Ty Taylor Time Line - Help Me Here

[Tugg Speedman]

Today Taylor said the following:


http://kansas.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?sid=&script=content.asp&cid=800209&fid=&tid=&mid=&rid=


"My meeting with Marquette was good," said Taylor. "I know who Coach Buzz Williams is and I know what type of person he is. I know that he wanted to meet Coach Hurley, so they were able to talk on the phone. I didn't actually decide to reopen open my recruitment until a couple of days after the meeting.

Buzz met with Taylor on Friday, April 11.  Before the Buzz meeting, it was widely reported that Taylor was planning on having a meeting with Hurley that Monday, April 14.  It appears they did have that meeting and I assume it was at this meeting "a few days later" that Taylor decided to ask for a release from his LOI.



According to Rosiak, on Friday April 11:

http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/04/16/update-on-taylor-mu.aspx

Hurley said he met with Williams for about an hour and a half and that Williams met with Taylor and the school's athletic director, Joseph Whalen, for about three hours. He characterized it as a "fact-finding mission" and that while Williams came off well, it still wasn't enough to allay his and Taylor's concerns.

So Ty never actually met alone with Buzz.  He had the AD in the room with him.  Why is this important?

Also from Rosiak:

According to both Hurley and MU, St. Anthony has twice sent letters requesting Taylor's release. Both letters came from Whalen, however. In a situation such as this, the people who signed Taylor's letter of intent -- specifically Taylor and a legal guardian -- must also be the ones who request the release.

and this:

Hurley reiterated all three points again Wednesday, and questioned why the process was taking so long.
"It's a stall, there's no doubt about it," he said. "If they say otherwise...if this was St. Anthony's High School, and a young man's family came to me and told me that they were unhappy and would I sign our state waiver so that they would be eligible to play someplace else, if I'd done the best I could coaching and it wasn't working, I would sign it and they'd be gone and I'd wish them the best of luck.


So Whalen is sending letters to MU asking for Taylor's release BEFORE Taylor makes a decision to opt-out.  Taylor is not allowed to meet with Buzz alone.  Taylor has Whalen, the author of the release letters in the room with him, during the meeting.  Taylor decides to leave after meeting with Hurley on Monday April 14, after both of Whalen's letter were sent. On Wednesday, April 16 Hurley is screaming that MU is stalling.

Because it is the great Bob Hurley (and his reputation is deserved) everyone is going to look past this.  Put if this was Joe Schmoe basketball coach of no distinction, their would be investigations based on this time line.  This really stinks.

Please help me here, am I off-base in this thinking?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I agree that there is something fishy here. I don't blame Hurley for looking out for his player, but it seems like there is something else at work here. Perhaps it's friendships with other coaches or setting up a pipeline for kids in the future, but Hurley cannot possibly thing Marquette is a BAD situation.

I am hoping that Taylor is beginning to see that.

[NCMUFan]

Do you think the MU players would welcome TT with open arms? Kind of now coming across as a PrimaDona which would not bode well with our team.

[BrewCity83]

All it would take is a little explanation from TT saying that Hurley was calling the shots, and I'm sure all of the players would be fine.

[jficke13]

TT is going to do exactly what Hurley tells him, nothing else. Whoever was the 1st person to call Hurley a pimp was dead on.

[Tugg Speedman]

I agree that there is something fishy here. I don't blame Hurley for looking out for his player, but it seems like there is something else at work here. Perhaps it's friendships with other coaches or setting up a pipeline for kids in the future, but Hurley cannot possibly thing Marquette is a BAD situation.

I am hoping that Taylor is beginning to see that.

One more thing,

Taylor also said this:

Once Taylor was released from his Letter-of-Intent, it didn't take long for Self and assistant Coach Joe Dooley to make their way back to New Jersey.

"Coach Self and Coach Dooley actually came up on Friday," said Taylor. "I got my release on Thursday and they came by the school on Friday. They just talked to me about the situation at Kansas. They talked to me about playing and what my role would be.

"Coach Self and Coach Dooley just gave me an idea of what to expect if I come to Kansas," he added. "I have a great relationship with Coach Self and Coach Dooley. The great thing about Coach Self is that he is strictly business. He doesn't beat around the bush."

He is my take.  Self did not board a plane on Friday morning to meet with Taylor.  Self was probably in NYC for sponsor and media events surrounding the national championship.  Self and Dooley were pounding on Hurley to "get the release by Friday" so they could legally swing by St. Anthony's and "impress" TT.

Hurley was screaming that MU was stalling?  What stall?  Answer, Self was in NYC and the window was closing.  He needed the release so he could get Self in.  He probably promised Dooley he would have everything worked out and they were getting worried.  This is why he was so testy.

This leaves a big question.  Why is everyone pushing TT to Kansas?  Hurley is probably the most famous high school coach in the nation.  TT going to Kansas changes nothing for his reputation.

This part is still a blank.