NBA Draft Profiles: Enes Kanter, Kentucky

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Stats: Ineligible for 2011 NCAA Season

Age: 19, freshman

Size:

• Listed: 6'11", 260 lb
• Official: 6'9 3/4" (no shoes), 6'11 1/4" (shoes), 7'1 1/2" (wingspan), 9'1 1/2" (standing reach), 259 lb

Strengths: Kanter is a big, physical body on the block. He's an excellent rebounder, much of which is the result of his ability to establish and hold position on the block. His strength allows him to finish through contact, and he has a sense of where defenders are when he is around the rim. He's shown the ability to back down defenders and has an adequate post game; he's very patient when he has the ball and understands how to score inside. He's a smart player with a high basketball IQ. Kanter also has a solid midrange jumper when facing up, he knocks down his free throws, and he has a good-looking technique on his shot.

Weaknesses: Kanter's post game right now is mostly the result of his strength. He still needs to develop his back-to-the-basket moves, but that should come with time. Ball security may end up being an issue at a higher level of play. Kanter's not exactly and explosive athlete and he doesn't run the floor particularly well. He's also not an imposing defender and won't be much of a shot blocker at the next level.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Al Jefferson. Aggressive offensive player who has an impressive post game and loves to attack the basket. Very similar in terms of build in addition, although Kanter has trimmed some lb.s to move better, which he displayed at the Draft combine. Nonetheless, he is a physical post player who establishes positions, goes after rebounds, but isn’t the best defender due to lack of athleticism.


• Worst Case Scenario: Andray Blatche. In terms of raw talent, Kanter definitely has it like Blatche and may actually play more disciplined and already has a more mature game than Blatche currently does. Both have great motors and the ability to play physical, which translates to success at any level with natural gifts like Kanter.

Outlook: The surprise player and star of the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit, Kanter dominated the game in the paint for the international team. He had 34 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes against the best high school players in the nation, including Jared Sullinger. He averaged 18 points and 16 boards in the Euro leagues. I think he is an amazing draft prospect with a skill set and game that is beyond his years, as he is only 19. His frame and length are everything you would hope for from an ideal post player, and his skill set take it up yet another notch. Should be an intriguing prospect to many NBA GM’s because of his combination of size, length, skill, and intrigue based on last years Nike Hoop Summit performance, although the fact that he hasn't played in two years will be a concern. He was ineligible at Kentucky and bounced around high schools the year before that. Nonetheless, a rare and incredibly gifted post player at a young age who is capable of eventually putting up 20 and 10 in the NBA.

Draft Range: 1st Round Pick, 2nd-5th overall

And the experts say...

• Fran Fraschilla: "While international players are still met with skepticism by some, ultimately evaluating them is no different than evaluating a player in the Big Ten or ACC. International draft busts are not the only kind found in the first round. Kanter's situation is unique in that there is a small body of work that shows a high level of potential for success in the NBA. Some NBA teams will see Kanter's situation as a crapshoot. Cleveland has three viable options with the No. 1 pick -- Kanter, Duke's Kyrie Irving and Arizona's Derrick Williams. If I were the Cavaliers, I'd analyze Kanter closely before passing on him at No. 1. I don't see him being available when they select again at No.4. "


• Draft Express: "As we mentioned above, this has been a productive couple of days for Enes Kanter who has impressed in workouts and measured out at nearly 6-10 without shoes with a 7-1 ½ wingspan and 260 pounds frame. His wingspan doesn't compare favorably to recently drafted PF/C's like Derrick Favors (7-4 wingspan) or Ekpe Udoh (7-4 ½ wingspan), but puts his right on par with Al Horford (6-8 ¾ without shoes, 7-0 ¾ wingspan, 246 pounds) and Nick Collison (6-8 ¾ without shoes, 7-1 ½ wingspan, 255 pounds. Kanter doesn't have long arms for his height, but he has a massive frame for a 19 year-old."


• SwishScout.com: "Complete package in the paint with his back to the basket, face up game, post moves, and finishing ability. Limited only by athleticism and a developing game, he is physically imposing with great potential and will be able to bully the paint for any team for years to come in the NBA.”

Highlights:




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Enes Kanter ruled ineligible

The NCAA's final ruling has come down, and its not good news for Enes Kanter or the Kentucky Wildcats.

The NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee has upheld the NCAA's previous ruling and determined that Kanter is permanently ineligible from participating in collegiate athletics as a result of the money he received from a Turkish Club before he came to the United States.

Interestingly enough, Kanter will be allowed to remain with the Kentucky team acting as a student-manager, but he will not be allowed to practice. You can read the NCAA's full release here.

Can't say that was a surprise.

I feel for Kanter, I really do. I believe that he never intended on being a professional and that he truly does care about being a student and a student-athlete.

That said, the fact of the matter is that Kanter got paid to play basketball. In the NCAA's eyes, that means he is a professional. There isn't much Kentucky was going to be able to say to convince them otherwise once all the facts came out.

The good news for Kentucky fans?

Josh Harrellson has been pretty good this year.
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Reactions to the Enes Kanter ruling from around the web

Enes Kanter, as basically everyone expected, has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA. You can read our take on it here. Below, you'll see what the rest of the internet is thinking.

