He might recruit some talented guys, but Coach K doesn't really go after the super-hyped freshman phenom types. Maybe Irving is going to change that but if you look at his teams the past few years, it's built on guys like Singler, Henderson and Reddick who are there for 3-4 years.
Duke did recruit Wall though. Ultimately Coach K has realized that if he does not recruit ANY of the one-and-dones then his days of being a championship contending coach are absolutely done. The current landscape of college as a mandatory springboard to the pros (unless you would follow Brandon Jennings and Jeremy Tyler's paths) has benefited heavily the major college programs and the "Great Recruiter" coaches. That's why up until this year the number of mid-major at large bids had dwindled from like 10 to 6 to 4--it's harder and harder for the veteran-laden well-coached teams to win when the talent gap becomes that big, when schools like Kentucky and North Carolina become nothing more than a revolving door filled with freshmen that are former McDonalds All-Americans and future NBA draft picks. For your answer as to why Wall went with Coach Cal, it's what others have been saying. $$$$$$$$$. I remember reading on Clutchfans or somewhere else a story where Joey Dorsey was joking that he got paid more in college than he did as a pro, and it was probably true. And it's not like Calipari is the only guy with boosters at his back, he's just the biggest and worst one at this moment in time. And he does it right in front of the NCAA's noses, with full impugnity knowing that he's too high of a profile figure for them to take him down. Kinda like Pete Carroll at USC; the NCAA wouldn't touch his program while he was there, but the moment he leaves, here come the sanctions. And for Cal it has happened twice and will happen a third time too. It's inevitable. As to your question as to why people still watch college basketball, it's not because it's "purer" as you say. On the contrary it may be more dirty because it represents a major restraint upon the free market system and we all know that black markets become rampant when that happens (see: Prohibition, or, the War Against Drugs). No, my personal preference for college basketball over the NBA is due to the fact that you will never see NBA players work as hard or put their bodies on the line half as much as college kids do. These kids are not millionaires yet. They are hungry, they are fierce, they are fighting for their livelihoods, and they become bloodthirsty dogs for those forty minutes. It's beautiful to watch. They don't have half the poise and polish to their game that NBA players do, but you never question their heart. And it means all the more if you did happen to go to a college where they were competitive at basketball. Just thinking about it makes me drool. There just simply isn't a better time to be a sports fan than now. March Madness is like Christmas.
I remember something that Chuck said back when he first got into the league. He said that NBA players didn't "go to the floor" as much as he did in college, so the fact that he was willing to do that was beneficial to getting his spot. As far as why John attended UK over Duke... he thought that there was a better chance of him learning how to be a great point guard under Coach Cal, as opposed to Coach K. There is always the chance that yes maybe someone gave the kid money, but I don't think that Cal is too high a profile coach for them not to punish him if they could prove he did it. Especially since now he's high profile not only as a coach, but because he's at UK. They had no problems putting us on probation before, so if they caught us I am certain that no amount of money could persuade them not to do the same again. I am also certain that money probably finds a way to kids at a LOT of schools, big and small, and they are never caught. Let the madness begin baby... lord I love March.
You cant compare Kentucky to UNC or Duke academically. If I remember, Kentucky isnt even ranked in the top 100 universities by US News. Duke is one of the most prestigious schools in the South, and UNC isnt too shabby either.
Maybe you and I don't watch the same college basketball games, but there are plenty of instances where I question the heart of college basketball players. Just take a look at what happened right in front of us at UT as one example. There are plenty of knuckleheads playing college ball and lot's of guys aren't fierce & hungry, much less "bloodthirsty dogs" for 40 full minutes. I think you have a very rose-colored view. If you prefer the style of play, the crowd/fan involvement or just have more fun following the college game, fine and dandy. To each his own. I much prefer the NBA, now view college ball as a farm system and spend most of my time trying to project how the best college players translate to the next level. For me, the early exodus of players has gutted the game. One thing that is totally awesome about college ball is March Madness. This is where I really start pulling for teams to win or lose and get emotionally involved. The one-and-done system brings a gut-check to each game that just doesn't happen in every NBA playoff series. I can't wait for Thursday and Friday to come. Let the jubilation and heartbreak begin!
Yeah Duke did recruit Wall, but it wasn't going to happen. Duke'sdecided to exclusively recruit Redick clones that won't bring a championship. If Duke recruited a stud big man they would actually get somewhere in the tournament. I can't figure out why they can't get anything better than Josh McRoberts in the past 7 or so years. They were gifted with the best draw in this year's tournament and should get to the Elite 8 without much difficulty. But they're not good enough to win it all without a big man.
Agree completely. Plus what purity? its' 12 guys all trying to score in fits and get attention to make it to the NBA.
What in the hell are you talking about? 99% of the kids playing college basketball will never play basketball for any money. They just love basketball and get scholarships to pay for a real 4 year education. If you look at UKs roster this year, you'll notice all the players not projected to be NBA bound were actually born in Kentucky. The future NBA prospects are all, surprise, not.
I completely disagree with that notion, most NBA players need to work twice as hard, if they want to make it in the league, even the immensely talented guys. The level of play is so much better in the NBA and international leagues it's not even funny. If you watch the average Division II game, you would feel differently, maybe. It's a tired argument, college does not give players work ethic, especially the talented ones. Moreover, you are comparing an 82 game season to one that maxes out at about 32-36. You never question a college kids heart, but several coaches and fans of particular player or team do it as often as they can, especially if they know that player is talented or etc. Just visit a couple of random fan sites.
