Beyond the Arc : Recruiting

OK Roy, this is getting ridiculous

Mike Miller — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:47:00 GMT

Roy Williams likes to say his name doesn’t belong in the same sentence as Dean Smith. When North Carolina won its fifth NCAA tournament last spring – its second under Williams, matching Smith’s total – he continually deflected attention from himself to his school and his players.

“Roy Williams is not that good,” he said last April. “But Ole Roy has got some big-time players and that’s what it takes.”

Well, chalk up another big-time player. Another title may follow.

Jeff Roberson/AP

Roy Williams has already won two NCAA tournament titles. Can another be right behind?

Harrison Barnes – perhaps the nation’s No. 1 recruit – committed to North Carolina on Friday. "He's the most complete offensive player in the country,” says Paul Biancardi, Scouts Inc.'s national recruiting director.

That gives the Tar Heels two of the Top 10 prospects and three of the top 32 in the class of 2010, according to Rivals.com.

It’s generally acknowledged that places like UNC don’t rebuild after winning a championship, they reload. But this is getting ridiculous.

Ever since 2005’s recruiting class that featured Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Marcus Ginyard and Bobby Frasor, Williams has snagged at least one five-star prospect and at least two four-star players every year except 2007. And that was only because Ole Roy didn’t have any available scholarships.

To call North Carolina’s annual recruiting hauls an embarrassment of riches would be too easy. This is more like John Rockefeller assembling building a bigger, more powerful oil monopoly year after year.

Of course, there are reasons Williams can secure classes like this.

North Carolina’s always attracted star players, both in-state and out. As one of the game’s premier programs – and with an alum like Michael Jordan – it’s the type of place that recruits itself. The school gets plenty of TV time and, perhaps most importantly, is almost always in the national title hunt.

But with places like Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA and Tobacco Road rival Duke steeping up their recruiting efforts the last few years, Williams has had to do the same.

He’s always been a year-round recruiter. Yet despite hitting an age (58) when some coaches shift into neutral and coast (hey, he’s got those two titles), he’s still at it. Check out this exchange Williams had with SI.com’s Grant Wahl.

SI.com: I will never forget riding back overnight on the Kansas team bus from Stillwater, Okla., to Lawrence, Kan., for an SI story back in 2002, and you stopped in Wichita to hop on a plane for California to recruit during a crazy stretch in your schedule.

Williams: I still do some of those things. I have several of my coaching buddies say that I do more recruiting during the season than any other head coach around. But what I do is when we give our team the day off from practice --NCAA rules state you have to have one day off each week -- that enables me to go somewhere and see a game or a practice. I'm still doing that. I think a couple years ago every single day off that we gave our kids after practice started, I went somewhere recruiting-wise. Or tried to go. A couple times I had weather complications getting there.

Williams isn’t the only coach putting in those kinds of recruiting hours. But few can match the players he’s nabbed between 2005 and 2009. All of these were rated as five- or four-star recruits: Hansbrough, Green, Ginyard, Frasor, Brandan Wright, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Alex Stepheson, Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, Larry Drew II, Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Leslie McDonald, Dexter Strickland, David Wear and Travis Wear.

That’s two varsity teams worth of top-flight players. (To say nothing of Roy's luck when it comes to those players staying. Wright left after his freshman season and Stepeson transfered. Five of them stayed four years, Lawson and Ellington, three. That's not normal for that type of talent.)

Now it’s two five star guys in Barnes (a 6-7 swingman) and Reggie Bullock (6-5 shooting guard) and a four-star prospect in 6-3 point guard Kendall Marshall.

Reload? Yeah, with a machine gun.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Duke's prize recruit also acts!

Mike Miller — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:35:00 GMT

Kyrie Irving’s slated to be Duke’s next great guard. The 6-1, 165-pound point guard, is one of the top recruits for the class of 2010 thanks to his ball-handling, savvy passing and leadership.

More impressive? He brings actual thespian skills to Durham.

Irving acted in his school’s rendition of “High School Musical,” which is a natural for him. It’s all about basketball players and how they deal with off-court pressures. (C’mon, don’t act like you haven’t seen it.) Sounds like he had a blast doing it – even when hoops got in the way. Wow! Art imitates life!

This video from the Newark Star-Ledger features some singing, some dancing and Irving's take on everything.

