Showing posts with label NBA Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA Draft. Show all posts
December 19, 2011
December 15, 2011
August 25, 2011
May 24, 2011
Who is Enes Kanter and why are the Jazz interested?
SALT LAKE CITY - Enes Kanter, a 19 year old, 6'-11" center from Turkey will soon be playing in the USA as he is one of the top picks for the upcoming NBA Draft, but exactly where he will go is another question.
Is it possible that he could be playing for the Utah Jazz come the 2011-12 season? Maybe, as they have a No. 3 pick for the draft in June.
But where did he come from and why are NBA teams salivating over this apparent unknown? He seems like he just popped onto the radar.
While fans may not be too familiar with Kanter, NBA executives and writers have know about this kid for quite some time and he was one of 54 prospects at last week's NBA Draft Combine.
Chances are he would have become a household name last year playing for the University of Kentucky, but because he was ruled ineligible due to benefits he received while playing in the professional league in Turkey, Kanter wasn't able to wow anyone by dominating college basketball like Jimmer Fredette, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight.
However, NBA execs are judging Kanter by his earlier years.
In 2008 at the age of 16, Kanter played for the Turkish professional team Fenerbahce Ulker in four Euroleague games.
In 2009, Kanter played for Turkey at the 2009 FIBA Under-18 Championships where he averaged 18.6 points and 16.4 rebounds and led Turkey to a bronze medal. Kanter also received MVP Honors in the championships.
With the many mock drafts out there, Kanter is almost as enigmatic as Fredette projected to go a number of places, but likely landing in the Top 5 with the Jazz just being one of many teams interested in him.
ESPN.com insider Chad Ford put his thoughts about the NBA Draft Combine out there last Friday after the Combine concluded in Chicago and said Kanter received the most buzz.
Ford also stated in his Friday blog post that he thought Kanter "didn't have one particular wow moment, he looked athletic, made a number of emphatic dunks and outhustled everyone else in his category. His performance here won't be enough to erase all the question marks teams had, but it was a start," posted Ford.
Ford projects that Kanter will go to the Cleveland Cavaliers as their No. 4 pick, but the Jazz have the No. 3 pick and could snatch him before the Cavaliers do.
The official measurements from the NBA Draft Combine were released late last week and Kanter was proved just as exciting by those as he is by his performance.
Kanter measured in height at 6'9.75" without shoes and 6'11.25" with shoes. He weighed in at 259.2 pounds and measured a wing span of 7'1.5". What team wouldn't want a player like that?
At almost seven feet tall (with shoes on), weighing almost 260 pounds, and with a wingspan of over seven feet, Ford said Kanter's measurements, "gives him a very good size at the power forward position and makes him a passable (albeit slightly undersized) center as well."
In a scouting report by David Locke, the play-by-play voice of the Utah Jazz, he stated simply that Kanter "is an NBA player. His elite skill is rebounding. He is going to be a big time rebounder in the NBA."
In a recent article by the Deseret News, Kanter spoke about how he used to wake up early to watch fellow Turkish player Mehmet Okur play.
Kanter also told the Deseret News that he will have a workout in Utah before the draft, but in Ford's ESPN.com blog post Monday, Ford stated that "sources in both Utah and Kanter's camp said it was mutually agreed that the Jazz would fly to Chicago on June 2 and see Kanter work out in Chicago."
Who is Enes Kanter and why are the Jazz interested?
By Kira Terry, ksl.com contributor May 23rd, 2011 @ 4:00pm
ksl.com
May 21, 2011
Utah Jazz: Enes Kanter grew up watching Mehmet Okur; Jimmer Fredette says Jazz 'like' him
CHICAGO — While growing up, Enes Kanter knew quite well when the Jazz usually tipped off at EnergySolutions Arena.Kanter's hometown of Istanbul, Turkey is nine hours ahead. So Kanter used to set his alarm for the wee hours of the morning to watch Turkish center Mehmet Okur play on television for the Jazz in games that usually started at 7 p.m. Mountain Time.
"I was like waking up at 4 in the morning, watching games, and then going back to sleep," Kanter said Friday at the NBA draft combine.
Much has changed since those days for Kanter, who turned 19 Friday. The big man is a top NBA draft prospect, and he could go as high as No. 3 to the Jazz.
Kanter wouldn't mind that at all. He grew up cheering for Okur. And even though the two never have met, Kanter said Okur sent him best wishes for the combine through a Jazz official.
