Kentucky Gets First Rejection

General NCS Basketball103

Based on the standard the media last year during the NC State Coaching search, Kentucky has now been turned down by its first ‘candidate’ for its open coaching position.

Pitino Says No

Pitino said Monday that while he enjoyed his eight years with the Wildcats, he’s happy coaching Louisville and wouldn’t consider returning to the school he led to the national championship in 1996.

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General NCS Basketball

103 Responses to Kentucky Gets First Rejection

  1. TNCSU 03/27/2007 at 2:49 PM #

    ^^Thanks for the help, SFN! Very nice…

  2. westwolf 03/27/2007 at 2:49 PM #

    1st) On a bit of tangent…recent studies have shown that a majority of black minority students that attend most Ivy League schools are non-American blacks, and that the graduation rate for the few blacks that are from the US is under 15%.

    2nd) As someone else pointed out, if the NCAA is not going to monitor what these student athletes do once on campus, Unc African-American Studies, Duke Sociology etc…why should they care what they do in high school?

    3) Comparing the relative rigor of academics at high schools across the nation is nearly impossible.

    4) The NCAA is a fascinating combination of ineptness, arrogagance, greed, moralistic, and meddling.

  3. TNCSU 03/27/2007 at 2:52 PM #

    I’m not sold that Smith would be a one-and-done. Hickson, maybe, but I don’t think you’re going to be getting more than 5-10 one-and-dones per year, and he’s not in the top 5-10 prospects. That could change, but if he does come, I’d expect him to play at least 2-3 years — if he can handle the academics.

  4. Rick 03/27/2007 at 2:52 PM #

    I saw Mr plywood board a plane heading for Fayettevile this morning.

    HMMMM

  5. noah 03/27/2007 at 2:54 PM #

    It used to be that if you showed signs of athletic promise and were from less desirable places, there would be a guy and he’d sort of take you under his wing. And he’d make sure that you had a $20 to take your girl out and he’d make sure that your mom’s power didn’t get shut off and he’d “take care of you.”

    And when recruiters came around, if they wanted to talk to you, they had to pay a toll. And if they actually wanted a commitment from you, they had to pay another toll.

    And then some of the high school coaches realized they were getting shut out of the process. So THEY made sure that they were the ones imposing and collecting tolls.

    Sonny Cox, the coach at MLK high in Chicago, was notorious for this. Anthony Longstreet is sort of taking over for him.

    These guys (street agents, pimps, whatever) expect you to remember them when you make it big. Just like Tracy McGrady and Joel Hopkins…once you sign that contract, you’ll be expected to kick a little back to the man who took care of you.

    Nowadays, the diploma mills are just another way of gathering a flock. You’ve got a kid with ability…let’s call him…ohh…I don’t know…Demetrice Marley. But he’s not the best student. Maybe no one in his family has ever gone to college. Maybe he has a learning disability and no one ever diagnosed it. For instance, maybe he’s slightly dyslexic. Whatever. Getting qualified is going to be tough.

    But now you’ve got a guy whose running an “alternative” school. And he’s associated with the Second Church of Heeby-Jeeby and why…they’d be happy to take a kid like Marley. And what do you know? All of a sudden those grades shoot right up!

    (please ignore the fact that this school has no buildings, has no classes and no one seems to know who the teachers are)

  6. noah 03/27/2007 at 2:56 PM #

    “if the NCAA is not going to monitor what these student athletes do once on campus, Unc African-American Studies, Duke Sociology etc…why should they care what they do in high school?”

    The NCAA DOES monitor what these student athletes take.

    “4) The NCAA is a fascinating combination of ineptness, arrogagance, greed, moralistic, and meddling.”

    Maybe so. But they are doing a good thing on this one.

  7. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/27/2007 at 2:59 PM #

    Some of you guys obsession with the grades of kids that are not your own borders on the psychotic. It is fair to look at overall team averages but frankly any one athlete’s grades is about as much business of yours as their medical records.

  8. westwolf 03/27/2007 at 3:05 PM #

    ^Not really. If a student athlete wearing the uniform of a school that you graduated from ends up flunking out, and it’s discovered that he “passed” courses at your school without attending classes, and these and other similar facts are broadcast in the national media, then the perceived value of YOUR diploma may be affected.

    Besides, don’t be tool and come an a sports message board and condescend to others the value of what they choose to discuss. To quote Black Adder…Sod Off!

  9. TNCSU 03/27/2007 at 3:23 PM #

    Psychotic is definitely a little strong…whatever your point, I don’t think it’s a good one. I agree with Westwolf that it IS important to recruit athletes that pay some attention to academics — especially if they are wearing the uniform of OUR university. While I agree we shouldn’t be posting GPA’s, etc. on this message board, discussing the IMPORTANCE of Individual’s High School performance is well within those boundaries. The very subject that you say is psychotic (btw, I haven’t seen anyone’s obsession) is what caused our Basketball program to go down the drain in the last 16 years, and we are just now — in the past 3-4 years digging ourselves out. So, I would say it is one of EXTREME importance, and near and dear to alot of LONGTIME Wolfpackers!

  10. MrPlywood 03/27/2007 at 3:29 PM #

    Agreed westwolf. I think that I’ve mentioned this story before on this board, but I’ll say it again as it is pertinent. Twice while I was looking for work in Atlanta in the mid 80’s, the interviewers brought up Chris Washburn in a not so subtle jab at State’s academic reputation, and in essence the value of my degree. Never mind that I graduated in ’83 (Washburn came in ’84). That was a big wakeup call for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love college sports and especially Wolfpack sports, but I think that State needs to continue to be mindful of the big picture. If that means losing out on an uber-athletic kid, so be it.

