Barta on Brust/Larson release hubub

[HawkeyeShane]

Maybe Ohio State, Indiana, Wisky, etc. were partially/mostly interested in Larson & Brust because they saw an opportunity to get a player without having to use one of their 13 schollies? Those would be pretty good walk ons.

Are the parents mad that these schools too for not being clear in their conversations that they wanted their sons to play for them but they would not get a scholarship. It would seem to me that the responsibility to explain the transfer rule should fall on the school now recruiting them not the school that released them.

Would it surprise anyone if the other schools wanted to lure them out of going to Iowa, just to keep Iowa down and now it's "Mission: Accomplished"? Far fetched, yes...good conspiracy theory fodder, maybe...but in this day and age of cut throat college athletics, who knows?

 

[storminspank]

I don't know if this has been posted (been out with the fam the last few days)

Here's more info from Dochterman on it, talked to Barta.

I don't there was any sort of wrong-doing on Iowa's part. If the recruits wanted out of their SLIs, then they need to do the due diligence to know the rules.

http://gazetteonline.com/blogs/docs-office/2010/04/17/iowa-ad-discusses-basketball-transfer-issues

 

[ATLHawkeye]

I think it's absolutely on these kids families or "advisors". If the future of my child was at stake, you can make damned sure I would have done my homework and would have known the ramifications of the decision.

To get upset with Iowa because Gary Barta didn't do the parents' job for them is ridiculous. They asked out of their commitment and Iowa complied. It's not their job to tell them all the consequences of their decision. I think they're just mad at Iowa because they feel the need to point the blame somewhere other than at themselves.

I don't know if they'll be any good at the next level or not... and neither does anybody else at this point. However, if coach McCaffery thinks they're good enough and wants them on the team, I'd welcome them back with open arms. Hopefully, if that's the case, there's not already too many hard feelings on their side for that to happen.

On the other hand... assuming Gary Barta did know the rule, and assuming coach McCaffery truly did want to retain Lick's recruits, why wouldn't Barta have told them that if they leave Iowa they can't play at another Big Ten school. This would have definitely made them think twice about asking out of their LOI. This really makes me wonder if coach McCaffery told Gary Barta that if any of Lick's recruits asked to be released to go ahead and grant the release. That way he can have more scholarships available to bring in his own recruits over the next couple of years. Personally, if this is the case, I don't think it's a bad plan.

 

[Billso]

Good post, ATL, captures my feelings exactly.

IMHO, the obligation for understanding and explaining these rules falls on, in order: 1) the new team recruiting the athlete, 2) the athlete and family/adviser, 3) the school releasing the athlete from his LOI.

In all honestly, putting myself in the shoes of Ben or Cody's parents, I'd be mildly annoyed at Iowa. Why? They're the family's primary contact to the world of D1, and its clear a conversation was held with Barta about next steps... and the rule is arcane enough that at least 4 BT coaches apparently didn't understand it. But I'd also understand the responsibility is "on me", and would graciously move on. To blame Iowa for ANYTHING is crossing the line - it bears repeating that Iowa did not have to release these kids at all, many schools don't, and Iowa did the right thing.

To be fair to both families, we haven't seen any public statements from them, have we? Just 2nd hand reporting. They may not be upset with Iowa to the degree portrayed.

 

[tweeterhawk]

This is 100% on the players. Do your due diligence before making a huge decision in your life. It's a life lesson learned for them. If they don't want to be at Iowa, then fine, but they have nobody to blame but themselves for this situation they are in now.

Didn't Brust's patronizing statement in fact say he was going to use "due diligence." What, did failure to use "due diligence" bite you in the ***, Ben?

Tsk. Tsk.

 

[AIRHAWK]

What am I missing here? There are 10 other schools in the big 10. How many schools outside the big 10 have a basketball team? 300? Go to one of them. I didn't realize the Big 10 is the cradle of all that is college basketball. If they have a hard on to play in the big 10, then play at Iowa or pay elsewhere. I assume they visited the Iowa campus, academics, etc. Hopefully they thought about getting a degree along the way.

 

[tcnato93]

Other teams were not supposed to be recruiting them once they signed the contract - right? therefore why would Barta think to mention it. He didn't know they were being contacted by other big ten teams. Whomever was doing the alleged illegal recruiting should have mentioned it. You can't protect people from their own stupidity. Illegal recruiting or not, I don't feel sorry for them at all.

 

[BSpringsteen]

The article sheds some light...

Iowa gave them an unconditional release so they can go wherever they'd like as far as Iowa is concerned.

The Big 10 does not allow transfers of scholarships.

Iowa doesn't care where they go. The Big 10 does.

 

[SalukiHawk]

I honestly always thought this was common knowledge. What I never knew is if other conferences have the same rule.

Gravy, I'm with you. I don't know a lot but for some reason I did know this....and I agree...this is absolutely not something to be angry with Iowa about. It is not Iowa's job to discuss all of the potential consequences of each potential scenario with recruits. Perhaps they should have hired lawyers if they wanted to make sure they had their bases covered. And as has been said previously, how does this change the players' decision making process? Would they not have asked to be released had they known they couldn't go to another Big 10 school? If either uses that as a reason not to resign with Iowa, it is pretextual at best.