Dennis Evans - Is it time to recommit?

[stocker08]

Nefarious? Backdoor?
No. This is reality. Accept it.

Programs keep their hands "clean" while boosters continue to recruit and offer money to already committed players?

The "reality" is that NIL is opening up doors for shady dealings. Regardless of whether you can accept it or not.

 

[Mulligan]

Trying hard not be bitter but F' him. I could see where the Gopher season could make him reconsider, but then he signs with a 4 win school that has a reputation for being as crooked as they come? Looking at the freshman recruits Ben has gotten, it's very likely Ben might have used that scholarship on somebody the caliber of our freshmen.

 

[GophersInIowa]

If money was the reason, why did he come to the U in the first place? He was being offered money from other teams from the word go. People keeping saying this but it makes no sense. Unless he saw how terrible the Gophers were and decided he didn’t want to join that and play for nothing. I remember him saying he thought Ben would prepare him professionally, well now he probably doesn’t think that Ben can so he better grab some money while he can.

Money offered could have changed. If preparing him for the pros is still a big factor, I’m not sure how Louisville showed they’re a better option in that area this season.

 

[atsgopher]

If money was the reason, why did he come to the U in the first place? He was being offered money from other teams from the word go. People keeping saying this but it makes no sense. Unless he saw how terrible the Gophers were and decided he didn’t want to join that and play for nothing. I remember him saying he thought Ben would prepare him professionally, well now he probably doesn’t think that Ben can so he better grab some money while he can.

The official decommitment announcement contained this information. Roughly it was something like this (I use quotes to denote that the announcement contained the two different phrases for advisors):


On his official visit he did not ask about NIL, but his “AAU coach did.” Later, “people in his camp” convinced him to look elsewhere. However, he still liked Ben.

 

[disco]

Programs keep their hands "clean" while boosters continue to recruit and offer money to already committed players?

The "reality" is that NIL is opening up doors for shady dealings. Regardless of whether you can accept it or not.

I don't care if they keep their hands clean. This has been a dirty business for decades. Even the legendary John Wooden had a bag man. The difference is that the NIL ruling has more or less cut off the NCAA from any meaningful policing authority.

So unless the Gophers get with the times, this is going to keep happening. I've said it many times on the football board. I don't care if they back up a Brinks truck to pay guys to play here, and provide unlimited hookers and blow. Do what it takes to win, because others will. This is big time entertainment. Nothing more.

 

[Wet_Blanket_Guy]

Who gets to the NCAA first…Louisville or Gophers? Louisville will throw money at portal players and recruits…gophers won’t.

Their HC (Payne was a star player (alum), 1st round pick with an 11 year NBA career, had 16 years as an assistant between Oregon and Kentucky, and two years in the NBA under Thibs (a good coach)…compared to CBJ.

Louisville is also a resource rich school willing to spend.

They are clearly the choice to turn it around faster than the gophers, even if the gophers had a better record this year.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

I don't care if they keep their hands clean. This has been a dirty business for decades. Even the legendary John Wooden had a bag man. The difference is that the NIL ruling has more or less cut off the NCAA from any meaningful policing authority.

So unless the Gophers get with the times, this is going to keep happening. I've said it many times on the football board. I don't care if they back up a Brinks truck to pay guys to play here, and provide unlimited hookers and blow. Do what it takes to win, because others will. This is big time entertainment. Nothing more.

Not only has it been happening for decades, every program faces the same challenges. The good programs with good coaches will keep most of their players and the bad ones won’t.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Louisville has never done a single thing in basketball.

They have no fans. They play in an old, tiny, dilapidated gym.

Their school does not care about basketball, and does not support the program.

That they even have such money to give out in the first place (!!), is just some weird, bizarre twist of luck. Nothing to do with anything else. Random programs have hundreds of thousands to throw at a guy, from nowhere, all the time.


Yep

What’s your address?

Dr. Dunkenstein wants to make a house call.

 

[stocker08]

I don't care if they keep their hands clean. This has been a dirty business for decades. Even the legendary John Wooden had a bag man. The difference is that the NIL ruling has more or less cut off the NCAA from any meaningful policing authority.

So unless the Gophers get with the times, this is going to keep happening. I've said it many times on the football board. I don't care if they back up a Brinks truck to pay guys to play here, and provide unlimited hookers and blow. Do what it takes to win, because others will. This is big time entertainment. Nothing more.

So....what was your problem with me saying that there was likely nefarious backdoor dealings going on?

 

[WriterGoph]

It's been confirmed elsewhere that Evans' AAU coach and family were pressing the Minnesota coaches hard for NIL leading up to his signing - even though the coaches had to explain to them TWICE that they were not allowed to be involved in that process.

It's sounding more and more like the AAU coach continued to court back-alley offers until he found Louisville to come in with the big bucks. Sadly, once that amount of cash was found, surely the coach and the parents leaned on him to take the money to help their "big picture".

Trash situation. Hope Louisville program burns down.

