My Non-Informative Gary Harris Post
by Purdue_Pete on Nov 3, 2011 2:52 PM EDT
in Recruiting
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Gary Harris, the #1 rated poker player in the class of 2012, is heading into the home stretch of his recruitment.
If the headline didn't telegraph it enough, I would like to start out confessing that I will bring nothing new to the table in my Gary Harris coverage. If you are hoping for some juicy gossip, I 'd be more than happy to direct you to a variety of stalkers that can tell you what he's having for lunch or what HSE's chemistry teachers overheard about the senior standout.
I've made a concerted effort to avoid throwing my hat in the ring on this one.
Despite the fact that adding "Gary Harris" to a website is s page-count goldmine, there hasn't been much I can add to the subject beyond what is already being (over) circulated.
I've followed the recruitment of many high-profile recruits and I can say will full confidence that this recruitment has been the most disciplined and process driven of any recruit's I've covered. They've handled their official visits in a vacuum, giving the media nothing but respectful yet vague quotes that are impossible to embellish or slant.
The information dearth as led many self-titled recruiting "gurus" to either fabricate their own ‘sources,' or cite the opinion of a 6th grade AAU coaches disguised under the term the AAU circle. People who know someone close to the family have been catapulted into message board stardom by regurgitating their baseless opinions. The rumors surrounding Harris's recruitment have been so ridiculous, the only conclusion that can be made is that Gary Harris is undoubtedly committing to Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Every fan base has their angle as tp why they feel Gary Harris is theirs to lose. Some more condescending than others, but each feel that they have the edge. It's clear when Harris makes his decision, he is going to disappoint three basketball crazy fan bases.
The only thing not being quoted by recruiting know-it-alls is the only legitimate info out there:
He just don't know yet.
There is so much effort saving face, nobody can admit that either Harris truly doesn't know where he's heading, or at the very least, he hasn't told anyone.
The good news is that the madness will be over soon. He's slated to make his decision following his official visit to Michigan State this weekend and we can all put it behind us. The signing period starts Wednesday and lasts two weeks. While I am not going to speculate where he is going to go, I can guarantee you that the Gary Harris recruitment frenzy is about to reach its epic conclusion.
...Just in time to kickoff the Derek Willis mayhem...
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Couple comments
obviously he’s coming to Purdue since we’re listed first in this blog post
UK fans will not be disappointed if he commits elsewhere, he’s not good enough to play there anyways
M$U lock, who wouldn’t want to play for Izzo? It’s between M$U and UK
Committing to IU soon since he was spouting off at a house party about how he’s joining “The Movement”
(dws)
Exactly..
Although, the bright spot is that the rumors seem to be getting brighter for Purdue. Stull rumors nonetheles.
- Contributor/Editor/ All-around embarrassment at Hammer & Rails
- Follow my unintelligible musings at: @PurdueBBall
What rumor is getting brighter for Purdue?
I’ve heard any. BTW, I’m curious what are the odds you give to the four finalists?
Wait, why does MSU have a dollar sign in it? Did I miss something over the past 16 years of the Izzo era?
by SpartanBoiler on Nov 3, 2011 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions
many people in the Purdue circles are convinced he had to have bought off Branden Dawson
for jumping in and stealing him from Purdue so quickly.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
It’ pretty substantiated that Izzo helped fund an unofficial visit. something Painter was not willing to do
- Contributor/Editor/ All-around embarrassment at Hammer & Rails
- Follow my unintelligible musings at: @PurdueBBall
by Purdue_Pete on Nov 3, 2011 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It is a pretty extraordinary claim.
Is there any evidence to support the claim or is it just a rumor? I would hate it if Izzo did that, but I would hate it worse if Izzo’s name was being unfairly drug in the mud.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.
That said…Brandon Dawson is going to light up the Big Ten this year. He is a beast. I am still pretty ticked off that he chose MSU – while suggesting that Purdue did not show him enough love (despite Painter personally going to Dawson’s games since Dawson was in middle school). That part did not make any sense. Nonetheless, Izzo deserves the benefit of the doubt – however much it pains me to admit.
