Who’s Winning the John Calipari vs. Bill Self Recruiting Battle?
Losing out on Andrew Wiggins wasn’t exactly Derrick Rose bricking some free throws and Mario Chalmers offering one of the best stomach-punch shots in the history of the tournament, but it was one of the few moments in recent memory when John Calipari didn’t get what he wanted.
Once again, on the other end was Bill Self.
No one is crying for Calipari. Both he and Self got to puff their chests on Tuesday. Self landed Wiggins, one of the most prized prospects of all time, and his class is the best he’s ever had at Kansas. Calipari’s class, which includes a few players Self coveted, is still perceived as better.
This is not the first time that Self and Calipari have gone head-to-head for a recruit, and it certainly will not be the last.
It’s obvious why it happens. Self and Calipari are the two best recruiters in the game right now. They coach at two of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball, and high-profile recruits want to play at prestigious basketball schools.
But there’s more to it than that. Both coaches seem to like the same kind of players, and there’s a history of some high-profile battles.
From a strictly basketball perspective, history will look back at them as connected in this era. Self won his first national championship over Calipari. Calipari won his first over Self. They both were grad assistants at Kansas under Larry Brown.
From a recruiting perspective, the insiders who follow that side of the sport will be telling stories down the road of the battles between the two men.
If you’re keeping score at home, Self is making a strong comeback with his latest victory.
These are the players who have seriously considered playing for Calipari or Self and then ended up signing with one of the two coaches.
| Bill Self Recruits | John Calipari Recruits |
|---|---|
| Andrew Wiggins | Julius Randle |
| Perry Ellis | James Young |
| Josh Selby | *Archie Goodwin |
| Thomas Robinson | Kyle Wiltjer |
| Xavier Henry | Doron Lamb |
| Marcus Morris | Brandon Knight |
| Markieff Morris | Terrence Jones |
| Daniel Orton | |
| John Wall |
*Goodwin is the only player Calipari recruited on this list who did not have Kansas as a finalist, but he eliminated Kansas late, according to this ESPN.com story.
Self and Calipari have not expressed any friction publicly, but it would be understandable if there’s some there, which could have started with the Morris twins.
The twins committed to Calipari at Memphis, then decommitted, then committed again and then decommitted again. Or something like that. It was like a teenage relationship. It is all explained here in this story in The Commercial Appeal. Eventually, the twins signed with Kansas in October of 2008.
Xavier Henry was also Memphis-bound at one time. This was a loss that had to sting for Self. Henry’s parents both played basketball at Kansas.
Then Calipari left for Kentucky, and unlike DeMarcus Cousins, Henry choose not to follow Calipari and wound up signing at Kansas, where his brother transferred after spending one year at Memphis. Calipari won most of the battles that followed.
For Self, it had to sting to lose out on Daniel Orton, Terrence Jones, Kyle Wiltjer and Julius Randle. Kansas has done well developing big men, and all four would have fit well in KU’s system.
Calipari has won the numbers game, but it’s not really fair to strictly stop there. Since both will continue to go against each other regularly—they’re both in the mix for the top three recruits in Rivals.com’s 2014 class—they should be keeping another kind of scorecard: How the players who wound up at their schools have performed.
I came up with a system for how to score player performance in this battle. This is the scoring system.
| Achievement | Points |
|---|---|
| All-League (2nd or 3rd team) | 1 |
| First-team All-League | 2 |
| Conference POY | 3 |
| All-American (2nd or 3rd team) | 4 |
| First-team All-American | 5 |
Here’s the scorecard:
| Bill Self | John Calipari |
|---|---|
| 21 | 16 |
Self benefited the most from both Marcus Morris and Thomas Robinson staying school for three years. Perry Ellis could be the next player in Self’s system to thrive his sophomore and junior year.
Usually when a big-time prospect has stuck around for Calipari past his sophomore year, such as Wiltjer, the reward has not been as great.
Calipari has had more success with the one-and-done or two-and-done players. Both Doron Lamb and Jones were major contributors on Kentucky’s championship team. John Wall was a first-team All-American and the SEC player of the year in his one season at Kentucky. Brandon Knight helped lead the Wildcats to the Final Four.
