In todayâs world of athletes a âyoung Tracy McGradyâ does not go to college. He gets drafted with his potential and thrown into the fire ready or not.
Good article that stated things the way they are in âamateurâ sports today. It also highlited the desire for kids to come in and play right away and be the man to showcase their skills for the next level. I think that actually plays into our favor at this course of our program. Heck some on this board and outside have stated that is what Withers has been doing all year. I do not know what you can do about it if you want to compete in the top 20 year after year. That is the type of talent that is needed for that type of sucess. I hope that he comes and is everything he is made out to be.
His academic maze of schools reminds me of Rodney White and Iti, our other big time signings. Take White, Iti, and Beasley and add all the schools they attended during their high school careers and you see how crazy the âamateurâ world of basketball has become.
[i]Originally posted by NormanNiner[/i]@Jan 25 2005, 11:02 AM
[b] Personally I think interviewing a high school sophomore about his college/NBA future is a bit premature anyway. I take everything that comes out of his mouth with a grain of salt. [/b]
I hope this point came across in the story, because it's a good one. And one I made to someone on this message board who pushed for this article. The kid's a good story, and not only because he's coming to Charlotte. He is, as someone else posted, a microcosm of reality. As far as the kid hurting recruiting, I believe the new reality for anyone who wants to be a major program is you recruit to replace any player who MIGHT leave, not just those who tell you they will. Charlotte, for instance, should be trying to replace Iti now, because you don't know. Same with Withers. If you end up recruiting over someone, then they probably weren't that good in the first place, and they should have kept their mouth shut about the NBA.
[i]Originally posted by Normmm[/i]@Jan 25 2005, 02:33 PM
[b] I'd also say that we should be careful how much we hype up this guy, only to possibly be dissappointed again. He's only in 10th grade, who knows what will happen. I've read threads about how there's a 60% chance he'll go straight pro, he's a beast, he's one and done. Let's just wait and see. All the other talk just feeds to the fire of what we complain about (getting into kids heads). I would venture to guess nobody on here has even seen him play, yet we're talking about when he goes to the pros. The first we heard of him he was the #1 or 2 ranked player in the country. Now the article in the Observer quotes Gibbons as saying he's top 20. [/b]
After the Martin Iti debacle, I will not get excited about any "Top ranked recruit." I will believe the hype when/if I see him produce in a Charlotte 49er uniform.
Iâm still waiting for Iti to âtake us to the Final Four.â
Thanks for the article Mike and Jena. Coverage has been great this year!!!
I think Iti wanted to leave after his freshman year thinking that he might get out early enough from college before everyone realized he was not the number one center in his class (ESPN) and before all the scouts were able to see that he was really not that good.
Unfortunately for him, his one year at Charlotte exposed him. I donât see him trying to leave CLT again until senior year because his draft stock has to be getting worser and worse everytime one of his dunks is rejected by the rim.
[b]As far as the kid hurting recruiting, I believe the new reality for anyone who wants to be a major program is you recruit to replace any player who MIGHT leave, not just those who tell you they will. Charlotte, for instance, should be trying to replace Iti now, because you don't know. [/b]
Thatâs been the reality since the mid to late 90âs. Stephon Marbury, Tim Thomas, Larry Hughes, and Quinton Richardson are just a few of the 90âs 1-and-doneâs. Itâs more widespread now, but nothing new as far dealing with it on the recruiting trail. The problem is this: there are only a handful of programs who can recruit big-time prep players on the notion that a player âmightâ be leaving. The Beasleyâs of the world want to play, and play right away. They arenât going to Charlotte to sit two years behind anybody. They might go to Kansas, UNC, Duke, or UConn to do that, but not at a non-elite school. Therefore, schools like ours canât really recruit on the âmightâ leave. Preps with any sense arenât going to take that chance if they want immediate playing time. If we recruit on the basis that someone "might leave, we would have to take, at best, 2nd-tier recruits because those are the only ones who would sign not knowing if the guy in front of them on the current depth chart was staying or going pro. The recruiting decision becomes this: do you take that 2nd or 3rd tier recruit on the notion that they might contribute as a sophomore (i.e. not knowing if the current player is staying or going), or wait and try to get another prime recruit the next year if the current player does indeed leave?
I thought those two articles (Beasley and Forte) were great and I am sure it was not by mistake that they ran on the same day. You have the tragedy which is Forte who left early but should have stayed. Then you have a soph. in HS thinking about the NBA. That really is college hoops today. Iâd love to see a story or simply a role call of players that left early in the ACC, CUSA, maybe some other major conferences and see where they are now. Iâd bet a majority of those who left early are doing something other than pro basketball and in fact many are probably out of basketball all together.