For the GW supporters....

[Todd-O]

If you were a Maryland fan you would know that's not at all how Williams coaches. He yells at what is happening on the court, and at the coaches on the bench, but very rarely at the players themselves. Even on the bench, a lot of the discussion is between the assistants and the players.

And you know what? Players came here for 15 years with him coaching that way, so this is just an excuse for scapegoaters anyway.

Whatever... did you not see ESPN's behind the scenes footage of their practices?????? I did. Besides, if you were correct... that would be like telling someone this:

"Yeah, the Mom and Dad yell and scream at each other all the time... but it has not effect on kids. Even if the Dad occasionally screams at the kids... it's no big deal."

It is definitely not the most effective way to teach. I'm not saying he isn't a good coach... because I think he is and obviously he's had tremendous success throughout his career. What I am saying is that something is obviously VERY wrong with the situation. Very wrong. I understand that the NIT is something that all teams probably have to experience.... but the fact that we've gone through that and all we have to show for it is THIS 2008-2009 team... speaks volumes. You can't deny it.

[Todd-O]

That said, I think he should examine his recruiting tactics. College basketball has gotten much more competitive and it seems the have-nots are begining to catch up with the haves.

That's an understatement. I would say the have-nots HAVE caught up in many respects and it has been that way for years. Just look at the NCAAs over the past 4 years... you are totally right. IMO, Gary can recruit however he wants... or avoid the AAU scene if he chooses (as the Post accused)... I really don't care. He can recruit heralded players or leave them to the other programs and pull in guys that fit into his system. I don't care about that either.

The bottom line is what he puts on the court and how they play together. In years past I would have shrugged off a junk team like this, because they are college kids playing in a college program. But the University has upped the anti... with their reshuffling of season ticket holder seats based on Terp Club points, etc. They've put a big dollar premium on their program as a money making machine and thus require that fans open their wallets to make it in the Comcast Center. If you do that, then you'd better put a good product on the floor. Right now, people have opened up their wallets and deserve an experience like dining at the Oval Room... but what they are getting is something more along the lines of a Chilis.

[Dr. FLK]

Thanks.

I'm still curious about WHEN, though. Is it the kind of thing that happened post-championship, like around the Rudy Gay fiasco, or has it been happening for a longer time?

And if it is from long enough ago, was losing four important assistants over a relatively short period (Hahn, Patsos, Dickenson and the guy who went to Vermont) without finding good-enough replacements part of the problem?

Can you explain the Rudy Gay fiasco? Thanks.

[Mackus]

Can you explain the Rudy Gay fiasco? Thanks.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=1673114

Some background. For better or worse, Gary doesn't do much of the shady crap that is technically legal but fairly unethical to get kids to sign.

[Dr. FLK]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=1673114

Some background. For better or worse, Gary doesn't do much of the shady crap that is technically legal but fairly unethical to get kids to sign.

Is that really "unethical crap"? UConn played an exhibition game. Doesn't the other team always get paid in those kind of games? Like when MD plays the EA All Stars and stuff like that?

[Mackus]

Is that really "unethical crap"? UConn played an exhibition game. Doesn't the other team always get paid in those kind of games? Like when MD plays the EA All Stars and stuff like that?

UConn paid the coach of Rudy Gay's AAU team like $25,000. Its definitely unethical. Do you think UConn would be playing an exhibition against a random team from Baltimore if the coach couldn't deliver Rudy Gay?

If the EA All Stars were sending recruits to Maryland after the exhibitions, I'd think that was shady.

[Dr. FLK]

UConn paid the coach of Rudy Gay's AAU team like $25,000. Its definitely unethical. Do you think UConn would be playing an exhibition against a random team from Baltimore if the coach couldn't deliver Rudy Gay?

If the EA All Stars were sending recruits to Maryland after the exhibitions, I'd think that was shady.

From reading the article, it sounds like they have $25k to a team that's sponsored by the same sponsor as his AAU team. Did I miss something in the article, or did the $25k go to the coach?

[Mackus]

From reading the article, it sounds like they have $25k to a team that's sponsored by the same sponsor as his AAU team. Did I miss something in the article, or did the $25k go to the coach?

The Ballers is basically the non-college eligible version of the AAU team. I believe the coach is associated with both of them, or at least with the council that sponsors both.

The Ballers and the AAU squad that Gay played for are definitely associated. The coach advised Gay to UConn once they agreed to pay him to play his other team.

[Dr. FLK]

The Ballers is basically the non-college eligible version of the AAU team. I believe the coach is associated with both of them, or at least with the council that sponsors both.

The Ballers and the AAU squad that Gay played for are definitely associated. The coach advised Gay to UConn once they agreed to pay him to play his other team.

Then good for UConn, right? They didn't break any rules, and they got the guy they wanted. Every team plays bum games to start the season, might as well play one that's to your benefit.

[Mackus]

Then good for UConn, right? They didn't break any rules, and they got the guy they wanted. Every team plays bum games to start the season, might as well play one that's to your benefit.

I didn't say they broke any rules, I said they did something that was unethical, which I think it is and most people agree.

I believe the NCAA has since ruled that you can't play exhibitions against non college-aged teams, mainly to avoid coaches being essentially blackmailed to pay AAU coaches to get recruits. Heck, in the article Kelvin Sampson said he thinks its in the grey area. Kelvin Sampson! If he thinks its sketchy, then you know its freaking sketchy.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Apparently this was Calhoun getting back at us for us taking Nik Caner-Medley (rolls eyes).

[Dr. FLK]

I didn't say they broke any rules, I said they did something that was unethical, which I think it is and most people agree.

I believe the NCAA has since ruled that you can't play exhibitions against non college-aged teams, mainly to avoid coaches being essentially blackmailed to pay AAU coaches to get recruits. Heck, in the article Kelvin Sampson said he thinks its in the grey area. Kelvin Sampson! If he thinks its sketchy, then you know its freaking sketchy.

I think that the only things Sampson finds "unethical" are things he didn't think of doing himself...

[BaltimoreTerp]

I think that the only things Sampson finds "unethical" are things he didn't think of doing himself...

That would be the point...:laughlol:

[Camden_yardbird]

Ethical or not Maryland is quickly becoming a third or fourth tier school. And you can't tell me every single team doing better then them is being unethical. And you certainly can't tell me all of those teams have better recruiting areas than MD.

Williams has to adapt, and thats the problem I have with him. He has failed to adapt to a changing college basketball culture.

[BaltimoreTerp]

And you can't tell me every single team doing better then them is being unethical.

Why not...?