Since the university cannot comment on recruits until they actually sign we probably won't know how this has been handled until next year when the players start signing their LOIs. However, I suspect that we will see some of the lower rated players reopening their recruiting process since they know that they would be entering a situation where they would get very limited playing time. Some of these recruits, and current players, may end up as practice players.
What you don't seem to understand is that these players can't even be on scholarship. There are only 15 allowable.
If there were 11 players on scholarship for 2013 and they added these 4 players, then your point would be valid. The lower ranked players would have to worry about playing time.
In this situation, 5 players have verballed for 2012 and signed LOI's and will be Sophomores in 2013.
Returning players? In 2013 they will have 1 senior and 6 Juniors.
They had 3 that verballed for 2013 and now have added these 4 players.
Do the math. That is 19 players that are either on scholarship or signed LOI's or verballed. And this doesn't include Russell, who might verbal as well.
We have now heard that one of the early verbals has reopened her recruitment, leaving 18 players for 15 slots.
I've seen you defend Hatchell over and over, accusing the fans here of jumping the gun on how this will be handled. But no matter how you slice it, there will be players that wanted to be at UNC that will be leaving. Will it be existing players? Some of the other verbals for 2013 that were prior to the big 4 committing?
There is no way to look at this other than thinking it stinks. These are young girls that were courted by UNC and Hatchell. They went through the excitement of making their choice known. Their friends and family enjoying the situation. Now some of them (3 more) will have their worlds turned upside down.
For the other 2013 verbals, it's not so bad. Reopen your recruitment. Call the schools that you had on your list. See who will take you. Facts are, some of those schools have gone in other directions. It's not so easy.
How about the 2012 players who are coming in the fall? They have signed their LOI's. They have emotionally prepared to attend UNC. And unless they recind on their LOI (can they even do that?) and quickly get involved in another school, they would have put in a full freshman year at UNC. If they now leave, they have to sit out a full season.
How about the Juniors that year? 2 full years invested in UNC. It's even worse.
The more I look at the situation, the more I am disgusted with Hatchell allowing this to happen, for the glory of getting better players. I understand when you have scholarships available, but this is NOT the situation.
This is not the pros and DeShields, et al, are not Lebron, Wade and Bosh.
This is a sad time for women's college basketball and I pray it's not a precident setting situation.
And will someone please quote me, so Trash can see it? He probably still has me on ignore.
