College basketball

[O Really]

I had no idea women had their own balls.
But really, if they're going to accommodate for size/strength (I guess), why do the women have to play with the same 10-foot hoops?

[billy.pilgrim]

I had no idea women had their own balls.
But really, if they're going to accommodate for size/strength (I guess), why do the women have to play with the same 10-foot hoops?

Because they are so good

[billy.pilgrim]

We play the bammers today.

AU 84
Bama 64

Beat them again

[billy.pilgrim]

how do you blow a 20 point halftime lead to the rebel bears?

[Vrede too]

63 point second half? That's nuts.

Auburn Tigers

Field Goal % 220th
3-point % 149th
Points Scored 87th
Total Rebounds 135th

Ouch.

One hundred straight wins only hints at UConn's dominance

... most recent loss at Stanford way back in Nov. 2014 ...

Ninety-eight of UConn’s 100 victories have come by double figures. Seventy-one have come by at least 30 points. Twenty-five have come by 50 or more. Even in nine games against top-five opponents during the streak, the Huskies’ average margin of victory has been 14 points....

This was supposed to be the season when UConn went from untouchable to vulnerable after graduating senior stars Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck. The Huskies instead haven’t missed a beat without the first three picks in the 2016 WNBA draft, cruising to a 25-0 record that includes victories over elite foes Baylor, Notre Dame, Florida State, Texas and now South Carolina....

Hey, the bastards didn't mention UConn beating my 25-1 Terps 87-81 on 12/29. #2 isn't "elite"?

Terps > UConn in March Madness, hopefully the Championship Game. You heard it hear first.

[billy.pilgrim]

Fell again to #12 gators
95 to 114

Still exciting to watch 5 freshmen lead Florida's 5th year senoirs and 25 year old player for most of 1st half with a halftime tie at 50 each.

We lost our big sophomore forward to season end shoulder injury last week. A little more age and strength training will go a long way, especially for our big guy. His 7 foot frame was in a high school class room 6 weeks ago.

It's been a long time since we had this much excitement at AU over bball. Coach Pearl may be the most fun of all to watch. The network had him wired for sound last night.

[billy.pilgrim]

auburn could have taken one of several 20 point leads into the final minutes and Ethel would have whooped their ass


what the hell happened in those last few minutes? Reckon I have to hope it was just a bunch of freshmen wearing out and all will be in better shape next year.

We even lost to mizzo after big lead and after beating them huge two days before in regulation season - in our 1st game of the sec playoff


next year

it's almost time for football now

[Vrede too]

#14 Dook beat #6 UNC, which would have bothered me but now that my niece will be attending Duke in the Fall I have mixed emotions. Her parents are both Tar Heels, I told her to gloat.

This is an amazing story:

(Unranked) Michigan's whirlwind 48 hours end with overtime upset of (#13) Purdue

[Vrede too]

FBI probe uncovers massive college basketball scandal snaring big-time programs

... Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York blew this shadowy world open in ways that have never before been seen, indicting 10 men, including active assistant basketball coaches at Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State and USC, plus an executive for Adidas, in a widespread case that is sure to rock college basketball to its core....

So far not teams that I root for - sorry, billy.pilgrim - but more revelations are coming.

[billy.pilgrim]

Made your day better, I'm sure!

That it did. They were picked to win.

AU may be finally in the b-ball elite with Coach Pearl. Our top 4 scorers are all freshmen - and one of them is 7 feet tall. The 17 year old had his best game yesterday

Our women's team plays Kentucky today.

oops, there goes the seven footer and maybe the program.

Fire all involved and then fire a few more.

[billy.pilgrim]

FBI probe uncovers massive college basketball scandal snaring big-time programs

... Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York blew this shadowy world open in ways that have never before been seen, indicting 10 men, including active assistant basketball coaches at Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State and USC, plus an executive for Adidas, in a widespread case that is sure to rock college basketball to its core....

So far not teams that I root for - sorry, billy.pilgrim - but more revelations are coming.

Expose them all. Lock them up.

This may be way bigger. I hear there were more raids and arrests a couple of hours ago.

[billy.pilgrim]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/s ... ibery.html


"one complaint charged that Chuck Person, the associate head coach at Auburn, abused his coaching position to solicit and obtain bribes from a financial adviser and business manager for professional athletes. In return, he agreed to direct certain players from his program to the adviser when the players entered the N.B.A. Person accepted a total of $91,500 in the case, the complaint said, and is accused of passing on about $18,500 to the families of two athletes.

Kim emphasized the trust that young players had put in their coaches and noted that Person had boasted of one player: “He listens to one person — that is me.”


