mdn82

Didn’t the Knicks take them to 7 early in the run? Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Agreed. And I don’t want people to think I am suggesting paying players will go away. It won’t. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Oh I wouldn’t expect them to. It’s every coaches job to look for any advantage possible. It’s the NCAA’s job to continually improve and adjust the rules with the times. There really isn’t a ton of money outside of March Madness the NCAA gets from basketball. That tv deal alone was just over $10 billion. In Sports Illustrated in a recent article it said 80% of the revenue for the NCAA as an organization comes from March Madness. No matter who is playing that tournament has always provided viewership. When Duke played Butler it had a tv rating of 34% higher than UNC vs MSU the year before. So while I get the NCAA does make a lot of money, I would argue their actual revenue (March Madness) they would prefer fresh teams every year. Even surprising teams. That’s good business for them. I think oversight is an issue. A complex issue that the schools don’t want in the hands of the NCAA. They are the ones reaping the benefits more so I feel on an individual level. Kansas cares Kansas is getting hammered. The NCAA really doesn’t. They are better for the product, but if they miss a tournament or two nobody in the NCAA will skip a beat. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

To me a consultant is working on behalf of or with a working interest. They have been able to largely define booster and I don’t see why they couldn’t define someone working on behalf of a shoe company. But your last part goes back to an interesting point about the calls. No they are not able to trace phones, but why when a coach is already using a school provided phone where they have to track contacting recruits can they not track whom they are in contact with on that phone? Obviously they would start using their wife’s phone, etc. But in those events they would be explicitly endangering whomever’s phone by actually committing crimes. Sure there would be some that take that chance, but you can’t plan for everything. Why not try and control what you can? Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Anyone that is a “Consultant” with a shoe company. Why do they have to work through a head coach? Why can’t they go through an AD. Within that relationship there should be parameters. There shouldn’t be 24/7 access to a program for a man whose whole job is relationship management. 100/100 times you will end up with situations like this. If all they are worried about is legitimately branding that can easily be maintained at a higher level. Coaches aren’t allowed to exclusively have final decisions on those things. Phone records could easily sift through that. If there are communications needed you can easily do a virtual meeting that can log that information at the coach level. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

The only thing I am unsure of is they knew explicit player xxx was going to receive xxx amount. I thought that was going to be the battle. There is enough up for interpretation and let’s be real, they both knew why the other was on the phone. I just don’t why the NCAA won’t put a rule in place to keep runners/bag men away from programs. Why would the people involved to this point need access to a Bill Self? To me that’s where the violation should be. The person would of course change in the future, but it’s ok for rules to evolve. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

For sure. But that’s what makes this whole FBI case interesting. Their whole case rests on the agent being a booster. That’s all five level 1’s for Kansas. If this goes through that won’t be a possible excuse anymore. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Yeah, nobody will ever tell me Zion didn’t get paid (he should with all of the money everyone made off of him). But like a Semi Ojeleye we were both in on, I doubt he is getting much. They always seem to have a guy or two per year that’s the allure of Duke guy. A Plumlee, a Jack White, etc. They do seem to be in more money players in recent years. When you get 1, 2, and 3 you stretched your budget. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

It sounds like he didn’t get paid directly so they want him to acknowledge he knew why people got money. I doubt we hear him say much. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Deny, deny, settlement. That’s what I see in our future. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

They do know what’s going on. UNC dealt with academics. I agree they should have been hammered, but that’s something UNC was able to fight with the reach NCAA made then. This is recordings, notes, letters, emails, etc. you paying players. Even Kansas own fans know they are about to get hammered and most hope it’s a one year thing for postseason ban and Self gets one year suspended. That’s what their fans are mostly hoping for on various boards. But with this response from the NCAA to Kansas response means we are a couple of months from knowing what is handed down. Then the appeal. If they go to the independent board to weigh in on this I wonder what the timeline changes to. I really have zero doubts Kansas and Self get hammered. Their boards almost gave that IU feel at the end of Sampsongate. Kind of weird the majority of them are resigned to the fact they are going to get hammered. I didn’t expect that. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I definitely get the cynicism shown by a lot of people. But the biggest issue the NCAA always has had is getting anything concrete. All you had to do prior is deny, deny, deny. These are legal documents and recordings. I just don’t see how they don’t come down on Kansas. I keep seeing all of the money Kansas makes the NCAA. That’s not entirely true. March Madness makes the NCAA a ton of money. The most money. Did anyone in the 70’s feel the NCAA could survive without an Indiana or UCLA being constantly good? Probably not if we would have asked. It’s better when a Kansas is good, but the NCAA is at a crossroads and if they don’t come down on them with 5 level 1’s they are dead. IMO. If I am wrong I will have lost any shred of faith in all of this and honestly it just won’t mean much to me anymore. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

No but 5 level 1’s is like saying there is no control. So I don’t see how we don’t see something massive at first. Then the appeal. Louisville had 1. Crazy what they think/know they have on them to come down like that. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/29147741/ncaa-enforcement-office-calls-kansas-violations-egregious-severe They got five level 1’s? Man I bet Louisville doesn’t get much but I bet this punishment plays out in court.

