if he made the right choice, until he’s there at the school playing for that team. I would feel a lot different about a kid transferring after two years at a school than after his first months playing.
by TGood '07 on Dec 30, 2011 8:05 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I actually have a "Pitt Rule" when picking my bracket
Figure out how far they should get and subtract two rounds.
The Georgetown Rule is similar, but you only subtract one round.
I usually fill out 2
One serious, and one gamble/what-if-Gonzaga-finally-does-it.
Best starting five for Gonzaga
Sacre-C
Harris-PF-
Edi-SF
Bell jr-SG
Pango-PG
this five could play and beat anyone in NCAA
Bulldog Bench (no particular order):
Stockton PG
Dower C
Hart- PF,SF
Carter SG,PG
Manninghoff SF
Spangler PF
these six could beat any team in the WCC
for next season we lose Sacre & Carter and we gain….?
gonzaga just might pass ucla in regular season titles
Dont forget
KD will be a rs frosh next year, so the backcourt will actually be better (probably).
I don’t agree with your first statement though; while the starters are very talented I wouldn’t consider them among the elite.
Our Bench couldn’t beat St. Mary’s the way they played tonight vs. BYU (no thread about that game?).
by Pyrrhuloxia on Dec 29, 2011 10:35 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
here is a thread starter...
Neither of those teams had or have any interest in playing defense.
The WCC refs sucked as usual.
BYU fans are busy blaming the refs for the arse-whopping they just got. Shocking.
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
Hate to tell ya...
But neither team beats SMC in their barn. Real Talk.
by Colorado Fan on Dec 30, 2011 10:28 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I REALLY hate to tell you...
…but the game St. Mary’s played last night against BYU indicates only that the Gaels outplayed a weaker team. Was a good win…at home.
We will see how they match up against a better Gonzaga team.
Khem
When I first saw Birch was transferring I said to myself “This is exactly the kind of player we need for next year, it’s a shame we won’t be able to land him.”
I guess I am mistaken. Obviously Khem is a long way from making a decision but the fact that the #9 recruit in the country is considering Gonzaga, has strong ties to one of its key players, and Gonzaga currently has 3 Canadians on the roster makes me very excited.
I can’t see inside Birch’s head, but I like our odds moving forward.
Once Upon a Time, there was an Indiana University recruit named Larry Bird.....
Bird, not one of the nation’s top recruits, from a tiny town in rural Indiana- French Lick, arrived in Bloomington, Indiana, totally a “duck out of water”, and rather quickly and abruptly left IU and returned home with no real prospects of even playing college basketball. After a time working as a sanitation officer (trash man), Bill Hodges, coach of Indiana State managed to talk Bird into returning to college in nearby Terre Haute. The rest as they say is history. I think I got the story somewhat right. What would we be saying about Larry as he flees the great Indiana Hoosiers and Bobby Knight if that was happening right now? How would we be assessing the character of Bird? How many of us would say that the kid would end up being a legend and arguably the most hard-nosed competitor in the history of the game.
If GU is ever going to reach the “promised land” it will be IMO because of a recruiting coup like this, or some unforeseen player development (like AMMO). John Wall and Carmelo Anthony aren’t coming to GU.
by MdZagFan on Dec 31, 2011 6:15 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
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