Diamond Stone (Committed to Maryland)

[FfldCntyFan]

Well he certainly wore out his welcome with random precision.

Are you claiming he's a painter, a piper, a prisoner?

 

[boog204]

From what's been reported he liked KO that much. This is not a coaching staff recruiting failure.

All the recruits love KO and for almost all of them that is not enough...

 

[Leebo]

Why?

In your life, do you believe every empty claim that someone makes until it's proven wrong?

There's a word for that...

 

[CTBasketball]

Love seeing these overreactions. We knew he wasn't coming here when he didn't commit on his visit. Although I love you, you guys are insufferable.

 

[HooperScooper]

A little bit.

My boss is on the Wisco Boosters board. Stone scored a 7 on his first round of ACT's. He took the test three times, finally scored a 17 and they shoe-horned him in. Not sure he was thrilled with the process. Mother wanted him to go to Wisco. Dad wanted him to go to Maryland. I'd imagine the money chose Maryland for him.

A 7? That's almost impossible. You could fill out the bubbles randomly and I think you'd get more than a 7. Even 17 is pretty bad. But I'm sure he'll be able to get through his one year at Maryland.

 

[jibsey]

Madison, Wisconsin is an amazing college town. The kid is from Wisconsin and is coveted by their fans. Yet, he chose Maryland, which is a decent basketball school in an ok environment. Yes, it is warmer in Maryland, but nicer? No.

This isn't Arizona or Florida weather, this is Maryland weather. Maryland is cold, gray and damp or hot, hazy and sticky most of the time. This is an UnderArmor/AAU related deal. It has nothing to do with weather or Wisconsin. I've lived in Florida for years and I'd choose Wisconsin over Maryland 8 days per week unless there was obvious reason not to. However, Maryland doesn't have a great history, great weather or a legendary coach.

The kid didn't want to live near home and went to a B1G school. Don't think it's more complicated than that. He's gonna be rich in 1 year no matter where he goes.

 

[Danzz]

Our recruiting has had us in the running with quite a few top recruits. Think about it from a recruit's point of view. You have 3 schools you like very much and could see yourself playing for any of them. One choice gets you games against Duke and UNC. The second choice gets you games against Michigan State and Indiana. The third choice gets you games against SMU and East Carolina. I'd say UConn is a tough sell, not impossible but tough.
Our recruiting has probably been very good but our conference kills us on commitment day.

 

[jibsey]

Our recruiting has had us in the running with quite a few top recruits. Think about it from a recruit's point of view. You have 3 schools you like very much and could see yourself playing for any of them. One choice gets you games against Duke and UNC. The second choice gets you games against Michigan State and Indiana. The third choice gets you games against SMU and East Carolina. I'd say UConn is a tough sell, not impossible but tough.
Our recruiting has probably been very good but our conference kills us on commitment day.

Bingo.

 

[Wise2]

Our recruiting has had us in the running with quite a few top recruits. Think about it from a recruit's point of view. You have 3 schools you like very much and could see yourself playing for any of them. One choice gets you games against Duke and UNC. The second choice gets you games against Michigan State and Indiana. The third choice gets you games against SMU and East Carolina. I'd say UConn is a tough sell, not impossible but tough.
Our recruiting has probably been very good but our conference kills us on commitment day.

which school gets you games against Duke and UNC?

 

[James]

Our recruiting has had us in the running with quite a few top recruits. Think about it from a recruit's point of view. You have 3 schools you like very much and could see yourself playing for any of them. One choice gets you games against Duke and UNC. The second choice gets you games against Michigan State and Indiana. The third choice gets you games against SMU and East Carolina. I'd say UConn is a tough sell, not impossible but tough.
Our recruiting has probably been very good but our conference kills us on commitment day.

I'm of the opinion none of that matters to the highest level talent. Thats why dham and adams dgaf. If youre a prospect and have the hopes to become an elite nba player, the process starts with you not 'who you play against'. nobody ever discusses which conference produces the best pros, thats hard to do. Rashad Vaughn went to unlv and is hittin the league this year. Nobody is going to care who he played against in workouts

 

[CL82]

8 degrees or more makes a difference in winter, they don't get much snow. What about the rest?

Yeah that's the reason. Good analysis.

