Word on the Street

[william_brasky]

Coach Capel will not be retaining Bob Hoffman as an assistant.

:twinkies:

[Newbomb Turk]

Is the official announcement "coming soon"? ;)

If true, I don't think that's a good decision, but what the heck do I know.

[oumartin]

but what the heck do I know


:eek:

now thats an honest statement if I've ever heard one!

[Newbomb Turk]

I was hoping you wouldn't see that.

[GDC]

Sampson's sins give Capel OK for choosiness
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
4/27/2006

Often lost in the ongoing uproar over three Oklahoma basketball recruits requesting a release from their letters of intent was the wise decision by new Sooner coach Jeff Capel to go slow in naming his staff.

Hired April 11, Capel's only hire thus far is Mark Cline, who was on his staff at Virginia Commonwealth. With two full-time slots still open, Capel said again this week that he won't focus on his staff until the spring recruiting period ends Sunday.

Why is Capel's methodical approach prudent? That can be vividly answered by a scene that played out recently in Park City, Utah.

It looked like a reunion of former OU coaches last Friday inside the Park City Marriott Hotel. Capel's predecessor, Kelvin Sampson, was there. So were three of Sampson's former assistants, Ray Lopes, Jim Shaw and Bob Hoffman.

That coaching foursome wasn't in the scenic resort city to play a round of golf. There were ordered there by the NCAA, to meet with the Infractions Committee about impermissible telephone calls they made to recruits while they worked at OU.

The message that scene should send to Capel is simple and obvious: Be careful who you hire; those decisions could come back to haunt you and embarrass the university you represent.


Hoffman really shouldn't be included with the other three rule-breakers. OU officials have insisted from the outset that Hoffman didn't knowingly break the NCAA rule on the number of times a coach can call a prospect per week.

It was Sampson, Lopes and Shaw who made the majority of the more than 550 impermissible calls over a four-year period. Amazingly, Lopes and Shaw evidently didn't learn from their mistakes at OU.

Lopes left the Sooners in 2002 to become head coach at Fresno State. Lopes was forced to resign late in his third season after he and his staff made 457 impermissible calls to recruits.

That precise number was revealed Wednesday when the NCAA handed down its punishment to Fresno State for the violations by Lopes and his staff. The NCAA's decision should be of keen interest to OU, as the school must now wait up to two months for the NCAA to release its decision on sanctions for violations which are similar to Fresno State's.

The NCAA placed Fresno State on four years probation and also slapped a three-year show-cause penalty on Lopes. That means Lopes, who is a scout for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, must appeal to the NCAA if he wants to accept an unrestricted college coaching job over the next three years. His prospective employer must make a similar appeal.

Shaw, now an assistant at Washington, was on Sampson's staff from 1999-2004. When Washington officials learned that Shaw was under NCAA investigation for his activities at OU, they did an internal investigation and discovered Shaw had continued violating the rule after he joined the Huskies' staff.

The athletic directors at Indiana and Washington also attended last Friday's meeting because they now employ Sampson and Shaw. The ADs know it's possible that the NCAA sanctions could follow Sampson and Shaw to where they work now.

Indiana AD Rick Greenspan, who made the controversial decision to hire Sampson, told the Associated Press before the meeting, "to be honest with you, and I think Kelvin would tell you this, too, we'd rather not be there. But that's what I signed up for, so I'll do it."

Sampson would never tell anyone this, but his hiring record at OU was miserable.

In addition to Lopes, two other assistants who left to become head coaches didn't last long. Jason Rabideaux was forced out at Texas-El Paso for personal reasons, and Jimmy Tubbs was fired by SMU last month after two seasons, allegedly for NCAA rules violations.

Not all of Sampson's assistants, of course, have gone the way of Lopes, Shaw, Tubbs and Rabideaux. Hoffman remains one of the best and most popular on Sampson's shaky coaching tree at OU.

Hoffman remains hopeful Capel will retain him. If that doesn't happen, Sampson reportedly could be a reason why. Sources have confirmed that when Sampson left for Indiana, he didn't give Hoffman a glowing recommendation when he left his loyal assistant behind.

Given Sampson's woeful hiring record, a negative recommendation from him should be considered a positive on Hoffman's resume.

Perhaps Capel's slow approach in the hiring process will give him enough time to realize how valuable Hoffman could be to him. Hoffman is well connected in both Oklahoma and Texas because he's coached and recruited in both states.

Whatever direction Capel goes, he knows the importance of his decisions. OU's fragile basketball program can't stand anymore hits, especially from the NCAA..

[GDC]

Sports FYI: NCAA penalizes Fresno
By Staff Reports
4/27/2006

BASKETBAll

NCAA penalizes Fresno: Fresno State was placed on four years probation Wednesday by the NCAA for recruiting violations and former basketball coach Ray Lopes was punished for the infractions.