As always, please send us any good links you may have as I will try to update this post throughout the day:

Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News: "For Kanter to "professionalize" would have been quite simple. He could have stayed home. He could have signed a contract with Fenerbahce worth multiple millions of dollars. He could played in front of his family and friends and quite possibly have been selected this past summer to compete with the Turkey national team that, in its home country, finished second in the FIBA World Championships. If he’d been on that team, he would have received a condominium and a share of an $18 million bonus pool created for the players by the Turkish government. Given all of this, Kanter's intent to "amateurize" was quite clear. He left his home. He traveled roughly 5,000 miles to the United States. He searched through several prep schools to find one that would allow a player who had competed in games with professionals to participate on its team. He worked to achieve academic eligibility to compete as an NCAA freshman. He enrolled at the University of Kentucky and attended summer classes and passed on the national team because it would have interfered with fall semester classes at UK."


Ray Holloman, Fanhouse: "No one is accusing the coach of sending an envelope of liras via FedEx or fixing a grade on the history of the Ottoman Empire. No one is accusing him of so much as promising to put kabobs on the training table. Kanter isn't a kid charged with two felonies (like Tyree Evans at Maryland and then Kent State) or a kid who can't graduate with his high school class (Tory Mitchell, Missouri's top recruit) or a kid with more eligibility issues than the Chinese women's gymnastics team (say, Renardo Sidney). Calipari didn't knowingly violate a recruiting rule, then make sure to commemorate it in photo form, then lie to the NCAA about it, as Tennessee's Bruce Pearl did. All Calipari did is recruit a kid with known eligibility issues who he believed would be able to play, and give him a chance to play college basketball. The only culpability Calipari could hold is if he knew Kanter took money from his Turkish team and never told his school or the NCAA about it. Let us clear up that mystery for you right now: He didn't."

Jay Bilas, ESPN.com: "Who is served by disallowing Kanter to play? Are we so concerned that European pros will turn down millions to come to college and pursue an education that we need to exclude them? How is the cause of education furthered by excluding a qualified student who has traveled to this country to go to college and play, while turning down the opportunity to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars? Does anyone believe former Duke star Trajan Langdon did not receive an education, and did not love the game? Well, while Langdon was in college, he earned hundreds of thousands of dollars playing professional baseball in the minor leagues, yet he still suited up for the Blue Devils as an amateur basketball player."


John Clay, Lexington Herald: "Truth is, getting Enes Kanter eligible was a longshot all along. That doesn’t mean that UK’s appeal is without merit or hope. There is always hope. This is the NCAA we’re talking about, and strange things can happen with the NCAA. But the words "permanently ineligible" have to sting. And the fact that the Indianapolis body put a specific monetary figure of $33,033 deemed above and beyond reasonable expenses make winning an appeal seem something of a longshot, as well."

Matt Jones, Kentucky Sports Radio: "I will talk much more about this tomorrow, but the appeal will be a different proceeding than what took place so far. Whereas the original group that made the determination is a particular set of NCAA employees, the appeal group includes members from the various NCAA schools and has a different set of criteria. The original group simply tries to apply the rule, whereas the appeal body has the ability to look at the rule from a more legal standpoint. There is a consideration of the equities involved (think "fairness" issues) AND Enes Kanter can (and likely will) be able to speak directly to the group). One cant appeal the facts, they are set….but the facts really arent in dispute. What can be changed is how the rule is looked at going forward…something that might help Kanter. It is a long shot, but Enes does have the potential to have a viable appeal due to the unique nature of this being the first interpretation of the rule."

Jeff Goodman, FOXSports: "Unless UTEP coach Tony Barbee or UMass head man Derek Kellogg — two of Calipari's former players — are on the committee, it's difficult to imagine other administrators going against the NCAA’s decision in order to clear one of his players. You see, Calipari isn't exactly well-liked in college basketball circles. And now, you’ve got one of his players, someone who the school has admitted took in excess of $33,000 from a Turkish basketball club, trying to get approved to play college basketball. Kanter's amateur status is now history. He is a pro -- plain and simple."

Gary Parrish, CBSSports: "'If Kentucky gets Enes Kanter eligible, I'm recruiting Ricky Rubio next year.' That's what a coach told me a couple of months back, and I think he was joking but I can't say for sure. Either way, what I took from that statement was this: The NCAA allowing Kanter to play despite his background as a professional basketball player in Turkey would, in the eyes of most everybody outside of Kentucky, set a dangerous precedent. That's why I said on a radio show in Louisville on Wednesday that I did not believe the NCAA would clear Kanter, and why I wasn't stunned when the NCAA announced Thursday that it has ruled the UK freshman permanently ineligible. Kentucky will appeal, of course. But good luck with that."

Eamonn Brennan, College Basketball Nation: "Taking Kanter was a chance, but it was a chance that came with no downside. Calipari didn't use a scholarship he would have otherwise given to another player, and if Kanter had been cleared, he would have immediately been one of the best big men in the country. If he wasn't cleared, then oh well, right? Kanter's talent was certainly worth the shot."

John Stevens, Rush The Court: "The issue here was not that Kanter played in games with professional players during his short time playing on the senior level at Fenerbahce. The NCAA statement notes that, "The new NCAA rule that allows prospective student-athletes to compete on teams with professionals while maintaining their amateur status prior to college applies," but then says that Kanter simply received what the NCAA considers too much compensation for that season. Obviously, Kentucky will appeal. Because the school agreed to all of the facts and figures involved in the NCAA's process of making this decision, the appeal will likely center on reducing the harshness of the punishment and citing any remotely relevant precedents to that effect."

