'Package deal' for former Cooper star Vaughn draws scrutiny

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Agreed. He's as good as gone. I'm over Vaughn.
 

Dr.Don said:
Give me a Buggs type kid who is a project for Coach Pitino over any prima donna any day. We don't need no prima donna's, we need college basketball players.
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Give me a player like Vaughn any day over a project like Buggs. We need impact players. Not projects.
 

Dr.Don said:
Give me a Buggs type kid who is a project for Coach Pitino over any prima donna any day.

We don't need no prima donna's, we need college basketball players.
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Stupid. Both types of players spell failure, for different reasons. Buggs can't play for your program and you don't want Vaughn playing for your program.
 

Stupid. You're in the minority if you don't want Vaughn here. The kid is a special talent and none of you know the real story. It's all speculation as his recruitment has been very quiet.
 

WindyCityGopher said:
The more I read about Vaughn and his move to Findlay the more I feel I need to take a shower. I know this won't be a popular opinion on this board, but I won't be upset if he doesn't play at the U for his 6 months of college. He's undoubtedly a highly talented player, but I just can't get by all the baggage it appears he would bring with him.
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I feel the same way. I'd love to have him but won't lose any sleep if he goes elsewhere. We really need a C/PF type coming in. Is it also possible that we end up needing 5-6 recruits for 2014-15?
 



AO54 said:
Anthony Bennett
The kids like Vegas, it's not that complicated.
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HS kids and/or 19-20 yr olds? Vegas may be fun for adults, not that much for teenagers.

Bennett was a Findlay product, true, but Findlay is hardly a pipeline to the Rebels. If they ever land a major name coach, that could change though. It would be nice to see the Thomas & Mack rockin again.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
Dr. Don is right. There are handshake deals all over the place.

I love how Findlay Prep is funded by a UNLV booster and how former Findlay Prep coaches are coaches at UNLV. I also love how players who attend Findlay Prep go to UNLV and how Rashad Vaughn's handler Kaffey announced Vaughn would visit UNLV almost immediately upon arriving at Findlay Prep. There's no way any of this could be a coincidence, right?

I'm guessing this is how it went down. Someone from the UNLV Findlay Prep circle reached out to Kaffey. They told him about all the D-1 and NBA players who go to Findlay. Kaffey becomes intrigued, but he doesn't let them get to Vaughn. Then the UNLV Findlay Prep circle makes Kaffey an offer. We'll give you a sweet job if you bring Vaughn out to Findlay Prep and tell him to visit UNLV. The UNLV Findlay Prep circle tells Kaffey to sell Vaughn on the idea of playing for the best team against the best competition. Then he tells Vaughn that UNLV is a good school to look at. Heck, they just had the number one pick. Vaughn trusts him because he has trusted him his whole life. He knows about Findlay and his mentor Kaffey got him there. So Vaughn figures Kaffey is right about UNLV too, so he decides to visit the school.

One more thing. Does anyone else think that Kaffey saw Vaughn at an early age and made it his goal to be his mentor in order to cash-in on Vaughn? I don't believe for a second that Kaffey was looking out for Vaughn altruistically. Kaffey was in on this to get something. Kaffey was about 20-years-old when he saw Vaughn in 5th grade. I don't think I'd want a 20-year-old mentoring my son in just about anything, especially when both parents are around.

Good job Kaffey, you made your money off the back of this kid. I hope he goes to UNLV so you get a bonus of a better job or under-the-table money.
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I had pretty much this exact conversation in my head after I read that article. You just saved me 15 minutes and said it better than I would have.

This is a scandal in the making, it will come forward at some point. Book it.
 

