Harrison Brothers

[jmoliver]

The Harrison brothers are set to announce their school of choice on Thursday and it is setting off a storm between all the shoe companies. Even scum bag Sonny Vaccaro is getting into it. He is basically accruing Under Armour of "steering kids to Maryland.

Their father said that basketball recruiting is 25 times worse than the used car trade.

[REM08]

The Harrison brothers are set to announce their school of choice on Thursday and it is setting off a storm between all the shoe companies. Even scum bag Sonny Vaccaro is getting into it. He is basically accruing Under Armour of "steering kids to Maryland.

Their father said that basketball recruiting is 25 times worse than the used car trade.

According to their father, the only person allowed to contact the twins directly is an under armor rep. Not turgeon not Cal not phil knight.

[jmoliver]

Yea, there was a more recent tweet that dad said Cal and the Maryland coach both have the kids numbers. Also a guy from UA.

Can't see them going to Maryland. Should start a flood to UK.

[gatordd]

UK no doubt

[dailydoublecat]

Calipari has been banking on these two. If the dad wins they go to Maryland and if the boys get there may they will choose Kentucky. Maryland and Under armoire making one more final plea on Wed.

[REM08]

Calipari has been banking on these two. If the dad wins they go to Maryland and if the boys get there may they will choose Kentucky. Maryland and Under armoire making one more final plea on Wed.

What I don't get is why the school they go to matters when it comes to shoe loyalties? Maybe I'm naive when it comes to this, but its not at all uncommon for a player to sign with a different company than the one sported by his former college. If the twins, or their father, has their heart set on Under Armor, why can't they just sign with them after school? John Wall didn't sign with Nike. Of course, many suggest that Shabazz's decision ended up being heavily influenced by his shoe preference. Doesn't make sense to me.

[dailydoublecat]

Just guessing but Under Armour does pay Harrison Sr and he coaching their aau team. I could be wrong but they will have a say just depends how much.

[phideltdj]

Imagine you are a shoe company and you have been paying the father of a top recruit for several years to deliver them to a school that has your shoe contract...and they pick your competitors school. The recruiting system is almost as corrupt as our political system except we are dealing with kids to put things in context.

[InstiGATOR1]

The irony of this situation just dawned on me. Two hip kids reportedly want to go to live in Lexington and their father is pushing them to go to the DC area?

Usually isn't it the reverse? The kids want to go to college in the big city and the parent try to get them to go to the safer college town.

[REM08]

Imagine you are a shoe company and you have been paying the father of a top recruit for several years to deliver them to a school that has your shoe contract...and they pick your competitors school. The recruiting system is almost as corrupt as our political system except we are dealing with kids to put things in context.

Well said. Eric prisbell has a great article in usatoday about the twins and UA. Id link it were i not on my phone. It makes me wonder if they are really the lock to UK that id assumed.

[don23lucia]

I'm betting the farm that Maryland lands the twins for the one year stint.

[UFG8rGuy3283]

Well said. Eric prisbell has a great article in usatoday about the twins and UA. Id link it were i not on my phone. It makes me wonder if they are really the lock to UK that id assumed.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/recruiting/2012/10/02/andrew-harrison-aaron-harrison-kentucky-maryland-nike-under-armour-recruiting/1608511/

I think this is the link you were referencing.

At this point, you might as well pay the players. It's pretty blatant at this point with the shoe companies, agents and handlers.

[REM08]

Here's the link to the story I mentioned earlier. The writer gets much of his info from the twins father. Their father has even spoken out about this story saying "I thought it was great."

EDIT: thanks to UFG8rGuy for posting - I didn't see his link before posting this.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/recruiting/2012/10/02/andrew-harrison-aaron-harrison-kentucky-maryland-nike-under-armour-recruiting/1608511/

Harrison Sr., said that until September even the college coaches courting his sons had to go through dad first. One exception: Chris Hightower, in charge of basketball marketing at Under Armour.