Anyway, it’ll be a big help for Duke when/if they produce more fodder for next year’s Midnight Madness.

And I can only imagine how many cracks he'll get about "acting" whehn he takes a charge...

(H/T: Ballin’ Is a Habit)

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Friday the 13th won't be dire for one school

Mike Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:42:00 GMT

The nation’s No. 1 recruit could make Friday the 13^th awfully lucky for one school.

Harrison Barnes, a 6-6 swingman from Ames, Iowa, is trying to settle on announcement date where he’ll announce where he’ll play hoops next season. Six schools are in the mix: North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Oklahoma and Iowa State. Much of the Internet chatter has focused on the Heels and Devils, but it’s really anyone’s guess.

When Barnes – who’s making his last unofficial visit to Iowa State this week – decides, the school settle on a date and method of announcement, likely on some version of ESPN.

“We’re still working out the details,” Judge Johnston, the Ames (Iowa) High School activities director, told Adam Zagoria. “There’s a lot of stuff going on out there in the Internet world.”

The season kicks off next week and the top prospect may decide his future? I love this time of year.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Did Duke just get its Final Four savior?

Mike Miller — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:49:00 GMT

Been a lot of talk about Duke’s “demise” the last few years.

The Devils haven’t been to the Final Four since 2004. No titles since 2001. Last year’s thrashing by Villanova seemed to signal a turning point that Duke wasn’t … well, Duke anymore.

That talk is about to stop, all because of one player. (Also, that talk is nonsense, but that’s another blog.)

Kyrie Irving, one of the elite prospects from the class of 2010, ~~will reportedly~~ committed to Duke Thursday~~, perhaps as early as Wednesday.~~

~~It could take a bit to shake out – he was just in Kentucky for Big Blue Madness and is slated to visit Georgia Tech and Seton Hall this month – but all signs apparently point toward the Devils~~.

His dad says Duke’s the favorite. Assistants are spreading the word. Irving admitted to “Dime” magazine that Durham was where he wanted to be, he just wasn’t ready to commit yet.

“I guess you could say that I’m leaning toward Duke,” he said. “I’m just not ready to commit. It was my first visit and of course I’m really high on them and like I said I have that feeling, but I think it’s only smart to compare it to something.”

Irving denied the report on his Twitter page, but Adam Zagoria has three different sources saying it’s a “done deal.” It wouldn’t be a surprise. The Devils were considered Irving’s top choice for some time. When he arrived for his official visit last month, fans went overboard in greeting him.

Why? It’s simple. He’d be Duke’s most talented point guard since Jay Williams. Scout.com rates him as the No. 2 point guard, while Rivals.com ranks him as No. 9 overall.

He’s the kind of player who can help raise Final Four banners and NCAA tournament trophies – and end any “demise” talk.

UPDATE: Recruiting guru Dave Telep of Scout.com says an annoucement is coming Thursday. That's good news for Duke fans (closer to the commit report, the better) and everyone else in the hoops world because it'll likely help other highly touted recruits settle on their schools. Guys like Brandon Knight, Doran Lamb and Josh Selby will make a lot of other program happy.

UPDATE 2: Irving did indeed announce his intention to attend Duke. Coach K and fans rejoice.

(H/T: Rush the Court)

Follow me on Twitter and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Duke-UNC rivalry must apply to everything

Mike Miller — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:32:00 GMT

It is funny to see the Duke-North Carolina rivalry spill over into other areas. Take recruiting.

Harrison Barnes, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010, had a home visit Monday night from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, which was supposed to be the final in-home visit of the contact period allowed by the NCAA.

Except UNC coach Roy Williams showed up a couple hours later.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty

Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams fight for wins, titles, recruits...

Vance Downs, Barnes’ coach at Ames (Iowa) High, wasn’t there, but told the Raleigh News & Observer “that they were both there … and it was a busy night," Downs said.

This wasn’t a case of Williams waiting around until Coach K left. He had to schedule a visit and have the family approve it. It’s the timing that’s key.

Naturally, fans from both sides are trying to figure out which move gives them the better chance at Barnes. From Jim Young at ACCSports.com:

If you’re an optimistic Duke fan you see this as evidence that Roy Williams is throwing a last-second Hail Mary pass. UNC pulled out all the stops during Barnes’ official visit to Chapel Hill but couldn’t secure a commitment. Barnes is still scheduled to make an official visit to Duke and Williams won’t be able to crash that party. So squeezing a few more hours of face time with Barnes is evidence that Williams doesn’t think his recruiting pitch has had its desired effect yet.

