'11 IL C/PF Anthony Davis (Kentucky Signee)

[dragurd]

Indeed if it's true and the kids dad is looking ofor handouts I wouldn't want him near campus. If a person looks for illegal handouts hard enough anywhere he's likely to find some.

 

[MaxBuck]

I do not want him at Ohio State because ... I don't particularly care for his parents attitude.

The day we stop recruiting athletes because we "don't care for their parents' attitude" is the day we quit aspiring to be a first-tier program.

 

[WolverineMike]

Kentucky denies payment for recruit

• Email
• Print
• Comments80

ESPN.com news services

The University of Kentucky issued a statement on Friday threatening legal action over a Chicago Sun-Times story claiming that recruit Anthony Davis negotiated a deal to receive $200,000 from someone who wanted him to commit to the school.
The intial Sun-Times story on Wednesday cited unidentified sources and stated:
"The rumors/sources that have Davis choosing Kentucky are also alleging that the commitment cost $200,000. [Anthony] Davis Sr. has flat out denied everything."
Kentucky responded in a statement.
"The University of Kentucky is dismayed by the continued lack of professionalism and responsible journalism exhibited by Michael O'Brien and the Chicago Sun-Times in running yet another false and defamatory story on August 6, 2010, regarding the University's recruitment of a high school student-athlete," the statement read. "Both the father of this student-athlete and the University have repeatedly told Mr. O'Brien that these unsubstantiated 'rumors' are untrue. Neither the University of Kentucky nor any member of its Athletic Department has offered or paid any money or other illegal benefits to the student-athlete or his family."
The school's statement goes on to say that Davis and/or the university may initiate legal proceedings.
"The University of Kentucky has put Mr. O'Brien and the Chicago Sun-Times on notice that these published statements are false and defamatory," the statement reads. "The University fully supports any action the student-athlete and his family may take against Mr. O'Brien and the Chicago Sun-Times. The University is also evaluating all available rights and remedies it may have against Mr. O'Brien and the Chicago Sun-Times in responding to these false and defamatory statements."
The father of the 6-foot-10 Davis told multiple media outlets that his son, who is in the Class of 2011, had decided which school he wanted to attend, but he did not reveal his decision. He had flown under the radar at Perspectives, a Chicago public charter school, and then burst onto the national scene due to his AAU performances.
The initial Sun-Times story also cited unidentified sources in saying that the NCAA was "checking" into the recruitment of Davis. Kentucky said this was a mischaracterization of the situation.
"The University of Kentucky spoke with David Price, NCAA Vice President of Enforcement, who advised that the NCAA contacted Mr. O'Brien simply to inquire as to the alleged sources for his article and that 'this in no way confirms an NCAA investigation of the University' or an examination of the recruitment of the named student-athlete. It is the University's understanding that such an inquiry represents the NCAA's normal procedure any time allegations of misconduct are made, no matter how outrageous or unsubstantiated they may be."
Despite Kentucky's statement, the Sun-Times stood by its story on Friday, and even elaborated:
"Sources from three separate universities told the Sun-Times that Davis Sr. asked for money in return for his son's commitment, with the amounts ranging from $125,000 to $150,000."
The newspaper reached out to an attorney for the family.
''Mr. Davis has not asked any university or college for any commitment fee for his son, nor has anything been offered to him or Mrs. Davis,'' Georgette L. Greenlee wrote Thursday, according to the Sun-Times.

updated.....

 

[MaxBuck]

Indeed if it's true and the kids dad is looking ofor handouts I wouldn't want him near campus. If a person looks for illegal handouts hard enough anywhere he's likely to find some.

Baloney. I've been looking for them my whole life, with no success whatever.

Of course, I'm 5-11, with about a 5-inch vertical and neither a killer crossover nor 3-point range.

 

[tundra1]

Baloney. I've been looking for them my whole life, with no success whatever.

Of course, I'm 5-11, with about a 5-inch vertical and neither a killer crossover nor 3-point range.

You're a slot receiver for Michigan???

