Did we miss something recruiting Branden Miller?

[mslacat]

Ok, our name is being run through the mud. I don't want to down play the significance of the impact a murder has on our campus, the City of Bozeman and its residence. I have been reading quite a bit about this whole situation paying close attention, to what we as a university could have done better. My problem is I am reading opinion pieces about how terrible MSU was/is to recruit "these type" of players and MSU's win at any cost mentality. Yet I have not been able to find any evidence that Branden Miller was any more of a risk when he was recruited than Jason Erickson was. The worst I read was that he was "a Quiet kid" and some where someone said "he seemed like a kid who needed a hug." Ok that pretty well discribed me before I enrolled at MSU. I have not read anywhere that he had a criminal record, got into trouble, or even fought with coaches. So is there any evidence/information that the basketball staff either on purpose or through laziness did not do enough to predict he would be major trouble. Or worst any evidence that they ignored warning signs. Maybe I am missing something, but there just does not seem to be anything that would have indicated we were recruiting trouble. What am I Missing.

[GOKATS]

I don't know if you saw it or not, but the 'Chronicle' had a good AP article from Durham in Tues.' paper in which Mick stated that character was a top priority in evaluating prospective athletes and he didn't see anything like this coming.

[Bleedinbluengold]

I doubt anyone posting on this forum would be able to answer that question with any confidence.

It has been my experiene with MSU Athletics that we go far above the minimum when it comes to doing whatever it takes to keep student athletes on the path toward graduation. Literally, student athletes have been hand-held to class and to study hall. Ultimately, if the student athlete chooses not to take the help, what can the University do?

[crazycat]

Ok, our name is being run through the mud. I don't want to down play the significance of the impact a murder has on our campus, the City of Bozeman and its residence. I have been reading quite a bit about this whole situation paying close attention, to what we as a university could have done better. My problem is I am reading opinion pieces about how terrible MSU was/is to recruit "these type" of players and MSU's win at any cost mentality. Yet I have not been able to find any evidence that Branden Miller was any more of a risk when he was recruited than Jason Erickson was. The worst I read was that he was "a Quiet kid" and some where someone said "he seemed like a kid who needed a hug." Ok that pretty well discribed me before I enrolled at MSU. I have not read anywhere that he had a criminal record, got into trouble, or even fought with coaches. So is there any evidence/information that the basketball staff either on purpose or through laziness did not do enough to predict he would be major trouble. Or worst any evidence that they ignored warning signs. Maybe I am missing something, but there just does not seem to be anything that would have indicated we were recruiting trouble. What am I Missing.

I think you’re taking this a little too hard. Anyone beating up MSU over this is either mistaken or just spewing venom. Murderers come from all walks of life and people who commit murder are generally employed somewhere or go to school somewhere.

If you’re going to react to what some are saying about MSU, then you’re traveling down a road that will only lead to personal misery. I’m pretty sure a lot of the players at MSU and at every school in the country experiment with drinking and taking drugs. Some of those end up getting addicted or more involved with it than they should. That’s just the way it is.

In all likelihood the list of people who ‘owe’ money or were listed as contacts of the victim (Wright) is going to include the names, nicknames, initials, etc. of some of the current players at MSU. Hopefully not, but this is probably going to be the case. If so, I don’t think that MSU is the only school in the country that has this kind of activity going on, but it is one that got caught.

The people involved in this case were at one time student-athletes at MSU. Institutions of higher education are by their nature good. And I’d include MSU in that group of institutions. Since that’s the case, then I’d say it’s safe to say the MSU is a victim of circumstances not a perpetrator of evil doing.

Anyone who tries to MSU as such is way off base.

[gtapp]

I would think Duke has pretty high standards. WTF happened there?

[Billings_Griz]

I would think Duke has pretty high standards. WTF happened there?

I agree!

[CARDIAC_CATS]

I would think Duke has pretty high standards. WTF happened there?

I'm not sure what else MSU can do when scouting recruits. I mean they can look over their record (if they have one) and get references from friends and relatives, but besides having the CIA look into every aspect of their lives I don't think your going to catch every kid. The fact is DRUGS end up making GOOD PEOPLE do STUPID things. So maybe that should be their #1 focus from now on is drug history and prevention in the school and that type of thing. DRUGS ARE KILLING AMERICA (LITERALLY IN THIS CASE).

[SonomaCat]

People used to kill each other over alcohol when it was illegal as well. Not to change the subject, but it saddens me each time this prohibition-based black market leads to crime that wouldn't otherwise take place.

In this case, however, they still haven't disclosed the alleged motive, although it seems like we are all assuming it was probably something to do with drug money.

[ZifCat52]

One thought I had. Assuming Aaron Rich is actually part of this incident (I hope he is not, but if he is), how should that affect our recruiting.

Some would imply that this means we should not recruit:
1. African Americans from disadvantaged homes - John LeBrum
2. African Americans from Junior colleges - Branden Miller
3. White Americans from affluent homes - Aaron Rich
and 4. If you include the victim - White, Montana kids from normal families.

Were do we go from here?

I believe we have to have faith in our system to recruit the best possible people that fit Montana State both as students and athletes. In fact, we recruit, outside of athletics, way more students than athletes. Once a student or student athlete commits to us, we then need to have faith in our system to give them every opportunity to be successful here. We should also take every opportunity to improve the recruiting and retention systems as well.

The people invovled here are not current students and for two of them, in spite of our best efforts to help them succeed, they didn't. After they left this happened. Maybe being here did have a positive effect on them after all, at least for the time they were here.