UCLA withdraws offer to Kendall Williams

Over the past week, there has been a lot of negative talk about Josh Selby's decision to de-commit from Tennessee. Dana O'Neil even wrote a piece that came damn near criticizing recruits who change their minds.

Sometimes, it goes the other way as well.

Kendall Williams, a rising senior from Rancho Cucomunga Los Osos High School, committed to UCLA after a stellar freshman season. But he never quite developed into the player that Ben Howland thought he would turn into, and this past week Williams ended his commitment.

Kendall Williams committed to UCLA after his freshman season.
(photo credit: PE.com)

Now, the article does not specify exactly how the commitment ended. Ben Howland could have told Williams that he did not want the 6'3" PG anymore, or Williams could have figured out on his own that he was not talented enough to be the Bruin's PG of the future. Williams went on record saying that there are no hard feelings between him and Coach Howland. Howland was on the road during July recruiting some of the top PG's in the class of '10 (namely Ray McCallum of Detroit Country Day).

And its not like Williams will end up without a scholarship. Fellow Pac-10 schools Stanford and Cal (among others) are still recruiting Williams.

For the record, this isn't the first time Howland has parted ways with a committed recruit. Taylor King committed to UCLA after his freshman season at Mater Dei, but ended up going ot Duke under similar circumstances (maybe Kevin Love?).

But the belies the point. This is precisely why it is not a good idea to recruit kids that are that young. Boys grow and mature physically so much between the ages of 14-18. If a kid is a star when he is 14, you really don't know how he is going to develop.

Is he really that much more talented than his peers? Did he just happen to hit puberty and a growth spurt early? Will he still be as dominant when everyone else catches up with him in size and athleticism?

The other issue that arises is work ethic. If you are a recruit and you have yet to commit to a school, there is always going to be that motivation to improve. If you are getting letters from the SoCon, you want teams like East Carolina and Charlotte to take notice. Once those schools start sending coaches to games, you want ACC schools to notice. If NC State offers a scholarship, you want UNC and Duke to offer.

Once you commit to a school, it is only natural to feel a bit of relief, and the danger is that a kid can become a bit complacent, feeling that he has "made it". When you are 17 or 18 you should be mature enough to understand that in order to succeed at that level, it is going to take hard work.

But a 15 year old committed to UCLA?

When I was 15 I thought I was the man when I made varsity. The risk is that the recruit becomes too complacent, too cocky, and believes that he does not need to improve anymore.

I'm not saying that this is what happened to Williams, but you never know.

The best advice I could give any elite prospect is this: take your time. If the offers are there at 14, they will be there at 16 and 17.

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College basketball odds

Sportsbook.com has released their odds for the 2010 National Championship. No surprise at the top, as Kansas and Kentucky lead the way.

Here is the top 10:

1. Kansas - 4:1
2. Kentucky - 5:1
3. Texas - 10:1
4. Louisville - 12:1
5. Duke - 15:1
6. Michigan State - 15:1
7. North Carolina - 25:1
8. Purdue - 25:1
9. Villanova - 25:1
10. West Virginia, Wake Forest, UConn, Missouri, Gonzaga, Washington - 40:1
    

No argument here over the top 3. Those are probably the three best teams in the country. But Louisville and Duke are the 4th and 5th most likely teams to win it all? I don't think I would put either of those teams in the top 10 right now.

A couple teams at the bottom of the list I like - Butler, Oklahoma State, and Florida State are all getting 100:1 odds.

Just don't bet in Delaware.

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Friday Morning Dump

- Cameron Indoor vs. the Dean Smith Center.

- Delaware vs. the NCAA - The Dagger, RTC.

- Reggie Redding arrested for possession.

- Georgetown's non-conference schedule gets tougher; Seton Hall gets transfers Herb Pope and Keon Lawrence eligible.

- Norm Roberts on the recruiting trail.

- Taylor Mays facts.

- Could you survive without money?

- Two years after a nasty spill that knocked off his shoes, skateboarder Jake Brown won X-Games gold:


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DAHNTAY JONES DOES PUSH-UPS: It is finally up on youtube!!

