2017 - C - Mo Bamba (Offer)

While totally anecdotal, Texas rejected me for engineering and Michigan accepted me. :man_shrugging: I just think saying it’s “just a fine school” and somewhat using it against him is too strong when it’s generally considered as one of the “Public Ivies.”

Academic rankings are very overrated. At least when it comes to recruiting. Parents and recruits are more likely to be impressed by the amount of academic support provided to the student athletes than they are the ranking on a piece of paper. Besides, you can get a good education pretty much anymore. Some places, you’ll just have to work harder on your own than you would at others. I went to a small private liberal arts school and majored in history. I felt totally prepared for things after undergrad. I was capable of reading and analyzing what the professors at schools like MIchigan, Virginia and the Ivy Leagues wrote. Might have opened more opportunities had I studied under them, but I didn’t feel like I was shortchanged in my education.

Smart coached Bamba for a USA team. That created the connection. Beilein was not looking for a 5 in last year’s class (that’s why they hadn’t recruited Bamba) but was open to Bamba because he was too good to pass on.

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I think there are many excellent small liberal arts schools but to say you can get a good education from pretty much anywhere is overstating the case, at least from the vantage point of someone who interviews many recent grads. In Bamba’s case though I would say three of his final four schools were academically above average. Texas checked every box for him in terms of relationship with the coach, academics and alum network.

Eh, I got more attention from my professors at my small school than I would have at a bigger school (unless I was some sort of prodigy). I doubt I would have learned as much at MIchigan. And that’s just because of my personality and fit. Woulda been lost at a large campus. You can get a good education all over the place. Depends on the field, depends on the faculty, depends on the student. Obviously there are crap schools. But out of the division 1 schools that elite athletes are choosing from, there aren’t very many in which they couldn’t get a quality education.

Being able to get a good education, maybe even better in some cases, from a smaller school is inarguable, of course you can. That’s different than saying you can get a good education pretty much anywhere. It just isn’t true (unless you are referring to scholarship athletes).

Disageee but ok, guy. But I wont derail this thread anymore.

I don’t think so. Bamba just really seems to like Shaka Smart. Duke and UK didn’t get him either.

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Agreed. We talk smack about Sparty’s academics all the time but I have good friends who graduated from there and have made millions. And guys like Eli Broad, Tom Gores, and Dan Gilbert are all MSU grads. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can get a strong education nearly anywhere.