 

[Buckskin86]

Anthony Davis justifies the buzz
Chicago forward scores 23 points and grabs nine rebounds in the opener of the Nike Global Challenge in Oregon after a tumultuous week.
Friday, August 06, 2010
By: Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com

HILLSBORO, Ore. ? If Anthony Davis is bothered by a controversial report that his commitment was being shopped around by his father to major college basketball programs, he didn't show it Friday afternoon at the Nike Global Challenge.

Davis, a 6-foot-9, 185-pound forward from Perspectives Charter (Chicago, Ill.), scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds as his USA Midwest team pounded All-Asia at Liberty High School outside of Portland, 127-86. The surprise performer of the summer, Davis was the focal point during his 27 minutes on the floor in a gym filled with over 20 NBA scouts.

Following the game Friday, the media was given access to Davis on the condition that he wouldn't be asked about the story. He denied that he has come to a decision about his college destination.

For Davis, the tumultuous week caps a whirlwind summer that saw him go from complete unknown without a single scholarship offer in April to a surefire 2011 top 10 prospect ? possibly even No. 1.

"It's been great overall," Davis said. "I've been getting a lot of new faces coming toward me, a lot of big tournaments and a lot of big camps. I'm very excited and happy for myself."

He remained under the radar throughout his junior year at Perspectives, a combined junior high/high school with about 350 students, but exploded in April at an event in Merrillville, Ind., while playing with Chicago-based club team Meanstreets.

"Some of the schools I was playing with weren't really known and a lot of people didn't know about me," Davis said. "When I started playing with Meanstreets and started playing in big tournaments, I broke out and everybody was like 'Who is this Anthony Davis kid?'

"Everybody started checking me. I kept playing the same way every game and every tournament and college coaches started noticing me. They started offering me and things started getting better for me."

DePaul, Kentucky, Ohio State and Syracuse are the leaders for Davis' services, although understandably he wasn't keen on addressing recruiting Friday in Hillsboro.

Anthony Davis justifies the buzz - MaxPreps News

 

[Buckskin86]

Will Davis, Kentucky, Sun-Times saga reveal anything?
user-pic
John Templon on 08.07.10

The biggest story to come out of Chicago this week concerning college basketball only tangentially relates to any of the teams in the city. Perspectives-Calumet's Anthony Davis is viewed as the top prospect in the class of 2011 by a number of recruiting services. His recruitment has already become a hot topic in the college basketball world and could lead to some interesting revelations about the world of recruiting.

Davis is down to four schools: Kentucky, DePaul, Syracuse and Ohio State. The Blue Demons were added very recently and are still considered a long shot, so while it's nice that they've been involved in such a high-profile recruit, it's the allegations about Davis' recruiting that are making waves.

Anthony Davis' recruitment coming under fire offers glance into recruiting world - Chicago College Basketball

 

[jimotis4heisman]

The day we stop recruiting athletes because we "don't care for their parents' attitude" is the day we quit aspiring to be a first-tier program.

"attitude" is one thing. the other side is though, if the parents are looking for a payday, then no way you want to touch those situations. the minute you stop backing away, is the the time when you end up on probation two years later...

 

[Buckskin86]

Davis suit: Potentially great theater but quite unlikely
Aug. 9, 2010
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

Anthony Davis Sr., father of heralded prospect Anthony Davis, told the Chicago Tribune he plans to file a lawsuit this week against the Chicago Sun-Times and staff reporter Michael O'Brien because of multiple stories claiming the family agreed to accept an improper benefit in exchange for a commitment to play basketball at Kentucky.

Can you imagine coaches like John Calipari on the witness stand talking about recruiting? (Getty Images)
Can you imagine coaches like John Calipari on the witness stand talking about recruiting? (Getty Images)
I, for one, am praying this happens -- not because I want to see the Davis family bring down a newspaper that mishandled a story (regardless of whether the allegations are true), and not because I'm interested in seeing Kentucky's good name cleared. If those things happen, fine, but they don't matter much to me. What matters to me is that a lawsuit could, in theory, lead to a trial with witnesses testifying under oath about possible recruiting improprieties, which would be an even bigger gift to college basketball enthusiasts than the recent extortion trial centered around Louisville's Rick Pitino.

