4thGenCal said:
HearstMining said:
It used to be fun to hear the scoop on recruiting commitments, but nowadays you don't really know for sure until the kid shows up in class, so I take it all with a grain of salt.
All true as that is the final/must have step to complete and thus be eligible. The other key indicator, is when the student athlete moves into his housing and especially if done so at the Program property site. Its saying "I am here and can't wait to get after it with my teammates".
Then there's Larry Bird. He initially matriculated at Indiana after high school. He moved into the dorms and went to a class. Then before the season even started, he left the school entirely and returned to French Lick. IIRC, he worked as a garbage collector for a bit and played ball with some of the other workers who were older and stronger. It was while playing here that Larry learned how to step back on his shots to create space. Later, he returned to the college scene, but this time to Indiana State.
Thanks to Larry Bird, I had anxiety as a kid. I was always afraid the Lakers lead, no matter how substantial, in a game against the Celtics would disappear and Larry would sink the final winning shot. But now, also thanks to Larry, I have anxiety as an adult. I'm now worried that some player will move in, attend classes at Cal, and then drop out before the season starts.
On the football side, this is not unprecedented (at Cal). Petros Papadakis did just that (though I'm unsure if he attended classes). After one week of Cal football fall camp, he left the program and returned to LA. Before that, there was Herm Edwards. He enrolled at Cal and left the program twice in four years (ultimately earning his degree from San Diego State).
Really, until I see a player suited up and playing for Cal (or even on the bench during a game), I do not consider him actually to be a Cal player. (Insert laughing face emoji.)
