Baylor Turnaround

[Alaric]

http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2009 ... ave-bliss/

Article says Drew hires an AAU coach trying to get John Wall (old news), he trash talks others programs, other coaches don't like him, he's a little too comfortable with AAU coaches (I never see anything specific here). How's that different from most D1 basketball coaches? A lot of this has to be factored in people being pissed because Baylor doesn't belong in the club...

[FriscoPMG]

Drew was on with Norm on the Ticket today and his Baylor sales pitch was basically everything we complain about regarding SMU recruiting. Just how Texas is full of talent and players want to stay close to home to play, so Waco is a great location since it's fairly close to nearly every major TX city. And then he even stole Doh's shtick and compared Baylor to Duke as a private school that can appeal to these recruits. So maybe Baylor is the Duke of the Southwest!

[mrydel]

Actually I think he said puke, not Duke.

[angryfan04]

I thought the duke thing was pyeland's shtick....

[MustangIcon]

Writeup from today's Houston Chronicle on Drew and what the Big 12 coaches think of him...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo ... 22078.html

[Stampede]

Does the Big 12 think Scott Drew cheats? We'll just leave it at this:

"Well, as the saying goes, where there is smoke their is fire....and, I can tell you, there is plenty of smoke up in Dallas."
UT head football coach, Fred Akers, when asked whether SMU was cheating in the 1980's

[Alaric]

Does the Big 12 think Scott Drew cheats? We'll just leave it at this:

"Well, as the saying goes, where there is smoke their is fire....and, I can tell you, there is plenty of smoke up in Dallas."
UT head football coach, Fred Akers, when asked whether SMU was cheating in the 1980's

So that proves Drew cheats?

[Stampede]

What? Did you actually read what I posted? I trust you are being facetious.

Perhaps to make it simpler and paraphrase it for you:

I don't know whether they are cheating in Baylor basketball or not...but, as the saying goes, "where there is smoke, there is fire...and there is a lot of smoke in Waco".

[EastStang]

You know the old saying, "smoke 'em if you got them".

[FriscoPMG]

What? Did you actually read what I posted? I trust you are being facetious.

Perhaps to make it simpler and paraphrase it for you:

I don't know whether they are cheating in Baylor basketball or not...but, as the saying goes, "where there is smoke, there is fire...and there is a lot of smoke in Waco".

Great, so they don't like the guy and it may very well be that he's cheating. But why won't any of these Big 12 coaches report him? Because they're cheating too! Those same Big 12 coaches wanted SMU to rat on Eddie Sutton's OSU program a few years ago since Dement ran a clean program and those coaches did not.

[Stallion]

That's my point-if they're cheating then string them up.

But I've got the feeling that what is really going on is the NCAA has allowed a very sleazy, loose recruiting system to develop with all kinds of sleazebags such as street agents, summer camps(donations please) and AAU coaches to get control of player recruitment-and nobody wants to do much if anything to change the system.

Basketball is affected to a much bigger degree by academic reforms that have been institued because of the higher percentages of minorities in the recruiting pool. So now instead of enforing the rules or modifying the rules, a large percentage of those involved with college basketball just aren't going to abide by the spirit of NCAA academic rules and have quite intentionally developed artificial methods of manufacturing eligibility both with domestic and international players. They simply are not willing to shut the door on these recruits.

As someone who regularly checks on the number of academically questionable players ending up in college programs who would not make it under the spirit of NCAA, the percentage numbers are off the charts. Take a look at the rosters of most Division 1A teams and lift up the rocks to see the academic backgrounds of some of these kids starting in high school of their junior years. Look at the high school transfers, look at the prep schools-everybody knows what is going on with these top players.

Until the NCAA decides to grow a pair and deal with these issues then I have a problem with blaming everything on a small private school in Waco especially when there is never any substance behind the rumors. The entire college Basketball recruitment system is seriously corrupt. Again, I have never read a single allegation against Baylor supported with any factual basis-until I do I doubt Baylor is doing much more than your average Big Time Basketball program.

[CalallenStang]

You know the old saying, "smoke 'em if you got them".

As Houston's radio guy said when Houston beat Tulsa on a last-second field goal in football, "Todd Graham, stick that in your pipe and smoke it!"

[mr. pony]

So in 2003, Baylor b-ball goes through a huge scandal, thanks in part to Dave Bliss and 7 years later they are #20 in the nation, have beat UT four times in a row, and they are looking at a possible #4 seed in the NCAAs. Is Scott Drew a genius or a crook? I assume he must be in bed with the AAU coaches. How are they doing it in Waco and why can't it be done in Dallas?

They're in the Big 12, that's how.
It's a recruit magnet.

[PonyDoh]

That's my point-if they're cheating then string them up.

But I've got the feeling that what is really going on is the NCAA has allowed a very sleazy, loose recruiting system to develop with all kinds of sleazebags such as street agents, summer camps(donations please) and AAU coaches to get control of player recruitment-and nobody wants to do much if anything to change the system.

Basketball is affected to a much bigger degree by academic reforms that have been institued because of the higher percentages of minorities in the recruiting pool. So now instead of enforing the rules or modifying the rules, a large percentage of those involved with college basketball just aren't going to abide by the spirit of NCAA academic rules and have quite intentionally developed artificial methods of manufacturing eligibility both with domestic and international players. They simply are not willing to shut the door on these recruits.

As someone who regularly checks on the number of academically questionable players ending up in college programs who would not make it under the spirit of NCAA, the percentage numbers are off the charts. Take a look at the rosters of most Division 1A teams and lift up the rocks to see the academic backgrounds of some of these kids starting in high school of their junior years. Look at the high school transfers, look at the prep schools-everybody knows what is going on with these top players.

Until the NCAA decides to grow a pair and deal with these issues then I have a problem with blaming everything on a small private school in Waco especially when there is never any substance behind the rumors. The entire college Basketball recruitment system is seriously corrupt. Again, I have never read a single allegation against Baylor supported with any factual basis-until I do I doubt Baylor is doing much more than your average Big Time Basketball program.

So essentially you are blaming the NCAA for the random enforcement of rogue programs, as opposed to placing blame at the feet of the programs themselves. I don't have a problem w/that, but the premise starts w/the NCAA having requisite power to do anything. They are dwarfed by this problem, and it's bigger then just sacking up and sanctioning. As you mentioned, it starts w/dealing w/what is manageable, in this case the clearinghouse and diploma mills. You have to differentiate between an academy model and a strip mall degree. Those being prepped for tests and those getting cooked transcripts.

As for Baylor, I don't think anyone is saying they are dirtier then anyone else. I find it hilarious that Barnes gets his panties in a bunch over Drew. Drew just hides behind Jesus which fires people up.

[Bergermeister]

So maybe Baylor is the Duke of the Southwest!

Well, we know it isn't Southern Methodist.