UnSigned Seniors

[BLUEDOVE3]

Jamar Gulley 6'4  Beaumont Central .I noticed this kid is unsigned. Wasn't he the man at Central?

[shorttexas1]

Yes he was.. He is kind of a tweener and has a little weight issue.  He should be able to sign with someone though... The kid has a heck of a basketball player within.... He just needs a coach to pull it out!

[Guest DickVitale]

It would be a shame if that kid goes unsigned....My advice?....toughen up...That and the fact that he does not play very hard all the time, was the knock on him since last summer, and he is a REAL TALENT!

[BLUEDOVE3]

It would be a shame if that kid goes unsigned....My advice?....toughen up...That and the fact that he does not play very hard all the time, was the knock on him since last summer, and he is a REAL TALENT!

Dickie, so now you're back in the middle of battling to gain the influence from your players versus his AAU coach.  I see it now, one of your well known players has to make a decision and his AAU coach has all the pull, or does he?

[Guest DickVitale]

It would be a shame if that kid goes unsigned....My advice?....toughen up...That and the fact that he does not play very hard all the time, was the knock on him since last summer, and he is a REAL TALENT!

Dickie, so now you're back in the middle of battling to gain the influence from your players versus his AAU coach.  I see it now, one of your well known players has to make a decision and his AAU coach has all the pull, or does he?

I never believed in allowing AAU coaches to have ANY influence or pull...The way that the NCAA has it set up now, D-I coaches are no longer allowed to attend AAU events until July...They CAN however visit a kid in a non-organized workout or pick up game at his or her respective HIGH SCHOOL...So, with that said, who do YOU think has the influence once again? THE HIGH SCHOOL COACH and THE PARENTS! Thats where it SHOULD be!!

[BLUEDOVE3]

It would be a shame if that kid goes unsigned....My advice?....toughen up...That and the fact that he does not play very hard all the time, was the knock on him since last summer, and he is a REAL TALENT!

Dickie, so now you're back in the middle of battling to gain the influence from your players versus his AAU coach.  I see it now, one of your well known players has to make a decision and his AAU coach has all the pull, or does he?

I never believed in allowing AAU coaches to have ANY influence or pull...The way that the NCAA has it set up now, D-I coaches are no longer allowed to attend AAU events until July...They CAN however visit a kid in a non-organized workout or pick up game at his or her respective HIGH SCHOOL...So, with that said, who do YOU think has the influence once again? THE HIGH SCHOOL COACH and THE PARENTS! Thats where it SHOULD be!!

Which bring up another question now. I had some parents bring to my attention (yesterday)that Ozen players don't get basketballl scholarships, even though it's a very successful program. If this is true, how much is the coach's responsibility to get this kid a scholarship?

[Guest DickVitale]

It would be a shame if that kid goes unsigned....My advice?....toughen up...That and the fact that he does not play very hard all the time, was the knock on him since last summer, and he is a REAL TALENT!

Dickie, so now you're back in the middle of battling to gain the influence from your players versus his AAU coach.  I see it now, one of your well known players has to make a decision and his AAU coach has all the pull, or does he?

I never believed in allowing AAU coaches to have ANY influence or pull...The way that the NCAA has it set up now, D-I coaches are no longer allowed to attend AAU events until July...They CAN however visit a kid in a non-organized workout or pick up game at his or her respective HIGH SCHOOL...So, with that said, who do YOU think has the influence once again? THE HIGH SCHOOL COACH and THE PARENTS! Thats where it SHOULD be!!

Which bring up another question now. I had some parents bring to my attention (yesterday)that Ozen players don't get basketballl scholarships, even though it's a very successful program. If this is true, how much is the coach's responsibility to get this kid a scholarship?

It is the coach's responsibility to put a good product on the floor at his respective school....THATS IT! If a kid can play, he will be seen regardless of what the coach says or does...HS coaches do not own any letters of intent nor do we give out scholarships..Parents have a hard time grasping that concept sometimes...YES, we are to market our kids whenever an opportunity presents itself in the form of talking to college coaches, or allowing kids to be seen in the off season by making ourselves and gyms available for recruitment...Thats where the HS coaches responsibilities end as it pertains to helping kids to earn college scholarships...parents can be so dis-illusioned sometimes...They had better learn how the business works and get DIVISION I ONLY, off of the brain OR get their pocketbooks ready to pay tuition next semester...

[Guest spinks]

I get soooooooooooo sick of parents blaming High School coaches on the kids not getting scholarships.  1st off it should be a joint effort between the kid, the parents, and the coaches.  Coaches take extra time that they do not get paid for to help these kids get scholarships.  It is not in their job description yet they do it and when a kid does not get a scholarship the coaches get criticized.  STUPID.  2nd.  PARENTS need to realize how good or not good their kids are.  When a kid who is on the border of being able to play or not he better be a hard worker with good grades and a good attitude.  I will never forget when I recieved a spot on a d1 athletics team the coach told me the only reason I got a spot was because my grades were good and everyone he had talked to said I was a great kid.  I worked my but off and a year later had a scholarship. 

I wonder if these parents take time out of their day to help the coaches kids get scholarships???  I think not!

