azsouthendzone
ASFN Addict
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2004
- Posts
- 5,620
- Reaction score
- 1,322
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/0211asufoot.html
Stoops' shot ruffles ASU recruits
Jeff Metcalfe
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 11, 2008 12:48 PM
All three of the football recruits who decommitted from Arizona and signed with Arizona State dispute and take offense at comments made by Arizona coach Mike Stoops on signing day last week.
None say they were misled by ASU coaches into believing that gaining admission into ASU is easier than getting into Arizona. Stoops continued to accuse ASU coaches of that during radio interviews Feb. 7, before and after his apology for saying that "Arizona State has turned into a JC (junior college), and we're a four-year college."
Jarrell Barbour, a wide receiver from Peoria Centennial High School, said he understood during recruiting that admission requirements are the same at both schools, and ASU coaches did not suggest otherwise.
"They didn't tell me anything like that," Barbour said. "Me and Coach (Dennis) Erickson have a great relationship. He wouldn't lie to me."
Barbour told the Arizona Daily Star in August, when he switched his commitment to ASU, that ASU "has a better plan to get me in (academically)." That story also quoted Bill Morgan, UA assistant athletic director, saying that it's rare for an athlete to be accepted into ASU that UA also would not admit.
Barbour said ASU associate athletic director Jean Boyd, is the "main reason why I'm there." Boyd directs ASU's academic support for football and other sports. "He sat me down and said this is what you need to do to be eligible to play football," said Barbour, who feels his comments were misused by Stoops.
"He put my business out in the open. It was cruel. I didn't want to go there because their football team is horrible. They stunk it up bad. I didn't want to be a part of it. I want to be on a good football team that's going to go places."
Running back Ryan Bass of Corona (Calif.) Centennial also was expressed disappointment in Stoops: "I felt he was out of bounds with his comments. I hope he didn't make those comments because I switched to Arizona State. Everyone knows it's the same to get in. It didn't sit too well with me. I'm glad he (Stoops) apologized."
Bass also must work hard academically to meet NCAA Clearinghouse standards for admission. That's not the case for wide receiver Gerell Robinson of Chandler Hamilton, yet some stories about Stoops' comments included him as an academic risk.
"I've worked too hard these past four years to say I have grade issues," said Robinson, who has a 3.0 grade-point average and 1490 SAT score that are good enough for admission to Notre Dame. "We all have reasons why we decommitted and why we committed in the beginning. We're 17- and 18-year-old kids. He's a grown man. You'd expect him to take the high road. If anything, you'd expect one of the three of us to say something like that, not the grown man in the situation.
"ASU has done nothing but help get Jarrell and Ryan on the right track. I don't think Arizona was adamant about doing that at all. I was there 15-20 times myself and never once saw anything about academics. It was poor judgment on my part (to initially commit to UA). ASU on junior day showed us around to all the educational categories they have."
Robinson plans to pursue a degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business, with sports marketing or perhaps law ultimately in mind. He also has NFL aspirations, and before that, he said, in extending ASU's three-game win streak over UA.
Barbour also is more than ready for his first Territorial Cup.
"I can't remember the last time Arizona beat Arizona State," he said. "We're going to take it out on the field, and it's not going to be pretty. It'll be the best game of my life, I promise that."
Stoops' shot ruffles ASU recruits
Jeff Metcalfe
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 11, 2008 12:48 PM
All three of the football recruits who decommitted from Arizona and signed with Arizona State dispute and take offense at comments made by Arizona coach Mike Stoops on signing day last week.
None say they were misled by ASU coaches into believing that gaining admission into ASU is easier than getting into Arizona. Stoops continued to accuse ASU coaches of that during radio interviews Feb. 7, before and after his apology for saying that "Arizona State has turned into a JC (junior college), and we're a four-year college."
Jarrell Barbour, a wide receiver from Peoria Centennial High School, said he understood during recruiting that admission requirements are the same at both schools, and ASU coaches did not suggest otherwise.
"They didn't tell me anything like that," Barbour said. "Me and Coach (Dennis) Erickson have a great relationship. He wouldn't lie to me."
Barbour told the Arizona Daily Star in August, when he switched his commitment to ASU, that ASU "has a better plan to get me in (academically)." That story also quoted Bill Morgan, UA assistant athletic director, saying that it's rare for an athlete to be accepted into ASU that UA also would not admit.
Barbour said ASU associate athletic director Jean Boyd, is the "main reason why I'm there." Boyd directs ASU's academic support for football and other sports. "He sat me down and said this is what you need to do to be eligible to play football," said Barbour, who feels his comments were misused by Stoops.
"He put my business out in the open. It was cruel. I didn't want to go there because their football team is horrible. They stunk it up bad. I didn't want to be a part of it. I want to be on a good football team that's going to go places."
Running back Ryan Bass of Corona (Calif.) Centennial also was expressed disappointment in Stoops: "I felt he was out of bounds with his comments. I hope he didn't make those comments because I switched to Arizona State. Everyone knows it's the same to get in. It didn't sit too well with me. I'm glad he (Stoops) apologized."
Bass also must work hard academically to meet NCAA Clearinghouse standards for admission. That's not the case for wide receiver Gerell Robinson of Chandler Hamilton, yet some stories about Stoops' comments included him as an academic risk.
"I've worked too hard these past four years to say I have grade issues," said Robinson, who has a 3.0 grade-point average and 1490 SAT score that are good enough for admission to Notre Dame. "We all have reasons why we decommitted and why we committed in the beginning. We're 17- and 18-year-old kids. He's a grown man. You'd expect him to take the high road. If anything, you'd expect one of the three of us to say something like that, not the grown man in the situation.
"ASU has done nothing but help get Jarrell and Ryan on the right track. I don't think Arizona was adamant about doing that at all. I was there 15-20 times myself and never once saw anything about academics. It was poor judgment on my part (to initially commit to UA). ASU on junior day showed us around to all the educational categories they have."
Robinson plans to pursue a degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business, with sports marketing or perhaps law ultimately in mind. He also has NFL aspirations, and before that, he said, in extending ASU's three-game win streak over UA.
Barbour also is more than ready for his first Territorial Cup.
"I can't remember the last time Arizona beat Arizona State," he said. "We're going to take it out on the field, and it's not going to be pretty. It'll be the best game of my life, I promise that."
... I'm sorry, did you just compare Riverside to Tucson??