One of my favorite dunks of all-time came from Duke's Dahntay Jones against Virginia. The dunk isn't even the best part. It is his ... celebration? Just watch:



Vicious.

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Patrick Patterson: Ready for a breakout season?

Well, maybe breakout season isn't the correct term. Is it really possible to "breakout" when you averaged 16 and 7 as a freshman and 18 and 9 as a sophomore?

No one is saying that Patrick Patterson is not already a beast. Standing at 6'9", 240 lb of muscle, Patterson has become arguably the best power forward in the country and will be the focal point for a team that many expect to make a push for the Final Four.

18 and 9 (and 2 blocks, I might add) is a pretty impressive stat line. Enough to have made him a lottery pick had he left Kentucky after last season.

Why, given the influx of talented newcomers to Lexington, should we expect Patterson to explode this season?

Patrick Patterson has spent this summer working out with Blake Griffin's trainer.
(photo credit: Kentucky Sports Radio)

It's simple really. Patterson, and freshman teammate Daniel Orton, are spending the summer working out with Frank Mastriciano. That's the same guy that Blake Griffin worked out with last summer, and we all know how that turned out.

So should we expect a player of the year type season out of Patterson?

It wouldn't surprise me, but I wouldn't bet on it either. There are two major differences between Patterson and Griffin. For starters, they are a different breed of power forward. Griffin is more coordinated and has better ball skills, which allows him to play some out on the perimeter. No knock on PP, but he is not the athletic specimin Griffin is. Griffin's offensive repertoire was, as a result, much more diverse - he could score in the paint, he could hit a 17 footer, he could face up and blow by on the perimeter, and he could run the break as a wing or leading it. Patterson is more of a strictly post-up, pound-it-down-low kind of guy.

The other, and probably more important, factor is what the two players have surrounding them. Until Willie Warren came on at the end of the season, it was basically the Blake Griffin show in Norman. Austin Johnson, Taylor Griffin, Tony Crocker - these guys were good role players, but none of them really had much NBA potential.

Now look at UK's roster. John Wall could have been the first pick in this year's draft. DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and maybe even Darnell Dodson are legitimate NBA prospects. It doesn't take a genius to figure out Kentucky has talent from top to bottom.

And with that talent comes the need for shots and for playing time. Is Patterson going to get 36 minutes a game with Orton, Cousins, and Perry Stevenson joining him up front? Is he going to get enough post touches with talents like Wall, Dodson, and Eric Bledsoe on the perimeter?

The answer? Probably not.

But just because he doesn't post 22 and 13 doesn't mean Patterson isn't the best four in the country.

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Thursday Morning Dump

- ZagsBlog lands an interview with Sean Miller.

- East Tennessee State sophomore Seth Coy was killed in a single car accident.

- NCAA steps up investigation of Renardo Sidney.

- UConn offers rising junior Angel Nunez from Winchendon.

- Coaches are talking about trying to get some of April's recruiting period back.

- UNC traveling to Charleston this season.

- Isiah Thomas looking to prove his doubters wrong at FIU.

- Wooden voted greatest coach in the history of sports. No argument here.

- Birmingham's fake international basketball tournament.

- Look at the mug shot, then read the story. Seems about right...

- Drew Brees mother is a nut bag. Make sure to read the whole thing.

- Erin Andrews 911 call. Pretty depressing.

- Creep.

- The sportswriting industry really is struggling.

- Three second knockout:


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BASKETBALL PROSPECTUS: HOW DID THE NEW THREE POINT LINE CHANGE THINGS?: The answer?

Not all that much.

A lot of interesting number crunching from John Gasaway in that post. The most interesting stat for me was that the three-point percentage in league play for teams in the six major conferences went up from 2008 to 2009.