I tend to think people are over reacting here... Vaughn might just of wanted to play better competition, have a great opportunity to play/travel to some great places and get out of the "Big 3" spotlight comparison here (he did get out of town already playing AAU ball in Wisconsin). I don't know how good his Cooper high school team is this year (4-3 record) but maybe he thought he would have better future opportunities playing with other high recruits on a better team. I don't know how Kaffey got the job but he does have some credentials to be basketball coach. Schools are a business and most businesses try to improve their operations by getting top talent. If hiring Kaffey helped to raise the profile of the prep school, it seems like a quality business decision to bring him in for a year and get a top 10 player. Kaffey seems like a trusted friend of the family and his parents might feel better having his mentor be in Vegas with him to help keep him focused on improving his game. Until I hear about Vaughn driving around in a Porsche, I will keep my rose colored glasses on and think things are not as greasy as people are portraying...
 



Golden Yooper said:
I tend to think people are over reacting here... Vaughn might just of wanted to play better competition, have a great opportunity to play/travel to some great places and get out of the "Big 3" spotlight comparison here (he did get out of town already playing AAU ball in Wisconsin). I don't know how good his Cooper high school team is this year (4-3 record) but maybe he thought he would have better future opportunities playing with other high recruits on a better team. I don't know how Kaffey got the job but he does have some credentials to be basketball coach. Schools are a business and most businesses try to improve their operations by getting top talent. If hiring Kaffey helped to raise the profile of the prep school, it seems like a quality business decision to bring him in for a year and get a top 10 player. Kaffey seems like a trusted friend of the family and his parents might feel better having his mentor be in Vegas with him to help keep him focused on improving his game. Until I hear about Vaughn driving around in a Porsche, I will keep my rose colored glasses on and think things are not as greasy as people are portraying...
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Kaffey 27 year old thug who is riding Vaughn's coatails, if it weren't Vaughn no one would give two ****s and a **** about Kaffey. Vaughn is the golden ticket to Kaffey's williewonka bar.
 

Golden Yooper said:
I tend to think people are over reacting here... Vaughn might just of wanted to play better competition, have a great opportunity to play/travel to some great places and get out of the "Big 3" spotlight comparison here (he did get out of town already playing AAU ball in Wisconsin). I don't know how good his Cooper high school team is this year (4-3 record) but maybe he thought he would have better future opportunities playing with other high recruits on a better team. I don't know how Kaffey got the job but he does have some credentials to be basketball coach. Schools are a business and most businesses try to improve their operations by getting top talent. If hiring Kaffey helped to raise the profile of the prep school, it seems like a quality business decision to bring him in for a year and get a top 10 player. Kaffey seems like a trusted friend of the family and his parents might feel better having his mentor be in Vegas with him to help keep him focused on improving his game. Until I hear about Vaughn driving around in a Porsche, I will keep my rose colored glasses on and think things are not as greasy as people are portraying...
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I like the optimism, and I hope you're right. Unfortunately, I think you need to be much more cynical.
 

If I was a parent (and I'm not), don't think I'd be real keen on my 18-year-old son having a 27-year-old hanger-on with a criminal record as his mentor. ... and in Vegas to boot. Train wreck waiting to happen.
 

SelectionSunday said:
If I was a parent (and I'm not), don't think I'd be real keen on my 18-year-old son having a 27-year-old hanger-on with a criminal record as his mentor. ... and in Vegas to boot. Train wreck waiting to happen.
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The current ages don't bother me. Richard Pitino is only 31 coaching 18 year olds. Kimani Young has a criminal record and is 37 coaching 18 year olds.

I'd be a little more concerned, however, of my 5th grade son hanging out with an 18 year old.

While it certainly appears now things are a bit shady, I don't think this is any different than 99% of college decisions. I think Vaughn is attacked because he left the state and his mind set / attitude isn't your typical Minnesotan. Who cares if Kaffey pushes him to UNLV? By many accounts Reid Travis' parents pushed him to Stanford. These kids have tons of people pushing them various directions for various reasons. Makes no difference to me if it is a parent, mentor, brother, etc.

You just hope the person pushing isn't doing it for selfish reasons and based on this article it seems only speculative that Kaffey is doing such.

Being their relationship started when Rashad was in 5th grade, I'm not sure he'd have the basketball prowess to know then Rashad would be a top 10 player.