 

[8893]

Lots of talk on the Wisconsin board, as well as tweets from Bo Ryan's daughter and a fairly extensive article that claims to detail facts related by her, suggest very strongly that his ACT score was an issue for Wisconsin. The claim is that he had verbally committed to Wisconsin in November but had yet to be accepted, and it was a bit of a process trying to get him admitted there academically. During the intervening period, he apparently was persuaded by MD.

Obviously no idea where the truth lies--and it's interesting to see recruiting guys like Meyer and ESPN guys like Goodman referencing staying in the UA pipeline. But it clearly looks like we've been a distant third (at best) for a while with him.

I'm not heartbroken over the miss, especially if he is truly a one-and-done, but I'm obviously concerned about the trend.

Here is my question: does anyone even remotely "in the know" have any inkling whether his ACT scores or other academic issues played any part in at all in the picture with us? Did we even get that far with him?

I don't mean to suggest that it had anything to do with him not choosing us; I'm actually surprised we were still in the picture with him at all. I'm just curious where we sit on the academic rigor scale these days as compared to MD and Wisconsin when it comes to admission of athletes.

On a somewhat related note, anyone heard anything about some Turkish big in whom we are interested?

 

[UConnSwag11]

Lots of talk on the Wisconsin board, as well as tweets from Bo Ryan's daughter and a fairly extensive article that claims to detail facts related by her, suggest very strongly that his ACT score was an issue for Wisconsin. The claim is that he had verbally committed to Wisconsin in November but had yet to be accepted, and it was a bit of a process trying to get him admitted there academically. During the intervening period, he apparently was persuaded by MD.

Obviously no idea where the truth lies--and it's interesting to see recruiting guys like Meyer and ESPN guys like Goodman referencing staying in the UA pipeline. But it clearly looks like we've been a distant third (at best) for a while with him.

I'm not heartbroken over the miss, especially if he is truly a one-and-done, but I'm obviously concerned about the trend.

Here is my question: does anyone even remotely "in the know" have any inkling whether his ACT scores or other academic issues played any part in at all in the picture with us? Did we even get that far with him?

I don't mean to suggest that it had anything to do with him not choosing us; I'm actually surprised we were still in the picture with him at all. I'm just curious where we sit on the academic rigor scale these days as compared to MD and Wisconsin when it comes to admission of athletes.

On a somewhat related note, anyone heard anything about some Turkish big in whom we are interested?

i dont follow the recruiting nearly as much as posters here, but it seems that almost every recruit that we've been in contact with, if there is any indication of a problem with grades or anything similar the staff backs off... which makes sense due to the magnifying glass that has been on us for years

 

[CallMeBruce]

If Bo Ryan's daughter is tweeting about a recruit's academics, that's pretty messed up.

 

[Chief00]

Let's face the facts. How many highly rated big men recruits have we gotten? Bynum (can't count because he never player here)?? Drummond?? And?? We are seen as a guard oriented program who develops decent centers who go on to fail in the NBA. Not very attractive to top talent.

That may be true with this staff and Warde. I suggest that needs to change quickly. We have to take some academic chances - we will win some and lose some.

 

[8893]

If Bo Ryan's daughter is tweeting about a recruit's academics, that's pretty messed up.

Agreed. It's totally inappropriate imo. But it also apparently happened, and she re-tweeted the article that claims to report details provided by her, which imo would seem to suggest--at a minimum--that she agrees with the content of the story.

Again, I have no idea what the truth is, but she seems to be closer to a legitimate source than anyone else I've seen comment on his choice.

 

[David 76]

So we missed on a talented player, likely only to play one year and not a great fit academically.
Next...

 

[tzznandrew]

That may be true with this staff and Warde. I suggest that needs to change quickly. We have to take some academic chances - we will win some and lose some.

What the hell does Warde have to do with this?

 

[Towney007]

Lots of talk on the Wisconsin board, as well as tweets from Bo Ryan's daughter and a fairly extensive article that claims to detail facts related by her, suggest very strongly that his ACT score was an issue for Wisconsin. The claim is that he had verbally committed to Wisconsin in November but had yet to be accepted, and it was a bit of a process trying to get him admitted there academically. During the intervening period, he apparently was persuaded by MD.