Self has not had as much luck with the one-and-done crew. Selby never really had much of an impact in his one year at Kansas. Henry was an honorable mention All-Big 12 player, but he’s been a bust in the league. Ben McLemore, who wasn’t recruited by UK, will be viewed as Self’s first great one-and-done success.
It’s not as though Calipari’s one-and-dones have always thrived, as Daniel Orton and Archie Goodwin came and went without accomplishing much in their one year in Lexington.
The battle continues next season, which could give both coaches plenty of ammo in the recruiting battles in the 2014 class. Calipari could even the score with Randle, who Kansas really wanted, or Wiggins could give Self a feather in his cap.
The real winner will be whichever coach gets his second national title first. And you know what would be great? KU and UK in the 2013-14 final with Wiggins and Randle squaring off in the final seconds for the win. Bragging rights to the winner.
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Kobe Bryant Enters Legal Battle with Mother over Auction Worth $1.5 Million
Kobe Bryant has some legal drama with his mama.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jane M. Von Bergen reports on a cease and desist letter Bryant’s legal team sent to Goldin Auctions L.L.C. of West Berlin—an auction house that was set to sell off a reported $1.5 million worth of Bryant memorabilia his mother claims ownership to.
The 42 items of merchandise, which include several Lower Merion uniforms worn by the player and two 2000 Lakers Championship rings designed for his parents, were to go up for auction in June, each authenticated as genuine by Pamela Bryant.
In a tale of what can happen when adult children move on but leave behind their “treasures,” Goldin filed suit asking the judge to clarify ownership of the memorabilia and clear the way for the auction.
According to the report, Pamela Bryant is in Thailand with Bryant’s father, Joseph “Jellybean” Bryant, who now coaches a team there.
She was contacted by Goldin and assured the auction house that she was the proper owner of the memorabilia and the auction should proceed as planned. It’s understandable, because the report issues, “Pamela Bryant has received a pre-auction consigning fee of $450,000 and has used it to buy a house.”
The auction company that is suing for a clear determination of the product’s ownership released a statement by their founder, Ken Goldin:
“Normally, items like these can only be viewed in a museum or the Hall of Fame. We are honored to be able to make these offerings to collectors around the world.”
While Bryant has yet to speak publicly on the matter, his legal team, headed by Mark Campbell, released a brief statement: “Mr. Bryant’s personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it.”
At the heart of the dispute is a mother who has had the items for what she claims is upwards of 15 years, at a cost of $1,500 a month to store and insure them in a West Berlin location for a portion of that time.
According to the report, Pamela Bryant asked her son’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, if she wanted the items back, which was about seven to eight years ago. When Vanessa declined, Pamela moved the items to West Berlin about five years ago.
The report states Bryant’s mother is adamant that her son never asked for the items to be returned, nor did she take them without his permission.
And so we have one side of the story and a compelling one. The mother, as it seems, put up a great deal of money to store items for her son, apparently never asking for recompense.
Still, there is something to be said for asking before you sell off a piece of personal history. I am sure many of you have awards, medals and fond childhood mementos that clutter a parent’s house, or once did.
Of those, there must be a great many who never thought to ask a parent not to auction it off. Of course, we can’t all be NBA superstars—a fact that would make said mementos valuable beyond imagining.
The report states Pamela Bryant is hoping to net the $1.5 million to buy a house in Nevada, making this case far different from any that non-All-Star athletes might experience.
While parents usually hold onto these items out of fond remembrance and affection, there is very real monetary value to be had here.
But doesn’t Bryant have some say in whether his past is sold off?
Of course, many of you will demand this rich athlete never wanted his items and should have taken them out years ago. Well, we all need to head to the old stomping grounds for that priceless picture you drew as a five-year-old.
Von Bergen does offer that mother and son have had a tumultuous past and reminds us neither parent was at their son’s wedding.
While Bryant is yet to comment and will more than likely keep a tight lid on the proceedings from here on out, we can assume this will be a long, drawn-out battle. Kobe is as stubborn as any on the court.
The report issues Bryant’s legal team must answer the Goldin suit by Wednesday, just a few short days before Mother’s Day.
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Andrew Wiggins’ Canceled Visits Will Have Zero Effect on Recruiting Battle
Don’t go printing the “Welcome Andrew” banners just yet, Kentucky fans.
