Neal McCready
First, to repeat something we’ve already pinned above, because we feel it bears repeating.
We want to make it crystal clear that RebelGrove.com (Rivals.com) is not in partnership with Forward Rebels in any shape, form or fashion. Our site was never consulted by Forward Rebels in the production of the advertisement in question, nor were we compensated in any form for the use of words from commentaries written on our site. While we each stand by the words written in the commentary cited, we feel it's important to note that those words were written in an editorial context and were never intended for any advertising purposes whatsoever.
To expound a bit before we move on, it’s critical that our site be completely independent of both sides in this tug of war -- Forward Rebels and the University of Mississippi. We view ourselves as an independent news organization, and that’s a reputation we hope to cement with you, the consumer, as well as with the people we cover. In other words, we’re not taking sides, we don’t have a dog in the hunt, etc.
However, I will make one observation before moving on. No one wants to negotiate with terrorists and no one wants to give in to a bully (by the way, that’s a metaphor; I’m not comparing Forward Rebels’ organizers, leaders and followers terrorists). And it seems to me that while Forward Rebels’ message has certainly been received by its intended target(s), the vehicle it has used to deliver said message had led to those targets digging in even deeper. It’s my opinion that change at the administrative level at Ole Miss is inevitable. It’s also my opinion that as long as Forward Rebels launches these advertising missives, it is not going to see its stated goal realized.
As promised, moving on…
Two sources have spoken, on the condition of anonymity about a letter circulating through the athletics department. According to sources, men’s tennis coach Billy Chadwick has approached other coaches asking them to sign a letter supporting athletics director Pete Boone. While we have not seen the letter and have not heard with specificity what is said on it, we have spoken to sources who were not the least bit pleased with having the document put in front of them.
I have been able to ascertain that the letter was not Boone’s idea, which should kill some of the conspiracy theory that has been circulating the last few days. Still, the letter was/is a bad idea, especially considering the current climate in and around UMAA.
Speaking of, just three weeks ago, it certainly appeared as if a mid-season coaching change was possible, if not likely. Following a loss to Georgia and a win over Fresno State last Saturday in California, it appears Houston Nutt will be allowed to finish the season. I’ve heard no talk of any substance that removing Nutt midseason is still an option on the proverbial table.
In fact, there appears to be some increasing momentum in favor of Nutt receiving another season. However, he still has to do what football coaches are paid to do -- win games. While I’m hesitant to put concrete win totals on this (Why? Nothing is ever that simple, that cut and dried), Nutt could make a fifth year a virtual certainty if he could win one of Ole Miss next three games _ Oct. 15 vs. No. 2 Alabama, Oct. 22 vs. No. 10 Arkansas, Oct. 29 at No. 15 Auburn _ and then finish relatively strong. Several sources believe Nutt is likely safe with a 5-7 finish, presuming one of those wins came at Mississippi State in the season finale. In that scenario, according to one source close to the program, there would likely be some staff changes after the season’s conclusion. A 4-8 season, which would presumably include a third straight loss to the Bulldogs, would be problematic.
“I don’t see how he survives that (scenario),” one source said.
Interestingly, though, is a belief belonging to multiple sources that Boone doesn’t possess the capital (in terms of fan/alumni/booster support) to handle a hypothetical search for Nutt’s replacement. Further, some close to the program worry that Boone’s presence in the athletics director’s office would have a negative impact on any hypothetical football search. In other words, as more than one source said this week, there is a belief that Boone and Nutt are quite possibly inextricably linked.
For now, though, Nutt and his staff appear energized. With an open date on the docket, the Rebels are hitting the recruiting trail hard this week and this weekend. Several coaches hit the road Wednesday afternoon. Seven were out recruiting on Thursday and virtually the entire staff will be out this weekend before reconvening in Oxford on Sunday to begin in earnest preparations for Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.
Ole Miss coaches will hit Mississippi, California, Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, Florida and Kansas before the weekend ends.
