Now free, Setty looks forward to contributing

A year ago, Southern Illinois forward Treg Setty found himself at a crossroads. After a rough 8-23 season, his head coach, Chris Lowery, had been fired, and his team was left in shambles. Out of his element and hundreds of miles from home, Setty felt like he needed a change.

Terry Prather, The Ledger Independent

“I just didn’t like my situation there, personally,” said Setty of his freshman year at Southern Illinois. “I decided to find myself something else.”

Having graduated from Mason County High School in Maysville, Kentucky, Setty wasn’t used to losing. A powerhouse in a state known for basketball, Setty won a state championship his freshman year and was a key contributor for the majority of his high school career.

“My favorite memory is probably my junior year, when we won the regional championship,” said Setty. “If you win the regional championship, it’s a pretty big deal. I was a big part of it.”

WATCH: Another of Setty’s high school memories, an American Idol audition.

Despite playing poorly in the state tournament, Setty still caught the eye of Miami, OH, Ohio University, and Southern Illinois. Though he liked what Ohio had to offer, Setty fell in love with the Salukis.

“They were pretty good when I was growing up,” said Setty. “They made a lot of NCAA Tournaments and they went to a couple Sweet Sixteens. They were fresh on my mind.”

Hoping to keep his recruitment from becoming a distraction, Setty committed to Southern Illinois after his junior year.

“I felt like I needed to get something stable in my life that wasn’t changing. I wanted to get something solid,” said Setty. “I always felt like if I hadn’t committed so soon, I would’ve had more (offers) come my way.”

Setty arrived in Carbondale when many other Salukis were headed out the door. With many players transferring, he was forced into action quickly. While many freshman are granted a redshirt season to acclimate to Division I basketball, Setty was forced to learn on the fly.

“As a freshman, I don’t know if I should have been thrown into that situation,” said Setty. “I wasn’t as physically developed as I should have been.”

Though there were some bright spots, including a 20-point performance against Illinois State, Setty felt uncomfortable with his role on the team and the six hours between him and his family. But when he asked for a transfer, Southern Illinois told him no.

“I wasn’t doing my stuff in the classroom,” said Setty.

With a 2.5 GPA, Southern Illinois told Setty they couldn’t let him transfer for fear that they could face NCAA sanctions. The Academic Performance Rate, the test used by the NCAA to regulate graduation rates, requires transferring students to have a 2.6 GPA. Even though he was merely points away, he was stuck in Carbondale until he could get his grades up.

But Setty would catch a break. When CBS Sports’ Jeff Goodman caught wind of his story, he came to his aid. He made Setty the focus of a scathing article centered on the NCAA’s transfer restrictions. Within days, Setty’s predicament had become a national story.

“He tweeted #FreeTregSetty and it just blew up,” said Setty. “It was all over, it was on the news. It was crazy.”

While the article ultimately helped Setty find the right situation for him, he does have regrets about how the situation was handled.

“I wish it wouldn’t have happened like that, because I burned a lot of bridges at SIU doing that,” he said. “But in the end, it worked in my benefit because it gave me some notoriety, and helped me spread my name and my cause a little bit.”

Despie the publicity, Setty still needed to get his grades up in order to become eligible to transfer. Through hard work and determination, he was able to achieve a 3.0 in his final semester at SIU, which was enough to qualify.

“I earned it,” said Setty. “I was proud of myself for pushing through.”

While Setty was working hard to make it out of Carbondale, Ohio assistant coach Anthony Stewart was working hard to bring him to Athens. A former assistant coach at SIU who lost his job along with Lowery, he had recently been hired by new Ohio head coach Jim Christian.

“We figured our assistants might stay with SIU,” said Setty. “But our coaches got fired and we kind of lost contact with them. When I got my release I got a call from Coach Stew, I was surprised. I had no idea he came to OU.”

With Ohio already on Setty’s radar, it was easy to make the decision that he should have made two years earlier: he would become a Bobcat.

“I was thankful everything turned out great,” he said. “I was thankful to be able to get here.”

Ohio University Athletics

Because the NCAA requires transfer students to sit out a year before competing for their new team, Setty has yet to make his debut for the Bobcats. But he says that he has grown more in his year off than he has at any other point in his basketball career.

“I’ve learned to keep my head, keep my cool and just calm down a little bit,” he said. “I feel like once the season comes around next year I’ll be a lot more mature, at least a lot more than I was when I was a freshman or sophomore.”

When Setty finally sets foot on the court for Ohio, he will still be the youngest player on a very veteran Bobcat team. While that may mean taking a back seat, for Setty, that doesn’t bother him one bit.

“I think I’ll be a role player,” he says. “You know, take a charge here and there, grab some rebounds. When I’m out there, I just want to make some things happen.”

It is only a few months until he can finally step into that role. He’s counting down the days until he can finally cross that baseline and check into a game for the Ohio Bobcats. Only then will Treg Setty truly be free.

Weekend in review: 2013 MAC Tournament

With a NCAA Tournament birth on the line, the Ohio men’s basketball team traveled to Cleveland for the 2013 MAC Tournament. The reigning champions of the tournament, the Bobcats needed to win two games in as many days to guarantee a spot in the big dance. So I loaded up my old Audi and made the three hour trip to cover the games for Speakeasy Magazine. Here’s my weekend at a glance:

Friday, March 15, 8:30 p.m.

I am in awe of the view from my seat on the floor at “The Q.” I’ve covered dozens of games in my journalistic career, but none on a stage as big as this. The energy level in the arena is electric. Both teams in the early game, Akron and Kent State, are local favorites and both cheering sections are loud. Top-seeded Akron wins a close game, 62-59, by taking advantage of missed free throws by Kent State. If Ohio can hold off Western Michigan, they will face Akron tomorrow in the Championship.

