Aggies Won't Get Any Help From Duo

[runaggierun]

admin said:

What an epic failure - on the part of the players involved, Eaves' coaching staff and the A&t athletic administrators.

All three are guilty of not getting their jobs done.

The only people to blame are Guions and Booker. They knew what they needed to get eligible. There is academic support in place. There is study hall. There are tutors. Everything was available to these guys outside of someone to walk them to class daily, take notes for them, turn in assignments for them, and take tests for them. And if that is the type of support they need, they shouldnt have been in college to begin with.

Outside of recruiting student-athletes that can better handle college life academically and socially, what exactly do you suggest Thrilla?

[Bornthrilla]

If Booker and Guions had both earned a 4.0 GPAs this semester, regained their eligibilty and went on to become academic all-americans, would Eaves and the A&T athletic department taken some credit for turning those kids around and flaunted their accomplishments as proof that the basketball program as a whole is ran the right way? Would they be pushing the News & Record and the local TV stations to highlight the players' academic honors? Of course they would and no one would fault them for it.

Therefore, everyone involved in this has to accept some blame when players under their watch, who were recruited by this coaching staff and given scholarships, are, for whatever reasons, not getting the job done academically.

Of course, the brunt of the blame and the unfortunate consequences of these academic shortcomings lies with the players. They are the one's whose lives will be most affected by this.

[DOOMS]

aggieone said:

It's just as important to recruit character as well as great athletic ability with student athletes these days. If you still don't believe me then go ask Ga. Tech's coach what he thinks about Reggie Ball's commitment now who was his fifth year starting senior QB and team leader but who said "screw class in this last semester, I'm going to a bowl game then on to the NFL."

I don't think so.

Huh?

Reggie's a fourth year senior who's 5'10" and knows he has no shot at the nfl. He's just not very intelligent and since he's also not a necessary part of the equation (in other words, he's a terrible qb) the staff finally impressed upon Chan to let his academics catch up with him.

As for our boys Dex stated it's probably a snapshot of the student body as a whole. I agree. Over half the damn student body wouldn't have the grades to be eligible to participate in a sport. THAT'S A GOT DAMN PROBLEM!!!! For every finger we point at a kid for "not drinking from the fountain" we point three fingers at ourselves for not realizing these are kids, not horses.

It says a lot to me that we continually find ways to lose kids to grades, lack of desire, and whatever else and shrug our shoulders and say "well, it's they fault."

Like I've said in other threads we either have to implement programs to educate the kids we admit or quit admitting kids who are clearly not college material.

We should do all we can to at least make sure these kids stay in school and get degrees, or else we are no better than the schools many of us choose to call out for "using" our young negro athletes and spitting them out when they no longer have eligibility.

[Bornthrilla]

I need to go take a shower now, because I agree with everything Dooms just posted. I don't feel right when he and I share the same viewpoint.

[4XLAGGIE]

admin said:

If Booker and Guions had both earned a 4.0 GPAs this semester, regained their eligibilty and went on to become academic all-americans, would Eaves and the A&T athletic department taken some credit for turning those kids around and flaunted their accomplishments as proof that the basketball program as a whole is ran the right way? Would they be pushing the News & Record and the local TV stations to highlight the players' academic honors? Of course they would and no one would fault them for it.

Therefore, everyone involved in this has to accept some blame when players under their watch, who were recruited by this coaching staff and given scholarships, are, for whatever reasons, not getting the job done academically.

Of course, the brunt of the blame and the unfortunate consequences of these academic shortcomings lies with the players. They are the one's whose lives will be most affected by this.

I don't think the department would have been taking any credit if those kids had regained their eligibility. They know that ultimately the responsibility rests on the kid to get it done. As was previously said, there are systems in place to help.The reality being that 40% of our athletes made the deans list last semester.

[aggielove]

Dooms, I like what you said. When I spoke about leading the horse to water, there are tutors available to students, IF THEY ARE LOOKING and want to stop clubbin 4 nights a week (at least they were in the business school). In fact, I was one of the students that volunteered to assist some of my classmates. Once you apply to and later enroll in a college or university, that brings aboput certain responsibilities that you have to be willing to accept.

I think what is happening is that we have been steadily increasing our enrollment for the sake of putting up the numbers, as opposed to enrolling the more quality students (quantity vs. quality issue). When we get that part straightened out, then we will see improvement in our retention and graduation rates.