Running backs coach Derrick Nix caught a quick flight from Fresno to Los Angeles last Friday to visit with Fullerton Community College running back Kelvin York. York is committed to Southern Cal, and it’s expected that he’ll sign with the Trojans. However, he is interested in Ole Miss and Miami. The 5-foot-11, 225-pound York grew up in Baton Rouge, La., and knows Brandon Bolden. He is good friends with former Fullerton CC defensive back Aaron Garbutt. He is intrigued by Ole Miss’ lack of depth at running back, but all signs point towards York signing with USC.
Nix spent Thursday in Texas checking out Blinn CC running back Marion Grice. Nix will head back to Mississippi Friday, where he will meet up with offensive coordinator David Lee to see the North Pike duo of A.J. Jefferson and Vernon Butler.
Ole Miss defensive backs coach Keith Burns will be in San Jose, Calif., this weekend recruiting four-star running back/cornerback Byron Marshall. Marshall has offers from Arizona State, Cal, Notre Dame and others. Defensive line coach Terry Price will spend some time this weekend in California as well, evaluating a handful of junior college targets. Price will check out Fullerton defensive tackle Ioane Gauta before heading to Georgia to see fast-rising prospect Kenny Orjioke. The Rebels were first to offer Orjioke, but that list has grown considerably. Orjioke is scheduled to be in Oxford next weekend for the Alabama game.
Tight ends/special teams coach started his weekend in Arizona. Before it’s over, he’ll travel to Mississippi and then to Louisiana. While in the Pelican State, Shibest is set to evaluate the Ruston defensive backfield duo of Kentrell Brice and Cyril Noland and Bastrop four-star defensive end Denzel Devall. LSU, Texas A&M and TCU lead for Devall, while both of the Ruston prospects have given verbal commitments to Louisiana Tech.
According to Arkansas sources, Shibest is also going to try to check out Austin Thompson, a 2013 defensive end from Bearden, Ark., in addition to Rison, Ark., linebacker Quinterio Heath and Strong, Ark., running back Kenneth Dixon.
Ole Miss offensive line coach Mike Markuson spent Thursday evaluating some Iowa community college prospects. He’ll head north to Minnesota Friday to see coveted tight end prospect Will Johnson.
Wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer spent Thursday in Kansas evaluating a handful of junior college prospects. Among the players Brewer is looking at is Hutchinson CC wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson has multiple offers from several BCS schools. Tennessee is believed to hold a slight advantage in the race for his signature.
Brewer will return to Mississippi today to check out Tunica, Rosa Fort, Olive Branch and Southaven. Nutt will be in north Mississippi as well, checking out Lafayette High School quarterback Jeremy Liggins, who has emerged as a top priority for the Rebels for the 2012 class.
Safeties coach/recruiting coordinator Chris Vaughn is in Florida. He’s checking out Orlando offensive lineman Duaron Williams and Jacksonville linebacker Joseph Jackson, among others. Jackson, a West Virginia commit, has emerged as a top target for the Rebels.
Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix will be in south Mississippi evaluating Petal quarterback Anthony Alford, a two-sport star who is believed to be favoring the Rebels at this point in the process.
Other prospects the Rebels are hoping to contact over the coming days, according to sources, are Florence, Ala., athlete Beniquez Brown; Keller, Texas, defensive tackle Aaron Curry; and Pearl River CC wide receiver Steve McNair, Jr.. Curry is expected to visit Oxford for the Alabama game next weekend.
On to basketball, where Ole Miss is looking to add two more players to a signing class that is expected to include Memphis-based commitment Martavious Newby. One of the Rebels’ top targets is Montverde (Fla.) Academy forward Anthony Perez Cortesia. The 6-9 Venezuelan has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki, which ought to be enough to excite any hoops fan. Sources close to Ole Miss believe the Rebels are in the driver’s seat for Cortesia. His eligibility, due to transcript issues, is somewhat up in the air. In addition to Cortesia, the Rebels would like to add another big body in the 2012 signing class.