"He talked to some of the guys on Utah and then (a Jazz official that Kanter wasn't able to recall by name) told me that Mehmet Okur said 'hi' and said 'good luck,"' Kanter said.
Kanter likely made Okur proud by playing well at the combine, which runs here Wednesday through Saturday. Kanter said he will have a workout in Utah sometime before the June 23 draft, when it will be seen if becomes Okur's teammate.
"(Salt Lake City) is a great city and a great place to play, and (the Jazz has a) really good team," said the 6-foot-10 Kanter, who said his preferred position is power forward although he also plays center. "I followed them when I was in Turkey."
Kanter went to Kentucky last year expecting to play for the Wildcats. But he was ruled ineligible due to having deemed being a professional in Turkey.
Kanter spent the season working out at Kentucky although he couldn't practice with the team. Because he hasn't played compeitive ball for more than a year he deemed the combine very important.
"No one has seen me play so it was a really good experience for me," said Kanter, who at least has some track record since he says at 16 in Turkey he was the youngest palyer in the history of the Euroleague.
In addition to Kanter, the other top candidate to be taken by the Jazz at No. 3 is Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight. He also welcomed the possibility of heading for Salt Lake City.
"I wouldn't mind going there," Knight said. "It's a great city. They always have a great group of guys. I want to surround myself with a good group of guys. I like the things Utah is about. I'd enjoy going to Utah."
It's possible Utah fans might not enjoy it as much. If the Jazz selects a point guard at No. 3, it would decrease the chances of Brigham Young point guard Jimmer Fredette being taken by Utah with its No. 12 pick.
Jazz officials interviewed Fredette on Thursday night in Chicago. Fredette, who said the questions ranged from how he would fit into Utah's system, how he ended up at BYU and what he believes are his strengths and weaknesses, came away feeling very good.
"They definitely like me. They're going to have me in for a workout," said Fredette, who said the date has yet to be set. "So I know they're definitely interested. So we'll see how it goes."
Considering Fredette's tremendous following in Utah, he's well aware many hope he sticks around. But Fredette doesn't believe it should be a popularity contest.
"That's what the people want," Fredette said of being drafted by the Jazz. "But I don't think (Jazz officials) should make the decision on what the people want. They ought to make a decision on what they think is best for their personnel. If I go there, it's great. If not, I'll be somewhere else. So I'm just looking forward to where it's at."
Fredette named the Jazz, Phoenix and Indiana as teams that "really like me." That might be good news for fans in Utah considering the Suns, at 13, and the Pacers, at No. 15, are both on the clock after the Jazz's No. 12 selection.
As for the No. 3 pick, it might be good news for Okur if the Jazz lands a guy who used to get up at 4 a.m. to watch him play.
By Chris Tomasson, For the Deseret News
deseretnews.com
May 20, 2011
Kanter unsure of how he’d want to be introduced
Enes Kanter’s in-limbo status this past season makes for an interesting dilemma. When he’s introduced at the NBA Draft, so he want to be “from Kentucky” even though he did not play for UK or “from Turkey,” his native country?
“I’d say both,” Kanter said Thursday in a tone that suggested he hadn’t give it much thought. “I can’t decide.”
Kanter unsure of how he’d want to be introduced
Jerry Tipton
ukbasketball.bloginky.com
Ruled ineligible, Kanter made most of year at UK
The 6-foot-11 center couldn't hone his post moves against power forwards in the Southeastern Conference, couldn't ready himself for life on the road with games in front of howling crowds.
But Kanter -- ruled ineligible by the NCAA to play after he was found to have accepted benefits in excess of his expenses from Fenerbahce, his former club team in Turkey -- doesn't consider his year in Lexington wasted time.
In fact, he said Thursday at the NBA Draft combine that he'd do it all again, even knowing he wouldn't play. Kanter spent 17 years in Turkey and less than one on UK's campus, but when he was asked how he wants to be introduced in the NBA -- as hailing from Turkey or Kentucky -- he couldn't answer.
"I would say both," Kanter said. "I cannot decide. I would say both."
Kanter values the college experience, he said, and not just because improved his English and formed tight bonds with his former Wildcat teammates. Kanter insists he also made strides as a player in a year under John Calipari.
"In Europe, they put me in the low post," said Kanter, a probable top five pick in the June 23 draft. "Coach Cal told me, 'You are not just a center, you can play power forward.' Me and Coach Cal worked on my shot, worked on my quickness, worked on my face-up game and dribbling and everything. (He) just really helped me."
