Official 2009-10 College Basketball Thread

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

He didn't just verbal, he held a news conference to announce his decision and presumably sign his LOI. To me, at that point you lay off the kid unless he himself initiates a conversation saying "Coach, I know I verballed to school X, but I'm having second thoughts..."

The reports coming out from the weekend are saying the Cal was calling everyone he knew that was at the press conference and asking them to put him on with Jones - his parents, his coach, the school's AD...

Seems like kindof a bitch move to me. If you have a giant press coneference and announce where you're going, that should be it. End of story.

SI

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Seems like kindof a bitch move to me. If you have a giant press coneference and announce where you're going, that should be it. End of story.

SI

In all fairness, Jones should be taking some of the hit as well. Though I hate to say that about any young man making an important life changing decision. In hindsight, he would have been better off canceling his press conference if he was still undecided as it seems he is.

I've heard the same rumors as Dawgfan that Calipari called people close to Jones to either contact him or change his mind. No idea if those rumors are true.

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Yikes.

Kentucky basketball players have trouble making the grade(s) - Game On!: Covering the Latest Sports News

I just hope that the NCAA starts taking a closer look at the one and done rule. I know supposedly that's not the only issue for the grades, but it's definitely one of them.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

I just hope that the NCAA starts taking a closer look at the one and done rule. I know supposedly that's not the only issue for the grades, but it's definitely one of them.

That was just for the fall semester; if you give all the players that are going pro (and not going to class anymore) F's in their classes the final team GPA would have to end up somewhere around a 1.00 for the year.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

So are you suggesting that Mike Anderson directly calls a player after they've given a verbal to another school? The guys I've talked to have said most of the time the coaches back off after a verbal, but will still keep in indirect contact either with the high school or AAU coach just to see if anything has changed.

Absolutely. They usually don't call them while the kid is at the ceremony (that honor is reserved for Calipari), but there's no question that any coaching staff worth a lick usually contacts recruits who verbal to other schools within 24-48 hours. You're presenting a recruiting utopia that simply does not exist in college basketball at the major conference level.

[Logan]

Yeah, I'll agree with MBBF here. I follow a lesser program that has the pleasure of being in the toughest conference, and that presents the sort of pressure where you always need to recruit a kid. While I don't know if other schools go as far as Calipari did (playing up the whole "you disappointed thousands" angle), but it happens. You may not hear about it a ton in basketball because of the early signing period which allows players to cut off their recruitment.

It's a part of why football coaches are pushing hard to get something similar in that sport, and to me, the only reason it hasn't happened yet is because football recruiting is a bigger business and the recruiting services significantly benefit when more high profile players are in play later on. There are some kids who verbal but make it known they are still looking around, there are some who verbal and say nothing, and sometimes you get kids who verbal and make it clear to other coaches that they have no interest in still being recruited. From what I've seen with some early Rutgers verbals, most football coaches seem to respect that last approach.

[Logan]

And in related news, Mike Rice is leaving Robert Morris to take the Rutgers job. Pretty happy with the hire.

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Absolutely. They usually don't call them while the kid is at the ceremony (that honor is reserved for Calipari), but there's no question that any coaching staff worth a lick usually contacts recruits who verbal to other schools within 24-48 hours. You're presenting a recruiting utopia that simply does not exist in college basketball at the major conference level.

Here's an article from bleacherreport that talks about the Eric Gordon situation (verbal to Illinois, but was then recruited by Sampson to Indiana). Basically it talks about the ethics in coaching and even suggests other coaches (Wainwright, Cronin, and Izzo) weren't too keen on a coach recruiting a player who had given a verbal commitment.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...bal-commitment

Does it happen? I'm sure it does though I don't believe it's the norm as it is in football. Again, it's an ethical decision.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

To me, at that point you lay off the kid...

Sure, but you have ethics and character, and thus would be a spectacular failure in college basketball recruiting.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Samdari

Sure, but you have ethics and character, and thus would be a spectacular failure in college basketball recruiting.

And here's the rich part - Cal claims he doesn't recruit players after they've committed to another school:

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1080956

Oh really? So that wasn't you on the phone with Terrence Jones just minutes after he committed to Washington at his press conference in front of his family, friends, High School classmates and thousands more that watched via the web? You had nothing to do with Jones deciding not to sign his LOI and re-thinking his commitment to Washington?

[RainMaker]

Kentuck isn't really a college program. It's more semi-pro. The guys aren't really part of the school, just 1-year mercenaries. I understand alumni want to win, but that has to kill some of the fun from it.

[RedKingGold]

You overestimate alumni.

[DeToxRox]

Yahoo is reporting Calipari may have interest in the Bulls job. I wonder if he finally was fed up and wanted to go coach somewhere where he made roughly the same amount as the players?

[RedKingGold]

Nick Saban will not be Memphis's next head coach.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Yahoo is reporting Calipari may have interest in the Bulls job. I wonder if he finally was fed up and wanted to go coach somewhere where he made roughly the same amount as the players?