The Rebels begin practice for the 2011-12 season Friday. I spoke to forward Terrance Henry and guard Dundrecous Nelson Thursday. Henry had high praise for guard Jarvis Summers.
“That’s my favorite,” Henry said. “He’s an old-school point guard. Unlike the point guards we usually have, he’s not a scoring guard. He’s about getting everybody involved. He can score when you need him to. He has an old-school game. He’s going to be pretty good.”
Henry also said he likes freshman forward Aaron Jones, who plays with “a hell of a lot of energy. I do not know where he gets it from. Jamal (Jones), he’s still learning from us. We’re just trying to teach all the young guys, Maurice (Aniefiok), too.”
Nelson said he expects both Summers and Jelan Kendrick to play some point guard this season, allowing Nelson to play on the wings and look for his shot.
“I’m going to get my shots up either way,” Nelson said, laughing. “All of the new guys have come in working hard and giving 110 percent effort. The coaches and players are emphasizing how hard we have to work this year. We think this is our year.”
Be sure to check out the podcast on the front page as Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Keith Niebuhr talked about Ole Miss' top in-state targets.
Chase Parham
I’ll start with the recent changes to junior college recruiting in Mississippi. The 14 Mississippi junior college presidents voted 13-1 to eliminated the protected areas in the state. The current format allows a school to make sure a player in its district only plays for that particular JUCO. It’s always been known as the “community” part of community college. In the past, schools could "protect" a maximum of 22 players per year in their designated region and sign them to scholarships. No other junior college could recruit or sign a "protected" player. No other junior college system in the nation has protected zones.
According to the Oxford Eagle, Itawamba Community College president David Cole called the current protected areas “un-American” because athletes had no choice in the JUCO system.
They also eliminated scholarships for out-of-state athletes by more than half. Gone are four of the eight scholarships each school had and 10 additional out-of-state scholarships border schools were allowed to use. In other words, there will be fewer Wayne Dorseys and Randall Mackeys and Terrence Codys in Mississippi junior colleges.
The Clarion-Ledger’s Hugh Kellenberger asked Houston Nutt about the new rules earlier this week. Here’s his lengthy response. It pretty much sums up the situation in regards to recruiting and players now receiving many more recruiting calls.
“The one thing I know about Mississippi that I’ve been impressed with -- before I got to Mississippi -- is how good Mississippi junior college football players are. How well they’re coached and how so many schools have come to Mississippi for immediate needs. I hate to see that change. I don’t know everything, but when you start taking away the districts, what I really worry about are the guys, the high school kids that would receive only one call from a junior college and then four or five calls from SEC or Division I schools, now that same young man will have to take 16, 17, 25, 30 calls from junior colleges plus D1, so that’s a real headache.
“Plus a lot of junior college coaches who are teaching class when I go to their campuses, now they are going to hurry when they get out of class and start getting in a car and spending more money on recruiting. Recruiting is a lot of budget now that I don’t think they are prepared for. Gasoline, food, hotel, going to get kids you would normally get in your district, now you have to go out. I don’t know. From reading, it concerns me. As a college coach, I love our Mississippi junior college system because of what they’ve done for us -- Patrick Trahan, Randall Mackey, Wayne Dorsey, Damien Jackson -- so I don’t know how that will work.”
Junior colleges have already begun buying several additional cars to assist with the extra recruiting load. I honestly see both sides of it and don’t have a strong opinion either way. I understand what Cole is trying to do because it should open up opportunities for more in-state players. However, the budget will be tougher to meet at each school, and all those additional phone calls will only make it tougher for people like myself to get in touch with the kids. They’ll get sick of all of it quicker -- something I didn’t think was possible.
The 2012 baseball class is close to completion, at least from the high school side of things. The Rebels will likely add a few junior college players, especially pitchers, between now and next summer. The high school class is currently at 10 players, and I doubt it goes much higher at all. However, with the draft risks in this group, it might serve Carl Lafferty well to have some extra options. Perfect Game released its top 300 draft prospects yesterday, and four commitments and one current player were listed: Gavin Cecchini (25), Ty Hensley (52), Stryker Trahan (80), Chase Nyman (202) and Alex Yarbrough (260). Petal QB Anthony Alford came in at No. 76, just FYI. I still think Alford signs with a professional baseball team. It’s incredibly difficult to be an SEC QB and play another sport.
