View Full Version : New Commitment From an Eighth Grader
Craig the Blueheart
05-01-2008, 01:50 PM
www.kentuckysportsradio.com (http://www.kentuckysportsradio.com)
Apparantley, it is being reported that we have a commitment from an eighth grader.
I will reserve judgement until I see some responses... what do you guys think about getting commitments from 8th graders?
ukwebfan
05-01-2008, 02:23 PM
Kentucky just received a commitment from an 8th grader. Michael Avery from California, a 6′4″ power forward just committed to the Cats. Apparently the kid is good, but I have no idea. There is my report. I am not talking to 8th graders about basketball.Yeah they got to be at least 15 for Matt or Roger Clemens to give them any love at all.
blue cincy
05-01-2008, 03:07 PM
I have underware older than this guy. Can't hurt since its a verbal...I guess. Maybe CBC is doing this to let West coast teams know he is in town. Maybe the Kid LOVES UK like WE LOVE UK!!
I will wait and see.
TrueblueCATfan
05-01-2008, 04:31 PM
:thumbdn:..just my opinion
Yeah they got to be at least 15 for Matt or Roger Clemens to give them any love at all.
I hope I am not the only one who got that...nicely done though :thumbup:
ukwildcatsks
05-01-2008, 04:44 PM
I'm just a little skeptical on an 8th graders talent. That's a little jumping the gun, if you ask me. But what do I know?
If I saw a kid owning people 4 or 5 years older than him then I would def take a verbal from him...You got what 5 years to think about it lol I'm ready for the future of recruiting and BG bringing in the talent. It's a nice change of pace. What if this kid becomes the #1 recruit in a few years and hes solid with his decision everyones gonna be like BG is the best !! And if he flakes out then kid him to the curb IMO Thats life and how things go nowadays.
BG!!!!!!!!!!! The Future !!!!!!
And heres to Coach G grabbing one of the weird looking white kids that usually go to Duke before Coach K devoured him for nourishment. :thumbup: Now we could possibly have a guy that flops and gets all the calls :)
supertroy18
05-01-2008, 06:02 PM
Ya know, when I first saw this, I though, "Coach is a madman...I hope he never gets well." I love the fact that he is recruiting like there is no tomorrow. Because I think I speak for a lot of us UK bluebloods in that we have little patience for mediocrity. But...to start recruiting eighth graders is just...a little dangerous. It just asks the question, "How young is too young?" These kids might not necessarily know what they are getting into.
On the other hand...everybody else is doing it!! Might as well not stand by and let the advancing college basketball landscape pass us by. If it is okay by NCAA standards, then let the coach get whomever he see the potential in, I say. I do think there will be some regulations on this in the near future though.
Side note: I am starting to love this madman of a coach. He is absolutely working his tail off. I love it.
Doug Hardin
05-01-2008, 06:08 PM
It's too bad Gillispie wasn't coaching at UK when I played 7th grade ball at Barren County Middle. I led the nation in 3PT FG%*, so it's quite possible I could have gotten an offer.
Maybe I was just a little jaded by the Adam Williams recruitment; he committed as a sophomore, then didn't develop like everyone thought and was really in over his head by the time he got to college, in case anyone's already forgotten that guy. But anyway, I'm a tad skeptical of getting commitments from sophomores and freshmen. I understand recruiting them, though, because it's important to build relationships early. But recruiting middle school kids and accepting commitments from them is simply ludicrous, IMO. Most of the best players in middle school are the kids with mustaches who have had to repeat a grade and are already about as big as they're going to get. I understand that Avery isn't one of those kids, but still, the odds of him not developing exactly according to plan (i.e., not getting taller, getting complacent, etc.) and forcing Gillispie into a decision of either taking him when he's not good enough or revoking his scholarship offer and looking like a cruel SOB are probably greater than him developing into a McDonald's All-American.
* I was 1/1, and my garbage time 3PT FG against Franklin-Simpson Middle School in the last game of the season allowed us to win by 27 points instead of pulling out a 24-point squeaker.
DCWildcat
05-01-2008, 06:35 PM
The thing I don't understand about this is where people are getting their info that he's a "top x" player. I've seen him as #45 by a website I really don't trust, but that's it.
ibleedblue2
05-01-2008, 09:50 PM
The thing I don't understand about this is where people are getting their info that he's a "top x" player. I've seen him as #45 by a website I really don't trust, but that's it.
That's my understanding too. The #45 eighth grader in the country.
TheTank74
05-02-2008, 07:57 AM
Can you really tell if a 8th grader will fit your system? Hopefully he grows to be a beast a 5 star recruit mixture of Dirk Nowitzki and Tyler Hansbrough.
Dawood Khan
05-02-2008, 09:28 AM
I don't see anything wrong with this. (http://hereticdhammasangha.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/billy-gillispie-signs-michael-avery-to-the-class-of-2012/) By all accounts, there is no comparison to the Adam Williams debacle. This kid is in the 8th Grade and is already more athletic, skilled and has a higher basketball IQ than Williams and many guys already in College.
I don't see anything wrong with this. (http://hereticdhammasangha.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/billy-gillispie-signs-michael-avery-to-the-class-of-2012/) By all accounts, there is no comparison to the Adam Williams debacle. This kid is in the 8th Grade and is already more athletic, skilled and has a higher basketball IQ than Williams and many guys already in College.
