Recruiting

[swok34]

TCU has built much of its program around JC transfers but they landed a hot recruit this week in the form of JimAnne Baker, a recruit also being sought after by Texas and Texas Tech, and who will compete for the Horned Frogs in both Basketball and track.

Seems to be a rumor that Lauren Ervin has verballed to Kansas...
very,very highly rated F out of Inglewood, Calif.....

[carolann]

Big commitments coming down!

JimAnne Baker - Since Baker is not to be a Horn, I'm glad she is going to TCU. TCU is a good, rising program in the state of Texas. Plus if JimAnne turns out really, really, good, she won't be competing against the Longhorns in the Big 12! This is an odd year for Longhorn recruiting with few scholarships and very specific needs.

Lauren Ervin - Ervin to Kansas! That would be a huge commitment. Lady Vol fans are going to be very disappointed. I was hoping Ervin would go to Tennessee which I hoped lessened the chances of both Hunter and Tiffany Jackson going there also. (Then Texas would only have been competing against schools such as UConn and Duke :rolleyes http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif.

[This message has been edited by carolann (edited 10-17-2002).]

[This message has been edited by carolann (edited 10-17-2002).]

[This message has been edited by carolann (edited 10-17-2002).]

[swok34]

Here's the blurb out of a Tennessee paper:

The Lady Vols are believed to have ended their recruitment of basketball forward Lauren Ervin, who sources indicate is leaning toward signing with Kansas. Ervin visited Kansas last weekend and told the Kansas City Star, "It feels just like home here."

[Moooooo]

Both Texas and Tennessee backed off Lauren Ervin. It is rumored that Texas cancelled her scheduled visit.

She's a great talent, but again, several reasons categorized as "other issues" are the reason for this turn of events.

[HuskerFan86]

If Ervin pans out at KU, the Big 12 better watch out. Ervin has enough talent to keep Marian Washington in the business for at leastanother 4 years. However, she's a little bit of a risk, she has transferred high schools 3 times in the last 4 years.

[Bevo]

Want to see some Volunteer arrogance? Go over to the Summitt and check out the Tenn. fans reactions to Ervin's KU committment. Comments like "not everyone's goal is to win a National Championship" and "since she's not going to a top program, we'll probably never have to face her" abound. I guess it's to be expected with the success they've had for so many years.

The Big XII continues to make inroads all over the place.

[swok34]

If Ervin pans out at KU, the Big 12 better watch out. Ervin has enough talent to keep Marian Washington in the business for at least another 4 years

This is so Marian's style, to have one *key* player and role players all around her. I wonder how she lands a player like this, I want to say I've heard Ervin has some academic issues.

[ChipperF1]

"This is so Marian's style, to have one *key* player and role players all around her."

Name a team that doesn't do this? And is it bad thing. Every team has a money player or a "go to guy", even the best teams.

And as for Ervin's "academic issues" maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. Remember, many of those rumors are a product of the vulgar pedophilia that recruiting can be become.

A kid just got a scholarship to go to college. That isn't something you scorn, its to be celebrated, no matter where the kid goes.

Okay so this kid is going to Kansas. Okay...so what?

""not everyone's goal is to win a National Championship" and "since she's not going to a top program."

It is this attitude that makes me wish some Jerry Tarkanian would go to some backwater program, buy a bunch of collegiate call-girls with serious game and win the NCAA Final Four. I'll bet if that happens people would think twice about the fixation on the National Championship.

If its just about winning, then nobody should have a problem with it.

It's the morning and I'm ranting, but it seems a lot of people have a lot to say about some kid who was highly rated by some recruiting service and is upset about that kid not going to their school.

Once, a kid who was a good football player asked me, "Hey Chipper, I have all of those scholarship offers. Where do you think I should go."

my response? "Go to college. I don't care where you go, as long as you go to college, study hard, play hard...and send me some tickets once in awhile."

[swok34]

chipper, aren't we in a fine mood this morning? http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

I don't think it's a negative thing that Washington always has a *key* player....I've just noticed it with her program more than others in the Big XII.

And as far as academics are concerned, look at Gillian Goring's recruiting......and she can't even play this year. I sincerely hope Washington lands this player and it sounds pretty good for them.

Lauren Ervin, a 6-foot-4 forward from Inglewood, Calif., is the sixth-best player in the nation, according to All-Star Girls Report. In the coming weeks, she will choose between Kansas and tradition-rich Tennessee.

