Cal Visiting Giles Today

[Macy's socks]

How sweet of K and the Duke staff to become BFFs with the best prospect out of North Carolina in a decade. So I guess any interactions outside a contact period are A-OK, since there is a pre-existing relationship, right? I wonder if K brought a gift to the birthday parties? Otherwise it would be kind of awkward if you just show up for free food.

Cal will be fine, but I'm actually beginning to feel sorry for Roy Williams. The way Duke and Coach K are lapping UNC in recruiting is just sad. No party invites for ole Roy?

Roy brings his box of rings. K brings an order form from Rafaello & Co.

 

[mj2k10]

It's easy for you to say that but this is a big decision for a 17 year old kid. I think these kids are pretty smart actually. Wait as long as you can before you pull the trigger. You never know what can happen after you make your commitment. I would wait as long as I possibly could and put some hard thought into what is best for me. Plus, these kids love the spotlight, they love all the attention. You might not like it but most 17 year olds love every second of the celebrity life.
Now, there has to be some reason why Calipari is taking time to visit Giles, if he was such a duke* Cal wouldn't waste his time would he? I don't think so.

Actually, the truly elite players (like Giles) don't have to wait for anything- as long as they don't sign an LOI. Which is something I would suggest for just about any top 50 player. If you really think you know where you want to go, and want to end (most of) the recruiting whirl, commit whenever you want, but don't sign the LOI. The LOI binds the player to the school, but obligates the school to do next to nothing. Without an LOI, player and school are on equal terms- "you want me, I say I'm coming, now let's take each other at our words".

 

[anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y]

 

[AzubuikeandFitch]

Josh Jackson is said to be considering playing for the upstart Vegas pro team. Not to mention Kansas and others have been in heavy pursuit. No doubt Jackson is a stud but maybe Cal is focusing his efforts elsewhere to maximize potential gains.

 

[RR30]

It's got to be more than that. He hasn't given the kid a sniff.

Considering how immensely talented he is it has to be. It's not like anyone is a huge favorite in that recruitment. We'll find out this next year if he made the right decision. There's a chance he never plays college ball.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Steve Smith's office looks as nice or nicer than many college coaches.

I wonder how long it takes former IU head coaching great mike Davis to make it look that good?

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

UK had plenty of guys during the Tubby years who seemed so...very...close....to committing but never did. It was almost like a bad comedy for a number of years.

Kovortney Barber
Darius Rice
Leo Criswell
Luke Ridnour
Chris Duhon
Daniel Ewing
T.J. Ford
Brandan Wright
Vincent Yarbrough
Byron Mouton
Rolando Howell
Tasmin Mitchell
Thaddeus Young
Marcus Hasilip
Andre Barrett
etc. (remember compiling a list of whiffs back in '07 that went about eighty deep).

The times Tubby would land a guy amongst the elite top 25-40, it seemed like there was almost a 50% chance they would try to transfer as some point. The media continued to spout the 26 or 27 wins/year thing, but had UK continued to average that up until this point instead of Cal's 31 wins/year, Kansas would have already passed us in all-time wins.

We're blessed to have the coach we have now. If UK strikes on Giles, we'll be fine - as in still a top 5 team next year. If we missed on a key elite guy back in the Tubby years, it meant 10 to 12 losses and a restless night before Selection Sunday.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

View embedded media

In the rare case where Giles's trajectory changes and he goes to UK, where do you guys think it would rank historically in surprising recruiting turnarounds for any one player?

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Who was that kid who slept on UK bed sheets and still chose duke? White kid. Real douchey mindset in my mind. If that kid can go to Duke after growing up such a UK fan this kid might consider us despite inviting K to his sweet 16

I think it was Kennard.

Does anyone have confirmation that K went to Giles's birthday party? If true, that's really weird. I once ran a youth program where I knew some kids for ten years, and I still felt out of place when attending their birthday parties - so much so that I stopped attending them. I can't imagine having a nominal connection like K does and attending a recruit's birthday as a - at the time - 65 year old man.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Some of you are putting way too much stock in the "best class ever" statement. That was just Cal being Cal; he wants UK to remain in the news cycle, even out of season, and so he'll say things from time to time to make sure that happens. And it worked, like it always does.

I get what you're saying, but Cal doesn't puff his chest out in terms of recruiting unless he knows he has some studs virtually locked up.

I see Fox, Bridges, and Monk as future lottery picks. Still a historically great class if UK lands them, but certainly wouldn't be Cal's best. I think Cal actually sees himself as having a real shot at Giles. I like that about our coach.

