Arrests coming due to college bball kickbacks

GTRX7

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Meh. No mention of Kentucky or Duke, who somehow manage to land all the big boyz that can apparently demand top dollar to play college ball. The NCAA is only going after the low-hanging fruit...as usual.

Not saying either is clean but, objectively, if I were a top recruit that was not going to take a bribe, UK and Duke would be at the top of my list of schools to attend. Cal in particular has shown an unbelievable ability to take kids for one year, give them a chance to compete for a Final Four, and get them in the first round of the NBA draft. He has had 18 lotto picks and 4 Final Fours at UK in 10 years! Even guys like Tyler Hero, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker and the like, who nobody considered one-and-dones, have ended up going first round and even lottery under Cal.

It almost makes me raise my eyebrows more when schools like Ole Miss, Vandy, UGA, LSU, and the like start picking up 5-star recruits out of nowhere.
 

ESPNjacket

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Significantly important because the initial call of 2 seasons was egregious, I guess.

Norlander is like the Ken AJC of national college hoops reporters.

At least Norlander doesn't wait for multiple national outlets to publish a story before having his own version out. And Ken is consistently late as the beat writer for the local paper.

Sad.
 

Peacone36

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Here come the KS apologists

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slugboy

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At least Norlander doesn't wait for multiple national outlets to publish a story before having his own version out. And Ken is consistently late as the beat writer for the local paper.

Sad.

The AJC used to pride themselves as having the best sports pages around. I'm not impressed by their Falcons, ATL United, or Hawks coverage either. (I am truly not impressed by the Falcons coverage). I can't think of who has good sports coverage around here, including local TV, unless its The Athletic.
 

RamblinRed

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Good article by Pete Thamel on what may be coming for college basketball once the one and done rule is gone.

https://sports.yahoo.com/why-are-hoops-prospects-like-rj-hampton-skipping-college-020139816.html

Hampton’s decision is emblematic of the attitudes of high school basketball players toward college as we hurtle toward potentially seismic changes coming to the NBA draft in 2022.

“The singular difference from now and when this track was open a long time ago,” said an NBA scout, referencing the direct-to-NBA route, which ended in 2005, “is the absolute deterioration of the value of a college scholarship in the eyes of the players and their families. These guys don’t want to be in school and don’t care. The carrot of education has been devalued.”

Hampton’s path shows that. He reclassified to leave high school early a month ago so he could get to college faster. But that wasn’t fast enough. He told Evans that he considered playing professionally the “safer route for players,” as opposed to college. Hampton’s father, Rod, summed up the essence of an overseas venture over an eight-month college pit stop with a side order of education. “It’s never been a dream of his to play college basketball,Rod Hampton told 247 Sports. “It’s been a dream of his to use college basketball as a vehicle to get to the NBA.”

But so much has changed with exposure and social media that a mass exodus is expected. I guessed 50 players will declare annually to another NBA scout on Thursday. His response? “Maybe even more, to be honest with you.” He added: “Everyone is going to throw their name in there. I can only imagine how it works: ‘He declared, so I’m declaring.’ You get the peer-pressure thing. It doesn’t cost them or hurt them to get the feedback. I would if I was a kid.”

This is a warning that there’s a new generation of kids who see college as more of an impediment than a benefit. The NCAA has begun discussions on allowing players to monetize their name, image and likeness. It’s a baby step, but an important one as they lose ground in a competitive field.
“It’s big especially for the top-level kids, that gives them an option to be able to profit,” said an NBA scout. “That’s the biggest step to make that change.”
 

MWBATL

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Good article by Pete Thamel on what may be coming for college basketball once the one and done rule is gone.

https://sports.yahoo.com/why-are-hoops-prospects-like-rj-hampton-skipping-college-020139816.html

Hampton’s decision is emblematic of the attitudes of high school basketball players toward college as we hurtle toward potentially seismic changes coming to the NBA draft in 2022.

“The singular difference from now and when this track was open a long time ago,” said an NBA scout, referencing the direct-to-NBA route, which ended in 2005, “is the absolute deterioration of the value of a college scholarship in the eyes of the players and their families. These guys don’t want to be in school and don’t care. The carrot of education has been devalued.”

Hampton’s path shows that. He reclassified to leave high school early a month ago so he could get to college faster. But that wasn’t fast enough. He told Evans that he considered playing professionally the “safer route for players,” as opposed to college. Hampton’s father, Rod, summed up the essence of an overseas venture over an eight-month college pit stop with a side order of education. “It’s never been a dream of his to play college basketball,Rod Hampton told 247 Sports. “It’s been a dream of his to use college basketball as a vehicle to get to the NBA.”

But so much has changed with exposure and social media that a mass exodus is expected. I guessed 50 players will declare annually to another NBA scout on Thursday. His response? “Maybe even more, to be honest with you.” He added: “Everyone is going to throw their name in there. I can only imagine how it works: ‘He declared, so I’m declaring.’ You get the peer-pressure thing. It doesn’t cost them or hurt them to get the feedback. I would if I was a kid.”

