Recruiting Update

CoachRevenoEric Reveno

23 hours in New York. Saw great games. Loading back on a plane to get back for practice. Film, practice and lift this afternoon.

8 hours ago

CoachRevenoEric Reveno

Just missed the upgrade on my red-eye to New York for recruiting. Story of my night. Just missed. #keepgrinding

blacksheep wrote:Anyone know who he was looking at in NY?

wrv wrote:Does this mean that at this relatively late date in the recruiting process the Pilots are not yet decided on who they might offer a scholarship?

The ability to evaluate where prominent programs stand at their particular playing position is one reason the cream of recruiting classes delay their decision until the late signing period. Jefferson coach Pat Strickland said that wasn't the case for Jones; instead, he wanted to help showcase teammates. Jones felt if college coaches watched his senior season, they might also notice his Jefferson teammates.

St. Mary's has snagged a good one in 6-4 junior Cullen Neal (son of Craig "Noodles" Neal)...multi-skilled/can play both guard positions

NoPoNeighbor wrote:

St. Mary's has snagged a good one in 6-4 junior Cullen Neal (son of Craig "Noodles" Neal)...multi-skilled/can play both guard positions

1) A shorter window for evaluation

Welcome to July 2.0, the NCAA’s answer to a request by the college basketball coaches. The past few years, college coaches were shut out of the spring evaluation period, told to stay home while AAU teams hooped it up in April.

The coaches begged for another chance, promised to behave if they were allowed back. The NCAA conceded, but the currency to pay for the concession came in the month of July.

The NCAA shortened the July evaluation period, creating three, four-day windows for events without really asking anyone’s opinion. What we now have is a shortened July in which event directors cram the same number of events into a tighter schedule. Will it work? What are the ramifications? Well, until we go through a complete cycle, we can only speculate.

The first impression is that travel is difficult. The windows to see players close quicker in the new format, so being in multiple places is exponentially harder. The big dogs with the private planes and astronomical budgets will have to manage their time well. The guys in the low and mid-major leagues who can’t afford to travel the same way are forced to make tough decisions and be crisp with their plans.

Murray State doesn’t have Kentucky’s budget and therefore travel decisions are played out on a different economic field. While UK can gas up, wheels up and off to another city, Murray might be anchored in a spot to ride out an event. Will the Racers see fewer players than in a typical recruiting cycle? Most believe the answer is yes.

The effect on the players themselves will be minimal. They’ll notice less time to recover and relocate to the next event. Maybe in the past, they squeezed out a day or two at home between events. With the new calendar, that might not be an option.

Any time you take a calendar and shave off days without eliminating events, you’re putting everything into a vice and squeezing. There’s a breaking point. The questions on everyone’s minds -- have we reached it, can it be squeezed tighter, or do all of the actors involved need more time for the month to play out?

The only way to judge is to go through a cycle, take notes and gauge if it worked. In Year 1 of the new rules, that’s exactly what we’re doing.

2) NCAA strikes a blow aimed at agents

Days before the July period tipped off, the NCAA set off a bottle rocket aimed at sports agents. An email allegedly from agent Andy Miller led to the banning of four AAU teams, the muscle behind their operations and the removal of four familiar faces from this month’s summer scene.

The NCAA said these team operators couldn’t command their clubs in July and needed to step away. Basically, they banned T.J. Gassnola, Matt Ramker, Desmond Eastmond and Tony Edwards.

Behind the curtain, the NCAA aimed its limited powers in this matter at something it had control over: team certification for the month of July. However, the real goal was to out an agent who they may have suspected of funneling money and expenses to third parties and filtering it down the food chain. It’s no secret that in the grassroots world, agents and runners plant seed money among willing third-party participants.

The ban of the four men serves as a wake-up call to others who have direct and indirect ties to agents. There are others out there. They’re difficult to catch and even more difficult to try proving guilty. To me, this move by the NCAA indicates that no matter how slim the evidence may be, the NCAA is going to act and won’t be afraid to peek into Pandora’s box.

The NCAA did what it could by banning three of the four teams, removing their muscle and allowing the prospects who were not sanctioned to find alternative teams. One team kicked out its coach; two more changed names and distanced themselves from the named parties. The good news is that the kids who need scholarships haven’t been affected.

