This morning, I thought I'd take a look at the basketball blogosphere. We haven't done that for a while, and it needs doing.
Aaron's blog links this story from the Lawrence Journal-World, which I had been meaning to comment on for a while now. This article wonders if Bill Self created a "recruiting monster" in Billie Gillispie. The subtle questions raised by this article include "Will Self regret mentoring Gillispie?" and "How will Self respond to Gillispie's challenge in his own back yard?"
The Loathsome Troll Jeff Goodman doesn't think much of the 2008 class, and in a post on his blog, he takes shots at all the top players in 2008, calling Greg Monroe "Josh McRoberts with a better attitude." Goodman also reports on Dave Odom's troubles recruiting in South Carolina. Seems Dave is a victim of his own university more times than not.
NCAA Hoops Today links to an article by Gary Parrish which suggests that college coaches will find a loophole to reduce the need for prep school by having recruits tagged as having a learning disability. Parrish is saying that doctors who are "friends" of the program need only find a learning disorder and attach it to the desired player to avoid the NCAA rule.
Parrish cites several unnamed sources speaking "only on condition of anonymity" who assure him that it is already happening. Maybe my understanding of the Hippocratic Oath is only that of a layman, but implicit in that oath is an assumption of ethical behavior. Looking for "learning disabilities", which have recently been discovered in about 75% of the population judging by the prescriptions for Ritalin and other similar drugs, I can only shake my head in frustration at the impact this sort of "McDoctoring" is having on our society. You knew this would happen, even if we all wished it wouldn't.
What bothers me most about this article is the cowardice of Parrish's sources, assuming they actually exist. Does no adult out there with knowledge of the intricacies and wickedness of college basketball recruiting have the guts to come forth and be accountable for his accusations? The era of "anonymous sources" reveals an unfortunate unwillingness for people to do the right thing. Sometimes, I think ignorance is preferable to an "anonymous source".
Jody Demling is in Las Vegas, which is currently filthy with top flight basketball talent because of several big AAU events there. Stay tuned to his blog for updates.
There is Already a Dog Named Stella has this YouTube about some Alabama fans who had a game day wedding. Lately, I have begun to feel a great brotherhood with the Tide fans, who clearly rival UK fans in the passion department. They also tend to get dissed by the media, just as UK fans do.