Kanter came to Kentucky with physical tools. He honed them during his time in Lexington, and he's putting them on display this week at Attack Athletics. There was considerable buzz Thursday about the athleticism he displayed in combine drills.
Though some other top prospects -- Duke's Kyrie Irving and Arizona's Derrick Williams among them -- declined to go through some workouts, Kanter participated in every drill here.
"I didn't play college, so I have to show myself to people," Kanter said. "I don't have to hide anything. I'm here. I just tried to show myself. Because I haven't played (in a) long time, I have to show myself. No one's seen me play yet."
As more NBA people do, they're likely to be impressed, said DeAndre Liggins, Kanter's former UK teammate who's also here for the combine.
"A physical specimen," Liggins said of Kanter. "A guy who works, a guy who's got tremendous footwork. A guy who loves the game of basketball."
Kanter didn't get to put those attributes on display for UK fans this season, and he's still not over it.
"It was really hard," Kanter said. "When I watched the game, I was like crying because I cannot help my team. I couldn't help my team, I couldn't help Coach Cal, Kentucky, and it was really hard for me."
When the NCAA ruled him ineligible, Kanter could have returned overseas to play professionally, but he said he never seriously considered that option. There were some hard feelings, he said, about returning to Turkey.
Someday, Kanter said, he still would like to play for the Turkish national team. But for a year, at least, Kentucky felt like home.
"I didn't want to go back to Europe," Kanter said. "I talked to Coach Cal and he said, 'You are always part of our family.' I talked to Coach Cal and I said, 'Coach, I couldn't play for you, but I want to help you. It doesn't matter. I just want to stay here. I just want to stay with my family, with my teammates and with you.' And he said 'That's your job anymore. You're just going to try to make players better.'
Ruled ineligible, Kanter made most of year at UK
May 19, 2011
Is Kanter the draft's most intriguing prospect?
There are several reasons that while Kyrie Irving is considered the NBA Draft’s best prospect, Enes Kanter could be considered the most interesting and the most complicated.Now that there’s a chance the Cavaliers could get both, let’s take a look at Kanter — his journey, his talent level and what could be ahead…
1. Kanter is a skilled, nearly 7-footer who turns 19 on May 20. Part of what makes his case so interesting is that he didn’t play basketball at all last season. He enrolled at Kentucky but was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it was determined that he received excess compensation while playing for a professional team in his native Turkey. He wasn’t under contract with that team because he was under 18, but an NCAA investigation revealed he received “above his actual and necessary expenses” and therefore forfeited his amateur status.
2. Kanter was a known commodity to NBA scouts long before the NCAA ruling. He came to the U.S. in 2009, landing in California, and originally committed to Washington before changing his mind and signing with Kentucky. In the 2010 Hoop Summit, a high-level all-star game that pits top U.S. prospects against a team of young international stars, he scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Much of that work was done on the block against Jared Sullinger, and a loaded U.S. squad that included Irving, Harrison Barnes, Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones had to rally late to win that game. Kanter was the biggest reason the World Team built a big lead, and his performance included both polished post moves and a nice mid-range game. Clips of that game are all over YouTube — like here, and a bonus clip here.
3. He chose this route because he wanted to be a pro — and that’s not a John Calipari joke. He could have stayed in Europe and signed a lucrative contract on his 18th birthday, but he chose to finish high school in the U.S. and point towards playing a year of college basketball before heading to the NBA. He spent last season as a “student assistant coach,” which was basically Calipari’s way of allowing him to practice with the UK team and keep him active. Kanter is listed at 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, and it’s obvious he has NBA strength and enough skill to score in the post at the game’s highest level. There are questions about his ceiling and whether he can be a true center; a team willing to use a high pick on Kanter must be confident that he can answer them and fit their system and needs.
4. That Kanter declined an invitation to again play in the Hoop Summit last month — and reportedly has declined early invitations to work out against any other draft-eligible players — is a little alarming. After a year, shouldn’t he be itching to go against live competition? There are questions about his athleticism and whether he’ll ultimately be a tough and unique matchup for true centers or just another space-eating power forward. Teams considering him high in the draft are pretty sure he’ll rebound and that he’s ready to score, at least at some level, but must look at his upside and take into account how the year layoff may have affected him. He’s young, and a team that thinks his best basketball is ahead will take him high in next month’s draft.