Lopes and other members of his staff made hundreds of phone calls to recruits that far exceeded the number allowed, according to the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions.

Lopes, who resigned in March 2005, was given a three-year "show cause" penalty, which means he may not seek employment with another NCAA school without first appearing before the committee to determine if his duties should be limited.

Fresno State, which had already banned itself from postseason play last season for the violations, was cited for lack of institutional control for not better monitoring the phone calls.

Marsh called the decision by president John Welty to ban the school from postseason play and place limits on recruiting "meaningful and important." The NCAA gave no additional punishments to the school other than extending the probation period for three more years..

[GDC]

Capel's options limited
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
4/27/2006


Recruiting gurus weigh in on OU basketball, while the new coach tries to find the positives.
NORMAN -- Faced with the potential loss of three members of Oklahoma's recruiting class, what is Sooner coach Jeff Capel to do?

"There aren't really many options," said Dave Telep, national recruiting director for Scout.com. "Unfortunately for Coach Capel, it's not possible to replace the caliber of a Scottie Reynolds, Damion James or Jeremy Mayfield. Not right now."

Ninety-four of Scout's top-100 high school prospects have either signed with or are committed to colleges, many of which swooped in and picked off players last November during the early signing period.

A few leftovers were taken when the late signing period began April 12, or about the time Reynolds, James and Mayfield started having second thoughts about OU in the aftermath of Kelvin Sampson's departure for Indiana.

And if Capel wants to scrounge around for scraps, he has until Sunday to do so. That's when the period in which coaches can contact recruits ends.

Not that Capel's asking, but recruiting sages are offering advice.

"Take your medicine for this year," Telep said, "then go out and bust it for the 2007 (recruiting) class."


"He might find one or two serviceable guys for '06, but it's so late in the game that it might be better to wait until next year," said Jerry Meyer, national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. "He's better off weathering the storm and building the program in '07 with guys you know want to be there, guys that you want there and guys you can develop relationships with."

It is a terrible dilemma.

Assuming Reynolds, James and Mayfield never materialize after reopening their recruitment -- a maybe / maybe not prospect Capel must weigh during this process -- the Sooners stand to keep two of their November signees, Tony Crocker and Keith Clark. Clark must still qualify academically.

One scenario, then, has Crocker joining a team with seven scholarship players -- Michael Neal, David Godbold, Nate Carter, Austin Johnson, Taylor Griffin, Longar Longar and Chris Walker -- plus walk-on Kellen Sampson.

Thus the potential urge for Capel to fill a roster, however possible, between now and the start of next semester.

"Thing is, they have spent so much energy trying to maintain (the five November signees) that I don't know how much energy they have spent in trying to find new '06 guys," Meyer said. "They're in a bad spot."

Perhaps Capel can tap a few connections to make it better."

Crocker's former teammate at San Antonio Warren High School is Ben Uzoh, a 20-point, 11-rebound-per-game guard recently named San Antonio Express News area player of the year. OU has taken an interest in the unsigned Uzoh, as have Tulsa, Creighton and Wichita State.

Neal, meanwhile, played the 2004-05 season at Texas' Lon Morris College with Hernol Hall, a 6-10 center who was all set to play for Danny Nee at Duquesne next year, until Nee was fired and Hall asked out of his letter of intent.

Now, Capel has shown interest in the suddenly-available Hall, who was named NJCAA first-team All-American last year after averaging 14 points and eight rebounds.

If Capel's scramble can reap players of Uzoh's and Hall's caliber, it's worth the late scholarship offers.

Otherwise, he runs the risk of settling for players who are not of the same caliber, nor of the caliber he sees as a general standard.

"We want to always, here at the University of Oklahoma, have good players," Capel said this week. "It's going to require us to recruit good players, players that have good character, players that want to work their butt off on and off the court, and who are going to represent themselves, their family and their university in a first class manner."

But can Capel find such players to replace Reynolds, James and Mayfield under the crunch he's in?

"That's the big question," Telep said. "The best thing he can do is lock in on Blake Griffin (the Oklahoma Christian School forward widely regarded as the state's top prep prospect next year) and go to work on 2007. The caliber of player is simply not available right now."

"The ideal situation would be to hang in and have guys like Austin Johnson and Taylor Griffin come through for them (next season)," Meyer said. "They you're loaded up on scholarships to use on the '07 class."

Guerin Emig 581-8355
[email protected] .

[william_brasky]

gdc, those are newspaper stories.

my stories come from the street, because that's how i roll.

[GDC]

gdc, those are newspaper stories.

my stories come from the street, because that's how i roll.

I know. I post these because unlike the DO you have to subscribe to read them, and also for the amusement value. There's occasionally some good info too.

[william_brasky]

thanks for posting those by the way. :twinkies:

[jdsooner]

The articles were great. I hope we get Uzoh and Hall. They may not be as good as the guys that are leaving, but Sampson probably cheated to get them anyway. I am excited about a fresh start under Capel.