Glenn Logan, A Sea of Blue: "This news will require Calipari to rethink how he plays his players. I'm sure he has been doing this for a while now, but he has to consider the likely reality that Enes Kanter will not be walking through that door. The DDM looks like the way to go now, since he has the personnel to implement that offense, and I expect that he will. He will undoubtedly also throw in some hybrid offense and make some defensive adjustments, possibly even some zone to help hide their lack of size on defense. To my knowledge, Calipari has never consistently run a zone defense, so this may be a learning experience for him as well as his young charges."

Jeff Eisenberg, The Dagger: "Maybe the only blessing here for Kentucky is that the NCAA made a ruling on this before the season rather than clearing Kanter to play and then retroactively vacating the games he played in and declaring him ineligible. It's a small consolation, but at least it's something, right?"

Andy Katz, ESPN.com: "Enes Kanter was an anomaly. He was a projected lottery pick from Europe, but his intentions were to go to college in the United States, at least for a year. This doesn't happen in the new world order of elite, high-level foreign players. If they are on the NBA's radar to be a possible lottery selection or first-rounder, then they are usually held in Europe before being draft-eligible. That’s what made the Kanter move so unique."

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

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Enes Kanter ruled permanently ineligible

For now, at least, it appears as if the Free Enes movement was unsuccessful.

Today, the NCAA ruled Enes Kanter permanently ineligible from competing for receiving $33,033 more than necessary expenses during the 2008-2009 season he spent with Fenerbahce Ulker. Kentucky will appeal the ruling and Kanter will be allowed to practice with the team during that process, which is likely why Kanter was spotted wearing his Kentucky practice jersey yesterday afternoon.

Before I get into my thoughts on the matter, here's the important stuff from the NCAA's press release:

Actual and necessary expenses are defined by NCAA rules and generally relate to a player's expenses directly necessary for practice and competition on a team. Some examples include meals and lodging directly tied to practice or competition, coaching, medical insurance and transportation tied to practice or competition.

Kanter played three seasons with the Turkish sport club Fenerbahce from 2006-07 to 2008-09. Although he competed primarily for the club's under-18 junior team, he did compete on the club's senior team in 2008-09. According to facts agreed to by the university and the NCAA Eligibility Center, Kanter received $33,033 more than his expenses for the 2008-09 season.

The new NCAA rule that allows prospective student-athletes to compete on teams with professionals while maintaining their amateur status prior to college applies; however, the bylaw states any such benefits cannot exceed actual and necessary expenses, which was the case here.

"Enes took advantage of an opportunity to play at the highest level available to him, but the consequences of receiving payments above his actual expenses is not compatible with the collegiate model of sports that our members have developed," said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs.

This jersey will not be worn in Rupp Arena.
(photo credit: Wildcat World)

Needless to say, this is a huge blow to Kentucky's title hopes. With Kanter now out of the picture pending a longshot appeal, the Wildcat's are going to have to rely on Josh Harrellson and Eloy Vargas to play alongside Terrence Jones up front. That's not exactly a frontcourt that will strike fear in the hearts of SEC foes, at least not the same way having Kanter in the middle would.

But the good news is that Kentucky now knows.

With the Mississippi State and Renardo Sidney case last year, the biggest issue was how long it was dragged out. A ruling wasn't made until March 5th. That couldn't have been easy for the team to go through. Was Sidney going to be eligible the next game? Would Stansbury waste reps on Sidney in practice on the off chance he would be eligible? Would a season's worth of practice be worthless if Sidney changed the Bulldog's approach offensively?

Kentucky won't have to deal with that. They can start figuring out now whether or not Vargas and Harrellson will be able to handle the center spot. (Look at the bright side, they'll be able to go up against one of the best big men in the country on a daily basis in practice.) If not, the coaching staff will have plenty of time to figure out exactly how to utilize the versatility of Terrence Jones, something I'm sure they have already spent quite a bit of time doing.

The outlook for the Kentucky program without Kanter may be bleaker, but by no means is this going to be a bad basketball team. They still have a number of very good freshmen, especially in the back court, and a couple of perimeter returnees that could be primed for a big season. This is still a team that should be safely in the NCAA Tournament come March and will have a puncher's chance at winning the SEC.

As far as my opinion on the ruling goes, I feel bad for Kanter. $33,033 is not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, especially when you consider that about $20,000 of it went towards Kanter's education (which, ironically, isn't considered "an actual and necessary expense" by the NCAA). And the general consensus seems to be that this is a kid that cared about his education and that left his Turkish club because he truly wanted to be a student-athlete.

It seems as if Kanter and his family made an honest mistake. Their intent wasn't for Enes to become a professional basketball player. Their doesn't appear to be deception here. Read through the timeline at the bottom of the NCAA's release. Kanter's family and the NCAA both agreed upon the benefits that Enes received for Fenerbahce.

They just couldn't convince the NCAA that those benefits with "actual and necessary expenses."

Having said that, one thing to remember here is that Renardo Sidney was forced to repay $11,800. Even if you take out the $20,000 in education, Kanter received $13,033 of disposable income.

And Sidney, for better or worse, was suspended for a year and a half.
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Maybe Enes Kanter actually is a student after all

This isn't breaking news or anything, but it is a quite interesting read.

Tamer Turkman from StudyInAmerica.com is familiar with the Turkish education system, and he has even had the opportunity to interview Enes Kanter. Take a look at this passage from a recent blog post:

When Enes was 10 years old, his family registered him for entrance to The Samanyolu School in Ankara, Turkey( www.samanyolu.k12.tr ). Since I have been working with Turkish education since 1993, people tell me I am an expert with Turkish Education so let me fill you in. This school is one of Turkey’s most competitive and accepts less than 1% of its applicants. For 4 of the past 5 years, the student with the highest score on the Turkish National Entrance Examination graduated from Samanyolu. When Enes was 9 years old, he like most other of this school’s applicants spent day and night cramming for its entrance examination. He passed and was admitted to this prestigious institution. I should also say the tuition for this school is 20,000+ USD that Dr. Kanter I am sure was proud to pay. If Enes wanted he could have had a more relaxed 9th year in life and Dr. Kanter didn’t have pay a cent if Enes was to study at a normal state school. Also, at the age of 10, Enes never even picked up a basketball in life. It was only when his Physical Education Teacher saw how tall Enes was getting, he said you should try basketball . Enes shot his first hoop at the age of 13.

I don't know how reliable this site is, but it is the exact opposite of what Fenerbahce's GM said in the most recent Pete Thamel article.

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Fenerbahce Ulker's GM speaks about Enes Kanter again

Yesterday, Pete Thamel spoke, once again, to Nedim Karakas, the GM of Fenerbahce Ulker, the Turkish Club team that Enes Kanter played for. This time, however, Karakas' quotes may have back fired.

The general argument against Kanter being a professional is that Fenerbahce has an axe to grind. They have a motive -- and a damn good one -- for wanting Kanter to be ineligible. Fenerbahce gets paid a transfer fee if one of their players leaves to go to another European Club team or heads to the NBA. But if Kanter, or anyone else, plays college basketball before becoming a professional, Fenerbahce not only loses out on the transfer fee, but they lose out on having that player suit up for their club.

You don't think Kanter could help win Fenerbahce games or sell tickets?

Even if he doesn't play, it looks like Kanter will enjoy his time in Lexington.
(photo credit: Kentucky Registrar)

The thinking is that, by fighting to make Kanter ineligible, Fenerbahce not only will have a chance to get that transfer fee, but will also send a message to any future youngsters with their sights set on the NCAA. Leave Fenerbahce, and they will make your life miserable.

Yesterday's article from Thamel only drove home that point.

All Karakas needs to do is to show Thamel the documents he claims he has that prove Kanter received a salary; that prove he was a professional. Do that, and the case is closed. Kanter will not be allowed to play in the NCAA. That would be what we call taking the high road.

Instead, Karakas chose to rip into Kanter. He reiterated his point that Kanter received over $100,000 from Fenerbahce. He not only disputed the notion that Kanter's father kept meticulous records of what Enes received from Fenerbahce ("On the contrary to what he had said about his academic approach, he himself was the one to negotiate the terms of his son’s salary," Karakas said.), he disputed the father's assertion that furthering his son's academic career played a significant role in their decision to try to play in college in the States. ("Enes has a good basketball potential yet academically, he is not gifted as much," Karakas said.)

To top it off, he also claimed that a $4 million transfer fee would not be worth all that much to his organization.

Karakas comes off bitter and angry, the same way a scorned lover will bad mouth their ex to sway the consensus of opinion. Badmouthing Kanter in the press isn't going to make americans college basketball fans agree with you.

If anything, Karakas is making Kanter out to be a sympathetic figure.

Let's assume Kanter was a professional. He did receive a salary. He is not an amateur right now. Does that make Kanter, who was 17 years old at the time, a bad person for deciding he wanted to come to the States to, at the least, get better as a basketball players, if not to better himself as a person through schooling?

Is Karakas any different than a Grassroots AAU coach that tries to get back at a player that left his team for another club?

I don't have a dog in this fight. If Kanter gets cleared, it certainly be fun to watch him play this season. If he doesn't, I'll feel badly for the kid, but it won't be any skin off my back.

But after reading this last article, I find myself pulling for Kanter for no other reason than to spite Karakas, the prick that is running a kid's name through the mud for no reason other than that kid decided he no longer wanted to play for Karakas' team.
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Enes Kanter and the latest internet rumor

Twitter is a funny thing.

As Mike Wise from the Washington Post made clear with his infamous decision to lie about a scoop on the length of Ben Roethlisberger, it is very easy to set the internet world on fire with a fake rumor.

Brett Blevins may have done just that.

If you are unfamiliar with Blevins, I don't blame you. He's a basketball coach, he writes for Hoops Report, and, apparently, he knows a "gestapette", also known as one of the NCAA's compliance investigators looking into Enes Kanter's eligibility. According to Blevins, Kanter will be eligible and will be suspended for around six games, although right now the sticking point seems to be just how long he will be suspended.

Now, I don't know Blevins. Never met him, probably never will. For all I know, he could actually be an investigator on Kanter's case. But I tend to agree with both John Clay and Matt Jones (if you follow Kentucky sports at all, you know they rarely agree). No one knows what the outcome of this investigation is going to be. Not John Calipari. Not Enes Kanter. Hell, I doubt the NCAA investigators know what they are actually going to do here.

I don't mean to try and discredit Blevins. He absolutely could have walked into a hell of a scoop here. But for now, I would take this internet rumor for just that: an internet rumor.

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Enes Kanter's father rips the Fenerbahce Ulker

Perhaps the most notable ongoing soap opera of the off-season -- and, along with Josh Selby's eligibility at Kansas, the most influential -- has been the curious case of Enes Kanter.

Kanter, if you remember, came to the United States with a cloud of controversy surrounding him. Seemingly everyone in the basketball community had heard a story of how Kanter was a professional in Turkey, and how there was not a chance for him to get cleared by the NCAA as an amateur. And this was all before Pete Thamel spoke with the general manager of Fenerbahce Ulker, Kanter's Turkish club team, who said that he paid Kanter six figures during his time with the team.

Is this the only time Enes Kanter will wear a Kentucky jersey?
(photo credit: Wildcat World)

Mike DeCourcey spoke with Kanter's father over email about, among other things, trying to dispel the rumors:

In an exclusive e-mail exchange with Sporting News, Dr. Kanter said he believes Turkish basketball officials have opposed his son’s effort to become eligible to play at Kentucky "because they are trying to set an example with my son to coming generations in Turkey, so they can control and use the talent and youth any way they like to."

"Since 2007, I wanted Enes to go to the USA and continue his basketball and education there, so I try everything to keep my son amateur and keep meticulous records of all the expenses knowing someday I may be asked (to) fully cooperate with the NCAA."

Dr. Kanter said "never once" was a salary demanded from Fenerbahce or discussed. "I always try to protected Enes from anything might damage his future."

I strongly encourage you to read the entire article to get the full gist of the message. While reading it, keep in mind that this is a father going to bat for his son. Mehmet Kanter has just as much incentive to lie about his son's amateur status as the Fenerbahce does, so while his arguments are, on paper, persuasive, don't take them as the undying truth.

Kanter has been banned from participating in any and all team activities until the conclusion of the NCAA's investigation. When will that conclusion be reached? Who knows. The NCAA has a habit of drawing these things out.

One thing I am certain of is that the result will depend on how thorough the paper trail is. If there is a signed contract that the NCAA has in their possession, well, Kanter ain't playin'. But if there is no paper work, only hearsay and the typical 'he-said, he-said', then there's a shot that Kentucky can get Kanter into uniform.
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Enes Kanter ruled out of Kentucky's practices

The NCAA has ruled Kentucky's Enes Kanter ineligible to participate in practice until his eligibility hearing finishes playing out.

Originally, he was granted a 45 day grace period to workout with the team while they prepared for a preseason trip to Canada, and once that ran out, he was given an extension. That extension came due on Thursday.

Its a tough break for the 6'11" freshman from Turkey, especially if the NCAA's ruling continues past the October 15th start of practice. Its tough enough for a freshman to pick up a new college system without missing time. Missing the start of practice -- when the team's offenses and defenses are put in -- is only going to put Kanter farther behind.

Its not all bad, however.

It should allow the "UnderKanter" to work on his future as a pro wrestler.




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"Free Enes" gets a theme song

Two weeks ago, Pete Thamel published an article in the New York Times with quotes from the General Manager of Fenerbahce Ulker saying that he paid Enes Kanter six figures during the Kentucky freshman's time with the team.

Spawned by this tweet from DeMarcus Cousins, the Big Blue Nation turned Free Enes into their rallying cry. Whether its signs hanging on the highway or the t-shirts that are being sold, everyone is buying in.

Even Rich Breezy.

Who is Rich Breezy?

A rapper from Kentucky that has given the "Free Enes" its theme song. The wildest part? Its actually not terrible.



This isn't the first time a member of the Kentucky basketball program has had a rap written about them. First there was Scoupe, who was excited enough about the Calipari signing that he put together a remix to "Halle Berry". Then there was Cash, who told us to Bang on 'em, Flex on 'em, do the John Wall.

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The latest on Enes Kanter

Through out the entire process with Enes Kanter, John Calipari has been adamant that he believes Kanter is an amateur.

Yesterday, when talking to reporters, Calipari made it clear that he believed that Kanter's team from Turkey simply wanted him back, which is what that team's GM made the comments he did to Pete Thamel.

"Obviously, one side wants him back," Calipari said. "There's four million reasons they want him back."

The "four million reasons" Calipari is referring to is the transfer fee that the Turkish team would receive if Kanter played in Europe. This isn't a new theory, either, as the motives behind Fenerbahce Ulker's push to get Kanter ineligible have been fairly transparent.

If Kanter does end up getting cleared by the NCAA, it isn't going to be based on the word of Coach Cal, who, I'm sure, many would tell you is not trustworthy, versus the word of a Turkish GM that clearly has an agenda. The decision is going to depend on the records. Fenerbahce gave the NCAA their records for paying Kanter, proof, so they say, that Kanter received a salary while playing in Turkey. But according to Calipari, the family kept "meticulous" notes in order to preserve Kanter's eligibility.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Calipari's press conference is that he did not even get the information correct. As Draft Express pointed out this morning, precedent says that Fenerbahce would likely receive about a $300,000 transfer fee for Kanter. In addition, Calipari said that players cannot sign a contract in Europe until they are 18, which is not true either.

Regardless of what decision ends up getting made, I think the NCAA's track record of a slow speed when making decisions like this guarantees that Kanter, who has been cleared to take classes and practice with the team, will miss some game time.

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FreeEnes t-shirts?

Big Blue Nation is the most passionate fan base in the country.

Don't believe me? Take a look at how many Kentucky-specific websites and blogs that get loads of traffic. Hell, Matt Jones was able to turn Kentucky Sports Radio into one of iTunes top selling podcasts, a radio show, and a TV show.


