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I don't think he would be used exclusively as a 4, but I think he falls more into the Christian Watford role. That's what I think he is a bit wary of.  Watford played primarily on the wing later in his career, but at first he played a lot of 4. We will see. Obviously if Crean really wants him, he will put his best foot forward but I doubt he will straight up lie to the kid and tell him he won't ever play the post. 

  I can confirm this based on the same premium info. He wants to play on the perimeter in college and has little to no interest in playing the 4.

  Getting in a kid late in the process and expecting to always win out because your Indiana is completely unrealistic. Kids build relationships with coaches and programs over time, and just because you would choose IU over Georgia or South Carolina doesn't mean that every kid on Earth would too. There's A LOT more that goes into a kid's decision than dusty banners hanging in the arena. 

Calipari to the Lakers is a potentially GREAT fit. What the Lakers need is a players coach that provides structure but pretty much lets the players do what they have to do. Kobe needs a coach that will let him do his thing, and Calipari is exactly that. By all accounts, he's not an incredible coach. But he does have plenty of experience dealing with star players (including future NBA All-Stars and MVPs) and has gotten success pairing great players together (it hasn't always worked out, but that 2011 team was dominant).  In the NBA, it's not all about the coach. Star players have just as much (in some cases, more) of a say in what happens as the coaches. Calipari and Kobe seems like it would be a great pairing for both sides. 

What is Athletic Business? 

  Steve Alford, the coach that will stand by your side no matter who you've raped. 

Cal will get sick of Lexington. Why would he want to stay there? He's made 3 FFs and won a championship, now time to head to the bright lights of Los Angeles. He doesn't strike me as someone who's interested in a quite life in middle Kentucky. And even though he's the highest paid coach in college, I'd say the Lakers would be able to offer him whatever he wants.    Plus think of all the marketing opportunities out there... NBA > NCAA in terms of marketability, fame, fortune. It's just a matter of time before he goes back to the big leagues. The only thing is that there is so much turnover at the head coach position in the NBA, he could have a great job opening available after each of the next 2,3,5 whatever seasons. Lakers this year (Knicks too?), who knows what will be open next year. 

  I think Troy already has elevators under his feet... that boy can fly

  Seriously... I think just about any team could find room for a sophomore that averaged over 17 points a game in a power conference. 

The fact that he is transferring and considering IU is hilarious. Do we know if IU is considering him or if this is just one way interest?

Would have been a nice addition, but clearly there was something more enticing for him at Georgia so good luck to him. 

They let Caris Levert leave a couple years ago when Groce left. Funny story... Groce never called him to talk about flipping to Illinois so he committed to Michigan instead. Whoops. 

  You would think so... but he's by far their best recruit so it might still be difficult.  I would hope Ohio lets him go either way. 

Looks like Jim Christian to Boston College is official... wonder if Tariq will follow the coach back East. Being from Maryland, it's not like Chestnut Hill is just a short drive. But it's definitely closer than IU. I wonder if having Christian up at BC will impact his decision. 

****************************************** State you Grew up: Illinois (Chicago suburbs) State you Live now: Illinois (Chicago city) NCAAB: IUBB NCAAF: IUFB NBA: Bulls NFL: Bears MLB: White Sox NHL: Blackhawks SOCCER: lol RACING: lol GOLF: Tiger Woods, obv TENNIS: will watch top-ranked players only ******************************************

  This is off topic, but I lived at 320 S Grant my senior year at IU... right across the street from 323 and next to what I'm pretty sure was a halfway house of some kind. 

I don't think any coaches are really friends in the sense that they will back off recruits just because their buddy is in on them. Especially when the two coaches are at the two highest profile schools in the same conference. 

I actually would like to take a step back from above post... I wouldn't say they are worse off than the AAC yet. But they aren't trending in the right direction. Some Big East schools have some solid recruits coming in (for now) and that may help.    EDIT: Plus the AAC is picking up Tulsa, Tulane and ECU next season while losing Louisville. Tulsa was in the tournament this year but I don't know much about the other two from the bball POV. I'm guessing they will benefit from joining he AAC, but not vice versa for at least a few years. 

  With Doug McDermott leaving, the Big East is losing it's biggest star on the court. With Buzz Williams leaving, they also lose one of their biggest names on the sidelines. The BE is in trouble... arguably worse off than the conference it split from (though Louisville's 1 year in AAC is over now). 

Crean will be the coach for the foreseeable future... time to accept that fact and support the team. 

  Most seem to think that Buzz wasn't too thrilled about the future of the Big East, and decided to jump ship for the ACC. 

LOL whoops... South Carolina makes even less sense than Southern Cal!

From the outside, it does seem that Indiana is the obvious choice. But I would qualify that by saying that not every kid has the same priorities/wants. Maybe he wants to be the star for a mid-major, maybe he prefers a city campus, maybe he's looking to get far away from Chicago. But again, it seems fairly clear that IU has the most to offer Josh:   - Indiana has the best basketball tradition, is in a great college town and has the best arena/fan base of any of these options. Great academic school, in the B1G, putting multiple guys in the NBA lottery, and close to home. But at the same time, they are re-building, and have some uncertainty surrounding the future of the program and coaching staff (though he would have to hear that from someone outside of IU, like an opposing coach).   - Bradley is closest to home (though like I said before, it is NOT Chicago) and he has a chance to be their star. But with B1G offers on the table, you're reminded it's only Bradley. The opportunity to be the star vs the opportunity to get that big conference exposure. History says guys usually go with the latter.    - USC has the location (sort of), but it's super far away, the doormat of the Pac12 and academics will be tough. Unproven head coach who may have just caught lightning in a bottle at FGCU and parlayed it into a job he's not fully qualified for. Might be a few years before he has them competing, if ever.    - Creighton has had recent success, is relatively close, is now in a big conference, but after losing Dougie McBuckets who knows what kind of team they will be. They have the same coach, but Doug has been the face of the program for 4 years. They are moving into uncharted territory.    - Minnesota is a city campus, in the B1G, with a young, up-and-coming coach. They also have a weird arena, not much basketball tradition, colder weather than Chicago and a coach that will leave as soon as a better offer comes along (he left FIU after just one season). If they make the NCAAs in the next season or two, other schools will come calling. Even if just for the name.    - Oklahoma is a wild card... no idea why they are involved but they are a big conference school with a well-known and successful coach. But it's Oklahoma, which for a Chicago kid has got to be quite the culture shock. Been to NCAA tournament in each of last 2 seasons (OU and Creighton are the only schools on this list that can say that). 

  There are plenty of boosters with deep pockets, but Crean's buyout is very high.  Another year of missing the tournament and there might be enough boosters willing to open up their wallets to get him out of Bloomington. However, I don't think they pony up that kind of cash unless they can bring in a replacement they really want. If they can't get Brad Stevens, Shaka Smart, Gregg Marshall (?), or some other really good coach that they want, Crean will stay put IMO.   If he starts winning again, the noose will loosen up a little bit. 

So Maten's recruitment just got a heckuva lot more difficult for schools not in East Lansing. Izzo steps up and offers him a scholly while he (Yante) is in Bloomington. Power moves only.