Brandon Jennings Needs Italian Lessons From Kobe
College Basketball July 17th. 2008, 12:45pm
Wednesday was a good day for Fox Sports, huh? First Jay Glazer worked his Packers/Favre magic, and then Jason Whitlock came through with what appears to be the first sit-down interview with Young Money, Italy-bound baller Brandon Jennings.
Other than not mentioning Jennings’ back-tat, Whitlock’s interview (and video!) is sure to sway any fence-sitters who may think Jennings’ decision is the wrong move (and that has nothing to do with this awesome sentence: “Jennings grew up in Compton, Calif., the birthplace of NWA, fertile gang territory and a place not known for Huxtable-like families. … He’s a Chris Paul lookalike with Hot Sauce’s And1 instincts“). Except Lute Olson, who not only lost a stud point guard, but got hammered by Whitlock:
No one who knows anything about basketball believes Lute Olson would teach Jennings a thing about the fundamentals of the game. I’m not taking a cheap shot at Lute to defend Jennings’ decision. It’s a well-known fact within basketball circles that Lute Olson is famous for rolling the ball on the court, kicking back and enjoying the work of his recruiters. Lute Olson is not Bobby Knight.
Miles Simon, for one, is thrilled with that last statement.
I’m even more convinced Jennings made right move (Fox Sports)
84 Responses to “Brandon Jennings Needs Italian Lessons From Kobe”
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July 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Lute’s old……nough said!
July 17th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
It’s about developing. Getting better. Playing against better competition. I’ll be playing against professionals. … Some guys over there should be playing in the NBA
see, i can respect that aspect of it.
i am a big fan of Whitlock, but to say that Lute Olson cant prepare kids for the NBA is ridiculous. Lute Olson has put out better pros than bobby knight
July 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I do agree with Whitlock. What has Lute Olsen ever done, sans the National Championship in 1998 (I think)? That championship is tainted anyway by the sheer fact that Miles Simon attempted more FTs than the entire UK team. Unbelievable. If blogs would have been as far along as they were then, no way Lute Olsen gets all the respect/accolades he receives.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I like when young people figure out ways to skirt the system and kind of stick it to the old man. I hope Jennings is successful and his experiment works, but, if it does, it will partially suck because we won’t be able to enjoy guys like Oden, Durant, Rose, etc. in college again.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
you started smoking already, irish?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
The whole premise of the story makes no sense. Why did he choose Arizona then? I am all for his decision to go to Europe, I think its a great one. There is no need to disrespect Olson. Would he say Kobe is no MJ so he sucks, not to disrepect him. Bobby Knight is more of a system coach who had trouble adapting to changing rules of the game. I only skimmed the article but did have quotes from Steve Kerr, Bibby, Gilbert, Sean Elliot? Anyone? Chalbert Cheney at least?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Hmmm. Four Pac-10 Tourney titles, 11 regular season titles, two-time national coach of the year, 15 seasons of 24+ wins at Arizona.
Yeah, terrible coach.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
for starters, name a PG from AZ better than Isiah Thomas…
July 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Exactly. Whitlock should have just kept the article to profiling Jennings, no need to call out Lute.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
/basically what Whitlock said and repeated by me because it’s true
July 17th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Isiah Thomas sucked in high school and was not recruited? Please.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I never said he was terrible. I was just agreeing with Whitlock that Olsen gets great talent. Most of the time, but not all, the more talented teams win games and win conferences.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
@sparty- as a collection slick
July 17th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
That’s retarded. Tell me, can you name Larry Bird’s college coach? Because apparently he’s one of the best college coaches in the history of the game by your measure. Not to mention the guy who coached Malone at La. Tech or Dave Odom who coached Duncan.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Name a player of his from his Iowa days.
The statement you say may be true of his as of late which is a good sign that he still has it. Why would all the good player not want to play for Bobby Knight?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
All great programs/coaches have great talent. Right?
