Poaching basketball style

Poaching is normally associated with the illegal acquisition of fish and/or game but this definition best serves the purpose here: "any encroachment on another's property, rights, ideas, or the like."

Probably the most famous contemporary example in business is the Brothers Winklevoss claiming Mark Zuckerberg lifted their idea for a social networking site that eventually became the Facebook behemoth.

In the world of sports, it's not unusual for agents, through multiple means, to lure clients away from fellow representatives.

Throughout the college basketball realm, some head coaches and their staffs cast out bait for targets who have already committed, signed with or actually play for others. It's usually carefully done, with no trail of evidence and a heap of plausible deniability. But not always. The only prevention of such behavior appears to be a gentlemen's agreement, an element some simply ignore.

Even in the community college ranks. Or should it be especially in that domain?

Mel Grussing, the owner of a site promoting Antelope Valley College hoops, writes about poaching every so often: Its “Poaching” Time in JUCO Basketball and JUCO Fall 2014-15 Shootout Dates…Recruiting…Poaching.

Granted, coaching at all levels is a tough and often public profession. It's win or dial up Mayflower Moving as very, very few schools accept losses even if student-athletes are graduating and avoiding police blotters.

According to Cosumnes River College (CRC) Assistant Coach Nicholas Podesta "once a student is enrolled and attending classes at a CCCAA member institution, he cannot be contacted by a member of another CCCAA coaching staff. No recruiting of the student-athlete is allowed while he is enrolled and attending classes; that's tampering. We don't have letters of intent in the CCCAA, so this is pretty much the only rule to prevent tampering."

Yet it takes place.

Sometimes with subtlety, sometimes not.

In fact, Podesta and Company take the guidelines a step further, instituting their own line of demarcation: "when we are given the word someone has committed [to another college], we won't recruit them any longer."

Plus, any current CRC team member who enters a so-called fishing expedition towards a new destination faces dismissal from the program.

For Podesta, it's clear and simple: "we want CRC people here."

Yes, losing this or that talent may be a blow on the court but "there are ethical standards to uphold. These are 17 and 18-year-olds, young and very impressionable, being preyed upon by older men. Sometimes you hear about or see something and you want to go home and take a shower afterwards. Basketball can be a nasty business at any level."

He continued, "when we meet with prospective players, we don't even talk about other programs. There's no whispering about not getting touches at that school or the chances are you won't play much because they have too many guards. We believe in the merits of our program and emphasize what we can do for the student-athlete."

But there is no holier-than-thou bearing emanating from CRC basketball. It's just a matter of being comfortable with one's behavior -- "Basketball isn't going to change me as an individual. I won't compromise my morals or ethics," Podesta said.

The Hawks have proven doing the right thing can still be combined with success.

As for some others, well, let's take the high road and employ the Thumperian principle: "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."