CSNbbs

from of all places, an Indiana board...

http://indiana.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fi...d=&style=2

Quote:I know IU and UI fans have been at odds over the Gordon situation. Setting that issue aside, there is a pink elephant in the room that no mainstream media want to acknowledge right now. This should concern all those in Big Ten because BT basketball coaches as a group, notwithstanding occasionally in-fighting (e.g., Gordon situation), is by and large a fairly cohesive and honest bunch. They will continue to be hurt by this if allowed to continue unabated.

Illinois and Big Ten are about to lose a big recruiting battle that is coming down to, not which school offers a better fit, but which school, through its $hoe company contacts, offers a better "package" for the handler.

That is none other than the strange recruiting saga involving Derrick Rose of Chicago, who is coached by his brother (Reggie). Reggie, Derrick Rose's brother and AAU coach, is "handling" his younger brother's recruiting with the iron fist.

The recruit himself was overhead on several occasions in recent weeks (when playing superbly with Gordon) that he "loved" playing with Gordon and that he would do anything to get himself to UI to play with Gordon.

That, apparently, is not enough to sway the actual decision-maker in the process -- his brother and AAU coach, who will soon change his AAU team $hoe sponsorship from Nike to Adidas now that he suddenly got a very lucrative sponsorship from Sonny Vaccaro (more on that below).

Interestingly, Memphis, which everyone at the shoe camps was saying in the driver seat, is an Adidas/Reebok school. Sonny Vaccaro (perhaps the most powerful man in HS basketball recruiting scene) is also the money man for Reebok/Adidas grass roots basketball marketing efforts and a close, ahem, friend of Calipari.

Here is an interesting comment from a former NBA player who was the starting PG of the 1988-89 Flying Illini. At a big alumni function at a Chicago bar (Joe's) last night, Steven Bardo on the stage stated publicly that (while pointing to Kendall Gill, also another NBA star who played on that team) recruiting is different now and "Derreck Rose has his hand out" and that he is betting on Memphis or Europe.

And it's not even August yet.

Of course the rowdies at the Illinois board are all over this like flies on sh** (an almost eerily appropriate metaphor if I do say so myself) and we should expect alot of hot air from the north in the coming weeks.

Discussion of this on IlliniBoard.com:

http://mb30.scout.com/fillinoisinsiderfr...=1&stop=20

Some Illini posters were calling for the thread to be deleted, as they are casting themselves in a negative light, but so far it's still up.

BTW, the Derrick Rose thread on IlliniBoard.com is now at 25 pages and nearly 41,000 views. What else is there to do this week? Football Fall camps are about to start, but it's still a little early. Out here we mostly wait to see which WSU football recruits aren't going to qualify. There are always three or four.

Regardless of what happens, I'm planning on having a good late Summer and Fall. Some Illini fans may have to be placed on extra-suicide watch if they get any more bad news, or have their medication doubled or tripled. They have to focus on Illini basketball, good or bad, because they would be even more nervous and depressed if all they had were Illini football. ;-)

This sounds to me similiar to the Thaddeus situation with Ga Tech & Nike. Only this time, hopefully, we'll be on the winning side.

mfan Wrote:This sounds to me similiar to the Thaddeus situation with Ga Tech & Nike. Only this time, hopefully, we'll be on the winning side.

That is precisely what I was thinking in reading this thread. If, and it's a big if, this scenario is true, it would simply be poetic justice in my view.

Their facts or lack of are very twisted, trust me.

Sonny is with Reebok, not RBK and adidas, in hoops they are at war. Adidas tried to force Sonny out after they bought RBK, wasn't going to happen. As to Sonny and Cal being close, that's not true either.

Sonny has a relationship with the Rose's, for himself and RBK. Will it help/hurt Memphis?

Because 2 events correlate doesn't mean one causes the other.

Cal and his staff have done a great job recruiting this kid. That and the insanity around the Illinois program are positives for the Tigers.

Easterwood Wrote:Sonny is with Reebok, not RBK and adidas, in hoops they are at war. Adidas tried to force Sonny out after they bought RBK, wasn't going to happen. As to Sonny and Cal being close, that's not true either.

Sonny has a relationship with the Rose's, for himself and RBK. Will it help/hurt Memphis?

Because 2 events correlate doesn't mean one causes the other.

Cal and his staff have done a great job recruiting this kid. That and the insanity around the Illinois program are positives for the Tigers.

By "insanity around the Illinois program" do you mean the fans or are you referring to the coaching staff and program itself?

Just a guess by looking at the Illinois board... but I got a feeling it's the fans.

True that, they've lost their minds.

What Keith didn't tell everyone, something thats helping recruit Rose considerable is the amount of family Rose has in Memphis. A grandparent, aunts, uncles and cousins. Home away from home.

That's good news too....

BBTiger Wrote:What Keith didn't tell everyone, something thats helping recruit Rose considerable is the amount of family Rose has in Memphis. A grandparent, aunts, uncles and cousins. Home away from home.

That's great to hear...
BTW, anyone seen or heard from tiger-tug lately?

e_smith_1992 Wrote:

BBTiger Wrote:What Keith didn't tell everyone, something thats helping recruit Rose considerable is the amount of family Rose has in Memphis. A grandparent, aunts, uncles and cousins. Home away from home.

That's great to hear...
BTW, anyone seen or heard from tiger-tug lately?

E.
I'm still here. I am reading. I don't post anymore. I got tired of all the smart people who questioned my authenticity.

I PM a certain group of people from time to time.

Thanks for your concern. It is really more fun to read all of this stuff than to post. I laugh at some of this crap. It is hilarious.

As usual, Keith is on target. Other people are all over the place. There will be one and possibly two recruits that will surprise everyone.

I'm having fun!!!

Quote:I'm still here. I am reading. I don't post anymore. I got tired of all the smart people who questioned my authenticity.

Totally understandable, but don't be too much of a stanger. Everybody likes to hear good news.

tigers1985 Wrote:

Quote:I'm still here. I am reading. I don't post anymore. I got tired of all the smart people who questioned my authenticity.

Totally understandable, but don't be too much of a stanger. Everybody likes to hear good news.

I agree. Even if it isn't good news though. You're honest opinion is valued.( course, we all like good news much better ;-) )

Tigerbert Wrote:

tigers1985 Wrote:

Quote:I'm still here. I am reading. I don't post anymore. I got tired of all the smart people who questioned my authenticity.

Totally understandable, but don't be too much of a stanger. Everybody likes to hear good news.

I agree. Even if it isn't good news though. You're honest opinion is valued.( course, we all like good news much better ;-) )

echoing 1985 & bert's sentiment!

IdahoTiger Wrote:Discussion of this on IlliniBoard.com:

http://mb30.scout.com/fillinoisinsiderfr...=1&stop=20

Some Illini posters were calling for the thread to be deleted, as they are casting themselves in a negative light, but so far it's still up.

I don't think its up anymore..I couldnt link to it

Tug...

Post Baby, don't worry about the negative replies. You aren't always right, but no one (that I know anyway) can predict the future all the time. People kept commenting on my post about Calipari staying and the surprise recruit. Well, until Mack signed, then they all kinda shut up.

Post away!