Other commitments Christian Helsel (Ironically, Helsel decommitted from TCU when the Horned Frogs joined the Big East. Crazy how things work out), Zach Irwin and Brady Bramlett are also names to keep an eye on next June, so while the class is incredibly rated, it could be picked apart. I can’t make a compelling argument for Cecchini showing up to school at this point. His brother’s slow development gives a glimmer of hope, but I’m just not sure I see it. Fans should be a little more optimistic with Hensley because his dad was a college assistant coach and values the college experience and education that comes with it. He’s the most likely to show, but the Rebels are going to have to get lucky with this one. Florida and Vanderbilt have shown that this is the most successful way to recruit, and while a team never gets all of them, they never lose all of them either.
A lot of attention has shifted to the 2013 class, where Ole Miss has three commitments: infielder Dalton Dulin, outfielder Carlos Williams and pitcher Cheyne Bickel. All three play for Dulin’s Dodgers, and Williams and Bickel are draft guys. Bickel is a top-tier arm, and Williams is one of the fastest prep players in the country. Assistant coach Cliff Godwin is scouting the WWBA Underclass World Championship in Fort Myers, Fla. It’s 144 teams with players from the 2013 class and younger. Marucci Elite won it last year.
Speaking of baseball, I spoke to Mike Bianco on Wednesday regarding conference expansion and realignment. Most guesses are, of course, that Missouri is the most likely to be added as the SEC’s 14th member, and that had Bianco excited. Not because of anything to do with the Tigers but because it’s an even number of teams. That’s the biggest concern for the league’s baseball coaches. If there’s an odd number of teams, then one school would have a bye weekend at some point in the conference schedule. No one wants a weekend off at that time of the season, and scheduling independent teams or other teams with a bye week isn’t the easiest thing to do. The league’s coaches also hope any additional schools are in place prior to November. That’s when the baseball coaches gather, and they’ll be the first major sport to do so following the realignment.
I asked Mike if he had any idea how scheduling would work with the extra teams, and he’s been given no clue as to the direction it’ll go. Currently, there are 10 conference weekends, and a different team from the other division goes off the schedule every two years. When the SEC moved from 24 to 30 conference games, there was the option on the table to play 33 games and play everybody else every season, but that was met with resistance, as some schools said there was no reason to beat each other up further. So, it may not be as simple as moving to an 11 or 12-weekend conference slate in the future. Additional conference weekends would -- in theory -- lower overall win totals each year for most teams but would also create higher RPIs for SEC teams. It would also take away some home games since most teams play at home at least three of the four nonconference weekends. Bianco said it would be difficult to go on the road in the nonconference in the future if more SEC weekends were added.
Some baseball coaches are in favor of lowering the number of conference weekends and having more teams rotate off the schedule, but that is problematic because of the luck of the draw. Say Ole Miss and LSU tie for the West title, but the Tigers didn’t play Florida, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, and Ole Miss didn’t play Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. That’s an extreme case, but it highlights the possible problems. There’s already a ton of emphasis placed on the one school that’s not on the schedule each year.
Lastly, what do you do about the SEC Baseball Tournament? Hard to believe they’d still only have eight spots available in Hoover, Ala. Like it or not, making the SEC Tournament plays a role in NCAA bids, so that’s something to iron out. At least it appears the dust could settle prior to the meeting in November. If it was up to me, I'd play more conference games. A couple extra wins aren't that important when they are against Oakland or Miami (Ohio). Up the RPI and strength of schedule. That's how you get into the NCAA Tournament and win host spots.
This post was edited on 10/7 7:05 AM by Chase Parham
This post was edited on 10/7 7:10 AM by Chase Parham
First, to repeat something we’ve already pinned above, because we feel it bears repeating.