While there are shady aspects to this, the article seems like a lot of speculation and guessing.
 



scher215 said:
The current ages don't bother me. Richard Pitino is only 31 coaching 18 year olds. Kimani Young has a criminal record and is 37 coaching 18 year olds.

I'd be a little more concerned, however, of my 5th grade son hanging out with an 18 year old.

While it certainly appears now things are a bit shady, I don't think this is any different than 99% of college decisions. I think Vaughn is attacked because he left the state and his mind set / attitude isn't your typical Minnesotan. Who cares if Kaffey pushes him to UNLV? By many accounts Reid Travis' parents pushed him to Stanford. These kids have tons of people pushing them various directions for various reasons. Makes no difference to me if it is a parent, mentor, brother, etc.

You just hope the person pushing isn't doing it for selfish reasons and based on this article it seems only speculative that Kaffey is doing such.

Being their relationship started when Rashad was in 5th grade, I'm not sure he'd have the basketball prowess to know then Rashad would be a top 10 player.

While there are shady aspects to this, the article seems like a lot of speculation and guessing.
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Difference is Travis parents clearly have their son's best of interest at heart from educational standpoint, they wanted him to pick a school, not a basketball team, with Kaffey you can make the argument that he has Kaffey's best interest not Vaughn's at heart and that he's convincing Vaughn that his own personal gain's are in the best interest for Vaughn as well.
 

scher215 said:
The current ages don't bother me. Richard Pitino is only 31 coaching 18 year olds. Kimani Young has a criminal record and is 37 coaching 18 year olds.

I'd be a little more concerned, however, of my 5th grade son hanging out with an 18 year old.

While it certainly appears now things are a bit shady, I don't think this is any different than 99% of college decisions. I think Vaughn is attacked because he left the state and his mind set / attitude isn't your typical Minnesotan. Who cares if Kaffey pushes him to UNLV? By many accounts Reid Travis' parents pushed him to Stanford. These kids have tons of people pushing them various directions for various reasons. Makes no difference to me if it is a parent, mentor, brother, etc.

You just hope the person pushing isn't doing it for selfish reasons and based on this article it seems only speculative that Kaffey is doing such.

Being their relationship started when Rashad was in 5th grade, I'm not sure he'd have the basketball prowess to know then Rashad would be a top 10 player.

While there are shady aspects to this, the article seems like a lot of speculation and guessing.
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Rashad may not have been a 1 and done lock in the 5th grade, but, at least in my eyes and the kids I was coaching, he was a lock to be a d1 talent by the 7th grade....

Kid matured and had skills at an early age.


And for those who claim they "don't want him"....


Again, I will take him if he comes, but based on the alleged sleaziness I wont be as hurt if he doesn't come.
 

Quick 2 cents: I don't know Kaffey or anything about him. However I know other basketball coaches. I know one in particular that is an asst coach for a major MN program and is about my age (I'm 29). He's been coaching since college and for most of that time regularly works with younger players one or 2 days a week. There are some kids in the JV and varsity programs now that he's been working with weekly for years since they were in 5th or 6th grade. He's a good guy who happens to love coaching basketball. Now some of these kids have D1 talent and it's at least in part to the work they've put in with him. Some will never play major college basketball and some will. If one of them blows up to a big time recruit its possible some college or prep school may notice that they like the kids fundamentals and or skill level and learn that they've been working with this coach. What if that prep school or college is impressed with my friend's teaching ability and offers him a position? Does that make him a hanger on or a coat tail rider? Now obviously this guy going to the same school as Vaughn is fishy but lets remember that Findlay gets a number of highly ranked kids every year and they aren't hiring everyone's uncle or high school coach either. Now they very well could have done some shady recruiting here but we don't know.
Regarding prep schools in general. These aren't necessarily a bad thing. Why? Because a kid is basically giving up his last year of HS (and the popularity, BMOC status, comfort of home, etc) for a year basically dedicated to school and honors level basketball. Is that a bad thing? For most of these kids its the first time they'll be playing day in and day out against people of their skill level. They're challenged more than they've ever been and improve their game a ton. Academically most of these prep schools are somewhat reputable as they work to get gets ready for school. Of course we can speculate on if there's some shady stuff going on but the NCAA watches these places closely. For the kids themselves instead of spending a year in HS with sometimes poor coaches, the distractions of home, and the pressure of home, they basically take a year to prep for college academics and sports. Is that such a bad thing? It sucks for the fans of the hometown team but for the kid is it that bad? Gymnasts move to new states at 10 or 11 to train. Skiiers move to Colorado in high school. Hockey players move in with host families. Is this even half as disruptive as those things? I don't think it is. Also remember a lot of these kids will make a living for 10+ years playing pro ball somewhere. If I told you 'hey we want your kid to transfer to this prep school for his last year of HS. We specialize in the field he plans on going in to. He'll spend a year around other elite kids in his field and they'll train and learn more than they ever have. Every major college knows of us and so being here will expose him to those schools so he'll get recruited by the best schools in this major.' Would that be appealing at all? I think it would be
 

