UGA’s Mark Fox unaware of eligibility issues for top basketball recruit until Columbus report
Just talked to Georgia basketball coach Mark Fox on the SEC’s summer teleconference call with coaches.
I was able to get in only two questions — writers from all over the league participate — but the first thing I asked him about was, of course, the eligibility issues suddenly surrounding the Bulldogs’ prized recruit, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Specifically, I asked Fox when he was made aware that there may be some issues and if he anticipated the five-star shooting guard from Greenville would be subject to NCAA suspension.
“Really I was just made aware of that yesterday,” Fox said Monday. “Obviously we’ll cooperate with the process. I really can’t speculate on what penalty there will be if there is one.”
I also asked Fox where he thought the team’s scoring will come from this season with the loss of last year’s top two point producers — Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins — to the NBA draft.
“That’s the question,” he said. “We did lose a lot of scoring and I think any coach would tell you you’re always looking for who’s going to score field goals for you. We’re all trying to build a defensive team that’s good enough to win, but you also have to score and that’s what we’re looking for right now.
“Obviously [you look at] the two senior guards back in Gerald Robinson and Dustin Ware. I think both those guys had games of over 20 last year. They understand where to get their shots. But I also think as seniors those guys understand how to control a team and get the other guys the ball. Hopefully they’ll be able to make the transition easier for the other guys and help them find baskets. But it is an area of concern for us. When we start working out in the fall we’ll have to get an understanding of where we can get our shots and how we can best score.”
On new-look team next season:
“We’re certainly going to look a little different this next year with the early departures of Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins. We lost another starter to graduation in Jeremy Price. So we’ll look a little different. But I do think our young guys are excited about the opportunities that are in front of them. From the end of last season forward this group has gone back to a workmanlike approach and hopefully we’ll reap the benefits of that this next season.”
On Thompkins and Leslie’s prospects as pros:
“The first thing I did was look at the number of guaranteed contracts the Clippers had and I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 or 11. That means there are roster spots available. Any time a guy goes in the second round that’s the first thing you look at. So I think there’s opportunities for both of those guys to make the team and to contribute.
“I think that Trey has a legitimate power forward body; he has a bigh basketball IQ; he’s got good offensive skills. He was a little bit criticized over his conditioning going into the draft, but I think that’s something that’s easily correctable with work, and I know that he will.
“Travis is an explosive wing player who in the NBA will have to find his niche, whether that is as an offensive rebounder or a scorer or a driver. I think it all depends on how he plays. Certainly in [Blake] Griffin the Clippers have an all star they can build around. Hopefully these two kids can find a place on the team.”
On Vanderbilt’s position as prohibitive SEC favorite:
“When you start listing them I think Vanderbilt is a team that could legitimately contend for a Final Four. They have a great backcourt, terrific wing play and great shooting. They have an NBA center, a couple of good posts and a good bench. So I think, looking at the ingredients of a team, , there’s not much missing from their team. Kevin [Stallings] and his staff have done a great job and I anticipate that they’ll be in for a big year.”
Feelings on proposed elimination of July recruiting period [after this year]:
“There is a lot of conversation of changing the recruiting model and I think it is inevitable that we change it. [But] I think there are a lot of positives to being able to evaluate players during the summer. Just from an economical standpoint, I think it helps schools to be able to see several hundred kids in one location. I think it will change but I don’t think it will be completely eliminated.”
Would you prefer a recruiting period other than July?
“For us, it all comes back to having access to your current players. If we don’t go out recruiting in July, are we going to be able to have access to work with our players for an hour or two a week? And are we going to be able to pick up some recruiting days during the school year? If so, I think this model will significantly change, but there has to be a balance there. I’m not sure of the proposed plans I see that I compeltely agree with any of them. But that’s why it’s a work in progress. I think we should keep some summer recruiting. I think it just makes too much sense economically and from an efficiency standpoint. But it’s probably not safe for a kid to be playing in five different cities over 10 days and we’ve got to get some sanity back to it all.”
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77 comments Add your comment
Lowcountry Bulldawg
June 27th, 2011
6:41 pm
That is a great line. I think we need pledge pins for this upcoming season. Everytime someone thinks the sky is falling the earn a pledge pin. Lets keep a running tally.
Chuck UGA
June 27th, 2011
6:54 pm
AAU is a plague on high school hoops. It’s going to hurt a lot of kids because of the rampant greed and corruption.
Delbert D.
