Diamond Stone (Committed to Maryland)

[BigErnMcCracken]

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

Not for nothing, but plenty of schools who will admit a stuffed animal have managed to avoid getting in APR trouble. Just about all of them, in fact.

 

[Stainmaster]

Not for nothing, but plenty of schools who will admit a stuffed animal have managed to avoid getting in APR trouble. Just about all of them, in fact.

We don't have a target on our back like those schools.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

We don't have a target on our back like those schools.

Oh god. Right, I forgot.

 

[Jaker]

Calhoun would of closed this deal, he killed Gary on the recruiting trail.

 

[Stainmaster]

Calhoun would of closed this deal, he killed Gary on the recruiting trail.

Calhoun's gone, deal with it.

For what it's worth, Gary Williams isn't coaching UMD anymore...

 

[Jaker]

Calhoun's gone, deal with it.

For what it's worth, Gary Williams isn't coaching UMD anymore...

LOL

yes, times have changed, we are a mid major now

 

[Stainmaster]

LOL

yes, times have changed, we are a mid major now

So you're parroting the trash talk that my friends who attend Syracuse give me now? Glad to know you're still strongly supporting the team.

 

[Rico444]

The thing about shoe companies that annoys me is this...when's the last time we landed someone because we're a Nike school?

 

[James]

The thing about shoe companies that annoys me is this...when's the last time we landed someone because we're a Nike school?

its helped. Alot of players who aren't in the adidas/'ua circuit want no parts of wearing those kicks based on preference. Nike is still the company that makes the best performing hoops kicks. I also think basketball players are a much bigger deal to under Armour, they would do anything to gain recognition ( hire some recruits father, throw more money at that Wisconsin UA aau team), nike isn't too interested in that. well I mean unless youre WWW and UK

 

[ctchamps]

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.

The 75% percentile score for SAT Reading is 690 for Maryland and 650 for UConn and Wisconsin
the 75% percentile score for SAT Math is 750 for Wisconsin, 730 for Maryland and 680 for UConn

I'm not seeing much difference in academic standards between the three schools. Wish we knew the truth about the process. Does Wisconsin insist it's athletes meet higher standards than Maryland? Did UA influence the family? Did UA influence Maryland to reduce standards? Know way of knowing for sure. But I do know there is a lot of cheating in the world so it is certainly possible.

 

[Tenspro2002]

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...

On the first "half", it appears that what I said a few weeks ago wasn't so farfetched. The guys we have now (in this case, Brimah) aren't talented enough to make us a good team, but are firmly entrenched enough to hinder us from getting better recruits.

On the second "half", if conference wasn't a backbreaker but he's worried about exposure, it sounds like he was concerned about our team staying relevant throughout the year, conference situation aside. The fact is, Wisconsin has been a Top 15 team for the last decade and a Top 5 team for the last two years, Maryland was in the Top 10 this year and clearly on the rise; those programs are clearly going to be in the picture next year. We've had too much inconsistency over the last 6 years and have no guarantee of being relevant next year. The TV situation doesn't help (sorry, ESPNU and CBSSN don't count as exposure).

 

[FartMan69]

The thing about shoe companies that annoys me is this...when's the last time we landed someone because we're a Nike school?

Nike is the way to go. See the craze over retro Jordans? Kicks that have 20 year old technology and players still love hooping in them and only Nike schools offer that. Adidas and UA are trying to play catch-up by throwing absurd amounts of money all over the place while Nike sits back and laughs. We'd be in a bigger recruiting rut if we were Adidas or UA.

 

[Towney007]

I'm not seeing much difference in academic standards between the three schools. Wish we knew the truth about the process. Does Wisconsin insist it's athletes meet higher standards than Maryland? Did UA influence the family? Did UA influence Maryland to reduce standards? Know way of knowing for sure. But I do know there is a lot of cheating in the world so it is certainly possible.

No idea, but I do know Wisconsin's admissions is pretty tough. I'm not privy to that stuff, but I know it was an issue. I could totally see Maryland being more lax, but again - i'm going on assumptions here. I had no idea Maryland had moved up the food chain so much in recent years.