  11. choppack1 03/27/2007 at 3:37 PM #

    “The NCAA DOES monitor what these student athletes take. ”

    Does it examine the course requirements for these classes, the attendance requirements, the grading process, etc?

    From what little I’ve heard and read, it’s perfectly legal to take a ridiculous courseload/coursework if you are working towards a degree.

    Without going to the extent that they went to at UGa, you could pretty much create/modify majors so that your athletes had little trouble graduating in 3 years…I’m hinting really strongly at something here.

    tcdi – Exactly what is wrong w/ expressing concern about a perspective student’s qualifications? One’s academic standing being public knowlege and of public interest is one of the downsides of the otherwise happy path that athletic fame can/should/will yield.

  12. Astral Rain2 03/27/2007 at 3:40 PM #

    I have to agree. If he can qualify legitimately, great. Otherwise, it’s something that can trash all the good work of this year. I’d rather not see Sid give them ammo to run him out of town. Then again, as crappily as I did, I can’t say too much.

  13. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/27/2007 at 3:46 PM #

    I have no problem with looking at overall statistics of a team and I agree that State needs to maintain a reasonable comparison with other ACC schools.

    The world of college athletics has changed considerably since the days of the likes Washburn so I wouldn’t concern yourself with that in this day and time. Discussing any one players HS performance is way out of line. Do so with your friends over a beer but to do so in a public forum shows a complete lack of respect for a kids privacy. For the most part these kids are coming to State to play ball and maybe pursue a humanities degree not to study nuclear engineering.

    I may be in the minority because this is a touchy subject with State fans because of the past but I feel that a kid’s GPA/SAT is between an institution, the NCAA and the student.

  14. pakfanistan 03/27/2007 at 3:55 PM #

    We just want to know if he’s going to qualify.

  15. RedTerror29 03/27/2007 at 4:01 PM #

    It’s not like somebody here is going into a kid’s “permanent record” and disclosing private information here. What we’re discussing is public information.

  16. westwolf 03/27/2007 at 4:04 PM #

    ^Exactly…well, and if he can rebound, post up effectively, play some D, and make his free throws.

  17. Mike 03/27/2007 at 4:15 PM #

    Check out Oden’s course load at Ohio State. As a freshman, he is taking only 2 courses (6 hours) and he gets 6 hours of credit for varsity sports. It was in the SI with OSU on the cover.

    Oden is now saying he might come back for another year – this would be the ultimate example of one and done. I am not sure how OSU is pulling this of – thought they were requried to have 12 legit hours per semester. I dont remember the 2 courses Oden is taking, but IIRC they were crib courses designed solely to keep him eligible. Oden may be forced to the NBA through academics.

  18. choppack1 03/27/2007 at 4:17 PM #

    tct – No one is discussing details of his grades, it’s moreso the school he’s currently enrolled in. I think I speak for a lot of Wolfpacker’s when I say we’d be happier if he was enrolled in a school like Greensboro Day School or even Fork Union, Hargrave or Oak Hill.

    Mt Zion has a lukewarm reputation as Noah points out. No one is passing judgement on the kid or his intelligence, we’re just saying that as long as he is at this school, there will be question marks on his academic standing w/ the NCAA.

    I’ll put it this way, it’s like you just got a resume w/ some kid claiming he had a 4.0 at some school that has a dubious reputation. You don’t take it out on the person applying, but you’d certainly want more evidence that he’s qualified before you hire him.

  19. redfred2 03/27/2007 at 4:48 PM #

    Oh well, I guess when people continually walk around with their tails between their legs, worried and acting as if they’re guilty before anything ever even happens, they’re gonna leave themselves wide open to speculation. That’s NC State for ya.

  20. Rochester 03/27/2007 at 7:16 PM #

    On a not completely unrelated note, I found this tidbit in Dick Weiss’s column on the NY Daily News site:

    St. John’s apparently is taking a look at guard Rashad Green, the former St. Mary’s star now prepping at Bridgeton.

    This is the Rashad Green that has been listed as a Wolfpack commit for the past several months on Pack Pride. Not that we had a scholarship for him.

  21. MrPlywood 03/27/2007 at 7:27 PM #

    I don’t think it’s necessary that I know a kid’s grades or personal info – but I hope that the NCSU staff makes sure that everything is on the up and up.

    Except for Oden. I WOULD like to see his birth certificate. The guy looks older than Methuselah.

    BTW redfred, I’m not sure I understand your post…

  22. BoKnowsNCS71 03/27/2007 at 8:28 PM #

    *(Colby Nolan is a housecat. And graduated with a 3.5 GPA)

    Noah — but have you seen that cat’s jump shot? Purrrrrfect

  23. BoKnowsNCS71 03/27/2007 at 9:35 PM #

    So the extra scholarship we did not have for Javi will come from Tracy not making it?

  24. noah 03/28/2007 at 8:54 AM #

    MrPlywood — did you ever see Mario Williams when he enrolled here? He was the oldest looking 17 year old I ever saw in my life. Kid looked 35.

    Jerry Stackhouse was the same way. When he was 14, he looked about 30.

    I think there are some kids that peak physically much earlier. When Schea Cotton was 14, he was so much more advanced than his teammates and opponents. By the time he was 21, everyone else had caught up with him.

  25. packpigskinfan23 03/28/2007 at 9:36 AM #

    when I was 15 I looked 30…
    now I am 24 and look 34.
    guess everyone is starting to catch up with me
    🙂
    bout damn time.

    so…. I am expecting another rejection some time today.

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