****Official**** Knitting Thread (3 Viewers)

[Kendall]

I'm feeling all TLEF-y here:

Harris Meets With Kentucky President Posted on Aug 6, 2009 8:55 amKentucky pulled out all the stops for Tobias Harris on his unofficial visit Wednesday — including a meeting with University President Lee T. Todd Jr. – and the school is now in contention to land the 6-foot-8 forward from Long Island.“[The visit] was good,” Torrel Harris, Tobias’ father, said Thursday morning by phone. “They’re on the list, I can say that.”Harris stopped at Kentucky on his way to Portland, Ore. for the Nike Global Challenge. He has had a tremendous summer on the recruiting circuit, with one Big East assistant telling me he’s “the story of the summer.”Harris has more than a dozen schools on his list and his father admitted that trimming it down later this month, after the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event in New York, would be tough.“We’re working on it, but honestly it’s extremely tough to cut the list down,” Torrel said.At Kentucky, Torrel and Tobias met with UK coach John Calipari, who explained that Harris would fit perfectly into his dribble-drive offense.“He just said he would play him and he would feature him here,” Torrel said of Calipari. “He fits perfect in his offense with his versatility.“They have a videotape of his game that he played on ESPNU [with the Albany City Rocks]. They reviewed his game. They broke down his tape, how he plays. They showed how the offense that Tobias’ team played is the same offense as the Memphis offense. He was showing the things that he was doing in the offense and how it will work in the way [Calipari] utilized his offense. He showed him how he fit in and how he’d be effective.”Torrel said Calipari told them they have four scholarships for 2010 and are looking at bringing in at least one point guard, at least one wing like Harris and one big guy.That is consistent with what Calipari told me last week, that he’d like to land at least one guard from the group of Joe Jackson, Kyrie Irving, Doron Lamb and Josh Selby.“He’s looking for another point guard,” Torrel said of Calipari. “John Wall’s gonna go. He is not gonna be there after this year and then Eric Bledsoe may surprise a lot of people too, so he may be gone in two years.“If he can get one or two of those guys [point guard recruits], another big and then Tobias, he has four ships for 2010,” Torrel said.Tobias also met with President Todd Jr. It was his second visit with a University president, following his visit with the Tennessee president.“No. 1, he was just talking about when you get a degree from Kentucky, the degree is gonna help you throughout life,” Torrel said. “The network that Kentucky has can help their graduates in life. That’s one of the things he stressed. He also stressed that they’re putting in a good infrastructure. They encourage the players who go to the NBA to come back and get their degrees.“No. 2, he stressed that he wanted to get Kentucky back on the elite level where the tradition is known as Kentucky basketball and that’s why they brought in Coach Calipari.“And they wanted to bring in good, high-character kids and that’s why your son is here, Tobias.”(Photo courtesy Kelly Kline/NIKE)

I'll bet good ol' Lee Todd mentioned how you can walk up to his house on campus and his wife (who was his high school sweetheart) will give him fresh baked cookies. That's how he sold me with the recruting pitch.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

I think I read something about (Harrison Barnes) having a more difficult time transferring his AP credits over to TSTSNAN than he would to a school like KU, but I can't remember where.

That would be true for most students. TSTSNAN doesn't consider 3s on AP exams for credit equivalencies, while KU does in some subjects. TSTSNAN caps the amount of AP credits eligible, while KU doesn't. If his goal is to graduate fast and go to the NBA 2-3 years out of high school, it might be easier for him to pull it off at a school like KU. The odd thing about Barnes and TSTSNAN is that Barnes's reported academic interest is business, and TSTSNAN doesn't offer an undergrad business degree. That said, if Barnes really is planning long-term and thinking MBA, an undergrad degree from TSTSNAN in a social science like economics would serve him very well when it's time to fill out B-school applications.

No Shabazz Muhammad, but UConn does have Charles Okwandu, who will probably be starting at C this year. JuCo diamond in the rough who's been playing really well with Majok this summer. Probably won't give Connecticut much offense, that'll probably mostly come from the perimeter from Walker, Dyson (who's fully healed) and Stanley Robinson.It's going to be a really interesting year. Very challenging OOC for this squad, I'd be over the moon if we could win 2 or 3 from UK, UT and TSTSNBN.This will be Connecticut's 7th straight year without a white guy in the rotation. :antidook:

No white guys on the roster and gray home jerseys? UConn is the new Georgetown.

 

[shut it down]

I think I read something about (Harrison Barnes) having a more difficult time transferring his AP credits over to TSTSNAN than he would to a school like KU, but I can't remember where.

That would be true for most students. TSTSNAN doesn't consider 3s on AP exams for credit equivalencies, while KU does in some subjects. TSTSNAN caps the amount of AP credits eligible, while KU doesn't. If his goal is to graduate fast and go to the NBA 2-3 years out of high school, it might be easier for him to pull it off at a school like KU. The odd thing about Barnes and TSTSNAN is that Barnes's reported academic interest is business, and TSTSNAN doesn't offer an undergrad business degree. That said, if Barnes really is planning long-term and thinking MBA, an undergrad degree from TSTSNAN in a social science like economics would serve him very well when it's time to fill out B-school applications.

