Official College Basketball Thread

[Heads22]

Big 12 Coaches Poll

 

Coaches’ picks (with first-place votes, total points):

 

1. Kansas (11)*, 121

2. Texas A&M (1), 109

3. Oklahoma State, 97

4. Texas, 95

5. Kansas State, 76

6. Texas Tech, 68

7. Baylor, 60

8. Missouri, 44

9. Oklahoma, 42

10. Nebraska, 37

11. Iowa State, 23

12. Colorado, 20

[CanOfCorn]

Actually, Gordon gave Illinois a verbal commitment, which is non-binding. Generally, you do not recruit a kid that is committed elsewhere. In this case, Mike Davis left IU and Kelvin Sampson came in. Gordon always had interest in IU, just not in the situation with Davis, who was there when he gave Illinois his verbal. Two of Sampson's assistant coaches have ties to the Gordon family. One of them coached Gordon's dad, I believe.

 

The bottom line is that the Gordon's contacted Indiana to see what it was like with the changes. At that point, you can't ask IU's coach not to recruit a kid that shows interest.

 

IU did nothing wrong here. If you want to be mad at Gordon for changing his mind, his dad for possibly orchestrating or whatever, fine. But if the roles were reversed, I guarantee you Weber would have done the same. And he should.

 

Look at it this way. Let's say a 4-star SG from Peoria currently committed to Missouri, calls Coach Weber tomorrow. He says "Coach, I always wanted to play a UI, but didn't have a chance when you had Gordon coming in. I know you sent me letters last year and I understand why they stopped when Eric committed. I think Illinois would be the best place for me to play if you would have me. I'd be close to home which would make my family happy and I think I would be more comfortable. Can I come talk to you next weekend?"

 

Do you honestly think Weber would say no?? Now he might ask the kid to talk to Coach Anderson first and let him know he is coming up for a visit or he may respect the kid's right to take a look (like looking for a new job) without giving up what he has in his pocket (the Missouri scholarship offer). There is no way Weber would not talk to the kid. No way. And once again, nor should there be.

 

Eric Gordon is NOT a 4-star PG from Peoria. First thing you want to do before checking out other school's is decommit. Like you said, it's really non-binding. I am pissed at the Gordon family, but if I'm the other school, in this case IU, then I say, we will not actively recruit you until you decommit. You can visit, meet with the players, whatever, but coaches will NOT recruit. Maybe I'm just being bitter, but that's the kind of thing that would make the recruiting trail better.

 

You can't "recruit" behind the scenes just in case a player decides to de-commit...that does two horrible things, one, it doesn't instill confidence in the player you ARE recruiting and two, if player one DOES sign a letter-of-intent, then you just pretty much screwed player two.

 

The NCAA has to decide if this is a business or not. If it IS a business, then the above scenario is right. If not, the recruiting process needs to be fixed.

[greasywheels121]

Eric Gordon is NOT a 4-star PG from Peoria. First thing you want to do before checking out other school's is decommit. Like you said, it's really non-binding. I am pissed at the Gordon family, but if I'm the other school, in this case IU, then I say, we will not actively recruit you until you decommit. You can visit, meet with the players, whatever, but coaches will NOT recruit. Maybe I'm just being bitter, but that's the kind of thing that would make the recruiting trail better.

 

You can't "recruit" behind the scenes just in case a player decides to de-commit...that does two horrible things, one, it doesn't instill confidence in the player you ARE recruiting and two, if player one DOES sign a letter-of-intent, then you just pretty much screwed player two.

 

The NCAA has to decide if this is a business or not. If it IS a business, then the above scenario is right. If not, the recruiting process needs to be fixed.

 

Are you aware that Gordon and his family were the ones to inititate the contact with Indiana?

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...llege-headlines

 

The Gordon camp says it initiated contact with Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson when he took over for Mike Davis, saying at that point it "wasn't the same circumstances," Gordon's father explained.

 

"It was like he made his decision without all possible information," North Central coach Mitchell said. "Once all this information was available—i.e., a new coach at Indiana—the Gordons made a choice to look there. … It's only fair to a young man when he's making the decision of a lifetime."

[CanOfCorn]

Are you aware that Gordon and his family were the ones to inititate the contact with Indiana?

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...llege-headlines

 

 

Yes I am. We all knew. The honest thing to do would be to decommit as soon as he was arond 50/50 about Ui vs. IU.

[greasywheels121]

Yes I am. We all knew. The honest thing to do would be to decommit as soon as he was arond 50/50 about Ui vs. IU.

