Amelia on the Gophers' NBA Draft drought

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SelectionSunday

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Interesting read, but not real encouraged by what's coming from Richard Coffey:

"Coffey said as a father of an elite recruit, the three things he and his son are looking for in a program are how it fares in its conference, whether it reaches the NCAA tournament consistently and whether it’s feeding its players to the NBA."

If that's an early read on our chances for his son. ... ouch!

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/264504781.html#8rUw82O3MiPtmAkC.97
 

Addendum (prior post wouldn't let me edit).

Pitino is going to be a coaching rock star even if he only fixes 2 of the 3 things Coffey mentions.
 

The program will be rebuilt with the players that WANT to be here. So tired of reading recruit/parent attitudes like this, and not just from this recruit.

Give me 5 Josh Martins any day.
 


I know it's old-fashioned and pollyanna-ish, but wouldn't it be nice if at least some lip service was given to the fact their kid is going to school for, um, you know, school?
 


SelectionSunday said:
I know it's old-fashioned and pollyanna-ish, but wouldn't it be nice if at least some lip service was given to the fact their kid is going to school for, um, you know, school?
Click to expand...

For sure, and I think you still get that from a Reid Travis or a Siyani Chambers and the like. However, I think its quite evident that Mr. Coffee is not choosing his university for schooling purposes.

I've got no problems with Coffee wanting to get to the NBA or play on a winning team. The only reason we have an issue with that is because, we have sucked in conference, we havn't done well in the NCAA Tournament, and we've not put a pro in the NBA for 10 years via the draft.

I will add, however, I do have a problem if he absolutely disregards his education along the way, as I believe that's what college athletics and amateur sports is about. If he wanted just to go pro, he should go to Europe for a year or something of the sort.
 

It pains me to say this so soon, but I really don't feel like we have any shot at landing Amir after reading his dad's quotes this week. This is turning into a Tyus situation very quickly, where the Gophers will likely continue to be listed, but we have no legit shot at landing him. His dad has listed four things now that the Gophers have no way of fulfilling one year from now:

1. Game tape showing the use of big guards (next year our PG and SG spots will likely exclusively be filled by players standing 5'9", 6'2", 6'3", 6'1")
2. How it fares in its conference (Yes, we have a chance to be in the top 4 this upcoming year, but I'm assuming Coffey is looking for more of a track record)
3. Whether it reaches the NCAA tournament consistently (Again, we can't gain consistency in a year)
4. Whether it’s feeding its players to the NBA (not even close to fulfilling this recently)

I really hope I'm wrong, but I've already accepted the fact that we're not getting Amir. It just seemed like we might have a better chance with this top recruit since his dad was a former player here, but that just doesn't seem like a big factor at all. Hopefully Pitino can turn this thing around sooner rather than later; I definitely believe he can.
 

Richard said:
Hopefully Pitino can turn this thing around sooner rather than later.
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Yep, absolutely. That's what it's gonna' take. ... wins on the court, and lots of 'em.

Whether we like it or not, success in the Big Ten (consistent top-4 finishes, perhaps?) and NCAA tourney success are the main things that will draw the attention of top players, especially these truly elite Minnesota kids we'd like to keep in state. We can have a great school & everything (and the U is), but the recruits have to see success on the court. Winning the NIT in Pitino's 1st season was nice, but high-end programs don't have winning NIT titles (we have 3) as one of their calling cards.
 

SelectionSunday said:
but wouldn't it be nice if at least some lip service was given to the fact their kid is going to school for, um, you know, school?
Click to expand...

Yes!

And in this case it would be nice to hear any positive sentiment towards the school he attended college. But nothing. Mostly listing things he knows Richard has not been her long enough to establish.
 



I read between the lines in what Richard Coffey has said that he's disappointed and discouraged about the morass the program's in compared to where it was when he was there and in the years immediately following. It's obvious he's a Gopher fan, but he's not going to push his son to go there on that account.

As we've said, it's going to take a leap of faith by a special kid with vision who can see the future Pitino's projecting. Tyus wasn't that special kind of kid, and maybe Amir isn't either.
 

Damn this is depressing. I can't disagree with a single thing anyone has posted.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Interesting read, but not real encouraged by what's coming from Richard Coffey:

"Coffey said as a father of an elite recruit, the three things he and his son are looking for in a program are how it fares in its conference, whether it reaches the NCAA tournament consistently and whether it’s feeding its players to the NBA."

If that's an early read on our chances for his son. ... ouch!

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/264504781.html#8rUw82O3MiPtmAkC.97
Click to expand...

And what's the genius going to do if say... you know... his son DOESN'T MAKE THE NBA? Or be all he's hyped up for in college? Fine by me. If the time comes and Amir actually needs to get a job in the real world, I wouldn't be surprised if he were SOL.
 

BarnBoy said:
The program will be rebuilt with the players that WANT to be here. So tired of reading recruit/parent attitudes like this, and not just from this recruit.

Give me 5 Josh Martins any day.
Click to expand...

SelectionSunday said:
I know it's old-fashioned and pollyanna-ish, but wouldn't it be nice if at least some lip service was given to the fact their kid is going to school for, um, you know, school?
Click to expand...


AGREED!
 



Winasota Gopher said:
For sure, and I think you still get that from a Reid Travis or a Siyani Chambers and the like. However, I think its quite evident that Mr. Coffee is not choosing his university for schooling purposes.

I've got no problems with Coffee wanting to get to the NBA or play on a winning team. The only reason we have an issue with that is because, we have sucked in conference, we havn't done well in the NCAA Tournament, and we've not put a pro in the NBA for 10 years via the draft.

I will add, however, I do have a problem if he absolutely disregards his education along the way, as I believe that's what college athletics and amateur sports is about. If he wanted just to go pro, he should go to Europe for a year or something of the sort.
Click to expand...

His daughter, Nia, a top female recruit, picked Northwestern a couple of years ago. One of the reasons stated was because of the program in which she wanted to major. I get the difference between the men's game and the women's game, but let's not get too hasty making assumptions. A kid can go to an elite program and still get an education. I agree, though, that this is a downer and I just wish one of the top kids would recognize what an opportunity he has--great young coach, a fan base starving for a break-through, a good school, and a chance to become a local legend. Heck, according to Sid, he could even get a job after graduating!
 

Every highly recruited kid, and the parents think their kid is going to the NBA, Some unscrupulous recruiters play into this.

It makes you wonder if they feel entitled. The sad reality is that only a small fraction of them will get drafted.

Going to Program A, B, or C may not make a whole lot of difference in the end. There is a lot of humble pies being served.
 

Though nothing about this recruitment has sounded very promising, I'm still holding out some hope because the discouraging remarks haven't come from the person who will ultimately make the decision.
 

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