There is absolutely no evidence of that. Pretty poor form by Purdue_Pete.
by SpartanBoiler on Nov 3, 2011 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Of course there's no evidence....
MSU and Izzo are too smart to leave a paper trail. But there is plenty of smoke from lots of people to deduce a fire.
Ever Grateful. Ever True.
Smoke as in,
Another local stud talent is going elsewhere, which must only mean that the other team is playing dirty.
Especially when considering Purdue’s long & storied hoops history, or it’s current tenuous spot as the #2 hoops program in the state?
You mean like the winning record against your school and every other school in the BIG or the most BIG championship? That long and storied history
by jack'sIUdisdain on Nov 4, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah you must be right
BC you get all sorts of banners for regular season victories, and tons of street cred that stellar run of conference championships from the 1930’s.
On a related note, today’s stud HS basketball players care not about that stuff. Or else players like Dawson would be on Purdue.
I for one believe that Izzo is one of the cleanest coaches in the NCAA.
He simply beat Painter. I think Coach Painter is well on his way to being the next Izzo.
And you would be naive to think that
Besides the dirty Dawson recruitment, the way Izzo recruited Dane Fife was questionable as well.
Ever Grateful. Ever True.
Back in December 2010...
Izzo was suspended for one game. A guy named Desmond Smith was payed by MSU to coach a middle school camp. Smith ended up driving Branden Dawson on an unofficial visit to East Lansing. This was an NCAA violation. A minor, stupid one but a violation nonetheless.
What to take from this???
1. Izzo did indirectly fund a visit I suppose.
2. NCAA is about as bad as the IRS when it comes to rules and regulations.
3. I had to search through a lot of Spartan hatred towards Purdue to find this crap.
4. I think it’s reasonable to be bitter about this particularly when you follow recruiting closely.
5. Dawson is at MSU. Period. Dude has extreme beast mode and Izzo will use him well.
Some sources...
Story about the suspension here.
MSU Writer connecting it to Dawson (not by a Purdue fan as suggested by some IU types hanging around).
I never suggested it wasn't connected to Dawson
it’s pretty well known that the suspension was because of the Dawson issue. That was a recruiting gaffe, they happen. But to suggest from that one event that the whole process was shady is a pretty giant leap.
It is pretty basic. Michigan State paid this guy as a coach at a camp for middle-schoolers with the MSU name on it. A couple months later this guy gives Dawson a ride to East Lansing for an unofficial visit. Neither Dawson or MSU were aware that this dude had been paid for his coaching services at a token middle-school basketball camp recently. Therefore, when it was discovered that this individual was a person associated with a prospect and was recently on the “payroll” of Michigan State it was a violation.
Nothing shady. Just an oversight by the compliance department at MSU and the MSU coaching staff.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
for an example in what-ifs
My buddy was paid to help for a week long middle school camp sponsored by Indiana University. He was paid like $100 for a week of work. If he now was back home and a kid he knows well was considering Indiana and wanted to come up for an unofficial visit and my friend gave him a ride back to Bloomington… That is nearly the same violation that occurred at MSU with Dawson. Hardly something that is going to sway a recruits stance.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
No I get it...
Makes you wonder why the NCAA would suspend Izzo for something so trivial. I would give a guy like Izzo the benefit of the doubt though.
So says the IU fan...
I remember when IU wasn’t a mecca for recruiting violation apologists
lol
because of one minor violation it’s the Mecca for violations?
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
No...
That’s not what he meant. Read it again. A lot of IU guys defend recruiting mishaps. Kind of like how you did with Izzo. After the Ebanks debacle and the Sampson legacy…understandably so.
apples and oranges.
Sampson’s violations and Izzo’s are apples and oranges. I am a Purdue fan, but I would defend Izzo here, because the explanation MSU has made has not been credibly challenged by anyone and it does seem plausible as well.
Don’t get me started on Sampson. Sampson was a cheater – through and through. IU basketball has still not recovered from his shenanigans and IU fans who defended Sampson are the biggest d-bags of them all. I do not think AJ is one of them so it seems unfair to just lump him in.