 

Just checking. As it appears not everyone knows that, with some of the comments towards Sampson in the two threads.

 

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/9726347

 

In the meantime, people will voice their opinions, explain where and how each party went wrong during the four-month period that turned this recruiting story into a recruiting saga. At this point, none of it really matters. But for those quick to criticize Sampson, understand the guy didn't do a thing that he shouldn't have done along the way in landing what is Indiana's biggest recruit in years, the No. 1 prospect in the nation according to one scouting service.

 

I've talked to dozens of college coaches about this subject at length, guys with no ties to either school. Without exception, each coach has told me that if he took a job and an in-state kid who had already committed to an out-of-state school indicated his mind could be changed and asked to be recruited under those new circumstances, that he'd move forward exactly as Sampson did.

 

Every.

 

Single.

 

One.

 

"If the kid says he likes your school and wants you to recruit him, how do you not recruit him, especially if you weren't there when he committed to the other school in the first place?" said one prominent coach. "Kelvin has done what any of us would do. Now if the kid or the father had ever come out and said, 'This is over. We're committed to Illinois and we don't want anybody else to recruit us any more,' then that's another issue, and it should be over then. But that's not what happened here. So Kelvin did what he should've done."

[ZoomSlowik]

The moral of this story is that verbal commitments mean basically nothing. They simply aren't binding, so you shouldn't get too excited if a stud verbals to your school, especially early in the recruiting phase. There's no guarantee that they will be there until they sign the LOI. Gordon is the 4th big time recruit I know of this year that has changed his commitment (Bayliss from Texas to Arizona, Beasley from Charlotte to K-State, Pope decommit from Pitt). These things are so informal that I don't know how you could really be pissed at Sampson at this point. All Gordon has to say is that he's going to Illinois and it's the end of the story. If a coach wants to waste his time recruiting a committed player that's his own problem, and for guys as good as the ones I mentioned it might be worth the risk. Until the NCAA makes a rule preventing such a practice, I don't see a problem with it.

 

On another note, FWIW there was a blurb in The Sporting News like a month ago saying that Gordon had decommitted from Illinois. However, since there is no official paperwork or anything, who knows or cares. It's been pretty obvious for some time that he wasn't a lock to go to Illinois anymore...

Edited October 16, 2006 by ZoomSlowik

[Heads22]

The moral of this story is that verbal commitments mean basically nothing. They simply aren't binding, so you shouldn't get too excited if a stud verbals to your school, especially early in the recruiting phase. There's no guarantee that they will be there until they sign the LOI. Gordon is the 4th big time recruit I know of this year that has changed his commitment (Bayliss from Texas to Arizona, Beasley from Charlotte to K-State, Pope decommit from Pitt). These things are so informal that I don't know how you could really be pissed at Sampson at this point. All Gordon has to say is that he's going to Illinois and it's the end of the story. If a coach wants to waste his time recruiting a committed player that's his own problem, and for guys as good as the ones I mentioned it might be worth the risk. Until the NCAA makes a rule preventing such a practice, I don't see a problem with it.

 

On another note, FWIW there was a blurb in The Sporting News like a month ago saying that Gordon had decommitted from Illinois. However, since there is no official paperwork or anything, who knows or cares. It's been pretty obvious for some time that he wasn't a lock to go to Illinois anymore...

 

 

Like Kirk Hinrich to Iowa State. If you think I'm bad, just wait til Illini fans see him become an NBA player on a team they hate just to spite them.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Like Kirk Hinrich to Iowa State. If you think I'm bad, just wait til Illini fans see him become an NBA player on a team they hate just to spite them.

Kirk left because he said Eustachy scared his grandparents.

[Heads22]

I can still hate the guy for the rest of my life. He had a better shot at a national title at ISU, as it turned out.

[Brian]

Never thought so many people would get upset over the decision of a 17 or 18 year old kid.

[Rex Hudler]

Eric Gordon is NOT a 4-star PG from Peoria. First thing you want to do before checking out other school's is decommit. Like you said, it's really non-binding. I am pissed at the Gordon family, but if I'm the other school, in this case IU, then I say, we will not actively recruit you until you decommit. You can visit, meet with the players, whatever, but coaches will NOT recruit. Maybe I'm just being bitter, but that's the kind of thing that would make the recruiting trail better.

 

You can't "recruit" behind the scenes just in case a player decides to de-commit...that does two horrible things, one, it doesn't instill confidence in the player you ARE recruiting and two, if player one DOES sign a letter-of-intent, then you just pretty much screwed player two.

 

The NCAA has to decide if this is a business or not. If it IS a business, then the above scenario is right. If not, the recruiting process needs to be fixed.

 

Yeah, and everyone should quit their job before looking for another one. Makes perfect sense.

[CanOfCorn]

Yeah, and everyone should quit their job before looking for another one. Makes perfect sense.

 

Didn't I just say that in the last line...if it's going to be a business, then fine.

 

Nothing stops my company for gathering resumes just in case I quit, but to actively recruit and interview my replacement would make me worry and I'd be out the door much faster, even if they liked me and weren't planning on letting me go.

 

Also, if I offer you a job, and you accept, I STOP LOOKING!!! Last I checked, most of the time, those are verbal agreements, until I start on my first day and sign some sort of employee contract. But, if I'm still getting offers, I'm not going to accept a job.

 

By the way, the door for snarkiness is on the right.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

CJ Giles kicked off KU team, no reason given...suspicion involves his little CJ Giles runnnig around.. More time for DA and Jackson to step in. This could also be the scholly that gives us Kyle Singler,who knwsl

[Buehrle>Wood]

CJ Giles kicked off KU team, no reason given...suspicion involves his little CJ Giles runnnig around.. More time for DA and Jackson to step in. This could also be the scholly that gives us Kyle Singler,who knwsl

More mysterious transfers/ kicking offs fron teams from Self. Hmmm...

[Jimbo's Drinker]

its an academic problem.....thank god its not a legal issue. Im sure CJ will be out the fall semester.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

its an academic problem.....thank god its not a legal issue. Im sure CJ will be out the fall semester.

 

Giles due in court Monday

J-W Staff Reports

 

Posted Wednesday, October 18, 2006

 

Kansas University reserve junior center C.J. Giles, removed from the team indefinitely this week to address “personal issues,” according to coach Bill Self, is due in Douglas County District Court on Monday morning to face an allegation that he owes $4,097 in unpaid child support, according to court records.

 

Giles is the father of a son born in March 2005. He was ordered in April 2006 to pay the mother, a Lawrence resident, $241 in child support per month, plus a judgment of $2,892 for expenses the woman had incurred since the baby’s birth. But an affidavit filed Aug. 31 by an attorney representing the state’s Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services alleges that Giles “failed, neglected, or refused to fully comply with the orders of the court; no payment has ever been posted to this case.”

 

The purpose of Monday’s hearing before Judge Pro Tem Peggy Kittel will be for Giles to give a reason why he should not be held in contempt of court. A court document instructs him to bring paycheck stubs and other documentation of his income.

[Heads22]

LUCCA STEIGER

[Jimbo's Drinker]

CJ your an idiot

[santo=dorf]

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Oct 19, 2006 -> 12:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

CJ your an idiot

[SnB]

george mason-uconn recap

 

[greasywheels121]

Bob Knight will be a Tech through 2012.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2632045

[whitesoxfan101]

I know this will be argued a lot, but I guarantee this Illini team will be better than last years. They won't look much better in the final numbers (probably 3rd in the league and sweet 16), but they will be better. I hope this isn't quoted for stupidity later either, lol.

[thedoctor]

I know this will be argued a lot, but I guarantee this Illini team will be better than last years. They won't look much better in the final numbers (probably 3rd in the league and sweet 16), but they will be better. I hope this isn't quoted for stupidity later either, lol.

 

i'd agree that the potential is there. although a lot of focus was on dee and augie last year, the team's experience level was almost non-existent after that. only really mcbride had played much outside of those two guys.

 

this year, you have randle, pruitt, smith, frazier, carter, arnold, and mcbride (maybe) who have played. meacham played a lot at dayton. that gives you eight experienced guys, and typically weber only has about an eight-man rotation most years anyway. so, i'd say the potential is there, but we're going to need to have some guys step up and do things they haven't done in the past. that's the variable.

[Balta1701]

Bob Knight will be a Tech through 2012.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2632045

That's going to be one hard record for coach K to katch.

[IlliniKrush]

I know this will be argued a lot, but I guarantee this Illini team will be better than last years. They won't look much better in the final numbers (probably 3rd in the league and sweet 16), but they will be better. I hope this isn't quoted for stupidity later either, lol.

I'm not gonna quote you for stupidity one way or the other. I'm just not going to agree or disagree with you before we see what the hell mcbride's deal is (out 10 games? season?). That will make a huge difference, IMO.

 

I think we'll defend fine again..we just need some guys to put the biscuit in the basket, to steal a hockey term. Can Randle shoot this year? Can Pruitt be relied on night after night? Etc.