Official Recruiting Thread II

[whitesoxfan99]

Wow. He'll still have to wait until the '11 draft though, so he'll have to spend 2 years over there until he could play in the NBA

 

If he can handle being away from home and adapt to the culture there are far worse things then spending a couple of years in a foreign country while making six figures (I'm assuming he will be making under a million there).

[JuiceCruz16]

I see Baylor got Nolan Dennis. Big time get for Scott Drew!

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Xavier is a Jayhawk, and CJ is allowed to play next year as well!!

 

 

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Ater Majok declares for the NBA Draft.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Ater Majok declares for the NBA Draft.

 

 

He'll be back. He's doing this to gauge where he is with his game so he knows what to work on next year. For UConn to have a high degree of success next year they need him to come back.

 

Also just heard UConn will play Kentucky in December for the SEC-Big East Invitational. Unfortunately Majok won't be eligible until a week later. Would have liked to see him in that game, assuming he does in fact come back.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

or he wants to leave before UCONN gets buried by the NCAA.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

or he wants to leave before UCONN gets buried by the NCAA.

 

I dont think anything major is going to come of it. Miles was a UConn student for one week. Calhoun has never had any problems before and the main culprit now coaches at Quinnipiac. If anything, it will drag out for a long time and I expect Majok to only be there for a year anyways. If he leaves now, he is taking a HUGE risk. Calhoun and staff have consistently made big men at Uconn better than when they came in and into NBA players. Majok hasnt played in almost 2 years, there is little to judge him on outside of what he did against much less competition. I really think he NEEDS at least one year at college to prove himself. He's been through so much in his life, it'd be a shame if he hurt himself by staying in the draft this year, IMO.

[Heads22]

Harrison Barnes (Ames, IA) now the #1 recruit on Scout. Reportedly he has a Top 12.

 

Duke

Florida

ISU

Kansas

Kentucky

Minnesota

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Stanford

TCU

UCLA

USC

 

[maggsmaggs]

Harrison Barnes (Ames, IA) now the #1 recruit on Scout. Reportedly he has a Top 12.

 

Duke

Florida

ISU

Kansas

Kentucky

Minnesota

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Stanford

TCU

UCLA

USC

I never knew TCU had a basketball team. Even with his top 12, it's really a top 4: Kansas, ISU, NC and Duke.

[Heads22]

The only reason he is considering TCU is the ISU assistant that is now there is a guy he was close with. But yes, I'll be very surprised if it isn't one of those 4. No real favorite though.

[Palehosefan]

Harrison Barnes is headed to Duke, hard to deny that. He wears Duke shirts in his daily wardrobe and went with his family to surprise visit coach K on coach K's birthday.

 

Really sucks as Barnes is a STUD. Future superstar in college and the NBA.

[JuiceCruz16]

Renaldo Sidney makes it official and backs out of his verbal with USC, and signs a letter of intent with Mississippi St..

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Renaldo Sidney makes it official and backs out of his verbal with USC, and signs a letter of intent with Mississippi St..

 

That's a smart move

[LittleHurt05]

John Wall charged with breaking and entering....

 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/bl...rn=ncaab,160959

[JuiceCruz16]

John Wall charged with breaking and entering....

 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/bl...rn=ncaab,160959

It seems pretty minimal. No forced entry, nothing taken from the home. Sounds like something fairly dumb, but not a big deal. The talk of him being able to go pro is still out there I see. If he is able to go pro, he should without a doubt enter the draft. I know there was some difference in opinion if he would be eligible to enter though. I see it was an abandoned house, and he was with a freind and a female.

Edited May 4, 2009 by JuiceCruz16

[whitesoxfan101]

Renaldo Sidney makes it official and backs out of his verbal with USC, and signs a letter of intent with Mississippi St..

 

He's a perfect fit for the SEC based on some of the stuff out there about him.

[Brian]

Jereme Richmond may transfer to Findlay Prep. Its 50/50

[JuiceCruz16]

Eric Bledsoe signs with Kentucky! Another 5 star for coach Cal, this should give Kentucky the #1 incoming class. There is some concerns about his SAT scores though. Kentucky claims this will not affect their recruitment of John Wall who is also a natural point like Bledsoe. Cal will have the Cats back as perenial contenders very quickly!!

[Heads22]

Harrison Barnes is headed to Duke, hard to deny that. He wears Duke shirts in his daily wardrobe and went with his family to surprise visit coach K on coach K's birthday.

 

Really sucks as Barnes is a STUD. Future superstar in college and the NBA.

 

Duke will be stiff competition, but if ISU plays better this year, we could see his interest in Iowa State ramp up. The kid's dad played for Iowa State, he practices with Iowa State, he's essentially a junior varsity player for the program.