That wasn't my intention at all...
I wasn’t comparing the two infractions. I mentioned the Sampson incident since it’s a reason for IU guys to be empathetic of a recruiting violation.
Also choosing to defend a coach who has been clean for 15 years vs. a coach who cheats is, of course, an easy decision to make. I think if you look at AJ’s posts on this particular story it is obvious which side he chooses. I wasn’t lumping him into defending a Sampson type coach…just one that committed a minor error. A coach that even I would give the benefit of the doubt.
I had never heard of this
and I think that is a pretty strong accusation against a coach that is very well respected and clean. I’ve always like Izzo and Michigan State as one of my favorite non-Purdue programs. We need to aspire to be more like them in terms of Final Fours and such.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
yeah there has been a ton of rumbling about it but it comes mostly from Purdue sources
it’d be slightly more believable if there were third party sources popping up. But it’s been months and the only rumors of wrongdoing come Purdue Nation.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
Please substantiate
It’ pretty substantiated that Izzo helped fund an unofficial visit. something Painter was not willing to do
this
Personally, I don't think it is substantiated
I know some people said its all over Purdue circles, but this is the first I have heard of it. As far as Harris goes, I did see Izzo at a game I was covering last year between HSE and Zionsville, but the visit was brief at best outside the locker room afterwards.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
be forewarned that Purdue circles means Rivals message boards
They’re my guilty pleasure to read but the majority of comments there are trolling and garbage.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
by JustAJ on Nov 5, 2011 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
MSU paid for multiple unofficial visits for Dawson and his handlers. Also, there are rumors that additional financial favors were done for his handlers. There is plenty of smoke on this. Purdue refused to “play ball” that is why Purdue abruptly went from leader to 4th for Dawson’s services towards the end of his recruitment. Now, obviously its next to impossible to prove this stuff is Dawson’s parents or handlers paid for travel, lodging, and food and were reimbursed by MSU with cash. That is how the game is played.
Ever Grateful. Ever True.
just b/c there's talk doesn't mean it's true
This “there are rumors” crap kills me. Save it for the message boards. And besides, Izzo doesn’t exactly have a history of pulling in All-Americans (solid 4-stars, but not really many highly-recruited 5-stars) nor does he has even the slightest reputation of being dirty. And don’t cite that recruiting violation he sat a game out for last year, there’s nothing there either. There was no actual “smoke” around the Dawson recruitment, the only corners I’ve ever heard any of this stuff being talked about has been the Purdue message boards. No credible information has ever surfaced about MSU and Dawson, so it’s probably time to let this thing die.
http://therailroadtie.com/
Boiler up!
by therailroadtie on Nov 4, 2011 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Ehh...
I mentioned it because it’s not every day a coach like Izzo is suspended.
Dawson seemed to be a Purdue lean for awhile and then MSU comes in and picks him up. I think it’s reasonable for a Purdue guy to be mad about the situation. At least it shows that he cares…his priorities might need to be realigned…In the end, Dawson is at MSU and he is really good. May be so good that he leaves early and then this thing will really be over.
Probably not THAT good
He probably sticks around for 4 yrs like Draymond Green and be a pain to block out.
He was a McDonald's All-American
While I agree he probably isn’t good enough to be one and done, I don’t see him staying four years. He actually is too good to go that route.
OK, I still see him staying there for at least 3 yrs and be a pain for us to block out
1. I thought Draymond Green and Kalin Lucas are also highly-touted recruit that stay for 4 yrs under Izzo. OK, maybe not THAT highly-touted, but still. I see Dawson to be similar to Green except he’ll get more rebounds and less assists.
2. As for McD AA, here’s a great article on the herald Class of 2002. Only a few is still in the NBA, and many didn’t live up to the hype and never play a game in the NBA.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/15421905/class-of-2002-serves-as-a-cautionary-tale-for-todays-allamericans
I don't know...
Heard from some MSU fans that Izzo was going after Jabari Parker, meaning Dawson may leave early barring any setbacks.
