VT Decommit

proudhesmine posted:

BD slider my 2016 did a good job of deciding but had no real interest in the "recruiting experience" either.

My son is the same. I think I would have really enjoyed it and milked it for everything it was worth. My kid finds it stressful and wants it over, even to the point that he was almost ready to commit to a team that's on his list but not near the top, just to get it over with - and he's only a sophomore. I can see where kids might make that decision as a freshman or sophomore and really regret it by their junior season when it becomes clearer to them that they had a lot more options if they had been patient.

Reminds me...

Va Tech lost another freshman commit from the 2017 class.

Also Wake cut loose a 2018 commit...careful what you wish for.

old_school posted:

Va Tech lost another freshman commit from the 2017 class.

 

I took a quick scan of the PG College Recruit Rankings, and saw that JMU is ranked #84 in the Top 100 for the 2016 class. That's a miracle given their late start due to the hiring date for Coach Ike.

VT: I did not see them in the top 100 for the 2016 class. 6 recruits.

And only 6 recruits from the 2017 class, and I don't know if that includes the aforementioned decommit.

And they're not exactly tearing it up in the Coastal.

Doesn't paint a nice picture.

old_school posted:

Va Tech lost another freshman commit from the 2017 class.

Also Wake cut loose a 2018 commit...careful what you wish for.

Cut loose a 2018 commit?? Did he not just develop as expected between freshman and sophomore year? ;-)

I know nothing of that player's situation, so this is not an attack.

But I know for a fact that the last time Wake cut a guy loose, it was for multiple DUI's.  That was several years ago, and I hadn't heard of that school reneging on any one since that time.

My point being, don't assume that this was the school giving a kid the shaft.  That may not be the case at all.

Again, I don't know one way or the other, so I don't intend this to cast any aspersions on the kid.  But by the same token, I don't want to see the school unfairly maligned, either.  They are not a place where commitments are made and broken lightly.

Also, the PG weighting system rewards large recruiting classes.  If a program doesn't have a lot of money to throw around in a given year, or if it doesn't project losing a lot of upperclassmen (graduation, draft, transfers, etc.), it can draw a bad ranking and yet, years later, be doing plenty of winning.

JMU is probably up there simply because the new coach brought in a large class.

Conversely, some of those bringing in large classes get highly rated, but (a) that's in part because they're losing upperclassmen and not always for healthy reasons, and (b) that's also often in part because some programs sign top pro prospects that they know full well may never show up on campus.  I know, for example, that UNC went several years in a row after its multiple years in Omaha, recruiting big but then losing 3-6 members of its incoming classes to the draft.

To second Midlo's comment on Wake, we spent a good amount of time during recruiting working with that school, visit and all. We dealt with many schools and coaches that I swear would cut their own mother loose, but Wake was absolutely not one of them.  Our experience revealed the very highest level of integrity with the program.  

Midlo Dad posted:

I know nothing of that player's situation, so this is not an attack.

But I know for a fact that the last time Wake cut a guy loose, it was for multiple DUI's.  That was several years ago, and I hadn't heard of that school reneging on any one since that time.

My point being, don't assume that this was the school giving a kid the shaft.  That may not be the case at all.

Again, I don't know one way or the other, so I don't intend this to cast any aspersions on the kid.  But by the same token, I don't want to see the school unfairly maligned, either.  They are not a place where commitments are made and broken lightly.

There was no post commenting on blame or making accusation to either side. The story is not for public knowledge.

I just hate when schools of all kinds, conferences and sports are recruiting sophomores and freshman. I hate when it goes bad for the kids and I am thrilled when the University gets shorted...I blame the it entirely on the NCAA, AD's and University Presidents for allowing it to happen.

I wish negative waves on all of them!! LOL sorry if you don't get the reference there.

I'm a big fan of that movie!

But I fear you missed my point.

Blaming people when you have no inkling of the facts is wrong.  Taking sides for the player and against everyone else is wrong, given that you have to acknowledge that it could very well have been totally the player's fault. 

Let's say the kid held up a liquor store at gunpoint.  Would you still portray a revocation of the offer as some great injustice?

2019Dad posted:

old_school posted:

Va Tech lost another freshman commit from the 2017 class.

Also Wake cut loose a 2018 commit...careful what you wish for.

Cut loose a 2018 commit?? Did he not just develop as expected between freshman and sophomore year? ;-)

^^^^regarding cutting loose the 2018, it could have been as simple as requesting sophomore grades after a mediocre freshman year.   Could have been no improvement, and grades be so low as to not get "the pass"  in an academically competitive school.

Sometimes good kids screw up. 

R.Graham posted:

Truth is - this comes down to character.  We live in a world that has marginalized character.  We list all the reasons that it's ok to break our word and all the anecdotes that "support" our reasons for breaking our word - but it comes down to the willingness to break our word.  It always boils down to plain old fashioned selfishness (when there is a lack of cause - like a coaching change or academic shortcomings)

 

Some people (most actually) are comfortable with breaking their word and being that person.  They still think they are a person of character (because cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing) while behaving in a way that is completely in opposition to that reality.  You are the sum of your actions.  I am sure this cut and dry approach makes most people feel uncomfortable and that's fine.

 

Most people are average or below average in every way.  Character is just one of those ways.

 

Make a promise - keep a promise. End of story.

 

If you don't then you need to accept the fact that you are a person who's word is not worth anything and shouldn't be surprised or disappointed when people return the favor.

 

The staff at VT doesn't deserve this.  They are people of character and they keep their word.  It's unfortunate that not everyone adheres to that same moral compass.

All good words and of course, we'd agree with them. But the thing is -- when a college de-commits a kid for some "drummed up" reason, well...we don't speak of it. It's hush-hush. I wish kids who are de-committed would tell their story. Coaches are quick to wag their finger at a kid who changes his mind -- but it's OK when the coach changes his mind. It's wrong.