University of Kentucky Men's Basketball - 6th edition

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by WMR

MM had a great point that touches on this: EVERYONE in the international basketball community has a HUGE vested interest in Enes Kanter not playing college basketball. Don't expect anyone to 'have his back' because he could bring a system to its knees that currently makes European teams a lot of cheddar.

It's only credible if a Kentucky fan website reports it, yes?

[Brutus]

By the way... I used to cover this stuff for a living. A lot of people I know say this is no shock to coaches and people behind the scenes. This isn't some conspiracy to get Kanter's eligibility taken away. This isn't some jaded former coach sticking it to Kanter. This isn't some misreporting gone bad. It's common place for those types of kids to get paid over in Europe. That's the lay of the land. In fact, it's rare that a kid didn't get paid.

[macro]

Originally Posted by Cedric

Classic SEC spin.

"Everybody cheats!"

The conference is a joke from the top to the bottom in every sport. It's rotten to the core and luckily it's getting exposed almost daily.

It seems from your last two posts that you're not here to discuss, but rather to incite. Since your opinion of UK, the SEC, and "people down there" are well-known to anyone who has read this series of threads, I'm not sure that continuing to beat the horse really serves any purpose.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

By the way... I used to cover this stuff for a living. A lot of people I know say this is no shock to coaches and people behind the scenes. This isn't some conspiracy to get Kanter's eligibility taken away. This isn't some jaded former coach sticking it to Kanter. This isn't some misreporting gone bad. It's common place for those types of kids to get paid over in Europe. That's the lay of the land. In fact, it's rare that a kid didn't get paid.

European basketball makes Division I ball look pristine. From 13 and 14 years old, kids are sold into a weird kind of relationship, where teams have all the power. They take kids from all over the country, pay for room, board, and "incidentals", then practice for hours a day.

When the kids get good enough to garner interest, they play them in leagues with professionals, thereby screwing their college eligibility. That way, the NBA is pretty much the only option and teams then get paid back a pretty substantial sum.



That said, America's private school athletic scholarships are suspiciously similar to this. I always wanted to do an expose on, say, a Trinity or an Oak Hill or a Mater Dei (Maryland) or a St. Anthony's (NJ) and see the books. A private school education helps both kid and school. After all, that education will always be a solid bedrock of information, no matter if the kid goes on to the NBA or an MBA.

But I question how much education really goes on at Oak Hill, where kids travel all over the country nine months out of a year. How many of these schools really teach reading, writing, and arithmetic rather than rebounding, reverse pivots, and roll with the pick?

It's all degrees of filth, in the end. Major public high school programs might give a kid some extra help with tutoring and swag. Private schools offer up $30,000 a year in education benefits and swag, and colleges... Well, it's a billion dollar industry, folks. What would you pay for LeBron?

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

But I question how much education really goes on at Oak Hill, where kids travel all over the country nine months out of a year. How many of these schools really teach reading, writing, and arithmetic rather than rebounding, reverse pivots, and roll with the pick?

I think what I would question first is the grades of the players who graduate from Oak Hill who go onto Division 1 college athletics.

UK has been hit or miss with Oak Hill, but mostly success. For every Ron Mercer, Rajon Rondo, or Cliff Hawkins, there is a Rashad Carruth in the mix.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

European basketball makes Division I ball look pristine. From 13 and 14 years old, kids are sold into a weird kind of relationship, where teams have all the power. They take kids from all over the country, pay for room, board, and "incidentals", then practice for hours a day.

When the kids get good enough to garner interest, they play them in leagues with professionals, thereby screwing their college eligibility. That way, the NBA is pretty much the only option and teams then get paid back a pretty substantial sum.



That said, America's private school athletic scholarships are suspiciously similar to this. I always wanted to do an expose on, say, a Trinity or an Oak Hill or a Mater Dei (Maryland) or a St. Anthony's (NJ) and see the books. A private school education helps both kid and school. After all, that education will always be a solid bedrock of information, no matter if the kid goes on to the NBA or an MBA.

But I question how much education really goes on at Oak Hill, where kids travel all over the country nine months out of a year. How many of these schools really teach reading, writing, and arithmetic rather than rebounding, reverse pivots, and roll with the pick?

It's all degrees of filth, in the end. Major public high school programs might give a kid some extra help with tutoring and swag. Private schools offer up $30,000 a year in education benefits and swag, and colleges... Well, it's a billion dollar industry, folks. What would you pay for LeBron?

Everything I've heard and read is that Steve Smith truly commits his players to the books at Oak Hill. Heck, those kids have a grueling Military schedule they follow when they're home, as opposed to abroad. I think academically, Oak Hill and St. Anthony's (just to mention those couple) are legit. Now obviously I won't say a lot of money doesn't change hands, which is your primary point. But I do respect those programs because they seemingly take education seriously with the kids that enroll.