You just never know. For every Draymond Green or Kalin Lucas, there is a Jereme Richmond waiting to leave early.
the post was DW$
thought I made that clear at the bottom
Bravo.
I’m working on piecing together all the knowledge we have and making a guess on where he is going. Likely it won’t be out in time as there is a ton of crap to try and wade through first.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
I attempted the same thing...
I fell down the rabbit hole and ended up more unsure than ever. Everyone is so damn confident…Let me know if you want to exchange notes.
- Contributor/Editor/ All-around embarrassment at Hammer & Rails
- Follow my unintelligible musings at: @PurdueBBall
I just don't like that MSU is the last visit
Save the best for last, it will be the last impression. The thing about MSU though, is that Gary has said he wants to play with people he is comfortable around and his future teammates is a big priority (I forget where he said that, in an interview after an AAU tourney I believe). So why MSU? Does he know those players very well? Purdue and IU are definitely the top 2 in regards to knowing the players and feeling comfortable around them, since he’s played with them for years. So that’s what keeps me hoping he comes to Purdue, is the bonds he has with our recruits already. BUT, Kentucky is such an interesting school, but would he be put on the back burner and just ‘another recruit’, or come to Purdue and be THE MAN!
The question is:
Is his top priority to play with friends (then Purdue/IU), or go to the NBA quick (UK), or have the best chance to get to a FF based on recent history (MSU)?
If I assign a point system to the three priorities, then
Play with friends (PU/IU 3, MSU 1, UK 0)
Play in the NBA (UK 3, MSU 2, PU 2, IU 1)
Go to FF (MSU 3, UK 2.5, PU 2, IU 1)
Then I get:
PU 7
MSU 6
UK 5.5
IU 5
So Gary, as a Quant, I am doing all the research for you, and after very careful analysis, my recommendation is: Purdue.
You’re welcomed.
+1
Numbers don’t lie Gary. Thanks to this completely foolproof analysis, your decision is now easier than ever!
Michigan landed Mitch Mcgary
Its going to awfully competitive in the big ten. We need Gary.
Ignorance can be fixed. Stupidity is forever.
Either him or Willis
With both Michigan and Indiana coming back to relevance, the Big Ten is going to be one tough conference. MSU, Ohio State, IU, Michigan, and Wisconsin all seem to have that one high quality, big name recruit to lead their team. We haven’t gotten one yet.
I’m not worried about ability to compete, because I know Painter is a hell of a coach. But it would be nice for Purdue to start getting some of these top30 or so recruits the others are getting too.
HUGE get for Michigan
B1G will be a tough conference to play in – which is just how I like it. If you want to be the best, you have to play the best.
Gary Harris just needs to commit to Purdue and let's get on with this
He will enjoy playing in Mackey arena, and if he lives up to the hype will be cherished by all Boilermakers forever.
Come on down.
Dosvidaniya, bitches! BTFU!
How could anyone NOT enjoy playing in Mackey Arena
The atmosphere is just….
There are no words.
Reaction images? I got 'em
Senior All-American Alto Sax
Plenty of kids don't enjoy playing in Mackey
Just ask anyone not wearing a white jersey.
Lord, jager me strength.
by doublegoldandblack on Nov 4, 2011 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Mackey is honestly a big advantage we are forgetting
Gary Harris has seen what the Mackey’s environment is like during a big game. We are known for having a really loud stadium, and he was there when we beat Ohio State. That game was louder and crazier than any other one I have been to the last two years. Gary has seen our crowd at it’s best and beating one of the best teams in person. The other three teams he is considering can’t say that.
It's like it's so obvious that we keep forgetting about it
Unfortunately, I’ve never been to the other arenas that belong to schools courting Mr. Harris, so it’s impossible to make comparisons.
Reaction images? I got 'em
Senior All-American Alto Sax
DWTS
Any truth to the rumor that Gary will also be joining the next cast of Dancing With The Stars? From the way he moves, both on the field and on the court, I’m sure he would be exciting to watch.
Plenty to like about all 4 options
if you are GH.
IMO though, he stays within the state. Of which he picks between the two….flip a coin.
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