June 27th, 2011
7:01 pm
Don’t fear Jan Kemp, she’s long gone. Keep an eye out for Michelle Bachmann, though.
ignition
June 27th, 2011
8:15 pm
Lol @ Lowcountry B*itch ready to talk football when the blog topic is relates to hoops..
Dog '77
June 27th, 2011
9:13 pm
From Columbus and it has been pretty common knowledge around here for 8-9 months at least that there could be a problem on Jones (football) and possibly Pope. The accusation going around was that the Columbus AAU coach/ Parks and Recreation Manager was acting somewhat as a street agent. Other players mentioned, but none at UGA currently or past that I have heard of.
Don’t know how in the world the athletic department hadn’t opicked up on it, alluded to in our paper back laste last year. Head in sand and all that I guess.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
June 27th, 2011
9:46 pm
Awww thanks for the insult but in your circle I think it is clearly established your mother sets the bar at being that.
IL Jacket
June 27th, 2011
9:50 pm
AltamahaDawg, regarding your question about who gives the NCAA the authority to set the rules prescribing the limitations on what constitutes impermissible benefits-it is the institutions themselves. In other words, the NCAA is, or at its founding was, a voluntary organization that came about at Teddy Roosevelt’s prodding as a result of the extreme violence in college athletics, primarily football, at the turn of the century. So from a small organization, this mighty bureaucracy has grown with an assortment of rules governing all manner of things. So in other words, think of it as a little club to which everyone agrees to follow the rules laid down by the management lest chaos would break out.
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
9:55 pm
So the accusation is that if they helped the mom out when Pope was a sophomore in HS, they could somehow benefit from that influence when he came down to making a college choice?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
June 27th, 2011
10:05 pm
Correct Altamaha that singular bill that was paid. It was clearly used as leverage, that single instance. Pay a phone bill, you have to go to the school of my liking. I know you have to see through that fog,lol. It is soooo close to the Bush,Pryor,Pryor instances that I expect this to be really big. This could escalate to the next UNC situation. Break out the pledge pins!
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
10:13 pm
I wasn’t questioning why the members give the NCAA authority. I was questioning how they had a stake in what the AAU does if it did not directly affect thier members. (assuming it didn’t). If its a recruiting of a player FOR a scholarship to a member. I get it. If its an issue while AT a member school, I get it. But if a high school outright bribes the parents of an 8th grader to move and play at their school (for example), does the NCAA have any authority to suspend that kid from his first 2 games in college?
And don’t get em wrong. I am not saying that playing college ball is a right, and the NCAA is power grabbing. I think they have every reason to govern a voluntary participation anyway they choice. they could easily say, “no, we don;t have any authority to tell HS, or AAU type what do do, but nothing say we have to let anyone participate in our sanctioned sport either, so do what you want, but we reserve the right not to like it, and act in our our interest as well”.
It just seems to me that they would choose to only govern what directly affect a “college player”. Otherwise there is no end to what they would have to look at.
Or perhaps there is some actual partnership of these types of organizations with the NCAA?
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 27th, 2011
10:27 pm
I am not sure that the NCAA really can have much of a hand in this whole matter. The BB player, did not accept any money, or t least it has not been reported that he did. He was not signed with any NCAA team at the time this occurred, so it may be a mute point anyway.
The football player, never took the 4 trips to LA LA Land as official visits to USC, even though he eventually went to USC fr a year. He came asking for UGA to give him a scholarship, after he decided that USC was going to be on probation too long, due to the R. Bush, play for pay scandal. . He was not signed to any school at the time, he took those trips, so not sure how the NCAA will look at it.
I know what they say about smoke indicating fire, but I think it would be a rather flimsy excuse to penalize these kids, when funds were used that were most likely embezzled, and these kids did not know that. I do believe the FB player, knew he was skirting the issue a little and probably hoping it would slip by because he was not on official visits and had not signed with USC yet, but he probably had no idea, how the trip money was obtained.
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
10:52 pm
I think the NCAA should and will investigate because the opportunity for this to be a recruiting violation , or a received benefits situation, certainly exist. I’m thinking mama pays back the cell bill, and the 15 yr old at the time Pope is really pretty clean. Jones might have to sit a game or two, because he did receive something, knowledge or not, while he was a college player.
IF this is all there is to it. I’m sure there is more to it from the standpoint of the Columbus rec dept., but as far as the Georgia players, probably not.