 

[Smashcat]

Does anyone have confirmation that K went to Giles's birthday party?

Did he pop out of the cake?

 

[jrpross]

I get what you're saying, but Cal doesn't puff his chest out in terms of recruiting unless he knows he has some studs virtually locked up.

I see Fox, Bridges, and Monk as future lottery picks. Still a historically great class if UK lands them, but certainly wouldn't be Cal's best. I think Cal actually sees himself as having a real shot at Giles. I like that about our coach.

Maybe he does feel that way. If he could pull that rabbit out of his hat and reel in the rest of the class as we expect, (making Giles, Monk, Fox, Bridges, and SKJ) I'd have to concede it as probably his best class going in to the season.

 

[kyjeff1]

Actually, the truly elite players (like Giles) don't have to wait for anything- as long as they don't sign an LOI. Which is something I would suggest for just about any top 50 player. If you really think you know where you want to go, and want to end (most of) the recruiting whirl, commit whenever you want, but don't sign the LOI. The LOI binds the player to the school, but obligates the school to do next to nothing. Without an LOI, player and school are on equal terms- "you want me, I say I'm coming, now let's take each other at our words".

Yeah but you're assuming these kids actually do know where they're going. Not all of them do. I'm sure some of them love the spotlight and milk it for all it's worth but when you have Cal and K recruiting you that's a hard decision.
Keep in mind, these kids watch the NBA a heck of a whole lot more than they watch cbb. If they were choosing between pro teams they would already know where they are going but for most of these kids they don't have a favorite college team.

 

[Fawrules]

Does anyone have confirmation that K went to Giles's birthday party?

Did he pop out of the cake?

I imagine it went something like this.

"Happy Birthday, Mr. Giles....."

 

[mj2k10]

But you're assuming these kids truly know where they want to go. There are people pulling them in every different direction. We can sit here and accuse these kids of milking the spotlight but we don't

Keep in mind, these kids watch the NBA a heck of a whole lot more than they watch cbb. If they were choosing between pro teams they would already know where they are going but for most of these kids they don't have a favorite college team.

No I'm not. All I said is that they don't have to wait for anything IF they think they know where they want to go, as long as they don't sign an LOI.

 

[carbonlib23]

K might want to avoid the topic of birthdays on his recruiting jaunts. He'll be 70 the year Giles enters college. He's had some health scares. At some point it becomes an issue in recruits' minds. Of course , age is relative: Cal is friends with Drake. K thinks Drake is the detective who worked for Perry Mason.

yeah, it looks like his age and health are really getting in the way...

 

[Willy4UK]

yeah, it looks like his age and health are really getting in the way...

No worries, with NCAA and ref help I'm sure he'll continue to age like a fine wine.

 

[kyjeff1]

No I'm not. All I said is that they don't have to wait for anything IF they think they know where they want to go, as long as they don't sign an LOI.

To me this just doesn't make sense. I would rather the kid just keep his mouth shut if he isn't sure where he is going. Why would anyone want the kid to verbal when he doesn't actually know? What good does that do? I guess it makes a bunch of 45 year olds on a forum happy but it does nothing for the kid in question.

 

[anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y]

To me this just doesn't make sense. I would rather the kid just keep his mouth shut if he isn't sure where he is going. Why would anyone want the kid to verbal when he doesn't actually know? What good does that do? I guess it makes a bunch of 45 year olds on a forum happy but it does nothing for the kid in question.

How would you know what it does for a kid in question?

 

[mj2k10]

To me this just doesn't make sense. I would rather the kid just keep his mouth shut if he isn't sure where he is going. Why would anyone want the kid to verbal when he doesn't actually know? What good does that do? I guess it makes a bunch of 45 year olds on a forum happy but it does nothing for the kid in question.

Wow. I have 0 idea where you're getting that I'm saying anything like that.

OK, post for the deaf:

IF A TOP 50 PLAYER KNOWS WHERE HE WANTS TO GO, he can commit and not sign an LOI. He doesn't have to wait around and see how things shake out at the program he chooses. If something unexpected happens (like the coach leaving), he can go elsewhere with no repercussions- if he doesn't sign the LOI. The school is almost certainly going to want him no matter what, because Top 50 players don't grow on trees. That's why there's only 50 of them.

You started this whole thing with a post talking about how every top player should wait to sign to have as much info as possible. I'm telling you that's not necessary for the very best guys, but that they should not sign an LOI. If they sign the LOI, their options are closed. If they don't, they're not obligated to attend the school they commit to.

