2011-2012 NCAA Basketball Thread

[He_Gawn]

Speaking of using logic, you are really going to take the position that there is nothing shady about an AAU coach becoming the legal guardian to a basektball player and providing that kid with benefits and it just so happens that the kid in question picks a school where said AAU coach's son was currently working and where said AAU coach has connections.

 

Like I said, do some research before commenting. Perea was discovered by Scott Drew's contacts in South America. He tried to stash him on the east coast but could not find a program that would allow him a visa to stay in the USA. He had to turn to AHOPE. Adam's organization is for African players, but decided to do Scott a favor because of his ties with his father, Homer Drew. Hanner had NO ONE here, nothing, unlike most of the kids from AHOPE who at least have a relative or two. Adams opted for legal guardianship of Hanner because like I said, he had nothing. This was when Hanner was 14, 6'4 and started playing basketball days prior. But yea, I'm sure Adams just predicted Hanner would turn into a superstar. give me a break.

 

As for his son being on the IU staff, you're right Drew was on the IU staff. He's now on the New Mexico staff, so if he was such a HUGE influence as you're implying, why isn't Perea now switching to NM? Drew Adams played at Iowa, got an assistant coaching job at Iowa, then got a job assisting at the University of Tennessee before an IU job opened up. It's not like he isn't qualified.

 

Hilarious, your move.

 

[whitesoxfan99]

Like I said, do some research before commenting. Perea was discovered by Scott Drew's contacts in South America. He tried to stash him on the east coast but could not find a program that would allow him a visa to stay in the USA. He had to turn to AHOPE. Adam's organization is for African players, but decided to do Scott a favor because of his ties with his father, Homer Drew. Hanner had NO ONE here, nothing, unlike most of the kids from AHOPE who at least have a relative or two. Adams opted for legal guardianship of Hanner because like I said, he had nothing. This was when Hanner was 14, 6'4 and started playing basketball days prior. But yea, I'm sure Adams just predicted Hanner would turn into a superstar. give me a break.

 

As for his son being on the IU staff, you're right Drew was on the IU staff. He's now on the New Mexico staff, so if he was such a HUGE influence as you're implying, why isn't Perea now switching to NM? Drew Adams played at Iowa, got an assistant coaching job at Iowa, then got a job assisting at the University of Tennessee before an IU job opened up. It's not like he isn't qualified.

 

Hilarious, your move.

 

I'll actually pretty much admit defeat because I admit I was basing this off of the ESPN article and frankly don't really give a damn, so I'm not going and never would have spent time researching but you aren't going to convince me that this isn't at least a little bit shady and this is also a pretty gigantic loophole in the NCAA rules. So basically, if I become a legal guardian to a top prospect I could give him a bunch of benefits and then funnel him to Illinois? Also, clearly if Scott Drew was interested in Perea the kid had a ton of talent and it was pretty obvious he would at least be a good player even when he first came over so I'm not buying that Adams didn't have a pretty damn good idea that Perea was going to be a really good player.

[He_Gawn]

So you think Adams can predict a 6'4", 14 year old kids future as a superstar basketball player? Interesting. Perea was discovered in a soccer game, playing defense and the first thing that was noticed was his freakish athleticism at an early age. Evidently Baylor thought it would translate well to basketball. Perea has one hell of a work ethic, and evidently those skills do translate to basketball. But to credit Adams for predicting he would actually like basketball, pick up the mental side, let alone learn how to dribble, is pretty ridiculous. If you're that good of a psychic to predict those qualities, by all means, funnel them to Illinois.

 

And lastly, if Adams has been funneling players to IU from AHOPE, why in the hell has he let over 20 other players go elsewhere and IU gets Tijan Jobe (you know, the guy who averaged less than 1 point and 1 rebound for his entire career)? This wouldn't even be an issue if Perea hadn't turned into a stud. If Perea was funneled to IU with the help of illegal benefits, you'd think Adams would be smart enough to buy Perea his own laptop and also get him an IPOD with an actual screen that wasn't 6 years old prior to Perea getting ahold of it.

Edited June 8, 2011 by He_Gawn

[whitesoxfan101]

Actually it is. You see, the brand Indiana University has in this state from a basketball standpoint is unmatched. Kids still grow up dreaming to play for Indiana, you wouldn't know that if you're not from here. It's a very easy selling point when the program has a rich tradition. These kids we're getting aren't dumb, poor, kids. These are kids who's parents are doctors, lawyers, and business owners. They're sold on IU and Crean. He's never had this much incoming talent before. If he doesn't do anything with it, you know Brad Stevens will.

 

I'll buy that IU is still the top brand in that state and kids can be sold on that, based on long historical ties. I don't see why they wouldn't be. But they haven't won a National Title in a quarter century, and their coach doesn't have an overwhelming resume at all. So they are being sold on the brand and longtime history, not the coach or recent history. For the record, I don't think they are doing anything shady to get these kids. After what happened with Sampson, I'm sure they are taking extra caution to steer clear of such things.