Paul in RDU
June 28th, 2011
12:28 am
There seem to be plenty of comments about whether the alleged benefits from the AAU coaches in Columbus are “recruiting violations”. The issue isn’t recruiting – and is certainly nothing to do with UGA. It is whether the kids received monetary benefits because of their athletic performance, The NCAA calls this “professionalism”. If you think that this doesn’t apply to 16 year olds you haven’t followed what happened to Enes Kanter.
bill_in_atl
June 28th, 2011
7:01 am
Enes Kanter’s benefits were in the range of $35,000 and he played for a professional team. It’s not really the same thing Paul. (He should have gotten a faster ruling so that he could avoid wasting a year, but it seems he’ll come out of it okay as the 3rd pick in the NBA draft.)
Lowcountry Bulldawg
June 28th, 2011
8:06 am
Bill, dont be barging in here with facts. People prefer not to here them.
It Ain,t Rocket Science
June 28th, 2011
8:42 am
I just read where the AD notified the NCAA and SEC of the two incidences involving the BB and football player from the Columbus area. Having done that, I am thinking neither one of these two folks will be on the field or court, until the investigation is completed. It probably is not wise to expect them to do a quick investigation. No Cam Newton 24 hour investigation here. I guess the football player, since he was enrolled at USC at the time, will get the bigger penalty if they hand them out. That wonderful Kiffin lead institute even manages to screw up something in the SEC, even when he is on the left coast. Also, I think that Mr. Jones may not be the brightest bulb on the tree either. I would think he would have had to of known that it was not permissible.
Dr. nick
June 28th, 2011
10:46 am
Oh well,he’s probably another “one and done”.So much for the value of a college education.
Paul in RDU
June 28th, 2011
11:54 am
bill,
I agree that Kanter’s benefits were in the $35k range (although $20k was educational expenses), but the only real difference between him and these AAU kids getting benefits is the scale and the amount. It is highly unlikely that these kids will be declared permanently ineligible but they DID receive monetary benefits – and the NCAA WILL get involved.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 28th, 2011
6:46 pm
The Kiflin curse lives on. I think the guy could be coaching in Europe and would still manage to screw up something for college football in America.
AU strategy
June 28th, 2011
8:49 pm
Georgia needs to stonewall and keep quiet like auburn did–and tell the ncaa to take a hike. Cam newton and cecil got $200,000 from some fatcat booster but auburn kept everything under the rug and the ncaa couldn’t find any evidence to charge them. It works.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 28th, 2011
10:08 pm
AU Strategy,
I would wait just about a year or so, before I would say that strategy did work, if there is something they tried to hide. If the NCAA went any slower, the whole organization would be considered stagnent. Also, it is worth noting that UGA, NCAA or for that fact, any other SEC school knew about the money dealings going on in Columbus. Pretty hard to cover up something you aren’t aware of.
Standawg
June 29th, 2011
1:15 am
Oh well, the phone bill issue is an easy one. Just say he didn’t know they paid the bill, (a la Cam Newton) and you’re good to go.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 29th, 2011
7:40 am
With the uneven approach the NCAA takes on matters and it’s money first approach to handling violations and situations, (OSU penalties of the tattoo five, prior to a bowl game), you can’t be sure what will happen to either player this year. It appears to me sometime, that the folks who determine these penalties let their own personal feelings get in the way, and approach each incident without regard to previous violations of the same type. In almost any case, you can see that their approach though is greatly motivated by the money end. It is a shame since most of the administration of that organization is made up of former coaches and administrators.
GT BBall Fan
June 29th, 2011
10:29 am
Thanks for the info, RIP Jan Kemp. A bulldog who thought athletes should be taught to at least read and write.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 29th, 2011
4:42 pm
GT BBall Fan,
Could you please give me some statistics regarding the percentage of BB players from GT that graduated. I am sure you can tell me their degree as well as when they received it. And surely, all of your football players graduated with an engineering degree. After all, that’s why they can’t be as good as UGA athletes according to most of the TECH. folks that come onto a blog and complain about UGA ’s academics or athletes. Don’t answer the above questions with other questions either. That is what typical TECH. fans do, when challenged on these blogs after they try and make themselves feel good by insulting young men who go to UGA.
all photo books
June 29th, 2011
5:49 pm
I do agree that they have to screen good players to add to their team.
bobdawg40
July 3rd, 2011
10:44 am
Excuse me. Why is she running up a phone bill she can’t pay? Here we go again!!