[jdsooner]

In the fall, Hernol Hall spurned the interest of high-major programs and surprised some when he signed a letter-of-intent with Duquesne in the fall. Since then, the 6-foot-10, 245-pound native of Costa Rica has seen former head coach Danny Nee resign and now rumors abound over whether or not Hall wishes to stick with his original decision. Schools from across the country are waiting to see what happens - but right now, nobody - maybe not even Hall - really knows.


"Hernol has asked for a release from Duquense," said Lon Morris assistant coach Rick Dotson. "He went and met with the new coach, Coach (Ron) Everhart about two weeks ago and asked for a release, but nothing has been granted yet. We don't really know what will happen right now."

Dotson noted that schools have called to inquire about Hall's current status, but declined to name any specific names. Some of the high-major schools who had shown interest in the fall included the likes of Oklahoma, Kansas, Maryland, Washington, and Wake Forest. Considering Hall was co-MVP of Region XIV and big men are absolutely a premium in the spring, it comes as no surprise that some people are anxiously awaiting what results from Hall's recent request.

"Some people have called, but it's still up in the air," Dotson said. "(Duquesne) might just decide that they will hold on to him. But anything can happen right now. Maybe in the end, Hernol decides that he still wants to go to Duquesne."

Stay tuned as this situation continues to develop. In related Lon Morris news, Dotson also had this update on the recruitment of sophomore guard Chuma Awaji.

"Chuma visited Troy a couple of weeks ago, and Arkansas-Little Rock is coming in to see him," Dotson said. "Duquesne has also shown some interest, as has Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. He hasn't made any decisions though and is still waiting. He'll probably take a couple more trips before deciding."

Texas Hoops Analysis: Hernol is a physical paint player who works hard for position and gets high percentage shots. He has a nice touch from 15 feet, is a good passer, has a strong body and has the potential to be a big time player as he learns the game. Chuma is a strong point guard who sees the floor well. He is learning the game and how to run the team, is a tough competitor and can finish in the paint.

[TopDawg]

In the fall, Hernol Hall spurned the interest of high-major programs and surprised some when he signed a letter-of-intent with Duquesne in the fall.

When?

[jdsooner]

He committed back in September.

http://oklahomastate.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=41103&sport=2

[jdsooner]

It was a long time coming, but Hernol Hall recently made it official. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound Costa Rica native currently a sophomore at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville will be moving on to play in the Atlantic-10 Conference at Duquesne in 2006-07. It's a steal for the Dukes as they beat out all sorts of big-time programs for one of the top junior college players in the country. But it just goes to show that if you work hard, you can achieve just about anything in the world of recruiting.


"They were the ones that put him in here, and they took care of business over the summer," said Lon Morris assistant coach Rick Dotson. "He had everybody in the world wanting him, but he showed loyalty to them."

Some of the programs Hall chose Duquesne over included the likes of Oklahoma, Kansas, Maryland, Washington, Wake Forest - you name it. The Dukes were his top choice from day one and he rewarded their love with his commitment after taking an official visit to the campus the weekend of September 24th. Duquesne almost didn't have a chance to get Hall as he originally entered the states to play at Jackson State. But he failed to qualify academically, and went the JC route to Lon Morris. Last season he averaged 10.3 points and 8.0 rebounds and proved that he was one of the top freshman in Region 14. Those numbers are just the tip of the iceberg on his potential.

"He's just an unbelievable talent," Dotson said. "He's 6-foot-10, 245-pounds, extremely athletic, and I think he has improved his skill over the last year and this past summer. He finishing around the basket strong and he's showing a good little jumper. He's gotten bigger and stronger too."

All Hall needs to do is master things mentally and his coach believes he'll be playing at basketball's highest levels. "He's going to be a good one," Dotson said. "Whatever he puts his mind to, he'll accomplish. If he wants to be an NBA player, he'll do that."

[toast]

"Some people have called, but it's still up in the air," Dotson said. "(Duquesne) might just decide that they will hold on to him. But anything can happen right now. Maybe in the end, Hernol decides that he still wants to go to Duquesne."




Interesting if OU releases Scottie, Damian and Mayfield but Duquesne holds on to Hall.

[GottaHavePride]

Interesting if OU releases Scottie, Damian and Mayfield but Duquesne holds on to Hall.

I think it's more that he decided to stick with Duquesne, not so much of the Duquesne refusing to release him.

[stoopified]

gdc, those are newspaper stories.

my stories come from the street, because that's how i roll.Huggy Bear is that you?:D

[william_brasky]

word on the street also is that Hall will be asking for a release from Doo-Cane (i can't spell that crazy word) due to our old friend Danielson Nee being let go as coach.

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

is that :eddie: likes a hard, stiff one.

Word is Doug Gottlieb does too although in his case we aren't talking about a drink.