West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

Actually compliance investigations are up, way up, since the advent of the portal.

I can't believe you believe that compliance with rules is laughable. Wait a minute, that would explain a lot.

Maybe you missed it. Recently, the NCAA is out of the enforcement business at least at the power 4 level. Will leave it up to the conference.

No one has done the research to convince me that tampering has occurred due to a general statement by Ben. These coaches know the rules. He would not say it if it were not a done deal.

The p4 teams that tamper do it through intermediaries, such as AAU coaches, agents, nil guys etc. No coach gets within 10 feet of that business if there were any doubts.

That is why I think wlu already knows who is going to indy and wlu knows there is no tampering by Ben making a general statement about some wlu guys coming with him. Much ado about nothing.

[boatcapt]

They used to. They aren't anymore. Believe what you want.

It's laughable if you think they care about a guy at arguably the worst program in D1 basketball tampering to bring in 4-6 D2 transfers. I cannot believe you actually think they are investigating or caring about these things anymore.

Actually compliance investigations are up, way up, since the advent of the portal.

I can't believe you believe that compliance with rules is laughable. Wait a minute, that would explain a lot.

[boatcapt]

The interesting side show in all of this will be seeing who Lamberti can now convince to stay.

Essentially he and Ben are going after one another.

And who from Coker follows Mike to the Hilltop.

[IUP24]

The NCAA compliance office investigated and imposes harsh penalties for player tampering. Should they do more? Yes. Do they find every example? Clearly NO. Would they find out about Howlet tampering with players currently on WLUs roster? Yet to be determined.

I didn't see Howlett's actual statement about wanting to bring in transfers to jump start the program, but if he specifically mentioned or even implied WLU transfers, that is a problem and is danger close (if not over) the tampering line.

They used to. They aren't anymore. Believe what you want.

It's laughable if you think they care about a guy at arguably the worst program in D1 basketball tampering to bring in 4-6 D2 transfers. I cannot believe you actually think they are investigating or caring about these things anymore.

[Columbuseer]

Okay, so we got a chance now, this is a great hire! Welcome back Mike. We keep the same system and recruit similar players that we always have. Now let's keep some of the talent we already have in house and get a player who can create his own shot when needed, lol. I know I know, that's not the WL way, but hey it's national title or bust now as I'm tired of traveling to Evansville and leaving empty handed.

Not as tired as the fans of teams that do not go to the Elite 8.
lol

[TopperNation]

Mike lamberti has been named head coach at wlu.
https://hilltoppersports.com/news/20...all-coach.aspx

Okay, so we got a chance now, this is a great hire! Welcome back Mike. We keep the same system and recruit similar players that we always have. Now let's keep some of the talent we already have in house and get a player who can create his own shot when needed, lol. I know I know, that's not the WL way, but hey it's national title or bust now as I'm tired of traveling to Evansville and leaving empty handed.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Seems like the speculation/imagination bug is going around.

Don't know for sure that a team meeting was held or if it was held, what Howlett said or what individual players may or may not have said. We can imagine that one was and we can also imagine that a player or two expressed a desire to "follow him" but that is what it is, imagination.

If I recall correctly, part of the reasoning for the Portal process was to give schools equal knowledge of and fair access to players wanting to transfer. I don't think the Compliance Officer (not the AD) has the ability to "pocket" the release of a player even if the player may want it. According to the NCAA, the process is:

1. Transfering student completes the Notice of Transfer process.
2. Transfering student provides it to the school Compliance Officer.
3. School Compliance Officer enters the information into the Transfer Portal.
4. Student receives a confirmation email from [email protected].

Until the Compliance Officer enters the student's information into the transfer portal, they are not in the transfer portal and any contact an opposing coach (or booster, or backer, or assistant coach, former coach, or agent, etc) has with the player advocating for the player to transfer to another school is tampering.

The interesting side show in all of this will be seeing who Lamberti can now convince to stay.

Essentially he and Ben are going after one another.

