EZMIKEP

October 11th, 2012 at 5:57 PM ^

A top 5 player from in state is always someone you wish you had playing for you. But I will agree on the MSU part. 

ross03

October 11th, 2012 at 6:02 PM ^

Wow - Kentuky says All Your Top 5 Guards Are Belong to Us.

3 guards all in the top 5.   Not sure how many slots they have but they are in on #1 Parker (if they take him from Sparty too that'd be ok) and other top 10 guys as well.  Crazy.

StephenRKass

October 11th, 2012 at 6:33 PM ^

I don't know Calipari, and think there are too many who pile on him.

HOWEVER . . . if this kid is a one and done, he could basically fake it through the Fall term, at Kentucky, skip class in the 2nd term, just going through the motions after the tourney, then drop out after tourney play is over. Maybe Beilein doesn't want to do that. I don't know that the kid is like that, but for whatever reason, he obviously isn't a fit at U of M. I wouldn't cast any negative aspersions on either Young or Beilein. It just didn't work out.

Really, isn't that true for everyone? We all have preferences. Some like steak, some like chicken. Some like girls, some like boys. Some like Scarlett, some like Kate Upton. Some like Chevy and some like Ford. There's no accounting for taste and preference. More than that, sometimes it just fits and feels right, and sometimes it doesn't. Best of luck to Young. I'm thrilled with Beilein and what he and his staff are doing.

Tater

October 11th, 2012 at 7:18 PM ^

AFAIC, there is no such thing as "piling too much on Calipari."  He has gotten every school that has employed him in trouble, and always manages to skate without any personal consequences.  They should just award temporary trophies to UK and bring the permanent ones around after the statute of limitations expires.

I really hope that Calipari's massive ego finally causes him to make a big enough mistake or mistakes at UK to finally get caught.  Pricks like Calipari tilt the playing field in favor of the cheaters, and make it very difficult for clean programs to compete with them.

PurpleStuff

October 11th, 2012 at 11:21 PM ^

UMass got busted because Marcus Camby took money from a guy who wanted to be his agent and hoped to make more off him down the road (just like Marcus Ray got caught doing here at Michigan).  Memphis got in trouble because Derrick Rose had somebody else take his SAT's so he could get eligible to play at whatever school he ended up attending (and I don't see anybody cancelling their NBA League Pass in protest).  John Calipari was not even really suspected of wrongdoing in either case.

Calipari is a good coach and a fantastic recruiter who is now working at one of the top-5 programs in college basketball history.  The "outrage" about him has way more to do with success than wrongdoing, especially considering how much "sleazier" people seem to think he is compared with actual dishonest coaches and cheaters like Calhoun, Tressel, and our own Steve Fisher.

 

93Grad

October 12th, 2012 at 12:19 AM ^

Its this type of thinking that says there is "no evidence" again Barry Bonds or Lance Armstrong.  Some people just won't be convinced until they see the athlete with the steroid syringe in their arm or the head coach handing a wad of cash to the player.  Good cheaters are far more sophisticated then that and its often just pure dumb luck that gets them exposed. 

 

In college basketball epescially, where there is smoke there is usually fire.

PurpleStuff

October 12th, 2012 at 12:57 AM ^

Lloyd Carr's national championship team had one player (Marcus Ray) busted for taking money from an agent by the NCAA and another (Woodson) suspected of doing the same in the media (and there is plenty of circumstantial evidence about his agent to support the supposition). 

I'm sure you can see through the bullshit and are ready to give back that national title because you feel so guilty.  I mean clearly with that amount of smoke, the fire must have been raging out of control.  If that is what we know about, just imagine the cheating that went on behind the scenes. 

Or are you just acting like a hardass because a team/coach you don't like has had a bunch of success?  I really wonder.

True Blue Grit

October 12th, 2012 at 8:57 AM ^

is going to take Kentucky out to the woodshed for low academic performance and probably other violations under Calipari.  Unless they have a bunch of engineering student walk-ons on the end of the bench, their graduation rate has to be abysmal.  And that has to hurt their APR bigtime.   U-K obviously doesn't care about that - only about satisfying their fans' and alumni lust for national championships.  