5. How high? That’s the (multi) million-dollar question. The Timberwolves, at No. 2, always are unpredictable, and may already have a slightly shorter Kanter in Kevin Love. The Jazz at No. 3 will take a long look but just traded their franchise point guard for young big man Derrick Favors last winter. The Cavaliers are next at No. 4 and have plenty of options, including trading down, addressing a pretty glaring need at small forward or going for another European developmental prospect. Maybe Kanter’s time in the U.S. makes him a little more of a sure thing, at least in the short term, to NBA teams. Maybe European players projected to go high in the draft like Jan Vesley and Jonas Valanciunas bring more upside or a more appealing skill set. I’m the wrong person to ask about them. I do know Kanter brings a certain level of skill and strength and a certain (albeit small) level of, well, certainty. Maybe that’s enough for the Cavaliers. Maybe that’s enough for a team ahead of the Cavs to take him. Between now and June 23, he’s a guy to watch. And almost every eye in the NBA will be watching.
Is Kanter the draft's most intriguing prospect?
Zac Jackson
foxsportsohio.com
DraftExpress discusses the Pistons’ potential targets at No. 8
The NBA Draft is obviously an inexact science, but no one out there puts more homework behind his educated guesses than Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. After last night’s draft lottery, he looked at the needs of each team and came up with lists of players they’d consider. Here was his guess at candidates for the Pistons at No. 8:Will Consider: Enes Kanter, Donatas Motiejunas, Marcus Morris, Alec Burks, Kawhi Leonard
The Pistons have plenty of needs, and it’s doubtful whether they’ll be able to solve them all in one night. Not in this draft class, and not after sliding down one spot to the #8 pick. There are question marks about whether Rodney Stuckey is their point guard of the future, better suited at the 2, or would even be most effective coming off the bench. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince may not be here long term. And while the team has invested a great deal of money in power forwards Charlie Villanueva and Jason Maxiell, the position is anything but fortified judging by the results of last season.
At this point, the team may have to take a long look at Enes Kanter, even if it may be difficult to play him together with starting center Greg Monroe, whose heavy feet make him ill-suited to guard perimeter oriented power forwards. Kanter is a poor match in Utah, Toronto and Sacramento with their current starting centers, and is scaring off already-skeptical teams with his unwillingness to work out competitively for any team. Nevertheless, NBA teams need size and toughness inside the paint, and the Pistons were too weak of a team, in too weak of a draft to pick solely on need.
I would love to see Leonard as a Piston, but if Kanter falls to No. 8, it would be a second straight late lottery gift for Detroit. I don’t think they could pass on him if he lasts that long.
And incidentally, for all of the Bismack Biyombo fans inf Pistons land, Givony thinks that he’ll be off the board before the Pistons pick at eight. DraftExpress has him going seventh overall to Sacramento, but also has him getting consideration as high as third overall by Utah.
By Patrick Hayes • 10:15 am • May 18, 2011
pistonpowered.com
May 18, 2011
Year off hasn't slowed center's rising draft stock
No, Enes Kanter hasn't played competitive basketball in the past year.
Yes, that's a concern for any NBA team taking a look at the Kentucky center, ruled ineligible by the NCAA to play college basketball.
But Kanter's limited minutes haven't stopped his stock from skyrocketing as the NBA Draft approaches. The 6-foot-11, 272-pound native of Turkey is considered a likely top five pick, with some analysts suggesting he could land in the No. 1 spot.
"He's got the size and the athletic ability, so I think he's going to gain those minutes when he gets drafted," said Ryan Blake, the NBA's co-director of scouting. "But (the layoff) is an absolute concern."
Kanter has been on Blake's radar since 2009, when he was named Most Valuable Player of the FIBA Europe Under 18 Championships.
Though he's played limited basketball since then -- Kanter put in a season at Stoneridge Prep in California -- the Turkish center has remained an attractive NBA prospect.
"He's a guy that initiates contact, accepts contact around the basket," Blake said. "He's got a quick jumper, a nice shooting touch out to the college three-point line. Agility, lateral footwork, all-around footwork. And that's in a 260-something-pound frame. That's intriguing."
But Kanter's skill set comes with some concerns.
He's been working with UK coaches and players this season, but NBA scouts haven't been able to watch him play against high-level competition in game settings.
So teams likely will lean on evaluations from this week's NBA Draft Combine in Chicago as well as private workouts in which Kanter could be asked to compete against other top prospects.
