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College Basketball Random Chatter 2013-2014 Season

  • se-alum
    Not surprisingly, Marshall Henderson has been suspended by Ole Miss.

    http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/22713260/the-day-so-many-predicted-for-marshall-henderson-has-arrived
  • Midstate01

    Good. Cant stand that piece of shit
  • Azubuike24
    Florida 5-star recruit and top 10 player, Chris Walker, likely ineligible. Anyone who saw the Jordan game...Walker was super impressive. Shy of Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon, hard to say there is another PF with the upside he has.

    It's a huge, huge blow for the Gators if he can't play.
  • SportsAndLady
    Wow rough news for Florida. I was very high on Chris walker dudes a fucking stud. I was hoping he'd go to Lawrence but now im glad that didn't happen.
  • Classyposter58
    Thinking about going to MSU vs UNC next year
  • se-alum
    Midstate01;1470716 wrote:Good. Cant stand that piece of shit
    He's still acting like an idiot on Twitter.
  • Pick6
    Henderson's suspension is probably well deserved, and I can't believe he isn't going in a hole and shutting up after the news.

    With that said, college basketball is a better product with him playing. Sucks.
  • Mulva
    Pick6;1471284 wrote:With that said, college basketball is a better product with him playing. Sucks.
    No it is not.
  • reclegend22
    Mulva;1471300 wrote:No it is not.
    Have to agree.

    If Marshall Henderson is going to go pro in anything, it will be as a wrestler. He is a circus act.
  • Pick6
    reclegend22;1471318 wrote: He is a circus act.
    Which is what makes him entertaining (to me anyways), lol.
  • reclegend22
    Pick6;1471334 wrote:Which is what makes him entertaining (to me anyways), lol.
    I can get that. I guess, personally, I view him more as a sideshow than as a talented showman. But a lot of that might be that he looks and acts like a carny.

    If he handled himself in a more cultured manner, and not as some sort of deranged clown, then he might be taken more seriously. Then again, that is typically how mental illness presents itself.
  • vball10set
    Midstate01;1470716 wrote:Good. Cant stand that piece of ****
    This...reps
  • Azubuike24
    Actually a pretty sad situation. Typically, you don't feel bad for a guy not getting it done in the classroom, but that may not have been on the student here.

    Regarding Florida recruit Chris Walker:

    From Gary Parrish, CBS Sports:

    "I'm not going to pretend to know Chris Walker well. I've watched him play in person a few times, talked to him a couple of times, and that's about it. But here's what I do know well: The odds have long been stacked against him, and he's had to overcome a lot to even put himself in a position to accept a Division I basketball scholarship.


    Walker's father has forever been non-existent.


    His mother essentially abandoned him years ago.


    He has spent his high school years living with a guardian named Jeneen Campbell and attending one of the state of Florida's smallest public schools, mostly because he wanted to be loyal to the woman who was loyal to him. Walker could've transferred to any of the fancy basketball academies at any time over the past few years, and he would've probably benefited academically from it. But when you've been left by the adults whose top responsibility is to never leave you, it must be difficult to then turn around and leave the one adult who didn't. So Walker stayed with Campbell and at Holmes County High.


    The result of that is this.

    With all due respect to Holmes County High, the school doesn't have much experience in dealing with prospective student-athletes like Walker. Consequently, he wasn't enrolled early in all of the classes that a sure-bet future Division I recruit should be enrolled in, which has forced Walker to play catchup for the past 18 months. There was some speculation that he might be able to complete his core courses online by the end of this month. But a source told CBSSports.com it's unlikely that will happen and this academic situation will probably linger well into July and perhaps into August, meaning it would be unwise to expect a resolution, one way or another, anytime soon."
  • Pick6
    ^ I feel bad with the personal life, but I would have to have more info to determine if I feel bad for him not being academically eligible. Gpa, has he failed classes, have other D1 athletes came out of there with no problems, did he pick his classes that apparently dont prepare him to enter college, etc.
  • reclegend22
    As the plot continues to thicken in the P.J. Hairston crime saga after this week's revelation that the UNC star has been connected to a second luxury rental car -- a GMC Yukon, purchased for Hairston by alleged Tar Heel supporter "Fats" Thomas -- things could get very interesting for Roy Williams and Carolina as the summer unfolds.

