Recruiters struggle with perfectly legal yet ethically questionable


I enjoyed reading....

about the travails of Gillispie. With apoligies to Gopher Lady, BCG should take a hard look at his "Self" image.
 

So, lets count the coaches whose programs were alluded to in this article:

Billy Gillespie
John Calipari
Bill Self
The guy at Kansas State
Scott Drew

Hmm...some pretty big names there. Makes you wonder about what coaches are willing to do from an ethical stand point nowadays. They all seem to be willing to take the Larry Orton approach of "if its not against the written rules, then anything goes" stance. It'll be even more interesting to see what, if anything, happens with rules and regulations from here.
 

Recruiting for college basketball and college football is a shady business. It has gotten that way because of the money.

With the amount a lot of coaches are being paid, there are immediate expectations to get good. But you need players to get good. So coaches look for loopholes and gray areas. Too often, there isn't enough attention to a players academics or character. Coaches simply want to get them in and try to keep them eligible and out of trouble.

I like college basketball, but it is dirty. There is so much hypocrisy in it. Players are funneled into majors where there are cooperative professors. The goal in many cases is simply eligibility and not graduation. And this farce about student-athletes? It's a total joke. In way too many cases, athletes in revenue sports are not at all like normal students.
 

College sports in general are dirty. It really is at a point where if you are really trying to follow the rules as they are intended then you will lose the recruiting battle. It is a shame.
 


Recruiting for college basketball and college football is a shady business. It has gotten that way because of the money.

With the amount a lot of coaches are being paid, there are immediate expectations to get good. But you need players to get good. So coaches look for loopholes and gray areas. Too often, there isn't enough attention to a players academics or character. Coaches simply want to get them in and try to keep them eligible and out of trouble.

I like college basketball, but it is dirty. There is so much hypocrisy in it. Players are funneled into majors where there are cooperative professors. The goal in many cases is simply eligibility and not graduation. And this farce about student-athletes? It's a total joke. In way too many cases, athletes in revenue sports are not at all like normal students.

It's been that way since the 1950's.
 

FOT,

I think that's a little strong. There wasn't the proliferation of club/AAU teams then, there weren't coaches hiring AAU coaches for a new position like there is now. Present day recruiting in probably the majority of cases has little to do with the actual high school season.

I think the shadiness of recruiting is much worse now than it was even a year ago. It seems now that there are more and more assistant coach positions in which the ability to deliver a player either that spring or the next fall is a requirement for consideration for employment.

In addition, there is more and more programs recruiting nationally.
 

FOT,

I think that's a little strong. There wasn't the proliferation of club/AAU teams then, there weren't coaches hiring AAU coaches for a new position like there is now. Present day recruiting in probably the majority of cases has little to do with the actual high school season.

I think the shadiness of recruiting is much worse now than it was even a year ago. It seems now that there are more and more assistant coach positions in which the ability to deliver a player either that spring or the next fall is a requirement for consideration for employment.

In addition, there is more and more programs recruiting nationally.

Not at all strong. Kentucky and Bradley were sanctioned by the NCAA in 1953 for cheating. It hasn't ever stopped since then. Slowed down (at times) maybe. Everything going on now, happened back then also.
 

FOT,

This thread isn't about cheating, it's about the growing number of schools that work in the gray areas. We're talking about actions like Baylor hiring Dwon Clifton because he might be able to bring John Wall with him. We're talking about coaches telling prospective assistant coach candidates, 'you can't bring a player with you? then I'm not interested' We're talking about creating new basketball staff positions for coaches.

There was much outrage nationally when Danny Manning's father got hired at Kansas. It was a very new concept as it was perfectly legal. That in the 80s, not the 50s.
 



This is a reflection of many other facets of our society that says if you can get away with it, do it, and take every advantage you can. I wish it were only college athlete recruiting, but it's in a lot of other places, too. Martelli is right. The profession must step up and discipline itself.

I loved the comment on the number of suits on the sidelines. We were just commenting on that at the Gophers' game last weekend. Why they need more suis than players is beyond me.
 

FOT,

This thread isn't about cheating, it's about the growing number of schools that work in the gray areas. We're talking about actions like Baylor hiring Dwon Clifton because he might be able to bring John Wall with him. We're talking about coaches telling prospective assistant coach candidates, 'you can't bring a player with you? then I'm not interested' We're talking about creating new basketball staff positions for coaches.

There was much outrage nationally when Danny Manning's father got hired at Kansas. It was a very new concept as it was perfectly legal. That in the 80s, not the 50s.

Nope. Happened back then also.

Example. Cincinnati recruited Oscar Robertson in 1956. UC placed him in their "co-op" program where he attended school 1 quarter and worked the next quarter (etc). He got paid good $ in his working quarters. Not illegal but NCAA banned the practice because of Oscar getting $ at UC.

Just 1 example. Many others out there.
 

Couple of things

Don't forget Pistol Pete Maravich (wow - what a player!) provided a head coaching job at LSU for his father, Press. Also, when counting suits on the bench remember to include the student managers who are expected to dress for the occasion.
 

Pay the Players a Competitive Stipend/Salary

FOT,

I think that's a little strong. There wasn't the proliferation of club/AAU teams then, there weren't coaches hiring AAU coaches for a new position like there is now. Present day recruiting in probably the majority of cases has little to do with the actual high school season.

I think the shadiness of recruiting is much worse now than it was even a year ago. It seems now that there are more and more assistant coach positions in which the ability to deliver a player either that spring or the next fall is a requirement for consideration for employment.

In addition, there is more and more programs recruiting nationally.


If the NCAA moneychangers would allow teams to pay a competitive stipend (maximum set by TV market/BCS status, NCAA brand items, etc. ) then much of the "dirt" and allegations of "dirt" would go away. And this not being able to pay for plane tickets/accommodations for players families/parents to view a game is just ridiculous. Speaks to the class system of this country (the haves and have nots).

Dr. Boyce Watkins at Syracuse U has taken the pro stance on this position for years. He makes some interesting points:

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2008/07/26/student_athletes_pay.html
 



If the NCAA moneychangers would allow teams to pay a competitive stipend (maximum set by TV market/BCS status, NCAA brand items, etc. ) then much of the "dirt" and allegations of "dirt" would go away. And this not being able to pay for plane tickets/accommodations for players families/parents to view a game is just ridiculous. Speaks to the class system of this country (the haves and have nots).

Dr. Boyce Watkins at Syracuse U has taken the pro stance on this position for years. He makes some interesting points:

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2008/07/26/student_athletes_pay.html

I agree - this is how the "problem" should be solved.
 




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