[Guest DickVitale]

They need to be better educated on the matter.  Jim Hicks (RCS Sports) developed THE Parent/Coaches workshop in 2002. It was held at my school my first year as a head coach (Houston Waltrip) that first year...He still does it every October to this date and its at a different school every year...Several division I one coaches come in and speak about the recruiting process...ONLY parents and coaches are allowed to attend (no players) per NCAA rules and it is absolutely FREE.  Trent Johnson (LSU), Scott Drew (Baylor), Buzz Williams (Marquette), Billy Gillespie, Rick Barnes (Texas), Anthony Grant (Alabama), Tom Crean (Indiana) and Bobby Knight, just to name a few have all been speakers at the events throughout the years. Maybe next year, I can get the word out to parents in SE Texas through Chad Cooper, to come to the event...Its always held on the first Saturday or Sunday in October. Always at least 4 D-I head coaches and a few assistants will speak, and it is VERY IMFORMATIVE. Maybe that can help the parents understand the process.

[shorttexas1]

It would be a shame if that kid goes unsigned....My advice?....toughen up...That and the fact that he does not play very hard all the time, was the knock on him since last summer, and he is a REAL TALENT!

Dickie, so now you're back in the middle of battling to gain the influence from your players versus his AAU coach.  I see it now, one of your well known players has to make a decision and his AAU coach has all the pull, or does he?

I never believed in allowing AAU coaches to have ANY influence or pull...The way that the NCAA has it set up now, D-I coaches are no longer allowed to attend AAU events until July...They CAN however visit a kid in a non-organized workout or pick up game at his or her respective HIGH SCHOOL...So, with that said, who do YOU think has the influence once again? THE HIGH SCHOOL COACH and THE PARENTS! Thats where it SHOULD be!!

Which bring up another question now. I had some parents bring to my attention (yesterday)that Ozen players don't get basketballl scholarships, even though it's a very successful program. If this is true, how much is the coach's responsibility to get this kid a scholarship?

In my opinion this is a credit to the coach... The coach is taking good players and going to State with them... The exposure was there, from National games to national rankings.  To me the scout recognized the players were not as good as this arrea thought they were.  The coaching got Ozen there.  Those same kids have been at Central and Westbrook for years and the coaching could not get them over the hump to becoming GREAT TEAMS...  In fact Central and Brook have had arguably better talent (outside of Perkins) in the 90's than any of the Ozen State teams and could not even get to regionals.  Am I lying Dickie?

[Guest DickVitale]

It would be a shame if that kid goes unsigned....My advice?....toughen up...That and the fact that he does not play very hard all the time, was the knock on him since last summer, and he is a REAL TALENT!

Dickie, so now you're back in the middle of battling to gain the influence from your players versus his AAU coach.  I see it now, one of your well known players has to make a decision and his AAU coach has all the pull, or does he?

I never believed in allowing AAU coaches to have ANY influence or pull...The way that the NCAA has it set up now, D-I coaches are no longer allowed to attend AAU events until July...They CAN however visit a kid in a non-organized workout or pick up game at his or her respective HIGH SCHOOL...So, with that said, who do YOU think has the influence once again? THE HIGH SCHOOL COACH and THE PARENTS! Thats where it SHOULD be!!

Which bring up another question now. I had some parents bring to my attention (yesterday)that Ozen players don't get basketballl scholarships, even though it's a very successful program. If this is true, how much is the coach's responsibility to get this kid a scholarship?

In my opinion this is a credit to the coach... The coach is taking good players and going to State with them... The exposure was there, from National games to national rankings.  To me the scout recognized the players were not as good as this arrea thought they were.  The coaching got Ozen there.  Those same kids have been at Central and Westbrook for years and the coaching could not get them over the hump to becoming GREAT TEAMS...  In fact Central and Brook have had arguably better talent (outside of Perkins) in the 90's than any of the Ozen State teams and could not even get to regionals.  Am I lying Dickie?

HUH? I can't hear you.... :.....What!! (like Lil John would say)...   I DO know that the talent has ALWAYS been there, long before Ozen came on the scene...In my opinion, WESTBROOK had the majority of it, and were probably INITIALLY affected MORE by the opening of Ozen than Central was. We had ZERO division I signees when we won state in 2001...NONE....We had a FOOTBALL signee in Brandon Rideaux (Kansas), but no basketball signees, and we had 7 seniors on that team. (We had one to walk on at SHSU, one go juco, and another go NAIA)  The next year we graduated 7 more and had 3 Division-I signees... It varies from year to year, dependant upon who sees them and that particular school's needs.

[BLUEDOVE3]

It would be a shame if that kid goes unsigned....My advice?....toughen up...That and the fact that he does not play very hard all the time, was the knock on him since last summer, and he is a REAL TALENT!

Dickie, so now you're back in the middle of battling to gain the influence from your players versus his AAU coach.  I see it now, one of your well known players has to make a decision and his AAU coach has all the pull, or does he?