[zenryan]

USC at it again. This time Yahoo is going after the basketball program

 

LOS ANGELES – USC men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd made a direct cash payment to a man who helped deliver O.J. Mayo to the Trojans program, according to Louis Johnson, a former member of Mayo’s inner circle.

 

Johnson, a one-time Mayo confidant, has told both NCAA investigators and federal authorities – including the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office – that Floyd gave at least $1,000 in cash to Rodney Guillory, a man who allegedly lavished Mayo with improper benefits while the guard starred for the Trojans.

 

Such an act would constitute a major NCAA violation for USC, which is the subject of an ongoing three-year investigation into alleged improprieties in both the football and men’s basketball programs.

 

 

Approached by Yahoo! Sports at his California residence on Friday, Guillory declined to comment. A message left on Floyd’s cell phone Tuesday was not immediately returned. The NCAA and USC also declined to comment.

 

“As you know, USC can’t comment on any issue that’s the subject of an ongoing NCAA and Pac-10 investigation,” USC general counsel Carol Mauch Amir said.

 

The revelation involving Floyd is the latest allegation put forth by Johnson, who described Guillory to Yahoo! Sports as a long-time “runner” who steered Mayo to the Bill Duffy Associates (BDA) sports agency. Johnson said Guillory received between $200,000 and $250,000 from BDA Sports for his efforts, which resulted in Mayo initially signing with BDA when he left USC after one season for the NBA in April 2008.

 

BDA spokesperson Ilana Nunn declined to comment on the relationship between BDA and Guillory.

 

Johnson also said Mayo received approximately $30,000 in extra benefits from Guillory while playing for the Trojans. He first made those allegations to ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” in May 2008, producing a litany of receipts to back up his claims, including purchases of food, clothing and a 42-inch flat screen TV for Mayo. Mayo broke off his relationship with BDA Sports shortly after the ESPN report aired. Mayo denied those allegations to reporters on several occasions. His agent, Leon Rose, didn’t return calls to his office and cell phone.

 

 

Floyd’s alleged financial involvement with Guillory is a potentially damaging new twist for USC, and was disclosed to Yahoo! Sports last week by Johnson’s attorneys, Anthony V. Salerno and David Murphy. The attorneys confirmed that Johnson had gone on the record with his account of the payment twice: first in a group interview in front of the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office on May 28, 2008, and then again in the second of two interviews with NCAA investigators, which took place last week. Two members of USC’s outside counsel also took part in the second NCAA interview and heard Johnson’s account of Floyd’s alleged payment. Salerno added that Johnson’s account to federal authorities carried the threat of potential prosecution if Johnson was found to be lying.

 

“Louis knew that if he didn’t tell the truth in that meeting, he’d be in the same boat that Martha Stewart was in for deceiving federal authorities,” Salerno said. “The agreement that he was under, the explicit agreement was that he had to be completely truthful in his statement. Lying to a federal agent is a whole crime unto itself. If you’re going to talk to them at all, you have to tell the truth.”

 

Johnson also confirmed his allegation of Floyd’s payment to Yahoo! Sports.

 

“It’s a complete and accurate depiction of the event I observed between Tim Floyd and Rodney Guillory,” Johnson said.

 

Johnson told the NCAA and federal authorities the payment took place in the week leading up to the 2007 NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas – three months after Mayo committed to USC while finishing his final year of high school. His attorneys said Johnson perceived the payment as an extension of Floyd’s gratitude for Guillory’s delivery of Mayo to USC.

 

“It was clearly money in contemplation of inducing O.J. to go through with the decision [to play at USC],” Murphy said. “That was the understanding that Louis had – that this was money from Floyd to Guillory for them to go out and have a great weekend. It was the inducement for Guillory’s efforts in delivering [Mayo to sign with USC].”

 

The following is Johnson’s account of the payment as told to Yahoo! Sports.

 

On Feb. 14, 2007, Johnson and Guillory packed up Guillory’s black Infiniti SUV and were preparing for the drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to attend the NBA All-Star weekend. Before they left, Guillory informed Johnson several times that he had to meet with Floyd so the coach could give him cash for the trip. Sometime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Guillory and Johnson headed toward Beverly Hills to meet with Floyd. During the drive, Johnson listened as Guillory and Floyd exchanged several cell phone calls as Floyd explained where the meeting would take place.

 

Upon arriving in Beverly Hills, Guillory pulled up to a stretch of cafes in the downtown shopping district, where Floyd was waiting on the sidewalk. Because there were no parking spaces, Guillory asked Johnson to circle the block in the SUV until Guillory was ready to be picked up. Johnson exited the passenger side of the vehicle, at which point Johnson saw Floyd and the two exchanged greetings. Johnson then got into the driver’s seat and proceeded to circle the block while Guillory and Floyd met.