This is a warning that there’s a new generation of kids who see college as more of an impediment than a benefit. The NCAA has begun discussions on allowing players to monetize their name, image and likeness. It’s a baby step, but an important one as they lose ground in a competitive field.
“It’s big especially for the top-level kids, that gives them an option to be able to profit,” said an NBA scout. “That’s the biggest step to make that change.”
Personally (and I recognize I may be alone on this board in this opinion), I say "let it be". Let the kids who come to college and want to play basketball be the kids who also want an education as a backup plan. Let those who want to go all in on playing pro ball go ahead and do so...let them turn pro at 16 like they do in Europe for soccer, and let those kids pursue their dreams. Many will wind up as bartenders when they are 24, but that is their choice. Don't try to compete with the lure of the pro game....be who we were meant to be...student-athletes. I would be SOOO much more into it if this were the case.

Just mho...
 

RamblinRed

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Personally (and I recognize I may be alone on this board in this opinion), I say "let it be". Let the kids who come to college and want to play basketball be the kids who also want an education as a backup plan. Let those who want to go all in on playing pro ball go ahead and do so...let them turn pro at 16 like they do in Europe for soccer, and let those kids pursue their dreams. Many will wind up as bartenders when they are 24, but that is their choice. Don't try to compete with the lure of the pro game....be who we were meant to be...student-athletes. I would be SOOO much more into it if this were the case.

Just mho...

I basically agree with this. If you don't want to be in college - don't go to college. That means the NBA needs to be set up so these kids have options, but I am all in on why force a kid to go to school when he doesn't really want to.
 

Peacone36

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I basically agree with this. If you don't want to be in college - don't go to college. That means the NBA needs to be set up so these kids have options, but I am all in on why force a kid to go to school when he doesn't really want to.

There are options. There is the G-League and there are overseas leagues. You wanna scoff at $125K feel free. You dont want to travel? Ok.

Its funny to me that nobody ever says anything about the NFL's policy on college requirements. It protects kids, sure, but it also protects the integrity (ahem) of the NFL and the quality (ahem ahem) of hte product. Now, it could be argued that the NFL rules committee is doing everyhting in its power to destroy what made the NFL great but thats neither here nor there.

Does anyone remember the NBA before the OAD rule? How many potential careers were ruined simply by bad decision making or lack of quality advice. 16-18 year old kids are dumb!! They make poor decisions.

Korleone Young
Tony Key
James Lang
Ousmanne Cissi
Ndudi Ebi
DeAngelo Collins
Lenny Cooke
Leon Smith

Tons of talent on that list. Key, Collins and Cooke i know for a fact were never even drafted. College Basketball isnt perfect. The G-league isnt perfect and playing overseas certainly isnt perfect but the kids have options and in many cases we need to protect them from themselves. Many will regret not attending college and getting an education. Hey, sorry, make better choices.

Some would also argue that the NBA's product since 2005 has also improved tremendously.
 

YlJacket

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Selfishly I want the Zion's of the world to show their stuff for a year in college as I think it makes the game better/more interesting. But I understand the dichotomy of an amateurism model versus the money in the system - especially when the NCAA and colleges have worked to maximize profit themselves. So giving them a direct access to a paycheck relieves the pressure being placed on the NCAA right now. However, as a tangent to Peac's comments, I don't think the G League or overseas is going to help a lot of kids and will likely be detrimental to some who want to avoid college. The G League and overseas pro ball is populated with full growed men who are looking for a last shot at the NBA (or top Euro leagues). They are not going to take kindly to 18 year old kids who want their spot and don't have the physical development they do. Kids not shaped like Zion are going to get worn down. And even when you get paid $100K, it still costs about that much to eat properly and supplement the training the G League will offer (recognizing they are traveling mostly).

I expect all but the real cream of the crop - top 5 or so - will still be better off with a year or so of college but doubt they will agree with me. And if they want to go - then so be it.
 

CuseJacket

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LA Times: USC says Tony Bland 'caused significant harm' in college basketball corruption case
Michael Blanton, USC's vice president for professionalism and ethics, sent the three-paragraph victim impact statement to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos last month in advance of Bland's sentencing Wednesday.

"The actions of Mr. Bland and his co-conspirators have significantly damaged the reputation of USC as an institution, the USC athletic department, and its men's basketball program," Blanton wrote.

"Further, their actions have prompted an NCAA investigation that may result in penalties. Lastly, USC was forced to expend significant amounts of money to investigate Mr. Bland's conduct and to cooperate with the government as it has prosecuted this case."
"I respectfully ask that the Court simply recognize this is not a victimless crime," Blanton wrote. "USC, its student-athletes, and college athletics as a whole have suffered greatly because of what Mr. Bland and his co-conspirators did."
I can't believe Bland damaged uSC's previously squeaky clean reputation. It really is a shame what these one-off rogue assistants have done to harm the schools and their HCs.
 
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