Beas Hamga

[tornado]

Beas Hamga, 7-footer from Decatur Christian who had originally committed to Iowa and now decommitted,
has gotten a passing ACT score, and with a little extra course work can reclassify from 2008 to 2007 and get to college THIS fall, instead of 2008.

He is being pursued by several schools, but a new report in him says this:

"Beas Hamga has been long considered a Class of 2008 prospect - until recently. .....has a qualifying test score and is on the verge of going from the Class of 2008 to the Class of 2007.

``It looks like I???‚¬?„?m going to be eligible to play in the fall,???‚¬?? said Hamga, a one-time Iowa commitment who opened his recruitment after Steve Alford left for New Mexico. ???‚¬?“I???‚¬?„?m working hard right now so I can graduate.???‚¬??

He lists his choices as:
Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky'
Memphis, New Mexico, UNLV, Iowa

Hamga said he plans to visit UNLV this weekend and then will evaluate the situation before deciding whether to visit Kentucky, Indiana and New Mexico.
...

However, Hamga has scored an 18 on the ACT and is now looking at trying to play college basketball next year."

(one thing we have seen before is that sometime kids who reclassify to get done sooner might actually be too old to play as a senior next year.)

[tornado]

Breaking news on the Beas Hamga recruiting front.

Hamga's own AAU coach and LEGAL GUARDIAN has alleged illegal recruiting tricks BY University of Kentucky.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/SPORTS03/705130596/1002/SPORTS

University of Kentucky just self reported very similar violations last July in regards to 5-Star Patrick Patterson.

"According to NCAA rules, there is to be no written, telephonic or in-person communication between a recruit and a booster of a school."

[amckillip]

Breaking news on the Beas Hamga recruiting front.

Hamga's own AAU coach and LEGAL GUARDIAN has alleged illegal recruiting tricks BY University of Kentucky.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/SPORTS03/705130596/1002/SPORTS

University of Kentucky just self reported very similar violations last July in regards to 5-Star Patrick Patterson.

"According to NCAA rules, there is to be no written, telephonic or in-person communication between a recruit and a booster of a school."

Out of curiousity, If I see a recruit on campus and say 'I'd love to see you here' or something like that, is that a violation? I know it happens all the time and would be impossible to control, just curious if thats technically a violation.

[tornado]

amckillip...the answer is NO, absolutely NO, it is not wrong for yuo to talk with him and say you'd like to see him at Bradley...but you'd better be careful because the rules are just a little vague.

Note what it says in the article (quoted below), that the prohibitions involve contacts with the recruit by persons who represent the university in some official capacity, or who are "boosters", people closely tied with the athletics and/or significant financial donors.

If you are just a fan, you can talk with him and you can even leave messages on his MySpace page, but...

Here's where the problem comes.....that if numerous posts on the MySpace page all say "Hey Beas...come to Kentucky" it begins to look like an organized thing and can give the appearance it is being done officially by the school and can prompt an NCAA investigation.


"According to NCAA rules, there is to be no written, telephonic or in-person communication between a recruit and a booster of a school. ...it's hard to distinguish between fans, alumni and boosters"

If the NCAA thinks something looks fishy...and especially if you are a mid-major ( ) then they can figure where there's smoke there's fire and launch an investigation.
Once they start digging, if they want to find something...then they'll check pay records, interview disgruntled ex-players and ex-coaches, etc...until they find something.

[amckillip]

Fair enough, though it really does seem like the line between fan and booster for a university is nearly wholly subjective, can't imagine why that is.

[tornado]

Don't you see though, it IS SUBJECTIVE, so that the NCAA can pick and chose who it is they wish to enforce the rule against.
Show me when they've ever pushed hard to find violations at a BCS school.
They generally go after big schools only after stuff is exposed so blatantly by the press that they have no choice.
And even sometimes when the press does make an expose of it as in the hundreds of thousands of illegal $$ Reggie Bush got, there still will be no investigation.

[amckillip]

Don't you see though, it IS SUBJECTIVE, so that the NCAA can pick and chose who it is they wish to enforce the rule against.
Show me when they've ever pushed hard to find violations at a BCS school.
They generally go after big schools only after stuff is exposed so blatantly by the press that they have no choice.
And even sometimes when the press does make an expose of it as in the hundreds of thousands of illegal $$ Reggie Bush got, there still will be no investigation.

That was my point, should put in a wink there...

[Da Coach]

Hamga has decided to play for UNLV, over interest from Indiana, Kentucky, and New Mexico.

He has not been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse, yet.

http://www.kentucky.com/232/story/69357.html

http://unlv.scout.com/2/643904.html

[tornado]

two different Decatur Christian kids committed today

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=673390

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=673383

[Daniel Poneman]

A very interesting source (i wont say a name) told me recently that many many kids who are 4 or 5 star players have some kind of illegal incentives in thier deal with a school, its unfortunately just the way some stuff works

[MacabreMob]

A very interesting source (i wont say a name) told me recently that many many kids who are 4 or 5 star players have some kind of illegal incentives in thier deal with a school, its unfortunately just the way some stuff works

Anyone shocked?

[mrcoachdude]

A very interesting source (i wont say a name) told me recently that many many kids who are 4 or 5 star players have some kind of illegal incentives in thier deal with a school, its unfortunately just the way some stuff works

Anyone shocked?

say it ain't so

[Da Coach]

I can't believe there would be any illegal hanky-panky from the people in Las Vegas!

[tornado]

This guy thinks Beas Hamga is the next Shaquille O'Neal

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/248381/unlv_signs_a_new_shaquille_oneal.html

ps-- Hamga's eligibility is still being reviewed by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

http://www.lvrj.com/sports/7549882.html