I never believed in allowing AAU coaches to have ANY influence or pull...The way that the NCAA has it set up now, D-I coaches are no longer allowed to attend AAU events until July...They CAN however visit a kid in a non-organized workout or pick up game at his or her respective HIGH SCHOOL...So, with that said, who do YOU think has the influence once again? THE HIGH SCHOOL COACH and THE PARENTS! Thats where it SHOULD be!!

Which bring up another question now. I had some parents bring to my attention (yesterday)that Ozen players don't get basketballl scholarships, even though it's a very successful program. If this is true, how much is the coach's responsibility to get this kid a scholarship?

In my opinion this is a credit to the coach... The coach is taking good players and going to State with them... The exposure was there, from National games to national rankings.  To me the scout recognized the players were not as good as this arrea thought they were.  The coaching got Ozen there.  Those same kids have been at Central and Westbrook for years and the coaching could not get them over the hump to becoming GREAT TEAMS...  In fact Central and Brook have had arguably better talent (outside of Perkins) in the 90's than any of the Ozen State teams and could not even get to regionals.  Am I lying Dickie?

HUH? I can't hear you.... :.....What!! (like Lil John would say)...    I DO know that the talent has ALWAYS been there, long before Ozen came on the scene...In my opinion, WESTBROOK had the majority of it, and were probably INITIALLY affected MORE by the opening of Ozen than Central was. We had ZERO division I signees when we won state in 2001...NONE....We had a FOOTBALL signee in Brandon Rideaux (Kansas), but no basketball signees, and we had 7 seniors on that team. (We had one to walk on at SHSU, one go juco, and another go NAIA)  The next year we graduated 7 more and had 3 Division-I signees... It varies from year to year, dependant upon who sees them and that particular school's needs.

Hello, that team was lucky. Had those slow guards NAIA material

[Guest DickVitale]

Yeah....36-0.....REAL lucky.....When was the last time Hamshire Fannett won DISTRICT? Dont even talk about state....DISTRICT.....Oh yeah. 2013, right? :

[BLUEDOVE3]

Yeah....36-0.....REAL lucky.....When was the last time Hamshire Fannett won DISTRICT? Dont even talk about state....DISTRICT.....Oh yeah. 2013, right? :

36-0? Oh sorry, I thought that was the year Chris Bosh kicked dat butt

[shorttexas1]

I wouldn't argue with you theere Dickie... Brook had some loaded teams... Absoluytely loaded...  When I think back on how those teams underachieved it is almost a travesty...  The '99 WB team was probably more stacked the the Central team that went to State.  The '98 team was way loaded, and that '91-'96 was unreal.  GBrook was getting D-1 signees when no one in the area was even getting looks!

[Guest DickVitale]

Yeah they were good, but in those 90's years (88-92 particularly) they were coming to Houston in the playoffs and being sent back down I-10 sad!!! 

[Bucof2010]

I wouldn't argue with you theere Dickie... Brook had some loaded teams... Absoluytely loaded...  When I think back on how those teams underachieved it is almost a travesty...  The '99 WB team was probably more stacked the the Central team that went to State.  The '98 team was way loaded, and that '91-'96 was unreal.  GBrook was getting D-1 signees when no one in the area was even getting looks!

Haha not many teams can claim 5 year spans that were unreal

[BLUEDOVE3]

Yeah they were good, but in those 90's years (88-92 particularly) they were coming to Houston in the playoffs and being sent back down I-10 sad!!! 

yEAH, kinda like Ozen in the 2000's

[Guest DickVitale]

Yeah they were good, but in those 90's years (88-92 particularly) they were coming to Houston in the playoffs and being sent back down I-10 sad!!! 

yEAH, kinda like Ozen in the 2000's

Lets see:

2000- Lost to TJ in area round

2001- won region 3, won state

2002- won region 3

2003- won region 3

2004- lost in regional to Hou. Jones

2005- lost in regional to Hou. Wheatley

2006- lost to Brenham in area round

2007- won region 3

2008- lost in regional to Hou. Yates

3 for 9 is not bad!!! 33%

[BLUEDOVE3]

Yeah they were good, but in those 90's years (88-92 particularly) they were coming to Houston in the playoffs and being sent back down I-10 sad!!! 

yEAH, kinda like Ozen in the 2000's

Lets see:

2000- Lost to TJ in area round

2001- won region 3, won state

2002- won region 32003- won region 3

2004- lost in regional to Hou. Jones

2005- lost in regional to Hou. Wheatley

2006- lost to Brenham in area round

2007- won region 3

2008- lost in regional to Hou. Yates

3 for 9 is not bad!!! 33%

I mean, even the Rockets beat the Lakers for a change the other night

[Guest DickVitale]

My bad I meant 4 for 9!!! 

[Lazeek]

Was it the first or second round of the Regional Finals???? :D : : :

[Guest DickVitale]

Ohh how clever... :

[cardinals4life]

Yeah....36-0.....REAL lucky.....When was the last time Hamshire Fannett won DISTRICT? Dont even talk about state....DISTRICT.....Oh yeah. 2013, right? :

36-0? Oh sorry, I thought that was the year Chris Bosh kicked dat butt

i bet any team in the state would have got that butt kicked by chris bosh he's a really really good nba player makes since for ozen to get there butt kicked by his team