Interesting convo I had with a prominant Chicago HS basketball coach
So, I had the opportunity to speak with a Chicago HS basketball luminary in a casual situation earlier today. I won't drop his name at this point, but he coached some of Chicago's best talent over the past 30 years at a couple well known Chicago high schools. He apparently just retired this year. I asked some very pointed questions about basketball topics, specifically regarding college recruiting, and he (thankfully) did not hold back on giving me some very candid and real answers. Thought I would share with the board:
1. College bball recruiting is extremely dirty (duh!)
2. While he thinks the NCAA does their best to monitor this, he seems to believe that college coaches are much smarter and can "stay ahead" of the NCAA. He says there are very sophisticated ways to pay players and their families without suspicion.
3. Coach K - dirty as hell (I was kinda surprised by this)
4. Coach Cal - dirty as hell (duh!)
5. Coach Pitino - dirty as hell (duh!)
5. Izzo - sends his assitants to do his dirty work. He says he was offered money from Dwayne Stephens on several recent occasions for particular recruits (although I don't know if he actually accepted the money). He thinks that Izzo is not as bad as others though. Izzo has a lot of respect in Chicago and is not normally known for playing dirty. However, his people told him that Izzo's recent recruting success is no doubt from some "below the belt" tactics.
6. The Jabari Parker recruitment was surprising clean on a relative scale.
7. As for Michigan/JB - clean, very clean, but too clean. Most promimant Chicago HS coaches stay away from Michigan because Michigan won't be part of the "recruiting machine" in Chicago. They think JB is a good coach but teaches "white boy" basketball. He basically says Michigan/JB has no respect in Chicago anymore.
I mentioned I was a Michigan fan and talked some more about our program. He has tons of respect for us becasue he had lots of interaction with Michigan many years ago. Back in the 90s, Michigan was THE school for Chicago's best talent. He says we were not a clean program then, but he says that no one was and Michigan was no different than any other major program. He seems to think we have little to no chance with big time recruits in any major city without getting a little dirty.
He had some funny things to say about Amaker, but I'll save for later.
Anyway, thought I would share with the board. What are your thoughts? Would you be OK with getting a little dirty to get better recruits? Are you OK with being a super clean program now that can't consistent compete on the big stage?
December 28th, 2015 at 12:51 AM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 5:49 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 27th, 2015 at 9:24 PM ^
With everything you hear about how dirty every big-time program in every sport is, I'm kinda surprised that Michigan basketball is the same way. Pleased, because I love John Belein, but surprised.
Also, "white boy basketball" - rofl my fucking lmao.
December 27th, 2015 at 9:25 PM ^
the people bitching about recruiting misses should probably have already considered this, but it's nice to have it confirmed.
December 27th, 2015 at 10:03 PM ^
jb's solution to it all seems to be
1) mining the country for underrated / young players
2) trying to recruit young europeans
December 28th, 2015 at 1:02 AM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 10:29 AM ^
only thing I'd hide from you is the perfect ring
December 28th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:25 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:25 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:25 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 10:31 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 1:26 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 2:47 PM ^
Whoo do you thionk "the NCAA" is? It's a bunch of university presidents. Why they would be particularly corrupt escapes me. Incompetent seems unlikely, given their positions, but that's possible.
December 27th, 2015 at 9:59 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 27th, 2015 at 10:01 PM ^
Also, try not to upset a prissy @#$% like Michael Rosenberg.
December 27th, 2015 at 10:36 PM ^
To be fair, the NCAA does not have the legal power to compel people to testify. That's what allows people to get away with everything - they just deny wrongdoing and that's that.
December 27th, 2015 at 11:27 PM ^
People forget this. The NCAA can go to Calipari and say "Are you cheating?" and he'll say no. That's about as far as they can go with it.
December 27th, 2015 at 9:25 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
If we were to make a Final Four once every 5 years I would be happy. Especially now that we have Harbaugh leading us to a CFP probably about once every 3 years.
December 27th, 2015 at 11:50 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 28th, 2015 at 2:50 PM ^
Exactly. You tell him what would make him happy! Don't let him try to tell you.
December 27th, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
You were surprised that Coach K is dirty as hell?
December 27th, 2015 at 9:35 PM ^
Not saying I thought coach K was squeaky clean, but I was surpised to hear "dirty as hell" in the same breath as Calipari.
December 27th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
I'm not. It wasn't too long ago that Duke was considered the poster child of "white boy basketball", then suddenly they start landing one-and-dones up the wazoo. Something wasn't right there.
December 27th, 2015 at 10:06 PM ^
My uncle -- a big IU fan -- hates Coach K. With a burning passion. Says he's the biggest hypocrite in all college basketball. He plays the choirboy role, helped by a fawning media, but in reality is a nasty, foul-mouthed man.
December 27th, 2015 at 10:31 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^
There's a great anecdote in a book about the Army Navy game set during the mid-90's. Duke was about to play Navy and so Duke's coach at the time brought in Coach K to give a pep talk and Coach K(A West Point grad) launched into a foul-mouthed rant about how he could not even stand the thought of losing to Navy and how doing so would always stain the Duke football team. Apprently Duke's coach was completely shocked by it.
So for me, this wasn;t exactly a surprise.
December 28th, 2015 at 7:05 AM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 9:00 AM ^
Whose mother was given a job in Durham for the duration of the kids enrollment?
December 27th, 2015 at 10:15 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:30 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:37 PM ^
...which is still Cook County and most definitely part of the Chicago recruting machine. I would say that he was definitely a "Chicago" kid. I went to HS in the same conference as Proviso East (Shannon Brown's HS).
December 27th, 2015 at 9:32 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 10:49 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 10:57 PM ^
Well, I wouldn't go THAT far. Yes, we got some good guys from Chicago over the years. But we got a ton of studs from Detroit. Tarpley, Webber, Rose, Taylor and Traylor (and more recently, Morgan and Walton) were Detroiters.
December 28th, 2015 at 3:41 PM ^
Was not from Detriot...Suburban kid.
December 27th, 2015 at 9:29 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 1:04 PM ^
That would explain a lot.
December 27th, 2015 at 9:32 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:31 PM ^
Bacari...its time to be Dwayne Stephens...
Not surprised on Coach K.... always hear some sort of rumors all over the internet and its the "price of admission" to get those kids. I wish you had asked about Kansas which sounds like 2nd worst next to UK.
December 27th, 2015 at 10:09 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 9:31 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 10:33 PM ^
December 27th, 2015 at 11:46 PM ^
"Meh" implies indifference or boredom, according to The Urban Dictionary (and here I thought it was Yiddish!)
So are you indifferent to other teams' cheating? Bored by the whole topic?
What, then, do you not buy? Claims Michigan does it different? Opinions we play "white boy basketball"? The idea that we need to get a little dirty to get the top of the top hoops recruits?
I'm bored and indifferent to the new generation's boredom and indifference, but if you're goona post here be prepared to bring more than "Meh"