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I am linking a very good article in today's Washington Post about the pervasiveness of AAU "handlers" in today's college basketball recruiting.
Apparently, Roy Williams hasn't met an AAU handler he doesn't like, Gary Williams hasn't met one he does like. Anyway its a fascinating read.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/12/AR2009021202299.html

Thanks. Very interesting. The statement below caught my attention.

"You have to get stuff done in your area," Malone said. "Villanova is getting the Philly guys. Syracuse is getting the New York guys. You have to get those guys. There are enough guys in this area that Maryland and Georgetown and Virginia, there are enough for everyone to damn near get."

Here's another person who understands how important it is to keep your local talent @ home.

Also, here's some info on a new prospect that popped up today.

http://hoopsindiana.hoops247.com/articles/marcius.html

This is a painfully misguided 3 part series. I'm one of Williams biggest detractors and these articles are an ambush. The articles paint AAU w/a wide brush, mostly w/regards to DC Assault. Assault is the poster child of what's wrong w/AAU and don't represent the circuit particularly well. It's not as informative, if you know the parties involved, as its just sensationalist story-telling.

papawasamustang wrote:Thanks. Very interesting. The statement below caught my attention.

"You have to get stuff done in your area," Malone said. "Villanova is getting the Philly guys. Syracuse is getting the New York guys. You have to get those guys. There are enough guys in this area that Maryland and Georgetown and Virginia, there are enough for everyone to damn near get."

Here's another person who understands how important it is to keep your local talent @ home.

Also, here's some info on a new prospect that popped up today.

http://hoopsindiana.hoops247.com/articles/marcius.html

That person you quote is a convicted felon for possessing coke w/the intent to sell. He also doesn't keep kids home, he shops them for the best deal. See Beasley, Wally Judge and all the DC Assault kids in Manhatten, KS

PonyDoh wrote:This is a painfully misguided 3 part series. I'm one of Williams biggest detractors and these articles are an ambush. The articles paint AAU w/a wide brush, mostly w/regards to DC Assault. Assault is the poster child of what's wrong w/AAU and don't represent the circuit particularly well. It's not as informative, if you know the parties involved, as its just sensationalist story-telling.

Well, it's called agenda driven journalism. Look these newspapers will take a slant on a story and try and make it fit. That's the bottom line.

I know what you think if Williams. I think the story portrays him as sympathetic figure. But he isn't the easiest guy to deal with either.

But somehow, there are enough teams like Assault who make it harder for the rest of the AAU teams. You have enough slimeballs in this sector and it tarnishes everything. And some of the guys know that they can make a coach sell his soul to get a player who may or may not ever allow himself to be coached.

That said, the story is right about one aspect. The high school coach really plays little to no factor in a player's recruitment.

And until something is done about reeling in the AAU -- a national governing body or something else -- this problem is going to exist.

PonyDoh wrote:

papawasamustang wrote:Thanks. Very interesting. The statement below caught my attention.

"You have to get stuff done in your area," Malone said. "Villanova is getting the Philly guys. Syracuse is getting the New York guys. You have to get those guys. There are enough guys in this area that Maryland and Georgetown and Virginia, there are enough for everyone to damn near get."

Here's another person who understands how important it is to keep your local talent @ home.

Also, here's some info on a new prospect that popped up today.

http://hoopsindiana.hoops247.com/articles/marcius.html

That person you quote is a convicted felon for possessing coke w/the intent to sell. He also doesn't keep kids home, he shops them for the best deal. See Beasley, Wally Judge and all the DC Assault kids in Manhatten, KS

Ok PonyDoh, now point out all the kids that have stayed @ home, not just the one's that leave.

It's funny, I don't see him as sympathetic at all. Nobody is asking him to cheat, and that article never speaks of gray areas. Not illegalities but areas where no rule is written. Its all absolutes, Williams stands on his integrity, AAUs are dirty scum etc. It's neither.

All anyone wants to see him do, is not be a dinosaur, accuse everyone else of cheating, while handlers, parents & high school coaches alike, say he doesn't put in the work. Part of the work means finding angles to sell your school, not necessarily your dignity.

He claims he couldn't afford Dalonte Hill, that's a lie. Hill didn't get his monster raise until much later then the Terp opening. Gary just didn't interview him b/c he was once w/Assault. Much like he didn't interview Troy Weaver(assault co-founder) to be an asst years prior, who landed at Cuse, and promptly signed Melo from Baltimore.

papawasamustang wrote:

PonyDoh wrote:

papawasamustang wrote:Thanks. Very interesting. The statement below caught my attention.

"You have to get stuff done in your area," Malone said. "Villanova is getting the Philly guys. Syracuse is getting the New York guys. You have to get those guys. There are enough guys in this area that Maryland and Georgetown and Virginia, there are enough for everyone to damn near get."

Here's another person who understands how important it is to keep your local talent @ home.

Also, here's some info on a new prospect that popped up today.

http://hoopsindiana.hoops247.com/articles/marcius.html

That person you quote is a convicted felon for possessing coke w/the intent to sell. He also doesn't keep kids home, he shops them for the best deal. See Beasley, Wally Judge and all the DC Assault kids in Manhatten, KS

Ok PonyDoh, now point out all the kids that have stayed @ home, not just the one's that leave.

Off of Assault, none have stayed home, other then a few that headed to Gtown and that's been recently

I think Gary is a black/white kind of guy. To him there is no gray. Remember, he was brought to Maryland to clean up the mess left after the Len Bias years with NCAA violations all over the place and did a great job including winning a National Title. But the basketball landscape has changed over time. Would it hurt to invite some of these dudes to the campus, give them a tour of the weight room, locker room, training room, show them the academic assistance center, have them sit through a generic practice, act like you like them, call them up and ask them how they would attack the Temple zone, or comp them tickets to a Maryland-Duke game? I don't think you've violated a single NCAA rule there. That doesn't mean you're paying them $$$$, hiring them or letting their shoe company dictate your clothing. I don't think Roy Williams, Coach K, John Thompson, III, Jim Boeheim, or Calhoun are throwing money at them. These cats want their egos stroked a bit. And shutting them out, translates into disrespect.

EastStang wrote:I think Gary is a black/white kind of guy. To him there is no gray. Remember, he was brought to Maryland to clean up the mess left after the Len Bias years with NCAA violations all over the place and did a great job including winning a National Title. But the basketball landscape has changed over time. Would it hurt to invite some of these dudes to the campus, give them a tour of the weight room, locker room, training room, show them the academic assistance center, have them sit through a generic practice, act like you like them, call them up and ask them how they would attack the Temple zone, or comp them tickets to a Maryland-Duke game? I don't think you've violated a single NCAA rule there. That doesn't mean you're paying them $$$$, hiring them or letting their shoe company dictate your clothing. I don't think Roy Williams, Coach K, John Thompson, III, Jim Boeheim, or Calhoun are throwing money at them. These cats want their egos stroked a bit. And shutting them out, translates into disrespect.

This is a pretty good take. That said, many of the coaches you mention use 'influence' to get kids.