Tubby Smith speaks out against 8th Grade Recruitment

[gametime]

This is true, and I know that which I should have put in my post. But there are instance where kids are starting for their varsity teams at 7th and 8th grade (Mayo was one) and I think if a postive relationship can be built then...why not?

Mayo was the age of a typical FROSH when he busted on to the national scene in junior high. I think restrictions based on age would be better suited if any limits are applied. While I'm not sure either would do much good, that's a better start IMO...

[oldrambler]

I disagree pretty much completely here. Sure there are some shady AAU coaches out there, but how are they worse than the program that offers a junior high kid?

 

If the kid is that good, the "slimy" AAU coach benefits more from drawing it out to force the hand of the highest bidder...

 

I didn't say or certainly didn't mean that the AAU leeches (certainly not all AAU coaches) were worse than the program that offers. I said that they are to blame as well as anyone. No one is totally to blame, imo it is a"group effort" with plenty to go around .....the kids school/AAU coaches/parents/guardians/colleges all have hand in it. I do not believe that any college program sould be offering to kids that young, imo there is just isn't any sense in doing so. I don't think they should be allowed to offer to kid that young or even have any contact with them at all.

[Jim Schue]

I have zero beef with Tubby. The truth is he is a decent recruiter that simply had no desire to change as recruiting changed.

 

 

This will probably be one of those situations where some of you suspect GT and I are the same person, but so be it. I've been a big fan of Tubby for a long time, but I would have had a hard time putting up with the lack of interest in recruiting he showed late in his UK tenure, were he at L'ville.

[pigman]

Mayo was the age of a typical FROSH when he busted on to the national scene in junior high. I think restrictions based on age would be better suited if any limits are applied. While I'm not sure either would do much good, that's a better start IMO...

 

I agree 100% Avery is 15 not 12 or 13. Like Gillispie said in his press conference they can now let the kid know what classes he needs to take and offer some guidance in getting him to UK. I also think UM would've let Tubby bring whoever he wanted with him.

[MBWC41]

This was a lose-lose situation for UK and Coach G. to begin with.

 

I really don't like signing young kids because most of the time, they don't pan out, talent wise.

 

Didn't Avery's dad contact UK ? I don't think we were actually "recruiting" the kid. I think he happened to be playing at an AAU tournament coach was attending.

 

I say this is a lose-lose situation because:

 

1) We got a commitment from an 8th grader. So automatically, UK is the bad guy with the slime ball coach recruiting kids that aren't even in high school yet.

 

2) Let's imagine that UK didn't offer and that Avery continues to improve and is a top ten player in his class his senior year and choses a school other than UK. Then UK is the fool with the idiot coach who didn't offer this super star when his dad contacted them when he was an 8th grader.

 

At the end of the day, I hope the NCAA makes some type of rule against this. I think the negatives almost always out weigh the positives.

[MBWC41]

That's because he's not even fond of recruiting JRs...

 

:laugh:

 

While Avery was working on his solar system science project, Tubby was working on one of his 1 star center projects.

[5wide]

That's because he's not even fond of recruiting JRs...

 

:lol:

 

I was thinking the thread title should be "Tubby Smith speaks out against recruitment"...

 

Just take the "8th Grade" out of it.

[Bart Fletch]

:laugh:

 

While Avery was working on his solar system science project, Tubby was working on one of his 1 star center projects.

 

Wow :lol:

[John Anthony]

Do any of the top 25 programs in America care that UM will be recruiting blue chip kids 2-3 years after they are?

 

Sports as a whole are so much different now. It's not the 80's anymore. Kids are faster, stronger, training year round. Wake Forest offered Chris Leak a scholorship when he was an 8th grader.

 

Sometimes you just can't teach an old dog new tricks.

[UKCATSFAN]

It is a real shame that some of you do not understand that Tubby is not as bad a recruiter as many would love to believe! Actually a very good recruiter!

 

If you are smart enough to remove the hatred and bias against Tubby you will see that the statement is spot on and very truthful.

 

Oh, I feel sorry for you now!! LOL!!

 

JK!! I'm not a Tubby hater at all. I don't think he's a great recruiter though. I think he is a good recruiter who refused to adjust. He's not a guy who is going to bring in top notch talent year after year that it takes to win championships. I think he prooved that over his tenure at UK.

[UKCATSFAN]

Yeah, it's a gamble but I feel like recruiting is getting so competitive that you have to take some risk. Big risk= Big reward. It's definately a gamble but this kid may turn out to be a Top 5 prospect in his class and a Top 100 at worse. I think you have to take it case by case. I'm sure that BCG has evaluated the risk, determined his intelligence, looked at his grades, looked at his homelife, checked on his parents. I'm sure BCG has done all of this and I definately trust his judgement and if he's willing to gamble on this kid being a great player than so am I. Avery's father contacted BCG, what if this kid becomes a Top 5 prospect and chooses another school? The UK critics would hammer BCG and say "Why didn't we offer when his father contacted BCG and showed interest?" JMO!