No head coaches - yet

[Vrede too]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/s ... ibery.html

Sounds like this was exclusively to benefit associate head coach Chuck Person and not the players or the team. Hell, even the bribing "financial adviser and business manager for professional athletes" got screwed. Auburn hasn't had a player drafted since 2001 and no free agents have made it to the NBA since 2003.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_Ti ... in_the_NBA

[billy.pilgrim]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/s ... ibery.html

Sounds like this was exclusively to benefit associate head coach Chuck Person and not the players or the team. Hell, even the bribing "financial adviser and business manager for professional athletes" got screwed. Auburn hasn't had a player drafted since 2001 and no free agents have made it to the NBA since 2003.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_Ti ... in_the_NBA

accurate on past drafts, but Pearl was/is changing that. I hope he didn't even have a whiff of this, but fire his ass and lock him up if he did.


I hope Person gets many years.

Too soon to know who is involved at Auburn. President Leath has ordered an outside investigation.

There may be other schools to follow as these agents start flipping on anyone and everyone.

[Vrede too]

... There may be other schools to follow as these agents start flipping on anyone and everyone.

Folks seem to be saying that this is the beginning, not the end.

[billy.pilgrim]

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl: Not named in the complaints, but he has a long history with the NCAA. Most notably, Pearl was given a three-year show-cause penalty for lying to the NCAA about hosting recruit Aaron Craft at a BBQ in 2008. Pearl hired Person in 2014.



The South Carolina Gamecocks, aka “University-2:” Evans’ former employer.

The Miami Hurricanes, aka “University-7:” The school is alleged to have had an assistant coach work with Adidas executive James Gatto to arrange a payment of $150,000 to a potential 2018 recruit. Gatto and the coach were reportedly worried the recruit would take another bride for approximately just as much from a rival school and rival apparel company.

Adidas, aka “Company-1:” Employees and affiliates of the sportswear brand have been charged. Adidas’ formal ties to college basketball include the programs it sponsors as well as AAU teams featuring elite recruits on its travel circuit. A company representative allegedly agreed to make two payments totaling $250,000 to recruits to attend schools they sponsor.
The following individuals have all been charged:
James Gatto: The director of global sports marketing for Adidas is accused of working with coaches to bribe recruits to attend Adidas-sponsored basketball programs. The 47-year-old has worked for the company for 23 years.
Merl Code: An Adidas employee, Code is with its high school and college basketball programs. He also worked as director of youth basketball for a rival company (not named, but identifiable as Nike).
Jonathan Brad Augustine: Program director for an amateur high school-aged team (AAU), sponsored by Adidas. Also president of a charity registered in Florida.
Christian Dawkins: Employee of an athlete agency through May 2017. Wasn’t an agent, but a “runner.” Wants to start his own agency.
Muhish Sood: Founder of an investment services company.
Rashan Michael: Founder/operator of a clothing company based in Atlanta and a former NBA and college referee. Best known for being punched by Dominique Wilkins a few years ago.




Probably best to let them play in the NBA when they want. If the NBA wants them straight of the 8th grade - so what?

[billy.pilgrim]

... There may be other schools to follow as these agents start flipping on anyone and everyone.

Folks seem to be saying that this is the beginning, not the end.

the FBI has opened a tip line, and Kim said anyone with information or who has personal involvement would be smart to come forward immediately.  
“If you are someone who is yourself engaged in similar misconduct, I also encourage you to call us,” Kim said. “Because it’s better for you to call us than for us to call you.”

[Vrede too]

Not sure what source you used but the same article is all over the web, though it's been corrected some places.
http://us.lalalay.com/news/sports/-8691 ... e-for-now/

... The Miami Hurricanes, aka “University-7:” The school is alleged to have had an assistant coach work with Adidas executive James Gatto to arrange a payment of $150,000 to a potential 2018 recruit. Gatto and the coach were reportedly worried the recruit would take another bride for approximately just as much from a rival school and rival apparel company....

Giving players brides is just wrong.

[billy.pilgrim]

Not sure what source you used but the same article is all over the web, though it's been corrected some places.
http://us.lalalay.com/news/sports/-8691 ... e-for-now/

... The Miami Hurricanes, aka “University-7:” The school is alleged to have had an assistant coach work with Adidas executive James Gatto to arrange a payment of $150,000 to a potential 2018 recruit. Gatto and the coach were reportedly worried the recruit would take another bride for approximately just as much from a rival school and rival apparel company....

Giving players brides is just wrong.

ours doesn't seem (so far) to be as bad as some of the others, but there is an Auburn pic at the beginning of almost every article.

[Vrede too]

Do the female Hurricanes get husbands, and why isn't the mens team called the Himmicanes?

... No head coaches - yet

Pitino's out at Louisville.