If you’re an optimistic UNC fan you see this as further proof that Roy Williams is the best closer in the recruiting business. By surprising the recruiting world and landing the last in-home visit time with Barnes, Williams has shown everyone that Barnes to Duke is not the “lock” that so many thought a few months before. Considering that Barnes had to have approved such a last-minute visit, it’s clear that he’s still very receptive to the UNC recruiting pitch. In fact, Oettinger’s source says that the UNC coaches feel they are in very good standing with Barnes’ mother, Shirley.

Ah, the hand wringing that must be going on in the Chapel Hill-Durham area right now.

You know what be even funnier than all of this? If Barnes picks Kansas, the other school he reportedly has a “high interest” in. He’s supposed to make a decision before Nov. 16.

(H/T: The Dagger, Tar Heel Fan)

Duke recruit greeted too enthusiastically

Mike Miller — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:36:00 GMT

Recruits are meant to feel welcome when they visit college campuses.

Just not too welcome. Ask Duke.

Star prospect Kyrie Irving, potentially the game-breaking guard Mike Krzyzewski needs to get back to the Final Four, visited Durham last weekend.

And, like any hoops school, the students knew about the visit and wanted to do their part, posting signs around campus to welcome him. Nice, right?

Turns out it’s too nice.

"Once the Duke compliance staff became aware of the activity, it acted immediately and appropriately in addressing the situation," Duke associate athletic director Jon Jackson said in an e-mail to a reporter for The News & Observer.

The school didn’t comment on any self-reported violations. The NCAA didn’t either.

The move stemmed from a 1991 rules interpretation, which referred to a previous situation that also involved students displaying a sign about a recruit during a campus visit.

Clear as mud, right? In the future, better limit signs to picking up recruits at the airport…

This hire may ease Pitino’s rough summer

Mike Miller — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:34:00 GMT

The din surrounding Rick Pitino’s last few months – the alleged extortion, the sex scandal, the strange presser – clouded that he’s still one of the nation’s top program builders. The guy knows how to recruit, coach and boost the fan base.

And sometimes, he does it in an effective, if somewhat shady way. Like hiring someone close to a top recruit.

Louisville hired Shabaka Lands, an assistant high school coach of Marquis Teague, the top point guard in the class of 2011. This presumably gives the Cardinals the inside track to signing Teague, the kind of player who can turn a good team into a title team.

Couple things here:

This kind of hire isn’t against NCAA rules, nor is it uncommon. Schools often hire assistant coaches or men with roles in the athletic department who also have ties to top recruits. Sometimes they’re even related to the recruits. It may feel sleazy, but if programs have the ability to make such moves, why wouldn’t they?

Also, this isn’t the only tie Pitino will have to Teague. Shawn Teague, Marquis’ dad, played for Pitino at Boston University. And that background may be just as important.

“He’s an excellent coach. I’m very happy for him. It’s a great opportunity for him,” Shawn Teague told the Indianapolis Star. “Without question, we have a lot of respect for him.”

Besides, Lands may be more important that just Teague. Lands comes from a school that’s produced Courtney Lee, Robert Vaden, Jeff Teague and Chris Thomas, all former D-I players, two of whom are now in the NBA.

Frankly, I’m amazed someone else didn’t do this first.

(H/T: Card Chronicle.)

USC can finally stop recruiting 13-year-olds

Mike Miller — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:51:00 GMT

Buyer’s remorse seems likely when a 13-year-old commits to your hoops program. But it turns out Tom Floyd’s ouster gave USC a chance to re-think things.

Ryan Boatright says USC is no longer recruiting him, which re-opens his school prospects. And that’s probably a good thing. After all, a lot can change between 13 and 17, especially where a prospect wants to play and who he wants to play for.

Boatright was just 13 when he attended a Trojans summer camp and Floyd considered him talented enough to offer a scholarship. The move attracted loads of media attention at the time, mostly in the form of “is it OK to offer a scholarship to a 13-year-old?” Back then, Floyd characterized the move as simply being aggressive.

“We have a responsibility to get the best players we can find and know what the competition is doing,” Floyd said. “And when they target an eighth-grader ...

