Was reading his book Darkness to Light and it was interesting, he blamed Tark for snitching about someone else taking his SAT because he didn’t take an official visit to Fresno. First time I heard that as the reason the NCAA got involved.
Lamar Odom
- Thread starter Rebel77fl2
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In the book it says he was washed to take the official to Fresno with the understanding he was going to UNLV but just to lift Fresno’s profile. When he didn’t, Tark snitched to get back at him and UNLV in one go so it was more that he didn’t visit not that he didn’t go to Fresno.
Not that Lamar hasn’t burned his own share of bridges, but that was story then UNLV coach Bill Bayno was pushing at the time. Always easier to deflect and Jerry was easy fodder for him.
If Bill wanted to be mad at anyone it should have been his assistant “Shoes” Vetrone. Vetrone got involved with a certain someone who got caught up in a broader NCAA inquiry which eventually led them to Odom’s test results.
Besides Bayno never presenting any evidence, the story makes practically no sense. By that point in his career Jerry had both won as well as lost his fair share of recruiting battles. It wasn’t like this was his first big recruiting loss.
If he was going to be a rat, it would have made a helluva lot sense to do it earlier in his career when he was trying to make it. Not at that point when he had won a national title and went to multiple Final Fours.
The other reason it doesn’t pass the smell test is it would have been one thing if it came down to UNLV and Fresno State for his services and the losing side was bitter. But that wasn’t the case.
In the summer of 96 Odom originally did include Fresno State along with UCLA, UNLV, Connecticut, Kentucky and St. John’s. I believe there were a couple of other schools but they weren’t serious contenders.
Was believed UCLA was in the early lead but he dropped them after Harrick was fired. He dropped St. John’s as he felt they were underachieving with high profile recruits Felipe Lopez and Zendon Hamilton.
Jerry had a home visit with him in either August or September of 96. There were rumors in the fall that Odom was going to make an official visit to Fresno but he never did. Jerry didn’t need Odom to make a phony visit to raise his profile.
Fresno was out of it during the early signing period. By the spring it was down to UNLV, UConn, Kentucky and the NBA. Those are some awfully bitter feelings for a staff that wasn’t even among the finalist.
If Bill wanted to be mad at anyone it should have been his assistant “Shoes” Vetrone. Vetrone got involved with a certain someone who got caught up in a broader NCAA inquiry which eventually led them to Odom’s test results.
Besides Bayno never presenting any evidence, the story makes practically no sense. By that point in his career Jerry had both won as well as lost his fair share of recruiting battles. It wasn’t like this was his first big recruiting loss.
If he was going to be a rat, it would have made a helluva lot sense to do it earlier in his career when he was trying to make it. Not at that point when he had won a national title and went to multiple Final Fours.
The other reason it doesn’t pass the smell test is it would have been one thing if it came down to UNLV and Fresno State for his services and the losing side was bitter. But that wasn’t the case.
In the summer of 96 Odom originally did include Fresno State along with UCLA, UNLV, Connecticut, Kentucky and St. John’s. I believe there were a couple of other schools but they weren’t serious contenders.
Was believed UCLA was in the early lead but he dropped them after Harrick was fired. He dropped St. John’s as he felt they were underachieving with high profile recruits Felipe Lopez and Zendon Hamilton.
Jerry had a home visit with him in either August or September of 96. There were rumors in the fall that Odom was going to make an official visit to Fresno but he never did. Jerry didn’t need Odom to make a phony visit to raise his profile.
Fresno was out of it during the early signing period. By the spring it was down to UNLV, UConn, Kentucky and the NBA. Those are some awfully bitter feelings for a staff that wasn’t even among the finalist.
Shoes was hilarious. Like a parody of a little wannabe mobster.
The quotes from Jerry in that Sports Illustrated article in the Summer of 97 did make it seem like he snitched
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