College basketball fans were surprised to hear Andrew Wiggins had canceled his visits with North Carolina, Kansas and Florida State (h/t Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports):
While the Wildcats look to be at a major advantage, Wiggins’ high school coach is under the belief that the star forward is simply fatigued (h/t Jeff Borzello of CBSSports.com):
“It means nothing,” Rob Fulford told CBSSports.com Monday morning. “He’s just tired. He doesn’t want to deal with it.”
Wiggins played for the World Team at the Nike Hoop Summit this past weekend, and is still stuck in Portland after his flight home was canceled.
“He’s just drained,” Fulford said. “He is shutting it down.”
Let’s not forget that Wiggins is still a teenager having to juggle all of this recruiting madness with his regular life. It’s a lot to take in such a short amount of time, so it’s reasonable Wiggins would want a break.
Why shouldn’t Fulford be taken at face value?
This isn’t a pro sport where free agents play games with potential suitors.
This is college basketball. Make whatever jokes you want about illegal payments, it’s not as if Wiggins can play one school off another in order to get a sweeter financial package, at least hypothetically.
Many fans and experts are jumping the gun by treating the news to mean without a shadow of a doubt Wiggins has chosen Kentucky, and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes official. Granted, the cancellations do inevitably send a message to everyone but Kentucky, it’s not as if Wiggins has never met Roy Williams, Bill Self or Leonard Hamilton before.
Plus, he’s already had on-campus visits with all of the schools. Wiggins has been told everything he’ll need to hear from Williams, Self and Hamilton. There’s no need for them to continue reiterating the same talking points over and over again.
What is there new to be learned by having the three schools all visit you in person? It’s a personal touch, but one Wiggins feels is now unnecessary. Really, you’d have to agree with him.
Kansas and North Carolina’s reputations speak for themselves, and Florida State is the alma mater of both Wiggins’ mother and father. Wiggins won’t need each head coach to visit him personally and tell him how good he is and how he’ll be the star of their team. Everybody is already plainly aware of the situation.
As great a recruiter as John Calipari has been, this one’s not in the bag for him by any stretch, as the Wildcats aren’t without their negatives. There’s still only ball to go around. It’s possible to have too many stars on one team. Joining an already loaded recruiting class might not be the best move for Wiggins. He’ll be aware of the potential logjam that could be created by choosing Kentucky.
Wiggins has a difficult choice ahead of him. It’s one that he’s labored over for months, and it’s also one that wouldn’t have been swayed during an in-house visit.
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Front-Line Battle Will Decide Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers Series
If you made it through Game 1 of the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers matchup, I commend you. Not only did you survive what many still consider to be a boring NBA playoff series, but you also learned a few things.
Paul George is the man. The Hawks still lack an identity. Paul George is the man. The Pacers can actually put points on the board. Kyle Korver does, in fact, miss. Paul George is the man. Roy Hibbert is not. Al Horford and Josh Smith are in for an up-and-down series. And Paul George is the man.
Oh, and this matchup is going to come down to how each front line fares against the other.
George will (probably) continue to toil with absolutely ridiculous stat lines, Jeff Teague will (usually) be a nice barometer for how the Hawks perform overall and defense should (eventually) become the prevailing narrative in this series.
But more so than any other individual performances, you have that matchup of the front lines. We’re talking Smith and Horford against West and Hibbert. George against Korver. And maybe even a little Tyler Hansbrough vs. Ivan Johnson sprinkled in. Mainly, though, the starting three up front will have the most impact.
And for the Pacers, this was a good thing in Game 1.
Indiana’s starting front line of George, West and Hibbert combined for 52 points, 28 rebounds, 14 assists, two steals and three blocks on 39.6 percent shooting. Their display from the field wasn’t pretty (courtesy of George (23.1 percent) and Hibbert (41.2)), but George did a great job attacking the rim, and finished 17-of-18 from the foul line.
Watching the three of them, it was apparent that George and West have their heads on offensively.
George was just 3-of-13 from the field, but did an excellent job directing the offense (12 assists), and West continues to showcase his fancy footwork and superior handle in the post.
Hibbert does concern me on the offensive end. His shot selection is far from ideal and he tends to shoot a low percentage from the field for a big man. When he’s on, he’s on. But when he’s off, oh man, is he off.