That passion is part of the reason that seemingly every time Kentucky-related news breaks, the memorabilia starts pouring out. Whether it is UK2K, Rick Pitino, or any of Kentucky's vaunted recruiting classes, the t-shirts come pouring out because fans buy them. And they buy them in bulk. When there is money to be made, people will do what they can to get a piece of it.

Which is why when DeMarcus Cousins tweeted out FreeEnes, it was only going to be a matter of time before some budding entrepreneur started capitalizing on it. Its not just the shirts, and there are a lot of them. There are mugs, there are bags.

The whole thing is fairly ironic. I'll let Jeff Eisenberg explain:

Of course, the great irony of the "Free Enes" campaign is that the T-shirts only exist because it appears Enes did not play for free.

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Reactions to Enes Kanter from around the web

As we all know by now, last night Pete Thamel of the New York Times published a report claiming that Enes Kanter had, in fact, received somewhere in the low-six figures during his times with Turkish Club team Fenerbahce Ulker. Below, we give you snippets of what the best in the business think about the report. For our take, go here. And, as always, if you have a link you want us to share, hit us up on twitter or send an email to contactbiah AT gmail DOT com.



Adrian Wojnarski, Yahoo!: "Some top INTL bball officials at USA practice validated on (Pete Thamel's) Kanter probe: "We've all known that kid's already a pro," one said"

John Clay, The Lexington Herald: "The Times does report that Karakas was unhappy about Kanter's departure and stands to benefit if Kanter is declared ineligible, as his club would get a transfer fee if Kanter played for another European team next season. But Karakas told Pete Thamel of the New York Times that the issue is more a matter of telling the truth. If the NCAA confirms Karakas' claims — the manager said he provided the NCAA paperwork — it could mean that Kanter would be ruled as a professional and not eligible to play college basketball in the United States. Last year, the NCAA suspended West Virginia’s Deniz Kilicli when it was learned that the Turkish team he played on included a professional player who was receiving money. Kilicli was not ruled to have taken money himself."

Gary Parrish, CBSSports: " Let's be honest: Calipari isn't concerned with winning November and December games at this point in his career (except for the ones against Rick Pitino, of course). He's been undefeated deep into the year, been ranked No. 1, earned No. 1 seeds, and won more games in a season than everybody else. The only remaining goal is to win a national championship, and having Kanter involved makes that goal more attainable even if he isn't involved from the start. If Calipari could only have Kanter for March, he'd take him. If Calipari could only have Kanter for next season, he'd take him. So the lone truly devastating punishment would be the NCAA ruling Kanter ineligible forever and always, and if that happens, well, what's been lost? Answer: Nothing."

Jeff Goodman, FOXSports: " Kanter's situation has been bandied about for months among college basketball coaches. At one time, he was committed to Washington, but the well-traveled (he attended numerous schools since arriving in this country) 18-year-old son of a professor de-committed from the Huskies and wound up signing with Kentucky. There were, according to sources, plenty of other schools in the mix who were contacted by Ergul, who considers himself an advisor for Turkish players such as Dogus Balbay (Texas) and Denis Kilicli (West Virginia) that have come to the United States to play college basketball. Most of the schools took a pass, but Calipari decided Kanter was worth the risk. Now, he'll have to wait and see whether it pays off."

Andy Katz, ESPN.com: "Sandy Bell, Kentucky's associate athletic director in charge of compliance, and a representative of the NCAA's amateurism department may need to go to Istanbul and meet with [Nedim] Karakas if Kanter is to gain eligibility for this season, the compliance officer told Katz. According to the compliance officer, the burden of proof is on Kentucky to prove Kanter received only actual and necessary expenses after Kanter signed with the Wildcats over Washington last year. Those expenses can be food, travel expenses for practices and competition as well as housing. Where this can get dicey is that Kanter was only 14 at the time he started with the club team, and housing for his family may have to have been included. The NCAA could determine that his family getting rent paid for by a club team could be viewed as him using his skill to gain an advantage for his family."

Luke Winn, SI: "If there's anything good about this for Kentucky, it's that Kanter's alleged benefits were made public before he played for the Wildcats. Had he suited up in official games, and later been outed as a professional, the UK wins would've been voided by the NCAA. Given coach John Calipari's history with vacated Final Four trips -- first at UMass, in 1995-96, and then at Memphis in 2007-08 -- he couldn't afford another scandal. UK can't be subjected to any NCAA punishment for merely trying to get Kanter eligible, because all of his alleged business dealings occurred prior to his arrival in the U.S."

Truzenzuzek, A Sea of Blue: "The purpose of the Thamel article was clearly to create a public relations problem for Kanter, the NCAA and Kentucky. Evidently, Fenerbahce hopes that by doing so, the NCAA will find enough "complexity" in the matter to declare Kanter a professional. It may or may not work, but keep in mind that the NCAA is an inherently conservative organization, and this rule change was a real departure for them. They may decide that it is wisdom to err on the conservative side of amateurism (a view that I suspect few NCAA coaches or presidents would oppose, particularly when the subject is a Kentucky player), and that hope is clearly revealed in Karakas' disingenuous comments."

Matt Norlander, College Hoops Journal: "Amazing how frequently controversial stories and reports come out of the Kentucky camp. Since [John] Calipari arrived 16 months ago, there’s been about one allegation or sign of smoke per month. This is just the latest, and while it’s more on Kanter than Kentucky, if any evidence surfaces that Kentucky knew of Kanter receiving money, then the dobermans will be unleashed on Calipari and everyone in that athletic department. The recruit is now toxic, though. No matter what comes of this decision, if Kanter ever plays for Kentucky it will only enhance the negative spotlight on the program. Is Kanter’s ability worth that? Most would say, absolutely: yes."

