Matthew Atewe -> Auburn -> Washington

[Swan88]

Don't like "told-ya-so" posts.  So, shouldn't be posting this.  Nevertheless . . . , the following is a post from back in late February in reaction to the mention of a "handler" or "mentor" for Atewe, for whcih yours-truly was roundly rebuffed on this board (or, at least, so it seemed):

 

 

"Handler" / "mentor" . . . Say what!!??
No one has ever mentioned a "handler" or "mentor" for Atewe before, that I've seen. He came to Lincoln without anyone accompanying him.
A handler / mentor is often bad news--often looking out for his/her own interests as much as for the recruit's. Is this the same guy who got him to transfer to the current prep school, that apparently isn't working out so well?
A handler/mentor changes the entire equation and can certainly account for unpredictable and incomprehensible behavior.                  

 

 

Just sayin.                      

 

[ShortDust]

not liking how things are looking, come on MA come to the B1G!!

[FredsSlacks]

Hopefully cam newton's dad stays out of this.

[Norm Peterson]

Well, y'know, you always have to wonder about Auburn after that Cam Newton thing.  Maybe they decided to save money on facilities and put it directly into their recruits' pockets.  

 

(Oh no you di'int.  Oh yes I did.)

[Norm Peterson]

Seriously, I'm not worried.  If he likes NU the best, he'll come here.  If he likes Auburn the best, he'll be a Tiger and there's not much we could do differently.  He's made numerous comments about having to make the choice that's best for him.  Re-tweeted someone else's tweet about choosing a college wisely. Things like, in essence, he's the one who has to live with the choice he makes.  He might have a mentor, but my sense is that he's going to go where he chooses to go.  Where he wants to go.  Where he thinks it's best for him to be.  And it's going to be his call.  I get the sense that this is a kid who has his head on straight.  I've seen the tweets of other athletes and Atewe's tweets seem to reflect a higher degree of maturity, maybe?  He might not come here but I don't think the "mentor" is going to cast the deciding vote.

[leonidas]

Don't like "told-ya-so" posts.  So, shouldn't be posting this.  Nevertheless . . . , the following is a post from back in late February in reaction to the mention of a "handler" or "mentor" for Atewe, for whcih yours-truly was roundly rebuffed on this board (or, at least, so it seemed):

 

 

"Handler" / "mentor" . . . Say what!!??

No one has ever mentioned a "handler" or "mentor" for Atewe before, that I've seen. He came to Lincoln without anyone accompanying him.

A handler / mentor is often bad news--often looking out for his/her own interests as much as for the recruit's. Is this the same guy who got him to transfer to the current prep school, that apparently isn't working out so well?

A handler/mentor changes the entire equation and can certainly account for unpredictable and incomprehensible behavior.                  

 

 

Just sayin.                      

 

Shouldn't be crowing so much in a thread in which you repeatedly claimed (i) that NU really wasn't after Atewe that hard and (ii) that it was looking like Atewe wanted to come to NU but NU was slow-playing him.

[nebrasketball10]

Seriously, I'm not worried.  If he likes NU the best, he'll come here.  If he likes Auburn the best, he'll be a Tiger and there's not much we could do differently.  He's made numerous comments about having to make the choice that's best for him.  Re-tweeted someone else's tweet about choosing a college wisely. Things like, in essence, he's the one who has to live with the choice he makes.  He might have a mentor, but my sense is that he's going to go where he chooses to go.  Where he wants to go.  Where he thinks it's best for him to be.  And it's going to be his call.  I get the sense that this is a kid who has his head on straight.  I've seen the tweets of other athletes and Atewe's tweets seem to reflect a higher degree of maturity, maybe?  He might not come here but I don't think the "mentor" is going to cast the deciding vote.

 

Agreed. Atewe will be making the final decisions. There shouldn't be any "he would've come here but his dumb mentor wanted him to go to Auburn" talk.

[ajb5856]

Seriously, I'm not worried. If he likes NU the best, he'll come here. If he likes Auburn the best, he'll be a Tiger and there's not much we could do differently. He's made numerous comments about having to make the choice that's best for him. Re-tweeted someone else's tweet about choosing a college wisely. Things like, in essence, he's the one who has to live with the choice he makes. He might have a mentor, but my sense is that he's going to go where he chooses to go. Where he wants to go. Where he thinks it's best for him to be. And it's going to be his call. I get the sense that this is a kid who has his head on straight. I've seen the tweets of other athletes and Atewe's tweets seem to reflect a higher degree of maturity, maybe? He might not come here but I don't think the "mentor" is going to cast the deciding vote.

Agreed. Atewe will be making the final decisions. There shouldn't be any "he would've come here but his dumb mentor wanted him to go to Auburn" talk.

