Here’s a comment from a very classy man and a great basketball coach. I LOVE his quote from his dad, and I’ll paraphrase, Cherish the things that truly matter and not just the things that “seem” to matter. Don’t know if this fits here, but I think it does.
There is no room for harassment of any kind. Those people have issues. Nobody should be messaging these players directly. I think what happened to Zach Gentry after the Ohio State game was an embarrassment and a good example of what isn’t acceptable.
If someone online says “Player A is playing terrible tonight” then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It’s an opinion. If someone says “Beilein needs to sit Player B we’re getting nothing from him. We need to go with Player C instead.” It’s also an opinion. Fans are going to have their opinions until the end of time. I’m getting the vibe here that some want the internet to become a safe space for college athletes that is void of any criticism whatsoever. That’s not happening.
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They aren’t seeing it on here they are getting direct messages from people and comments on major articles that the player and families read. Espn articles, and other mainstream places where everyone goes to including them. Seeing the replies flooded with negativity from people with U of M stuff in their bios or pictures or whatever makes it easy for them to see they are Michigan supporters. You think it only happens on here but people are DIRECTLY going at the kid and his family that are Michigan “fans”. Kind of appalling and a bad look for the school. Trust me when i say recruits notice. They don’t wanna go somewhere where it seems like the “fans” will bash them if they consider leaving early and then they get frequently and negatively ripped apart. Criticism is fair but people like to throw a thin veil over super negative comments that generally fall more towards being rude than fair criticism.
I don’t blame Poole for considering leaving. I think he absolutely has the talent and skill to make it. Just needs to find a organization that will be patient with him and help him grow.
Some of this stuff is just the reality of college sports right now. The fans on social media whether it is Twitter, ESPN comments, whatever are one thing. The expectations that parents have as far as how kids are used, how good they really are, are another. The weight of the NBA and the sort of media mindset that surrounds that (which starts when these kids are 15/16).
It is why you see so many one-and-done situations end up messy in the end, etc. Just kind of the reality of college sports.
The idea that fans at one school or another act differently is just crazy. You see the same thing everywhere. I’m sure Romeo Langford’s social media was an absolute mess just like any other school as an example.
Poole is an interesting one because he’s pretty high profile and saw all the upside of the fans and the social media at this time a year ago.
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I fundamentally disagree. The very fact that this is a billion dollar industry based on the unpaid labor of teenagers accounts for why fans should have the basic human decency not to publicly criticize these kids. I don’t care if people call out the millionaire coaches… It’s not the same.
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What do you mean by publicly criticize? Are you seriously saying that since players are only receiving athletic scholarships that nobody should be able to have a public opinion on their performance? What is that based on? Look at how the strength and weaknesses of high school prospects are broken down here. They expect it! This is what they’ve signed up for.
People will do what they choose. I’m saying that before people publicly criticize teenagers working for free while going to school full time, they should consider whether they are in fact contributing to the exploitation of those kids by causing the forms of harm cited above in this thread. I think it’s a terrible look.
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There are idiots (usually kids) who tweet (or more often Instagram because that’s becoming far more popular) ridiculous stuff at kids. This is not anything based on facts but stuff like “you suck” whatever. The type of stuff you’d expect young teenagers to post on social media. There are also, unfortunately, grown ups who do the same kind of thing.
There is also actual discussion about what happened. Player X defended ball screens really poorly yesterday or Player Z was great shooting the ball but turned it over five times, he needs to get better there.
Those things can both be considered criticism but they are very different things.
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So…the 2019 draft?
If Poole declared, I’d feel real good about projecting him as a late-first, early-second round pick. But I’m curious as to people’s thoughts about Matthews, is his defense going to be enough to bump him up boards.
Also, fun game, who will be the first Big Ten player off the board. Brain says Langford, gut says Bruno.
This distinction makes sense to me. Sometimes there is a gray area where we may disagree, but as a general rule I buy this.
Matthews is a tough one, I feel for him. He really needed to show an ability to shoot this year to help his stock, and that didn’t happen.
There are still a handful of defense-only players out there like Torrey Craig or Royce O’Neal, but those guys aren’t getting drafted.
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With Matthews, it boils down to the fact that he’s graduating and ready to be a pro. That comes with uncertainty and it might take him different places, but it was the plan for him all along when he decided to come back to school.
late first? that seems crazy. He put up average shooting numbers this year, and was the worst defender in our starting five. I dont know what this year would have shown anybody that he is a first round draft pick
The thing with the draft is that it isn’t about what you did it is about what (people think) you can do. Poole has a really unique skill with his ability to get his own shot off and create tough shots off the dribble. If you just took his film from December, that is a guy I would want to take a long look at in the draft process.
That being said, the way January through March went probably will hurt his stock a bit. That being said, what if he goes crazy in a work out? His skill set could certainly translate.
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Through early January there were mock drafts I believe that had him in the late first round or just outside the lottery. Also people forget that Moe and DJ were in somewhat similar positions as what Poole currently is as early 2nd round guys who did well in the pre draft process and ended up first rounders.
Sure, I could see a time using a flyer on him in the second, but giving a guy guaranteed money based on his career so far and the potential hes shown seems crazy to me
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What did DJ Wilson do for most of his college career? I feel like Poole did more than Wilson in less time, and people forget Poole is pretty young for his class as well.
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Yes, but he’ll be only be 20 by the next the NBA season starts and I think has probably done enough to show that he can shoot, despite a real tough end to the season. I think we could definitely see a team take a flyer on him. I’m not going to be stunned if he drops, but I could definitely see him move up in what is a pretty weak draft year.
Wilson was a 6-9 shooter with the ability to defend the perimeter. Even if you think Poole did more, Wilson was just a more-valuable prospect with those skills at that size.
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Oh I agree. He’s gone - just that this year didn’t get him what, I think, he wanted. Arguably he’s have been in better shape leaving last year.