Ugh: Alvin Ellis May Re-Open Recruitment UPDATED 4/3: Ellis gets release from LOI

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Seems strange that Teague would let Ellis out of his LOI before a head coach was hired. The timing is especially strange when that decision must have been made at/near the time they were closing in on hiring Pitino. I think we can write off Ellis though: once a guy gets out of his LOI he's usually gone.
 

EG#9 said:
Seems strange that Teague would let Ellis out of his LOI before a head coach was hired. The timing is especially strange when that decision must have been made at/near the time they were closing in on hiring Pitino. I think we can write off Ellis though: once a guy gets out of his LOI he's usually gone.
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I agree that he is likely gone... that said, I am guessing Pitino will be able to bring in a late recruit that is better than a "tubby late recruit". Not a savior, but a solid player. He brought in a juco to his school last year after the team was depleted by transfers after Isiah left. I think that player led them in scoring with over 14 pts a game. Pitino, while young, didn't just wake up to the world of college hoops yesterday. He will be able to bring in one or two guys (depending on needs) that will probably be just as good or better than what we have. Now, that doesn't mean game changers.. but player that will help the team compete until he gets a full recruiting class.

The key is playing up tempo, exciting ball. That could help land one of the Big Three. Pitino may strike out.. but with his pedigree and young energy, he may be able to keep one of them home. Long shot, perhaps. But a better shot than almost any hire not named Shaka or Flip. He needs to convince one or more of the Big Three to wait until next spring to decide. I think thats our best shot.
 

MadtownGopher said:
I'm not concerned with this. If we get the right coach, we'll have plenty of opportunities for Ellis-like recruits. He was a nice player, but not a program changer or anything. Plus he said we are still in the mix depending on the coach.
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Now if Buggs were to leave on the other hand... ;)
 

Someone explain to me how the process works. He doesn't have to sit out a year, right? Why wouldn't you at least just wait to see what the new coach is like? When would he have to make a decision on another school?
 


BarnBoy said:
Someone explain to me how the process works. He doesn't have to sit out a year, right? Why wouldn't you at least just wait to see what the new coach is like? When would he have to make a decision on another school?
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No. Since he never enrolled in classes, he doesn't have to sit. The normal process is the school asks you to wait until there is a new coach. After meeting with them, if you want out, they let you out. Why we agreed to let him out less than 24 hours before we had a new coach is a mystery to me. Teague/Ellis have some explaining to do.
 

Rouser said:
I agree that he is likely gone... that said, I am guessing Pitino will be able to bring in a late recruit that is better than a "tubby late recruit". Not a savior, but a solid player. He brought in a juco to his school last year after the team was depleted by transfers after Isiah left. I think that player led them in scoring with over 14 pts a game. Pitino, while young, didn't just wake up to the world of college hoops yesterday. He will be able to bring in one or two guys (depending on needs) that will probably be just as good or better than what we have. Now, that doesn't mean game changers.. but player that will help the team compete until he gets a full recruiting class.

The key is playing up tempo, exciting ball. That could help land one of the Big Three. Pitino may strike out.. but with his pedigree and young energy, he may be able to keep one of them home. Long shot, perhaps. But a better shot than almost any hire not named Shaka or Flip. He needs to convince one or more of the Big Three to wait until next spring to decide. I think thats our best shot.
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I'd love to see that JUCO PF that Gopher Warrior reported on, Jonathan Holton, end up in Maroon and Gold.
 

WolfontheProwl said:
Looking at the grades given for recruits he maybe a diamond in the rough but he didn't rank close to an Andre Hollins or any of our starting guards on ESPN. Tubby's recruiting over the last year was pathetic. Good luck to this kid would like to have him stay but its not a huge loss.
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#3 recruit in Illinois class of 2013. Which Tubby fall recruit don't you like? Watch his film. This is a huge loss.
 

Maybe Coach Pitino has someone else in mind who tops Ellis. Ever think of that guys?
 



WolfontheProwl said:
Looking at the grades given for recruits he maybe a diamond in the rough but he didn't rank close to an Andre Hollins or any of our starting guards on ESPN. Tubby's recruiting over the last year was pathetic. Good luck to this kid would like to have him stay but its not a huge loss.
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Joe Coleman (who is one our starting guards) shows these rankings are useless....
 

Dr.Don said:
Maybe Coach Pitino has someone else in mind who tops Ellis. Ever think of that guys?
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I wouldn't mind taking Latrell Sprewell's nephew if Ellis else where. (posted this in the FIU recruit thread as well)

 

Dr.Don said:
Maybe Coach Pitino has someone else in mind who tops Ellis. Ever think of that guys?
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I don't recall a Gopher team ever that didn't need a scorer like Ellis. If Pitino has a better one in his pocket great. Bring both in and I smell roses.
 

Ellis may or may not be a huge loss. Maybe he'll go to Texas Tech. But even if Richard Pitino turns out to the be 2nd coming of Bobby Knight there will be bumps in the road. Give it a year and then ask yourself, Are we better off than we were a year ago?
 



