Under Armor

[Dutch]

How is it that UK, Louisville, Syracuse, Memphis, Arizona, Indiana not seem.to have these issues. Don't their players have Mamas too?

I don't even follow national college basketball that closely and even I know that just about all those schools have had recent eligibility issues with high school superstars -some with multiple players. Now maybe they didn't have a kid decide to abandon college basketball-but maybe it wasn't as voluntary a decision as it appears. Some just focus too closely on their own teams

didn't that just happen to Arizona with Jennings a few years ago?

[Treadway21]

What needs to be done Treadway if the athlete has no intention of going to college put them all in a sports academy and just let them hone their skills in whatever sport they're in. At least coaches won't have to waste time on them. If they don't make it big time that's life.

I agree, but I think it is a lost cause to manage this. There are high school academies in soccer, so why not a college sports academy.

I think having a lot of one and done in the NCAA system is worse than having the kids go straight to the NBA. They should let em go and if they fail, have some way for them to get their eligibility back if they don't make it.

Soccer, golf, baseball all have issues with kids going pro. It just seems like a sham to arbitrarily decide how much time they need to spend in college. No other entertainment profession is there such a requirement. Imagine the entertainment industry doing that with signers. Is 1 year in college any better than no years in college. I really don't think so, especially when the kid's only focus is to make the NBA knowing he is only going to school to satisfy some arbitrary requirement. That really does make college a minor league for the NBA.

[mrydel]

Sounds to me like a kid should finish high school and then enroll in Prime Prep for a year.

[EastStang]

If Maryland's hoops team wasn't so crappy, I'd be suspecting something underhanded was going on with UnderArmor since UM is their team of choice. UA pushed Gary Williams into retirement because he didn't like the dirt now in hoops recruiting. If UA is involved in paying players, its pretty bad since Maryland still stinks.

[hoopmanx]

If Maryland's hoops team wasn't so crappy, I'd be suspecting something underhanded was going on with UnderArmor since UM is their team of choice. UA pushed Gary Williams into retirement because he didn't like the dirt now in hoops recruiting. If UA is involved in paying players, its pretty bad since Maryland still stinks.

Wow, that's a really uninformed take. UA had absolutely nothing to do w/Gary Williams retiring. Kevin Plank and Gary are boys of the highest order. As for Maryland stinking, that's a Turgeon thing, not UA. IF it were all UAs decision, Sean Miller would currently be Marylands coach. HE wanted the job, UA nailed him down, someone who shall remain nameless at Maryland, dropped the ball.

[EastStang]

Living in DC, that's the word I've heard about GW. I had heard the same thing about Miller being their boy and UM dropping the ball. Just saying that if UA was paying to play, Maryland would have off the charts recruiting years every year, no matter who was coaching because UM is the owner's alma mater.

[ponyinNC]

Living in DC, that's the word I've heard about GW. I had heard the same thing about Miller being their boy and UM dropping the ball. Just saying that if UA was paying to play, Maryland would have off the charts recruiting years every year, no matter who was coaching because UM is the owner's alma mater.

Oh, you mean like Oregon football....

[EastStang]

Sort of like us back in the day.

[Nacho]

so in summation he is going to china instead of smu because

--his mom needs money
--some kind of academic problem at prime time
--ua is paying him

so which is it?

[Bergermeister]

so in summation he is going to china instead of smu because

--his mom needs money
--some kind of academic problem at prime time
--ua is paying him

so which is it?

Is there an "All of the Above" choice?

[Mexmustang]

I'm not defending Prime Prep, but their issues seem to be related to sloppy bookkeeping and the use of public monies. Despite what maybe their academic shortcomings, I don't believe in this case, it is an academic issue.

Ironic, one Orsini's of major conflicts with the powers that be was his constant requests for "show me the numbers' and the stonewalling he received.

I've heard a number of rumors about the young man, the one that cant' be verified, laid it on UA, and AAU handlers. AU as a company may not be responsible, but those representing them maybe culpable in not following all the rules of amateurism which forced the player's decision. UA is purportedly making up whatever shortfall exists in signing over seas so that a pretty good number is arrived at. So good for them--maybe. Regardless, I suspect too many people are interested in their own careers and paychecks not in what is what is best for the young man. I would love to see a schedule of disbursements from his first major paycheck!

Other than Congress, (or a change by the NBA) nothing will be done to clean this system up, save for a major sponsor saying that things have gotten out of hand and publicly distancing themselves from their support--McDonald's anyone?