Easy explanation: by moving the line back a foot, the only real change was getting guys that were marginal three point shooters to be convinced not to take the shot. At that level of basketball, anyone that is considered a "shooter" from 19'9" is going to be a "shooter" from 20'9". And since conference play starts midway through the season, coaches had a chance to identify who their "shooters" were, and who was no longer allowed to take the occasional open look from three. With a smaller number of threes being taken by decent shooters, the overall percentage went up.
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Kenny Boynton will need protective custody in Lexington

SLAMOnline has a nice profile up of Kenny Boynton, the latest Mickey D's all-american to head to Florida to play for Billy Donovan.

All things considered, this kid seems like he has his head screwed on straight. During high school, he would get to the gym at 6am every morning to get an extra work out in with his coach. He would work out between the end of school and the start of practice. And the whole time, Boynton (who played off the ball at American Heritage High School) was working on his point guard skills in order to better transition to that spot at Florida.

Kenny Boynton, one of the best shooting guards in the country, is headed to Florida.
(photo credit: High School Hoop)

Keep in mind, this is a kid that was a top 15 recruit, a McDonald's all-american, averaged over 30 ppg as a senior, and finished his career as the third leading scorer in Florida basketball history.

Talented and a hard-worker. That's a great combination to have.

But Boynton may need to learn a thing or two about being humble. Towards the end of the article, Boynton reels off this locker room gem:

To tell you the truth, I’ve thought about it and on paper they look good, but I think we match up with them. I think we have a better team. It’s going to be a real good game when we play, but I don’t think they’re as good as everyone says they are.

There is nothing wrong with feeling this way. In fact, it is a good thing if Boynton feels that Florida is a better team than Kentucky. Having confidence in one's self and in one's team is a necessary trait in a "winner".

But do you really think it is a good idea to spout off in an interview with SLAM?

John Calipari is arguably the best motivator in college basketball. When Kentucky is good and Rupp is packed, it is one of the toughest places to play in the country. And Big Blue Nation is as passionate, vicious, and blood thirsty as any fan base for any team (pro or college) in the US (the thread on CatsPause.com has already reached 127 replies).

Why make it easy for them?

Ashley Judd is one of Big Blue's most famous and most faithful.
(photo credit: Sparty and Friends)

Boynton is correct about one thing - Florida looks pretty good on paper this year. Take a look:

• G - Erving Walker
• G - Kenny Boynton
• F - Chandler Parson/Dan Werner
• F - Alex Tyus
• F - Vernon Macklin
• Bench - Ray Shipman, Kenny Kadji, Erik Murphy
  

That could end up being a top 25 team. I love Walker in the back court. Both he and Boynton are combo guards - meaning they can play on or off the ball, play as a scorer or a playmaker - and should complement each other well. Tyus should get a little more help on the interior with the addition of Georgetown transfer Macklin (another former Mickey D's all-american) and freshman Murphy (what's the over-under on Entourage jokes he hears this season?) and the development of Kadji. If Parsons develops into a legitimate inside-outside scoring threat, don't be surprised to see Florida in the mix with Kentucky and Tennessee atop the SEC East down the stretch.

Anyway, we'll send you into the night with a nice Boynton mixtape:



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TIM FLOYD DISCUSSES RENARDO SIDNEY: As you should know by know, Renardo Sidney is currently awaiting word from the NCAA on whether or not he will be eligible to play the 2009-2010 basketball season for Mississippi State. One of the main issues the NCAA is looking at (and what seems to currently be the sticking point of the investigation) is how the Sidney's paid for the house they rented in Southern California.

Talentwise, Sidney was one of the most coveted recruits in the country as a senior, but neither UCLA or USC wanted the Fairfax HS product.

Speaking with Kyle Veazey of the Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger, Tim Floyd spoke for the first time about why USC stopped recruiting Sidney:

"Our school was reacting to an article that was going to be written in the L.A. Times," Floyd said. "Given the fact that the institution was involved in an institutional control investigation, they viewed it as preventive management. They could not put their finger on anything."

Probably was a good decision by USC. With the Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo scandals still hanging over them, the last thing they needed was another high-profile recruit carrying baggage.
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Marist sues former coach and current James Madison coach

Matt Brady coached the Marist Red Foxes from 2004-2008, where he had some success, including sending point guard Jared Jordan to the NBA Draft.

