SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Keith Kincade & Kent Dennis
Granted Releases From WVU--(Apr. 20, 2000)

A little over a week and a half ago, we reported that we'd received a call from Eli Essa, the boys' basketball head coach at Bell-Jeff in Burbank, informing us that he had spoken with Kent Dennis (6'-3" Fr. SG) and Keith Kincade (6'-5" Fr. SG/SF), both of whom attended West Virginia this past season.  Eli told us that both Kent and Keith had requested their releases from West Virginia University, and he also told us that the releases had been granted.

We were unable to reach either Keith or Kent that day to confirm the news with them, but since Eli is a usually reliable source, we went with the story anyway.   That was on April 9, 2000.

On April 10, 11 and 12,  we received a blizzard of e-mails from West Virginia University fans, who were really insistent about letting us know that not only were we wrong about Kent and Keith. . . why they were happy as clams. . . but they also wanted to warn us to never refer to WVU as the "University of West Virginia" again. . . or else. . 

Most of the e-mails were of the "You're evil, horrible, and deserve to be burned at the stake for reporting such blasephemy" variety.

Even some of the WVU fan websites and the local print media blasted us, as being premature and just plain wrong.  Of course one person posting on the WVU "Blue & Gold News Online" did remember that we had posted the news about both Keith and Kent's signings before even Dale Catlett had officially announced it last spring. . . but generally, everyone assumed that we were wrong for going with Eli's story. 

Except for one thing:  We weren't wrong.   Turns out that Eli Essa, Kent Dennis' former high school coach was a lot more reliable that Dave Hickman of the Charleston Gazette Online, who referred to our April 9 report in his April 11 newspaper column by writing: "An Internet site in Southern California even went so far on Monday as to report that the pair had gotten a release from their scholarships from WVU.  While that's not true. . . . " wrote Hickman.

Except for one thing:  It was true.

In fact, on April 13, the Charleston Gazette Online printed the following story, acknowledging the fact that Kincade and Dennis had asked for and been granted their releases: 

California pair will leave WVU Dennis, Kincade decide to transfer
Thursday April 13, 2000

By Dave Hickman
STAFF WRITER

MORGANTOWN - Keith Kincade was back in West Virginia's off-season conditioning class Wednesday. But neither he nor Kent Dennis is likely to be back on the Mountaineers' basketball roster next season. 

Kincade and Dennis, both freshmen from California who played sparingly last season, met with coach Gale Catlett Wednesday and asked to be released from their scholarships. And Catlett told both he would grant their wish. "They both said they wanted released and wanted to transfer,'' Catlett said Wednesday evening after meeting with the pair. "Keith Kincade said he wanted to play closer to home and I said that was fine. And Kent Dennis said he didn't think he fit into the basketball program here and was disappointed in the year he had and wanted to play closer to home. And I said that was fine, too.''

Dennis is a 6-foot-3 guard who played in 19 games last season, started two, averaged 11 minutes and 4.2 points per game. Kincade, a 6-5 wing player, played in 19 games, started four, averaged 12 minutes and 3.1 points.

Both came to West Virginia from suburban Los Angeles and Catlett said that distance was a factor in their desire to leave.   "Generally speaking, if you're unhappy one place you're going to be unhappy someplace else, too,'' Catlett said. "In this case I understand a little bit more because they're so far from home. They couldn't get back and forth and I think distance was a big deal. 

"A lot of times you transfer because you see the handwriting on the wall - whether they need you or don't need you, what you   can and can't do. And that's partly true in this case. But also I think that distance is a factor here, for sure.''

And, of course, neither played as much as they probably would have liked. Before the season began, Catlett had eyes on both as potential starters, but their playing time went up and down as the season progressed.

"I'm disappointed, too, they didn't play more because I thought they would,'' Catlett said. "But that's the way it is and I'll gladly help them any way I can. Now, if this was a 6-foot-10 superstar I might have a little different opinion.''

The NCAA's spring signing period began Wednesday and the departure of Dennis and Kincade opens up two more scholarships, raising the available number to three. Catlett's main focus is on finding a player to replace power forward Marcus Goree, but there are prospects at other positions on his list, as well.

"It doesn't change things much. Like I said, we always try to recruit a big guy, we always try to recruit an extra point guard, an extra wing player,'' Catlett said. "We've got people on our list [to try and recruit]. We've known for some time that this might occur.  I didn't think Dennis was coming back after Christmas because he was very homesick.'' 

BRIEFLY: Kincade was back in the conditioning program because it is a class and he needs the grade in order to transfer.

Despite the releases, both players will have to sit out a year if they transfer to another Division I school. Catlett got a transfer form Wednesday from Cal State-Northridge."

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