Why not? From all accounts, Atewe wants to choose Nebraska. Maybe he will. But if he doesn't, I will still question what really went on. Yes, Atewe has the final say. And no, his mentor/advisor/handler does not cast the final vote. But whatever decision MA does make, he still has that mentor person giving MA his own opinion. We are hearing that those outside voices are saying Auburn. Even with the understanding that its his decision, if MA wants to pull the trigger on Nebraska, those outside voices are making the decision to pull it a little bit more difficult. Right now from what I've read from MA and everything he has said, he is either bluffing and already has his mind made up and is just waiting for his magic day (tomorrow) or heis truly struggling with this decision and it could go either way. If he truly has no decision yet and it could go either way, those outside voices are gonna have more pull than you think and there's the possibility that we won't like the outcome.

[nebrasketball10]

 

Seriously, I'm not worried. If he likes NU the best, he'll come here. If he likes Auburn the best, he'll be a Tiger and there's not much we could do differently. He's made numerous comments about having to make the choice that's best for him. Re-tweeted someone else's tweet about choosing a college wisely. Things like, in essence, he's the one who has to live with the choice he makes. He might have a mentor, but my sense is that he's going to go where he chooses to go. Where he wants to go. Where he thinks it's best for him to be. And it's going to be his call. I get the sense that this is a kid who has his head on straight. I've seen the tweets of other athletes and Atewe's tweets seem to reflect a higher degree of maturity, maybe? He might not come here but I don't think the "mentor" is going to cast the deciding vote.

Agreed. Atewe will be making the final decisions. There shouldn't be any "he would've come here but his dumb mentor wanted him to go to Auburn" talk.

Why not? From all accounts, Atewe wants to choose Nebraska. Maybe he will. But if he doesn't, I will still question what really went on. Yes, Atewe has the final say. And no, his mentor/advisor/handler does not cast the final vote. But whatever decision MA does make, he still has that mentor person giving MA his own opinion. We are hearing that those outside voices are saying Auburn. Even with the understanding that its his decision, if MA wants to pull the trigger on Nebraska, those outside voices are making the decision to pull it a little bit more difficult. Right now from what I've read from MA and everything he has said, he is either bluffing and already has his mind made up and is just waiting for his magic day (tomorrow) or heis truly struggling with this decision and it could go either way. If he truly has no decision yet and it could go either way, those outside voices are gonna have more pull than you think and there's the possibility that we won't like the outcome.

 

From all accounts? From the account that the sports writer that covers Husker hoops (or whatever Robin is considered). Even if Atewe DID give Robin that impression, it could just be lip service. He will weigh his options and probably give some value to the opinions of those he trusts... but HE will make the decision.

[Concrete]

Yea, no offense to anyone but it's pretty short sighted to believe that these mentors have no sway on a recruit's decision.  It's a part of college athletics now.  I'm not going to bitch and whine because I think when Miles gets things going we will be the beneficiary of some of these decisions, but it's really not up for debate as to whether or not these "mentors" can control where their "mentees" go to college.  Is that the case with Atewe?  We won't know until Saturday, but it does sound like if he didn't have anybody in his ear he'd be coming to Nebraska. (How much of that to actually believe, I don't know..)

[nebrasketball10]

Yea, no offense to anyone but it's pretty short sighted to believe that these mentors have no sway on a recruit's decision.  It's a part of college athletics now.  I'm not going to bitch and whine because I think when Miles gets things going we will be the beneficiary of some of these decisions, but it's really not up for debate as to whether or not these "mentors" can control where their "mentees" go to college.  Is that the case with Atewe?  We won't know until Saturday, but it does seem pretty clear that if he didn't have anybody in his ear he'd be coming to Nebraska.

 

Agreed with everything you're saying. They can definitely have an influence... just like a lot of parents/guardians can have influence/have an opinion on what they think their kids should do after high school. I'm not going to whine if he chooses Auburn over Nebraska, nor would I say it was the fault of his "mentor."

[Concrete]

We're on the same page. 

 

I'd love for Atewe to come here because a) I think he has a ton of potential, B ) I think he's a pretty great fit for our current roster where most of our scoring will be coming from the back court and c) It would give us a little more flexibility on next year's tiny recruiting class.  That said, it won't be the end of the world if he goes elsewhere

[Norm Peterson]

Yea, no offense to anyone but it's pretty short sighted to believe that these mentors have no sway on a recruit's decision.  It's a part of college athletics now.  I'm not going to bitch and whine because I think when Miles gets things going we will be the beneficiary of some of these decisions, but it's really not up for debate as to whether or not these "mentors" can control where their "mentees" go to college.  Is that the case with Atewe?  We won't know until Saturday, but it does sound like if he didn't have anybody in his ear he'd be coming to Nebraska. (How much of that to actually believe, I don't know..)

I think mentors do hold sway.  I just have gotten the sense over the last several months that Matt Atewe is his own man.  He says some pretty unconventional things on twitter for a 19 (or however many)-year-old kid.  He's a pretty independent thinker and that's clear if you read his tweets.  He might yet go to Auburn but, in this case, if that happens, I believe it will be because that's what he thinks is best for him and not because Vidal Massiah wanted him to go there. 