Dr.Don said:
Maybe Coach Pitino has someone else in mind who tops Ellis. Ever think of that guys?
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yeah and maybe there is a pot of gold waiting for you at the end of the rainbow?? ever think of that donnie
 


EG#9 said:
Seems strange that Teague would let Ellis out of his LOI before a head coach was hired. The timing is especially strange when that decision must have been made at/near the time they were closing in on hiring Pitino. I think we can write off Ellis though: once a guy gets out of his LOI he's usually gone.
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For us anyway - hard to say what happens now. Maybe Pitino has better options in the pipeline.
 

sunnyday2 said:
Ellis may or may not be a huge loss. Maybe he'll go to Texas Tech. But even if Richard Pitino turns out to the be 2nd coming of Bobby Knight there will be bumps in the road. Give it a year and then ask yourself, Are we better off than we were a year ago?
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Ellis is going to be a loss.. not matter how you slice it. Perhaps Coach P will go to Chicago and convince him to stay. Ellis already knows the school and players..so its not like its a huge risk. Its Big Ten and close to home. I hope Pitino is brought up to speed on Ellis.. seems like low hanging fruit recruiting wise. (yes, we are recruiting him again)
 


howeda7 said:
No. Since he never enrolled in classes, he doesn't have to sit. The normal process is the school asks you to wait until there is a new coach. After meeting with them, if you want out, they let you out. Why we agreed to let him out less than 24 hours before we had a new coach is a mystery to me. Teague/Ellis have some explaining to do.
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What are the options? You can make him wait until we have a coach and he talks to him-he then decides to stay or leave. Or you can release him immediately per his wishes with the verbal condition that he at least talks to our new coach-he then decides to to stay or leave.

The end result is the same thing, but by releasing him right away you are showing him some respect and he may appreciate that. Other schools have held on too long and gotten bad pub.
 

station19 said:
What are the options? You can make him wait until we have a coach and he talks to him-he then decides to stay or leave. Or you can release him immediately per his wishes with the verbal condition that he at least talks to our new coach-he then decides to to stay or leave.

The end result is the same thing, but by releasing him right away you are showing him some respect and he may appreciate that. Other schools have held on too long and gotten bad pub.
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If we'd fire Tubby in November like Monson, that's one thing. But asking him to wait 72 hours until he meets the new coach is not unreasonable. Especially when his stated reason for wanting out is he's 'tired of waiting to see who the new coach is.'
 

howeda7 said:
If we'd fire Tubby in November like Monson, that's one thing. But asking him to wait 72 hours until he meets the new coach is not unreasonable. Especially when his stated reason for wanting out is he's 'tired of waiting to see who the new coach is.'
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Either way coach P has to convince him. Do you think coach P would have a better chance to convince him if he hadn't been released? I say it's the same chance either way.
 

bga1 said:
It doesn't much matter anymore because it's in the past and they have a coach who will now call Ellis. The report out of Chicago as of last Friday/Saturday range was that Ellis had not been in contact with the Gopher program. Do you have some different information? Anyway - what's done is done.
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Unfortunately , the report that no one from the athletic dept. contacted him in a timely manner is probably true. In the Gopherhole interview with Foster that came out tonight , he said the only people from the Gophers who he has spoken with are Dre and Austin Hollins.
 

Maybe its better to just forget about Ellis and let Coach P find an undeclared gem?
 

That's pretty ridiculous. How hard is it to contact them? It's not like they had to talk all night.

bigticket1 said:
Unfortunately , the report that no one from the athletic dept. contacted him in a timely manner is probably true. In the Gopherhole interview with Foster that came out tonight , he said the only people from the Gophers who he has spoken with are Dre and Austin Hollins.
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Does anyone know of possible destinations for Ellis if he doesn't change his mind and end up at the U? I see on rivals he had offers from Nebraska, Northwestern, Kansas St., and Wichita State. I'm not sure if any of those schools still have a spot for him, but I have to believe after the season he had he'll have his fair share of suitors.
 

Do we know if it is legal for anyone at the U other than the coaching staff or players to contact recruits?
 

jaymil said:
Does anyone know of possible destinations for Ellis if he doesn't change his mind and end up at the U? I see on rivals he had offers from Nebraska, Northwestern, Kansas St., and Wichita State. I'm not sure if any of those schools still have a spot for him, but I have to believe after the season he had he'll have his fair share of suitors.
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He said that he had 3 schools he'd consider signing with. I think Minnesota is one of them, or there are 3 + Minnesota so 4 total. He wasn't exactly clear on that.
 


From the Barn said:
Do we know if it is legal for anyone at the U other than the coaching staff or players to contact recruits?
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If there was any issue all they would have had to do was assign Mike Ellis/anyone as interim head coach so that he could call the recruits. I doubt that would have been needed.
 

MadtownGopher said:
He was signed so pretty much anyone could contact him.
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I don't believe that's true. However, Teague could have made himself interim coach and then contacted him. I believe only assistant coaches and coaches can contact recruits (I could be wrong), until they've enrolled.
 

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