No Shabazz Muhammad, but UConn does have Charles Okwandu, who will probably be starting at C this year. JuCo diamond in the rough who's been playing really well with Majok this summer. Probably won't give Connecticut much offense, that'll probably mostly come from the perimeter from Walker, Dyson (who's fully healed) and Stanley Robinson.

It's going to be a really interesting year. Very challenging OOC for this squad, I'd be over the moon if we could win 2 or 3 from UK, UT and TSTSNBN.

This will be Connecticut's 7th straight year without a white guy in the rotation. :antidook:

No white guys on the roster and gray home jerseys? UConn is the new Georgetown.

Bite your tongue, sir.I was never a fan of changing jerseys up right AFTER you win a title. Stupid Nike.

Good ol' days

 

[saintfool]

I'll bet good ol' Lee Todd mentioned how you can walk up to his house on campus and his wife (who was his high school sweetheart) will give him fresh baked cookies. That's how he sold me with the recruting pitch.

gimme the good ol' days at Lexington

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

I'll bet good ol' Lee Todd mentioned how you can walk up to his house on campus and his wife (who was his high school sweetheart) will give him fresh baked cookies. That's how he sold me with the recruting pitch.

gimme the good ol' days at Lexington

Is that Travis Ford?

 

[Kendall]

I'll bet good ol' Lee Todd mentioned how you can walk up to his house on campus and his wife (who was his high school sweetheart) will give him fresh baked cookies. That's how he sold me with the recruting pitch.

gimme the good ol' days at Lexington

What a screw up

 

[Kendall]

 

[shut it down]

I'll bet good ol' Lee Todd mentioned how you can walk up to his house on campus and his wife (who was his high school sweetheart) will give him fresh baked cookies. That's how he sold me with the recruting pitch.

gimme the good ol' days at Lexington

What a screw up

 

[shut it down]

Meet the new B10, same as the old B10:

http://www.umhoops.com/2009/08/03/an-early...urning-minutes/

 

[shut it down]

WOW:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4383839

 

[jeter23]

Apparently, Brandon Knight's father says that UK, Miami and UConn are the top 3 schools for his son. Here is the quote from the Miami Herald...

• Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest point guard Brandon Knight, ranked by rivals.com as the No. 2 player in the 2010 class, has a top three (in no order) of UM, Kentucky and Connecticut among 10 candidates, his father said, adding Miami ``has a good chance.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/588/story/1171703-p2.html

 

[saintfool]

WOW:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4383839

whoa. that's really pretty unexpected...

 

[shut it down]

WOW:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4383839

whoa. that's really pretty unexpected...

He's pulled off a couple coups now, and it's pretty obvious that he's much better suited to the college game than being an NBA GM. It'll be interesting to see if he can convert these into NCAA bids (FIU is in the Sun Belt, along with Western Kentucky) and overcome his reputation for being a terrible bench coach.

 

[Frostillicus]

Meet the new B10, same as the old B10:

http://www.umhoops.com/2009/08/03/an-early...urning-minutes/

Watch out for them Gophers, folks.

 

[Frostillicus]

Officially pretty fired up about this fantasy college league. Let's make sure this happens.

Also, I call first overall pick.

 

[shut it down]

Forum set up. Gonna be awhile before we get cracking though:

http://www.brucezone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1298

 

[shut it down]

Nike Global Challenge, Day 1: http://www.nbadraft.net/node/11165

 

[shut it down]

Selby and Rivers are both supposedly visiting Connecticut.

Chances seem slim on either count, I'm not totally sold that Selby isn't already in the bag for Wes/UK.

 

[TLEF316]

Just got back from a week at the beach...

Shocked that Fab Melo is going to Syracuse. Its a terrific program, but i really thought it would come down to UCONN or UL.

I'm not even sweating the Rivers stuff at this point. He's a good player. Very, very crafty, great shooter, obviously tremendous pedigree. But he just doesn't appear to be very athletic or have any sort of left hand. I wasn't impressed when he played on ESPNU in Orlando a few weeks ago. Just looking at the rivals rankings, i can't believe he's ranked ahead of guys like Anthony Wroten and Adonis Tomas. Neither is as polished as Rivers, but they have a ton more upside.

Congrats to UNC on the Hairston commit. It appeared Duke was looking to get involved, but it appears they never had a chance.

