Ken Davis to JUCO

[OleMissPike]

That sucks....



djournal.com (http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=261930&pub=1&div=Sports)

[OleMissPike]

I also heard that Tig Barksdale might fail out of SPU...

[Cianne]

This was known about Davis for a while now. He missed a substantial amount of school his sophomore year so he was already a year or so behind. Trying to get an equivalency degree and get into JC is a pretty smart thing for him to do.

As for Tig, I haven't heard anything real serious about that. It's been a rumor that's floated around that his grades were poor but they've dissipated.

[OleMissPike]

As for Tig, I haven't heard anything real serious about that. It's been a rumor that's floated around that his grades were poor but they've dissipated.

That's great news; that guy is a real "war daddy." I'd still like to see him get a shot on offense. You think we'll still land Davis after JUCO? Seems like he's been committed to UM forever.

[Cianne]

That's great news; that guy is a real "war daddy." I'd still like to see him get a shot on offense. You think we'll still land Davis after JUCO? Seems like he's been committed to UM forever.

I'm not sure. Most of Ken's family went to Ole Miss so he has heavy familiy roots there so it's possible that he'll re-commit to the Rebels two years from now and if given a chance, I'm sure he'd come to Oxford. However, Saban and Alabama have been on him hard and I'm sure that will continue into his JC career provided he's able to get his high school equivalency and then get his grades into order.

The bigger question is really whether Coach Nutt will want him two years from now. I hope that he gives him a good look since he has been committed to us and we to him for so long despite the academic issues and the knee injuries. It's also going to be interesting to see what 2009 commitment, Payton Jason, does

[Jay1]

The ICC coach has basically given Green a ticket to write his own path at ICC. He can play offense only or if he wishes to he can also play on defense. Perhaps they will remember to change his attitude about academics, especially if he wants to play beyond Community College. When he's finished with football, after college, he might wish to have a decent paying job. Most of the time that requires a college degree.

[Rebel Dave]

Davis and Barksdale both will likely end up juco. Would be something of a juco, or any team for that matter, to have them both in a backfield.

[TDArkansasOhmy]

Is this a common occurrence in Mississippi? If so how does this happen to a top rated recruit? I can recall in the late 60's, early 70's things like this happen quite frequently in Arkansas. of course back then, Broyles was going after Texas top athletics to fill the bill. But it would appear, that measures today would be taken to catch these kids a bit earlier so the proper help could be given in order for these kids to succeed better in the class room.
If this is common in past years, you can bet your arse that Nutt and company will take giant steps to avoid things like this from ever happening again.

[Cianne]

Mississippi is in the bottom of the barrel regarding academics around the country as we all know.

The problem when it comes to major collegiate athletics is that Mississippi has the most stringent grading scale in the SEC. All schools here are 100-94 for an A, 93-87 for a B, etc. Many other states are on the 100-90 for an A, 89-80 for a B scale. So crappy academics + more stringent grading scale = even harder than your average student to maintain proper GPA.

[Jay1]

Is this a common occurrence in Mississippi? If so how does this happen to a top rated recruit? I can recall in the late 60's, early 70's things like this happen quite frequently in Arkansas. of course back then, Broyles was going after Texas top athletics to fill the bill. But it would appear, that measures today would be taken to catch these kids a bit earlier so the proper help could be given in order for these kids to succeed better in the class room.
If this is common in past years, you can bet your arse that Nutt and company will take giant steps to avoid things like this from ever happening again.

Many kids learn at an early age that they don't have to do much work to get passing grades, if they are good at sports. Most are smart enough to know better, or, their parents make them study and do better, but some have little family support and just slide along barely getting by, and even then requiring lots of makeup tests, second chances, chances to do extra papers that are graded very kindly. When they get to that last year and learn that their grades and test scores won't get them into a four year college, all they have left is a community college, if that. The answer: Every kid has to turn in a passing level of work, from the very beginning, or, they don't play, and they fail. Of course the coach and the fans don't want this, especially for the very gifted athletes, and so far no one has had the guts to say pass or don't play. A friend of mine played basketball at one of the local basketball factories and laughed at how easy it was for him. When he went to college and discovered he would have to do some level of work, he couldn't. He has a high school diploma from the (basketball) diploma mill, and about an eighth grade education, at best. He was never made to study, was a local star, and now he is the past and all those adoring fans don't seem to mind that he works at minimum wage jobs. I think he has finally come to terms with not being a hero and he finally understands that many of those so-called friends were only friends as long as he played ball and won games. No one now hands him $20 bills for a good game.

As long as people are willing to worship 1500 yards of rushing more than a B average in class work, it will continue. But the need to beat the high school down the road takes precedence. Most kids are doing enough to get by and continue the sports quest, but a few like Green-Jeremy Newsome don't.

It's just hard to get the word out that after college almost every player's football days are over and he has to go to work. Every local high school star thinks he is going to be the next pro player and get rich. The education part is what will determine where about 98% of them will be working. That state championship looks good, but a decent paying job makes life a whole lot easier, but that message is being lost for too many kids without good family support, or, lacking that, strong intervention by the schools. When both are missing the kids education often goes missing also.

No, I don't think it's a common occurrence in Mississippi, but it is still happening too often. We can do much better. Education has to be first, football and basketball second.