Matt Jones, Kentucky Sports Radio: "4. Was there a Desire to be a Professional?: I have talked to a number of folks around this case and they all tell me that the key issue for the NCAA will be whether the player had a desire to be a pro. That will be determined in part by money taken, but also by secondary issues. For Kanter, some of those work in his favor. His father is a doctor and a professor and the family was not in need of money. Thus, the idea that he would jeopardize his potential future as an Amateur for a piddling amount of money would seem unlikely. Plus, Kanter left the team while he was 16 and he didnt seek to sign other deals with clubs…which one might assume likely if he wanted to be a professional. These secondary facts, in addition to the money, could play a role in the decision, especially if the total amount paid is somewhat murky."

Rush The Court: "This much we know. The burden will rest with Kentucky to prove that Kanter is indeed eligible, and that any payments he took from Fenerbahce Ulker were actual and necessary to only cover his (reasonable) expenses and did not rise to the level of a salary. The organization notably did not provide Thamel documentation of the “salary” that was paid to Kanter, so if they’re truly blowing smoke on this in an effort to destroy Kanter’s amateur status, presumably the NCAA would know this. KSR breaks down the key questions to focus on in this matter, and but at a certain point (presumably after UK makes its best arguments) it will be the NCAA that has to make the difficult decision as to how much is too much when it comes to whether payments made to Kanter were merely expenses or a full-timer’s salary."

Jonathon Givony, DraftExpress: "Enes Kanter's team would have to be paid a buyout of about 300,000 (according to FIBA precedent) if he signed in Europe now. I really don't think the 300k matters to Fenerbahce either way. This would be more about pride, & screwing Max Ergul, Kanter's rogue agent. Kanter can go play in the D-League if he wants, as there's no FIBA letter of clearance needed there. Then he can join a NBA team w/no buyout."

Adam Zagoria, ZagsBlog: "Despite the latest news about Enes Kanter, NBA experts expect that the 6-foot-11, 272-pound Turkish big man will still be a lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. "He's a first-round pick," said one Eastern Conference NBA scout. "He's a lottery pick. It could affect him a couple of spots, but then again maybe not. There's 30 teams. He’s highly skilled and he’s right at the top of the one of the very best guys in this class."

Eric Crawford, Louisville Courier-Journal: "Q: Why is The New York Times out to get UK? I mean, going all the way to Turkey, come on! A: This was a bit of bad luck for UK. I'm sure efforts were being made to get to these Turkish club officials, but being there in person made it more effective, and the FIBA World Basketball Championships being held in Istanbul, an event The Times would likely have covered anyway, made it more feasible (I originally said convenient, but there's nothing convenient about reporting from Istanbul) for them to report this. I don't want to speak for The Times, which can go anywhere for any story -- and to its credit, often does -- but I'd be surprised if they'd have sent a reporter to Turkey just to report on the eligibility of a UK freshman, without this international basketball competition going on."

Percy Allen, Seattle Times: Looks like the Washington Huskies dodged a potential headache when former recruit Enes Kanter (far left) reneged on a verbal commitment and chose Kentucky. During his recruitment there was speculation about Kanter's NCAA eligibility because the 18-year-old Turkish star played on a professional team in Europe. Kanter denied taking a salary, however, the general manager of Fenerbahce Ulker, Nedim Karakas, said Kanter received more than $100,000 in cash and benefits over three years."

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Report from NY Times says Kentucky recruit Enes Kanter was paid in Turkey

There are a number of players around the country that are still waiting to hear about their eligibility from the NCAA, but none is more important that Enes Kanter.

Kanter is a 6'11" behemoth from Turkey that is considered by some to be the best big man prospect in the world. The problem? The fine folks at Fenerbahce Ulker realized this years ago and had been grooming Kanter to be a future star, or a potential cashcow, for their organization since he was 14 years old.

The question that the NCAA has been trying to answer is whether or not Kanter was actually a professional while playing in Turkey. According to a report from Pete Thamel of the New York Times, who is covering the World Basketball Classic in Turkey right now, he was:

The best recruit in Kentucky’s top-ranked recruiting class, the Turkish center Enes Kanter, received more than $100,000 in cash and benefits over three years from the professional team he played for here, according to the team’s general manager.

...

Karakas said that Fenerbahce provided housing to Kanter and his family for more than three years, provided them with food and pocket money and paid Kanter a salary of more than $6,500 a month during his final season.

No matter how you slice it, if this turns out to be true, then Kanter will never play for Kentucky. Ever.

The question is whether or not this is true.

In Thamel's report (which is quite impressive and damning, and I strongly suggest you read it), the general manager of Fenerbahce Ulker, Nedim Karakas, gave bank and housing records to the NCAA that prove that Kanter had been paid to play during his time with Fenerbahce.

But Karakas refused to show the documents to Thamel.

As Mike DeCourcy so thoroughly laid out earlier this afternoon, European clubs have a strong incentive to keep their star players from heading to the NCAA.

The European clubs have obvious motivation to dissuade their best young players from coming here to play. For starters, if somebody’s playing in the NCAA Tournament, he can’t be playing in the Euroleague. Also, if a young player is under contract to a European club and is ready to try the NBA, the club almost certainly will receive a substantial buyout in return. A 19-year old who wants to leave Kentucky for the draft merely signs a paper declaring that intent. He is free to leave.