Please no.

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by RedKingGold

You overestimate alumni.

I'm with RedKingGold. I've seen Memphis and Kentucky fans do a complete 180 on Calipari since he left Memphis for Kentucky. Kentucky fans used to believe Calipari was a slimeball and Memphis fans adored him. Now it's exactly opposite for both fan bases. Every fan base will turn a blind eye to a successful coach.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

And the plot thickens.......

Terrence Jones just decommited from Washington.

Aren't you glad that your job security doesn't rely on the whims of 17-18 year old kids?

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

Every fan base will turn a blind eye to a successful coach.

I dunno. I thought Kelvin Sampson was a slimeball from Day 1 at IU.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

And the plot thickens.......

Terrence Jones just decommited from Washington.

Aren't you glad that your job security doesn't rely on the whims of 17-18 year old kids?

Link?

From everything I've read, there's been no real news since the aftermath of his news conference, which is he publicly picked UW but has yet to sign and send in his LOI, and has made no public statements since then. Indications are he's wavering between Washington & Kentucky, but his H.S. coach and reportedly his family still think he'll end up at Washington.

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I dunno. I thought Kelvin Sampson was a slimeball from Day 1 at IU.

You're a good man/alien Kodos.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Link?

From everything I've read, there's been no real news since the aftermath of his news conference, which is he publicly picked UW but has yet to sign and send in his LOI, and has made no public statements since then. Indications are he's wavering between Washington & Kentucky, but his H.S. coach and reportedly his family still think he'll end up at Washington.

Terrence Jones has Decommitted from Washington:Updated

Various attributions & quotes there but this one covers what you're looking for if it's accurate
Rivals.com's Jerry Meyer finally got direct quote from Terrence Jones on his status: "I'm still not sure yet who I'm going to sign with." 5 minutes ago via web

[JonInMiddleGA]

I wonder if Jones could go with Coach Cal to the Bulls?

[RainMaker]

How much is Kentucky offering for Jones?

[MJ4H]

Rumor is Pelphrey's job will be safe no matter the outcome next year, even, if he manages to land 2 of the 3 big in-state recruits this year:

Aaron Ross
Ky Madden
Hunter Mickelson

Our in-state class is stacked next year, and these are all 3 big time guys that we will be wanting.

Aaron Ross has been commited for awhile. Today, Hunter Mickelson committed. Hello John Pelphrey for the forseeable future.

It's great that we have an infusion of talent, but holy crap our athletic director is starting to piss me off*

*to be fair, this is only rumor, but it comes from someone I trust (he was saying the exact same thing I was in our previous little scuttle I talked about on this board--his source is solid).

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Terrence Jones has Decommitted from Washington:Updated

Various attributions & quotes there but this one covers what you're looking for if it's accurate
Rivals.com's Jerry Meyer finally got direct quote from Terrence Jones on his status: "I'm still not sure yet who I'm going to sign with." 5 minutes ago via web

Here's a more complete article on the current status with Jones:

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/ore...nt_of_ter.html

Here's the most relevant quote from Jones:

"I'm still committed to Washington," Jones said on Wednesday, "but I'm not willing to sign anything at this point."

[TargetPractice6]

How come the AD is so hell bent on Pelphrey? It seems odd that his job is so safe before the season even begins.

[Izulde]

Heh. I'm going to refrain from commenting on Arkansas basketball until July.

[the_meanstrosity]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Rumor is Pelphrey's job will be safe no matter the outcome next year, even, if he manages to land 2 of the 3 big in-state recruits this year:

Aaron Ross
Ky Madden
Hunter Mickelson

Our in-state class is stacked next year, and these are all 3 big time guys that we will be wanting.

Aaron Ross has been commited for awhile. Today, Hunter Mickelson committed. Hello John Pelphrey for the forseeable future.

It's great that we have an infusion of talent, but holy crap our athletic director is starting to piss me off*

*to be fair, this is only rumor, but it comes from someone I trust (he was saying the exact same thing I was in our previous little scuttle I talked about on this board--his source is solid).

Good pickups by Pelphrey, but I just can't imagine an AD giving him a free pass after the last two seasons. Maybe this year he gets things going back in the right direction and the patience from the AD pays off.

[MJ4H]

I will say it is possible. There are a lot of cancers to the team (from outside appearances) that just left the team. The ones that are left seem to be 100% on board and there are some good ones coming in. It could happen. I'm definitely open-minded about this coming season, but man, he really needs to show something AFAIC.

[MrBug708]

The Wear twins are looking to transfer from UNC and sadly, I think UCLA might be a destination

[Blade6119]

Oklahoma State had it star player accused of rape today, this could be a disaster for their season..

[Radii]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

The Wear twins are looking to transfer from UNC and sadly, I think UCLA might be a destination

Well that's 6 points and 4 boards a game that UNC will just not be able to replace.