[boatcapt]

I think folks are letting their imagination run wild without bothering to do any research or critical thinking (par for the course).

On whether his comment could be construed as tampering:He mentioned it in Indianapolis, the home of the NCAA, for Pete's sake!

He told his players that he was leaving, before any contract was signed. Is it tampering if a player says I want to go with you and informs the wlu AD of that decision? But the player also does not want to be contacted by any other coaches. So the AD does not enter their name into the portal immediately. The AD releases them from their scholarship. Once they are ready to go, the transfer portal will be updated very briefly with the player, if at all, for the player has no interest in the transfer marketplace bazaar. There is nothing nefarious going on here. No one at wlu is accusing him of tampering.

Of course, there is tampering in college sports. But don't paint every coach with that broad brush and impugn coach Howlett's ethics and morals from behind a keyboard with no knowledge of the actual situation. You obviously do not know him.

Seems like the speculation/imagination bug is going around.

If I was the AD and my Head Coach had taken a job at another school, no way that I would let them have a meeting with the team. NO good can come out of that for the school that I am the AD at. Best case senario is a lot of tears and hugs and statements about how good we could have been if we just staid together for one more year...WORST case is team leader X stands up and says "I don't know about you brothers, but I'M going down to the Compliance Office and entering the Portal right after this meeting...WHO'S WITH ME??!!"

Don't know for sure that a team meeting was held or if it was held, what Howlett said or what individual players may or may not have said. We can imagine that one was and we can also imagine that a player or two expressed a desire to "follow him" but that is what it is, imagination.

If I recall correctly, part of the reasoning for the Portal process was to give schools equal knowledge of and fair access to players wanting to transfer. I don't think the Compliance Officer (not the AD) has the ability to "pocket" the release of a player even if the player may want it. According to the NCAA, the process is:

1. Transfering student completes the Notice of Transfer process.
2. Transfering student provides it to the school Compliance Officer.
3. School Compliance Officer enters the information into the Transfer Portal.
4. Student receives a confirmation email from [email protected].

Until the Compliance Officer enters the student's information into the transfer portal, they are not in the transfer portal and any contact an opposing coach (or booster, or backer, or assistant coach, former coach, or agent, etc) has with the player advocating for the player to transfer to another school is tampering.

[Scrub]

I appreciate IUP24 raising an interesting and relevant conversation last week about whether Howlett's departure would/could cause WLU's athletics department to choose to pivot the program a bit. The context of NCAA athletics has certainly changed since Crutch invented his system.

It seems that the athletics department has made its statement--Crutchball continues.

I, for one, am happy about it.

Someone raised the question earlier about whether or not it's better to be consistently good & making the tourney or whether it's better to have up and down years with a real shot at a championship in those up years. It's a valid question, and several folks answered it that they'd rather win the big one just one time. I, on the other hand, am perfectly happy continuing to hang Conference Championship and Elite 8 banners. If the stars align and the big one is in sights, fantastic. But I just don't think I could go back to cheering for a team that is totally irrelevant in the down years. With Crutchball in place, complete irrelevance seems to be harder to come by, and I'm good with that.

[boatcapt]

Mike lamberti has been named head coach at wlu.
https://hilltoppersports.com/news/20...all-coach.aspx

GREAT hire! Ton of continuity and experience as a player, assistant and HC in the WLU Style.

[Columbuseer]

I think folks are letting their imagination run wild without bothering to do any research or critical thinking (par for the course).

On whether his comment could be construed as tampering:He mentioned it in Indianapolis, the home of the NCAA, for Pete's sake!

He told his players that he was leaving, before any contract was signed. Is it tampering if a player says I want to go with you and informs the wlu AD of that decision? But the player also does not want to be contacted by any other coaches. So the AD does not enter their name into the portal immediately. The AD releases them from their scholarship. Once they are ready to go, the transfer portal will be updated very briefly with the player, if at all, for the player has no interest in the transfer marketplace bazaar. There is nothing nefarious going on here. No one at wlu is accusing him of tampering.