It also doesn't help matters here that Fenerbahce felt violated by Kanter's decision, which was influenced by European agent/advisor Max Ergul. They discovered Kanter. They groomed him into the prospect that he is today. And he headed stateside on them, taking him with him what some expect to be a buyout of $300,000.

In other words, the same people that are trying to get Enes Kanter ineligible for competition in the NCAA are the people that would benefit the most if he decided to return to Europe. (For what its worth, if Kanter is declared ineligible -- which seems a likely outcome based on the information from tonight -- he can head to the D-League for a year, which would not result in a buyout when he ended up in the NBA.)

That is quite the conflict of interest.

The other question that was asked tonight was whether or not the burden of proof was on Kentucky or the NCAA. According to an ESPN.com report, it is on Kentucky:

The burden of proof is on Kentucky to prove Kanter received only actual and necessary expenses after Kanter signed with the Wildcats over Washington last year. Those expenses can be food, travel expenses for practices and competition as well as housing. Where this can get dicey is that Kanter was only 14 at the time he started with the club team, and housing for his family may have to have been included. The NCAA could determine that his family getting rent paid for by a club team could be viewed as him using his skill to gain an advantage for his family.

Right now, there does not appear to be a outcome that will be good for Kentucky. If Kanter is declared ineligible, Kentucky loses their most important player. Ignoring the value of a dominant big man at this level, Kentucky's only other post options are the seldom-used Josh Harrellson and Eloy Vargas, a JuCo transfer and couldn't get off the bench for Florida, a team that also lacked size, in 2008-2009. Without Kanter, Kentucky may be the third best team in the SEC.

But if he is allowed to play, it may as well be open season on John Calipari and Kentucky. This has been the third major scandal involving a Kentucky player or recruit (Eric Bledsoe and Anthony Davis). I bet Kentucky fans didn't think it could get any worse.

I'll pose you with one question before signing off on this subject: What is the difference between the money that Kanter got and the money that every high school player attending an expensive prep school gets? Kanter got around $100,000 over the span of about three years, which comes to a little over $30,000 a year. Isn't that the same amount of money that an american player would get -- via tuition -- if he attended, say, Findlay Prep (which is run by a UNLV booster) or Montrose Christian or any other basketball institution? I'm not saying I think that Kanter should be deemed eligible, but I would argue that there are a number of american players that don't even get their eligibility questioned by the NCAA that may as well be "pros" before they can even get their driver's license.

Its something to think about.

Here is Kentucky's statement on the matter: "Kentucky is working diligently with the NCAA on this matter and we fully support Enes Kanter and his family through this ongoing NCAA review. We will have no further comment."

And, since we all like youtube videos, a highlight reel of Enes Kanter:



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Calipari cleans up ... again

Yesterday was the first day of the spring signing period, and as everyone expected, John Calipari cleaned up.

For starters, he signed 6'10", 240 lb Turkish big man Enes Kanter. Kanter is a bit on a controversial recruit. A coveted prospect in Europe, Kanter wanted to play basketball and get an education at an american school, turning down multi-million dollar deals. The issue, however, is not whether or not he played with professionals, however (the rule that got fellow Turk Deniz Kilicli suspended for West Virginia's first 20 games is going to be changed). The question is whether or not Kanter himself is a professional. He is only 17 years old, and FIBA rules state that you must be 18 to sign a contract, but there are rumors that Kanter has been getting paid under the table.

Kanter put 34 points and 14 boards on the USA in the Nike Hoop Summit.
(photo credit: Sporting News)

Kanter has been cleared academically, but so was Renardo Sidney. It will be interesting to follow this process over the coming months.

Kanter's signing was just a start. Later in the day, Coach Cal landed the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010 in Brandon Knight, the fourth straight star point guard recruit he has signed. Kentucky already has 6'5" Stacey Poole signed, a four star recruit, which means Cal has already landed one of the best recruiting classes in the country, and he still could get a couple more five-star recruits, specifically 6'9" CJ Leslie, a former HS teammate of John Wall.

Brandon Knight is Coach Cal's next star point guard.
(photo credit: Lexington Herald)

The day wasn't yet over, as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2011, Michael Gilchrist, a 6'7" small forward that has drawn comparisons to a guy like Scottie Pippen, committed to Kentucky (he can't sign yet).

Other signing day news:

• Both Ray McCallum, Jr., and Trey Zeigler were highly touted back court recruits. Both players had fathers coaching at mid-major programs in Michigan -- McCallum, Sr., is the head coach at Detroit while Ernie Zeigler is the coach at Central Michigan. Surprising no one, both players decided to stay at home and play for their fathers. Detroit should be pretty good next season, as they return their three top scorers, none of whom play the point, leaving McCallum room to come in and start right away. If Gordon Hayward stays in the draft, its possible that Detroit becomes the favorite in the Horizon. Zeigler is in a different position. Central Michigan loses three of their top four scorers from a team that went just 15-15. He will be counted on for a lot of scoring early in his career.


• Marquette got an early start at replacing Lazar Hayward when they signed JuCo player of the year Jae Crowder. Crowder averaged 19 and 9 for the NJCAA national title winners at Howard College while also knocking down 54 threes. At 6'6", 225 lb, he's about the same size as Hayward as well. But Hayward's shoes will be big ones to fill.
  


• The next big day in recruiting is Saturday, as quite a few players -- including CJ Leslie and Josh Selby -- are expected to declare at some point during the Jordan Brand all-american game.
  

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