If you sign a local kid, he better be good. Otherwise, you have family, friends, boosters from his high school, etc. all wanting to know why he is not playing more. Can cause more headaches for the coach than it is worth.

(01-25-2016 08:13 PM)mjs Wrote:  If you sign a local kid, he better be good. Otherwise, you have family, friends, boosters from his high school, etc. all wanting to know why he is not playing more. Can cause more headaches for the coach than it is worth.

A couple years ago we played Monticello in an exhibition right after they signed a star from a small NEA town. About 75 people showed up to support the kid

As a freshman, this player got about 10 minutes of total playing time, and the poor coach got called some terrible names for most of the game, all because he didn't play a Freshman. At one point, they started booing other UAM players. It was ugly.

So much for signing hometowners in Jonesboro!

(01-26-2016 10:16 AM)outsideualr Wrote:  So much for signing hometowners in Jonesboro!

There is a weird relationship between AState and Jonesboro High School. We rarely sign JHS players, it almost never happens, however the meteoric rise of JHS's Girls Basketball program, from doormat to state title contender in 2 years time can be directly tied to Trooper Taylor moving his family to Jonesboro, and his daughter immediately averaging 25 points per game.

It seems like every few yeears we hire a coach here that happens to have a talented high school athlete, who happens to choose to transfer to JHS.