TJ Warren picks NC State over Georgetown, Gottfried continues hot recruiting

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

Mark Gottfried has certainly earned his paycheck thus far in his NC State tenure.

With Rodney Purvis and Tyler Lewis, who currently sit at 11th and 58th, respectively, in the Consensus Recruiting Rankings, already committed to join the Wolfpack in 2012, Gottfriend landed a player he absolutely had to get on Wednesday.

TJ Warren, a high-scoring, left-handed small forward that is currently rated 22nd, picked NC State over Georgetown.

"When I was growing up I went to a lot of games when Herb Sendek was the coach and Julius Hodge was there," said Warren. "I've always been a State fan."

He should be. Warren grew up 20 minutes from the campus. His father played for the Wolfpack. Before he blew up on the AAU circuit this spring and summer, before he was being recruited by the Kentucky and the North Carolinas, Warren loved NC State. If Gottfried is going to have success with the Wolfpack, those are the players he has to make sure he gets.

There's more. Purvis and Lewis? They're both North Carolina natives as well. And along with Warren, they form what will likely be the best perimeter of any recruiting class in 2012. Lewis is one of the most entertaining point guards in the country to watch thanks to his slick handle and terrific passing ability. Purvis is a combo-guard known for his ability to attack the basket. And Warren is one, if not the best all-around wing scorer in the class.

If Gottfriend wants to have success in the Triangle, he has to keep compete with UNC and Duke for in-state talent, especially the kids from the Raleigh area.

So far, he's doing just that.



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Mark Gottfried linked to the Donnan Ponzi Scheme

The Ponzi Scheme that has captured out attention this summer is the one involving David Salinas because, frankly, we aren't as interested in coaches investing their money poorly as we are coaches investing with an AAU coach to potentially land recruits.

But its not the only investigation currently going on in the world of sports.

Former Georgia head football coach and ex-ESPN analyst Jim Donnan is currently being investigated for a Ponzi Scheme that conned investors out of millions of dollars. One of the names involved with Donnan was also involved with Salinas. Billy Gillispie, who lost more than $2 million to Salinas, was also scammed out of as much as $3 million by Donnan.

According to JP Giglio, Mark Gottfried, the new NC State head coach, also invested with Donnan. Court documents indicate that Gottfried had as much as $250,000 invested.

If you are an investment adviser and you aren't a criminal, I'm sure there are plenty of college coaches looking for someone legitimate.
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Has Anyone Made the Mark "Got Fired" Gottfried Joke Yet?

This afternoon, Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried resigned after 11 years at the helm (although some outlets are reporting he was fired). To be honest, it doesn't exactly surprise me. The Tide had a good run a few years back, making it to five straight NCAA tournaments from 2002-2006, even reaching to Elite 8 in '04, but in recent years the program has fallen far below that plateau.

This year, despite having a talented backcourt of Alonzo Gee, Senario Hillman, and Ronald Steele surrounding Mickey D's all-american JaMychal Green, Alabama has sputtered to a 12-7 mark, 2-3 in the SEC, which includes losses to Mercer and Oregon.

Crimson Tide faithful could have seen the end coming last week when Steele left the team. Some reports said the reason for his departure was the plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the muscle that supports the arch of your foot causing pain in your heel (I've had it before, and it f'in hurts).

But Steele has said the reason for his departure was something other than an injury, leading people to believe he was unhappy with Gottfried. From the Birmingham News:

But Steele said Wednesday that it wasn't an injury that forced his decision, that it was something else. And that leaves it open to speculate about the state of Alabama basketball, and Steele's relationship with Gottfried.

It opens up reconsideration of last season, when Steele elected to redshirt and Gottfried never sounded comfortable with that decision. Remember all those postgame press conferences when Gottfried made references to the fact that his "best" player was only playing in practice? Were those comments subtle shots taken at Steele, evidence that Gottfried felt if Steele was well enough to practice, he should have been well enough to play?

And how did hearing Steele referred to as Gottfried's best player make Richard Hendrix, arguably the best player on the floor for Alabama, feel? Did that contribute to Hendrix's decision to leave early?

All in all, it is a shame to see Steele go out like this. As a freshman and sophomore, he was one of the best and most promising PG's in the country. Now, he is a fifth year senior that quit midway through his final season. Continue reading...