 

Also, does being the kid of poor parents make you dumb/bad, or being the kid of doctors, lawyers, and business owners somehow make you better? I don't see how who the kids parents are is relevant at all. That statement confused me.

 

And it's pretty hard to do more than that in your first 4 years when you start with a loss of a scholarship, 3 years of recruiting sanctions, and a roster consisting of 1 sophomore and a walkon.

 

My statements on Crean have almost nothing to do with what he's done at Indiana. I would have expected a bit more progress on the floor by now, but I get he inherited an epic mess. He just never impressed me all that much at Marquette. His crowning moment as a coach was when Dwyane Wade went crazy, and a lot of coaches could have taken that team to the Final Four and then watched them quit against Kansas.

Edited June 9, 2011 by whitesoxfan101

[He_Gawn]

What I meant by the parents comment was that these kids' parents are smart, Crean isn't fooling them. And you're right, Crean does have some things to prove, but I think with this type of talent, he can get it done. He's never even pulled in a 5 star before, and now he's got 3-4 on the horizon, plus two more in 2014.

Edited June 9, 2011 by He_Gawn

[Rex Hudler]

Damn. I am hoping for IU. If someone can get in his head about his work ethic, he is going to be a lottery pick. He is the most complete HS big man I have ever seen, including seeing Zach Randolph and a few other Mr Basketballs in IN over the years.

 

Even better than Mark Jewell?

[Rex Hudler]

I think Taber actually earned a scholarship because they had an extra that final year of Sampson, so that's probably it. He was a walk-on to start though.

 

Regardless, it was the biggest turnover in NCAA history, matching the Evansville team that passed away in a plane crash in the 70's I believe.

 

December 13, 1977

 

I remember the night like I was still there. I went to my first two Aces games that year, which were their first two in Division I. I was as a school Christmas program and had heard there was a plane crash at the airport and found out who was involved when I got home that evening. I was crushed. I was 9 years old and cried all night.

 

Many years later I attended Evansville and was friends with many of the basketball players. I can't imagine what it would have been like on campus for the students. If that happened while I was there, knowing the relationships I had with the guys on the team, I was have been devastated. It was bad enough as a 9-yr old.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

UConn just got another big recruit, this one for 2012. Omar Calhoun, one of the top SGs (and will climb after his performance in the summer league) committed yesterday. Their team next year looks like it will be loaded

[RockRaines]

Pretty good recruiting article on the upcoming Big Ten classes:

 

 

The following article is from HardwoodElite:

 

Ohio State leads the way with the 6th rated recruiting class in what appears to be somewhat of a down recruiting year for the Big Ten. The Buckeyes bring in a balanced 5 man class, 4 of which are rated in the top 100. LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson both bring length to the wing position, while Ross is at his best shooting the ball and Thompson is known for his freakish athleticism and playmaking ability. Shannon Scott brings more depth and stability to the point guard position while Amir Williams and Trey McDonald bring length to the front court.

 

Illinois has the 12th rated class and brings in three top 100 players in Mycheal Henry, Tracy Abrams, and Nnanna Egwu. Henry is a big, athletic wing who knows how to score. Abrams is one of the top point guards in the class who does a good job of scoring. Egwu is a raw big man who runs the floor and blocks shots while Mike Shaw and Devin Langford are versatile forwards with skill.

 

Michigan State brings in the 20th best recruiting class in the country and 3rd best within the conference. Branden Dawson is a McDonald's All-American and arguably the best rebounder in the class. Dawson is exactly the type of player that Izzo loves and should make an instant impact. Dwaun Anderson and Brandan Kearney bring skill and scoring to the off guard position. Travis Trice is a hard working point guard who excels at perimeter shooting.

 

Conference Recruiting Class Rankings:

1. Ohio State

2. Illinois

3. Michigan State

4. Indiana

5. Minnesota

6. Wisconsin

7. Michigan

8. Iowa

9. Nebraska

10. Purdue

11. Penn State

12. Northwestern

 

Top 100 players coming to the Big Ten include:

16. Cody Zeller (Indiana)

21. Branden Dawson (Michigan State)

33. LaQuinton Ross (Ohio State)

41. Mycheal Henry (Illinois)

46. Andre Hollins (Minnesota)

48. Shannon Scott (Ohio State)

52. Sam Thompson (Ohio State)

54. Amir Williams (Ohio State)

56. Tracy Abrams (Illinois)

80. Joe Coleman (Minnesota)

81. Carlton Brundidge (Michigan)

83. Jarrod Uthoff (Wisconsin)

89. Nnanna Egwu (Illinois)

91. Ross Travis (Penn State)

94. Josh Oglesby (Iowa)

 

Superlatives:

Best perimeter scorer: LaQuinton Ross (Ohio State)

Best low post scorer: Cody Zeller (Indiana)

