Author: Coach Z (Page 3 of 38)

Every day you read about this college athlete getting into trouble and that coach with the big contract, but today I would like to give you a story that needs to be told. Ron Hunter at IUPUI has made putting shoes on the feet of the children of Africa his humanitarian cause. Take a look at the attached article and you will see a coach who understands that is not just about wins and losses. Now if we can get some college administrators and the money people to understand the same thing.

Last year, they changed the NBA draft rule to force young men to go to college for one year before putting their name in the draft. A player can get drafted into the Army, but he can’t play his trade in the NBA without a year of college. Who are you kidding? David Stern is so self serving. And for what 12 players? That’s how many freshman put their name in the draft this year. This rule brings on a whole new set of problems for guys who don’t really want to be in college. Ian O Connor wrote a great article on the potential problems.

Reports have surfaced that O.J. Mayo took $30, 000 from a friend who was paid by an agent to deliver him. Fox Sports is reporting that agent Louis Johnson told “Outside the Lines” that the money was given during Mayo’s freshman year.

Tim Floyd knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he signed Mayo. He even knew the runner, Guillory. Doesn’t seem like a new occurrence at USC when you factor in that Reggie Bush was given housing for him and his family by an agent while he was there.

Should Floyd have signed him? Why not? He is trying to win games and I am sure that Mayo didn’t tell him about the money. The big question is what will the NCAA do to USC now? AD Mike Garrett has an athletic program that is winning in its two major sports, but at what cost? Besides, both Floyd and Carroll worked in the pros where the players get paid. Has anybody asked them about paying college athletes?

It should be an interesting summer for the Men of Troy.

Lute Olsen is back in charge at Arizona and has cleaned house to prove it. Besides losing Buddinger and Bayless to the pros he has also dismissed his entire staff.

Kevin O Neill, who was supposed to get the job when and if Olsen ever retires, was pushed aside and reassigned within the department. That won’t last. O’Neill didn’t come to Arizona to be an administrator. Miles Simon, who helped Olsen get a championship ring was pushed out the door as well. Olsen showed a lot of gratitude there.

Now word has it that Josh Pastner and all of his father’s connections – his father runs a Houston AAU team and a couple big time tounaments each year – are leaving for Memphis. This might not be a big loss for Arizona since Pastner really didn’t deliver as many players as he was supposed to. But at Memphis, I guarantee Coach Cal will benefit from the paternal ties.

It looks like Mike Dunlap will fill his shoes. The former NBA coach realizes that won’t get a head coaching job in the NBA and needs to get back to the college level to strengthen his chances of getting a head coaching job in college. The big question is – how long will it take before Olsen gets tired of Dunlap and his ideas? It didn’t take him long to tire of O’Neill.

Mark my words – Arizona will not have the success it had in the past until Olsen calls it quits. Check out Bowden’s and Paterno’s recent record in football. It’s a young man’s game.

The following is a list of early entries into the NBA Draft. Obviously, some won’t keep their name in, but I am sure there are enough kids on this list who will listen the wrong advice and stay in. Testing the waters is a good thing, but if you aren’t getting guaranteed money by being a first round pick then go back to school. I have got to admit some of these guys I have never heard of. If I haven’t heard of them then I doubt the NBA will think they are good enough. I just hope these guys are still doing their school work.
One guy on the list I hope comes back is Bill Walker. Another year at KState and he will be guaranteed the world.

On the basis of letters received prior to midnight April 27, 2008, the following basketball players from the listed U.S. colleges and post-graduate institutions have applied as “early entry” players to be eligible for selection in the 2008 NBA Draft:

A.J. Abrams, Texas
Josh Akognon, Cal State Fullerton
Joe Alexander, West Virginia
Antonio Anderson, Memphis
Ryan Anderson, Cal
Darrell Arthur, Kansas
D.J. Augustin, Texas
Derek Bailey, Providence Christian Academy (KS)
Jerryd Bayless, Arizona
Michael Beasley, Kansas State
Jason Bennett, Tallahasee CC (FL)
Keith Brumbaugh, Hillsborough CC (FL)
Chase Budinger, Arizona
Derrick Caracter, Louisville
DeMarre Carroll, Missouri
Charles Carter, Oklahoma Baptist
Josh Carter, Texas A&M
Mario Chalmers, Kansas
Lee Cummard, BYU
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis
Robert Dozier, Memphis
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Alonzo Gee, Alabama
C.J. Giles, Oregon State
Eric Gordon, Indiana
Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State
Paul Graham II, Florida Atlantic
Danny Green, North Carolina
Donte Green, Syracuse
Kalen Grimes, Missouri
Richard Hendrix, Alabama
J.J. Hickson, N.C. State
George Hill, IUPUI
Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin
Reggie Huffman, UAB
Stefon Jackson, UTEP
Shawn James, Duquesne
Davon Jefferson, USC
DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M
Kosta Koufos, Ohio State
Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Brook Lopez, Stanford
Robin Lopez, Stanford
Kevin Love, UCLA
Leo Lyons, Missouri
O.J. Mayo, USC
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, UCLA
JaVale McGee, Nevada
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
Kojo Mensah, Duquesne
Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga
Courtney Pigram, East Tennessee State
Trent Plaisted, BYU
Bruce Price, Tennessee State
Anthony Randolph, LSU
John Riek, Winchendon School (MA)
Derrick Rose, Memphis
Brandon Rush, Kansas
Walter Sharpe, UAB
Josh Shipp, UCLA
Kiwan Smith, Redlands CC (OK)
Marreese Speights, Florida
Ronald Steele, Alabama
Robert Vaden, UAB
Lorrenzo Wade, San Diego State
Bill Walker, Kansas State
Gordon Watt, Houston Baptist
Russell Westbrook, UCLA
Raymond Wright, Arkansas-Monticello