Yesterday, one of the best guards in the 2014 class, a Hoosier, and a verbal committment to Indiana University (James Blackmon, Jr.) decommitted three months before the signing period. This is the third high profile player in the area to decommit in the last year (Trey Lyles to IU and Quentin Snyder from U of L). What is going on?
The reason given has been that these guys were too young when they verballed to their schools. All being in the 14 age range. Blackmon and Lyles had committed before ever playing a varsity basketball game. What is going on?
Blackmon and Snyder want their host schools to continue recruiting them. Blackmon has said so much as that IU is still where he is leaning on attending and plans to sign during the early signing period in November. It doesn't sound or look good as players rarely decommit then commit again to the same university (it has happened before, DeShaun Thomas for Ohio State is one example).
College recruiting is social darwinism at its finest. College coaches are offering scholarships to young players to let them understand how serious they are about them playing for them some day. But when a kid verbals and then sees all the attention his friends are getting, it seems natural to want some of that attention, too.
If my children are ever good enough to play big time Division 1 sports, I will, as a parent, not allow them to verbally commit until their junior year. I don't care how much they may like one university over another, I will not allow it. At the end of their junior year they can verbal and then sign in the early period their senior year if they so choose. This will allow for my child even in their excitement to hold off. So much can change from 14 to 17 years of age including coaching changes, NCAA investigations, etc.
You will hear college coaches being blamed for this, I blame parents. It is our responsibility to take care of them...in all things. Even in something as wonderful as being offered a full ride, basketball scholarship to one of the greatest basketball universities in the country.