McAdoo on the other hand could get very interesting.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

KU 2010 Recruiting efforts:

PG: not a leader for any top PGs, pursuing Cory Joseph and Joe Jackson; might get one if Kentucky PG situation looks too clogged with Bledsoe plus another 2010

SG: signed Royce Woolridge (Arizona POY last year as junior, does not seem to be a top-tier SG); in the running for Doron Lamb, the top SG still on the board, but Lamb has many suitors

SF: Harrison Barnes - TSTSNAN superfans say Barnes and Kryie Irving will both announce for Durham in September, other sources say Barnes will cut his list to five schools in September, with TSTSNAN and Kansas as the leaders; KU is also interested in Cam Clark - if Barnes was already a lock for TSTSNAN, we would be hearing more about KU and Cam Clark, but we aren't, which makes me think Barnes's recruitment is still open

PF: Terrence Jones is the only top PF on KU's list, and Lawrence will be one of Jones's official visits; he's a little small for PF, but maybe that means he stays for four years; KU has successfully recruiting players from Jones's HS in the past, so they don't seem worried about West Coast interest in Jones

C: back in the running for Adreian Payne; Ohio State backed off Payne after signing Jared Sullinger, which opened up Payne's recruitment; Payne is down to KU, UK, Michigan State, West Virginia, and Arizona

I'd say KU's strategy for 2010 is "don't panic". They are recruiting top guys, and if they miss, they will move on to 5- and 4-star 2011 players instead of dipping into the three-star rankings. KU didn't even offer a courtesy scholarship to the top KC 2010 player, SG Frank Williams.

 

[TLEF316]

surprised we havent heard more about Cory Joseph this summer. Rivals made him a 5* this spring and his AAU team (Grassroots Canada) has some big time players and has been playing well.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

surprised we havent heard more about Cory Joseph this summer. Rivals made him a 5* this spring and his AAU team (Grassroots Canada) has some big time players and has been playing well.

I'm surprised, too. I guess with all the international ball Joseph played this summer, plus transferring to Findlay "Prep", he hasn't sat still long enough to be wooed. KU will take a stab at him, but IMO they aren't too confident about getting him. Self and Co. are already working hard at recruiting Bradley Beal and Josiah Turner. Beal is a top 2011 combo guard (#3 guard, #7 overall at Rivals) from St. Louis Chaminade. STL doesn't produce a ton of D-I talent, but KU would love to nab a top player out of Mizzou/Illinois territory, as well as a player already getting offers from the top dogs (Florida is thought to be the leader, and Donovan got the last national recruit from STL Chaminade, David Lee). Hopefully Beal will be in the stands at Scottrade when KU runs Memphis off the floor. Turner is a top 50-60 PG from Sacramento that was thought to be an Arizona State lock, but Turner recently scratched ASU off his list, and will be at Late Night at Allen Field House for the first KU practice. Late Night at AFH is a slick event (one of the top Midnight Madness shows in CBB), and most recruits attending it end up at KU.

 

[shut it down]

Joe Jackson is down to Memphis, UT and KU, with Memphis being the leader:

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/08/11/jackson...der/#more-20109

 

[TLEF316]

surprised we havent heard more about Cory Joseph this summer. Rivals made him a 5* this spring and his AAU team (Grassroots Canada) has some big time players and has been playing well.

I'm surprised, too. I guess with all the international ball Joseph played this summer, plus transferring to Findlay "Prep", he hasn't sat still long enough to be wooed. KU will take a stab at him, but IMO they aren't too confident about getting him. Self and Co. are already working hard at recruiting Bradley Beal and Josiah Turner. Beal is a top 2011 combo guard (#3 guard, #7 overall at Rivals) from St. Louis Chaminade. STL doesn't produce a ton of D-I talent, but KU would love to nab a top player out of Mizzou/Illinois territory, as well as a player already getting offers from the top dogs (Florida is thought to be the leader, and Donovan got the last national recruit from STL Chaminade, David Lee). Hopefully Beal will be in the stands at Scottrade when KU runs Memphis off the floor. Turner is a top 50-60 PG from Sacramento that was thought to be an Arizona State lock, but Turner recently scratched ASU off his list, and will be at Late Night at Allen Field House for the first KU practice. Late Night at AFH is a slick event (one of the top Midnight Madness shows in CBB), and most recruits attending it end up at KU.

fans of you know who feel pretty good about Beal. He named them his dream school and will probably be at the elite camp. Most think he'll get an offer there and i tend to agree. Based on the interviews I've read, they've got just as good a shot as KU and UF. he also said he wants to decide before the season starts.

 

[Kendall]

Would it be to Tall of an Order to ask everyone in this thread that referenced Duke in one of their posts to go back and take proper precautions? If you're reading this post wondering what the hell I'm doing, just press reply on this post and you can see how to avoid the search function.

 

[TLEF316]

done.

 

[Frostillicus]

surprised we havent heard more about Cory Joseph this summer. Rivals made him a 5* this spring and his AAU team (Grassroots Canada) has some big time players and has been playing well.

His brother Devoe plays for Minnesota, and the Gophers have been after him for a while, long before he shot up to the #12 recruit in the country (according to Rivals). I don't really know how much playing with his brother will sway him one way or another, but at the very least it got them in the door and they are in teh conversation with teams like Kansas, UCONN, Louisville, and all the rest of the teams who are after him.He's actually on the Minnesota campus right now on an unofficial visit, and according to his AAU coach is going to be spending a week here with his brother. The Gophers are also still listed as a possibility for Harrison Barnes according to Rivals. This one seems far, far less likely than Joseph, but just being there is pretty amazing considering where the program was a few short years ago.