    First the driving without a license and arrest for marijuana possession. Then the weapons charge. Now the connection to two different rented luxury cars purchased by a known felon drug and gun dealer. You have to wonder if UNC's tie to Hairston is beginning to come undone.
  • ironman02
    This is gonna be long, so I apologize in advance.

    The details/facts of the case as I know them at the moment are this. PJ and two friends were pulled over at a police checkpoint in Durham. They stopped short of the checkpoint so that PJ could move out of the driver's seat and into the passenger seat because he realized he did not have his license with him at the time, but he does actually have a license. There was weed found in the car, and a gun was found outside the car. It seems very likely that they tossed the gun, but the officers did not actually see them toss the gun, so it's possible that it could have been tossed from one of the other cars that had gone through the checkpoint. After all, this is a pretty shady part of Durham where this all went down, so while unlikely, it's conceivable that it wasn't actually their gun. Apparently the police have not been able to determine the owner of the gun, weren't able to get any prints off the gun, and since they didn't see PJ or his friends toss it, it's likely that no weapons charge will be filed. In the end, the three guys will each be charged with misdemeanor drug possession. While completely stupid, and embarrassing to the university, it's not the end of the world. If this was the only problem, PJ would be disciplined internally and not miss any games since he has had no prior problems of this nature. However, that's the not the end of it.

    The real problem is that the vehicle they were pulled over in was rented by this "Fats" douche bag, who is a known felon. PJ had also been pulled over for speeding while driving a Camaro also rented by the same man a couple months ago, so there's clearly a pattern there. In addition to that, several cars rented by Fats have been ticketed for on-campus parking violations at UNC, so it appears that PJ and/or other athletes are driving around in some of these rentals. It's gonna be hard to actually prove that, and there may be some type of sensible explanation for it, but it doesn't look good. My opinion, from everything I have heard, is that this Fats guy hangs around a lot of social events and parties where the Carolina players have gone. Through these parties, he has met them, and tried to befriend them in an effort to cash in once they start playing professionally. Fats is also related to some oral surgeon who is associated with the UNC Dental School, so the geniuses at Pack Pride have immediately jumped to suspicions of drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal prescription medications, etc., and are trying to turn this into some massive conspiracy perpetrated by the university and the athletic department to give athletes improper benefits.

    Until I see some concrete evidence of anything more, I basically see this as PJ, and possibly other players, hanging out with the wrong crowd. This Fats guy was renting vehicles and letting them borrow them, which turns him into a "booster", by NCAA rules. He's not actually associated with UNC, so he's not a "booster" in the true sense of the word, but by providing an improper benefit, he becomes a "booster" to the NCAA. I don't think Roy, or anyone in the athletic department, knew about this and turned a blind eye to it, but it does seem as though Hairston, at the very least, will have to repay the value of the rentals and will be suspended for some portion of the season. It's possible that others could be disciplined, and it's possible that PJ could be gone entirely, but I really don't think this is something the athletic program is going to be severely punished for, no matter how much those jackasses at Pack Pride twist and distort their info. Supposedly, though, Pack Pride (with some help from UK fans at Rupp Rafters) have uncovered something HUGE, that will "destroy UNC basketball entirely", and that will be released by their media buddies today or tomorrow. Guess we'll see what that may be, but I highly doubt it's anything other than another dumb decision made my a player on his own, not some conspiracy by the athletic department.

    It also could have something to do with Rodney Blackstock, who is the agent that gave money to Ben McClemore's family. Blackstock actually has known PJ Hairston for years because he dated PJ's cousin, and UNC has already been cooperating with the NCAA in a broad investigation of Blackstock in general. So unless the douches at Pack Pride have actually uncovered some type of real evidence, rather than the crazy speculation that most of their info has been, I don't think there's much more to see here. All the evidence "uncovered" by them was already in the police report or had been told by Hairston anyway, it just hadn't been released to the public in an effort to avoid rampant rumors and speculation before ALL the facts of the case had been examined.

