From Pittsburgh Sports Report, a very interesting article about J.O. Stright, the founder and coach of the AAU team J.O.T.S. Very much worth reading in full. It raises more questions then it answers, though.
Stright stands out as a controversial figure, even in the often controversial world of college basketball recruiting. A close friend of another controversial figure, former Cincinnati and current Kansas State head coach Bob Huggins, Stright has drawn the ire of Pitt basketball, some of whom see him as the lone figure standing between Pitt basketball and greatness. Internet message boards burn with vitriolic words for Stright, cast as a Svengali for local high school basketball stars, as he is seen as leading them away from their hometown team and to his friend Bob Huggins.
“The truth is, I did that when Paul Evans was at Pitt, but I don’t do it anymore,” says Stright. “I put a kid where I think he will excel. If I think one of my kids has the best chance to excel with Huggins then I will send him there. But not every kid should be with him.”
This leads to the second reason for the reemergence of Pittsburgh basketball — a successful local college basketball team for which they could aspire to play some day. The coming of age of Pitt basketball was melding perfectly, it seemed, with what Stright was doing for the J.O.T.S. If only it were that easy.
There’s no explanation as to how Huggins and Stright started hooking up in the first place. I assume it happened while Huggins was coaching at Akron in the 80s, and probably met while on a trip to Pittsburgh to scout kids. I don’t know, though, and one national college basketball writer even e-mailed me asking if I could answer that question.
On the subject of Herb Pope, it is maddening. There is no further explanation as to what happened last summer with the Florida prep school. Just a comment that none of this is illegal or particularly uncommon. It probably isn’t, but with the NCAA starting to take a closer look at prep schools, it is a concern as to what could happen to a coach and program who gets caught up in the wrong situation.
There’s a lot more to this story than reported unfortunately.
Despite some harsh words for Pitt’s staff and how they recruit his players, Stright says he is a big Pitt basketball fan and big donor to the university. “I’m a Pitt guy,” says Stright, who has season tickets, “and I am one of their top 100 givers. What’s that tell you?”
I can confirm he is a very generous contributor to the University. That whole paragraph, though, raises eyebrows. What exactly doesn’t he like about the way Pitt is recruiting players on his AAU team?
I think most Pitt fans will write-off getting Herb Pope after this article.
“Herb called me at 11 o’clock at night,” laughs Stright, “and said ‘Huggins is at Kansas State? So that’s where we’re going?’ I laughed and told him that’s his decision but I will listen to him if he has any questions.”
Apparently Pope thinks he’s following Huggins out there. Even Terrelle Pryor becomes more of a question mark.
Although Pryor was also being courted by Arlington Country Day — he even says he was sending transfer papers to the school before changing his mind — Pryor seems less likely than Pope to turn away from Pitt. He does say that he may still leave Jeannette for a prep school eventually. As for which one, Pryor’s answer surely will make Pitt fans cringe.
“I’ll probably just go where J.O. puts me,” says the 15 year old.
And this doesn’t raise legit questions about the level of influence he has? And how correct or right that is?
