Cheating Per Gary Williams

[The Truth]

It seems Williams is justifying losing some of the local recruits and it seems he is justified. Beasley's AAU coach was hired at Kansas State, Maryland would not hire him. Conneticut ran a fundraiser for Gay's AAU organization. These are things that stretch the rules but can impact the recruting process. To bad more coaches are not like that.

Williams has made accusations against Georgetown and Syracuse as well. There are just too many cases and too many coaches/schools involved to justify this "everybody's cheating but me" schtick he uses. The rest of the country is raiding Maryland's turf for elite prospects while Maryland for the past 7 seasons has floated between average and bad.

Tubby is good at building relationships with a players family and the player themselves and that's not even something Williams wants to do! His whole process is "come to Maryland. Here's the offer..now commit". It isn't working and instead of acknowleding his own flaws he takes the easy way out and makes accusations of cheating.

 

[WanderingGopher]

I know a thing or two about Maryland basketball and basketball in the DC area. A lot of what Williams says rings true.

And those of you who seem to suggest that Maryland "should" be doing better, should be a perennial contender or whatever, probably aren't aware of the environment here.

Yes, there is more bb talent in the DC area than, say, MSP. But unlike MSP, there's another equal or greater D-1 powerhouse in town (Georgetown), two other pretty good D-1 programs right in the area (GW and UVa), and at least a half dozen other powerhouse ACC schools and Big East within a manageable drive that are frequent recruiting presences in DC. This is hardly like recruiting against the likes of Wisconsin and Iowa.

Moreover, like the U, Maryland has an administration that will not "bend the rules" for athletes like so many competing schools (the SEC schools in football, the Kentucky's, Kansas's, even Duke's of the world in bb). There are a lot of guys Williams can't recruit and his competitors can. This is especially true since the Len Bias tragedy.

I for one applaud Williams, and certainly root for him versus the Huggins' and Calipari's and Kelvin Sampson's of the college bb world.

 

[The Truth]

I know a thing or two about Maryland basketball and basketball in the DC area. A lot of what Williams says rings true.

And those of you who seem to suggest that Maryland "should" be doing better, should be a perennial contender or whatever, probably aren't aware of the environment here.

Yes, there is more bb talent in the DC area than, say, MSP. But unlike MSP, there's another equal or greater D-1 powerhouse in town (Georgetown), two other pretty good D-1 programs right in the area (GW and UVa), and at least a half dozen other powerhouse ACC schools and Big East within a manageable drive that are frequent recruiting presences in DC. This is hardly like recruiting against the likes of Wisconsin and Iowa.

Moreover, like the U, Maryland has an administration that will not "bend the rules" for athletes like so many competing schools (the SEC schools in football, the Kentucky's, Kansas's, even Duke's of the world in bb). There are a lot of guys Williams can't recruit and his competitors can. This is especially true since the Len Bias tragedy.

I for one applaud Williams, and certainly root for him versus the Huggins' and Calipari's and Kelvin Sampson's of the college bb world.

I have no doubt some kids are enticed or are tempted by improper benefits but to claim ALL of them are and that's the reason he's losing out is disingenous and ignores some of the faults that former recruits have laid out that all seem to say the same thing: "I would have loved to play for Maryland and Coach Williams if he had actually spoken to me and my family."


Don't confuse integrity with stubborness.

 

[anonymous]

FOT,

I agree with you that Huggins gets a bad rap. That said, the program was cited for NCAA rules violations under his watch in the mid-to-late '90s.

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

FOT,

I agree with you that Huggins gets a bad rap. That said, the program was cited for NCAA rules violations under his watch in the mid-to-late '90s.

Indeed - it was assistant John Loyer who was fingered by the NCAA. Huggins received no penalty. Loyer was "banned" from future NCAA coaching by a Show Cause order.

 

[DuluthGopher]

Just want to throw my 2 cents into this topic. My father was recently playing golf with a well known ex-player/coach the other week and he asked him what he thought about Tubby. He said Tubby is a great guy and a great coach. He also said that Tubby was fired from Kentucky because he didn't cheat enough. Enough is the main phrase. Everyone cheats people, just how much a coach is willing to stretch is up to him. I think there are certain places like, Duke, NC, Kansas, who probably don't have to cheat as much to get the better talent. But on a simliar note, the guy who my dad was playing with also said that Patino is the greatest cheater out there. He said he will do anything to get the kids he wants. But it's even well known that Wooden cheated when he was dominating for all those years at UCLA. People cheat all the time, it's just about not getting caught and not cheating if you don't have to.

 

[anonymous]

FOT,

Huggs did not receive a direct penalty, but it is his program. The program was cited for lack of institutional control, was placed on probation and had scholarships taken away.

At the end of the day, it falls on the head coach when his program is cited. At least in my book it is. College coaches -- especially in FB and MBB -- are such control freaks that they know everything that's going on.

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

FOT,

Huggs did not receive a direct penalty, but it is his program. The program was cited for lack of institutional control, was placed on probation and had scholarships taken away.

At the end of the day, it falls on the head coach when his program is cited. At least in my book it is. College coaches -- especially in FB and MBB -- are such control freaks that they know everything that's going on.

Understand that. Gene Keady got blamed when Frank Kendrick cheated at Purdue in mid 1990's. Coach Keady doesn't cheat, either.

 

[Friend Of Tubby]

Just want to throw my 2 cents into this topic. My father was recently playing golf with a well known ex-player/coach the other week and he asked him what he thought about Tubby. He said Tubby is a great guy and a great coach. He also said that Tubby was fired from Kentucky because he didn't cheat enough. Enough is the main phrase. Everyone cheats people, just how much a coach is willing to stretch is up to him. I think there are certain places like, Duke, NC, Kansas, who probably don't have to cheat as much to get the better talent. But on a simliar note, the guy who my dad was playing with also said that Patino is the greatest cheater out there. He said he will do anything to get the kids he wants. But it's even well known that Wooden cheated when he was dominating for all those years at UCLA. People cheat all the time, it's just about not getting caught and not cheating if you don't have to.

Tubby was not fired by, at, or from Kentucky.

He left for a better opportunity at Minnesota.

 

[Gopher4Life]

FOT,

>>He doesn't cheat on recruiting. No doubt whatsoever.<<

Are you saying that Huggins didn't know about the bogus transcripts of a Kansas juco player or two when he signed them?

 

[The-Real-Truth]

Understand that. Gene Keady got blamed when Frank Kendrick cheated at Purdue in mid 1990's. Coach Keady doesn't cheat, either.

I agree. That's why he and coach knight are on TV rather than sidelines. They have the systems that could hardly be sold to the spoiled kids today. I think coach Williams will join them very soon also.