Melvin Watkins - Negative recuiting at Mizzou

[Pflugerville Ag]

I found this article very interesting. If true, then I lose alot of respect for Melvin Watkins. Even though he sucked as a coach here, he still seemed like a good guy that really liked his players. Not so sure after reading this...

Now, Gillispie is drawing some of the state's top talent, including Sloan. And he's doing it recruiting against the likes of Watkins, who has been an assistant at Big 12 foe Missouri the last three seasons. Sloan said he attended the Tigers' summer basketball camp in 2005, before his senior season, and visited with Watkins.

"Coach Watkins told me, 'Aw, man you don't want to go there. They're not doing anything down there,'" Sloan said. "He was talking down about A&M — saying it was in the middle of nowhere, and, (who has) ever heard of it. Stuff like that. I was like, 'Aw, come on, coach.'"

Watkins said Tuesday that Sloan "must have confused me with somebody else."

"I don't recruit like that," Watkins said. "I'm not going to spend my time criticizing A&M. That doesn't even sound like me. If he says I said it, then so be it. But that's not me. I've got nothing bad to say about A&M. There are a lot of good people there."

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/big12/stories/MYSA022107.06C.BKCaggies.recruiting.17fafad.html

[aggie1997]

Interesting. If he did make those statements, he can thank himself for the negative way he refers to the program. It was by no effort of his that we are where we are today. He must have forgotten that he went 0-fer in conference play his last season at A&M. It has to be a little embarrassing to go winless in conference play, get fired, see a guy sit in your previous office and take basically the same team to the NIT the very next year, then the second round of the NCAA, and now leading the Big 12 with a win at Kansas. Hope millie vanillie is enjoying his assistant coaching Gig. See you on March 3rd at Reed.

[Pflugerville Ag]

Exactly. The irony that he was talking bad about our program....the one that he put in the ****ter himself.

[TexAgFromCal]

I doubt that he said that, simply because he seemed to be such a classy person when he was here. I still feel sorry for him simply because his performance as head coach here severly limited his career. More things changed here than just a new coach when we brought in Gillispie. Don't get me wrong I think that he has been THE key in turning this program around. And for those that say that Watkins had nothing to do with the turn around, we are using some of his players.

I also believe that he came into a bad situation and with Groff as the AD giving him little support. I think he got into a downward spiral with the program that could only be changed one way. If he came into the same position that Gillispie did I think he would have done much better than he did otherwise.

[Pflugerville Ag]

I don't know. I find it hard to believe that Sloan would have any reason to make that up. And I seriously doubt that he would accidentally mix up who said it.

[zrf2002]

who cares what watkins says or does now? we still got sloan. watkins sucked while he was here and he is now helping mizzou suck as well. let's just be glad we have bcg, learn from the past and move on.

[TexAgFromCal]

I just figure there is more history with the coach here than with the player. And Watkins handled his dismissal with a lot of class. That is all. I don't really care one way or another because we are tied for first in the big 12 will probably get 2 seed in the tournament. There isn't much negetive recruiting can do to counter act those facts.

[aggie1997]

You really don't have a lot of options as to how you handle your dismissal after going winless in conference.

[CoolaidWade]

I don't know. I find it hard to believe that Sloan would have any reason to make that up. And I seriously doubt that he would accidentally mix up who said it.

I agree with you. Why would Sloan lie about something like that? And negative recruiting is out there everywhere. Watkins just got caught. And of course, the thing to do is lie about it afterwards and put yourself in a "Me against an 18 yr old kid" situation and hope it dies down after a week or so.

[TexAg77]

Well we are in the middle of nowhere if you are a big city kid. However most of them could see past that to what Coach G could do for them.

[macduff93]

Just what is wrong with the middle of nowhere? :spy:

[TexAg77]

Not a damn thing!

[TexAgFromCal]

Macduff-

Do you live on the A&M experiment station south of Sonora?