Jon Octeus sets the record straight on leaving CSU for UCLA
Jon Octeus knows exactly how it looks.
He was the leader of the CSU basketball team. He was coach Larry Eustachy's first recruit. He was going to be a star on a team set to contend for the Mountain West championship. And now he's passing it all up to play his senior year at UCLA, trying to bring the Bruins a Pacific-12 crown.
It looks selfish, as if Octeus used his two seasons at Colorado State University as a stepping stone to a more prominent program.
Looks aren't deceiving. It's exactly what Octeus is doing.
"Leaving CSU was something I had on my mind since the season ended. You look around the country and you see a lot of guys who transfer after graduating, so I talked to my mom and those close to me. It came down to putting me in the best position to accomplish the goals that I set out for myself," Octeus said. "I do want to play at the highest level. I do want to play professionally and need to give myself the best opportunity to do so.
"No matter how you look at it, it seems like a selfish decision, and I acknowledge that, but I wanted to make sure I had the best chance to accomplish the goals I set for myself after high school."
UCLA should be able to provide that opportunity, given the Bruins' desperate need for an experienced guard after having three selected in the first round of the NBA draft last month. Octeus said conversations he had with UCLA coach Steve Alford indicate he'll be the starter there next season.
Octeus thought UCLA (and the other finalists for his services, Cincinnati and Missouri) would give him more national exposure than sticking around Fort Collins. It was, as he called it, "a business decision."
There were no hard feelings between him and CSU — he's working on athletic director Jack Graham's ranch this summer to help pay his moving expenses to Los Angeles. Strained relationships with coaches and teammates didn't play a factor and, no matter what anyone says, his decision to leave the Rams had absolutely nothing to do with intense teaching methods Eustachy uses during practices.
"You know, I've heard that a lot," Octeus said. "That I left CSU because of coach Eustachy, but I've been the first guy to defend the way he treats us. Any complaints about how he treated us didn't come from inside the locker room, I know that. The whole thing about coach coaching us too hard upset me because, if I'm a parent, I want my kid to be coached hard.
"People are trying to make that as a reason we weren't as successful last year. He coached that hard when we had those six seniors here and nobody complained about how hard he coaches. But we go 16-16 and all of the sudden coach is coaching too hard."
Seeing a guy leave CSU for a better playing opportunity is common. David Cohn left the Rams this offseason for William & Mary, and Dwight Smith will play for Northern Colorado. Before them, there was Mo Wiltz (SIU-Edwardsville), Chad Calcaterra (Western Nebraska/North Dakota) and countless others leaving Fort Collins for smaller schools. But to see someone jet for a major program is new territory.
Transferring with one remaining year of eligibility isn't rare in college basketball. This year, of the 574 players on ESPN.com's list of those leaving their school early, 53 are graduating and will be immediately eligible to play elsewhere — 54 including Octeus, who'll earn his degree this summer but wasn't included on the site.
CSU small forward Stanton Kidd is familiar with Octeus' situation. Beyond their friendship off the court, Kidd was in a similar place a year ago when he decided to leave North Carolina Central to play one season with the Rams. Much of the choice had to do with him feeling he should play a bigger role as a face-up shooter and ball handler rather than in the post, but it also came down to exposure.
Kidd was one of the Eagles' top players as a junior in 2012-13, averaging 14.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and lighting it up against Wichita State and Marquette. But in order to gain better exposure to help him reach the NBA, he left the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the Mountain West.
"I mean, it's UCLA, the PAC-12. We all saw the draft this year and how (three) of their guys got selected. It's a good level of basketball. I'm not going to say it's better than the Mountain West, but they have produced a lot of NBA players." said Kidd, who was required by the NCAA to sit out last season. "But you know, the Mountain West has too, with Kawhi Leonard, (Cameron) Bairstow, Jamaal Franklin and Xavier Thames and obviously the No. 1 draft pick, Anthony Bennett.
"Exposure is good, but it's not all about where you go, it's about what you do when you get there. I could come in this year and stink it up. Not saying that will happen, but you know?"
Octeus does. He's aware of the risk in leaving CSU, especially with the successful season it's expected to have in 2014-15, and that he has major shoes to fill at UCLA. But he's more than confident in the move. He's heading in without any fear of failure, because the defense-first mentality Eustachy instilled in him mixed with the offensive-minded coaching of Alford will blend perfectly for one final year of college basketball.
"It comes down to being kind of a selfish decision. I know that. But it was hard, especially because I liked CSU. I respected everyone out there and appreciated all of the love I got from the CSU fans," Octeus said. "I just ask people to put themselves in my shoes, would they do the same thing? Some people would say they wouldn't, but it's all about choice and opportunity, and I decided to take advantage."
Follow reporter Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.