But Brady left for James Madison in March of 2008, bringing with him four guys he recruited to Marist - one had already signed an LOI (Julius Wells), two were orally committed (Andrey Semenov and Trevon Flores), and the fourth (Devon Moore) had been recruited heavily by Brady and his staff. Wells, Semenov, and Moore all played for JMU's 20 win team this season, while Flores will be enrolling this year.

Pretty standard stuff. These days players commit to coaches, not schools.

But Marist is suing Brady for bringing along those four recruits.

Why? How can they?

You see, every coach at Marist has a clause in their contract that says if the coach leaves Marist, they cannot continue to recruit the players they were recruiting at Marist.

Do I really need to say how ridiculous this is?

I am far from what you would call a legal expert, but I don't see any way that Marist can have any control over a third party (the recruits) when they sign a contract with a coach. Brady has obviously built a strong relationship with these four kids. When he left Marist, they decided that it was no longer where they wanted to go to school, because they wanted to play for Brady.

Is it really fair for Marist to provide any kind of resistance to these kids having the best experience possible while in college?

I understand why Marist has this clause. When a coach leaves, it can all but destroy an entire recruiting class (see Memphis for evidence). When you are a school like Marist, a mid-major that develops players over four years (as opposed to landing one or two talented players that stay for a year or two), losing a recruiting class can be so detrimental to your program's success. The clause is just an attempt to create a disincentive for coaches that leave to bring their recruits along.

But is this a road we really want to go down? Is it really a good idea to give one school any influence on where a kid can go to school? If you were a parent, would you want a coach saying he can't allow your kid to play for him because of a minor clause in the contract with his former school?

Its ludicrous and just another case of schools trying to hold too much power.

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How often do you see this?

Jayvaughn Pinkston is a a top 100 recruit out of Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn. At 6'6", 240 lb, Pinkston is a forward that can play both inside and outside, drawing comparisons to Jamal Mashburn.

He has a skill set that could make him a match-up nightmare at the collegiate level.

But Pinkston's summer has been much different than that of most other top 100 recruits. You see, there have been some concerns over whether or not Pinkston was going to be able to get NCAA eligible as he missed a chunk of his junior season due to academics. He even toyed with the idea of transferring to Oak Hill Academy.

Jayvaughn Pinkston had a great tournament in the Adidas Super 64.
(photo credit: FiveBoroSports)

Instead, Pinkston decided to skip the All-American camps, instead deciding to attend summer school to help boost his grades before finishing up his senior year at Loughlin.

From Zagsblog:

"Yes, it is," Pinkston said when asked if sitting out was hard. "I was looking forward to coming out and playing against some of the top players in my class."

"I'm trying to become a better student-athlete, so that's why I decided to go to summer school."

Pinkston did play in the Adidas Super 64 in Vegas last week, and really opened some eyes. He scored 19 points (while holding Texas-bound Tristan Thompson to just 9) as his New Heights team upset a loaded Grassroots Canada team. The most interesting part? Pinkston was doing homework before, after, and in between games throughout the week.

It was originally thought that Pinkston was destined for St. John's, but Pinkston's list has grown a bit of late. There are currently eight schools still in play, with four (Tennessee, St. John's, Villanova, and Xavier) having offered scholarships, according to Rivals.

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Wednesday Morning Dump

- Yup, John Calipari is going to have a lot of weapons this year.

- Marcus Jordan's year is starting off well at UCF.

- Goodman thinks Purdue is going to be good this year.

- Former Marquette forward can current Minnesota recruit (he transferred to a JuCo) is facing felony assault charges.

- The best players from Vegas 2009.

- An arrest in the shooting of Antonio Burk.

- The #3 PG in the class of '10 has cut his list of schools to 16. It was at 30.

- Bobby Knight's DVD is out.

- Rapper beefs compared to world politics.

- RTC's take on the Delaware gambling issue.

- Buerhle on Letterman's Top 10.

- The soundtracks for Madden, Live, and NHL '10.

- Can someone explain to me why Stephon Marbury is crying?



