7th grader verbals to Texas | The Boneyard

7th grader verbals to Texas

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HuskyFan1125

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Really?? A 7th grader??

My children don't even know what they want for dinner at that age, not to mention where they want to go to college!
 

intlzncster

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In Long Horn country this doesn't surprise me. As long as UT honors the schollie, this kid's going to matriculate.
 

~*Jen*~

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Really?? A 7th grader??

My children don't even know what they want for dinner at that age, not to mention where they want to go to college!

I know, right?

Although, I have to say that mini chick has already decided that she wants to play for UConn. I think she decided a couple months before she turned 4. :D

She starts her new session of basketball in a few weeks.
 

EricLA

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I see nothing wrong with it really. If it makes a kid feel good, the parents support her the right way, and the University follows the rules, then what's the harm? Either side can change their minds but it certainly would be a black mark for Texas recruiting if they did that. Seems like it's a win-win for the kid.
 
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I see nothing wrong with it really. If it makes a kid feel good, the parents support her the right way, and the University follows the rules, then what's the harm? Either side can change their minds but it certainly would be a black mark for Texas recruiting if they did that. Seems like it's a win-win for the kid.



If it turns out the kid can't play at that level, there is a significant chance Texas will not honor the non-binding commitment - assuming there is one - which is worth the paper it's not printed on. There have been thousands of cases in many sports where super-early commitments were not honored - which the college has the right to do. Usually however it is done discreetly, with the coach talking to the player/parents privately and telling them there is no chance the kid will ever get off the bench if he/she attends. Usually that is enough to steer them in a different direction, but more hardball tactics have been employed where necessary.

As for the University "following the rules", there are no rules - either from the NCAA or legally. I think this is a terrible practice - one I wish the NCAA would ban. There is no way any player, parent, or coach has any idea if a 7th grader, or a freshman for that matter, can play at a given level.
 
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I don't think any player should be allowed to commit before the summer of their Jr year.
 

pinotbear

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If it turns out the kid can't play at that level, there is a significant chance Texas will not honor the non-binding commitment - assuming there is one - which is worth the paper it's not printed on. There have been thousands of cases in many sports where super-early commitments were not honored - which the college has the right to do. Usually however it is done discreetly, with the coach talking to the player/parents privately and telling them there is no chance the kid will ever get off the bench if he/she attends. Usually that is enough to steer them in a different direction, but more hardball tactics have been employed where necessary.

As for the University "following the rules", there are no rules - either from the NCAA or legally. I think this is a terrible practice - one I wish the NCAA would ban. There is no way any player, parent, or coach has any idea if a 7th grader, or a freshman for that matter, can play at a given level.

Well, we all thought that there were no NCAA rules regarding middle-school kids (MoJet aside), but, the Mo'ne brou-ha-ha showed that, at least when it comes to UConn and Geno, the NCAA is willing to make an exception.
 

southie

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If it turns out the kid can't play at that level, there is a significant chance Texas will not honor the non-binding commitment - assuming there is one - which is worth the paper it's not printed on.
And, you know this how? No offense, but you are clueless about how the Texas coaching staff works.
 
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I hope Texas starts giving irrevocable acceptances in utero. Then 20 years from now they'll be so screwed up we won't have to worry about competing with anybody but Baylor in the Lone Star State.
 
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I'm not sure why the upset. At this point the verbal is nothing more than a statement of intention (5 years out). If a 7th grader, based on academic skill said they intend to go to Harvard their parent's alma mater (after a full scholarship offer) most would praise the kid and high five the parent.

In this case there is at least a 50% chance that something (coach, relative talent level, other commits) will change. Let's revisit in 4 years.
 
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And, you know this how? No offense, but you are clueless about how the Texas coaching staff works.


No offense, but I think you are clueless about this whole process. And not I did not say it was a certainty that she would not end up with the scholarship, just a significant chance. Many who are close to the recruiting process would be more pessimistic than I am.
 

southie

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No offense, but I think you are clueless about this whole process. And not I did not say it was a certainty that she would not end up with the scholarship, just a significant chance. Many who are close to the recruiting process would be more pessimistic than I am.
Well, you have no insight on this particular family, nor the Texas coaching staff; that part is obvious. You can be as pessimistic as you want, but your pessimism is based on factors or other situations that have nothing to do with Texas.

There is no precedent of this coaching staff pulling scholarships (that we know of). We have verbal commitments from two 2017 players, one of who is a former Lady Longhorn hoopster's daughter, and a 2018 player. Time will tell if those players end up signing their LOIs when the time comes. If they do, it will validate that it wasn't "too early" for them to have made their verbal commitments 3-4 years in advance of NSD.

In November, we will have two 2015 recruits who will sign their LOIs after having been committed to Texas for over 2 years. So, that is a pretty long time, IMO, and it appears everything will work out for said recruits and the coaching staff that recruited them.
 
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Well, you have no insight on this particular family, nor the Texas coaching staff; that part is obvious. You can be as pessimistic as you want, but your pessimism is based on factors or other situations that have nothing to do with Texas.

There is no precedent of this coaching staff pulling scholarships (that we know of). We have verbal commitments from two 2017 players, one of who is a former Lady Longhorn hoopster's daughter, and a 2018 player. Time will tell if those players end up signing their LOIs when the time comes. If they do, it will validate that it wasn't "too early" for them to have made their verbal commitments 3-4 years in advance of NSD.