If Adam Williams had panned out would it have been a debacle?
TrueblueCATfan
05-02-2008, 10:03 AM
the kid has not even picked a high school yet..but he is 6'4 and will grow alot more in the next 4 years
RP_McMurphy
05-02-2008, 10:21 AM
Is he even shaving?
Ukosumu
05-02-2008, 10:29 AM
Is he even shaving?
I was shaving in the 8th grade ... just saying :icon_lol:
Dawood Khan
05-02-2008, 12:32 PM
If Adam Williams had panned out would it have been a debacle?
I'm not talking about Adam Williams himself. I'm talking about the events surrounding the offer to Williams. The offer itself.
The thing is. Dealing with reality and not "what ifs." Adam Williams did not work out. So there is really no point to the question.
I mean what if Eddie Sutton didn't have an alcohol problem and the boosters never got caught cheating. Would UK now have 8, 9 or even 10 Championships and would Eddie be just about to retire. Would Pitino have become the man he is today. Would Billy Donovan have become the UF coach and won back to back championships in the first decade of the 21st Century.
We can what if all night year long. The past is the past. It happened. History took it's course. No matter our wishes in hindsight to the contrary.
I'm not talking about Adam Williams himself. I'm talking about the events surrounding the offer to Williams. The offer itself.
I'm saying that taking the commitment of an eighth grader is risky at best. If (I know you like that word) he turns out to be the next coming of Larry Bird well then it was a stroke of genius. If he turns out to be the next Adam Williams I guess the decision to offer becomes a debacle. By all accounts Adam Williams was going to be a star based on his athletic ability as a freshman.
HoptownFaithful82
05-02-2008, 02:29 PM
There are a lot of things that could go wrong for this kid between now and college. I think it's nice of BCG to be looking for future talent, but not getting commitments before they are even in high school! You never know what could happen, the kid could get hurt or wind up not being as good later on as he supposedly is now. I just think it's too risky.
lotsaloans
05-02-2008, 07:15 PM
My kid is six.
He's showing a lot of promise regarding ball handling (he can eat with both hands).
He's got crazy leaping ability (from the couch to the chair all the time).
He's got a great pedigree for his age (third generation intramural bball player once he get into Upward this year).
He's projecting out to be decent size (one of his grandfather's is 6'2").
He's got great speed (I can barely chase him down to spank him anymore).
He's got great lateral agility (he escapes all the time when he knows I'm coming for him).
His hand-eye coordination is off the charts (he beat me the other day at NCAA Football 08, not bad for six!).
He's got good sense (he can already read and write pretty much anything).
High moral character (he's accepted Jesus as his Savior).
He can play both sides of the court (he's been in karate for three years now and has the defense concept down pat).
What else can I say? Coach just post here for an invite and I'll try to pencil you in.
allnet
05-02-2008, 08:04 PM
But really, who cares?
Let the coach recruit. If he thought the kid was that good, let him go after him. Coach is going to do it on the court, or not do it on the court. I don't care too much about the bits and pieces along the way, as long as it is a kid of good character go get em if you like em Billy, but it is your future too.
6' 4" in eighth grade, if not really done growing, could end up in the 6'7" to 6'10" area. Handling the ball well, running well, intelligent, good home, never know until the soup is done, but I'll defer to the coach on recruiting.
Something to look forward to, or whine about, Makes the summer interesting.
If he really has an eye for players, you guys might be really glad he got him now.
NOWIS
05-02-2008, 09:01 PM
didn't they know OJ Mayo was going to be a player by the 8th grade.
John Clay Rice Jr.
05-02-2008, 09:43 PM
As long as he plays and wins. Who Cares what grade he's in?
Yeah we get rid of one guy for not getting the talent and now we have BG thats getting in early on the talent and people wanna be winny?? BG can't win for trying. Everyone has there own opinion tho so thats just the way it is :) But I think everyone can agree the only opinion that matters is BG and as we can tell his opinion was to take the verbal. Which I totally agree with, like I said he doesn't turn out then he won't be here I guarantee it.
countrycat
05-02-2008, 10:09 PM
Yeah we get rid of one guy for not getting the talent and now we have BG thats getting in early on the talent and people wanna be winny?? BG can't win for trying. Everyone has there own opinion tho so thats just the way it is :) But I think everyone can agree the only opinion that matters is BG and as we can tell his opinion was to take the verbal. Which I totally agree with, like I said he doesn't turn out then he won't be here I guarantee it.
I completly agree. The thing is you have to contact these players early, and if you contact one and he says he wants to come to your school I really do not know what BCG is supposed to do. Tell them no I guess. "You can't please everyone so you got to please yourself" as the song says. Fans a free to descuss anything they want on here but BCG has the only vote that matters.
Bombastic Blue
05-04-2008, 08:34 AM
didn't they know OJ Mayo was going to be a player by the 8th grade.
Bingo! We were bored to tears with Mayo post from his 8th grade year until he went to So. Cal.. Looks like it's going to happen again!
bluegrassking
05-05-2008, 09:40 AM
I think this has little to no relation to the Adam Williams signing because I think Tubby saw him as a priority the whole way, including his prep school year. Williams was a bust perhaps in scouting and for sure when he got here, not for being a triple double machine the whole time before he arrived.
I think the biggest risk is not accepting/rejecting his verbal. If he turns out to be a turd, then we pull or fail to offer his ride.
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