Defensively, these three are exceptional. Not only are they all (relatively) strong rebounders, but they also do a great job providing help defense off switches and rotations. On the perimeter, George is great at fighting over screens and limiting the space his man has to work with.
If I had to nitpick (and I’m going to), Hibbert has the potential to make them better. Of the three, he grabbed the fewest number of rebounds (eight), and I fully believe he would swat close to four or five shots a game if he committed to contesting more field goals.
Still, it’s hard not to look at Indiana’s front line and cringe if you’re the opponent. George and West especially are among the more versatile inside-out players in the NBA.
Atlanta’s front three aren’t chopped, minced or ground liver, though.
Korver is a three-point specialist, only capable of making a limited impact on the defensive end. In other words, if he’s not hitting his shots, he’s not effective.
In Game 1, he wasn’t hitting his shots. Korver was just 2-of-7 from the field (1-of-4 from three) for five points.
Unlike Korver, Smith is has no such limitations. Well, his distance shooting can be an abomination, but still.
Smith himself had a stellar game. He was 7-of-15 from the field for 15 points and pitched in eight rebounds and five assists as well. He’s truly one of the most underrated passers in the game.
Shot selection continues to be an issue with him. He hoisted up four three-pointers, only one of which should really have been taken. Ball control off the dribble (four turnovers) is an area of concern as well.
Horford had it going in the second quarter before disappearing in the second half. He finished with 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting and six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
Together, the trio combined for 34 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block on 44.5 percent shooting in what was, quite frankly, an underwhelming performance.
No, it wasn’t terrible, but it lacked overall potency. It’s no coincidence that they were outscored by 18 points and the Pacers won by 17. None at all.
This series is going to come down to which front line can rise to the occasion more. Who can grab the most rebounds? Mitigate the impact of their opponent on defense? Emerge as a consistent source of offense?
Who is up to the challenge that comes with playing in the postseason?
At first glance, most would immediately look at the Pacers. And I wouldn’t (couldn’t, really) blame them.
Indiana’s front line (Hibbert included) was far more aggressive on either end of the floor. George outmatched the energy levels of everyone involved, and Korver proved to be a liability that couldn’t be covered up. Not when he’s hitting on just two of his seven field-goal attempts.
And Smith and Horford aren’t going to be able to eclipse the stylings of West or Hibbert (no matter how timid Hibbert tends to play). Far too often, both disappear. Especially Horford.
Then there’s Smith, who toggles back and forth between a dedicated, two-way superstar and a poor executor whose attitude implies disinterest (though I doubt it is).
Unless the Hawks can figure out how to match the intensity of their front-line adversaries and become more efficient on the defensive end, it’s going to be a long series for them.
And an incredibly short one for the Pacers.
Not unlike we saw in Game 1.
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Favors growing up as Jazz battle for playoff spot (Yahoo! Sports)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Tyrone Corbin remembers the scared pup that arrived in Salt Lake City as part of the Deron Williams trade two years ago.
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Louisville vs. Michigan: Breaking Down Peyton Siva-Trey Burke Battle
All eyes will be on the backcourt for each team come Monday night, specifically the mouth-watering matchup of Peyton Siva of Louisville vs. Trey Burke of Michigan.
The matchup physically is almost identical.
Siva stands at 6’0″ and 185 pounds while Burke comes in at the same height, just five pounds heavier.
Louisville is balanced at each end of the floor, meaning it is important for Siva to contain Burke instead of trying to do to much and overplaying him.
It is certainly easier said than done to contain the National Player of the year in Burke, especially considering he will inevitably be hungry to score after a below average performance against Syracuse.
For Siva, though, hassling Burke enough to frustrate him and force turnovers may be a recipe for success seeing that Burke is the fuel on Michigan’s offensive fire.
A vital element to this athletic and quick backcourt matchup is each guard’s ability to enter the opposing defense’s lane.
Siva is regarded as one of the better perimeter defenders in the country but you can bet Trey Burke will be aggressively efficient defending Siva for all of the NBA scouts watching to see.
If one of the guards is consistently dribble-driving past his defender and entering the lane, it imposes all sorts of problems for the opponent.