You asked what has he accomplished — I think it’s quite a bit.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
@SM - please read what Whitlock said before you bash my fix of irish’s comment. his argument was that Olsen rolls out the ball and let’s his highly touted recruits play their game. Knight was a great coach that could take guys that would be bench players at other D1 schools and create a winning team. in no way am I saying that Knight only got players that no one else recruited. Isiah was likely heavily recruited and Knight landed him. that in no way refutes my point that Knight is a better b-ball coach than Olsen and my agreement with Whitlock that had Jennings attended Arizona, he would not advance his skills as much as he will in Europe.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
College basketball is all about which schools get the higher number of talented players of the court at the same time. Lute Olson has been very good at recruiting talented kids to come play for him. This does not mean that he teaches them jack shit except maybe how to take stuff under the table.
Very few coaches that actually teach there kids anything about developing their skills have very good teams. There is so much to this topic that it can’t possibly covered in a comment.
Don’t think that I am hating on anybody in particular here because I don’t give a fuck what happens to either, but what Whitlock wrote is right on point. I think that both Jennings, Coaches and the NCAA are gonig to do what they think is right for each, and we should not hate on any one of them until some outcomes are seen.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Kenny Lofton
July 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Other than Isiah, name anyone to come out of Indiana that has been a good pro. Alan Henderson doesn’t count…
July 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
This kid is doing the right thing…the NBA has set up the NBDL and done nothing to make it a proper minor league for the NBA. They are in cohoots with the NCAA. Going to Europe is a logical step and allows these kids to get paid for their talents…something the NCAA sees no need to do.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
But then the question is, would Bobby Knight be able to advance his skills either? My feeling would be no.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
How about Calbert Cheaney?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Because he is a mean old bastrad that would treat you like crap and if you are leaving in a year why would you put up with that. Booby Knight is a terrific coach and bad dude…Lute Olson coaches in Tuscon Arizona. At a warm weather school with some of the hottest chicks on the planet and next to that he is a really nice guy. If I had my one year of college life, I would go there. I think Lute has had as much talent as anyone and wasted it. He had one title. With that talent he could have had 4-5 in the same time frame.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Because he is a mean old bastard that would treat you like crap and if you are leaving in a year why would you put up with that. Booby Knight is a terrific coach and bad dude…Lute Olson coaches in Tuscon Arizona. At a warm weather school with some of the hottest chicks on the planet and next to that he is a really nice guy. If I had my one year of college life, I would go there. I think Lute has had as much talent as anyone and wasted it. He had one title. With that talent he could have had 4-5 in the same time frame.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
bash my fix of irish’s comment
there was no reason to bash my comment. once again, take a bow and leave
July 17th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
As for Bobby Knight, ask Isiah how big he was to his career?
/i will try not to double post this one
July 17th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
irish, i disagreed with your comment. it’s not like I called you an idiot for what you said.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Quinn Buckner, Larry Legend
July 17th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
@Roman, I’d rather ask Neil Reed.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Lute has become an arrogant smug son of a bitch and alienated almost all but the very closest people around him. And the whole ordeal with U of A b-ball this year probably made Jennings decision much easier…that and being dumb as a brick.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Larry Legend
indiana state
July 17th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Here’s the problem with Jenning’s decision though. He’s going to be virtually out of sight for an entire year. What if he doesn’t get the PT he should? DOn’t you think this could end up hurting his draft status?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
irish, he went to Indiana first. But yes, I was grasping at straws.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Kenny Lofton still remains the pro Lute has ever coached.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Olson won in 97…and I’ve never liked a coach less than him. I don’t hate him, but I’ve always just…felt he wasn’t really a coach, more just a figurehead.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
@NSR- Fran Fraschilla will get the scoop
July 17th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Kenny Lofton still remains the best pro Lute has ever coached.
/fixed
July 17th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
@clown- okay. Kurt Benson wasnt having that though
July 17th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Miz - Please explain his long history of success. I am sure Steve Kerr was a highly touted recruit being slow and white. Probably much higher than isiah thomas.
