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Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...r-in-the-sport

Quote:

College basketball is widely regarded as the sketchiest sport with the sketchiest characters thanks to men like Myron Piggie, Ken Caldwell and all the coaches who have historically dealt with them and people like them. Where fact trumps fiction, where a rumor ends and the truth begins, is sometimes hard to determine. But perception is usually treated as reality regardless -- even if the overwhelming majority of coaches are never actually charged with violating major recruiting rules.

Still, coaches know other coaches and how they operate.

Or at least they think they do.

Which leads us to our next question.

The question: Who is perceived by college coaches to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

John Calipari (Kentucky): 36 percent
Scott Drew (Baylor): 34 percent
Ben Howland (UCLA): 12 percent
Jim Calhoun (Connecticut): 7 percent
Tom Crean (Indiana): 3 percent
Dave Rice (UNLV): 3 percent
Others receiving votes: Too many to list.

Quotes that stuck:

On John Calipari: "Cal probably doesn't have to cheat now as much as he used to, but he's still the standard. The rest of us can't even deal in his league. He's the best."

On Scott Drew: "I don't even have to blink when I say the answer. He's despised by a lot of people because he comes off holier than God. Meanwhile, everyone knows he's had to cheat big-time to get the program to where it's at. If it wasn't for the God stuff he wouldn't rub people the wrong way as much."

On Ben Howland: "I've had many conversations with other coaches about [what's believed to be going on at UCLA]. And this is from me, someone not even recruiting the West Coast."

On Jim Calhoun: "You ever been to Storrs? It's miserable. But Calhoun, somehow, has recruited pros there for decades. Hell, he's one of the guys who actually got caught cheating [with Nate Miles]. He's the obvious answer."

On Dave Rice: "They've gotta be doing something at UNLV."

On high-major coaches in general: "They all [expletive] cheat. Every high-level coach cheats."

Takeaway (by Gary Parrish):

Let me start by making one thing clear -- that we at CBSSports.com are not calling anybody a cheater. We worded the question carefully and specifically for a reason, because it's unfair to call anybody a cheater without proof. So please don't tell your friends that "CBSSports.com called John Calipari and Scott Drew cheaters," because we've actually done nothing of the sort.

What we did is ask a bunch of coaches to tell us who they "perceive" as the sport's biggest cheater.

Regardless of whether it's real or not, we wanted to know what coaches think.

What you see above represents what they told us.

Take it for what it's worth.

Or, if you're Calipari or Drew, take offense -- though after many conversations over the years with both men I don't think either will be surprised to see their names at the top even if they'll almost certainly find it frustrating. Calipari swears he does things the right way; Drew does, too. And it should be noted that neither has ever been charged with a major recruiting violation despite the fact that both men's programs have been, at one time or another, thoroughly investigated by the NCAA.

Still, coaches roll their eyes at Calipari and Drew.

They just do.

Calipari's connection to William Wesley -- AKA, World Wide Wes -- has long been considered a questionable advantage regardless of whether Wes' status in the sport is legitimate or overblown, and a significant number of coaches believe Nike helps Calipari, too. Basically, folks just don't believe anybody could get the likes of Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans to Memphis -- or DeMarcus Cousins, Marquis Teague and Anthony Davis to Kentucky -- without some sort of assistance from somewhere.

Is that fair?

Maybe not.

But that's what coaches think.

And Drew's situation at Baylor is similar.

Almost nobody has a specific story but nearly everybody believes "he's gotta be doing something" to convince consensus top-10 prospects like Perry Jones, Quincy Miller and Isaiah Austin to move to Waco. You know how that female athlete from China swam incredible times at the Olympics and was immediately cast as a possible cheater for no other reason than that people simply didn't believe what she did could be done legitimately? That's basically the case with Drew. No coach seems to know exactly what he's supposedly doing or exactly how he's supposedly doing it. But they still think he must be doing something. That's why he got 34 percent of the vote.

Howland's inclusion is obviously a result of his recent recruiting class.

Calhoun's program has been caught cheating.

Crean and Rice have made historically strong programs strong again.

It's difficult to say whether these men's appearances in our poll is a result of cheating or of them achieving things in recruiting others simply do not believe they ought to be achieving. Either way, jealously and petty differences likely play a role, and it's probably important to remember that, too. What's also important to remember is that this poll is in no way, shape or form an indictment of anybody, and that nobody is getting a postseason ban. This poll is merely a reflection of the mostly unsubstantiated opinions of a bunch of men who should know college basketball better than anybody else knows college basketball. So, like I wrote before, take it for what it's worth, for what it is.