Each guard have an uncanny ability to score around the rim and each have eyes in the back of their head it seems.
When Burke or Siva drive but are cut off by a big man, they seem to always avert the defender and lay the ball in or kick to open shooters.
Whichever point guard drives the lane and spreads the floor at a more consistent rate will give their team a great shot at winning.
It is important for Siva to not overplay the drive, however. Burke has the ability to step back and knock down three-pointers and if he gets a few in a row early, watch out Louisville.
A great Michigan offense vs. a just as great Louisville defense makes for a thrill ride disguised as a basketball game, with the main attraction being Siva vs. Burke.
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Clippers bludgeon Lakers to sweep battle of Los Angeles
The ‘Battle of L.A.’ at the Staples Center was a key game for both teams
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Michigan vs. Syracuse: 5 Factors That Will Determine Who Wins Final 4 Battle
Syracuse and Michigan meet Saturday evening at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta with a trip to the national championship game at stake. Both teams are set to begin an unexpected Final Four journey, justifying early season hoops hype at both universities.
The fourth-seeded Orange overcame Big East rival Marquette Saturday in Elite Eight action. Syracuse stumbled during the regular season’s final stretch, suffering seven losses in 12 games, but recovered just in time for a strong tournament run.
Michigan also meandered its way through the second half of conference play, going 6-6 in its last dozen games against Big Ten opponents. The Wolverines’ late-season slide dropped the team from a potential No. 1 ranking to a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament.
However, the team has rallied in a big way. Michigan stunned No. 1 seed Kansas on Friday before bullying third-seeded Florida in the Elite Eight
A season’s worth of success and failure for both squads gives us an indication of what will make the difference in this matchup. Let’s break down five keys that should ultimately determine which team punches its ticket for the national title game.
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Florida vs. Michigan: Keys to Victory for Gators in Elite 8 Battle
Florida is just a game away from the Final Four.
A win against the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday will put Billy Donovan and the Gators in the national semifinals for the first time since they capped off back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007.
This is far and away the most difficult game Florida has had in the tournament. The lowest seed the Gators have faced is the 11th-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers.
They’ll need everything in their arsenal to get past the Wolverines. Should Florida follow these three keys, it will be just fine.
Don’t Let Kenny Boynton Shoot You Out of It
Kenny Boynton is a fearless shooter. Normally, that wouldn’t be a bad thing for a player. When that player happens to shoot an average of 39.2 percent from the field, that can be a huge problem.
In Florida’s seven losses this year, he’s only been a 32.9 percent shooter compared to 40.8 in the Gators’ 29 wins.
More times than Gators fans would like to remember, Boynton’s shot selection has hurt Florida. He’ll make you wonder what in the world drove him to attempting a field goal that had almost no chance of going down.
The Gators can’t let Boynton shoot them out of another game. He’s gotten a little better reining in his shot selection over the last week or so.
Take Advantage of a Slow Start from Trey Burke
The first half has not been kind to Trey Burke in the tournament. He wasn’t very good against South Dakota State in the round of 64, and it was much the same against Kansas in the Sweet 16.
Luckily for the Wolverines, Burke found his stroke the second half, and they managed to come out with victories.
Florida can’t let that happen again. Should Burke begin the game with a few misses, the Gators need to jump out to a lead and not let it go.
They let Florida Gulf Coast get out to an early lead before eventually going on a huge run and taking the game over. As much as the Eagles fought, there never looked to be a way back because of how well the Gators defense was playing.
Utilize Will Yeguete on Defense Again
In order to get a similar defensive performance, Will Yeguete will have to be the defensive spark. When he came on the floor, FGCU found itself in trouble. Yeguete was one of the driving forces behind the Eagles’ 20 turnovers.
With the kind of perimeter players on Michigan, it’s going to be imperative for the Gators to get out and lock down on shooters like Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nik Stauskas.
Defense has been the calling card of Florida all season. It’s held opponents to just 53.7 points a game on 37.9 percent shooting. Yeguete will need to be flying around the court on the defensive end once again in order to corral the Wolverines offense.
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Today’s NBA schedule: Lakers, Jazz battle for 8th seed
USA TODAY Sports ranks Saturday’s 10-game NBA schedule by watchability.
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