We want to make it crystal clear that RebelGrove.com (Rivals.com) is not in partnership with Forward Rebels in any shape, form or fashion. Our site was never consulted by Forward Rebels in the production of the advertisement in question, nor were we compensated in any form for the use of words from commentaries written on our site. While we each stand by the words written in the commentary cited, we feel it's important to note that those words were written in an editorial context and were never intended for any advertising purposes whatsoever.
To expound a bit before we move on, it’s critical that our site be completely independent of both sides in this tug of war -- Forward Rebels and the University of Mississippi. We view ourselves as an independent news organization, and that’s a reputation we hope to cement with you, the consumer, as well as with the people we cover. In other words, we’re not taking sides, we don’t have a dog in the hunt, etc.
However, I will make one observation before moving on. No one wants to negotiate with terrorists and no one wants to give in to a bully (by the way, that’s a metaphor; I’m not comparing Forward Rebels’ organizers, leaders and followers terrorists). And it seems to me that while Forward Rebels’ message has certainly been received by its intended target(s), the vehicle it has used to deliver said message had led to those targets digging in even deeper. It’s my opinion that change at the administrative level at Ole Miss is inevitable. It’s also my opinion that as long as Forward Rebels launches these advertising missives, it is not going to see its stated goal realized.
As promised, moving on…
Two sources have spoken, on the condition of anonymity about a letter circulating through the athletics department. According to sources, men’s tennis coach Billy Chadwick has approached other coaches asking them to sign a letter supporting athletics director Pete Boone. While we have not seen the letter and have not heard with specificity what is said on it, we have spoken to sources who were not the least bit pleased with having the document put in front of them.
I have been able to ascertain that the letter was not Boone’s idea, which should kill some of the conspiracy theory that has been circulating the last few days. Still, the letter was/is a bad idea, especially considering the current climate in and around UMAA.
Speaking of, just three weeks ago, it certainly appeared as if a mid-season coaching change was possible, if not likely. Following a loss to Georgia and a win over Fresno State last Saturday in California, it appears Houston Nutt will be allowed to finish the season. I’ve heard no talk of any substance that removing Nutt midseason is still an option on the proverbial table.
In fact, there appears to be some increasing momentum in favor of Nutt receiving another season. However, he still has to do what football coaches are paid to do -- win games. While I’m hesitant to put concrete win totals on this (Why? Nothing is ever that simple, that cut and dried), Nutt could make a fifth year a virtual certainty if he could win one of Ole Miss next three games _ Oct. 15 vs. No. 2 Alabama, Oct. 22 vs. No. 10 Arkansas, Oct. 29 at No. 15 Auburn _ and then finish relatively strong. Several sources believe Nutt is likely safe with a 5-7 finish, presuming one of those wins came at Mississippi State in the season finale. In that scenario, according to one source close to the program, there would likely be some staff changes after the season’s conclusion. A 4-8 season, which would presumably include a third straight loss to the Bulldogs, would be problematic.
“I don’t see how he survives that (scenario),” one source said.
Interestingly, though, is a belief belonging to multiple sources that Boone doesn’t possess the capital (in terms of fan/alumni/booster support) to handle a hypothetical search for Nutt’s replacement. Further, some close to the program worry that Boone’s presence in the athletics director’s office would have a negative impact on any hypothetical football search. In other words, as more than one source said this week, there is a belief that Boone and Nutt are quite possibly inextricably linked.
For now, though, Nutt and his staff appear energized. With an open date on the docket, the Rebels are hitting the recruiting trail hard this week and this weekend. Several coaches hit the road Wednesday afternoon. Seven were out recruiting on Thursday and virtually the entire staff will be out this weekend before reconvening in Oxford on Sunday to begin in earnest preparations for Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.
Ole Miss coaches will hit Mississippi, California, Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, Florida and Kansas before the weekend ends.