[ajb5856]

Yea, no offense to anyone but it's pretty short sighted to believe that these mentors have no sway on a recruit's decision. It's a part of college athletics now. I'm not going to bitch and whine because I think when Miles gets things going we will be the beneficiary of some of these decisions, but it's really not up for debate as to whether or not these "mentors" can control where their "mentees" go to college. Is that the case with Atewe? We won't know until Saturday, but it does seem pretty clear that if he didn't have anybody in his ear he'd be coming to Nebraska.

Agreed with everything you're saying. They can definitely have an influence... just like a lot of parents/guardians can have influence/have an opinion on what they think their kids should do after high school. I'm not going to whine if he chooses Auburn over Nebraska, nor would I say it was the fault of his "mentor."

I'm not going to whine either, but just want to note that we do have the mentor working against our chances. Maybe MA comes here, maybe he doesn't. But the fact that Vidal Massiah wants Auburn for MA should not be ignored. King Nation Basketball and The Basketball Factory and any of these basketball schools/promoters/mentors/handlers make a big deal when their students make their college commitment. Look at Vidal's twitter account. He announces that 3 of his players (including MA) have commitments coming this week. If you look at his tweets he contacts Atewe every couple days and says "call me." Or if somebody tweets something of interest he says "call me" such as when @RandomHuskerFan called out Vidal Massiah for pushing MA to Auburn. Vidal doesn't deny it. Pretty good reading though.

[Red Rum]

 

I thought those shoes were FUBUs.  Maybe he collects shoes?

 

youre correct in the shoes he posted being fubu's

He posted those as a joke. Walmart sells FUBU shoes for $11.

 

The Jordans that he posted 2 days earlier were not a joke.

 

FUBU is still a thing? Who knew?

[Norm Peterson]

$11 FUBUs at Wal-Mart?  Who knew?!  Lemme at 'em. 

[Red Rum]

Also this all comes to an end tomorrow right? Please?

[Norm Peterson]

Also this all comes to an end tomorrow right? Please?

Yeah, but on the bright side, we got this thread to over 40 pages.  AND we found out you can get FUBUs for $11 at Wal-Mart.

[Norm Peterson]

P.S.  Someone please tweet Vidal Massiah and ask him to just ignore RandomHuskerFan.

[ajb5856]

P.S. Someone please tweet Vidal Massiah and ask him to just ignore RandomHuskerFan.

I was thinking the same thing. I vote for Kamdyman to do it. He seems good at it.

[kldm64]

Do anyone know what time he is suspose to make his announcement tomorrow?

[Cookie Belcher]

People are really buying into this "drama"? This is just trying to make an exciting decision out of an obvious one. Seems most have bought into it hook, line, and sinker. I am not worried either. He will end up here.

[Hooper]

Guys, I believe Atewe will make his own decision, but this mentor seems to have quite a bit of sway on him, and we're talking about a kid from a single-parent household (mother passed away), so he probably has more influence than he otherwise would have.

 

If Matthew chooses Auburn, we'll know that he did not make his own decision. Anyone who follows Atewe on Twitter knows that he talks back and forth with a few Husker recruits, and follows not only Husker bball players, but also, in some cases, their parents (he follows Nate Hawkins' dad, for example).

 

Matthew Atewe follows no Auburn basketball players. He corresponds with no Auburn recruits. He does follow two coaches at Auburn, the head coach and the coach recruiting him.

 

It's pretty obvious where Matthew wants to go. If he commits to Auburn, I don't believe it will be his decision. Just my opinion.

[nebrasketball10]

Guys, I believe Atewe will make his own decision, but this mentor seems to have quite a bit of sway on him, and we're talking about a kid from a single-parent household (mother passed away), so he probably has more influence than he otherwise would have.

 

If Matthew chooses Auburn, we'll know that he did not make his own decision. Anyone who follows Atewe on Twitter knows that he talks back and forth with a few Husker recruits, and follows not only Husker bball players, but also, in some cases, their parents (he follows Nate Hawkins' dad, for example).

 

Matthew Atewe follows no Auburn basketball players. He corresponds with no Auburn recruits. He does follow two coaches at Auburn, the head coach and the coach recruiting him.

 

It's pretty obvious where Matthew wants to go. If he commits to Auburn, I don't believe it will be his decision. Just my opinion.

 

This is the type of sentiment I want to avoid. We have NO way of knowing the amount of sway that his "mentor" has on him. Probably some. As do most parents/guardians on 18 and 19 yo kids. Atewe is going to make his decision. If he chooses Auburn, good luck to him. It's because he weighed all the pros and cons (including input from those whose opinion he values) and chose Auburn. It's not unthinkable.

 

Agau tweeted with Husker recruits quite often. Obviously Aubern /= Louisville, but don't let the conversation fool you.

[Nebrasketballer]

Just look at the picture:

 

https://twitter.com/RobinWashut/status/317470542372433923">March