- Some Video Blogger got up close with David Beckham's fan interactions in Kansas City.


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A POSSIBLE CHANGE TO THE SIGNING PERIOD: With all the hub-bub from Josh Selby's decision to back out of his commitment to Tennessee, it seems like the NABC may be on its way to making a change. This from the latest Andy Katz blog:

How to hold on to commitments continues to be a pressing issue and has resurfaced yet again with the high-profile decommitment of Josh Selby from Tennessee. One idea that circulated Monday night that might be of interest to the National Association of Basketball Coaches to pursue is to get rid of the signing periods and allow a player to sign a binding national letter of intent within 30 days of giving a verbal commitment. The 30-day window would give the player a bit more time to ensure he has made the right decision. The other component that should be included in the letter of intent to get the document up to the current era is an out for the player if the coach leaves the school. Schools are less likely to fight a player's decision to ask out of the letter of intent if the coach is no longer at the school. The most recent example involved Xavier Henry. He signed with Memphis, but once Calipari left for Kentucky, Henry asked out of his letter and went to Kansas.

Please let this happen.

DeMarcus Cousins originally committed to UAB.
(photo credit: NBCSports)

For starters, the system would probably flow much more smoothly if recruits were allowed 30 days to sign an LOI after committing to a school (although, the NCAA would have to establish some way to officially "commit" to a school). Waiting until designated signing periods seems arbitrary and allows much more time for a recruit to be persuaded to change his mind.

But the rule involving the coaching changes is much more relevant and significant. LOI's right now are outdated. Players don't sign with a school anymore; generally, they are signing with the coach they want to play for. If that coach leaves, it is only fair to allow the player to leave as well. Often times, a recruit will have this clause in his LOI. Other times, the school won't agree to it.

Take DeMarcus Cousins as an example. The Birmingham native originally committed to UAB because he wanted to play for Mike Davis, but he asked for a clause to be put in the contract that would allow him out of his LOI if Davis were to leave or be fired. UAB didn't agree, which means they missed out on what would have most likely been the best recruit they have ever signed.

If a coach is allowed to leave a school after signing recruits without any penalty, it is only just if the recruits are allowed to as well.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: From Mick Cronin, the head coach of Cincinnati:

He said the strength and conditioning coaches tried to bring him down, but "he didn't throw up or pass out. They were impressed with his level of toughness."

I like this move. Stephenson's rep coming in is that he's a bit of a primadonna.

So what's the first thing you do?

Show him he isn't going to get babied. Show him he isn't different than any of the other players on the team. Show him you are going to need a serious work ethic if you want to play for Cinci.

How do you do that?

By busting his ass with tough workouts the first few days.

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Rick Majerus must have really liked Public Enemies

Do you remember the name Anthony DiLoreto?

He is a 7'0" recruit from Minnesota that had committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo. But he never enrolled.

Why?

Because he was arrested ... for robbing a bank!

This is what happened. DiLoreto and a friend drove 125 miles to Wisconsin, and while DiLoreto sat outside in the getaway car, his friend went into the bank to rob it. But DiLoreto got scared, left the bank, and began driving home. His friend was caught 45 minutes later walking along the side of the road. He spilled the beans, and the seven-footer was arrested back in his Minnesota hometown.

Anthony DiLoreto has been offered by Rick Majerus
despite the fact he hasn't settled the charges against him.
(photo credit: BIAH)

Yes, this is a serious crime, but that doesn't mean this kid doesn't deserve a second chance. We all make poor decisions growing up, and whether it is smoking a little reefer, getting in a fight, or cheating on a test, high school debauchery does not an evil person make.

DiLoreto, who reneged on his commitment to Cal Poly, has been receiving some interest from A-10, Big Ten, and WCC schools, and when he gets all these legal issues figured out (assuming he keeps his nose clean), I see no reason why he shouldn't get a shot at turning his life around. Hey, Zack Randolph and Allen Iverson both did time in high school, and while they are far from model citizens, both have ùsomewhat managed to stay out of trouble.