In November, we will have two 2015 recruits who will sign their LOIs after having been committed to Texas for over 2 years. So, that is a pretty long time, IMO, and it appears everything will work out for said recruits and the coaching staff that recruited them.



Yes, there is no precedent with this coaching staff - but it is not a good sign when ANY coaching staff offers a 7th grader. There is zero chance that they know if this girl will be anywhere near good enough to play at a Big 12 level. In fact there is zero chance that they know if she will be good enough for even the lowest level of D1. A very high percentage of the time when this has happened with other teams and in other sports with freshmen (not 7th graders), either the offer has been rescinded or the coaching staff put enough pressure on the player to get them to go elsewhere. At the very least, the latter would happen if it turns out she can't play. Also we are talking 5+ years until she can even sign a LOI. Who knows what coach will be there by that time and how he/she will feel about an offer to a 7th grader. Coaches taking over Big 12 programs have sometimes even run off incoming freshmen who had signed letters of intent because they wanted their "own" players.
 
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I see nothing wrong with it really. If it makes a kid feel good, the parents support her the right way, and the University follows the rules, then what's the harm? Either side can change their minds but it certainly would be a black mark for Texas recruiting if they did that. Seems like it's a win-win for the kid.

Because at that age it cannot possibly be an a well thought out, mature, informed decision that has been weighed against so many other options. It's most likely influenced by parents, friends or allegiance to the home team syndrome and all of the hoopla and celebration expected within her sphere of influence.
 
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There's no way to regulate it. A verbal is just a statement by a kid.


Why can't the NCAA have rules on when an offer is made ? Are there rules on "recruiting" 7th graders ?
 

UcMiami

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In the 'land of the free' lets make sure kids cannot say they are committed to a school until a ruling body so rife with problematic actions in regard to the sports they oversees says they can?
This is a legacy kid who has probably been to 100s of UT sporting events over her short life and cannot imagine at the moment wanting to go anywhere but UT - so she says that. It is non-binding on either side but will probably reduce the amount of junk mail she and her family receive from other colleges - not an altogether bad outcome whether you are a green or a fiscal conservative or ...
Did Texas or their coaches put pressure on this kid for an early commitment - I cannot believe they would. In fact I suspect the exact opposite, and I suspect they told her and her parents 'yes, we are interested in offering you/your child a scholarship if she continues to improve as a WBB player - we are watching her.

And that kind of carrot is a pretty good motivational tool for a 7th grader - something to aim for. I am pretty sure neither her parents nor TX consider this a done deal and will continue to plan their lives exactly the same way as they did before the announcement.

Just one more point - TX and their coaches cannot even comment on this because of that same NCAA rule book. She is by nature of making this statement now a 'prospective student athlete' so they couldn't even say ... 'well that is nice but it is too early to know if she will have the skills required to play at TX.'
 
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Why can't the NCAA have rules on when an offer is made ? Are there rules on "recruiting" 7th graders ?

1) You don't need an offer to verbal.
2) What's an "offer"? There's nothing written or binding about it. It could merely be the following:
Kid: "I'd love to play at your school some day."
Coach: "We'd love to have you."
 

intlzncster

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In the 'land of the free' lets make sure kids cannot say they are committed to a school until a ruling body so rife with problematic actions in regard to the sports they oversees says they can?

Exactly. Alternatively, if I was a stud bb player from CT, I would committ to the UCONN men in 7th grade if I could. Wouldn't go anywhere else.

Another thought, the current coaching staff at UT very well might not be there when this kid shows up. Many factors in play.
 
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1) You don't need an offer to verbal.
2) What's an "offer"? There's nothing written or binding about it. It could merely be the following:
Kid: "I'd love to play at your school some day."
Coach: "We'd love to have you."

Are coaches allowed to have contact with 7th graders ? What happened with Geno and Mone Davis ?
 

UcMiami

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Are coaches allowed to have contact with 7th graders ? What happened with Geno and Mone Davis ?
Yes they can because they are not yet prospective student athletes until they become famous at which point even a two year old might be classified that way by the NCAA if they were feeling particularly 'childish'! :cool:
With the UT connection and the kid obviously playing basketball, I suspect she has been in the facilities at UT. Coaches also run clinics and camps all the time which are 'exempted'.
 
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Really?? A 7th grader??

My children don't even know what they want for dinner at that age, not to mention where they want to go to college!
Easier to pick a college far, far into the future than decide whether it will be spaghetti or meat loaf in a few hours. :)
 

JRRRJ

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Because at that age it cannot possibly be an a well thought out, mature, informed decision that has been weighed against so many other options. It's most likely influenced by parents, friends or allegiance to the home team syndrome and all of the hoopla and celebration expected within her sphere of influence.

This is hyperbole. All you can state confidently is that it's highly unlikely to be...

I have had significant interaction with a 10-year old boy(!) who is confident, considerate, perceptive, social, self-aware, and thoughtful. Is fun to be around. Knows what he wants to do when he gets out on his own (he's already mostly "grown up") and has started a planned campaign to prepare himself for it.

Everybody's chemistry matures at different rates. Obviously he's 4 or 5 standard deviations out, but if he can be such a person at that age, I'd say the odds a woman could be such a person when two years older are more than somewhat higher.
 
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