If a guy legitimately doesn't know where he wants to go, then he shouldn't commit.

 

[KyCatFan]

Does anyone have confirmation that K went to Giles's birthday party?

Did he pop out of the cake?

Someone please Photoshop Coach K coming out of a cake.

 

[kyjeff1]

Wow. I have 0 idea where you're getting that I'm saying anything like that.

OK, post for the deaf:

IF A TOP 50 PLAYER KNOWS WHERE HE WANTS TO GO, he can commit and not sign an LOI. He doesn't have to wait around and see how things shake out at the program he chooses. If something unexpected happens (like the coach leaving), he can go elsewhere with no repercussions- if he doesn't sign the LOI. The school is almost certainly going to want him no matter what, because Top 50 players don't grow on trees. That's why there's only 50 of them.

You started this whole thing with a post talking about how every top player should wait to sign to have as much info as possible. I'm telling you that's not necessary for the very best guys, but that they should not sign an LOI. If they sign the LOI, their options are closed. If they don't, they're not obligated to attend the school they commit to.

If a guy legitimately doesn't know where he wants to go, then he shouldn't commit.

No, I didn't start this whole thing. Forget the LOI argument, this doesn't concern that. We all know that signing an LOI binds the player. You are actually arguing a different point. You are talking about the top players THAT KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING and how it bothers you that they don't announce their decision earlier. My point is how do you know they know where they are going? I'll agree that some of these kids do know where they are going but keep us in the dark because they like the attention but do you personally know Giles? Do you know that he knows where he is going? You don't. I don't and most likely he doesn't either. Why the heck would he verbal right now? He is being courted by all the heavyweights.
I get your point but it only pertains to kids that absolutely know where they are going. And maybe that's what you would do if you were in Giles' position and that's fine but some of these kids enjoy the process and may truly not know where they want to go.

Can you imagine this board if Giles went and Verbally committed to UK now then changed his mind later? Yeah so I'd rather he make a decision when he is ready. Sorry it annoys you.

 

[mj2k10]

No, I didn't start this whole thing. Forget the LOI argument, this doesn't concern that. We all know that signing an LOI binds the player. You are actually arguing a different point. You are talking about the top players THAT KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING and how it bothers you that they don't announce their decision earlier. My point is how do you know they know where they are going? I'll agree that some of these kids do know where they are going but keep us in the dark because they like the attention but do you personally know Giles? Do you know that he knows where he is going? You don't. I don't and most likely he doesn't either. Why the heck would he verbal right now? He is being courted by all the heavyweights.
I get your point but it only pertains to kids that absolutely know where they are going. And maybe that's what you would do if you were in Giles' position and that's fine but some of these kids enjoy the process and may truly not know where they want to go.

Can you imagine this board if Giles went and Verbally committed to UK now then changed his mind later? Yeah so I'd rather he make a decision when he is ready. Sorry it annoys you.

I give up. Whatever voices you have in your head that you're listening to obviously drown out mine, and render you incapable of reading and understanding what it is I'm writing.

 

[Bigblueforever]

I imagine it went something like this.

"Happy Birthday, Mr. Giles....."

I am Coach K & I coach to teams USA & Duke Happy Birthday, may I ask what number do you want on you duke uniform ?

 

[kyjeff1]

I give up. Whatever voices you have in your head that you're listening to obviously drown out mine, and render you incapable of reading and understanding what it is I'm writing.

Just calm down. I completely understand what you are saying and I've said many times that I agree with it in certain cases but I don't think you are understanding what I'm saying so just leave it be. It really isn't that important.

 

[ShadowFromHomewardBound]

I dread every time i see a Giles thread on this forum. I know every time we will have a few that will tell us to forget about him and move on since he's a Duke lock. As much as it's said, i'm sure it will probably happen. My only thought is, in recruiting, ain't really such a thing as a lock. With Cal, i always think we have a chance, even if we really don't. Since it appears he's bffs with K, i wish the kid would just go ahead and verbal to Duke. No point in making drama over something that is already done and over with. That's the annoying part of recruiting. These kids know where they want to go to school and play ball, yet they drag these things out forever when it's just a waste of time. Just commit and get it over with. Unless a coach gets involved that wasn't before and the kid always wanted to play for that coach, most of these kids know where they are going and recruiting could be so much less frustrating if they could pull the trigger already.

Kind of a dumb post. If you're an 18 year old kid and can travel the country and get red carpet treatment everywhere you visit why wouldn't you ?

Tone down the obsession on this kids life. K?