More from Canton
Hope you enjoyed the story about Kosta Koufos that ran in Sunday's Tribune. I visited Canton in March ahead of the Jazz's five-game Eastern Conference trip and it took a couple of months to complete all the interviews and get the story in the paper.
As a follow-up, I thought it was worth commenting a little on Koufos' experiences in the draft last year.
It's a poorly kept secret that the reason Koufos dropped in the draft had nothing to do with the possibility he would play in Greece and everything to do with the reviews Ohio State coach Thad Matta offered to NBA teams that asked about Koufos.
I've heard that Matta was less than glowing from other NBA general managers, people within the Jazz organization as well as those close to Koufos. One person told me that Matta didn't get in touch with Koufos until a full week after last year's draft.
Koufos' high school coach, Jack Greynolds Jr., blasted Matta in an interview last June with the Canton Repository newspaper. His comments didn't garner much attention in Utah, but they definitely caused a stir back in Ohio.
"Listen, if you can't get along with a kid like Kosta, then you're clueless," Greynolds told the Repository. "If you're making $2 million a season and can't figure out how to use a 7-foot-1 kid, you're clueless.
"If you can't get along with a kid who comes early, stays late and gets good grades, you're clueless, and you've got the problem."
Matta was upset with Koufos' decision to declare for the draft while not finishing the spring quarter at Ohio State. A year earlier, Ohio State lost Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook all to the NBA after just one season.
Both Koufos and his mother have taken the high road when it comes to the Ohio State saga and are appreciative of the fact Koufos ended up in Utah, a situation they have come to regard as nothing but positive.
What's most interesting from my perspective is just how much influence one coach could have during the draft process.
During my visit to Canton, I sat down with Greynolds in his office on the day of a playoff game and talked for an hour about Koufos. He coached him for four years at GlenOak High, yet Greynolds said only two NBA teams had called to ask about Koufos.
I also sat down for two hours with the Rev. Dan Rogich, who has been a mentor to Koufos for several years since the death of Koufos' father. Rogich said he talked with only one NBA executive - - Vinny del Negro - - about Koufos leading up to the draft.
For all the resources available to NBA teams, you've got three that actually contacted the people most intimately involved in Koufos' life. I've long wondered just how extensively the NBA digs into players' backgrounds and I found Koufos' story illuminating.
The Jazz, for their part, said they paid most attention to the reviews Koufos got from other teams for which he worked out ahead of the draft. If you remember, Koufos never came to Utah for a workout, convinced that he would be drafted much higher than No. 23.
Another sidenote is the extent of the sales pitch Rick Pitino made in trying to bring Koufos to Louisville.
Knowing how much education meant to Koufos' mother in her career as a guidance counselor, Pitino set up a meeting with Kathy Koufos, Kosta and the university president to talk about Kosta's academic path. Kathy was most impressed by the gesture.
* * *
There was no way to mention it in the story, but Koufos has been nothing if not loyal throughout his basketball career.
He could have played at St. Vincent-St. Mary's, LeBron James' old high school in Akron, as well as McKinley, the Canton powerhouse that has produced Eric Snow, Keith McLeod and Gary Grant, with at least one product in the NBA every season since 1974.
But Koufos opted to attend GlenOak, the neighborhood high school where his mother worked. Koufos also turned down multimillion-dollar offers to play professionally in Greece and honored his commitment to Ohio State.
If nothing else, it's just something to remember in a couple of years when Koufos is a free agent and the Jazz are trying to re-sign him. The most notable alumnus of GlenOak, in case you were wondering? Marilyn Manson.
--Ross Siler
As a follow-up, I thought it was worth commenting a little on Koufos' experiences in the draft last year.
It's a poorly kept secret that the reason Koufos dropped in the draft had nothing to do with the possibility he would play in Greece and everything to do with the reviews Ohio State coach Thad Matta offered to NBA teams that asked about Koufos.
I've heard that Matta was less than glowing from other NBA general managers, people within the Jazz organization as well as those close to Koufos. One person told me that Matta didn't get in touch with Koufos until a full week after last year's draft.
Koufos' high school coach, Jack Greynolds Jr., blasted Matta in an interview last June with the Canton Repository newspaper. His comments didn't garner much attention in Utah, but they definitely caused a stir back in Ohio.
"Listen, if you can't get along with a kid like Kosta, then you're clueless," Greynolds told the Repository. "If you're making $2 million a season and can't figure out how to use a 7-foot-1 kid, you're clueless.
"If you can't get along with a kid who comes early, stays late and gets good grades, you're clueless, and you've got the problem."
Matta was upset with Koufos' decision to declare for the draft while not finishing the spring quarter at Ohio State. A year earlier, Ohio State lost Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook all to the NBA after just one season.
Both Koufos and his mother have taken the high road when it comes to the Ohio State saga and are appreciative of the fact Koufos ended up in Utah, a situation they have come to regard as nothing but positive.
What's most interesting from my perspective is just how much influence one coach could have during the draft process.
During my visit to Canton, I sat down with Greynolds in his office on the day of a playoff game and talked for an hour about Koufos. He coached him for four years at GlenOak High, yet Greynolds said only two NBA teams had called to ask about Koufos.
I also sat down for two hours with the Rev. Dan Rogich, who has been a mentor to Koufos for several years since the death of Koufos' father. Rogich said he talked with only one NBA executive - - Vinny del Negro - - about Koufos leading up to the draft.
For all the resources available to NBA teams, you've got three that actually contacted the people most intimately involved in Koufos' life. I've long wondered just how extensively the NBA digs into players' backgrounds and I found Koufos' story illuminating.
The Jazz, for their part, said they paid most attention to the reviews Koufos got from other teams for which he worked out ahead of the draft. If you remember, Koufos never came to Utah for a workout, convinced that he would be drafted much higher than No. 23.
Another sidenote is the extent of the sales pitch Rick Pitino made in trying to bring Koufos to Louisville.
Knowing how much education meant to Koufos' mother in her career as a guidance counselor, Pitino set up a meeting with Kathy Koufos, Kosta and the university president to talk about Kosta's academic path. Kathy was most impressed by the gesture.
* * *
There was no way to mention it in the story, but Koufos has been nothing if not loyal throughout his basketball career.
He could have played at St. Vincent-St. Mary's, LeBron James' old high school in Akron, as well as McKinley, the Canton powerhouse that has produced Eric Snow, Keith McLeod and Gary Grant, with at least one product in the NBA every season since 1974.
But Koufos opted to attend GlenOak, the neighborhood high school where his mother worked. Koufos also turned down multimillion-dollar offers to play professionally in Greece and honored his commitment to Ohio State.
If nothing else, it's just something to remember in a couple of years when Koufos is a free agent and the Jazz are trying to re-sign him. The most notable alumnus of GlenOak, in case you were wondering? Marilyn Manson.
--Ross Siler
8:30 AM
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3 Comments:
It was a great article Ross. You do good work and I appreciate you taking the time to post on the blog even during the slow summer months.
i really enjoyed the article and blog post. great work. and i hope the jazz are able to find real minutes for koufos next season.
Great work Ross. We're lucky to have you covering the Jazz. You bring it all year long.
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