Tags: 2012 coach's take, Baylor Bears, Connecticut Huskies, Indiana Hoosiers, Kentucky Wildcats, UCLA Bruins, UNLV Rebels, NCAAB

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wang4three

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...r-in-the-sport

saw this on realgm. I dont even know what to make of it.

Not too sure what Scott Drew has done to be a cheater but I understand Calipari on the list.

the one quote that stuck out to me is the one about "everyone cheats" I think there is a great deal of truth in that comment.

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebask...lations-040912

there's a good article about Drew.

"impermissible texts and phone calls"

i'd say every coach does it. to play by the rules is so 1980s haha

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

Scott Drew is the worst. If Cal is cheating (which wouldn't surprise me) at least he's cheating to put together teams that are actually good. Drew is cheating, and his teams are still terrible.

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

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Originally Posted by Burgz V2

He's done more then text and call recruits more than allowed. Dude is clearly putting money in these kids pockets. He's not using his charm to get those kids to that god awful university.

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

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Originally Posted by Goliath Uterus

He's done more then text and call recruits more than allowed. Dude is clearly putting money in these kids pockets. He's not using his charm to get those kids to that god awful university.

hey baylor is a pretty good uni from what I heard :confusedshrug:

but yea I never really did understand why all of a sudden Baylor became a powerhouse in the Big 12

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burgz V2

hey baylor is a pretty good uni from what I heard :confusedshrug:

Not for basketball.

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

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Originally Posted by Goliath Uterus

Not for basketball.

you by any chance a KU fan? :lol

not historically but they have some good recruits this year...wait what were we talking about? lol

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burgz V2

you by any chance a KU fan? :lol

not historically but they have some good recruits this year

They always get good recruits, but they still suck. and lol at "powerhouse in the Big 12". since when my ni99a?

Quote:

...wait what were we talking about? lol

Scott Drew sucking at life and coaching.

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

When I hear about cheating and college ball, its EASILY John Calipari.

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goliath Uterus

They always get good recruits, but they still suck. and lol at "powerhouse in the Big 12". since when my ni99a?

Scott Drew sucking at life and coaching.

damn bro, scott drew steal your bike?

last year they were 17-0 to start the season that's pretty powerful to me :confusedshrug:

once conference play starts i stick to big ten play anyways so you may be right

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burgz V2

No, I just think it's stupid that he pulls talented recruits, and then they don't learn anything and go to waste in his awful program. and yea, I was talking about conference play/tourney play. they're most definitely not any sort of powerhouse in the Big 12.

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goliath Uterus

I agree. I mean, Ekpe Udoh friggin transfered there and what did he get out of it? One year and a late lottery pick but he isn't really that good of a player.

In two years Perry Jones looked like EXACTLY the same player. If you compiled highlights from both years you would be hard pressed to try and say which highlights were from which year.

Quincy Miller is severly overrated, hoopmixtape/ballislife sensation that somehow figures to be an NBA without NBA athleticism to play the wing and is fresh off blowing his knee two years ago.

I DO think Isaiah Austin is the real deal though. Too bad he'll only be there for one year

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

Everybody gotta hate on Coach Cal.

Re: Critical Coaches: Who is perceived to be the biggest cheater in the sport?

I really don't think Cal has to cheat at all anymore, really don't. In the past, absolutely. But he just doesn't have to now. He's gamed the system (legally) to his and UK's advantage. And more power to him. If UK's board of trustees and their alumni are cool with making a joke of their education, whatever, that's on them. Not that EVERY single D1 sports program doesn't skirt their own rules for athletes. Even the Ivys. That's by far the biggest problem I have with "amateur" sports being tied directly to colleges and universities. Don't care if they get paid, don't care if they skirt through bullshit classes, the schools are gaining more than the players. But it's just gross that they'd pimp out their educations that way, but whatever, I've ranted about that enough on here.

Anyway, Calhoun needs WAY more votes. Dude's been legitimately caught cheating. No innuendo, no rumors, no message board talk. Legitimately busted. But fellow coaches like him enough and don't see losing a recruiting battle to UConn the same way they do losing one to a upstart at a program with no history stuck in the middle of nowhere like Scott Drew.

Baylor is exactly what UConn was when Calhoun got there. And they do the same shit. They're both slimy as shit.