[Scrap Irony]

How seriously can you take an education if you're gone for parts of seven months of the school year, as this year's class has?

Between AAU, Under 17 World Championships, traveling teams, and a full high school schedule (including sending kids across the country), there's little chance they're in the classroom, is there?

Perhaps tutors are sent with the team. If so, that's even more cash spent on erstwhile amateur athletes.

I suppose my point is that we ARE the Greeks-- the only difference is that we dress it up a little and mouth the words of education to appease our dirty consciences.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

How seriously can you take an education if you're gone for parts of seven months of the school year, as this year's class has?

Between AAU, Under 17 World Championships, traveling teams, and a full high school schedule (including sending kids across the country), there's little chance they're in the classroom, is there?

Perhaps tutors are sent with the team. If so, that's even more cash spent on erstwhile amateur athletes.

I suppose my point is that we ARE the Greeks-- the only difference is that we dress it up a little and mouth the words of education to appease our dirty consciences.

Well 3 of the months they're gone they wouldn't be in school anyhow (during the summer). But yes, there are actually tutors sent with the Oak Hill team when they're traveling abroad during basketball season.

There was a thing a few years back on ESPN that went into Oak Hill for a typical week for those kids. It was no picnic. It takes a strong kid to survive that rigorous schedule.

But what you describe is happening with public schools too, not just Oak Hill. Training is becoming a year-round thing. I wouldn't single those schools out because they're really no different than many top public high school programs.

[Scrap Irony]

Sure, large public schools can be dirty, but, really, they're just playing the percentages. The reason large schools win state championships is that they have more kids in their pool to pull from. It's a matter of logic and math.

The reason private schools win championships is because of money. In essence, they pay players. It's really that simple. If St. X needs a running back for next season, they don't develop one from within. They don't wait for the next generation of solid athletes or pray to the gods of transfer. They scout the local (and not-so-local) talent and offer scholarships to bring it in.

That's a system that's set up to be unfair, IMO, and ripe for abuse. It's abuse right now, though it's couched in terms like "better situation" and "development" and "seeking a better fit".

In the end, it all comes down to cash. Private schools can offer kids so many benefits that public schools cannot.

[WMR]

Okay this has got to go down as one of the biggest thread backfires of all time... "DB did you jump from a plane?"

http://tennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....id=879&style=2

I really wonder what effect, if any, UT's self-imposed sanctions will have on penalties imposed by the NCAA?

It seems like this is even worse than Sampson at IU considering Pearl went to such great lengths to mislead NCAA investigators.

The funniest thing is that once the entire peanut gallery from TCP descended on their board, it set a record for most visitors to their men's bball board ever.

[Scrap Irony]

That thread is disgusting.

It's also the reason UK fans are held in such... esteem by the rest of college basketball.

[Hoosier Red]

Originally Posted by WMR

Okay this has got to go down as one of the biggest thread backfires of all time... "DB did you jump from a plane?"

http://tennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....id=879&style=2

I really wonder what effect, if any, UT's self-imposed sanctions will have on penalties imposed by the NCAA?

It seems like this is even worse than Sampson at IU considering Pearl went to such great lengths to mislead NCAA investigators.

The funniest thing is that once the entire peanut gallery from TCP descended on their board, it set a record for most visitors to their men's bball board ever.

That's true WMR, though Sampson had the additional mark of having been caught before.

[Scrap Irony]

Considering last year's major problems with guns and drugs (not to mention the Lane Kiffin-era football violations), I wonder if this will be enough to get UT the dreaded "lack of institutional control" tag.

Ironic, if so, as that's what happened to Illinois when he ratted them out.

[TeamSelig]

Originally Posted by WMR

Okay this has got to go down as one of the biggest thread backfires of all time... "DB did you jump from a plane?"

http://tennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....id=879&style=2

I really wonder what effect, if any, UT's self-imposed sanctions will have on penalties imposed by the NCAA?

It seems like this is even worse than Sampson at IU considering Pearl went to such great lengths to mislead NCAA investigators.

The funniest thing is that once the entire peanut gallery from TCP descended on their board, it set a record for most visitors to their men's bball board ever.

[WMR]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

That thread is disgusting.

It's also the reason UK fans are held in such... esteem by the rest of college basketball.

Oh yeah, no other fans act boorish on the internet. Check out any Rivals message board and you will find the EXACT same level of discourse, finger pointing, and trash talking between rival fan bases.

Really Scrap, you're better than that.