[Bornthrilla]

The reality being that 40% of our athletes made the deans list last semester.

Question: Why didn't you start a thread on this board about that as soon as you got those figures? That is great information that alumni and fans want and need to be aware of.

[krazykev]

From what I hear is that Guions miss his grade by 2 points. Booker is straight lazy and does not care much about his books.
Booker's scholarship has been taken away and I think Guions is going home also. Damn!!!!!!!!!!!! So much Talent


Here is the Current Roster Updated Today

1
Steven Rush
G
5-11
170
JR
Greensboro, N.C.
UNC Asheville

2
Glenn Nelson
G
6-3
185
JR
Baltimore, Md.
Cecil CC

3
Austin Ewing
G
5-11
160
JR
Atlanta, Ga.
Woodward Academy

4/24
Trahern Chaplin
G/F
6-6
200
JR
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Northwood

5
Tavarus Alston G
6-0
165
FR
Greensboro, N.C.
Smith

10/22 Angelo Hernandez G
6-3 185 JR Philadelphia, Pa. Overbrook
11 Patrick Gregg F 6-7 190 JR Florence, S.C. Lincoln Trail CC
15 Derek Crumpton G 6-3 215 SR Livingston, Ala. Livingston
20/34
Jason Wills
F
6-6
208
JR
Upper Marlboro, Md
St. John’s Prep

21
Walter Booth
G
6-4
185
SR
Silver Spring, Md.
The Heights

31
Greg Roberts
G/F
6-6
190
SR
Charlotte, N.C.
W. Charlotte

33
Nicholas Wilson
F
6-5
210
SO
Trenton, N.J.
Bowling Green

34/32 Robert Johnson F 6-6 200 FR Greensboro, N.C. Dudley
43
Chad Webster
C
6-10
210
SO
Durham, N.C.
Riverside

50/52
James Porter
C
6-9
220
SO Raleigh, N.C.
Sanderson

[DOOMS]

I'd be curious to know what 40% made the dean's list. Not that I doubt that stat, I've just heard about far more kids that have dropped out than I have that have made satisfactory progress.

[AggieMike]

I can't say anything about them making their grades because I dropped from a 3.3 Fall 2005 to 2.2 Spring 2006 and now I'm back to a 3.3 for Fall 2006, so I was on academic probation myself but they put no effort whatsoever into getting to class. I know that for a fact.

I think that judging the entire student basis of 11,000 on the basis of 2 is absurd. What are the standards for playing sports. They can't be that ridiculously high. I've grown past discrediting PE and Sports Science majors because I realize they know things about the body than I would ever know but 40% of our athletes being on the deans list reflects bowling, volleyball, baseball, swimming, tennis, maybe track. It's not the money sports. How many football players were on the deans list? I know my boy Walt Booth has excellent grades but how many others on the basketball team other than Austin and some others have Dean's List grades?

[Aggie One]

40%? - Female Athletes

[dj98]

Make the grades or don't play ball. Them young men have to wake themselves up, they also have to get to class by themselves. I went through simular circumstance when I was at the T.
The wonderful thing about the T is, IF you go to class and show the professor you want to pass the class he or she will work with you. They will give the student all the help they need to pass. At 1-A colleges you are a number, If you don't understand the work you are Short!! I've had friends to attend UNC, NCST, ECU, ect and they say you are a number, the professor don't even know your name. It sounds like they did not want to help themselves. SAD!!!

[trues]

I have to agree with you Thrilla, I think you can't totally dismiss it the fact that all of it should be blame on the student. It may not be fair but to some degree you have also blame the coachand staff. Whenever you recruit student and they do not pan out because of drugs,walking out or academics to some degree that is a bad reflection on your recruitment. Eaves has had a history of some of his guys not panning out. I think Basketball is worse because you only have 12 guys to recruit and you have to make sure they count.


A&T coaches in all sports have got to be smarter when it comes to recruiting. They need to stop trying to recruit the athletes but recruit the Student Athlete. Do the homework. Talk to HS teachers,counselor make sure the student has no behavior patterns. A athlete does you no good sitting there a$$ on the bench watching the game like everyone else.

[Maxell]

In fairness to Eaves, at the point he recruited them he was just trying to get players for a team with only 3-4 players left. He had to go home to Louisville to find them.

[da heretic]

Also, a lot of kids change when they leave home whether their athletes or not. They get to rebel and often go too far.