oleboy41 said:
Also remember a lot of these kids will make a living for 10+ years playing pro ball somewhere.
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No, they will not.

The attrition rate between HS rosters and all D-1 players is 1 scholarship player for every 3.5 to 4 teams, with the attrition from college to pro even steeper.
 

With the pool of kids good enough to play at Findlay a good number of them will be good enough to play pro ball somewhere
 

I don't get the consensus that Vaughn is "gone" because he's at Findlay prep with his "mentor" given a job there. The new coach is Jerome Williams who is a Georgetown alum and former NBA player. Looking at the history of Findlay prep, it appears as if the program that it could have a shady relationship with it is Texas who has landed Bradley, Kabongo, Thompson, and Corey Joseph from Findlay (and coincidentally three of the four are Canadians) in a three year span. Then you have a kid like Gavin Schilling who went to Findlay and ended up with Izzo who has the reputation as one of the cleaner guys in the college basketball world. The kids seem to go to a variety of different schools (Arizona, St John's, Baylor, Illinois, Iowa State, Cal, Washington, Indiana, Ohio State) that have different reputations in the recruiting world. It's not like it's just the perceived shady programs that recruit kids who play at Findlay.

I still want Vaughn, and won't be the least bit worried about his recruitment unless Pete Kaffey ends up as the Gophers director of basketball operations next season. Even then, plenty of programs have done similar things in the past (see the Whitehead recruitment from a few months ago).
 

oleboy41 said:
Quick 2 cents: I don't know Kaffey or anything about him. However I know other basketball coaches. I know one in particular that is an asst coach for a major MN program and is about my age (I'm 29). He's been coaching since college and for most of that time regularly works with younger players one or 2 days a week. There are some kids in the JV and varsity programs now that he's been working with weekly for years since they were in 5th or 6th grade. He's a good guy who happens to love coaching basketball. Now some of these kids have D1 talent and it's at least in part to the work they've put in with him. Some will never play major college basketball and some will. If one of them blows up to a big time recruit its possible some college or prep school may notice that they like the kids fundamentals and or skill level and learn that they've been working with this coach. What if that prep school or college is impressed with my friend's teaching ability and offers him a position? Does that make him a hanger on or a coat tail rider? Now obviously this guy going to the same school as Vaughn is fishy but lets remember that Findlay gets a number of highly ranked kids every year and they aren't hiring everyone's uncle or high school coach either. Now they very well could have done some shady recruiting here but we don't know.
Regarding prep schools in general. These aren't necessarily a bad thing. Why? Because a kid is basically giving up his last year of HS (and the popularity, BMOC status, comfort of home, etc) for a year basically dedicated to school and honors level basketball. Is that a bad thing? For most of these kids its the first time they'll be playing day in and day out against people of their skill level. They're challenged more than they've ever been and improve their game a ton. Academically most of these prep schools are somewhat reputable as they work to get gets ready for school. Of course we can speculate on if there's some shady stuff going on but the NCAA watches these places closely. For the kids themselves instead of spending a year in HS with sometimes poor coaches, the distractions of home, and the pressure of home, they basically take a year to prep for college academics and sports. Is that such a bad thing? It sucks for the fans of the hometown team but for the kid is it that bad? Gymnasts move to new states at 10 or 11 to train. Skiiers move to Colorado in high school. Hockey players move in with host families. Is this even half as disruptive as those things? I don't think it is. Also remember a lot of these kids will make a living for 10+ years playing pro ball somewhere. If I told you 'hey we want your kid to transfer to this prep school for his last year of HS. We specialize in the field he plans on going in to. He'll spend a year around other elite kids in his field and they'll train and learn more than they ever have. Every major college knows of us and so being here will expose him to those schools so he'll get recruited by the best schools in this major.' Would that be appealing at all? I think it would be
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The short version of what I want to say is it's just not that pure as the scenario you're painting for your friend, and it's like that in every sport, getting coaching come down too who you know and who you blow.
 

