Let's assume Buzz contacts Aaron Bowen a few months back and says straight up, "We are going to get a commitment from a player (Blue) that will likely take most of your minutes. I appreciate your loyalty to our program especially after the assistant who recruited you left. I want to be honest with you and allow you to do what is best for you. If you still want to come and compete for playing time, great, but you may want to re-open your recruitment."
If it happened, would this be a classy move by Buzz or a nasty one?
I don't think Buzz knew Blue was coming a few months ago.
Or maybe the guy who actually did most of his recruiting went to coach at Liberty, and to a much, much lesser extent a player who would take a lot of minutes from him in Jamail Jones committed and he could figure out for himself that he wasn't going to get a lot of playing time right away here.
I think he is simply asking a hypothetical.
In my opinion, it would not be a classy move. Buzz has no way of knowing at this point if Blue is going to be taking minutes away from Bowen. If Buzz has already figured out Blue's playing time, and believes that Bowen's minutes are to be significantly reduced, than Buzz isn't a very good coach.
When a kid commits, and we agree (even tho he may not have singed yet), then it's a commitment on both sides. We should honor these commitments.
If Buzz had known about Blue for months, but still broke down into tears after receiving Blue's verbal, I would be worried for his health.
As for as the real question, whether it's fair for a coach to suggest to a non-committed player that they should re-open their commitment, I don't see how that could come across as nasty unless it involves the coach outright telling a player that they're going to lose their scholarship. A lot of great players commit to great schools and end up not getting as much playing time as they expected because of their place on the depth chart. So, as far as I'm concerned, unless it's so late in the game that the recruit isn't likely to get an offer from a comparable school or the coach does something malicious, it's just all part of the game. If the recruit wants to come compete, they can come compete. If not, then fine. But at least they know what they're getting themselves into.
I mean, worst case scenario: coach lies to recruit X, gets formal letter of commitment, then recruits over their head. The kid still gets to play basketball (and presumably compete for playing time), goes to college for 4 years for free, and has the option to transfer after a season. I don't see that as particularly "nasty" by a coach.
Not sure how being completely honest with a kid could be considered nasty under any circumstances. If he promised him playing time, when he reasonably knew he wouldn't get any for the sake of depth, that would be nasty.
Quote from: NavinRJohnson on October 30, 2009, 07:52:26 AM
Not sure how being completely honest with a kid could be considered nasty under any circumstances. If he promised him playing time, when he reasonably knew he wouldn't get any for the sake of depth, that would be nasty.
Coaches should promise that they will get the chance to compete for time. They should not promise playing time without earning it.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on October 30, 2009, 08:02:15 AM
Coaches should promise that they will get the chance to compete for time. They should not promise playing time without earning it.
When TC signed DJ he said he was handing him the ball and would take it back when James graduated. One of the few times Crean was honest - not talking in his insipid "coach speak". Given the situation at MU when James arrived, he, TC and everyone else knew he was a starter from day one. Promising him the opportunity "to compete for playing time" would have been a joke.
That was a pretty unique situation. Even a distant observer like myself knew that barring some bizarre circumstance, DJ was a lock as a 4 year starter.
QuoteCoaches should promise that they will get the chance to compete for time. They should not promise playing time without earning it.
Exactly! Any player that has a high opinion of himself and thinks he's just going
to walk in and play right off the bat without putting in the work.
Quote from: chapman on October 29, 2009, 05:50:11 PM
Or maybe the guy who actually did most of his recruiting went to coach at Liberty, and to a much, much lesser extent a player who would take a lot of minutes from him in Jamail Jones committed and he could figure out for himself that he wasn't going to get a lot of playing time right away here.
That is the stupidest explination I have heard yet. What is your name, Occum? ;D