Even if its true today, it would not suprise me, that Olson kicks the ball on the court I, He is old and his wife dired a few years back right, Why would a star choose to go there? As others have said there are plenty of reasons to go to Zona. To knock a old man is a low blow.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Alas, you are on the internet.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Not necessarily. Take a guy like John Beilein or Pete Carril. While you can argue that Beilein isn’t great (and I won’t debate that) my point is that he teaches the games based on the system he runs. There was a reason that guys like Kevin Pittsnoggle and Mike Gansy weren’t at bigger name schools. In Beilein’s system, they were a very good team and had some Sweet 16/ Elite 8 runs. But based on talent, no way.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
/Threadjack
Rampage picked up by police for psychologically evaluation
/threadjack
July 17th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
People are forgetting that Jud Beuchler went to Arizona. How many rings does that guy have? lol lol
July 17th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Every year in the draft - someone took a bad high school player - just like now - every year someone takes a terrible european player - so the ban on HS players has solved nothing….GMs still arent doing their homework…every draft has busts…Stern needs to stop kidding himself
July 17th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I think unless he mails it in, he’ll get ample playing time partially because of the money he will be signed for and the name recognition and precedent he may be setting. NBA teams have scouts assigned to monitor the Euro leagues and Jennings will most likely be on every scout’s radar. He may be out of sight concerning media attention but if he performs well, he will likely be back in the conversation come draft time.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Kevin Pittsnoggle
what a great name. That kid was a baller at WVU. I played against Gansey in high school. He played at Olmstead falls outside of cleveland. Kid killed me every game and he was 2 years younger
July 17th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Also, Jennings choose Arizona. Recruits do have a choice in where and who they want to play for. Please excuse me if he commited so he could learn fundamentals from Kevin O’Neil?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
@SM - Whose “long history of success” are you referring to?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
/Threadjack
CRM gives up blogs to produce and promote his Amazin’ Beard Tonic! First stop Vegas!
July 17th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
like i said…euros are the new bad draft picks…so all he has to do is stand out over the Darkos…hell be fine
July 17th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Lute Olson - at Iowa and early time at Zona when he did not have all the big name recruits
July 17th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
every year someone takes a terrible european player
ill give you Darko and Andrea Barngani. But who else?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
@ irish
seriously…i have to make a list for you???
July 17th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
For every Darko you have a Kwame Brown. It has nothing to do with being a Euro but scouting and nature of the business that not all talent pans out when projecting younger players.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Was Fred Weis European?
We can probably already add that guy the Knicks just took.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Euros that have played good minutes for top-flight teams (see: Galinari) are a whole different bag from the guys like Darko, et al who played 3 minutes a game… those project players should have never been taken so highly over here.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
okay i made it through the 03-04 drafts….first rounders only
darko, bargnani, zarko cabarkapa, alexsander pavlovic, zoran planinic, carlos delfino, andris biedrins, pavel podkolzin, viktor khryapa, sergei monia….
do i have to go through 05-07?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Whitlock should have asked Jennings why the decision now. Why not a few years earlier. It he was interested in a basketball education and not a formal one why did he wait until questionable scores to make that decision. He does make some good points that the system is flawed (and nice use of $ in engine$) but those low blows at Lute make no sense.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
@mikey-read #57, it was perfect
July 17th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
ill give you Darko and Andrea Barngani. But who else?
Even Chad Ford is laughing his ass off at this comment.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I’m interested to see how the kid fares. Let’s face it, he did not come up with the idea to go to Europe on his own. It was his “advisers” that convinced Jennings to go, and all they want is the money on the backside. Their greed is evident, and Whitlock calling the NCAA system corrupt is disingenuous. The adults advising Jennings are no better than the NCAA.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
05-07 first rounders only
franz vasquez, yaroslav korlev, jundar petro, ian mahinmi, saer sene, olesky pecherov, sergio rodriguez, joel freeland, marco belinelli, rudy fernendez, petteri koponen
is that enough bad europeanr FIRST round picks or do i ahve to go to the second round to prove my point?