On the second "half", if conference wasn't a backbreaker but he's worried about exposure, it sounds like he was concerned about our team staying relevant throughout the year, conference situation aside. The fact is, Wisconsin has been a Top 15 team for the last decade and a Top 5 team for the last two years, Maryland was in the Top 10 this year and clearly on the rise; those programs are clearly going to be in the picture next year. We've had too much inconsistency over the last 6 years and have no guarantee of being relevant next year. The TV situation doesn't help (sorry, ESPNU and CBSSN don't count as exposure).

I guess. Just as someone who actively recruits college athletes, I think a lot of people really just flat-out go nuts with the minutea. It really just comes down to this: His Dad went to Maryland and wanted him to go there. His Mom wanted him to go to Wisconsin and stay close to home. Both offer almost everything UConn does and came with parental endorsements. Even Arizona was in the mix, but he passed them up, too. When he couldn't get through Wisconsin's academic gauntlet, he went to his Dad's school. I don't think exposure/playing time helped - but it wasn't the axe. I think it's more of a family thing than that.

As far as consistency's concerned - I don't buy it. Maryland just got back to the tournament after a four year absence and haven't made it to the Sweet 16 since 2003. They've had 7 guys in the last 15-16 years who've even make their 1st team all-conference and four of those were during their Final Four/National Title runs. They're not top 10 in anything, really.

 

[Fishy]

It really just comes down to this: His Dad went to Maryland....

Ah, no.

He went to Wisconsin-Whitewater.

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.

And no.

You don't understand how that works.

 

[Towney007]

Good catch. I stand corrected.

He was pushing for Maryland pretty hard.

 

[Fishy]

The grade issue is plausible - Wisconsin does has a reputation for being a PITA for coaches trying to get kids into the place.

But, man, if Wisky isn't giving Bo Ryan some loose reign at this stage of his career there's something wrong.

UConn was dead as soon as the signing period was over - anything past that is just shuffling win and place above us.

 

[ConnZag3]

http://thevictorylapblog.com/2015/03/the-real-reason-diamond-stone-is-not-a-wisconsin-badger/

Not sure how accurate the info is in here but sounds like it was definitely an intelligence issue...

 

[jibsey]

What is the minimum score needed? A lot of schools have made grades more weighted.

 

[White Dwarf]

Meh. On to the next target.

 

[B1GEast]

I don't think Wisconsin was ever in the mix, personally I think he said the right things for the local people involved. I think that he really wanted to go to Uconn earlier in the process, but we had a tough year early on and the rest of the way. Had Uconn had a better season and not been stuck in the AAC, he would have committed sooner, our perception has been tarnished, whether any one believes that or not.

Maryland gained steam and he chose a them and no sour grapes to the Terps, but I don't see them going to the final four anytime soon.

Enoch, Brimah and Nolan will be a solid front court, but we desperately need some help at the wing for depth.

 

[Fishy]

http://thevictorylapblog.com/2015/03/the-real-reason-diamond-stone-is-not-a-wisconsin-badger/

Not sure how accurate the info is in here but sounds like it was definitely an intelligence issue...

Given what a rambling mess of rationalization that was, I can't imagine anyone putting a hell of a stock in it.

Unrelated note: give me Bob Huggin's daughter, Bo Ryan's daughter, and sixty minutes of weekly prime time somewhere on the worldwide leader and I will give you the greatest sports reality show you will ever see.

 

[whaler11]

Given what a rambling mess of rationalization that was, I can't imagine anyone putting a hell of a stock in it.

Unrelated note: give me Bob Huggin's daughter, Bo Ryan's daughter, and sixty minutes of weekly prime time somewhere on the worldwide leader and I will give you the greatest sports reality show you will ever see.

You'll never get into Wisconsin with s*!tty possessives like that.

 

[gtcam]

OK enough about this guy
Let's get on to some important stuff
Waiting to hear who's coming, not who ain't

 

[CL82]

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?

Exposure is about the only good thing about the AAC deal so it can't be that. It has to be the purported 8 degree difference average temperature.

 

[Bonehead]

We have some sore loser posters here.

Moving forward - can we get an age verification done on this website??