“In a perfect world,” he continued, “we’d all wait until spring signing date when these kids are high school seniors. But that’s just not the world that we live in in college basketball. Am I supposed to wait until Duke or Kentucky offer, and then it’s OK?”

Then again, Floyd’s recruiting methods weren’t always looked up favorably.

Now it’s back to the drawing board for Boatright. One report says it won’t be long before coaches and scouts are recruiting him. Who knows? Maybe someone will nab him before Duke or Kentucky do…

Funny, sad, bewildering story of the day

Mike Miller — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:10:00 GMT

Tuesday’s must-read story contains so many delectable elements and features so many varied, amusing takes from the around the Internet that I’m a little sad it took this long to surface this summer.

In other words, many thanks to Anthony DiLoreto and Rick Majerus. You’ve provided me with hours several minutes of amusement on an otherwise irritating Tuesday. (The blame lies with ol’ No. 4, who finally made up his NFL mind…)

Of course, maybe I’m just going a little crazy from the Seattle heat and my sense of humor is skewed. After all, Gary Parrish’s story on a high school prospect who’s facing two felony charges for his role in a bank robbery but says he has been offered a scholarship by Majerus’ St. Louis program could be seen as a sign of the college hoops apocalypse.

Or not. Maybe it’s because the whole thing is just so ridiculous.

Start with The Dagger, which provides a photo of DiLoreto (is the 7-footer related to Lurch?).

Follow the link to Parrish’s story, which details DiLoreto’s saga since last August attempted bank robbery, for which he allegedly drove the getaway car. Various unnamed coaches weigh in on the situation ("I'll take him right now," one college coach joked. "Or in three-to-five years.").

The details are great, but even better is the art that accompanies the resulting blog posts. Rush the Court has “inspirational” art, while Chris Littman’s Sporting News link has the best bit of improvised story art I’ve ever seen. Seriously, click on this link. Priceless.

Enjoy the game, coach. That’ll be $250

Mike Miller — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:20:00 GMT

Think that movie ticket for “The Hangover” is expensive? Try being a college basketball coach.

They spend most of July in the gym, watching recruits at various camps and tournaments. If they feel like paying up to $600, that is.

This great read from the N.Y. Times’ Pete Thamel illuminates the aggravating costs of summer recruiting. Forget travel and food. Some coaches have to pay $350 simply to see players in a single game at a tournament, or even more if they want extra scouting information. You know, really top-end stuff like players’ names and where they go to school.

If it sounds nuts, that’s because it is.

The coaches who spoke to Thamel – notably Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings, who was sounded so mad I’m surprised he could drive home – were either exasperated or outraged, depending on which event they attended.

After an assistant coach paid $250 for an information packet and entry fee, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo refused to pay $100 for admission to the Summer Jam in Milwaukee.
Yale coach James Jones decided against the $600 recruiting service that one South Carolina organizer was offering. He opted for the $350 admission instead and labeled it “extortion.”
Louisville assistant Steve Masiello was indignant at the one packet’s cost – because it had bubkis. “I refuse to pay $250 for a blank piece of paper,” he told Thamel.

Kevin Kolczynski/Reuters

You want how much for a roster?

But Stallings was the centerpiece of the story. He paid $10 for admission to the River City Showdown in Memphis, yet when he found out other coaches in attendance had to pay $295 for a packet of rosters and info that also was an admission fee, Stallings got up and made the three-hour trip back home.

Some don’t want to offend the tournament organizers, who have the ears of the players the coaches are trying to recruit – which is the problem, Stallings said.

“That’s exactly what’s wrong with our business,” Stallings said. “There’s a mentality where coaches want to cover themselves and not get out there and say what’s right and call out the people that are wrong.

“That’s precisely why things are the way they are. That’s why we have culture issues in our game. It’s a darn shame. The people who could have influence and do have a voice, they choose not to use it because it doesn’t help them. They don’t want anything unsettling their smooth little boat ride.”

Tournament organizers defended their methods, quoting various costs involved, like renting gym space and food. But most apparently prefer a cash payment. Yeesh.

How much for a movie ticket again?

UPDATE: Thamel followed up his story with a report that Kevin Weiberg, the chief executive of the newly formed IHoops, said his organization would examine the issue. No word on when that'll be.