Apparently We're Doing Regular Jaylen Brown Updates Comment Count

Brian

Developments:

  • Kansas's 247 site says Brown dropped the Jayhawks. Most of the chatter out there held that Kansas was not a likely destination, but the odd report was givin' KU a chance.
  • Yesterday, both the Kansas 247 guy and Jerry Meyer, 247's head of basketball recruiting, responded to twitter Qs about Brown's recruitment. Both said they thought it would be Michigan; both made it seem they were making an informed guess without true conviction behind it.
  • VA combo guard Kenny Williams dropped Michigan yesterday, just a day after setting an official visit for the 18th. Some people read that as confidence in Brown, as Williams seemed highly interested in Michigan before the sudden change.
  • NC wing Shawn Kirk got offered by Kentucky hours after committing to NC State but still signed a LOI with the Wolfpack.
  • Crystal Ball is pretty much status quo; a Kansas guy who'd had a KU prediction out there that he admitted was homerism flipped back to Michigan. It's all M save two guys from an independent Kentucky site going with the Wildcats.
  • Kentucky Sports Radio reports they got an anonymous text from an Atlanta area code saying Brown was headed to Kentucky. Even though KSR is usually very good in the information department that sounds like the most useless information in history. But…
  • …Sam Webb said that he had heard something similar about UK leading and is not confident.
  • As of about noon the Kentucky 247 site was still giving Michigan an edge, citing Adidas. That was also speculation.

Unfortunately, Sam has been by far the most tuned-in media member during Brown's recruitment. He correctly pegged Michigan as a prime contender when everyone scoffed; Scout has been saying Michigan and Kentucky are his top two for a while. If he's hearing something negative it's coming from people who know.

Don't give up hope, but prepare the sour grapes just in case. His hair isn't aerodynamic enough! Jumping that high is a waste of energy! Et cetera.

Comments

idclark5

May 1st, 2015 at 12:51 PM ^

Seems like a high schooler breaking up and then de-friending on facebook the second it happens.

Bacari is an adult and coach that knows how much people pay attention to tiny details during recruiting.

I hope this isn't true, otherwise Bacari seems a little quick to say IM NOT YOUR FRIEND NO MORE! NEVER TALK TO ME AGAIN!

gwkrlghl

May 1st, 2015 at 2:20 PM ^

Those guys probably follow dozens and dozens of kids every season as part of their recruiting campaign. I'm sure they don't keep following them when they're juniors at Texas A&M (for example) so it's probably fairly regular for them to unfollow guys as their answer to Michigan becomes a 'no'. I wouldn't see it as childish, just what's the point of following them if you aren't going to be their coach?

idclark5

May 1st, 2015 at 3:53 PM ^

The timing seems weird. If he officially announces to go to another school, then ok, the relationship is most likely over, but recruits change their mind all the time. Why choose to take the effort to unfollow him until he makes a public decision?

Clearly I am looking too much into something that is unimportant, but that's what this recruitment has come to.

Mr. Yost

May 1st, 2015 at 3:26 PM ^

...why would he follow him?

That's stupid. You recruits hundreds of kids each year. What do you care what they think/have to say if you're not coaching them?

I see nothing wrong - I wouldn't see anything wrong with a player no longer following coaches or other players on other teams once he's committed.

somewittyname

May 1st, 2015 at 12:52 PM ^

I think there could be some intentional misdirection going on. I think the best evidence for this is (1) Williams dropping us immediately after setting a visit date and (2) Bacari congratulating big ten on recruiting successes and then deleting the tweet. I think Bacari unfollowing him could be a bluff. I doubt he would know if Michigan was out, I think he'd just be in the dark, and even so don't think that is necessarily how he would respond.

His Dudeness

May 1st, 2015 at 12:54 PM ^

Why is it that when we do it it's like the biggest most awful thing ever and when they do it's not even considered to be against the rules?

I don't get it. Either do something or do nothing, NCAA. Don't just randomly pick when you're going to notice your own rulebook.

I hate everything.

I live in Louisville. These people think Cal is clean. It drives me freaking crazy but I never say anything. Ugh this one is going to suck because these people dont even know who Jaylen Brown is. They'll be all "yea we got another guy." If Jaylen went to Michigan it would be a huge deal.

evenyoubrutus

May 1st, 2015 at 12:58 PM ^

This is probably a really dumb question and maybe I'm not as in-tune as I should be, but can somebody just explain the Adidas vs Nike thing for a college player and why that would matter?

LJ

May 1st, 2015 at 1:04 PM ^

The only understandable explanation I've heard is that the AAU teams are often sponsored by one of the shoe companies, which then gives the shoe companies some authority over the AAU coaches, who in turn steer recruits toward particular schools.

alum96

May 1st, 2015 at 1:05 PM ^

Yes it is really a boggling world to me as well as I've never done any reading on the subject.  If anyone has an article by ESPN or SI or anyone like that (hell Rolling Stone) on how the shoe companies have come to dominate the world of AAU basketball and in turn push players directly into 1 cache of schools or another.  It is so boggling to me - but it just speaks to how money must be so prevalent in this world. 

Also I am curious - could Nike buy an unlimited amount of shoes for top prospect who plays on their AAU teams?  Or gear. i.e. if I am Jaylen Brown and I play for Adidas AAU can Adidas literally hand me $50,000 worth of gear under the guise of "We are not giving Brown 50K of gear, we are giving an AAU sponsored team $50K... if it all just go happens to go to 1 player, so be it..."

Wish someone would write an expose on how this world evolved and how it is run today.

Nitro

May 1st, 2015 at 1:05 PM ^

I'm a 36, and I wore my lucky maize and blue boxers thinking it could help with getting Brown to commit to Michigan.

Do you guys think it would help if I tweet that info to him?