I love a hot dog roasted over a fire on a summer night.
All the same, I don't want to be around the meat-packing plant to see what went into making that hot dog before it arrived in a nice package at my local grocery.
It's kind of the same with college basketball.
There are few places I'd rather be on a February night than a packed arena or perched in front of the TV watching a big rivalry game.
But, more and more, I'm not too sure I want to know all the particulars about how the teams I'm watching were assembled.
Recruiting is the lifeblood of college sports. In most cases, I assume, it's conducted more or less in accordance with that doorstop known as the NCAA rules manual.
However, basketball recruiting is a slippery slope, freshly illustrated by the O.J. Mayo story at Southern Cal.
It's a tableau populated by rival sneaker companies, (a few) shadowy AAU coaches, agents and their gofers. Then there are characters who might (or might not?) be a combination of some, or all, of the above.
And that's in addition to the run-of-the-mill overzealous boosters.
No wonder the NCAA recently made the unprecedented move of dedicating three of its enforcement officers to basketball.
Most of the murky water has been standing awhile. The Mayo case, however, speaks to a new potential sleaze element.
Two years ago the NBA ruled it would not accept players under 19 years of age. Thus was born the one-and-done phenomenon.
In the past, players such as Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James jumped straight from high school to an NBA roster. As far as college was concerned, they were none-and-done.
Now, precocious talents such as Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Mayo and Michael Beasley, have to detour to campus for a year until they turn 19.
Preferring the college game to the NBA version, I like the idea of watching these guys in college for a year. I'm just thinking the price isn't worth it.
During his brief stay at USC, Mayo is alleged to have taken thousands of dollars in gifts from a wheeler-dealer linked to a sports agency.
Mayo denies it, yet there is documentation. Never mind that the kid attended schools in three states then was reportedly presented to USC coach Tim Floyd out of the blue by said wheeler-dealer, Rodney Guillory, the theory being a year in Los Angeles would improve Mayo's marketability.
The problem with the one-and-done guys is the crowd they attract by the scent of money.
"Wouldn't it be nice,'' said Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, "if somebody said to you when you were 18 years old, 'You're nine months away from making $5 million?'
"There are so many challenges to coaching those guys. The window of time they're in college is so short, there's too much temptation. There's too much at risk.''
Pearl suggests basketball adopt the same rule as baseball: either go pro from high school or commit to three years on campus.
He thinks even two years would be an improvement, the longer wait cooling the ardor of the exploiters. Any change in the status quo will be the NBA's call. It's their age limit.
Solving the one-and-done issue would still leave those NCAA snoops a full work week. Influence-peddlers abound.
UT fans might recall the Pump Brothers, one-time proteges of sneaker-war field marshal Sonny Vaccaro.
The Pumps' repertoire has included Final Four ticket-brokering, adidas-branded AAU programs, barnstorming teams and, most recently, consulting, a role in which they facilitated UT's hiring of Pearl. They deny steering prospects to favored schools.
Then there's William Wesley, aka World Wide Wes, seemingly connected to everyone in the sport, including Michael Jordan.
The popular Wesley is a fascinating character. John Calipari is a special friend, just as Louisville's Denny Crum once was. Wesley is perceived to have pointed one-and-done Derrick Rose to Memphis, as well has his projected successor Tyreke Evans.
But have the Pumps or World Wide Wes done anything wrong? Not that anyone can prove.
"Is he or is he not subject to the rules that limit a representative of the school?'' Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said in a New York Times article on Wesley.
"That's a fundamental question. It's a very difficult issue.''
But just one of many, and the number is growing. Eighth-grade commitments, anyone?
Good luck to those three NCAA investigators. I'm just not sure how much I want to know about what they find.
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 7
jasvol writes:
Good article. Makes me think of the mob...
murrayvol writes:
When this much money is involved, there will be vultures of all stripes at every turn. Mayo's case stands out only because of the venue (LaLaLand) and it's so over the top.
Pearl's right when he says it should be three or none. I don't see two years being much of an improvement.
ncvol writes:
Wow, Makes your head spin. Good luck indeed to the three NCAA investigators.
CoverOrange writes:
Why would it be the NBA's call?
Simple, NCAA mandates each school can only offer the same contract. Provide room and board, books and tuition plus a stipend, with the stipulation that the player cannot play for any other team, college or pro, during the 3 year run of the contract unless both sides agree.
This is a business, stop pretending it ain't.
budrhon writes:
One name Spencer Haywood and that alone is why it may be difficult to prevent kids from jumping early or having to stay longer. Personally I wish it was required that the kids have at least 2 years of college.
LadyVolsEighTimes writes:
I think Three years or None should be the rule also. You can't blame the one and done players, they would have preferred not to do the year. I reckon COaches recruit them into College in hopes of miricle seasons and recruiting attention.
As a fan, I would prefer to pass on a one and done, I'd rather have the player right behind them that you get three or four years out of, and have a solid team player. One and Dones hinder the development of the team and other players that are there for three or four years.
NCAA will never do it, but I would like to see players that have no intention of playing a full College Career of at least Three years, declared ineligible as they are not seeking a Degree, let them play JUCO to satisfy the NBA's silly one year requirment. Ot go play European Ball.
DSaVol writes:
Was there supposed to be some new insight or information in this article???
"...I'm not too sure I want to know all the particulars about how the teams I'm watching were assembled." Good thing Mike cause you obviously have no clue and restating bits of other writers old stories does not make you a journalist.
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