"He is my saving grace that there are some upright, straight, humane people in the basketball business," Harrison Sr. said. "He is the one guy who can call Aaron and Andrew.

"They text him, 'Hey, Chris, appreciate what you sent us, thanks a lot. Hey, Chris, do you have a black hoodie? Does Under Armour make this or that?' He will text them, 'Great game I saw on TV.' "

Under Armour sponsors Maryland's basketball team as well as the AAU team for which Harrison coaches and his sons play. And if the connection between Hightower and Maryland was not clear enough, Hightower uses an image of the Under Armour-designed Maryland football uniforms for his Twitter picture.

Messages left for Hightower were not immediately returned. "Chris Hightower is a member of the team of Under Armour employees who service and support the University of Maryland all-sports apparel contract," the Maryland athletics department said in a statement.

Prisbell later tweeted this:

Eric Prisbell ‏@EricPrisbell

One prominent Nike-affiliated coach told me he recruits players off Adidas AAU teams but not any UA AAU teams because "You have no chance."

[dailydoublecat]

I'm betting the farm that Maryland lands the twins for the one year stint.

If the dad gets his way then you may be exactly right--it is going to be a fun next several hours of speculation and BS--looking forward to it!

There is NO doubt harrison SR wants Maryland and they and Under Armour are giving lone last plus this evening to make that happen.

Jeff

[don23lucia]

If the dad gets his way then you may be exactly right--it is going to be a fun next several hours of speculation and BS--looking forward to it!

There is NO doubt harrison SR wants Maryland and they and Under Armour are giving lone last plus this evening to make that happen.

Jeff

If Hansborough's mom landed that job at UNC, I can only imagine where Harrison SR. will land next year at UA or at Maryland.

[dailydoublecat]

The feelings from UK people I trust say they are choosing Kentucky. This recruiting class is going to be something else. The matchups we are going to have in the next few years are going to be something else.

[ldgator]

Cal breaking out the checkbook as usual. Shocking.

[dailydoublecat]

Cal breaking out the checkbook as usual. Shocking.

Yes it is because he is having to fork a pretty penny for the Harrisons, but hey its a 2 for 1 special :) Calipari has made these two his top priority for a long time, but they could choose Maryland and Under Armour we shall see.

Jeff

[jshaas]

so Daily you still hearing UK? or maryland?

[dailydoublecat]

so Daily you still hearing UK? or maryland?

LMAO I have slanted view from UK people that I trust telling me UK. I just know some of the national pundits have been saying MD coming on stroing and the other items in the thread prior. It goes back to do the kids decide or does Dad---they do not agree on the choice IMHO.

Jeff

[REM08]

Over the last two days, several of the national recruiting guys have named Kentucky as their "gun to the head" pick - but then always couch the statement that we shouldn't underestimate the dad's relationship with Turgeon or big of a push Maryland has made recently.

These are paid, professional recruiting "experts" whose job it is to know this kind of stuff as well as they possibly can. The fact that none of them are making strong statements is pretty telling to me. Everyone wants to be the guy who called it right. IMO, when its pretty clear cut, you see them put their name behind a strong statement.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of those times where the kid's decision has wavered - even today. I don't blame them either. Were it my Dad in that position that theirs is in, I'd have a tough time too.

[REM08]

Here's Eric Prisbell just 2 minutes ago...

Eric Prisbell ‏@EricPrisbell

Just got a call from a coach who hears this Harrison decision may go other way now. Grab a coin and flip it. No predictions from me. None.


If only this site let me rep myself...

[phideltdj]

This should go UK's way...the dad is going to be taken care of by either school and the twins know that. Sure he may have some loyality to UA for "sponsoring" his AAU team but in the end their is no loyality among thieves. The deciding factor is that they have a better opportunity of winning a title at UK than Maryland.