The timing of the decision to ban had to be planned. Days before the July period tipped, the NCAA acted. It was high-profile and highly effective in terms of shedding light on a problem. It didn’t solve the problem, but it put everyone on alert and sent a flare across the bow of those who are thinking about circumventing the system, no matter how loose it is.

1. Getting to work out players for two hours a week has been a huge plus.
This has been the most popular idea. If the players are in summer school, coaches have access to them during the week for a limited amount of time.

"The ability to work out your players is a tremendous tool for evaluation and improvement," UIC coach Howard Moore said.

"Access to our own players is a tremendous rule change," added Marshall's Tom Herrion. "It's the best rule passed in modern memory."

Cincinnati's Mick Cronin called it "the best rule change in 15 years. It also helps in recruiting because you have a better feel for what your team lacks and what you need to recruit."

2. The weekend (evaluation) schedule sounds great in principle but could cause some travel issues.

If a coach has a private plane, there are no issues. Getting into a city for a 5 p.m. start won't be a problem. But for a coach who has to fly commercially -- which the majority do -- relying on an unreliable airline industry can be costly. At least that's the fear heading into the evaluation period.

"This will increase private jets for coaches, especially head coaches, because you can't take a chance commercially with delays and miss a whole day of recruiting," Ryan said.

Long Beach State coach Dan Monson cautioned about the weekend plan with no long break in the middle.
"The new calendar has very little break in it," Monson said. "You probably will have to travel on the dead days."
Towson coach Pat Skerry shared the same concern.

"The three periods in July will make travel difficult for any school that does not have usage of a private plane, which is almost everyone," Skerry said. "It will be tough to miss part of a day."

Herrion said the new schedule will allow coaches to get back to campus -- for at least the first few days of the week -- and work out with players.

"And coaches can't forget that we got two valuable weekends back in April," he said.

3. There are mixed concerns on shorter periods for the high school players.

Cronin points out that the shorter periods will lead to better play, which in turn will help coaches evaluate more effectively. But there were concerns about whether the time periods between events is too tight and might lead to the players staying on the road since there wouldn't be enough days to get from a Sunday night conclusion of an event to a Wednesday start time depending on the next locale.

Ryan said it should help with costs since the windows are tight over a four-day period and coaches will probably stay at one site more than they have in the past.

"But I think there will be some AAU teams that won't see home from July 11 until the end of the month since they have to get to the next city," he said.

4. Allowing unlimited text messaging has been a plus -- so far.

Talking on the phone for teenagers -- and adults -- had been the norm. But communicating via text message, Facebook or Twitter is the new trend.

That's why the archaic NCAA finally adjusted to the new medium of communication.

"Unlimited calls and texts allows coaches and recruits to see who really likes who on both ends," Cronin said.
"Kids are more responsive to texting as opposed to talking," Moore said. "And unlimited phone calls to prospects means no more phone logs."

NC State coach Mark Gottfried said the new communication rules reward hard work.

But Skerry said caution needs to be shown so the recruit won't be burdened.

"Unlimited phone calls and texts to rising seniors is probably a positive, but it's too early to tell," he said. "But unlimited calls and texts to 2014 guys is a negative, in my mind. Too many kids will get over-recruited too early."

5. The NCAA missed out on a few other tweaks, apparently.

Gottfried says the unofficial visits should be allowed in July until the first day of recruiting on July 10 and on the final two days of the month after recruiting is over.

Gottfried would also like to see all four coaches on the staff out on the road for the days allowed, which would save money. Only three coaches can be out at one time, so teams wouldn't have one flying back just to send the other coach out.

Coaching staffs handle some aspect of the coaching even if they're not technically allowed to do so.

Do you think in his director of basketball operations position (under Kansas' Bill Self) that Barry Hinson, now the Southern Illinois coach, did not coach? Does anyone believe Karl Hobbs, who held the same position as Hinson at UConn, doesn't do any coaching for the Huskies? The answer is no for both.

Having all coaches treated as equals in recruiting makes the most sense.

INBasketballRecruits (@INBRecruits)
7/13/12 6:42 PM
6'3" G Grant Sims of Bloomington North HS (2014) has picked up an offer from Portland.

Just picked up an offer from Portland