Here's the issue: DiLoreto's next court date is August 7th, and the case could be settled by then. But according to Gary Parrish, he has already been offered a scholarship by Rick Majerus at St. Louis. I mean, the kid is still facing serious jail time - he tried to rob a freakin' BANK - and you've already offered?

That's the coaching world we live in these days. The "what have you won for me lately" mentality has made it a necessity for coaches to toss their scruples out the window. And we all know what a stand-up guy Majerus is.

Parrish got a great quote from one coach:

I'll take him right now, or in three-to-five years.

Sounds about right.
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Bruce Pearl is none to happy about the Josh Selby situation

Yesterday, we talked about Josh Selby, the PG recruit that de-committed from Tennessee to re-open his recruiting under somewhat shady circumstances. Dana O'Neil wrote a piece about players backing out on their commitment to a school. In it, she says that there is an unwritten rule in the coaching ranks - once a guy has committed somewhere, you stop going after him.

But it doesn't always work like that.

At least that's what Bruce Pearl seems to believe.

Josh Selby has de-committed from Tennessee to the ire of Bruce Pearl.
(photo credit: Strait Pinkie)

In an interview yesterday with ESPN's Andy Katz on ESPN U (h/t Zagsblog), Pearl had this to say:

“I think as coaches, we want to ethically make sure that if a guy’s got a commitment, leave him alone,” Pearl told ESPN’s Andy Katz on Monday in Orlando in a segment that appeared on ESPNU. “Now, student-athletes have a right to do what’s in their best interests.

“And if they think it’s in their best interests to open up their recruiting and look at something else, then they should do that because I don’t want somebody that doesn’t want to necessarily play for us. And I think every mother or father wants what’s best for their kids.

“And if I’m not what’s best for their kids…then that’s fine. Then you go find somebody that is. I think the big thing is…Once I see a guy committed, that’s it. No more phone calls. You don’t put it out there, ‘In case we had interest, would you open up your recruiting?’

“It’s over, leave him alone.”

A little bit of sour grapes? Probably. But he has a point - it does go against the practices of the coaching fraternity.

When it comes down to it, however, he shouldn't be surprised that his peers have questionable ethics. Have you not read this blog the last two days?

Bottom line - once a kid has committed to a school, if he actually listens to other coaches talking to him, he probably isn't fully committed to going to your school. If you start dating a girl, but she keeps cheating on you, then odds are she doesn't really want to be in a relationship - be committed to you.

You move on and find someone else.

Hey Bruce, there's a stud PG in your home state by the name of Joe Jackson. He is still interested in Tennessee. Go land him.

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TWO MORE THOUGHTS ON RECRUITING CORRUPTION: Yesterday, we wrote about how many stories involving sleaze going on behind the scenes during the recruiting process. Late last night, Dana O'Neil had an article posted to ESPN.com that said the NCAA sent out a mass email telling coaches that it could be a violation if they attended a dinner for Grassroots Basketball of America, which is headed by Sonny Vaccaro. Apparently, some coaches still attended, but they simply did not pay the $800 price tag.

O'Neil also said there was a $160 fee for the GBOA showcase.

Is this a sign the NCAA is cracking down?

You know, with at the legal ways to funnel money to AAU coaches, handlers, and the players themselves, if amazes me that some guys (Tim Floyd, I'm looking at you) still allow themselves to get caught.

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Tuesday Morning Dump

- Gregg Doyel takes a look at UCLA's $500,000 seats.

- Tough situation for these two kids.

- ESPN won't credit NY Post.

- Crazy knockout.

- 14 foot python caught near pre-school.

- Chris Webber talks to with a blog.

- USC football team gets hypnotized:


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AAU Coaches: Always hustlin'

There has been a lot of talk this summer about the corruption that goes hand-in-hand with youth basketball these days. Not only are these AAU coaches slowly destroying the concept of fundamental basketball in our nation's youth, but squeezing every dime they can out of their connections has become the norm at the elite level of AAU ball.