Running backs coach Derrick Nix caught a quick flight from Fresno to Los Angeles last Friday to visit with Fullerton Community College running back Kelvin York. York is committed to Southern Cal, and it’s expected that he’ll sign with the Trojans. However, he is interested in Ole Miss and Miami. The 5-foot-11, 225-pound York grew up in Baton Rouge, La., and knows Brandon Bolden. He is good friends with former Fullerton CC defensive back Aaron Garbutt. He is intrigued by Ole Miss’ lack of depth at running back, but all signs point towards York signing with USC.
Nix spent Thursday in Texas checking out Blinn CC running back Marion Grice. Nix will head back to Mississippi Friday, where he will meet up with offensive coordinator David Lee to see the North Pike duo of A.J. Jefferson and Vernon Butler.
Ole Miss defensive backs coach Keith Burns will be in San Jose, Calif., this weekend recruiting four-star running back/cornerback Byron Marshall. Marshall has offers from Arizona State, Cal, Notre Dame and others. Defensive line coach Terry Price will spend some time this weekend in California as well, evaluating a handful of junior college targets. Price will check out Fullerton defensive tackle Ioane Gauta before heading to Georgia to see fast-rising prospect Kenny Orjioke. The Rebels were first to offer Orjioke, but that list has grown considerably. Orjioke is scheduled to be in Oxford next weekend for the Alabama game.
Tight ends/special teams coach started his weekend in Arizona. Before it’s over, he’ll travel to Mississippi and then to Louisiana. While in the Pelican State, Shibest is set to evaluate the Ruston defensive backfield duo of Kentrell Brice and Cyril Noland and Bastrop four-star defensive end Denzel Devall. LSU, Texas A&M and TCU lead for Devall, while both of the Ruston prospects have given verbal commitments to Louisiana Tech.
According to Arkansas sources, Shibest is also going to try to check out Austin Thompson, a 2013 defensive end from Bearden, Ark., in addition to Rison, Ark., linebacker Quinterio Heath and Strong, Ark., running back Kenneth Dixon.
Ole Miss offensive line coach Mike Markuson spent Thursday evaluating some Iowa community college prospects. He’ll head north to Minnesota Friday to see coveted tight end prospect Will Johnson.
Wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer spent Thursday in Kansas evaluating a handful of junior college prospects. Among the players Brewer is looking at is Hutchinson CC wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson has multiple offers from several BCS schools. Tennessee is believed to hold a slight advantage in the race for his signature.
Brewer will return to Mississippi today to check out Tunica, Rosa Fort, Olive Branch and Southaven. Nutt will be in north Mississippi as well, checking out Lafayette High School quarterback Jeremy Liggins, who has emerged as a top priority for the Rebels for the 2012 class.
Safeties coach/recruiting coordinator Chris Vaughn is in Florida. He’s checking out Orlando offensive lineman Duaron Williams and Jacksonville linebacker Joseph Jackson, among others. Jackson, a West Virginia commit, has emerged as a top target for the Rebels.
Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix will be in south Mississippi evaluating Petal quarterback Anthony Alford, a two-sport star who is believed to be favoring the Rebels at this point in the process.
Other prospects the Rebels are hoping to contact over the coming days, according to sources, are Florence, Ala., athlete Beniquez Brown; Keller, Texas, defensive tackle Aaron Curry; and Pearl River CC wide receiver Steve McNair, Jr.. Curry is expected to visit Oxford for the Alabama game next weekend.
On to basketball, where Ole Miss is looking to add two more players to a signing class that is expected to include Memphis-based commitment Martavious Newby. One of the Rebels’ top targets is Montverde (Fla.) Academy forward Anthony Perez Cortesia. The 6-9 Venezuelan has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki, which ought to be enough to excite any hoops fan. Sources close to Ole Miss believe the Rebels are in the driver’s seat for Cortesia. His eligibility, due to transcript issues, is somewhat up in the air. In addition to Cortesia, the Rebels would like to add another big body in the 2012 signing class.