 

[JAA]

KU 2010 Recruiting effortsG: not a leader for any top PGs, pursuing Cory Joseph and Joe Jackson; might get one if Kentucky PG situation looks too clogged with Bledsoe plus another 2010SG: signed Royce Woolridge (Arizona POY last year as junior, does not seem to be a top-tier SG); in the running for Doron Lamb, the top SG still on the board, but Lamb has many suitorsSF: Harrison Barnes - TSTSNAN superfans say Barnes and Kryie Irving will both announce for Durham in September, other sources say Barnes will cut his list to five schools in September, with TSTSNAN and Kansas as the leaders; KU is also interested in Cam Clark - if Barnes was already a lock for TSTSNAN, we would be hearing more about KU and Cam Clark, but we aren't, which makes me think Barnes's recruitment is still openPF: Terrence Jones is the only top PF on KU's list, and Lawrence will be one of Jones's official visits; he's a little small for PF, but maybe that means he stays for four years; KU has successfully recruiting players from Jones's HS in the past, so they don't seem worried about West Coast interest in JonesC: back in the running for Adreian Payne; Ohio State backed off Payne after signing Jared Sullinger, which opened up Payne's recruitment; Payne is down to KU, UK, Michigan State, West Virginia, and ArizonaI'd say KU's strategy for 2010 is "don't panic". They are recruiting top guys, and if they miss, they will move on to 5- and 4-star 2011 players instead of dipping into the three-star rankings. KU didn't even offer a courtesy scholarship to the top KC 2010 player, SG Frank Williams.

lol ... I did a search for Adreian Payne and this thread came up, though I ignored it because of the title ... lol. Anyway, here is my Payne thoughts:Adreian Payne looks to be a hard WVU lean over Kentucky. This would be a huge land for Huggins and could be the final piece for a run into the NCAA's. While Payne needs to add some weight to his frame at 6'10 210, he has all the height and jumping ability needed to build a defensive monster out of. Also, it seems the best part of his game right now is defense.

 

[JAA]

WOW:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4383839

I wouldnt be surprised if he was a package deal for Thomas to even get the position ...

 

[shut it down]

I propose a new spelling: Diewk.

 

[shut it down]

John Wall dunked on Stackhouse. If you're playing a pickup game with other famous basketball players, should you just forget about help defense inside and let them dunk? Crazy.JC comments on recruiting:

UConn coach Jim Calhoun was out on the golf course Monday. Lately, he's been out on the recruiting trail."They're seeing an awful lot more of me, knowing this is a very important recruiting year," Calhoun said during the Jim Calhoun Celebrity Golf Classic at the Golf Club of Avon. "And they know if you're there."Know this: Calhoun feels very comfortable about where his team stands in its recruiting efforts for the high school class of 2010. UConn will have anywhere from 5-8 scholarships available to award for the 2010-11 season. The Huskies have no commitments thus far but have ongoing dialogue with their top targets and several recruiting visits planned. "We're very close with some kiids and if we pulled the trigger we could probably get some kids," Calhoun said. "I don't know how it's going to work out, but we have at least one official visit coming up at least four unofficial visits."Calhoun can't comment on unsigned high school players, but the Huskies are said to be expecting an official visit this coming weekend from Jeremy Lamb, among the nation's top-rated shooting guards. Lamb is from Norcoss, Georgia.Also, Rod Odom, a 6-foot-8 forward from the Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., had to postpone a visit to Storrs last week and is expected to be on campus this week.The Huskies are also in the running for, among others, James Johnson, a center from San Diego; Brandon Knight, a point guard from Ft. Lauderdale; Kyrie Irving, a point guard from St. Patrick in New Jersey; Phil Pressey, a point guard from the Episcopal School in Dallas; C.J. Leslie, a power forward from Word Of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C.; Alex Kirk, a center from Los Alamos, New Mexico; Luke Cothron, a power forward from Flora MacDonald Academy in Red Springs, N.C. Also, Adam Zagoria reports that Josh Selby, a top-rated point guard from Baltimore, will visit UConn Wednesday."The guard situation seems to be very, very good and the big guy situation -- well, We have people," Calhoun said. "Charles [Okwandu], Ater [Majok] and Alex [Oriakhi] all have a few years. You don't have to run and get people right away."

 

[TLEF316]

Wall really is absurdly good. IMO, he's better than Rose was. Rose was stronger, but wall is faster and seems to have a tighter handle. I'm not very old (25) but he's the best HS PG i've ever seen.

 

[shut it down]

Irving is taking all five visits, including ones to Diewk, IU, and the other three to some combination of UK, GT, UConn, ND, UVA, SHU and TA&M.

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/08/11/irving-...ana/#more-20448

 

[Tar Heel Boy]

Wall really is absurdly good. IMO, he's better than Rose was. Rose was stronger, but wall is faster and seems to have a tighter handle. I'm not very old (25) but he's the best HS PG i've ever seen.

If we're talking strictly HS PGs that transitioned really well into college, I don't know if I've seen a better PG than Kenny Anderson. He was just sick in HS and his freshman year at Georgia Tech the dude was just amazing. Loved watching him, Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver when they were Lethal Weapon 3 at Georgia Tech.

