I’ll just reprise the lede of my story for tomorrow’s paper, since I think it gives pretty good context to the importance today of C.J. Henry’s surprise commitment to Memphis:’
Here’s how good of a recruiting day it was for the University of Memphis basketball program.
They got a verbal commitment from a player they didn’t actively recruit. Who happens to play at a position of need. Who is talented enough to potentially help the Tigers get back to the Final Four (italics) this year (end ital). Whose younger brother is arguably the top recruit in the country.
And best of all, Memphis didn’t even need to use a scholarship to get him.
All of that happened in a swift and surprising way Tuesday when C.J. Henry, a 22-year old minor-league baseball player in the New York Yankees organization, told The Commercial Appeal that he will enroll at Memphis today to resurrect the promising basketball career he left behind in 2005.
But that’s not all. Henry, a 6-foot-3 point guard who originally signed with Kansas, happens to be the older brother of shooting guard Xavier Henry, the Tigers’ top 2009 recruiting target and arguably the No. 1 player in the country.
C.J. Henry, who will continue to play baseball during the summer, will be officially listed as a walk-on because the Yankees are contractually bound to pay for his college tuition.
Folks, I have no idea what C.J. Henry is going to do for this team, this year. He hasn’t played competitively in three years. But I know he was once good enough to play for Kansas. I know he’s a point guard, a position where the Tigers would like a little more depth (possibly allowing Tyreke Evans, Antonio Anderson, etc., to play off the ball).
And most of all, I know that when the brother of the top player in the country calls you and says he wants to come - and you don’t even have to give him a scholarship - you don’t turn it down.
I think Henry will also add a layer of maturity. He’s a 22-year old adult. He’s been on his own. He’s been a professional athlete. And though I don’t know C.J. well — today was the first time I’ve spoken with him — the Henry family is as good as it gets. I’ve gotten to know the Henrys a little bit because I’ve written about them so many times over the past couple years, and Carl Henry and Xavier Henry are class people all the way.
In other developments today, Memphis officially released the coaching staff additions this afternoon after I wrote about them this morning. The one staff addition that will draw some attention is Lamont Peterson. I wrote a lot about Peterson earlier this summer as part of my feature story on Tyreke Evans. Peterson has been Evans’ personal trainer for a few years (he’s trained a bunch of big-time players in Philly) and is a bone fide member of “Team Tyreke.” I wrote my story today the way I wrote it because I knew that once word of Peterson’s hiring came out, a few people would start throwing arrows at Memphis and claiming that it was a “package deal.”
I don’t think that logic necessarily applies in this case. For one thing, the Tigers were long considered the favorite for Evans, and he committed a week before there was an opening on Memphis’ coaching staff. Second, if it were important for Evans to be close to Peterson, he could have simply chosen to stay home and go to Villanova, which was his second choice. Third, the job Peterson is taking with Memphis amounts to basically a low-paying internship without benefits.
in Tiger Basketball
Responses to “Interesting day in Tigerland”
August 26th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Dan, That’s some great news. It certainly looks like it paves the way for Xavier to commit to the Tigers.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
this self-righteousness is unbelievable. so let me get this straight, the pay-off has to happen before hand, is that right? it’s not a big deal, but just call it what it is. You’re better than this, i’m sure of it.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Dan,
Don’t listen to these haters. LMAO….Great article and keep up the good work. I am sure this is a Vol in disguise spewing all this hate. LOL
The SEC has just got one of the most lucrative contract in sports history via ESPN and they are still crying. These so call BCS conferences want it all and that is just plain greed.
Like it or not, the landscape is changing and their are going to be some more changes down the road.
Like Mr Dorsey stated: “There Is A New Powerhouse in Basketball” yeah you heard me right!!
lc
August 27th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
and he committed a week before there was an opening on Memphis’ coaching staff.
This is why you get called a homer. While it is factually correct, nobody (including you) is naive enough to think Cal did not know a spot (or several) were going to open up on his staff. Stop writing for message board people and treating intelligent readers like they are too dumb to see something right in front of their faces. It is not a big deal that it was a package deal; it is a big deal that you (and Cal) think people are dumb enough to believe it was not.
Go Tigers.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
People said Milt Wagner was part of a package deal yet he hung around for 5 years after the package left, got his degree, and landed a pretty good assistant’s position- all because Cal could care less what the naysayers post on message boards. If the guy is qualified to help young men at a top tier division 1 school- then I’m all for it. I hardly think he is coming here to cash in- I think he wants to hone his craft. If CJ can bring us brother X- Great News- but I think he has the ability to leave his own impression. Great article Dan!
August 27th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
LuAnn Humphrey is that you? Sounds like “guilty until proven innocent” NCAA glu-sniffing sour grapes to patronize us poor, uninformed message board people while assuming the omniscient observer role. Motive? Prove it. Ratz-a-ruck with that. Keep on writing the good stuff, Dan. We’ll try and not be the lemmings we’re accused of being.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
For you slow leaks out there. I have no problem with Cal doing anything within the rules to help us win. Milt and DeJuan were a package deal. Mario Chalmers and his dad were a package deal. It is fine and it is within the rules but it is still a package deal.
Hey Tom, are you saying that Milt would have gotten hired at Memphis if he had not had a super star basketball playing kid? If you are, I stand corrected and there are indeed people naive enough to believe anything they read.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Hey Kevin- Milt Wagner was a 2 year All American and played on NCAA and NBA Championship teams. He knows a little something about basketball. To answer your question- YES- I believe Cal would have brought him in as a non-benefit earning support member of his staff- while he earned his degree- just so a little bit of experience and knowledge would hopefully rub off on a bunch of kids. Who wouldn’t? Having a stud son was an added bonus. Do you honestly think it was a condition of Tyreke’s signing with us that this guy go on staff for 30 grand a year plus all the jocks he can wash? C’mon!!!!!!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
To LC or Raleigh Bartlett, i’m not a vol in disguise, i’m a VOL, and it’s GREAT - TO BE - A TENNESSEE VOL!!! And you’re right that is a sweet deal the sec signed with espn. But my issue is that (based on other blog entries about UT), it would have been a whole different slant if this was UT hiring Scotty Hopson’s personal trainer or uncle or dad or grandma or whoever. It’s like someone else said, this type of thing has happened fairly frequently, so don’t try to make it something its not.
August 28th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I think it’s great we’re getting hissy fits from KU and Vol fans over BB, and it’s still August. Sign of good things to come. Good advice though. Well acquiesce to not making it something it’s not. Wonder if we’ll land Thomas Robinson, another 5 star interested in Memphis? Haven’t heard a word about his trainer(s) or relatives though. lol
August 28th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I’m excited to have a quality player coming to Memphis and one who has a family that supports him. Thank you for the information Dan.
Kevin..right now Tiger fans are not even concerned with the vols. I’m not sure why you are here talking about the Tigers. When your footbal program is clean..come on back.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:58 am
Donna
I am a Tiger fan. That does not mean I cannot call BS when I see it.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
When caliperry leaves memphis –they will probably be on probation for 4-5 years–write it down
September 6th, 2008 at 6:08 am
hey buddy just wait till bruce gets busted or his ex wife cleans him for broke! bruce cant recruit cause he’s to busy messing with the ut students! coach cal has never been in trouble at any level of basketball so get a life! worry about your program and not ours so get a life!!!!!
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