Kanter is viewed as largely worth the risk, which Blake equated to the Milwaukee Bucks' Brandon Jennings, a relatively unknown commodity after he spent a year in Europe playing limited minutes after he graduated from high school.
It's encouraging to NBA clubs, Blake said, that Kanter spent a year working out against other NBA-caliber players at Kentucky. And he's viewed as a player who's willing to put in the work he needs to make up for his lost time.
"He's a smart kid, and he's passionate," Blake said. "You can't look into a guy's heart, but we already know sort of what he's made of. Good work ethic, a big-time competitor and a good head on his shoulders."
Year off hasn't slowed center's rising draft stock
Brett Dawson
CatsIllustrated.com Publisher
kentucky.rivals.com
Raptors Looking For More Lottery Luck
TORONTO -- Bryan Colangelo beat big odds at the 2006 NBA draft lottery to win the No. 1 pick.Toronto's chances of landing the top spot are significantly better this time around, and the Raptors are hoping their general manager is their lucky charm once again Tuesday, when the league holds it annual ping-pong ball affair in Secaucus, N.J.
The Raptors have the third-best chance - or 15.6 per cent - of winning the lottery, after finishing 28th in the 30-team league. The last-place Minnesota Timberwolves have the best shot in the lottery at 25 per cent,Colangelo, the Raptors' GM, represented Toronto at the lottery in 2006, when the team had an 8.8 per cent shot at winning. But they did just that, and Colangelo selected Italian centre Andrea Bargnani with the top pick that year.
Colangelo's actually not a big believer in good luck charms.
``I think I was the only one at the lottery in 2006 that didn't have a 'lucky charm,' and there were quite a few distinct items among the challengers that I recall vividly,'' Colangelo said in an email. ``I have always found it ironic those teams holding said items that do not move up or even drop a spot or two end up going home with a 'not-so-lucky charm.'''
Duke point guard Kyrie Irving and Arizona forward Derrick Williams are the top two projected picks in this year's draft while Turkish forward Enes Kanter is a favourite to go third.
``The draft is not deep with stars, but I expect several impact players to emerge as they generally do,'' Colangelo said on this year's draft class.
The Raptors finished 22-60 after losing Chris Bosh to free agency last summer, but have a group of strong young players to build around in DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson.
They sorely need a centre, and the 6-11 Kanter is considered the best in the draft. The 18-year-old is a tough, physical player who loves to draw contact in the paint and is a skilled shooter with considerable range. He turned heads at the Nike Hoops Summit when he scored a record 34 points and added 13 rebounds.
Kanter was a student assistant coach this past season at the University of Kentucky, which recruited him to play there before he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA because of money he received playing in the Euroleague.
The No. 3 pick has traditionally landed teams some top-notch talent. Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, Pau Gasol, and Ben Gordon are among players that were selected third in the draft.
The Raptors' highest pick since 2006 was three years later when they drafted DeRozan with the No. 9 pick. The Raptors acquired Davis with the No. 13 pick last year.
The draft is June 23 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Raptors Looking For More Lottery Luck
http://www.nba.com/raptors
May 15, 2011
Kentucky basketball's Knight, Liggins, Kanter invited to pre-draft combine
Former University of Kentucky basketball players Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins were among a select group of 54 players invited to participate in an NBA pre-draft combine in Chicago next week.Would-be UK player Enes Kanter, Lexington native Shelvin Mack of Butler, Morehead State rebounding machine Kenneth Faried and Kentucky native Scotty Hopson of Tennessee also were invited.
The combine also will include former college stars such as Kemba Walker of Connecticut, Derrick Williams of Arizona, Kyrie Irving of Duke, and Jimmer Fredette of Brigham Young in addition to Southeastern Conference standouts Tobias Harris of Tennessee, Chandler Parsons of Florida, and Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins of Georgia.
During the May 18-22 combine, players will take part in drills and measurements and meet with NBA personnel.
Herald-Leader Staff Report
kentucky.com
May 14, 2011
Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: Enes Kanter Shows Off Skills
SLAM Magazine online has an exclusive article on Enes Kanter up including a fairly lengthy video of one of his recent workouts. For those of us who have rarely had the chance to see Enes do anything on a basketball court, it comes as a pleasant surprise to see that he seems to be in marvelous shape, and looks extremely polished shooting the basketball.Enes has dropped about 12 lbs during the time he has spent at Chicago's Attack Athletics gym preparing for the NBA draft:
The first thing that was noticeable about Kanter was how much better his body looked. Not that he was ever out of shape in the first place, the 6-11 Turk went from around 270 pounds in March to a shredded 258 pounds as of Monday. He claims that he wants to play at "around 265 or 270 pounds" in the NBA, but get his weight back up the right away. Either way, you couldn’t help but be amazed at the progress that he’s made on his body in such a short time frame
There is no doubt Enes passes the eye test. But what about his game?