Best shooter: Josh Oglesby (Iowa)

Best rebounder: Branden Dawson (Michigan State)

Best defender: Dwaun Anderson (Michigan State)

Best passer: Shannon Scott (Ohio State)

Most athletic: Sam Thompson (Ohio State)

Best shot blocker: Amir Williams (Ohio State)

Biggest sleeper: Trey Burke (Michigan)

 

Preseason Big Ten All-Freshman Team:

Cody Zeller (Indiana)

Branden Dawson (Michigan State)

Mycheal Henry (Illinois)

LaQuinton Ross (Ohio State)

Andre Hollins (Minnesota)

 

Preseason Big Ten Freshman of The Year:

Cody Zeller (Indiana)

[Balta1701]

Hoops games happen all the time on aircraft carriers, but Tuesday officials from the Navy, the NCAA and Morale Entertainment met to discuss staging a major college basketball game on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

 

....

 

The final deal hasn't been reached, but the plan, being promoted by Morale Entertainment, calls for the Michigan State Spartans to play the University of North Carolina Tar Heels on Veterans Day, November 11, on the top deck of the Carl Vinson at the U.S. naval base in San Diego at about 4 p.m. PT.

Link

[Jenksismyhero]

Pretty good recruiting article on the upcoming Big Ten classes:

 

Still not sure how/why Mike Shaw dropped so much over the last two years. At one point he was a top 35 recruit IIRC.

[Palehosefan]

Wisconsin might get their doors blown off this year in Chapel Hill,

http://blogs.fayobserver.com/accbasketball...isconsin-AD-Pat

 

“I know darn well that you’ll never get Roy Williams here,” he said. “He just won’t come to Wisconsin; he’s afraid the people are going to boo him and everything else. I think that’s all bogus. … There were times when we should have had them at our place and it never happened. I think Roy Williams squeals. And he’s never really had to pay his dues, so to speak, like a Bo Ryan or a Dick Bennett.”

 

what? 5 years as high school coach and 10 years as an assistant coach isn't paying dues?

[Soxbadger]

If NC plays any different because of what a former AD of Wisconsin said, shame on them. Id expect that theyd want to blow the doors off Wisconsin regardless.

 

Wisconsin is most likely middle of the pack Big 10, so its not really a great match up anyways.

[bmags]

Nebraska basketball recruited better than Purdue?

[He_Gawn]

Nebraska basketball recruited better than Purdue?

 

Purdue's recruiting was a damn joke from 2008-2011. From 2012-2013, Painter has started taking early commitments after Crean started picking up everyone. His upcoming classes should be pretty good. It's just not easy to recruit to West Lafayette. City is s***.

[bmags]

still...nebraska.

[farmteam]

Purdue's recruiting was a damn joke from 2008-2011. From 2012-2013, Painter has started taking early commitments after Crean started picking up everyone. His upcoming classes should be pretty good. It's just not easy to recruit to West Lafayette. City is s***.

 

I'm obviously biased since I lived in Bloomington for four years, but West Lafayette really does smell awful.

[Balta1701]

I'm obviously biased since I lived in Bloomington for four years, but West Lafayette really does smell awful.

Damn city keeps trying to kill me.

[Rex Hudler]

I'm obviously biased since I lived in Bloomington for four years, but West Lafayette really does smell awful.

 

Worse than Terre Haute? Surely not!

[He_Gawn]

I started at ISU in Terre Haute, and am now at Purdue in West Lafayette. Nothing beats the Terre Haute smell. In the summer, you can't even go outside. West Lafayette is a hellhole though. Just keep telling myself one more year....

 

 

[southsider2k5]

I started at ISU in Terre Haute, and am now at Purdue in West Lafayette. Nothing beats the Terre Haute smell. In the summer, you can't even go outside. West Lafayette is a hellhole though. Just keep telling myself one more year....

 

If I ever miss downstate Indiana, I remember days like this, and then I am happy again.

[Balta1701]

I started at ISU in Terre Haute, and am now at Purdue in West Lafayette. Nothing beats the Terre Haute smell. In the summer, you can't even go outside. West Lafayette is a hellhole though. Just keep telling myself one more year....

The ol' smell on I-90 when you cross into Indiana was always my favorite.

[RockRaines]

I started at ISU in Terre Haute, and am now at Purdue in West Lafayette. Nothing beats the Terre Haute smell. In the summer, you can't even go outside. West Lafayette is a hellhole though. Just keep telling myself one more year....

Better than Michigan, that whole state smells like hot dog water.

[LittleHurt05]

These posts remind me of when the winds would shift towards the north in Champaign. Campus, especially by the stadiums, would just stink of the animals on the South Farms, ush.

[IlliniKrush]

Congratulations to Demetri McCamey and Jereme Richmond. You got to 4th and 9th best respectively on Jay Bilas' "Best Available."

 

So much for those of you that thought someone would for sure gamble on Richmond.

 

Wear it, Jereme.