 

[gwbbfan82]

It's been confirmed elsewhere that Evans' AAU coach and family were pressing the Minnesota coaches hard for NIL leading up to his signing - even though the coaches had to explain to them TWICE that they were not allowed to be involved in that process.

It's sounding more and more like the AAU coach continued to court back-alley offers until he found Louisville to come in with the big bucks. Sadly, once that amount of cash was found, surely the coach and the parents leaned on him to take the money to help their "big picture".

Trash situation. Hope Louisville program burns down.

Going from a last place B1G program to a last place ACC program. Get that NIL money.

 

[disco]

So....what was your problem with me saying that there was likely nefarious backdoor dealings going on?

Nefarious would be a subjective term. Evans made a wise business decision.

 

[Otis]

This whole thread is kinda pointless.

He was never coming back and therefore we shouldn’t care.

 

[WriterGoph]

This whole thread is kinda pointless.

He was never coming back and therefore we shouldn’t care.

It's pretty interesting to know exactly what went down though. Worse than I thought.

 

[Otis]

It's pretty interesting to know exactly what went down though. Worse than I thought.

Yeah, but we need to Belicheck the whole subject.

 

[bga1]

Right now, one of the worst things that has happened to Ben was the signing of Dennis Evans. He sucked up a scholly that Ben could have used elsewhere. Henley was already here and who helped on Evans was obviously swayed when Dennis backed out- or so it seems. Then the unfulfilled expectations and dreams of wingspan...

 

[Crappie]

Never bad advice to take a cool half mill lol. It does suck as it sounded like the kid liked Ben and wanted to play here.

Culture.

 

[Big Dawg]

What’s your address?

Dr. Dunkenstein wants to make a house call.

Along with Pervis, Scooter and Rodney

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Louisville has never done a single thing in basketball.

They have no fans. They play in an old, tiny, dilapidated gym.

Their school does not care about basketball, and does not support the program.

That they even have such money to give out in the first place (!!), is just some weird, bizarre twist of luck. Nothing to do with anything else. Random programs have hundreds of thousands to throw at a guy, from nowhere, all the time.


Yep

Such a bizarre take.

 

[Wet_Blanket_Guy]

Such a bizarre take.

Adding to what you said... I hate when my team doesn't do shit like Louisville...i mean they never make the NCAA tourney.

 

[Gophers_4life]

No one actually thought I wasn’t being as sarcastic as possible

They’re not exactly a blue blood, but they don’t build 20k college basketball arenas for nobodies.

 

[Roland Brooks]

Along with Pervis, Scooter and Rodney

Poncho Wright, Wylie Brown, Charles Jones and Lancaster Gordon

 

[stocker08]

Nefarious would be a subjective term. Evans made a wise business decision.

Did you forget to take your ritalin today or something? I'm not referring to a player doing what's in the best interest of himself. I'm talking about boosters recruiting players on or signed with another team. Louisville is a known dirty program. Wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that they are complicit or even directing boosters.

 

[disco]

Did you forget to take your ritalin today or something? I'm not referring to a player doing what's in the best interest of himself. I'm talking about boosters recruiting players on or signed with another team. Louisville is a known dirty program. Wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that they are complicit or even directing boosters.

I have no problem with teams doing that. I expect teams to do that if they want to win. I also expect Louisville to have success again much sooner than the Gophers.

 

[bga1]

I have no problem with teams doing that. I expect teams to do that if they want to win. I also expect Louisville to have success again much sooner than the Gophers.

Lots of schools are directing boosters. How would a booster know who to make a deal with if they weren't discussing it with the staff? The whole thing has become a joke.

 

[stocker08]

I have no problem with teams doing that. I expect teams to do that if they want to win. I also expect Louisville to have success again much sooner than the Gophers.

Considering the Gophers basketball program is in the place it is because of NCAA infractions from 25 years ago......yeah.......good take here. Got to cheat to win. Brilliant stuff.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Poncho Wright, Wylie Brown, Charles Jones and Lancaster Gordon

Man they had some fun teams.

Love to have swilled some bourbon with Denny Crum

 

[bga1]

Considering the Gophers basketball program is in the place it is because of NCAA infractions from 25 years ago......yeah.......good take here. Got to cheat to win. Brilliant stuff.

It's professional sports now. Who is to stop any of them from making money in any way they can now? Is anyone going after the University of Miami?

 

[disco]

It's professional sports now. Who is to stop any of them from making money in any way they can now? Is anyone going after the University of Miami?

Exactly. And the sanctions from Clem's time were BS in hindsight, when teams like UNC actually had FAKE CLASSES.

I've said before as well, in a college town, the Ganglehoff story never, ever, would have been written.

 

[BarnBurner]

Exactly. And the sanctions from Clem's time were BS in hindsight, when teams like UNC actually had FAKE CLASSES.

I've said before as well, in a college town, the Ganglehoff story never, ever, would have been written.

Yet there were many, many gh folks that couldn't comprehend the distinction, and that the distinction put the MN team at a great competitive disadvantage. Now that it is out in the open and accepted, some of these same gh folks are now bitching.

Level playing field.