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Message: [QUOTE="Alydar, post: 2353944, member: 730"] I've wondered whether there are AAU coaches who attempt to steer their players to certain schools and if they have an incentive to do so. I have no knowledge of any wrongdoing but it wouldn't be difficult to figure out a way to funnel money to an AAU program without any direct connection to a school. I'm not even sure there is any rule prohibiting an AAU coach from accepting money. It seems like the whole process of recruiting is done for the most part behind a cloak of darkness as far as the public being involved. There are always the usual reasons given by a recruit when they announce their school. "Perfect fit". "My dream school". But there are some odd things that puzzle me. One for example is the apparent pattern of elite Oregon-based players going to Tennessee. The LV fanbase refers to it as a "pipeline". Russell, Nared and now Westbrook. I am in no way accusing anyone of any wrongdoing but I am at a loss to explain why Tennessee has this apparent attraction for players from one specific area so far from Knoxville while their longtime recruiting strength in Georgia specifically and the rest of the south generally has weakened considerably. I can understand players on the west coast wanting to get away from home but I would think that there are a number of elite college programs from which to choose. And yet they all seem to end up in Knoxville. Again, it may just be that Tenn does a better job than any other program, but if so I would expect to see them having the same success in other areas of the country. Maybe the whole process of recruiting would be better served if there was more openness on the part of the media. Once in awhile one of the writers covering wcbb drops a hint about an AAU coach having a feud with a wbcc coach but for the most part they keep what they know to themselves. It just reinforces my opinion that journalists in sports are in large part part just public relations specialists for the sports they cover, more concerned with protecting an image than in reporting the truth. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach