UKs Morris eligible again

[Lexvol]

Originally posted by Brian McCat@Dec 16, 2005 12:33 AM
This is the softest Kentucky team that I've seen in the frontcourt.  There are no players with that "warrior mentality" like a Chuck Hayes, Marquis Estill, or Jamal Magloire.  Shag and Woo are busts at the post, let's face it.

Tubby is all about team play, and will do what's necessary to get the team back.  I just think that he got blindsided by the Morris thing, as well as Azubuike leaving a year early.

I attended the Kentucky/Indiana game in the RCA Dome last Saturday night, and I must say that it's the least talented Kentucky team that I've seen since Sutton's last year.  They don't run the offense at all.  At times, there are 4 guards on the floor.  At the half, they jogged back to the locker room with their tail between their legs, totally whipped.  No heart, no courage.

Firing Tubby ain't the answer.  He's an excellent coach.  With time, we'll hang the banner for another SEC championship in March, but the road there will be tough.

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Fax had nothing to do with reinstatment. NCAA was trying to make and example out of Morris. They used that as an excuse. For you Bar members, there is plenty of precedent for people making verbal agreements with agents and being allowed to come back and play. Some would argue that 14 game suspension is harsh compared to what others have received.

UK will be much better because they will be able to move Bobby Perry and Rekalin Sims back to their natural forward positions. Only time will tell.

As far as talent goes, the talent is there, but they do not like Tubby's defensive constraint. I am interested to see what the mood concerning Tubby will be in Lex. So nice to be emotionally detached from a coaching debate. Quite a change.

 

[McCat]

Originally posted by Lexvol@Dec 16, 2005 9:36 AM
NCAA was trying to make and example out of Morris.

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I think that Lexvol nailed it on the head. Morris was being immature and foolish, and the NCAA lowered the boom. I'm just glad that he'll be ready to play when we go to Vanderbilt on 1/10.

 

[orangetd88]

Stallwaorth's situation is totally different in the NCAA's eyes because it is football, not basketball.

The whole rule about being able to come back after declaring in basketball alone is dumb, anyway. Either you make it across the board or don't.

IMO, if you sign with an agent, there should be no return.

 

[lawgator1]

Assuming the fax is legit, my complaint is with the process, not the result. As a Gator fan, I'd rather UK be at full strength. If the Gators lose to them when they are full strength, then we didn't deserve to win and know we need to improve to reach the next level. If we beat them when they are at full strength, then its even sweeter. Not looking for W's for the sake of W's.

What I don't like is someone essentially breaking the NCCA/NBA barrier, deciding he could not get a sweet enough deal, and then coming back and saying, "Who, me?" Might as well just junk college basketball if you allow it because every kid will go "unoficially" hire an agent to try to get him drafted. Every decent player will be gone. As is, the talent pool in college hoops is steadily dwindling because all of the best big men go straight to the NBA.

Let me be clear: I am not against kids going pro. Face it, the 99.9 % of the kids in college basketball that are good enough to go pro could give a you-know-what about formal education, don't need it, and don't care. Its just that if you open the door to "testing the waters" with no repercussions, then even the kids on the edge will soon be at the mercy of agents, and plane trips, and vacations, and on and on and on.

What I am saying is if you are going to have a line, make it a bright one and don't allow fudging just because the kid's agent was smart enough to write a letetr that the kid himself has no clue what it means. Enforce it or don't. One or the other, but not both.

 

[Lexvol]

Originally posted by lawgator1@Dec 16, 2005 2:58 PM
Let me be clear:  I am not against kids going pro.  Face it, the 99.9 % of the kids in college basketball that are good enough to go pro could give a you-know-what about formal education, don't need it, and don't care.  Its just that if you open the door to "testing the waters" with no repercussions, then even the kids on the edge will soon be at the mercy of agents, and plane trips, and vacations, and on and on and on.

What I am saying is if you are going to have a line, make it a bright one and don't allow fudging just because the kid's agent was smart enough to write a letetr that the kid himself has no clue what it means.  Enforce it or don't.  One or the other, but not both.

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I would argue that the kids are already at the mercy of agents. Strangely enough, I think the NCAA when initially handing down the year's suspension, was trying to "make the line clearer" for future violators. The problem is ( and I am a theologian, not an attorney) in the famous words of WJC the word is. In other words, what exactly contstitutes as a VERBAL argeement. This seems a little too ambigious to enforce. In fact, what needs to occur IMO is the resenscion (sp.) of the verbal agreement clause. If a kid does not sign his name, in the spirit of the law, can't that be taken as an attempt to concretely maintain eligibility. Now I understand this lends itself for someone to fall under the corrupting influence of an agent, but if all expenses are repaid, then shouldn't that be sufficient?

This is the price college basketball and football fans pay when collegiate athletes are part of a farm system for those two sports. I often have this discussion with a friend of mine who suggests "developmental club" teams for athletes rather than them representing colleges, much like the rest of the world implements for soccer. I emotionally prefer to keep things like they are, but he has a relevant point.

 

[lawgator1]

Originally posted by Lexvol@Dec 16, 2005 5:23 PM

I often have this discussion with a friend of mine who suggests "developmental club" teams for athletes rather than them representing colleges, much like the rest of the world implements for soccer.  I emotionally prefer to keep things like they are, but he has a relevant point.

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He does. It is headed the way of college baseball. The pitching prospects all have a solid opportunity to go into the minors and they get big $ just for signing. Obviously, no farm teams right now for the NBA and NFL, but as this declaring early thing goes on it sure seems like the college role in being a stepping stone to great pro careers will diminish.

 

[MtHomeVol]

Originally posted by Brian McCat@Dec 16, 2005 10:14 AM
I think that Lexvol nailed it on the head.  Morris was being immature and foolish, and the NCAA lowered the boom.  I'm just glad that he'll be ready to play when we go to Vanderbilt on 1/10.

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I agree.

And volinbham, I always want the Cats to win unless they are playing the Vols. You are not alone. Go Cats!

 

[volinbham]

Originally posted by orangetd88@Dec 16, 2005 11:49 AM
Stallwaorth's situation is totally different in the NCAA's eyes because it is football, not basketball.

The whole rule about being able to come back after declaring in basketball alone is dumb, anyway.  Either you make it across the board or don't.

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Face it, the NCAA is full of inconsistencies. Not an excuse, just a reality.

I'm speculating here but Basketball may have the rule since losing one player out of a max of 12 is much more damaging than losing one out of 80 something.

Bball also seems to see more players leaving early, yet the scholarship rules (number you can bring in in any given year) restrict the ability of the team to rebuild if you have a few seniors and one or two others leave early.

 

[NCGatorBait]

From what I've seen of UK they need all the help they can get. Hopefully they'll hang in there and pull one out against UL today but I dont think Morris will help that much.