Obviously no idea where the truth lies--and it's interesting to see recruiting guys like Meyer and ESPN guys like Goodman referencing staying in the UA pipeline. But it clearly looks like we've been a distant third (at best) for a while with him.

I'm not heartbroken over the miss, especially if he is truly a one-and-done, but I'm obviously concerned about the trend.

Here is my question: does anyone even remotely "in the know" have any inkling whether his ACT scores or other academic issues played any part in at all in the picture with us? Did we even get that far with him?

See, i'm not full of it.

Just in terms of full disclosure so I don't come off like Car Wash guy, I'm a GM for a Summer Collegiate Baseball team in Massachusetts. My owner is from Wasau, WI - he's been on the Wisco hoops booster board for 10 years or so... he's the guy I've been 'sourcing.' He's got the scoop on all that stuff so I was pretty in tune with what was going on via him.

So basically he told me a few months ago it was a done deal that he was going to Wisconsin. Mother had no interest in sending him out of state even though his Dad was all about him going to Maryland. Then they got his first ACT score back and he got a 7. They had him take it three more times. He scored a 13, 14 and 17, respectively and they couldn't get him into school. They really started worrying about a month ago that it was going to be a no-go. His Father got sick of the admissions runaround - his Mother didn't get why even with a 17 they wouldn't just let him in - and Maryland became more of a presence. They can't prove it - but they're pretty sure Under Armor funnelled money to the AAU Coach, which sweetened the pot more. He got into Maryland without an issue based on his later SAT scores and that was pretty much a done deal. UConn was 3rd place - but an extremely distant third. Loved the Coach, loved the campus, loved the program, worried half about playing time, half about exposure - although conference wasn't a backbreaker...

So that was it in a nutshell. Now I'm going to get my car washed.

 

[Towney007]

AH - and an addendum - Wisconsin could have taken him as a non-qualifier (or he could have chosen Wisconsin) - but he'd have had to sit out a year. That was the deal. Maryland wants him starting tomorrow, basically.

 

[Danzz]

which school gets you games against Duke and UNC?

Wasn't thinking of Stone in particular but admit to still thinking about Maryland in the ACC.

 

[jibsey]

Yeah that's the reason. Good analysis.

The "rest" was tv exposure and conference. These kids are not dumb, they want to be seen often on the major sports networks with ratings. Does playing UCF, USF, and East Carolina on ESPN 9 get them that?

 

[CAHUSKY]

See, i'm not full of it.

Just in terms of full disclosure so I don't come off like Car Wash guy, I'm a GM for a Summer Collegiate Baseball team in Massachusetts. My owner is from Wasau, WI - he's been on the Wisco hoops booster board for 10 years or so... he's the guy I've been 'sourcing.' He's got the scoop on all that stuff so I was pretty in tune with what was going on via him.

So basically he told me a few months ago it was a done deal that he was going to Wisconsin. Mother had no interest in sending him out of state even though his Dad was all about him going to Maryland. Then they got his first ACT score back and he got a 7. They had him take it three more times. He scored a 13, 14 and 17, respectively and they couldn't get him into school. They really started worrying about a month ago that it was going to be a no-go. His Father got sick of the admissions runaround - his Mother didn't get why even with a 17 they wouldn't just let him in - and Maryland became more of a presence. They can't prove it - but they're pretty sure Under Armor funnelled money to the AAU Coach, which sweetened the pot more. He got into Maryland without an issue based on his later SAT scores and that was pretty much a done deal. UConn was 3rd place - but an extremely distant third. Loved the Coach, loved the campus, loved the program, worried half about playing time, half about exposure - although conference wasn't a backbreaker...

So that was it in a nutshell. Now I'm going to get my car washed.

I'm sure your friend, who apparently has a significant position in grassroots basketball, appeciates you spouting of info he shared with you in confidence and publicly outing him as the source.

 

[Stainmaster]

That may be true with this staff and Warde. I suggest that needs to change quickly. We have to take some academic chances - we will win some and lose some.

Come on Mr. Chief...learn your history. It doesn't work for us. Do you want another APR penalty situation?

 

[Towney007]

I'm sure your friend, who apparently has a significant position in grassroots basketball, appeciates you spouting of info he shared with you in confidence and publicly outing him as the source.

None of it was ever secretive and story is all over most Wisconsin basketball blogs now, so...