 

[JAA]

Will it effect recruiting? Ability to lie? FWIW ... ive been unbelievabily impressed with how well WVU football recruiting has done. I mean, Bill Stewart is not a great coach, heck he may not even be good. But he is honest, up front, and a father figure. Its been ridiculous at the talent we have been landing. Im sure some of it has been due to our success, but even when we were doing well under RR, we didnt land HALF the recruits we are now. Maybe bb recruiting is different, ony time will tell.

Pitino

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino told police he had sex with a woman accused of trying to extort him of $10 million and later paid for her abortion, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The Courier-Journal of Louisville published on its Web site that Pitino told police he had been drinking in a Louisville restaurant and had consensual sex with Karen Sypher in August 2003. The police report said the 56-year-old coach denied Sypher's allegations that he raped her after the restaurant closed and another time somewhere else.

Sypher reported the rape allegations to police last month, but a Kentucky prosecutor said the complaint wouldn't be prosecuted because it lacked supporting evidence. Sypher, 49, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of lying to the FBI and trying to extort money from Pitino, who is married.

About two weeks after meeting Sypher at the restaurant, Pitino told police that she called, told him she was pregnant and that he had to be the father. Pitino told her when they met again that he had five children and she had four, and that he didn't know what he wanted to do, according to the report by Sgt. Andy Abbott, commander of the sex-offense unit.

Pitino said Sypher told him she was going to have an abortion but didn't have health insurance, so he gave her $3,000 for the procedure done in Cincinnati, according to the report.

Pitino's lawyer, Steve Pence, said the story is about Sypher and not his client.

"Karen Sypher is indicted for extortion," Pence told The Associated Press. "The commonwealth's attorney has said she is void of any credibility on these 6-year-old allegations she has made."

Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich said in a statement that "Coach Pitino has been truthful with us about this matter all along and we stand by him and his family during this process."

The newspaper cited Louisville Metro Police reports that it obtained under the Kentucky Open Records Act. Police spokesman Sgt. Robert Biven said the records couldn't immediately be released to the AP because the office that prepares them was closed for the day.

Abbott asked Sypher during one interview why she waited until after she was indicted to report the rape allegations.

She gave varying answers, according to transcripts, saying she wanted to forget about it, that Pitino threatened her and finally that "they kept throwing crumbs to keep me happy."

Abbott asked Sypher why she was coming forward only after she was charged.

"Because ... where we are, it seems like retaliation," Abbott said.

"I know it does," Sypher responded.

The case became public in April when Pitino announced that someone had tried to extort him. Pitino said he reported it to the FBI, and Sypher surrendered to authorities a few days later when she was named in a criminal complaint. At the time, several media outlets declined to air interviews with Sypher about allegations against Pitino, saying they were personal and unsubstantiated.

Sypher told police she met Pitino at the restaurant and asked him to speak to her sons on the phone, which he did. She said the place's owner gave Pitino the keys at the end of the night and asked him to lock up when he left. She alleged that Pitino then forced himself on her.

University sports information director Kenny Klein said the coach was in his office on Tuesday but directed all inquires to Pence. Pitino finished his eighth season with the Cardinals, leading them to a 31-6 record and the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. The Cardinals lost to Michigan State in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament.

School president James Ramsey said his thoughts were with Pitino and his family. Pitino and his wife Joanne have five children, including son Richard, an assistant who left the program after last season to join Billy Donovan's staff at Florida.

"Several months ago, Coach Pitino informed me about the alleged extortion attempt. I've now been informed that there may be other details which, if true, I find surprising," Ramsey said in a statement.

Pitino is Catholic and brings along close friend and spiritual adviser, the Rev. Edward Bradley -- a priest in Henderson, Ky. -- on many team trips. Bradley often prays with the team before games and is a fixture near the Louisville bench.

There was no answer late Tuesday at the priest's office where he also lives.

Neither Sypher nor her attorney, James Earhart, immediately returned calls from the AP seeking comment. Earhart told The Courier-Journal he hadn't received the records and couldn't comment.

Sypher is married to the team's equipment manager, Tim Sypher, but divorce papers were recently filed. Tim Sypher was Pitino's personal assistant with the Boston Celtics from 1997-2001, then followed the coach to Louisville in 2001.

The criminal complaint said Tim Sypher brought Pitino a written list of demands from his wife, including college tuition for her children, two cars, money to pay off her house and $3,000 per month. The demands later escalated, the complaint said. Tim Sypher has not been charged.

Besides Louisville and the Celtics, Pitino coached the New York Knicks from 1987 to 1989. His ties to the Bluegrass State are strong. He was at Kentucky from 1989 to 1997, where he earned one national championship and two other trips to the Final Four.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/bask...l#ixzz0NyOL61Ev

 

[Kendall]

Will it effect recruiting? Ability to lie? FWIW ... ive been unbelievabily impressed with how well WVU football recruiting has done. I mean, Bill Stewart is not a great coach, heck he may not even be good. But he is honest, up front, and a father figure. Its been ridiculous at the talent we have been landing. Im sure some of it has been due to our success, but even when we were doing well under RR, we didnt land HALF the recruits we are now. Maybe bb recruiting is different, ony time will tell.

Pitino

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino told police he had sex with a woman accused of trying to extort him of $10 million and later paid for her abortion, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The Courier-Journal of Louisville published on its Web site that Pitino told police he had been drinking in a Louisville restaurant and had consensual sex with Karen Sypher in August 2003. The police report said the 56-year-old coach denied Sypher's allegations that he raped her after the restaurant closed and another time somewhere else.

Sypher reported the rape allegations to police last month, but a Kentucky prosecutor said the complaint wouldn't be prosecuted because it lacked supporting evidence. Sypher, 49, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of lying to the FBI and trying to extort money from Pitino, who is married.

About two weeks after meeting Sypher at the restaurant, Pitino told police that she called, told him she was pregnant and that he had to be the father. Pitino told her when they met again that he had five children and she had four, and that he didn't know what he wanted to do, according to the report by Sgt. Andy Abbott, commander of the sex-offense unit.

Pitino said Sypher told him she was going to have an abortion but didn't have health insurance, so he gave her $3,000 for the procedure done in Cincinnati, according to the report.

Pitino's lawyer, Steve Pence, said the story is about Sypher and not his client.

"Karen Sypher is indicted for extortion," Pence told The Associated Press. "The commonwealth's attorney has said she is void of any credibility on these 6-year-old allegations she has made."

Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich said in a statement that "Coach Pitino has been truthful with us about this matter all along and we stand by him and his family during this process."

The newspaper cited Louisville Metro Police reports that it obtained under the Kentucky Open Records Act. Police spokesman Sgt. Robert Biven said the records couldn't immediately be released to the AP because the office that prepares them was closed for the day.

Abbott asked Sypher during one interview why she waited until after she was indicted to report the rape allegations.

She gave varying answers, according to transcripts, saying she wanted to forget about it, that Pitino threatened her and finally that "they kept throwing crumbs to keep me happy."

Abbott asked Sypher why she was coming forward only after she was charged.

"Because ... where we are, it seems like retaliation," Abbott said.

"I know it does," Sypher responded.

The case became public in April when Pitino announced that someone had tried to extort him. Pitino said he reported it to the FBI, and Sypher surrendered to authorities a few days later when she was named in a criminal complaint. At the time, several media outlets declined to air interviews with Sypher about allegations against Pitino, saying they were personal and unsubstantiated.

Sypher told police she met Pitino at the restaurant and asked him to speak to her sons on the phone, which he did. She said the place's owner gave Pitino the keys at the end of the night and asked him to lock up when he left. She alleged that Pitino then forced himself on her.

University sports information director Kenny Klein said the coach was in his office on Tuesday but directed all inquires to Pence. Pitino finished his eighth season with the Cardinals, leading them to a 31-6 record and the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. The Cardinals lost to Michigan State in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament.

School president James Ramsey said his thoughts were with Pitino and his family. Pitino and his wife Joanne have five children, including son Richard, an assistant who left the program after last season to join Billy Donovan's staff at Florida.

"Several months ago, Coach Pitino informed me about the alleged extortion attempt. I've now been informed that there may be other details which, if true, I find surprising," Ramsey said in a statement.

Pitino is Catholic and brings along close friend and spiritual adviser, the Rev. Edward Bradley -- a priest in Henderson, Ky. -- on many team trips. Bradley often prays with the team before games and is a fixture near the Louisville bench.

There was no answer late Tuesday at the priest's office where he also lives.

Neither Sypher nor her attorney, James Earhart, immediately returned calls from the AP seeking comment. Earhart told The Courier-Journal he hadn't received the records and couldn't comment.

Sypher is married to the team's equipment manager, Tim Sypher, but divorce papers were recently filed. Tim Sypher was Pitino's personal assistant with the Boston Celtics from 1997-2001, then followed the coach to Louisville in 2001.

The criminal complaint said Tim Sypher brought Pitino a written list of demands from his wife, including college tuition for her children, two cars, money to pay off her house and $3,000 per month. The demands later escalated, the complaint said. Tim Sypher has not been charged.

Besides Louisville and the Celtics, Pitino coached the New York Knicks from 1987 to 1989. His ties to the Bluegrass State are strong. He was at Kentucky from 1989 to 1997, where he earned one national championship and two other trips to the Final Four.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/bask...l#ixzz0NyOL61Ev

Whoa. Pinto's son used to live behind my parents. I saw RickyP kicking it in my parents' backyard a time or two.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Harrison Barnes was on a Des Moines radio station yesterday. He said he will trim his list to five schools at the end of August, take all five official visits, and take his time making his decision "during or after his senior basketball season".

TSTSNAN and Kansas are still the frontrunners for Barnes, but a dark horse here is Minnesota. Geography is a factor in decision, and Barnes said he liked Tubby Smith and how he's turning Minnesota around.

Barnes also hasn't ruled out a one-and-done scenario. He spoke in some platitudes about the one-and-done possibility (you have to excel in the college game before one-and-one is a possibility, still haven't played my senior year yet, etc.), but he didn't say he would stay in college until he graduated.