The Rebels begin practice for the 2011-12 season Friday. I spoke to forward Terrance Henry and guard Dundrecous Nelson Thursday. Henry had high praise for guard Jarvis Summers.
“That’s my favorite,” Henry said. “He’s an old-school point guard. Unlike the point guards we usually have, he’s not a scoring guard. He’s about getting everybody involved. He can score when you need him to. He has an old-school game. He’s going to be pretty good.”
Henry also said he likes freshman forward Aaron Jones, who plays with “a hell of a lot of energy. I do not know where he gets it from. Jamal (Jones), he’s still learning from us. We’re just trying to teach all the young guys, Maurice (Aniefiok), too.”
Nelson said he expects both Summers and Jelan Kendrick to play some point guard this season, allowing Nelson to play on the wings and look for his shot.
“I’m going to get my shots up either way,” Nelson said, laughing. “All of the new guys have come in working hard and giving 110 percent effort. The coaches and players are emphasizing how hard we have to work this year. We think this is our year.”
Be sure to check out the podcast on the front page as Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Keith Niebuhr talked about Ole Miss' top in-state targets.
Chase Parham
I’ll start with the recent changes to junior college recruiting in Mississippi. The 14 Mississippi junior college presidents voted 13-1 to eliminated the protected areas in the state. The current format allows a school to make sure a player in its district only plays for that particular JUCO. It’s always been known as the “community” part of community college. In the past, schools could "protect" a maximum of 22 players per year in their designated region and sign them to scholarships. No other junior college could recruit or sign a "protected" player. No other junior college system in the nation has protected zones.
According to the Oxford Eagle, Itawamba Community College president David Cole called the current protected areas “un-American” because athletes had no choice in the JUCO system.
They also eliminated scholarships for out-of-state athletes by more than half. Gone are four of the eight scholarships each school had and 10 additional out-of-state scholarships border schools were allowed to use. In other words, there will be fewer Wayne Dorseys and Randall Mackeys and Terrence Codys in Mississippi junior colleges.
The Clarion-Ledger’s Hugh Kellenberger asked Houston Nutt about the new rules earlier this week. Here’s his lengthy response. It pretty much sums up the situation in regards to recruiting and players now receiving many more recruiting calls.
“The one thing I know about Mississippi that I’ve been impressed with -- before I got to Mississippi -- is how good Mississippi junior college football players are. How well they’re coached and how so many schools have come to Mississippi for immediate needs. I hate to see that change. I don’t know everything, but when you start taking away the districts, what I really worry about are the guys, the high school kids that would receive only one call from a junior college and then four or five calls from SEC or Division I schools, now that same young man will have to take 16, 17, 25, 30 calls from junior colleges plus D1, so that’s a real headache.
“Plus a lot of junior college coaches who are teaching class when I go to their campuses, now they are going to hurry when they get out of class and start getting in a car and spending more money on recruiting. Recruiting is a lot of budget now that I don’t think they are prepared for. Gasoline, food, hotel, going to get kids you would normally get in your district, now you have to go out. I don’t know. From reading, it concerns me. As a college coach, I love our Mississippi junior college system because of what they’ve done for us -- Patrick Trahan, Randall Mackey, Wayne Dorsey, Damien Jackson -- so I don’t know how that will work.”
Junior colleges have already begun buying several additional cars to assist with the extra recruiting load. I honestly see both sides of it and don’t have a strong opinion either way. I understand what Cole is trying to do because it should open up opportunities for more in-state players. However, the budget will be tougher to meet at each school, and all those additional phone calls will only make it tougher for people like myself to get in touch with the kids. They’ll get sick of all of it quicker -- something I didn’t think was possible.
The 2012 baseball class is close to completion, at least from the high school side of things. The Rebels will likely add a few junior college players, especially pitchers, between now and next summer. The high school class is currently at 10 players, and I doubt it goes much higher at all. However, with the draft risks in this group, it might serve Carl Lafferty well to have some extra options. Perfect Game released its top 300 draft prospects yesterday, and four commitments and one current player were listed: Gavin Cecchini (25), Ty Hensley (52), Stryker Trahan (80), Chase Nyman (202) and Alex Yarbrough (260). Petal QB Anthony Alford came in at No. 76, just FYI. I still think Alford signs with a professional baseball team. It’s incredibly difficult to be an SEC QB and play another sport.
