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Topic: Coach K has a huge recruiting advantage coaching the USA team
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 09-15-2014 09:08 AM
I would think at some point in time the NCAA would realize this and address it. Coach K knows what he is doing and isn't going to step down while he is coaching Duke.
Krzyzewski never violated an NCAA rule when he climbed aboard a flight, flew cross-country and addressed the 2013 under-19 USA Basketball national team at its Colorado Springs training camp. He addressed players in a group, and talked to them individually, sources told Yahoo Sports. For the record, Krzyzewski is USA Basketball's senior national coach and the visit gave him an opportunity to personally welcome those young men into the program's feeder system.
Well, the trip did something else, too: It gave the Duke coach unfiltered access to two of the best high school players in the nation. Florida's Billy Donovan was the under-19 head coach. Virginia's Tony Bennett and VCU's Shaka Smart were his assistants. They probably didn't need Krzyzewski's voice, but he probably didn't ask their permission, either.
The roster of college stars happened to include two 17-year-old prep phenoms: Chicago's Jahlil Okaor and Houston's Justise Winslow. When Krzyzewski makes his triumphant return this week, two freshmen stars will be awaiting him on Duke's campus: Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow.
Within the college recruiting game, no one ever considered it a coincidence when one of those younger USA Basketball national teams would detour through Vegas to watch Krzyzewski and his Duke assistants on the training camp floor with the biggest basketball stars in the world.
Without the access of USA Basketball, there's a strong belief within the basketball community that Krzyzewski would've never landed Jabari Parker. Only, he had it, used it and signed him. He's on a tremendous run, and let's face it: Krzyzewski is so untouchable, he could keep Mason Plumlee on this World Cup roster without much of an uproar.
Every four years, Colangelo and Krzyzewski deliver that well-rehearsed routine of the coach wanting to step down only to have the managing director convince him of a return for four more years. Every time, we fall for it.
As long as Krzyzewski needs recruits at Duke, he needs USA Basketball. Why sit in the steamy summer-circuit AAU gyms trying to make eye contact with 16-year-olds, when you can use the media to write about all the close, personal relationships you've developed with LeBron and Kobe, 'Melo and Kevin Durant? Hey kids, Krzyzewski even texts them during the season – maybe sometimes right after he texts you!
Krzyzewski is a great coach. After the 2006 World Championships debacle, he's done an excellent job with these United States teams. He commands respect and sells a vision. Yet once the top players were willing to play again, the United States was never losing – and it hasn't. The gap has grown in the world again, and the romance of the Dream Teams is slowly, surely dying. Under-22 is the way to go, the best young NBA players and a college superstar or two for introduction into the global market.
The beginning of the end for USA Basketball had come on that August night, when George crumpled to the court and a bone blasted out of his flesh. It was a sick, sobering moment, and the USA players were still talking about it on Sunday night in Madrid.
The image was startling, and it'll stay with people for a long, long time. It'll be one of the catalysts to get NBA stars out of FIBA basketball. As the hours passed that August night, Krzyzewski changed the conversation about his involvement in the NBA losing a $100 million star in a worthless scrimmage. At the foot of George's hospital bed, someone had been waiting to snap the photo of the U.S. national coach reaching down and embracing his stricken player.
Suddenly, this most private and personal moment turned out to be anything but that. Within minutes, that image would be flying through Twitter and Instagram for all those moms and dads to see the compassion and caring of Duke's coach.
So the NBA stars climbed onto the podium on Sunday night at the Palacio De Los Deportes, and there was Mike Krzyzewski making his move to the far end, framing himself with the gold medalists. The flashes flickered, the confetti swirled and the NBA had a chance to take a long, long look at the photo and ask itself: Who benefited the most in this picture, and why the hell would we keep doing this?
Link
[ 09-15-2014, 09:45 AM: Message edited by: catmandoo ]
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Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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SCWC
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Member # 2464
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posted 09-15-2014 09:44 AM
My sentiments exactly. He gets much more out of coaching the USA team than they get out of him. That position should be rotated every four years through all the upper echelon college coaches, not kept under the auspices of Coach K. Any decent coach could win the FIBA basketball with the Americana talent available. Even though the foreign teams have improved their play, we are still so far ahead of them basketball wise that they will never catch up.
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 09-15-2014 09:49 AM
Ray, Every time I see or hear him speak I want to throw up! He tries to present himself as a Saint and he is the furthest things from it.
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Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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SCWC
Player
Member # 2464
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posted 09-15-2014 01:21 PM
He would miss USA basketball much more than it would him. It will not miss a beat once he steps down.
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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PaulCat
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Member # 513
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posted 09-15-2014 02:45 PM
Aw this ain't no big deal. If Cal was coaching that team we'd be hootin' and hollerin' and loving it. All coaches do anything they can to get what could be an advantage. As long as it's all within the rules. Would we have Karl Towns if Cal never coached that Dominican team a few years ago? Actually, we probably would. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posts: 10348 | From: Erlanger, Ky. USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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SCWC
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Member # 2464
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posted 09-15-2014 04:11 PM
I think this is a big deal. How does anyone anoint one person as coach of the USA team for as long as he wants it thus giving him access to the junior team which does give him a recruiting advantage. I have no doubt Cal would have done the same thing Coach K has done but that still does not make it right. I still think the USA coach should be the NBA championship coach from the year the FIBA basketball is played, not an NCAA coach. After all, all the team USA players are professionals.
And there is no doubt the reason Coach Cal coached the Dominican team was to gain a recruiting advantage, big difference there is that he volunteered for that job and Coach K is picked for the FIBA coach of the USA team.
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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Green-Bean
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Member # 13551
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posted 09-15-2014 04:37 PM
Right now Greg poppovich should have coached that team, I agree with scwc. with the nba talent we have. Matthew Mitchell could have wont that. Heck me and scwc may win it with all that nba talent. with norm, and cmd as assistants. Maybe try and talk Joe B. to help us, and keep us in line.i forgot we would need bama too.
[ 09-15-2014, 07:23 PM: Message edited by: Green-Bean ]
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I was Born A Wildcat!
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Posts: 2290 | From: Newport Ky. | Registered: Mar 2014
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SCWC
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Member # 2464
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posted 09-15-2014 05:19 PM
If you look at the link to the story you will see that it is Yahoo sports, not UK fans, expressing those feelings about Coach K and the advantage he gets from being Mr USA basketball. I would feel it wasn't fair even if Coach Cal had that position.
[ 09-15-2014, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: SCWC ]
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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Green-Bean
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Member # 13551
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posted 09-15-2014 07:22 PM
scwc I feel the same way, if cal was coaching them I would feel it wasn't fair. even this nba thang cal is doing we all know has a recruiting advantage. imo. so I say let bygons, be bygons.
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I was Born A Wildcat!
That's All I'll Ever Be!
Posts: 2290 | From: Newport Ky. | Registered: Mar 2014
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 09-18-2014 09:19 AM
I agree take the high road and keep quiet besides we have had so many number one recruiting classes since Cal has been and it isn't even close. Complaining about the weasel coach K even though true just seems to bring you down to his level and that is at the bottom of the barrel.
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Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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