Friday, March 15, 9 p.m.

Junior guard Nick Kellogg warms up before Ohio’s semi-final game with Western Michigan. In an earlier matchup with the Broncos, Kellogg hit only one of four three pointers and Ohio snuck out of Kalamazoo with a two point victory. The Bobcats would need more production from him on a bigger stage in order to fend off a tough Western squad.

Saturday, March 16, 12 a.m.

I had to make the most of this photo op in an empty Quicken Loans Arena after Ohio defeated Western Michigan 74-63. After leading by 17 at halftime, Ohio saw its lead dwindle to just two midway through the second half. Kellogg would hit three of his four three pointers, and finish with nine points. But more importantly was the leadership from senior point gaurd D.J. Cooper. His deep three pointer with 10 minutes remaining stopped Western Michigan’s run and sparked Ohio to a 26-17 run for the rest of the game. After the game, Cooper was excited to face Akron for the third time in the 2013 season. “It’s only right,” he said. “We love playing Akron.” But I had 18 hours to kill until game time. Time to check out C-Town.

Saturday, March 16, 12 p.m.

Ah, Cleveland. It may not be the prettiest city. It may not be the most exciting. But boy, do they know their food. And there is no better place to get a taste of Cleveland than at Westside Market. An institution in the city since 1840, the indoor/outdoor market features fresh produce, specialty butchers, and food vendors from all corners of the earth. Signs featuring words of all languages offer fresh pasta, gyros, perogies, and headcheese. Vendors in plainly decorated stalls shout to patrons offering specials and samples. I wish I could stay here all day and eat my way around the world, but my stomach can only handle so much.

Saturday, March 16, 12:30 p.m.

I settle on a Cleveland favorite: Frank’s Bratwurst. If you’re looking for variety, don’t come to Frank’s. Your options are limited to hard or soft roll, and with or without sauerkraut. After handing over my cash (no plastic taken here), I go with a crispy hard roll and smother my brat with kraut. But no sasauage in Cleveland is complete unless it is topped with Bertman’s Stadium Mustard. This spicy brown sauce has been a staple in Cleveland since it was served in old Municipal Stadium. While bratwurst is king in my hometown of Cincinnati, Frank’s may have stolen my heart.

Saturday, March 16, 5:30 p.m.

Unfortunately, my view for the MAC Championship game is less than stellar. I’ve been relegated to the upper level press section for tonight’s final, but I spy plenty of open seats court side on press row. Hopefully I’ll be able to sneak down there before tipoff. Both teams shoot around as tipoff looms in less than an hour. The last time these two teams took the court, Akron lead a stunning 18-point comeback in Athens as Ohio went ice cold in the second half. The Bobcats will need to stay hot and make outside shots if they want to go dancing.

Saturday, March 16, 6:00 p.m.

The Ohio student section is nearly full, and there’s still thirty minutes until tipoff. Even though “Fest Season” kicked off this weekend in Athens, hundreds of students traveled north for tonight’s championship game. Though Akron’s campus is a mere 45 minute drive from Cleveland, Quicken Loans arena would be split 50/50 between Zips and Bobcats. There would be no home court advantage for the hometown heroes.

Saturday, March 16, 9:00 p.m.

Blue and green confetti explodes from the cannons mounted on the side of The Q’s massive center court scoreboard. Akron’s head coach Keith Dambrot holds the MAC Championship trophy high above his head as his teammates surrond him. Lost in the hoopla, Ohio quietly returns to its locker room. There would be no NCAA Tournament for them this season. “It’s disappointing,” said senior forward Reggie Keely after the game. “We came out here to win a championship. We came to cement our legacy and we couldn’t get it done.” In one if their worst shooting performances of the season, Ohio would make only one three pointer in their 65-46 loss. Cooper, one of the most decorated point guards in program history, was held to just three points and no field goals. “I apologize to my teammates,” he said. “The ball didn’t fall how it usually does.”

Saturday, March 16, 9:10 p.m.

As his teammates cut down the nets, Demetrius Treadwell leaps over the press table and into the stands. His family is waiting for him. After a few long hugs, an Akron official calls for him. “Tree! We need you over here!” His family watches from the stands as he is named player of the tournament. Akron’s sophomore forward averaged 13.5 points and 11 rebounds throughout the tournament. Playing without floor general Alex Abreu, who was arrested for drug trafficking a week earlier, Akron was able to revise its offense and get the ball to its bigs. “I’m just happy we won and we’re moving on to the NCAA Tournament,” said Treadwell.

Saturday, March 16, 10:30 p.m.

Cleveland’s most iconic building gets the full Zip treatment as The Q clears out. Blue and gold floodlights at the top of the Terminal Tower announce Akron’s had third MAC Tournament victory in the last five seasons. With their sights set on the NCAA Tournament, coach Keith Dambrot was asked how far he thought his team would go. Dambrot said he hoped his team drew a good matchup, and he hoped that he wouldn’t have to face VCU and his former assistant Shaka Smart. As fate would have it, Akron would draw the Rams in the Tournament’s second round, and VCU trounced Akron 88-42.

As a consolation, Ohio was offered a birth in the NIT. While Cooper said he would cherish any opportunity to continue his senior season, the Bobcats would bow out in the first round with a 61-57 loss to Denver. The final week of Ohio’s most decorated senior class is one that many Bobcat fans hope to forget quickly.