What's the general consensus for this? Is it the same as any other instance...not yours until they're signed? Or does being in-conference make a difference?

/By poaching, I mean not coming on the radar until after signings have begun
//Yes, I'm talking about my battle with U of M

There's no such thing as poaching.

poaching- doesn't exist

Thanks for concentrating on semantics, guys. You've been a great help.

Could someone with an opinion I might value answer, please? I've always been under the impression that if a conference mate was on a guy well before I was, then I'd stay away. If we get on at around the same time, then nbd. And since I'd never heard of anyone swooping in very late on a recruit vs. a conference mate, I was just wondering if this happens more often than I've known.

Since these 2 esteemed? coaches think there's nothing to see here, please move on, I guess there actually is no honor amongst conference mates.

P.S. I'm not the coach getting hosed in-conference, so this isn't a whiny "whyyyy meeeee" topic.

I don't think there is a such thing poaching but by what you're definition is I did it to a conference mate. I've never thought this was a big deal, if you stretch yourself thin and leave yourself open to get a recruit taken away from you it's your fault. If I got a recruit taken by a conference mate I wouldn't care, I would learn from it and move on.

I've always avoided conference battles over recruits, except in very rare circumstances. I've never gone after a recruit late that was considering a conference-mate. It's been extremely rare that this situation has happened to me either (I can only think of 1 instance, and even then, the conference mate and I went after the same recruit right off the bat, so it wasn't even poaching).

You can't mandate respect. I think the key here is that it was after signings began. The coach being "poached" by his conference mate had up until signings to win the player. Once signings begin, all bets are off.

I was in a long battle for a player from the 2nd cycle until after signings began. Out of the blue, another coach from my conference jumped in making it a 3-way battle. I eventually signed the player but it likely cost me much more than it should have. It happens.

I wonder if Duke and UNC ever go after the same player in real life

This is ridiculous. Just because you are in the same conference does not mean you should avoid battles. Just because one team shows up on a list earlier does not "entitle" them to a player.

Quote: Originally Posted By sully712 on 2/20/2010

Just because one team shows up on a list earlier does not "entitle" them to a player.

Tiger Woods wife used to believe the same thing.

Seriously, though, I won't go after a player that's being considered by a conference mate. I want to maintain a good relationship with my fellow coaches.

Not that I wouldn't change my mind, though. If my top recruit was 20 miles away, and he was considering a conference mate who was 400 miles away, it'd be difficult to pass him up.

just because a school only now shows up as considering does not mean they just started to recruit said player. and more specifically how could you not expect that player to not have been a big battle??? #3 sg within 300 miles of A- wisconsin and michigan state and A+ illinois and A indiana. not to mention michigan with a good amount of openings AND that is still leaving out A+s syracuse and ohio st.

always gotta do what's best for your team. If that means poaching a conference mate then so be it. I would try to avoid it in most instances though.

How can you possibly say there is no such thing as poaching. That makes no sense. The definition of poaching in HD is jumping on to a guy after he is already considering another school for a decent amount of time. There is poaching. If you think its cheap or not is a completely different thing. I personally think there is nothing wrong with poaching but there definitely is poaching.

The reason myself and others say there is no poaching, is because by definition it means you are taking a recruit that you don't have a right to, or that you're stealing a recruit that belongs to somebody else. Both are bogus because until that recruit signs he's fair game to everybody.