Having the chance to watch Enes shoot nearly 200 jumpers throughout the two workouts, we can tell you that this cat has certainly improved his J-work. He was nearly automatic inside of the European three point line, showing his potential to stretch the D as a 4/5 (whether he likes it or not, I’m sure he’s going to play some center). When the big man stepped out beyond the NBA arc, he showed off a smooth release and had solid, but not spectacular results shooting 13/25 and 15/25 respectively. More importantly, Enes made considerable improvement speeding up the release of his shot and cleaning up the loose ends of his form.
Be sure to check out the entire article as well as the video over at SLAM Magazine. Don't miss the dunk attempt Kanter makes taking off almost from the free throw line. What I really love is how capable Kanter is with either hand, and you will see that on display in the video. The range and smoothness of his jumpshot are also a marvel to watch for a man his size.
Yeah, this kid has game. I try not to think about how good UK could have been with him on the court instead of on the bench this year.
by aseaofblue.com
May 11, 2011
May 10, 2011
Never Before Seen Highlights Of Kentucky’s Enes Kanter
After the NCAA ruled University of Kentucky freshman Enes Kanter permanently ineligible for receiving impermissible benefits while playing in Turkey two years ago, that hasn’t affected his NBA Draft stock one bit. The 6-11, 262-pound center is projected as a top-5 pick this June, despite not playing a game for the Wildcats all season. But if you’re like me, you’d probably like to see what the big man can do before your team drafts him. Luckily, our friends at CityLeagueHoopsTV got their hands on some footage of Kanter playing for Stoneridge Preparatory School (Simi Valley, Calif.) last year. In one of the games featured, he had 43 points and 28 boards. Not bad.
Never Before Seen Highlights Of Kentucky’s Enes Kanter
By Aron Phillips
dimemag.com
Never Before Seen Highlights Of Kentucky’s Enes Kanter
By Aron Phillips
dimemag.com
January 29, 2011
Jay Bilas to do some investigating
You thought you had heard the last of Enes Kanter until NBA Draft day, didn't you? Well unfortunately for all of us, you were wrong. It turns out that some basketball analysts are as personally invested in this story as the most passionate Kentucky fan ever could be. Such is the case for ESPN's Jay Bilas, who is apparently going to do some investigating into the University of Washington's recruitment of Enes Kanter. In his blog for ESPN.com, Bilas said that he wants to investigate whether current NCAA President Mark Emmert knew about the Huskies' recruitment of Kanter while he was the President at Washington.
Bilas is likely taking exception to the bizarre public comments made by Emmert in the days following the NCAA's ruling on Enes Kanter. In an interview with CBS Sports' Seth Davis, Emmert said the fact that "very few schools recruited" Kanter meant that everyone knew he was likely to be ruled ineligible. The logic was tenuous enough standing alone, but was even more puzzling considering that one of those schools was actually Washington, which recruited Kanter while Emmert was its President.
After some writers noticed the discrepancy, Emmert again talked to Davis and said that he wasn't involved in who the basketball team recruited while at Washington and thus didn't have knowledge of the Kanter issues. Maybe so. But Bilas obviously thinks something may be amiss in the explanation and is out to do some investigating of his own to find out what Emmert knew and when he knew it.
It is somewhat odd to see one of the most public faces of college basketball so openly take on the NCAA President. However Bilas is not alone on this train as his colleague Dick Vitale recently said on a game broadcast that if Kanter had gone to Washington, the NCAA would have ruled him eligible. The blatant allegation of a double standard was surprising enough when said by Vitale, but then for Bilas to openly suggest that he doesn't believe Emmert's public statements on the subject...well that is somewhat shocking.
Where all this will end up is still anyone's guess. But for NCAA President Mark Emmert's sake, one would hope that the most embarassing part of the entire mess was his initial admission that he lacked institutional control over his previous employer's basketball program. That is eyebrow-raising enough. If we find out that he lied about his previous knowledge level, well that would be much worse. We shall see what, if anything, Bilas finds.
Jay Bilas to do some investigating
MATT JONES
college-basketball-blog.blogs.cbssports.com
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