It appears we've lost our 2nd signee

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rebeljim
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Looking like we are losing one of our top 100, 4* signees. That will be our 2nd defection, to go along with losing Bill Armstrong, our top assistant and lead recruiter. I want to thank vitter, our pos Chancellor, that is killing any momentum we had in basketball. What was a #16 recruiting class now won't be top 50. We had 3 high school signees, now we will have 1. Words can't describe what an IDIOT vitter is, and he even went against his AD,s wishes. Oh well, basketball must not be that important to Ole Miss anyway.
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lewindha
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How is Vitter responsible for losing bball recruits? Not flaming. Just don't know what's happening.
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rebeljim
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Against Bjork's wishes, Vitter didn't extend AK'S contract. Armstrong got feed up and left for LSU. He was our top assistant, and lead recruiter. He was mainly responsible for what was a very good class. Also responsible for Davis. When Armstrong left, Stewart wanted out of his schollie. Now Pickett appears to be wanting out of his schollie. Our pay pool for assistants is last in the SEC, and AK's contract is next to last, only ahead of LSU's BRAND NEW head coach by $100,000. Vitter could've extended it without adding on to the buyout. Bjork's wanted to extend it. This will be used against us in recruiting. Freeze, who I want to stay, got a raise and extension, something he no where near deserved. If Bianco gets one, I'll be speechless. He's the most overrated, underachieving coach we have on campus, bar none. But Vitter is doing a number on our basketball program. Losing 2 of the 3 high school players hurts. Pickett was rated the #70 player in the country last I saw. The administration has to show support, and Vitter ain't doing it. Even Yancy on scout, who is as Kool aid as it comes to anything Ole Miss, has said this is as dumb a move as it gets. Me and him usually disagree when I get negative on there, but he agrees totally about this. Just plain ignorant, that's ruined what was our best class ever. Doubt we're top 50 now. Plus we lost our top assistant, that's been with AK since the beginning. Vitter didn't think this move through.
Last edited by rebeljim on Sun Jun 11, 2017 12:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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rebeljim
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P.S. Armstrong is now getting almost twice what he made here in a lateral move.
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lewindha
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None of them deserve a raise or extension. That's ridiculous.
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rebeljim
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Yes, AK should've gotten his extension. U could've kept the buyout where it was, that way it wouldn't cost a penny more if u fired him. But the extension tells the recruit that AK will be here through his career, where now a rival coach can tell a recruit Andy may be gone after next year. This ignorant move by Vitter went against Bjork's wishes, and has cost us a very good class. And this is a FACT. Players and a coach leave, not good. And neither is it good when the Chancellor sticks his nose in the sports program and goes against his AD's wishes, the AD that was hired to run the sports program.
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lewindha
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What did AK do this year that makes him deserve any of that? Get another deserving team on the bubble only to have it pop again?
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rebeljim
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Thought we had a good year considering we only had 8 players. But like him or not, u do what helps the program, and not getting the extension hurt the program, badly. Like I said, u can extend the contract without increasing the buyout. Either give him the chance with the arena or don't. I thought bringing in the talent we had gotten our first full year in the arena was impressive. 16th in the country ain't too shabby. Winning 22 games last year with the injuries and suspensions wasn't bad. And the talent returning, plus what was a good incoming class, looked like we were heading upward. But the new class is now only so-so, thanks vitter. Vitter needs to keep his nose out of the sports programs, and keep his crap interest elsewhere, like renaming streets cause they aren't pc enough. I don't like this guy, think he's too liberal for me.
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At times I believe we only had 7 players available to play in some games.
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rebeljim
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A poster on scout told me last night that vitter finally offered AK his extension, and AK declined. Supposedly something in the wording AK didn't like. Have no idea how true, but this poster is usually pretty accurate. He also said the staff told him they think they dodged a bullet and Pickett is suppose to be here at the end of the month. He was orginnally suppose to already be here. 2 other posters are saying his uncle is saying he ain't coming to Ole Miss. So I guess we should know by the first of next month. I thought Andy did one of his better coaching jobs last year with the numbers we had. Course a certain group will certainly disagree with me. And what about Thornberry's performance in Memphis this week. 8 under is dog gone good. There were Hotty Toddy's being thrown around the gallery following him. Will he turn pro or come back to God's Country, that'll be the question.
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rebeljim
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Pickett is now officially gone from the program. That's 2/3 of our 16th rated class that has left since vitter's decision to go against his AD's wishes. That decision not only killed our recruiting class, it'll hamper this next class as well. Ben on scout has already reported other coaches are telling recruits AK won't be a here for their college career. It was appearing that Andy was going to recruit at a higher level with the new arena before vitter stuck his nose where it shouldn't have been, killing the momentum that was building. vitter is a complete idiot that needs to go asap. Oh, and vitter cost us our lead recruiter as well. So to recap, that's 2 very highly rated recruits, and our top recruiter gone, all because our chancellor went over our AD's head, and made his own decision.
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GtownRebel
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Is this the reason for both leaving? I haven't seen any quotes from those players.
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rebeljim
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Our assistant, Armstrong left for LSU I would imagine over money, on top of what vitter did. Our assistant pay pool is last in the SEC. Bill is making almost double what he was making here, for a lateral job. The first player to defect, Stewart, left because Armstrong left, and also didn't like us signing Crawford. The second player, Pickett, I think had people in his ear about bigger schools than us, and with Armstrong gone, who recruited him, had no one else in his camp for us. Stewart has already signed with Pitt. Look for Pickett to end up at Georgetown. When vitter finally decided to offer the extension, the buyout stayed the same and Andy said no. Bjork wanted to give the full extension, but vitter said no. That decision totally killed our recruiting class. What was #16 is now who knows. I expect a new coach soon, imo, maybe after this season. Either vitter fires Andy, or Andy goes elsewhere. The riff right now is huge. I think vitter got mad when someone in Andy's camp let all this leak out. I personally think vitter is a pos, and not just because of this. The IHL is not our friend, and something needs to be done about that. I think someone is in vitter's ear, telling him what to do. Have heard it's a former player who would have some pull.
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rebeljim
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From an article by Ben on scout. I think he does the best of any of the pay sites when it comes to basketball coverage. Andy seems to still be recruiting at a higher level. We'll see if he lands any?

With now six scholarships available for the 2018 signing class following the release of four-star signee Jamarko Pickett from his letter of intent this week, Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy has kept a busy travel schedule throughout the summer.

Kennedy was in Baltimore, M.D., over the weekend to evaluate, and ultimately offer, four-star forward Anthony Higgs. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound Higgs, of Perry Hall High School, is a left-handed stretch four who plays for Team Melo in AAU. Kennedy got a first-hand look at Higgs at Peach Jam. Higgs is fresh off leading Perry Hall to a 6A state championship in March.

Ole Miss joins George Mason, Kansas State, UMass, Old Dominion, St. Joseph’s and Towson in the pursuit of Higgs.
Kennedy also offered forward Jericole Hellems, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound prospect by way of Hazelwood, Mo. Hellems, a three-star prospect, holds additional offers from, among others, Arkansas, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas State, Missouri and Wake Forest.
Hellems has led Bradley Beal Elite to a 6-0 record and the semifinals of the EYBL, averaging 24.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 steals. He’s shot 55.6 percent from the floor, 55.2 percent from 3-point range and 78.4 percent from the free throw line.

Along with moving on Higgs and Hellems, Ole Miss hosted 6-foot-5, 170-pound guard D.J. Stewart in June. Stewart is ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 24 shooting guard in the country by Scout.com. Stewart, of Avon, Miss., averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior for Riverside High School last season.
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