Is Shaw Moving On?

So it looks like all those transfer rumors about Joey Shaw are about to become reality. Shaw, the 6-6 freshman guard who liked to shoot but never quite learned to appreciate Kelvin Sampson-style defense, is reportedly set to join the College of Southern Idaho. He would play at the junior college school for one year before transferring to another four-year school and would have two season of eligibility remaining.

Shaw was a reserve who averaged 4.5 points and shot 40 percent from three-point range last season. He had some impressive moments -- such as the 19 off-the-bench points he had against Purdue, the 16 points he had against Ohio State and the 14 points he had against Western Illinois.

Still, his erratic defense led to erratic playing time. He was basically a non-factor the last half of the Big Ten season and with a strong recruiting class coming in, led by guard Eric Gordon, that time could have diminished even more next season.

So, this Mike Davis recruit is moving on.

Shaw is the second Hoosier to transfer. Forward Xavier Keeling left earlier in the spring. Sampson used that scholarship to sign 6-8 forward DeAndre Thomas. The good news -- Thomas could be a real offensive load. The bad news -- Thomas seems far heavier than his listed 295 pounds. He's on campus now and will really have to buy into Sampson's conditioning program to get fit enough to play the kind of full-throttle defense Sampson demands.