Can you imagine?

All the head coaches of the programs recruiting Davis -- everybody from Kentucky's John Calipari to Ohio State's Thad Matta to Syracuse's Jim Boeheim to DePaul's Oliver Purnell -- could be subpoenaed along with various boosters, agents, runners, and Nike reps. Throw in a few assistant coaches, a couple of recruiting analysts, and every member of the Davis family, and we'd have a trial worth covering gavel-to-gavel.

Davis suit: Potentially great theater but quite unlikely - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com

 

[stxbuck]

The day we stop recruiting athletes because we "don't care for their parents' attitude" is the day we quit aspiring to be a first-tier program.

Well, I can GUARANTEE that Jim Tressel has stopped aspiring to be a first tier program according to your criteria-he has said "no mas" to certain types of recruits/parents after the headaches they caused him in the mid 2000s. I'm not talking about payola, just being general pains the rear.
As for Davis, the 200K his dad is asking for from UK just isn't worth the risk-if our program sucked like DePaul or Penn State it would be worth from a practical-but certainly not ethical-standpoint.

 

[MaxBuck]

Well, I can GUARANTEE that Jim Tressel has stopped aspiring to be a first tier program according to your criteria-he has said "no mas" to certain types of recruits/parents after the headaches they caused him in the mid 2000s.

Big difference between what Tressel has done and "not recruiting because you don't like the parents' attitude" IMO. Certainly the whole fubar with Derek Morris caused consternation among the staff, but I'm sure that JT doesn't require that parents conform to some sort of behavioral code (aside from refraining from NCAA violations) in order for him to continue recruiting their son.

Could we edit this to say Tressel won't recruit certain young men because he thinks they would be disruptive to the team? I agree with that; pretty much all coaches are the same way. My only point is that you can't have the "parents' attitude" be the bright-line for whether you recruit a player. Heck, some high school athletes unfortunately have essentially no parent around - what would you do with them?

 

[WolverineMike]

wasn't Tress recruiting Seantrell Henderson? That's kids dad was pain in the butt.

 

[buckeyesin07]

wasn't Tress recruiting Seantrell Henderson? That's kids dad was pain in the butt.

Wasn't UM? At least until Seantrel dumped them early in the process? That aside, the fact that Tress' recruiting style didn't appeal to Seantrel's dad is well-chronicled, so I'm not sure what you're implying.

 

[3074326]

Wasn't UM? At least until Seantrel dumped them early in the process? That aside, the fact that Tress' recruiting style didn't appeal to Seantrel's dad is well-chronicled, so I'm not sure what you're implying.

He's implying that Tressel still recruited Henderson, despite his father. Not sure what you're trying to make of it.

 

[stxbuck]

Big difference between what Tressel has done and "not recruiting because you don't like the parents' attitude" IMO. Certainly the whole fubar with Derek Morris caused consternation among the staff, but I'm sure that JT doesn't require that parents conform to some sort of behavioral code (aside from refraining from NCAA violations) in order for him to continue recruiting their son.

Could we edit this to say Tressel won't recruit certain young men because he thinks they would be disruptive to the team? I agree with that; pretty much all coaches are the same way. My only point is that you can't have the "parents' attitude" be the bright-line for whether you recruit a player. Heck, some high school athletes unfortunately have essentially no parent around - what would you do with them?

No, I would not edit that statement-Tressel does not want parents who are "backseat drivers" so to speak-making demands on playing time, how their sons are treated,etc-like the Aaron Brown recruitment, or the father of 2 former Buckeyes who actually referred to Tressel as a racist when his sons ran into difficulties at tOSU.
Tressel will work w/ troubled players-but he doesn't want parents telling him how to run his program. When the elder Henderson said he found Tressel "boring", I knew tOSU wasn't Seantrel's destination-JT didn't specifically cater to the parents. Henderson was enough of a mega-talent that JT might have fudged his own rule.