 

[Frostillicus]

TSTSNAN and Kansas are still the frontrunners for Barnes, but a dark horse here is Minnesota. Geography is a factor in decision, and Barnes said he liked Tubby Smith and how he's turning Minnesota around.

God this would be so awesome.

 

[Frostillicus]

Irving is taking all five visits, including ones to Diewk, IU, and the other three to some combination of UK, GT, UConn, ND, UVA, SHU and TA&M.

FYI - This post pulls this thread up in a search if you search for Diewk (correct spelling). It's in your link.

 

[Kendall]

Irving is taking all five visits, including ones to Diewk, IU, and the other three to some combination of UK, GT, UConn, ND, UVA, SHU and TA&M.

FYI - This post pulls this thread up in a search if you search for Diewk (correct spelling). It's in your link.

I surprised you can even search for Duke. I thought the search function wouldn't work on words less than five letters. I thought about complaining to Joe about this briefly.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

TSTSNAN and Kansas are still the frontrunners for Barnes, but a dark horse here is Minnesota. Geography is a factor in decision, and Barnes said he liked Tubby Smith and how he's turning Minnesota around.

God this would be so awesome.

It would be the biggest out-of-state recruiting coup for Gopher basketball in a long time, maybe even back to Mychal Thompson. Clem Haskins found great players, but IIRC none were nationally coveted like Barnes. I don't think Barnes was blowing smoke or just being courteous, either - Minneapolis is closer to Ames than Lawrence is, so Minnesota actually has a slight edge in geography, and the Gophers coach is one of only 11 active coaches in D-I who have won a national title.Over the next year or two, I think we'll see what a great hire Tubby Smith was. Tubby got in a little over his head at UK, but Minnesota IMO is a great fit: major conference program than can compete nationally with a few breaks, plenty of resources, and the psychopath fans focus on a different sport.

 

[Kendall]

TSTSNAN and Kansas are still the frontrunners for Barnes, but a dark horse here is Minnesota. Geography is a factor in decision, and Barnes said he liked Tubby Smith and how he's turning Minnesota around.

God this would be so awesome.

It would be the biggest out-of-state recruiting coup for Gopher basketball in a long time, maybe even back to Mychal Thompson. Clem Haskins found great players, but IIRC none were nationally coveted like Barnes. I don't think Barnes was blowing smoke or just being courteous, either - Minneapolis is closer to Ames than Lawrence is, so Minnesota actually has a slight edge in geography, and the Gophers coach is one of only 11 active coaches in D-I who have won a national title.Over the next year or two, I think we'll see what a great hire Tubby Smith was. Tubby got in a little over his head at UK, but Minnesota IMO is a great fit: major conference program than can compete nationally with a few breaks, plenty of resources, and the psychopath fans focus on a different sport.

I love Tubby Smith. He's a great coach, great person and doesn't let his players do anything foolish. He actually ran many drills in his basketball camps too, and with younger campers. The guy showed me the proper way to shoot the ball. Unfortunately a small (but incredibly vocal) percentage of Kentucky fans felt he wasn't doing enough. Kentucky fans want a guy that BE the program at all times. It was pretty evident that Tubby wanted some seperation. I don't blame the guy, I would too. I really think he's going to make Minnesota a very tough program.

 

[shut it down]

Irving is taking all five visits, including ones to Diewk, IU, and the other three to some combination of UK, GT, UConn, ND, UVA, SHU and TA&M.

FYI - This post pulls this thread up in a search if you search for Diewk (correct spelling). It's in your link.

Duk?

 

[jeter23]

TSTSNAN and Kansas are still the frontrunners for Barnes, but a dark horse here is Minnesota. Geography is a factor in decision, and Barnes said he liked Tubby Smith and how he's turning Minnesota around.

God this would be so awesome.

It would be the biggest out-of-state recruiting coup for Gopher basketball in a long time, maybe even back to Mychal Thompson. Clem Haskins found great players, but IIRC none were nationally coveted like Barnes. I don't think Barnes was blowing smoke or just being courteous, either - Minneapolis is closer to Ames than Lawrence is, so Minnesota actually has a slight edge in geography, and the Gophers coach is one of only 11 active coaches in D-I who have won a national title.Over the next year or two, I think we'll see what a great hire Tubby Smith was. Tubby got in a little over his head at UK, but Minnesota IMO is a great fit: major conference program than can compete nationally with a few breaks, plenty of resources, and the psychopath fans focus on a different sport.

I love Tubby Smith. He's a great coach, great person and doesn't let his players do anything foolish. He actually ran many drills in his basketball camps too, and with younger campers. The guy showed me the proper way to shoot the ball. Unfortunately a small (but incredibly vocal) percentage of Kentucky fans felt he wasn't doing enough. Kentucky fans want a guy that BE the program at all times. It was pretty evident that Tubby wanted some seperation. I don't blame the guy, I would too. I really think he's going to make Minnesota a very tough program.

Tubby didn't want separation from the program, that was Billy G. Tubby embraced the fans and is one of the nicest guys in the game. He just did not recruit the big name kids. UK fans want to be number 1 in EVERYTHING. The fans and school take a lot of pride in things like cheerleading national championships and mythical attendance titles. Even though he won a ton of games at a high percentage, it was not enough.

