Recruiting was the cause of the dust up between Vitello and Van Horn post game S

[HerbTarlekVol]

just as many of us suspected.

https://www.bestofarkansassports.com/arkansas-baseball-recruit-dave-van-horn-controversy/

[volsboy]

Van Horn was the Nebraska coach when I was stationed at Offutt AFB. They made it to the college WS there in Omaha. Talk about a home field advantage. They were eliminated quickly though. Van Horn is a good coach. In this day and age I guess no recruit is safe until he is in school.

[HerbTarlekVol]

Here's what makes it an issue:

College baseball recruiting is much different than football.  In baseball, kids rarely wait until they are seniors to commit.  Because of the schedules, college baseball recruiting is done very early, as early as 14 years old, in showcase summer tourneys, many held on college campuses or at the facilities like Lakepoint in Georgia.  That's where the better summer travel teams go play, and that is much better competition than high school baseball.  That makes it best for college coaches to see prospects playing against other like quality players. 

So, anyway, because of the nature of that recruiting process kids often commit in the 8th or 9th grade.  There has been a gentlemen's agreement among the upper level of college baseball that once a player commits, he's off limits to everybody else unless he initiates contact with another coach.  That has been the case for several decades now and most coaches honor it.  And those who don't generally don't last long.  For Van Horn to violate the rule that he, himself, has "policed" with other coaches is really hypocritical.  And Vitello isn't the only one who has raised the issue with Van Horn recently. 

So, yeah, no recruit is "safe" until they enroll, but to violate the gentlemen's agreement that he himself has insisted be honored when it benefits him doesn't say much about Van Horn's character. 

And college basketball has a similar gentlemen's agreement with players now, as well.  The AAU circuit has done similar things in terms of players committing early. 

I have no doubt that Vitello has played along the margins, but I also have no doubt that he hasn't crossed those lines, either.  His record is solid as a recruiter.  Van Horn just doesn't like that Vitello isn't benefitting him any longer and he's not handling it very well. 

And it has to be that way or otherwise those kids would never have a minute to do academics or just be kids off the field/court.  It's the right thing to do.  We've all seen how out of control college football recruiting is.  Baseball and basketball recruiting doesn't need to follow that clown act. 

[volsboy]

Here's what makes it an issue:

College baseball recruiting is much different than football.  In baseball, kids rarely wait until they are seniors to commit.  Because of the schedules, college baseball recruiting is done very early, as early as 14 years old, in showcase summer tourneys, many held on college campuses or at the facilities like Lakepoint in Georgia.  That's where the better summer travel teams go play, and that is much better competition than high school baseball.  That makes it best for college coaches to see prospects playing against other like quality players. 

So, anyway, because of the nature of that recruiting process kids often commit in the 8th or 9th grade.  There has been a gentlemen's agreement among the upper level of college baseball that once a player commits, he's off limits to everybody else unless he initiates contact with another coach.  That has been the case for several decades now and most coaches honor it.  And those who don't generally don't last long.  For Van Horn to violate the rule that he, himself, has "policed" with other coaches is really hypocritical.  And Vitello isn't the only one who has raised the issue with Van Horn recently. 

So, yeah, no recruit is "safe" until they enroll, but to violate the gentlemen's agreement that he himself has insisted be honored when it benefits him doesn't say much about Van Horn's character. 

And college basketball has a similar gentlemen's agreement with players now, as well.  The AAU circuit has done similar things in terms of players committing early. 

I have no doubt that Vitello has played along the margins, but I also have no doubt that he hasn't crossed those lines, either.  His record is solid as a recruiter.  Van Horn just doesn't like that Vitello isn't benefitting him any longer and he's not handling it very well. 

And it has to be that way or otherwise those kids would never have a minute to do academics or just be kids off the field/court.  It's the right thing to do.  We've all seen how out of control college football recruiting is.  Baseball and basketball recruiting doesn't need to follow that clown act. 

That's what I meant. Gentleman's agreements are getting more worthless everyday. That is sad. Just like all the unwritten rules in baseball, some folks don't pay attention to them anymore. Some I'm okay with, some I'm not.