Ervin said KU definitely scored some brownie points Friday.

"My visit to Tennessee was great," Ervin said. "But I didn't meet as many people there. Here I've met athletic directors and professors. Everyone has been so nice. And then you've got (Late Night). It feels just like home here."

Alisha Godette, a Colorado Springs, Colo., native, is considering KU, Rutgers, Colorado and Arizona State.

"So far, I'd have to say this is the best visit I've had. I've never seen this many people in a basketball gym. And it's basically all for skits and dancing. It's overwhelming. I would love to play in an atmosphere like this."

[carolann]

Chipper's post (rant) cheered me up!

[mred]

Originally posted by swok34:
"So far, I'd have to say this is the best visit I've had. I've never seen this many people in a basketball gym. And it's basically all for skits and dancing. It's overwhelming. I would love to play in an atmosphere like this."


If she goes to Kansas, she won't. Kansas had a total attendance of 22,657 over 12 home games, good for #52 in the nation and a per-game average of 1888. Rutgers was #28 (3021 per game). Colorado was #29 (3016). On the other hand, Arizona State was #67 with an avergae attendance of 1248. Keep in mind that out of 22,657 total attendance at Kansas, 11,858 (yes, that is more than HALF) attended the Kansas State game. After looking at KU's attendance for other games, I find it unlikely that more than 1500 of those people were Kansas fans. Take away all the KSU fans, and Kansas averaged around 1025 per game. This would put tehm at #73 in the rankings, just below my brother's alma mater: WBB powerhouse Southeast Missouri State.

[swok34]

mred, I think the recruits were at the "men's bash"....or maybe they were held together, but you can bet the majority of the fans were there for the KU men's team.

[mred]

Originally posted by swok34:
mred, I think the recruits were at the "men's bash"....or maybe they were held together, but you can bet the majority of the fans were there for the KU men's team.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/4271760.htm

Above is the link to the article on it. It was a joint thing, but the majority of people were obviously there for MBB. It just doesn't seem that Godette realizes it.

[DblT81]

Duke has the same drawing card. They boast the "atmosphere", but it is only there for the men's team. I did a comparison of Duke to Tech including criteria such as coaching, fan support, facilities, etc. Tech would be a clear winner in each category. But when those young girls see Ivy growing up a wall, they lose all rational thought and fawn over the great support the men's basketball team gets. What's up with that?

What shocked me was that Duke's avg attendance (women's team) actually went DOWN last year from the prior season for a team ranked #3 in early polls. [Shaking my head]

[This message has been edited by DblT81 (edited 10-18-2002).]

[carolann]

But when those young girls see Ivy growing up a wall, they lose all rational thought

Big sigh. And, I think many of the girls' parents may also get starry eyed over the thought of their child going to an ivy league school.

[DblT81]

Not trying to diss your point, but of course Duke is not an ivy league school. They just have ivy growing on the walls of Historic Cameron Indoor Stadium (aka small, old, gym).

[swok34]

and they do charge Ivy league prices http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[carolann]

On, 'not trying to diss your point'. DBLT81, Wasn't that your point, now edited out, about Ivy league schools? Duke is not Ivy League but it seems to be achieving some of that 'private club' aura hanging around it. I read a newspaper report of an interview with Brittany Hunter. She strongly suggested that her visit to Harvard had a lot to do with what her parents wanted.

[DblT81]

I edited my original post two seconds after posting it to correct a mispelled word so it is basically as original.

My point was just about Duke. I've never been there but the pictures of Cameron show ivy covered brick walls.

[elfdenmom]

I have been to Duke, and it has a truly lovely campus with an "intimate" feel to the school. DblT81's point is well taken, though.

Last year when Tech opened against Duke and OU against Purdue, I was stunned that the seats were only half filled, and a lot of those were freebies. I had called long distance to make sure that I had tickets for my family, and they weren't even sure when they would be available. I wanted them sent to my daughter's house, but they insisted on "will call". We got there really early in case there was a problem. Believe me there was no problem getting seats, and they had to move spectators around to make sure it looked like there was a decent crowd. The arena only seats about 7,000 and cannot be enlarged because it is built of stone. Of course it sells out for the men, but the women are definitely NOT a draw. Sad.

[carolann]

Got ya' Just 'Ivy growing up the wall', not necessarily 'ivy league'.

[DblT81]

http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif lol