bluesaxe;842702256 said:
Is this the team attitude you want, though? [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Lyon]"First, I'm looking for a school that will take me in, so I can use them instead of them using me," he said. "Help me get to the next level instead of them taking me in to make their school look good."[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=sans-serif]
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article83553657.html#storylink=cpy[/FONT][/COLOR]
I can understand why you interpret the comment that way, but I took it differently. The job of a university, IMO, is to prepare their students for the next phase of their life, whatever that may be. If I go to law school, the university should be preparing me to practice law and putting me in a position to succeed in that field. It should not be using me to somehow boost the reputation, finances, standing, etc. of the law school and university. The same is true, IMO, for the student athlete and that is where many universities fail. The primary goal of the university athletic program should be the development of the student athlete as a person, a student, and an athlete. It should not be the aggrandizement of the university.
That is what I took his comments to mean. He wants a program that will develop him, not a university that will use him for their own purposes (in which case, he should be thinking twice about UK, IMO.) Yes, I'd prefer it if he mentioned some team concept in there and if he had phrased it better than "use them instead of them using me", but honestly, in the world of college basketball, I think he is asking the right question of the programs he is looking at.
I look at UK as a mutual use situation that only works for certain athletes, namely the almost sure thing one and done. The school uses the athlete for basketball success and all that comes with it. The athlete is not looking for development as a player, person, or anything else. They want a platform to display their skills and they want to spend their one year winning at the highest level. I see that working for some as long as they see the limitations of what they are getting. I don't think it belongs in college sports, but that is a battle that has long since been lost.