July 17th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Some US players in 2003 draft Michael Sweetney, Marcus Banks, Reece Gaines, Troy Bell, Ndudi Ebi
Yes, Darko was a bust but he is servicable. Charpa full bust (similiar to players above). Pavlovic is servicable role player. Diaw decent. Delfino and Barbosa (moving towards foreign over Euro) are good.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Uh … I think you guys mean Kenny Arnold, or maybe I am missing the joke. Then it’s my bad. Anyway, Lute was always kinda seen as a jackass for leaving Iowa like he did. They built a new facility for him (Carver-Hawkeye Arena) because he complained, and then he up and left. But, he still gets love because he took Iowa to the Final Four, and he’s the last coach to lead Iowa to a regular season Big 10 title.
I would think that not producing lots of NBA talent yet having success at the college level would be an indicator of how good a coach he is. Neither Bobby Knight or Mike Krzyzewski produce gobs of NBA-level players, but both get regarded as great coaches.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
And it’s not Lute Olson’s fault that Kevin Boyle did loads of cocaine by the end of his collegiate career. Kenny Payne and Michael Stokes should have been much better in the pros as well.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
My point regarding the euros being drafted is that they are no different than drafting a bad high school player which is what this post was originally about…the 19 year old age limit has done nothing for the nba other than make kids go to college one year….
July 17th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
yaroslav korlev: dark horse MVP next year
July 17th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
i’ve been yelling this for over 10 years. i’ve always advocated basketball should be like football/nfl: after three years you can jump. a friend of mine, an nba guy naturally (i am not) screamed it was depriving him of a living. i called bullshit. i said, “hey, if he doesn’t want to play in college, he can play in europe or brazil. no one is saying he “can’t” play for pay.
finally, someone figured this out.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Neither Bobby Knight or Mike Krzyzewski produce gobs of NBA-level players
Coach K would like a word with you… almost all of these guys played under coach K.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
irish??
July 17th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
@Jimmy: I think of the Europe option works, moving the jump date to 3 years will put the NBA at a devastating competitive disadvantage and they will start to lose guys to the Euroleague as it becomes a more popular, better funded and a more viable alternative (see: NHL vs. Russian Superleague).
July 17th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
@mikey- what about Pau Gasol, Rik Smits, Vlade, Tony Parker, Dirk, Kirilenko, Yao, my boy turk, Radmonovic, Peja. these guys were all first round draft picks. I just think the good outweigh the bad
July 17th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
irish??
smoke break
July 17th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
larry legend also played for knight one year (that jackass/stiff kent benson basically ran bird off by treating him like a piece of shit; not knight). it also didn’t help that bird’s dad died so he left indiana.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
you didnt ask for good euros…you asked for bad euros other than darko and andrea
your good euros outweighing the bad??? ahh nevermind
July 17th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
@mikey- i just wanted you to make lists for me. thanks
no actually, you said” every year someone takes a terrible european player”. I just pointed out some good euro players that were taken in the first round
July 17th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Yeah, irish you just listed pretty much the entirety of successful European-to-the-NBA players over the past 15 years, but the complete bust list would be a monster comparatively.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
@august- i named off first round picks that were Euros who were good. After looking at the numbers, you are right about bust outweighing the good
July 17th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Hopefully the scouts have learned: any 6-9+ kid who can walk looks good playing against a chair. When they’re on the floor against a high level of competition, that’s when you have a real chance to learn if they can play NBA-style basketball.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I did not see Drazen Petrovic named…he was the best of them all
July 17th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Petro!!! Forgot about him… he could’ve been beastly.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Don’t call Sasha a bust. D00d balls.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Euros are soft and can’t win.
/Kobe
I don’t know enough about college ball to know whether or not Lute is a good coach, but still seemed pretty dick to include that insult when it wasn’t necessary for the story.