I don’t disagree with the overall point you are making on paying 5* to go to the B1G but I was more speaking to we only have 2 teams with a top 25 class. Usually we will have around 4 or 5 of not more. Across the board it’s a down year mostly. Wisconsin and Purdue are right outside of the top 25. I just can’t recall a year where it was like this. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I was really surprised to see OSU’s class after last year. Figured it would bring some momentum. Juwan won’t make the locals happy with that class either. I don’t think most of us would be happy without a Lander reclass. Odd year in B1G recruiting. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

Definitely with the European players. That and Drazen Petrović/Arvydas Sabonis. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I just liked his consistency at both ends. Magic definitely had the better skill set and was a matchup nightmare on offense. Pretty solid defender. At that time in the NBA there was nothing talent wise in the early 80s that could stop him. I get it. I figured someone would question that. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

You are correct. There is a lot that goes into it. Much like there is a lot that goes into what makes a player great. Part of what made Jordan so great was his ability to elevate the people he did. His will to win. His competitiveness. That isn’t hyperbole. You knew when you were watching him he didn’t want to just beat you, he wanted to destroy you truly. That isn’t a skill that can be tracked by statistic. That’s why it’s all subjective. Imo if you had a draft of every player in the NBA history Lebron would go 1. He should based on his skillset. I would still even to this day bet in that scenario Jordan would win more than Lebron. That chip on his shoulder would be huge with anyone being picked ahead of him and drive him to greatness. Lebron would still have his great career no doubt. But it’s just splitting hairs. It’s all preference. I prefer to get the guy that continually wins whether you need scoring, rebounding, assists, or defense. There wasn’t a phase of the game he took off at any point no matter who they were playing. But I wouldn’t blame anyone for wanting Lebron. Much like I don’t blame the Rockets for wanting Olajuwon. They got a hall of famer that won two titles. Trailblazers are another story. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Completely agreed. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

That’s fair. I disagree but I think it’s a fine line. In football I think Dan Marino is one of the greatest quarterbacks who ever lived. But he doesn’t get that recognition due to not winning a title. I think to be that great you have to elevate your teammates. So it’s up to personal interpretation of what makes a player great. If you feel that way that’s fine. I don’t necessarily agree because many individual awards are given to the best players on teams that win. Those same awards are used to determine or argue who is great. It’s a very subjective conversation that I don’t feel there is a right or wrong and it comes down to personal preference. On your list where you added Bird and Magic. Why? Were they great? Sure, but did they have better individual seasons than other players? Some but not a ton. They won. That’s how you remember them. That’s why they are up on the pedestal they are on. John Stockton personally was better than Magic. But he was stoic, not on commercials, and didn’t win a title. It’s personal preference, but if you say you can’t use titles because it’s a team thing, I would argue you could take out MVP, DPOY, etc. Then everyone would blindly say Lebron. There are more elements than individual potential or skill that makes a player great. Imo Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Ha. To be fair what did AD win prior to Lebron? That’s coming from somebody that would defend MJ to the death, because I feel he is the greatest player at his peak. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Yep. That drove the way we moderated for years. We knew who came on and we wanted to be respectful of that. Unfortunately people feel comfortable saying things about a kid because they aren’t real to them if that makes sense. They are an object on a tv. You best believe, most every player at IU has been on this board or Rivals/Scout/247 at some point over the last 10 years. There is literally no positive they are going to take away from this, only the negative. The athletic office follows these regularly. The family of players follow these. But that is where player bashing rules originated from. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

Arguably. Sure. But it is so hard to win a title. At some point your star has to lift you. Him being on this team puts them in this conversation. It’s still impressive no matter how anyone tries and minimizes. I mean Frank Vogel is a solid enough coach, but he isn’t going to elevate them. I would take AD for sure but the rest are interchangeable role players you can find most every year. They look great now because of where they are. When you start selling me on Alex Caruso I know Lebron was having a great year. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I don’t know man. If he wins it’s his third different franchise with a title. That’s pretty damn impressive. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app