"I'll be here as long as you'll have me." - BCG at UTEP when asked about A&M sniffing around His word doesn't mean sh*t...
You are right about that, but D James was given an outright release due to the sanctions that ou was going to face b/c of Sampson. When that whole thing for Baylor went down, players were able to transfer to other schools and not sit out. John Lucas on the rockets was at Baylor and then ended up at okie st. If you are granted an outright release, u can go and play at any school u want. A&M will likely not allow any outright release unless they want to go to school out of conference and not face A&M. This is also just spec right now b/c A&M now has to find a coach and hopefully it will be someone who can build on what Gillispie started. Once a new coach is hired, he will talk to the commits and then things will start rolling one way or another.
I am listening to the press conference right now. (man reporters ask dumb questions over and over again) If yall want to hear it you can go to UKatletics.com
Damn that sucks ass. Oh well, it was a great opportunity for him, he's reminding me of the NBA's Larry Brown. Well, at least he brought more competition to the big12. He also brought the Aggies org back to life, and the alumni wallets opened allowing for a lot of new equipment etc.
BCG is an ego-maniac and a coach like that will never be satisfied. At some level, you need that as a coach. Some of the current players sound like they are not too happy about how the whole situation that went down, which is the only thing we Aggies can be upset about. Kentucky is a better job and probably always will be. Can't hate on him for leaving. But I think he could have handled it much better than he did. He should have just kept his mouth shut (like I think his plan was), but then he felt the need to tell recruits and current players not to worry about the rumors. He tells reporters how he loves A&M, etc, blah blah. He should have just kept his mouth shut. A quote from Sophomore G Josh Carter ... "I understand, but he always talked to us about being adults and being men, and you would think as a man he would have called his players and talked to us about it," Carter said. "I totally understand why he took the job and that Kentucky is a better basketball school and a better place to be, but he's still our coach and I want him to be here. It doesn't change the fact that I'm upset about it."
I could be wrong, but I don't think you have to sit out if you are not enrolled yet. I also thought James left because Sampson left, not because of the recruiting violations. I don't think this would be a good move on A&M's part. These kids signed with A&M because of BG more so than anything else IMO, if he isn't there, then they shouldn't have to play there. I think that would send a bad message to other prospects thinking about A&M, it never looks good to make people (kids in this case) go against their will.
I don't believe Bill Byrne is like that. A&M will give these guys their release, but it probably wont happen until we have a new coach in place so that we at least have a chance to keep them. I think that is standard procedure IIRC. I know the Kansas State AD sounded like he was doing the same thing.
Blah blah blah Maybe u don't know...probably don't, but Gillispie actually recruited Josh's brother, Warren Carter, up to Illinois when he was an assistant there. During Warren's recruitment, he got to know Josh and already started on him real early, like h.s. freshman early. When Billy got to A&M, it was an easy choice for Josh. Josh is entitled to say anything he wants b/c he knows Billy better than any other player that has played for him. He's gotten the Billy Gillispie speech for like 7 years now. If he has a problem with what happened, he's entitled to be "a whiner" as u so eloquently typed it.
Billy Gillispie texts his players that he is going to Kentucky this morning and Carter is the one with no class? I'll bet you were the type of guy that got dumped by your girlfriend and told she was having fun with another guy by a text message or on myspace. And when you finished reading the message from her, you said, "Well at least she took me to first base. Thats the furthest I've ever been. I'm glad she found someone better."
He would definitely be the first choice IMO, but I'm not convinced he would come. I think he is pretty happy at Pitt. We would give him about a $500,000 raise and he'd get to be home in Texas, but I think its still a long shot. I don't know why I've seen several ESPN analysts are bringing up Tim Floyd as a possibility. There is no way he is leaving USC to come to A&M.
I'd be pissed but I wouldn't whine and moan, I'd move on. I just find it funny how one week you love the guy and the next you think he's worse than satan. Kind of ironic when Fran did the exact same thing but that was ok in the aggie eyes.
Actually I don't hate the guy at all. I've said that all along. If I was him, I make the move to Kentucky as well. I think he could have handled it better, but I certainly don't hate the guy. I certainly have no beef with him. I think A&M owes a lot to BCG. He put us on the map and proved you can build a winner at A&M. The players however and recruits might have more legitimate issues with BCG especially when he told all of them he'd let them know first if he was to go anywhere. I don't think any of them imagined that would come in the form of a text message hours after it had been reported on all the news stations. As for Fran, I have no idea how he dealt with Alabama fans, players, etc. I think Nick Saban is ultimately the worst in this category with his outright lies. I wouldn't expect KY fans to think anything less of him for what he did, but that doesn't mean current A&M players have no right to get upset about how they were treated.
Good move for Billy G. At the end of the day Kentucky > A&M as far as basketball is concerned. Now the NCAA needs to change their rules about locking kinds in to the schools they decide to attend, especially considering that their scholarships are year-to-year deals.....
He could have built everything basketball at TAMU. They would rename the whole damn west side of the campus Gillespieville if they had to. He cant get that at Kentucky. He will be the "little brother" forever now... I dont blame him though. He has a premiere job now, and knowing how he behaves under pressure, he will surely be a huge success. I can see him at Kentucky 20 years from now with all kinds of nasty accolades. For TAMU (and me) its bad. Its hurts. It really hurts. We built up a nice little team and following, we have facilities coming, and plenty of money to throw at a candidate. We should not settle. Ball is in our court, we can bring in someone special. Gillespie built up a pretty attractive job opening here in CS. As for the Big 12... HUGE BLOW! Sampson, Huggins, Gillespie, Sutton SR, etc... Have all left. Nebraska coach apparently to follow. Barnes could be gone in the next 2yrs. Thank god Knight didnt go to Ohio State.
