HEY K-STATE FANS

Maybe Frank tried recruiting west of the Mississippi, but the potential recruits didn't want to go to K-State.

I think Frank Martin is from Miami...graduated there...coached there...Used to be a bouncer. Was considering accepting a job as a bodyguard for a king. Interesting article, click here

Ratzilla wrote:

I think he's from Florida justoo. Might be a factor, but I'd think a KS coach would have information made available in the area he's in by way of high school coaches or sports commentators promoting above average players.

He does seem to be the kind of coach who puts together a new team every year with a few four-year players. A lot of his players are transfers or Juco recruits. That doesn't usually make for long-term success. If you look at Kansas, Duke or Carolina, the players are recruited out of high school and developed into the system by the coaches. That's the key for mid-majors who make big runs in the tournament, such as Butler this year or George Mason three years ago. They are senior laden teams that have been playing together for four, and in some cases five years after red shirting.

Cole Aldrich is leaving KU for the NBA. Many people will question the decision, but I heard on the radio today that he has very few credits left to graduate, so he will probably finish online or this summer. The only thing left for him would be to go after another National Championship, but the risk of injury and the millions of dollars that it would cost him make too big of a gamble. Keep in mind that he was the National Academic All-American of the Year this year.

Oz wrote:

Maybe Frank tried recruiting west of the Mississippi, but the potential recruits didn't want to go to K-State.

Yeah, I thought of that, but there are a whole lot of K-State fans in "this" state. But of course, maybe the really hot players have higher goals.

The Other One wrote:

If you look at Kansas, Duke or Carolina, the players are recruited out of high school and developed into the system by the coaches. That's the key for mid-majors who make big runs in the tournament, such as Butler this year or George Mason three years ago. They are senior laden teams that have been playing together for four, and in some cases five years after red shirting.

That's kinda what I was telling a K-Stater today. Martin needs to quit searching for miracle players and mold a team as you say. You'd think a million dollar coach would have the skills and patience for it.

I saw that about Aldrich going pro. If the offers are there and he wants to play, why not? Is it right that Clemente and Pullen may both be out next year for the cats? That'd doom that team for sure next year.

See I really dont like that. I think that these guys SHOULD be required to graduate first. Ive always felt that way for all college athletes recruited into Pro sports.

Clemente is a senior so he's not playing next year in any case.

I think EP indicated Aldrich was close enough he'd probably finish. Otherwise I tend to agree with you that college should not be just a ramp off to the pro's. If they do I'd say they should pay back the school anything spent on them in any way.

I agree with that 100%!

I'm glad Sherron Collins didn't decide to go pro last year, even though it seems like he'll be a second round pick this year, at least he will have his college degree.

Cole Aldrich took 18 hours this semester, I believe. Which leaves him with probably 2 classes in order to graduate. Apparently everyone sort of knew this was the route he was going to take, hence the 18-hour courseload.

Xavier Henry is supposed to make an announcement within a week or so. I don't feel as though his season was all that good. He started out really good, but he kind of had a slump there. I hope he stays another year for the experience. And because he's a doll. :-)

luv2cook wrote:

See I really dont like that. I think that these guys SHOULD be required to graduate first. Ive always felt that way for all college athletes recruited into Pro sports.

It doesn't matter whether we like it or not. The Supreme Court ruled years ago that pro sports requiring certain academic achievements before entering the draft was a violation of the individual's right to make a living. That's why there was a flood of high school players entering the NBA draft. A few have been very successful - Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett - most have been miserable failures.

The Other One wrote:

The Supreme Court ruled years ago that pro sports requiring certain academic achievements before entering the draft was a violation of the individual's right to make a living.

I don't think L2C meant that and I know I didn't mean pro sports should require anything. What I mean is that when a an athlete signs onto a school on an athletic scholarship they are required to be a student too. They should have to either pass what is expected of them or reimburse the school (AKA the taxpayers) for what we have wasted on their education, and any perks as well as money spent training them for that pro sports job.

Ratzilla wrote:

The Other One wrote:

The Supreme Court ruled years ago that pro sports requiring certain academic achievements before entering the draft was a violation of the individual's right to make a living.

I don't think L2C meant that and I know I didn't mean pro sports should require anything. What I mean is that when a an athlete signs onto a school on an athletic scholarship they are required to be a student too. They should have to either pass what is expected of them or reimburse the school (AKA the taxpayers) for what we have wasted on their education, and any perks as well as money spent training them for that pro sports job.

Until they all agree to require that, none of them will. There's too much money at stake.

Of course, there's the other side of the coin, too. The universities make a lot of money without technically paying the players. I remember a story when Greg Ostertag was a senior at KU about the school making big bucks from the sale of jerseys with Ostertag's name on them. Meanwhile he, his wife and baby were living on welfare and food stamps due to the NCAA's restrictions on scholarship players having jobs. He was an instant millionaire later that year, but he probably could have left school a year earlier and still been drafted pretty high. He is 7'2" tall.

Why would NCAA rules forbid a scholarship player from having a job? I've never heard that before. And you make a valid point that the schools can make some good money on a player. The money involved is why college sports is such a complex mess.

Ratzilla wrote:

Why would NCAA rules forbid a scholarship player from having a job? I've never heard that before. And you make a valid point that the schools can make some good money on a player. The money involved is why college sports is such a complex mess.

The rule has changed since then (in 1998), but athletes are only allowed to earn $2000 during the academic year. That wouldn't go too far if you were an older student, married and had a kid or two.

Or in the case of BYU, married to several wives with a dozen kids by the time you're a senior. (That was a joke.)

"This is the first year in which full-ride student athletes have been able to work during the school year, thanks to the NCAA's Proposition 98-9. The new work rules allow students who have been at school at least a year to earn up to $2,000 during the academic year while working on- or off-campus. There are no other restrictions on students' eligibility to work, although FSU and some other schools require students to have a minimum grade-point average."

Source

Final Four:

NCAA
BASKETBALL
SUCKS
ALWAYS!