Johnny Coy of St. Joseph (Mo.) will visit Wichita State for Monday’s basketball game against North Dakota. He is a two-sport athlete (also baseball) who attended Arizona State this fall. He is leaving ASU to transfer closer to home, largely because of his father’s health. Coy’s story is explained here in his hometown newspaper.
Coy (6-foot-7, 205 pounds) said he will talk to both coaching staffs on Monday. All of his contact to this point has been with the basketball staff. He would be on a basketball scholarship and walk-on to the baseball team. Coy is no baseball wanna-be – the Phillies drafted him in the seventh round last spring as a third baseman.
Coy said former WSU coach Mark Turgeon and assistant Mike Rohn were two of the first coaches to recruit Coy out of high school. Coy visited WSU for the 2007 Bracket Buster game against Appalachian State (then zipped up to Omaha for Creighton’s BB game later that night).He was serious about WSU then, and committed to ASU about the time Turgeon departed for Texas A&M.
WSU coach Gregg Marshall is working fast with Coy.
“I’m starting to like him a lot,” Coy said. “He’s got a lot of passion. I can’t wait to meet him.”
Coy wants to stay close to home. He is also considering Drake.Drake’s lack of baseball team is not a deal-breaker. Coy said he could play in a summer league if he chooses Drake. Creighton recruited him hard out of Benton High School two years ago, but Coy said the Bluejays are not as much in the picture this time around.
Drake coach Mark Phelps recruited Coy to Arizona State.
“He was the first guy that called me,” Coy said. “Me and him already have a great relationship.”
Coy is good friends with WSU freshman Garrett Stutz. He quizzed Stutz about the players, coaches and atmosphere on the team.
“That’s definitely a plus,” Coy said. “Everything (Marshall) told me, I asked about and he said it was completely true.”
Coy wants to choose a school and enroll next semester. He redshirted at ASU this season, so he retains four seasons of eligibility. Under normal circumstances, he would be eligible at the end of the fall semester in 2009. Because of his father’s situation, Coy’s school could file a waiver with the NCAA requesting eligibility for the entire season.
3 Comments
I know college baseball does some weird stuff as far as transfers and eligibility. The question I have is if he does transfer to WSU for the Spring Semester, could he play baseball this spring?
At first I was told he would have to sit out for baseball. However, he may be able to apply for a waiver, based on his transferring from ASU because of his father’s illness, and be eligible this spring. I don’t know how likely that is at this point. But I guess it is a possibility to consider.
Update on Johnny Coy as of 12/27/08,hope he goes to WSU.