AAU Recruit

[Builder 86]

Will HC Barbee end AU self imposed ban on AAU recruiting? Im saying YES

[around4ever 4,139]

Jacobs already ended it earlier this week when he contacted Trevor Lacey of Butler HS to ask him to wait until he hired a coach to make a decision.   

[Mikey 16,710]

It's becoming more and more clear that the ban isn't, and never has been, a ban against all AAU teams. The ban was against Mark Komona's team, which is in North Alabama.

We could always recruit those players through their schools and in their homes, we just couldn't go to Komona's camps and rub shoulders there.

I got this information from the SportsCall radio show's hosts, visitors, and callers over the past three weeks. Phillip Marshall did the most to clarify the situation.

[around4ever 4,139]

It's becoming more and more clear that the ban isn't, and never has been, a ban against all AAU teams. The ban was against Mark Komona's team, which is in North Alabama.

We could always recruit those players through their schools and in their homes, we just couldn't go to Komona's camps and rub shoulders there.

I got this information from the SportsCall radio show's hosts, visitors, and callers over the past three weeks. Phillip Marshall did the most to clarify the situation.

I have never heard if the self imposed ban was a directive to Lebo or his decision.  Do you know, Mike??

[Mikey 16,710]

That I don't know. I'd guess that it was Auburn U. policy, since Komona had been declared "a representative of Auburn's athletic interests" the trouble could have spilled over into other sports.

By the way, Komona's son is currently an Auburn student and is working in the basketball dept editing film as a student employee. I'm not sure how smart that is on our part...Didn't Auburn have a student job opening somewhere out on the Fisheries unit?

[around4ever 4,139]

That I don't know. I'd guess that it was Auburn U. policy, since Komona had been declared "a representative of Auburn's athletic interests" the trouble could have spilled over into other sports.

By the way, Komona's son is currently an Auburn student and is working in the basketball dept editing film as a student employee. I'm not sure how smart that is on our part...Didn't Auburn have a student job opening somewhere out on the Fisheries unit?

I'm sure it is all legit.    If it was University mandated, I don't see how AU could hold Lebo responsible for not winning when he basically had one hand tied behind his back in recruiting. 

[Mikey 16,710]

 If it was University mandated, I don't see how AU could hold Lebo responsible for not winning when he basically had one hand tied behind his back in recruiting. 

It wasn't like having one hand tied behind his back, it was more like having a band-aid on the pinky finger of his left hand.

He could do as any other school's coaches could do with any AAU program except Komona's. He could recruit Komona's players at their schools or in their homes. All he couldn't do was attend camps that were conducted by Mark Komona or the games of teams Komona was coaching.

[around4ever 4,139]

 If it was University mandated, I don't see how AU could hold Lebo responsible for not winning when he basically had one hand tied behind his back in recruiting. 

It wasn't like having one hand tied behind his back, it was more like having a band-aid on the pinky finger of his left hand.

He could do as any other school's coaches could do with any AAU program except Komona's. He could recruit Komona's players at their schools or in their homes. All he couldn't do was attend camps that were conducted by Mark Komona or the games of teams Komona was coaching.

But he never got any of them.  Did he actually, recruit any of them at their HS or homes?  I kinda got the impression that he was steering way clear of the situation.  Possibly because of the Komaro situation, the other AAU coaches stayed away also for fear of being investigated.  I don't know. 

[DunderMifflin 60]

What's so bad is we never really benefitted from the relationship with Komara even while Ellis was here.  I think Brandon Robinson might have been on his AAU team.  Meanwhile, bama had, I think, three of Komara's guys playing on their team at one time.  If Komara was an AU booster, why was he 'sending' players to our in-state rival and not to us?  Because he wasn't an AU booster. 

The NCAA was just looking for somebody to use as an example to other schools and AAU types that business as usual was not going to work.  They have no way to control the AAU scene but wanted to try to send a message somehow.

As far as the number of phone calls from the AU staff to Komara, you would have found that if you looked at the records of Gottfried's staff, or most any other.  The names might change but the result would be the same.  If they weren't calling those guys to maintain a relationship, they weren't really doing their job.

[NoALtiger 3,870]

What's so bad is we never really benefitted from the relationship with Komara even while Ellis was here.  I think Brandon Robinson might have been on his AAU team.  Meanwhile, bama had, I think, three of Komara's guys playing on their team at one time.  If Komara was an AU booster, why was he 'sending' players to our in-state rival and not to us?  Because he wasn't an AU booster. 

The NCAA was just looking for somebody to use as an example to other schools and AAU types that business as usual was not going to work.  They have no way to control the AAU scene but wanted to try to send a message somehow.

As far as the number of phone calls from the AU staff to Komara, you would have found that if you looked at the records of Gottfried's staff, or most any other.  The names might change but the result would be the same.  If they weren't calling those guys to maintain a relationship, they weren't really doing their job.

Yep, for a "booster", we sure haven't got very much from him. Bryant Smith from Butler and Brandon are the only two that come to mind. We have had some tremendous basketball talent here in Huntsville that AU has always missed out on and have some elite players here now. Maybe we get them now!