First came the Charlotte Observer's report on online recruiting service's. Basically, the hustle is that AAU programs will start, or become "affiliated" with, a recruiting service that charges for a yearly subscription; the thought is that yearly subscription also doubles as a fee for admission into the recruiting carnival of the player's in their program. Then came the Wall Street Journal's article criticizing the way youth basketball is run in this country.

And now? Pete Thamel of the NY Times takes us through what might be the most brazen hustle of them all.

This is basically how it works. The NCAA sanctions certain tournaments that AAU coaches are allowed to attend. The price of admission is, say, $10 to get in. Perfectly acceptable. These tournaments have sunken costs - it isn't free to rent the gym time, to pay for the refs, etc. What isn't acceptable is the $275 it costs coaches to buy the packets containing such information as player's names, their contact information, and - something just a teeny bit useful - the number they are wearing.

These packets are mandatory for coaches to buy.

Say you are a coach and you are out on the recruiting trail to watch a player you know. He is playing in a tournament within driving distance, and you decide to swing by to see him play and, more importantly, have him see you seeing him play. You are there for one game, know the kid you are there to see, and have no need to spend that much money on a packet of printed paper.

You are still going to have to drop a few benji's.

Or you won't be watching the game.

Just ask Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings:

Just after sitting down with some fellow college coaches, two tournament employees told Stallings that he had to pay $295 for a packet of rosters and information that doubled as an admission fee for college coaches. The coaches in attendance told him that they had been required to do the same thing. Stallings said he had paid a $10 admission fee and did not want or need the packet, so he hit the road out of principle.

Or Yale's James Jones:

James Jones once paid $350 to watch one player play a single game in South Carolina. His other option was to buy the tournament organizer Jeff Schneider’s $600 recruiting service.

Tom Izzo has a horror story as well:

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo refused to pay $100 for admission to the Summer Jam tournament in Milwaukee earlier this month after one of his assistants had already paid $250 for the packet that doubled as an entry fee. Izzo said the tournament director should visit him if he had a problem.

The sleaze involved in high school and college basketball, and the corruption of the process of getting high school hoopers to the next level, almost makes the sport unbearable for me to watch. Knowing that a recruit will decide where he will attend based on someone associated with a shoe company; watching what is a beautiful game when played correctly degenerate into a glorified Rucker League game; seeing "recruiting experts" rate the best 11 and 12 year olds and seeing coaches offer scholarships to kids that have yet to even decide on a high school.

I can handle all of that.

I'm not naive enough to think that cheating doesn't happen, or that in an industry worth billions of dollars there aren't going to be some shady people with questionable ethics.

But this?

Forcing coaches to pay that much for a scouting service or an identification packet, with the the prize being the ability to talk to a 16 year old kid?

That's extortion.

And, as Rick Pitino will tell you, extortion is a pretty serious crime.

The worst part is that the NCAA not only allows it, but they enable it by not changing the rules. Nothing these tournament organizers are doing is a sin in the eyes of the NCAA - only to those of us with a moral compass. And it would be so simple for the NCAA to fix. All they have to do is make a rule that you can charge X amount of dollars for a recruiting service or for a player's program at an AAU Tournament. If it is more, they pull the college coaches from the tournament. If there are no college coaches there, why will the big name recruits and AAU teams want to play there? If no one wants to play there, how does the tournament make its money?

It really that simple.

But the rules won't change unless the big name coaches speak out against them. The Bill Self's or the Jim Calhoun's or the Ben Howland's. The coaches with the clout to make a change.

The odds of that happening? Almost none.

These are the guys that are either cheating effectively or winning without cheating. Why would they want the system changed? They have their connections. They don't want to ruin friendships with the AAU programs.

Awesome. We've traded our favorite sports integrity for wins and dollars. Excuse me while I bathe with my toaster.

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JOE JACKSON TALKS RECRUITING: We mention Joe Jackson, a top 15 recruit from the class of 2010, earlier today in our post about Josh Selby. Word is that Jackson is considered a lock to stay close to home and head to Memphis.

Last week, TheShiver.com landed an interview with Jackson where he talks recruiting. His top five right now? UConn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Memphis, and Kansas.

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