Raback Omaba

October 11th, 2012 at 6:35 PM ^

Would be a huge get for MSU, and it is looking like it will happen. He's really down primarily to Duke and MSU, with distance being a factor as he wants to play in front of his family.

Unless something groundbreaking (literally) happens in the next few months, East Lansing is closer to Chicago than Durham, so it's looking like MSU is the team to beat here.

Parker's supposedly the best HS recruit since Lebron James, so that is saying something. Definitely has immediate pro potential. Also, from what I hear, he's a solid kid too.

Would suck to see him in Green and White.

bacon1431

October 12th, 2012 at 6:01 PM ^

I don't really see how Parker is considered the best prospect since Lebron James. John Wall, Harrison Barnes, and Anthony Davis were pretty much consensus #1 players in their classes. I don't see that type of hype around Parker. Definitely going to be a stud. But best player since Lebron? I don't really see it. That would mean people consider him better than Dwight Howard, Michael Beasly, Greg Oden, and Kevin Durant coming out of high school.

NFG

October 11th, 2012 at 7:04 PM ^

At this point in Coach B's tenure, I am comfortable with him not going after instate high caliber targets. He seems to have a knack for players who will develop well under his system (i.e. Novak, Doughlass, Burke) and still remain academically eligible throughout the year.

aratman

October 11th, 2012 at 7:08 PM ^

I would not be surprised if Parker ends up at BYU also would not be shocked if he takes a Mission after his freshman year and not go to the NBA until after that.  The story of how he stayed off the streets by going to the LDS temple and play basketball stuck with me for some reason.  Dude used to sneak out at night to play ball once again at the LDS temple.  How many of you have snuck out at night to go to church, I know I haven't. 

Young John Beilein

October 11th, 2012 at 9:57 PM ^

Maybe.  I've heard yes and no.  My guess is that he never was, but they said something like "if you improve your grades (and +/- attitude), you will earn an offer."  I believe James has reported he had an offer.  Anyway, there was never even a spark in this relationship, much less a flame.  And certainly not a conflagration.

Young John Beilein

October 11th, 2012 at 10:50 PM ^

Good point.  Knowing nothing particular, I think he was probably there for a camp or two, but nothing more than that, and certainly nothing recent.  He's been off Michigan's radar for at least a year.  His commitment really has nothing to do with Michigan basketball, but I'm sure people here are interested in a blue chip in-state talent.

umich_fan1

October 11th, 2012 at 8:03 PM ^

FWIW, I live in Troy and all the buzz is Young has major attitude issues. Sure, you can be a Kentucky and overlook the attitude thing and it probably won't be a chemistry killer there. At a MSU or UofM, I think he would be poison.

Edit: Young played @ Troy High before Roch

 

 

Generic MGoBlogger

October 11th, 2012 at 9:00 PM ^

And the NCAA still isn't looking into their recruiting??? Shoot they can get us (Michigan Football) for "practicing too much" but they aren't even peek an eye into Kentucky's recruiting? Hell, if they keep it up they could end up with a better class than the Fab Five. All I'm saying is there is no way you can have the constant success year in and year out recruiting like they are having right now without violating the rules in some way.

WolvinLA2

October 11th, 2012 at 9:13 PM ^

I disagree with that.  If you were a top-5 bball recruit, what would be your top choice?  Keep in mind academics don't matter because you'll likely be there between 2 semesters and 2 years. 

These recruits want two things, in this order:  Going to the NBA, and winning games.  Calipari has done both better than anyone the last 5 years.  He's like the Saban of college basketball, just with less competition.  Add to that that UK has as much or more tradition than any other program and the biggest crowd in the country.  It's not exactly a mystery why recruits are going there.

wolverinebutt

October 12th, 2012 at 7:43 AM ^

I live in Troy where this kid used to play. 

No, I don't know the kid, but I know he had issues and attitude at Troy.

Good luck at KY and I'm not sad one bit he picked them.

 

panthers5

October 12th, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^

LOL at we didn't recruit him because of academic reasons. He has no issues, character or academic. He wanted UK all along, that was the only issue.

 

Only "attitude" issue he had was with his coach, hence the transfer.

 

We did try and recuit him, and he flat out told JB no. We took one swing, missed, and that was it.