Recruiting, Agents and Runners: I wasn't sure where to put this, but there were a couple of interesting articles that I ran across yesterday. First up is ESPN's Dana O'Neil, who did her own anonymous college basketball coaching survey about the problems and issues that college basketball coaches face. It's an excellent and interesting read and all of this makes me consider my feelings towards Pat Knight. From all accounts, Pat Knight goes and watches these summer tournaments just like every coach, but he doesn't get involved with the AAU game and if there's one thing that hurts PK when recruiting is that he refused "to play the game". Here's what O'Neil said about what the coaches would change:
Tying in to a summer league program: Numerous coaches said that agents now have ties to specific summer league teams and that the people serving as coaches are actually already agents' runners.
Another coach, who recently coached a top-five draft pick, said that every agent who came to sign his player offered the same thing: "If you sign with me, I'll deliver you this guy and that guy. Every single one of them is tied to an AAU team. Every one. They cook the deal with the AAU coach. He gets the kid on campus and then cuts a cut."
There's something admirable about a coach that could use an asset like AAU to his benefit but because of the negative recruiting possibilities, he's refused to do so. It's not illegal, but when you deal with the AAU players and coaches, then you've bought in and there may not be a way out. This makes me proud to say that I'm associated with PK who by all accounts runs a clean program and if the cards fall correctly, then he'll lead his team to the NCAA tournament this year, but is that enough?
National Football Post's Aaron Wilson has another very interesting article about financial advisors and runners for agents that are at the center of the current NCAA scandal with North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, etc.:
Financial advisors, managers and a small number of rogue agents are providing the bulk of the extra illegal benefits in the form of plane tickets, hotels, meals and serious cash to players, according to multiple industry sources with knowledge of the situation.
Unregulated by the NFL Players Association, the financial representatives, marketing people, runners and "managers" of players generally operate under the radar in an environment that has been labeled by one source as "the Wild, Wild West."
This situation, though, has grown so chaotic that what's normally regarded as business as usual is drawing much more scrutiny.
This is pretty crazy stuff. I'd love to know how a player chooses an agent / attorney / CPA / financial advisor. I'm sure that most of the players don't really have to deal with the dirty underbelly of all of this mess, but it makes me wonder how players are getting advice.
POE and Big 12 Running Backs: Lawrence Journal World's Jesse Newell looks at the top returning running backs by the Football Outsiders concept, POE. For a brief definition:
So how does it work? Each yard line has a point value assigned to it based on the average number of points an average NCAA team scores from that particular spot.
For instance, the average NCAA team scores 2.1 points when it has the ball on the 50-yard line and 2.6 points when it has the ball on its opponents' 40. So when a running back has a 10-yard run from the 50 to the opponents' 40, he is credited with 0.5 equivalent points.
Baron Batch is the top returning running back based on POE and FO's Bill Connelly had this to say about Batch's efforts:
"Batch probably benefited a bit from the fact that Tech running the ball was always unexpected, but his per-carry figures have been great at Tech. Plus, he averaged 5.5 yards per carry against Texas and Oklahoma last year, meaning his 'output versus expected' numbers are going to be pretty good."
Big 12 Preseason Stuff: CT's Dave Matter revealed who he voted for POT on offense, defense and top newcomer . . . KC Star's Mike DeArmond lays out his ballot, but also of note, he voted for Missouri to finish first, which means that the Big 12 didn't count his vote. I wonder how that feels? . . . DMN's Kevin Sherrington did a chat and answered some college questions . . . Clone Chronicles' Mark Kieffer offers his preseason thoughts . . . Rivals' Tom Dienhart looks into Oklahoma St.'s new offensive coordinator, Dana Holgorsen . . .