Gillispie abides by NABC on young commitments

[SamKat]

This is what I would expect of our Coach Billy Gillispie- integrity!

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/SPORTS03/80619043/1002/SPORTS#pluckcomments

[Brian McCat]

It's pretty funny that the article was written by Chip Cosby, not Jerry Tipton. Is Mr. Tipton chickening out on this one after getting grilled for his last "exposee?"

[Mark Blueblood]

Personally, I think it's a fair request and I respect Coach for honoring it.

[ukcatfan]

Strange that other schools have gotten early committments and nothing was said or done.

Why all of a sudden are they now worried?

This will not be the first time that UK has gotten rules changed.

Yes indeed strange, very strange.

[matt colvin]

As I said in the other thread, this makes almost no difference whatsoever. As Coach said, he'll still evaluate players at an early age. If a player is good enough, and wants to verbal, he still can. Coach won't seek out a verbal though.

IMHO, this is just a pc reaction to some of the uproar over Michael Avery committing. Banning college coaches from watching these kids would be an actual commitment to stopping recruiting at such a young age. Obviously they can't do this at high school games because a coach could just say they're watching an older player, but they could be banned from watching some of the different AAU stuff. And there would still be ways to circumvent that. Coach's presence, Roy's presence, Tim Floyd's presence, etc. will still be known at games. Besides, it's the NABC, not the NCAA.

[Art Vandelay]

This whole issue is much ado about nothing! Where is the outrage over children competing as gymnasts in worldwide competition, adolescents joining professional tennis and golf tours, etc.

If coaches were hounding jr. high kids with scholarship offers, I might understand folks having their panties in a wad. As it is, at least in Coach Gillispie's case, the kids father contacted him.

At any rate, Coach Gillispie responded the way I would expect - with class. If the NABC wants to pass a guideline to promote integrity in the game, how about mandating that once a recruit verbally commits, other programs can't contact him. Of course, Coach Gillispie already follows that course, while the Bruce Pearl's of the world keep pilfering. Hey Jerry Tipton, how about writing a piece on that subject?!

[sardiscat]

" If a player is good enough, and wants to verbal, he still can."

How can a player verbal if the coach can't offer him a scholarship? "I'm going to UK even if I have to walk on"?

[billoliver40]

Just putting a rule down. Not a bad one. Saves some coaches from getting egg on their faces when a kid backs out after 4 years of saying Im
coming.

Fair enough.

[RP_McMurphy]

Funny you can get a prodigy in academics to your school after the eigth grade but it's verbotten to take a commitment from a athlete of the same age to your school.

[djleecatfan]

Regardless,
Coach G is doing the right thing so as not to have the bad boys and Miles Brand from the NCAA fall on him and the school from a great height.
We all know that the NCAA boys just love to come after the Cats when they have broken any kind of rule.:thumbup::tongue3:

[TrueblueCATfan]

Regardless,
Coach G is doing the right thing so as not to have the bad boys and Miles Brand from the NCAA fall on him and the school from a great height.
We all know that the NCAA boys just love to come after the Cats when they have broken any kind of rule.:thumbup::tongue3:


I agree....we don't want to visit the dark days of 1989

[Terry L. Wildcat]

This whole issue is much ado about nothing! Where is the outrage over children competing as gymnasts in worldwide competition, adolescents joining professional tennis and golf tours, etc.

If coaches were hounding jr. high kids with scholarship offers, I might understand folks having their panties in a wad. As it is, at least in Coach Gillispie's case, the kids father contacted him.

At any rate, Coach Gillispie responded the way I would expect - with class. If the NABC wants to pass a guideline to promote integrity in the game, how about mandating that once a recruit verbally commits, other programs can't contact him. Of course, Coach Gillispie already follows that course, while the Bruce Pearl's of the world keep pilfering. Hey Jerry Tipton, how about writing a piece on that subject?!

It still amazes me how many people think these kids have "signed"...they cannot sign until November of their senior year.