 

[Frostillicus]

I love Tubby Smith. He's a great coach, great person and doesn't let his players do anything foolish. He actually ran many drills in his basketball camps too, and with younger campers. The guy showed me the proper way to shoot the ball. Unfortunately a small (but incredibly vocal) percentage of Kentucky fans felt he wasn't doing enough. Kentucky fans want a guy that BE the program at all times. It was pretty evident that Tubby wanted some seperation. I don't blame the guy, I would too. I really think he's going to make Minnesota a very tough program.

I love that we are talking about Tubby and Minnesota basketball in a thread like this. Most of you guys active in this thread have teams that are always part of the conversation, so you probably don't know what it's like for a Gopher fan, but this is freaking awesome.If nothing else, Tubby has at least gotten people to notice the Gophers. Add in a top 25 recruiting class both of the last two years, and being in the Cory Joseph and Harrison Barnes conversations, and Tubby is already paying more dividends than I could have possibly imagined.I remember when my brother called me to tell me the Gophers had hired a coach. He refused to tell me who it was, and made me go find a TV (I was at a bar) and see for myself. Tubby came out of left field, as far as we knew he wasn't even part of the interview process. It's been an awesome hire.It's just so awesome.Sorry. I'm drunk.

 

[shut it down]

I love that we are talking about Tubby and Minnesota basketball in a thread like this. Most of you guys active in this thread have teams that are always part of the conversation, so you probably don't know what it's like for a Gopher fan, but this is freaking awesome.

You should edumucate us.

 

[shut it down]

Jeremy Tyler (ex-UL commit) signed a 1-year deal with Maccabi Haifa for $140K. He's elig. for the draft in '11.

 

[Kendall]

I love Tubby Smith. He's a great coach, great person and doesn't let his players do anything foolish. He actually ran many drills in his basketball camps too, and with younger campers. The guy showed me the proper way to shoot the ball. Unfortunately a small (but incredibly vocal) percentage of Kentucky fans felt he wasn't doing enough. Kentucky fans want a guy that BE the program at all times. It was pretty evident that Tubby wanted some seperation. I don't blame the guy, I would too. I really think he's going to make Minnesota a very tough program.

Tubby didn't want separation from the program, that was Billy G. Tubby embraced the fans and is one of the nicest guys in the game. He just did not recruit the big name kids. UK fans want to be number 1 in EVERYTHING. The fans and school take a lot of pride in things like cheerleading national championships and mythical attendance titles. Even though he won a ton of games at a high percentage, it was not enough.

It was always my impression that Tubby needed that small distinction of what time was his and was private versus when he was being the public face of Kentucky basketball. Pitino and Cal are more what I'm thinking of. They are both switched on all the time, they go out of their way with it. That's more of what I was alluding too. I know the recruiting thing was a big peeve for most fans, and to shut them up he went out and got Randolph Morris, Rajon Rondo (who outscored my entire high school in one game), Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley. Tubby avoided players that might not stay four years (in my eyes). Hell, his best team and maybe one of my favorite to watch didn't have many "big time" recruits. The team with Hayes, Eric Daniels, Fitch, Hawkins, and Bukie.Billy G was just weird.

 

[Kendall]

I love Tubby Smith. He's a great coach, great person and doesn't let his players do anything foolish. He actually ran many drills in his basketball camps too, and with younger campers. The guy showed me the proper way to shoot the ball. Unfortunately a small (but incredibly vocal) percentage of Kentucky fans felt he wasn't doing enough. Kentucky fans want a guy that BE the program at all times. It was pretty evident that Tubby wanted some seperation. I don't blame the guy, I would too. I really think he's going to make Minnesota a very tough program.

I love that we are talking about Tubby and Minnesota basketball in a thread like this. Most of you guys active in this thread have teams that are always part of the conversation, so you probably don't know what it's like for a Gopher fan, but this is freaking awesome.If nothing else, Tubby has at least gotten people to notice the Gophers. Add in a top 25 recruiting class both of the last two years, and being in the Cory Joseph and Harrison Barnes conversations, and Tubby is already paying more dividends than I could have possibly imagined.I remember when my brother called me to tell me the Gophers had hired a coach. He refused to tell me who it was, and made me go find a TV (I was at a bar) and see for myself. Tubby came out of left field, as far as we knew he wasn't even part of the interview process. It's been an awesome hire.It's just so awesome.Sorry. I'm drunk.

As a Kentucky Football Fan I know all too well what you are talking about. I crapped my pants at the LSU game two years ago when the Wildcats won and found themselves ranked in the top 5 nationally. Again, I wish you all and Tubby the best.Billy G on the other hand... well, I feel like Mitch only had eyes for Billy D and when D turned him down Mitch got so drunk that Billy G sounded an awful like Billy D and just went with it.

 

[shut it down]

Pre-season NIT announced. Barring a Gardner-Webb scenario, it'll be Duk vs. ASU and LSU vs. Connecticut (no Majok yet) in MSG.

I would imagine that the atmosphere in MSG for a Connecticut/Duk final could be slightly acrimonious.