Andrey Baskin, easily the most prominent target for Coach Greg Robinson's 2006 recruiting class, has apparently given his commitment to play for Syracuse next season. According to Scout.com, Baskin chose the Orange over Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa and Nebraska, amongst others.At 6'4", 200 pounds, Baskin is squarely within the mold of the prototypical receivers dominating contemporary football. As the Scout.com player evaluation profile indicates, the New Jersey native has a lot of "upside":
Baskin uses his body control well, he has tremendous ball skills, and gets yards after the catch. Very tough and physical player, needs to improve his straight line speed.For everything that is great about Baskin on the football field, however, he is not the complete package. Many strongly believe that Baskin won't even have the opportunity to don an Orange uniform next season due to his poor qualifying scores and Syracuse's stringent admissions requirements. And even if Baskin does get sent to Milford Academy to prep next year in order to get his academics in order, it is no sure thing that the receiver attempts to re-enroll on The Hill in 2007 (i.e.: Ken Tinney).
So, I guess the moral of the story is that "it is what it is."
Update: The plot thickens. Sort of.
As speculation has indicated, Baskin does in fact have some eligibility issues in terms of his academic performance. Additionally, because of these academic woes, Baskin committed to Syracuse not because he truly wanted to wear orange, but rather because other schools had 'cooled' on him and didn't want to burn a potential scholarship on a player that may not be able to enroll by August.
This raises two important issues. First, does Baskin realize that Syracuse has tougher admission standards for athletes than other schools he was looking at like N.C. State and Ohio State? To commit to a university that has turned more players away the last few years for poor classroom ethic seems to be a gross miscalculation on the part of Baskin than anything.
I understand that he was anxious to scoop up an available scholarship, but to accept one from a university that limits your ability to actually exercise the rights associated with that scholarship offer seems short-sighted.
Second, if Coach Robinson was willing to make an offer to Baskin when he had actual knowledge of the young receiver's woes in the classroom, what does this say about the direction he is taking this program? Will Chancellor Cantor step in and make Robinson rescind the offer much like she did in the Colt Brennan situation?
This is certainly a developing situation that has great reach.
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