    I really liked PJ as a player and he always seemed like a good kid. Obviously he has made some terrible decisions, and I get that Roy doesn't just want to throw him to the curb, but this is a huge embarrassment to Carolina, especially after the football problems and the academic scandal. The university and the basketball program have both now had once pure images tarnished beyond repair, so I just want this to be over and move on. One thing I am not sure of is how this may play out with the NCAA due to the football program being on probation. If the NCAA finds any fault with the athletic program, they may suffer harsh penalties since they're already on probation due the football sanctions that were handed down before last season. That's pretty much up to the NCAA, but according to every rival, Carolina is the NCAA's darling, so that must mean I have nothing to worry about.
  • ironman02
    A couple more things...


    I'm 99.9% that this Fats character is running drugs. I don't think the Carolina guys are part of any drug distribution ring, or they had any real idea about Fats' criminal past, but he is obviously into some shady stuff judging by his prior charges/convictions and also his current behavior. I just don't believe it's being funded by his oral surgeon cousin or the fundraising effort of the University of North Carolina, as the sleuths at NC State would like us all to believe.

    Also, Fats has already admitted to Eric Prisbell of USA Today that he has rented vehicles for athletes at Duke and NC State, so this thing may get even larger than it already is, but at this time, the media only seems to be interested in the Carolina portion of the story. Whatever the case may be, these athletes need to get their heads out of their asses, and universities are gonna have to start hiring 24/7 babysitters for these guys because NCAA and university compliance departments simply aren't getting the job done.
  • reclegend22
    To be clear, I do not in any way believe that Hairston is knowingly involved in an elaborate money laundering, weapons and drug trafficking ring. That would seem highly unlikely. Although, I can certainly understand why Pack Pride would jump to such conclusions. Luckily for Carolina, NC State fans are not in charge of the investigation. I do agree that Hairston has made an egregious error in judgement with regard to the ring of people he has associated himself, and he may end up paying for that lack of judgement.

    Good rundown of the situation above. There is a lot of clutter and confusion out there surrounding this situation, so it's often hard to piece together what is actually going on.
  • reclegend22
    Former Kentucky Wildcat Kyle Wiltjer transfers to Gonzaga. Pretty big get for the Zags, who should be able to ride Wiltjer's outside shooting prowess all the way to another second round finish in the Big Dance next season.
  • reclegend22
    Good call, Az. I think you called this months ago, if I remember correctly.

    And note that Gonzaga will have to wait until 2014-15 to ride Wiltjer all the way to the second round.
  • Azubuike24
    I mean he lived in the area and has been friends with Kevin Pangos since they were kids. They played together on Canadian national teams. Kyle really needs to just work on his body. He kind of pisses me off because how many of us train regularily with heavy weights and stay in shape, but aren't blessed with 6'10 height. Hopefully he turns it around.
  • Azubuike24
    Saw this posted on Twitter. Sad. Not sure if many remember him, played for Auburn just a few years ago.

    http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/07/police_former_auburn_hoops_sta.html
  • wildcats20
    All charges against PJ Hairston from his June arrest have been dropped.
  • reclegend22
    Azubuike24;1476440 wrote:I mean he lived in the area and has been friends with Kevin Pangos since they were kids. They played together on Canadian national teams. Kyle really needs to just work on his body. He kind of pisses me off because how many of us train regularily with heavy weights and stay in shape, but aren't blessed with 6'10 height. Hopefully he turns it around.
    That reminds me of Taylor King. He had the potential to be one of the all-time great shooters at Duke. Kid was six-foot-seven with the fastest release and deepest range of any player who has ever played in Cameron. Sadly, he just didn't seem to care. Three years after arriving at Duke, King was playing at some NAIA school in the middle of nowhere in California and never heard from again.

    I love Wiltjer as a player and the unique skill set he brings. He just seems to be lacking a spark, as if he's constantly lethargic or something.
  • ironman02
    wildcats20;1476505 wrote:All charges against PJ Hairston from his June arrest have been dropped.
    Relieved to hear this, but now we'll see what happens if/when the NCAA investigates the rental car stuff.