[GatorLurker]

It would be interesting to know how many NBA players now have sponsorship deals with the company that sponsored their teams from AAU onward. It would make sense as a one-and-done to not poison the well for only one year of college ball and the crap shoot that is the Dance to get a NC if there is a delayed pay-off for loyalty. If it uncorrelated, then I don't understand what is going on unless the process is much more corrupt than even my cynical mind imagines.

[Gator_Joe]

I think the twins will end up at Maryland.

[Gator_Joe]

Who was on my account and said that^^^^^? :)

[potomacgator]

They just chose Kentucky. The reason they gave for choosing Kentucky was so they could win right away.

[REM08]

I was talking to my Florida fan-brother about how the recruiting chips appear to be falling with the 2013 class. Depending on how they continue, it could very well be UK/UF as top two seeds in the tourney that year.

[jeffphillips21]

how can you not hate coach Cal

[phideltdj]

Big shocker...no honor among thieves. You take hundreds of thousands of dollars and shun the people that gave it to you for a better deal. Think about how much cheaper our shoes and sports apparel would be if these companies didn't spend so much in these contracts with athletes or slush funds.

[ThePlayer]

They just chose Kentucky. The reason they gave for choosing Kentucky was so they could win right away.

And I thought they looked better in orange and blue.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/maybe-john-calipari-most-impressive-recruiting-coup-yet-214220863--ncaab.html

[Droppingin]

No doubt they are good, but after watching several videos of both them and Casey Hill, I will take Hill all season long. He is as good as both of the twins put together

I know I know. But this is not sour grapes and there was no chance of the twins coming to UF. I posted this before in Full Court Press, I think I did.

At this time, there is nothing to be jealous about UK, UF is very well stoked the next couple of years.

[Droppingin]

I was talking to my Florida fan-brother about how the recruiting chips appear to be falling with the 2013 class. Depending on how they continue, it could very well be UK/UF as top two seeds in the tourney that year.

Agree, and we get to beat the hell out of each other during the regular season.

[your_perfect_enemy]

Big shocker...no honor among thieves. You take hundreds of thousands of dollars and shun the people that gave it to you for a better deal. Think about how much cheaper our shoes and sports apparel would be if these companies didn't spend so much in these contracts with athletes or slush funds.

or they could even afford to pay the people who make the shoes a decent wage

[dailydoublecat]

No doubt they are good, but after watching several videos of both them and Casey Hill, I will take Hill all season long. He is as good as both of the twins put together

I know I know. But this is not sour grapes and there was no chance of the twins coming to UF. I posted this before in Full Court Press, I think I did.

At this time, there is nothing to be jealous about UK, UF is very well stoked the next couple of years.

I give Kasey props as he is one hell of a player--the twins are special as well---I look forward to the wars!

Jeff

[Droppingin]

Maybe I should take another look but I did not see anything close to the passing, dribbling, or creativity.

No doubt they are good.

[NorthCaptivaGator]

Simple, no more shoe contracts for schools or coaches,and no more one and dones, this whole thing is sickening, we need to start taking away amateur status even at the high school level, either that or pay them all

[Jaggator]

Once again the rich get richer.

Calipari brings his 5th consecutive #1 recruiting class to Lexington.

This is why they pay him the big bucks more than any other college basketball coach and a lot more than most college head football coaches.

[jeffphillips21]

Maybe I should take another look but I did not see anything close to the passing, dribbling, or creativity.

No doubt they are good.

I think they're both great, consistent shooters but if Kasey Hill was even close to their height/size he'd be ranked higher. It's always tough to rank a 6'0 guard that high, but given Hill's amazing skill set I too would take him any day over these guys. It is nice to get 2 for 1 though. I don't know much about the twins as teammates, but Hill is going to make everyone around him that much better. Big guys love to play with PG's that can pass like Hill, lots of easy buckets

[StrangeGator]

This was the right decision for them. Sure, the rich get richer, but UF is hardly in the poor house right now. We're going to have to stop bitching about Kentucky's recruiting if we start bringing in the same caliber talent.