Other commitments Christian Helsel (Ironically, Helsel decommitted from TCU when the Horned Frogs joined the Big East. Crazy how things work out), Zach Irwin and Brady Bramlett are also names to keep an eye on next June, so while the class is incredibly rated, it could be picked apart. I can’t make a compelling argument for Cecchini showing up to school at this point. His brother’s slow development gives a glimmer of hope, but I’m just not sure I see it. Fans should be a little more optimistic with Hensley because his dad was a college assistant coach and values the college experience and education that comes with it. He’s the most likely to show, but the Rebels are going to have to get lucky with this one. Florida and Vanderbilt have shown that this is the most successful way to recruit, and while a team never gets all of them, they never lose all of them either.
A lot of attention has shifted to the 2013 class, where Ole Miss has three commitments: infielder Dalton Dulin, outfielder Carlos Williams and pitcher Cheyne Bickel. All three play for Dulin’s Dodgers, and Williams and Bickel are draft guys. Bickel is a top-tier arm, and Williams is one of the fastest prep players in the country. Assistant coach Cliff Godwin is scouting the WWBA Underclass World Championship in Fort Myers, Fla. It’s 144 teams with players from the 2013 class and younger. Marucci Elite won it last year.
Speaking of baseball, I spoke to Mike Bianco on Wednesday regarding conference expansion and realignment. Most guesses are, of course, that Missouri is the most likely to be added as the SEC’s 14th member, and that had Bianco excited. Not because of anything to do with the Tigers but because it’s an even number of teams. That’s the biggest concern for the league’s baseball coaches. If there’s an odd number of teams, then one school would have a bye weekend at some point in the conference schedule. No one wants a weekend off at that time of the season, and scheduling independent teams or other teams with a bye week isn’t the easiest thing to do. The league’s coaches also hope any additional schools are in place prior to November. That’s when the baseball coaches gather, and they’ll be the first major sport to do so following the realignment.
I asked Mike if he had any idea how scheduling would work with the extra teams, and he’s been given no clue as to the direction it’ll go. Currently, there are 10 conference weekends, and a different team from the other division goes off the schedule every two years. When the SEC moved from 24 to 30 conference games, there was the option on the table to play 33 games and play everybody else every season, but that was met with resistance, as some schools said there was no reason to beat each other up further. So, it may not be as simple as moving to an 11 or 12-weekend conference slate in the future. Additional conference weekends would -- in theory -- lower overall win totals each year for most teams but would also create higher RPIs for SEC teams. It would also take away some home games since most teams play at home at least three of the four nonconference weekends. Bianco said it would be difficult to go on the road in the nonconference in the future if more SEC weekends were added.
Some baseball coaches are in favor of lowering the number of conference weekends and having more teams rotate off the schedule, but that is problematic because of the luck of the draw. Say Ole Miss and LSU tie for the West title, but the Tigers didn’t play Florida, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, and Ole Miss didn’t play Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. That’s an extreme case, but it highlights the possible problems. There’s already a ton of emphasis placed on the one school that’s not on the schedule each year.
Lastly, what do you do about the SEC Baseball Tournament? Hard to believe they’d still only have eight spots available in Hoover, Ala. Like it or not, making the SEC Tournament plays a role in NCAA bids, so that’s something to iron out. At least it appears the dust could settle prior to the meeting in November. If it was up to me, I'd play more conference games. A couple extra wins aren't that important when they are against Oakland or Miami (Ohio). Up the RPI and strength of schedule. That's how you get into the NCAA Tournament and win host spots.
This post was edited on 10/7 7:05 AM by Chase Parham
This post was edited on 10/7 7:10 AM by Chase Parham
