For the topic of "wasted scholarships"

Jan 21, 2016, 3:26 PM

Once upon a time (not long ago) I was an assistant basketball coach at Daniel as a part of my graduation requirement for Clemson. Our team was "loaded" with a starting 5 of...

G - Tyus Gaines, sensational PG and DB on the football team
G - Jaelon Oglesby, 4 star football recruit, Clemson commit
G - Adrien Dunn and
F - DJ Greenlee, both "wasted" scholarships at Clemson
F - Justin Dotson, 1st team all state, now playing basketball for Stephen F Austin

It was a great season, and Daniel made it all the way to the final 4 in the BiLo center before falling short in the semifinal.

Being around these kids up close, you really get to see how attitude and team chemistry come into play and affect the course of the season. These are attributes that won't show up on a stat sheet and aren't measured by recruiting services.

All the people that say these legacy scholarships are "wasted" on some of these kids have obviously never been involved in coaching before. It's no coincidence that the highest rated athlete on the team also had the worst attitude, and ultimately never made it to Clemson. At times, it affected the flow of the team and the outcome of some games.

As for the 2 unheralded recruits currently on Scholarship at Clemson, I cannot vouch for their character enough. ESPECIALLY Greenlee. That kid has a bright future down the road as a coach at some point....great with people and a phenomenal motivator of his teammates. Dunn plays with a lot of heart and is very coachable.

Now, tell me again why we don't want some of these kids around? These are the kids that put in the dirty work on the scout team every day. These kids are the ones that go all out on special teams because the 4 and 5 star recruits may feel that they are above that. These are the kids that stay out of trouble, do their business, and help our graduation rate and image.

These kids are family too. Once inside the locker room, a teammate is a teammate regardless of whether they were a blue chip prospect or a walk on. These kids compose a certain aspect of the team as a whole that is vital for the overall success of a program.

Its a #### shame that some ignorant people can't see past a name or a star rating

Message was edited by: CU2013®

Message was edited by: CU2013®

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For the topic of "wasted scholarships"

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