Of course, there is tampering in college sports. But don't paint every coach with that broad brush and impugn coach Howlett's ethics and morals from behind a keyboard with no knowledge of the actual situation. You obviously do not know him.

[Columbuseer]

Mike lamberti has been named head coach at wlu.
https://hilltoppersports.com/news/20...all-coach.aspx

[boatcapt]

Ben's in D1 now. Signing 5-6 D2 players nobody has ever heard of isn't exactly a splash, pubic perception-wise.

Who knows. I guess we'll see soon enough.

At this point most (all?) "name" players are committed already. Not going to get much splash bring in a 6'2" shooting guard from Towson. At least with a WLU player you can push the Howlett is bring in his player(s) who were instrumental in the NCAA Elite 8 run that was one of the highest scoring teams in the nation narrative.

[boatcapt]

Sure, yeah. You actually thinking that any of these coaches care about tampering, when it comes down to building out their own roster, is comical at best. The QB for Tennessee transfers after others were in his ear giving him offers to leave. Josh Huepel, admirably, let him walk. Days later he went out and literally did the same thing to bring in Joey Aguilar (he was NOT in the portal and did not have intentions of leaving UCLA even after the Nico transfer).

My point is that if you think either:

1) Ben Howlett (or anyone) cares about tampering for their own roster construction, Or
2) The NCAA will do anything IF Ben Howlett (or anyone) tampers with players to convince them to transfer...

You obviously have not been following college sports closely at all over the last few years.

And look man, I'm not saying I disagree with you in the macro. I get it. It's bull**** what's going on and how these players are convinced to enter the portal. There's just nothing you or I can do about that. And frankly, there's nothing any of these coaches can do about it either. Because they will moan and complain when they are on the losing end of having a player poached illegally off their team, but they'll go right out and immediately do the same thing to the guy down the road to replace that player. That's the only way for these coaches, who all have short leashes, to be in a position to continue getting a paycheck. It's a business and a job to them. They all need to win immediately. And they will do what's necessary to win. Ethics and morals aside.

The NCAA compliance office investigated and imposes harsh penalties for player tampering. Should they do more? Yes. Do they find every example? Clearly NO. Would they find out about Howlet tampering with players currently on WLUs roster? Yet to be determined.

I didn't see Howlett's actual statement about wanting to bring in transfers to jump start the program, but if he specifically mentioned or even implied WLU transfers, that is a problem and is danger close (if not over) the tampering line.

[IUP24]

Hummmm...What does watching college sports have to do with recruit tampering?

Problem is so big even coaches are speaking out about it:

https://apnews.com/article/college-b...881102e3df6ef2
https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...-path-forward/

Sure, yeah. You actually thinking that any of these coaches care about tampering, when it comes down to building out their own roster, is comical at best. The QB for Tennessee transfers after others were in his ear giving him offers to leave. Josh Huepel, admirably, let him walk. Days later he went out and literally did the same thing to bring in Joey Aguilar (he was NOT in the portal and did not have intentions of leaving UCLA even after the Nico transfer).

My point is that if you think either:

1) Ben Howlett (or anyone) cares about tampering for their own roster construction, Or
2) The NCAA will do anything IF Ben Howlett (or anyone) tampers with players to convince them to transfer...

You obviously have not been following college sports closely at all over the last few years.

And look man, I'm not saying I disagree with you in the macro. I get it. It's bull**** what's going on and how these players are convinced to enter the portal. There's just nothing you or I can do about that. And frankly, there's nothing any of these coaches can do about it either. Because they will moan and complain when they are on the losing end of having a player poached illegally off their team, but they'll go right out and immediately do the same thing to the guy down the road to replace that player. That's the only way for these coaches, who all have short leashes, to be in a position to continue getting a paycheck. It's a business and a job to them. They all need to win immediately. And they will do what's necessary to win. Ethics and morals aside.