EG#9 said:
I still want Vaughn, and won't be the least bit worried about his recruitment unless Pete Kaffey ends up as the Gophers director of basketball operations next season.
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Why would you have any problem with that? The position turned over like 3 times in a month when Pitino first started. To tell the truth, I don't even know who our DBO is now. I think it's the guy who was supposed to be the film guy. Maybe he goes back to being the film guy for a year.

If you're reading Vaughn's tweets, though, you'd say that at this point in time he has no desire to come home. He's not "gone" because he's necessarily going to UNLV (the sketchiness was that they came out of nowhere in his recruitment and immediately got an official visit, which even we haven't gotten).

Honestly, I think the Strib article kills the chance that he goes to UNLV and hurts Minnesota's chances. ISU fans clearly are relishing the article ... one of the advantages of living in the middle of nowhere -- no press to bother you!
 

I still want Vaughn, and won't be the least bit worried about his recruitment unless Pete Kaffey ends up as the Gophers director of basketball operations next season. Even then, plenty of programs have done similar things in the past (see the Whitehead recruitment from a few months ago).
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It's a way of life at Kansas. I can name two big-time recruits that fit this mold: Mario Chalmers and Danny Manning. Probably more, but these are off the top of the head.
 



He's gone, good job local media, I thought he was gone anyways, but doesn't help when a kid thinks his hometown is against him
 


mplarson7 said:
Ah yes. The "tragically misunderstood" angle.
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Lol. Agree with you. It's amazing how "tragically misunderstood" these athletes always are when people start asking questions.
 

Richard said:
One-day after the Star Tribune published the article, Vaughn tweeted the following:


Lol Gone take more than that to stop me. Star tribune some clowns #clowns

— Rashad Vaughn (@ShowtimeMr) December 19, 2013

http://www.bringmethenews.com/2013/...oops-recruit-vaughn-calls-star-tribune-clowns
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Poor pampered baby.

How dare the sports section of the Star Tribune examine recruiting or ask questions about handlers?

Findlay Prep must have a great critical reading and analysis program because Vaughn's concern about being torn down in the article are bleeding throughout the article.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
Poor pampered baby.

How dare the sports section of the Star Tribune examine recruiting or ask questions about handlers?

Findlay Prep must have a great critical reading and analysis program because Vaughn's concern about being torn down in the article are bleeding throughout the article.
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You have to consider - these are guys who have had their asses kissed liberally every day as long as they can remember, so when someone is critical or asks questions in an article, it's hard for them to deal with emotionally. You see it at every level of sports these days.
 

Bad Gopher said:
You have to consider - these are guys who have had their asses kissed liberally every day as long as they can remember, so when someone is critical or asks questions in an article, it's hard for them to deal with emotionally. You see it at every level of sports these days.
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Yep, and I don't feel sorry for them at all. Most of these players are spoiled brats. I love sports and all, but society and education would be better if sports weren't as idolized as they are.
 

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