AAU IS QUIETLY UNDER ATTACK PT. 5 - ALL-MET ELITE

AAU IS QUIETLY UNDER ATTACK

 PT. 5  

Did you know during October of 2017 the Pac-12 Conference under the direction of Commissioner Larry Scott & following the creation of the NCAA Commission on College Basketball by Mark Emmert formed a separate task force to protect student-athletes and address systemic issues threatening college athletics? At its initial meeting  the Task Force discussed the following areas of focus: recruiting processes; agent relationships; shoe and apparel partnerships; NCAA enforcement; the impact of “one and done”; and socioeconomic factors. Members of the Task Force will examine in depth the areas of focus through conversations with college basketball stakeholders and subject matter experts, including former student-athletes, parents, agents, shoe and apparel representatives, independent recruiting event directors, compliance experts and high school coaches and administrators, among others.   The task force will "take advantage of the expertise we have directly and indirectly through our Conference, from coaches to administrators, former student-athletes, shoe and apparel companies based here in the West, agents, folks associated with the AAU... all of those that are involved in the pathway from youth basketball to college and the NBA," Scott said.

 

The full membership of the Pac-12 Task Force is as follows:

 

Tom Jernstedt
Naismith Hall of Famer, former University of Oregon athletics administrator and Executive Vice President/head of basketball for the NCAA

Mike Montgomery
NCAA Basketball Hall of Fame Men’s Basketball Coach (Stanford, Cal) who is also serving on the NCAA Commission on College Basketball

Charles Davis
Former football student-athlete, Stanford University Athletics administrator, NFL player, and FOX Sports analyst

Chris Hill
Pac-12 Athletic Director (Utah) and former member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee

Dan Guerrero
Pac-12 Athletic Director (UCLA) and former Chair of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee

Ceal Barry
Pac-12 Senior Woman Administrator and former women’s basketball coach at Colorado

Alan Green
Pac-12 Faculty Athletic Representative and current Associate Professor of Clinical Education at University of Southern California

Brevin Knight
Former men’s basketball student-athlete at Stanford, NBA veteran, and current broadcaster

Steve Lavin
Former Pac-12 men’s basketball coach at UCLA, current broadcaster

Bob Myers
Former Pac-12 men’s basketball student-athlete at UCLA, current General Manager of Golden State Warriors

Jennifer Azzi
Former Pac-12 women’s basketball student-athlete, Olympic Gold Medalist, NCAA champion at Stanford, and college basketball head coach

Yogi Roth
Former student-athlete, Pac-12 football Coach at USC, and current college sports broadcast analyst for Pac-12 Networks

The primary objectives of the Task Force will be: (i) education and issues identification, (ii) identification of best practices, (iii) recommendations for systemic reform and (iv) application of learning to sports beyond basketball.  The Task Force will issue findings and recommendations to the Pac-12 CEO Group in March 2018. A final report with a series of recommendations for both the Pac-12 Conference and the NCAA will then be shared with the NCAA Commission on College Basketball along with the national collegiate community.

 

Just a little insight into the thought process in 2015 the Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott openly discussed the possibility of making academically eligible freshmen basketball players sit out a year.

 

Ask yourself which college basketball conference so far has faced the largest "potential" scandal involving allegedly its coaches & players - Sean Miller & DeAndre Ayton? Which conference do you believe will attempt to clean up its reputation with "bold" recommendations to the NCAA Commission on College Basketball?

 Lastly did you know last October ACC Commissioner John Swofford unveiled a five-member task force to study issues exposed by recent federal charges against, among others, four assistant coaches, two Adidas employees, a financial adviser and former agent.
The latest scandal “is a wake-up call, and it’s an opportunity,” Swofford said during a one-on-one interview at the ACC’s annual preseason media gathering. “If we don’t take advantage of this opportunity, shame on us collectively.”
Swofford wants the ACC task force to offer suggestions to the NCAA commission, chaired by former Secretary of State Condolezza Rice and including retired players Grant Hill and David Robinson He wants the group to canvass not only ACC coaches, but stakeholders outside the conference. Swofford is meeting individually with the league’s 15 head coaches and said a common theme has emerged: “There’s a sense that the good guys have been hurt by this, and it’s time for that to end.”

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey wondered aloud if shoe companies such as Adidas and Nike would bail from grassroots basketball, allowing USA Basketball, the NCAA and National Association of Basketball Coaches to organize the circuit.