In all seriousness, I am totally indifferent here. I guess there was a little potential here, but they were both godawful last year. 6'10" stick figures who got run over in the paint and didn't want to be there in the first place. Both of them preferred being out near the 3 point line and offered no sort of inside presence at all. I could see them developing into decent players by their senior seasons but I'm perfectly happy having that happen elsewhere.

[MrBug708]

Does make your front court rather thin, no?

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Radii

Well that's 6 points and 4 boards a game that UNC will just not be able to replace.


In all seriousness, I am totally indifferent here. I guess there was a little potential here, but they were both godawful last year. 6'10" stick figures who got run over in the paint and didn't want to be there in the first place. Both of them preferred being out near the 3 point line and offered no sort of inside presence at all. I could see them developing into decent players by their senior seasons but I'm perfectly happy having that happen elsewhere.

At UCLA (if that's where they end), they are a better fit for the outside game and the current roster, as UCLA needs players who are dangerous face up players and can be mismatches because of their height and skill at the 3 and 4. Actual post up guys at UCLA, already pretty deep there, with Reeves Nelson, Anthony Stover and the incoming Josh Smith. None of those guys are face up guys. Only face up 4 we really have now is Brendan Lane.

If the Wears do come to UCLA, I hope the use the season off to work on their strength and refining their skills and be ready to a big part of a good veteran 2011 UCLA team.

[dawgfan]

I suspect that the Wears will do better at UCLA. For one thing, it's my understanding that they weren't at 100% health last year with UNC.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Does make your front court rather thin, no?

Yeah, but as long as Larry Drew is the point guard UNC is irrelevant on the national scene anyway. I'd rather watch a couple walkons or go small and crazy athletic and forget size altogether. Can't win a title either way, so lets just have a fun to watch team.

note: its slightly possible that I have an irrational hatred of larry drew and cannot be reasonable in any way about any of this

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Radii

Yeah, but as long as Larry Drew is the point guard UNC is irrelevant on the national scene anyway. I'd rather watch a couple walkons or go small and crazy athletic and forget size altogether. Can't win a title either way, so lets just have a fun to watch team.

note: its slightly possible that I have an irrational hatred of larry drew and cannot be reasonable in any way about any of this

Larry Drew = Reggie Ball ?

[Radii]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Larry Drew = Reggie Ball ?

I'm willing to admit that my extreme dislike of Larry Drew is at least a bit irrational. Reggie Ball earned every bit of hatred thrown his way by Georgia Tech football fans. Nothing irrational about it at all.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Radii

I'm willing to admit that my extreme dislike of Larry Drew is at least a bit irrational. Reggie Ball earned every bit of hatred thrown his way by Georgia Tech football fans. Nothing irrational about it at all.

After watching him play several times this past season, I'm not sure that hatred of LD is irrational at all.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Final Rivals recruiting rankings are out for 2010.

1. Memphis
2. Kentucky
3. Ohio State
4. North Carolina
5. North Carolina State
6. Missouri
7. Syracuse
8. Texas
9. Tennessee
10. Duke

PowerMizzou.com - Five teams enter team recruiting rankings

[MrBug708]

I dont understand Rivals rankings at all

[MJ4H]

I think rivals is generally considered pretty poor at basketball. From what I understand Scout is preferred in basketball and Rivals is preferred in football.

[MrBug708]

Ya, I've always leaned that way as well. My issue isnt with the player rankings, but how they rank the teams?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

I think rivals is generally considered pretty poor at basketball. From what I understand Scout is preferred in basketball and Rivals is preferred in football.

That was true 4-5 years ago, but not now. Scout's basketball staff has been heavily pillaged by Rivals for that reason. Rivals just added one of Scout's best basketball recruiting guys a few days ago (Eric Bossi). It was one more big blow to Scout to lose Eric.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Ya, I've always leaned that way as well. My issue isnt with the player rankings, but how they rank the teams?

It's always about the quality/quantity argument. What do you weigh more heavily?

As you mention, the individual rankings always even themselves out, plus you can use the Composite Index to get a good average ranking. That should be updated sometime in June 2010.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Ya, I've always leaned that way as well. My issue isnt with the player rankings, but how they rank the teams?

I have a lot of issues with that in both basketball and football. The formulas they use are more than a little suspect and reward things that don't contribute as much to a team winning as things they penalize. That's mostly about football, though.

[MrBug708]

Eric Bossi was solid, but not the best Scout writer.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

I have a lot of issues with that in both basketball and football. The formulas they use are more than a little suspect and reward things that don't contribute as much to a team winning as things they penalize. That's mostly about football, though.

Sorry for the confusion, but I meant how they rank the recruiting rankings for teams.

Mizzou had it right, land 2 Top 150 kids, sign a bunch more, top 15 ranking just like that

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Eric Bossi was solid, but not the best Scout writer.

Just out of curiousity, who do you consider the best over at Scout on the basketball front?

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Sorry for the confusion, but I meant how they rank the recruiting rankings for teams.

Mizzou had it right, land 2 Top 150 kids, sign a bunch more, top 15 ranking just like that

Yeah I know that's what I was talking about.