MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- John Calipari and Bruce Pearl will be in the same city this weekend, sharing the same court, the same microphone, talking basketball and taking questions, and never mind that the Kentucky and Tennessee coaches don't like each other too much. In this case, it doesn't matter, because they have a common interest.
So they'll put aside their differences and board planes at their own expense to come and speak at something called the Elite Coaches Clinic at Christian Brothers University, all because of what might happen if they don't.
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| You think perhaps Bruce Pearl wants Joe Jackson to remain in the state of Tennessee? (US Presswire) |
For those who aren't recruiting enthusiasts, what you need to know is that Joe Jackson is a consensus top 25 prospect, widely regarded as one of the nation's best juniors. He's an athletic lead guard at White Station High here in Memphis. He is officially considering a number of schools -- among them Kentucky, Tennessee, Memphis, Arkansas and Marquette.
So guess who's speaking at the Elite Coaching Clinic this weekend?
The coaches from Kentucky (Calipari), Tennessee (Pearl), Memphis (Josh Pastner), Arkansas (John Pelphrey) and Marquette (Buzz Williams), plus a few others who are less involved with Jackson. Also worth noting is that White Station High coach Jesus Patino will speak, and Jackson's summer coach Eric Robinson (better known in basketball circles as "Cowboy") will observe after serving as what Luttrell called a "consultant." It cost $150 to attend the clinic. Registration was handled by CampPros.com, a website run in part by another notable summer coach in Memphis named Ernie Kuyper.
In other words, this clinic was organized by Luttrell's company (BEAC) with assistance from Jackson's summer coach (Robinson) and another summer basketball operator (Kuyper), and pretty much every person speaking is someone who just happens to be recruiting Jackson. So yes, this is literally the coaching clinic that Joe Jackson made possible. And if Luttrell gets the kind of crowd he's expecting, his company could gross in excess of $20,000 thanks to the fact that he has relationships with the men (Robinson and Kuyper) who have relationships with the men (Calipari, Pearl, Pastner, etc.,) who are recruiting a young man (Jackson) who could be a difference-maker in a high-major program.
• MaxPreps: Jackson leads White Station to title
"We had no shortage of coaches [wanting to speak], and it wasn't hard for us to find these guys," Luttrell said. "They basically sought us out because they know what's on the line."
So what is on the line?
Think of it this way: The moment Luttrell started calling coaches and explaining that he got their numbers from Jackson's summer coach (Robinson) and wanted to know whether they were interested in speaking at a clinic in Memphis during the first week of May, the coaches realized they were not being invited as much as requested. Nobody would ever put it so bluntly, but the reality is that they could either come free of charge -- understand, Calipari regularly gets thousands of dollars for speaking engagements -- or run the risk of being eliminated from Jackson's list of potential schools.
"There's no question about it," one coach who is recruiting Jackson told CBSSports.com. "I'm going because I can't afford to not be there."
Is that a fair assessment, Mr. Luttrell?
"I think that's reasonable," Luttrell answered, and his honesty really was refreshing. "Think about it: Joe Jackson's summer coach will be there, and his high school coach is going to be there, too. So the (college) coaches have all said the same thing to me. I won't name names, but they've all said, 'Look, coming to this thing doesn't really give me any benefit with Joe Jackson. It doesn't give me a leg up or guarantee that he'll sign with me. But I cannot let those other coaches be in the room and me not be seen.'
"I mean, just think of Cal's position," Luttrell added. "The Kentucky Derby is going on, and he's got big-money people he needs to be out to dinner with Friday night, but instead he's going to be at the clinic. ... And it's not the benefit of coming, it's what could happen if he doesn't come. And it might not really be that way, but he just can't take a chance."
Thus, Calipari will be there.
As will Pearl.
And Pastner.
And Pelphrey and Williams, too.
Just a group of men who could, given the time of the year, be vacationing on a beach or relaxing at home with their families. Instead, they'll be in a gym talking basketball to people who paid $150 each to see them -- all because of what it might or might not mean in the recruitment of a high school junior with the ability to lure prominent coaches to Memphis while making thousands of dollars for a company with connections to the people connected to him.