 

After approximately 15 minutes, Johnson saw Guillory waiting on the curb in front of the stretch of cafes and pulled over to pick him up. Once Guillory was inside the vehicle, he produced a white envelope with cash inside. Guillory told Johnson that Floyd had given him “a grand,” and Johnson was able to view $100 bills inside the envelope. He said he believed there appeared to be “substantially” more than $1,000, although he did not count the bills.

 

A former sports writer who worked for the Long Beach Press-Telegram for 16 years, Johnson told Yahoo! Sports he befriended Guillory while covering the prep basketball circuit in California in the late 1990s. That bond eventually extended into a friendship with Mayo, whom Johnson said he got to know through Guillory in the summer of 2006. Johnson said he took several trips with Guillory to spend time with Mayo during the player’s senior year at Huntington High School in Huntington, W.Va. in the 2006-2007 season. And once Mayo arrived at USC, Johnson was a consistent member of the player’s inner circle along with Guillory.

 

However, Johnson’s relationship with Mayo and Guillory deteriorated in March 2008. He said his eventual break from the inner circle – and his decision to go public with allegations of extra benefits – occurred for two reasons. First, he became increasingly disturbed by what he viewed as Mayo being “pimped” by Guillory, who Johnson alleged was receiving thousands of dollars on a monthly basis from BDA Sports. BDA declined to comment. Second, Johnson said he feared retribution from other members of Mayo’s inner circle who he believes felt threatened by Johnson’s relationship with Mayo.

 

“The problem that happens in these situations is G-R-E-E-D, first and foremost, and then P-O-W-E-R,” Johnson said. “Those two things kill these types of situations all the time. People get greedy and people get power-hungry. Once that happens, that’s it.

 

“I tried to talk to Rodney about putting an end to what was going on [around Mayo] before it got anymore out of hand. But he had no interest in that. He had blinders on. The money was all right there and he didn’t care necessarily what was going to happen.”

 

It was that fallout that led to Johnson’s appearance on ESPN’s “Outside The Lines.” He told Yahoo! Sports that he withheld the information about the payment from Floyd to Guillory at that time because he has family in Southern California and didn’t want it to appear that he was “taking down USC.” However, the information about the alleged Floyd payment was divulged to federal authorities, who sought an interview with Johnson as part of an investigation into Guillory and his dealings with Mayo.

 

The allegation regarding Floyd could be a significant point in the NCAA’s probe of USC. The NCAA could determine that the school showed lack of institutional control or failure to monitor. According to NCAA guidelines, any cash payment from Floyd to Mayo or one of Mayo’s associates would be considered an extra benefit. And a payment to Guillory would appear to be particularly damning because of Guillory’s prior history with the NCAA.

 

Guillory was previously investigated in 2000 for his involvement with former USC basketball player Jeff Trepagnier and former Fresno State basketball player Tito Maddox. USC briefly suspended Trepagnier for his involvement with Guillory in 2000, but Trepagnier was later cleared of any charges. However, the NCAA found that Guillory had broken NCAA rules by purchasing airfare for Maddox. Later, Maddox painted Guillory as the go-between who helped arrange delivery of cars and cash payments – some payments coming directly from Guillory, according to published reports.

 

Multiple sources told Yahoo! Sports that Guillory is currently under investigation by the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office for his alleged dealings with Mayo. Sources have told Yahoo! Sports that federal authorities are particularly interested in Guillory’s use of a credit card linked to a fraudulent sickle cell foundation. Johnson said the card linked to the foundation was used to make purchases for Mayo after BDA Sports stopped providing Guillory with funds. The foundation was set up by one of Guillory’s friends, Tony Hicks, who is also being investigated by the FBI for his involvement.

 

Spokespersons for the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Eric Bledsoe signs with Kentucky! Another 5 star for coach Cal, this should give Kentucky the #1 incoming class. There is some concerns about his SAT scores though. Kentucky claims this will not affect their recruitment of John Wall who is also a natural point like Bledsoe. Cal will have the Cats back as perenial contenders very quickly!!

 

 

 

He is the king of getting top talent and flaming out.

 

This is Kansas's year to shine, I cannot wait for college bball to begin!!!!

[dasox24]

He is the king of getting top talent and flaming out.

 

This is Kansas's year to shine, I cannot wait for college bball to begin!!!!

Yep. Hell of a recruiter, but not a very good coach.

[JuiceCruz16]

He is the king of getting top talent and flaming out.

 

This is Kansas's year to shine, I cannot wait for college bball to begin!!!!

No rush to start next season. I'm still enjoying my Tarheels year as Champions!

 

[JuiceCruz16]

John Wall goes to Kentucky as well. The # 1 player in the nation adds to Coach Cal's already amazing haul for the Wildcats! WOW, just WOW!!!!

[ChiSox_Sonix]

John Wall goes to Kentucky as well. The # 1 player in the nation adds to Coach Cal's already amazing haul for the Wildcats! WOW, just WOW!!!!

 

Awesome, he stayed away from Duke