Recruiting in college basketball
I was listening to ESPN Radio on the way home yesterday and they mentioned this article in the NY Times from earlier this week and it’s really disturbing to see what college sports have become.
For those of you that haven’t seen the story, it is about how O.J. Mayo (the number #1 recruit in college basketball) decided to sign to play for USC. He didn’t tour the campus until after he signed his letter of intent. He wouldn’t give out his cell phone number to Tim Floyd, the coach at USC. Basically, he decided to go to USC because Los Angeles was the best place to market himself for his NBA future.
If you get a chance, take a look at the story. It’s a very depressing look at the state of recruiting for college sports.
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:09 am
Yep. Mayo was a HUGE deal in Ohio — on and off the court with both amazing play and an amazing police blotter — and local people freaked out on Matta when they heard he backed off the Mayo recruiting lottery a few months ago. Along with seveal other schools. That article makes it sound like Mayo went to USC first and foremost and that’s not how it went down. Several schools withdrew their name from contention last summer because this kid brings a whole new meaning to the word baggage.
Never have I been more happy with the decision by OSU to not go hard after a 5-star player. OSU’s been down that road before and it’s rarely worth it.
Yes, it makes a mockey of college basketball, but what’s worse is that Floyd doesn’t seem to care at all about any of it other than “He’s coming here! Woo hoo!”
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:03 pm
he’ll be there for 1 season and then leave. I bet the kid makes 2 passes all season.