While conducting my daily cavity search of any article I may find mildly interesting, I came across this.....
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2811417&sportCat=ncb.
It talks about the path of two basketball players from a Detroit high school to the University of Oregon. Forde, the writer, makes some not-so-subtle implications that an assistant coach was hired solely because of his connection to a guy nicknamed "Worldwide Wes" who is firmly entrenched in the Detroit basketball scene. The article goes into more detail, but I'll let you read ir for yourself.
The issue that this brings to light is that of college recruiting. It seems as if every big program has some sort of recruiting-related scandal in their history: the Fab Five for Michigan basketball, Auburn football being on probation in the early-to-mid 90s, and SMU football getting the death football back in the day. But it's not even those instances which make the most interesting stories; it's the "legal" things coaches do that make the best stories: Billy Donovan flying to North Carolina to stand in the parking lot after one of Shavlik Randolph's high school games just to wave to him and then getting back on a plane and flying home, Arkansas football hiring Mitch Mustain's high school coach to be their offensive coordinator so they could get Mustain and some of his highly-regarded teammates, and whatever Donovan did to get South Dakota-native Mike Miller to Florida that sent Roy Williams (who was at Kansas at the time) into conniptions.
There's no real reason to believe that it will ever clean up. And for the sake of stories like these, I don't want it to, I just want UF coaches to continue to be good at playing the game.
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2 comments:
I agree that it is nice to see that our coaches play the game well, and we can only hope that its within the rules. I laugh when I read things like Urban Meyer sends text messages to kids that say "Have a great day at school!". I cant believe that text messages arent limited right now. Phone calls are restricted, but not text messages?! Comon NCAA, you can leave the medieval times and join the rest of us whenever you're ready.
As far as assistant coaches being hired by colleges in hopes that it brings their recruits, good for them. Kids and their parents should be able to make their own decisions. Who cares if your high school coach will be there to hold your hand through college? Get over it. Truthfully, I wouldnt want a kid that comes because his high school coach is there. I would rather a kid who wants to be thrown in the firs, make his mistakes, learn, and get better because of it.
It is interesting to see how the whole recruiting stuff works. I don't see all of it, but I do see my fair share. It is a tough job, I do know that. It is nice to see our guys do it right. It's sad to me when you see how a recruiting scandal could ruin a kids dreams.
It is also funny to me too Pick that text messages are allowed. Ohhhh technology. Coach Meyer is going to keep doing it too until the NCAA makes it illegal. I think the text message idea is great (as long as its legal). But you are not going to see the older coaches, such as Bobby Bowden, spending time on his crackberry text messaging his players. Some coaches won't ever change. But it is working for UF right now so whatever we are doing...I hope we continue to do it.
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