Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
On Saturday, March 13, 2010,I was attending the third, and final,day of the Arkansas high school State Championship weekend. Over the course of three days, 14 state champions were decided (7 boys and 7 girls) in a marathon of some of the best teams and players the state has to offer. I watched every game, and I'll be relaying my observations on the basketball action and some individual players later.
But, first of all, I would like to share with you my brief dialogue with current Arkansas Razorbacks head basketball John Pelphrey ... the conversation was unexpected, as I hadn't expected him to be in attendance, nor had I anticipated that I would have a chance to speak with him.
Pelphrey was in attendance during, and briefly following, the Class 4A Championship Game between all-White Jonesboro Westside and all-White Huntsville. The sole reason for his observing the game was the potential recruitment of talented junior Hunter Mickelson, a 6-10 power forward who can flat out play. But more on him later. When Pelphrey entered the arena, he was swarmed by folks wanting pictures and autographs and the like, so I waited until those folks cleared out before I approached him. It was shortly after the aforementioned game had concluded, and Coach Pelphrey was sitting alone at a reserved table, when I walked up and asked if I could speak with him. He kindly agreed, so I shook hands and took a seat.
The following is our conversation, as best I can remember using the notes I took afterwards. I purposefully was polite and respectful, but I'm sure I was pretty intense, as he barely looked away during the entire chat.
Jimmy Chitwood: "Coach, I've got a bit of an unusual question for you, one that I don't think you've probably ever been asked. But before I get to it, I was wondering if you could tell me what you saw during that last game."
Coach Pelphrey: "Well, obviously, the big kid (Hunter Mickelson) has a lot of talent, and you want to see what he could do. And the coach for Huntsville really has taught his guys how to shoot the ball. Those guys can really put it in the basket."
JC: "Yes, sir. They can. And that's sort of why I wanted to talk with you. What I was meaning was why were you watching the game? You must've noticed that all the kids out there were White. And you don't exactly go after that kind of kid, even when they can flat put the ball in the bucket."
CP: [silence as his eyes kind of opened wide]
JC: "Coach, I was just wondering,do you just refuse to recruit a White kid?"
CP: "Now, I didn't say that."
JC: "No, sir. You didn't, but your track record speaks for itself. I know who you've signed since you've been at Arkansas, and I know the three kids you've got committed for next year. And they're just like mostof the guys sitting on your bench right now. In fact, you could change them out and no one would hardly notice. You've been signing a bunch of guys who can't score, and the results are obvious."
CP: [eyes opening a bit wider] "Well, uh ..."
JC: "Coach, I'm not from Jonesboro or Huntsville, so don't get me wrong. I didn't have a dog in this hunt. But I do knowa good basketball playerwhen I see one. I don't know if that #10 for Hunstville (Tucker Trumbo, more on him later) is a D-1 prospect or not, but I know that right now he would flat wear Jemal Farmer's (a current Razorback small forward who is supposedly a great athlete) ass out, even with him being a junior in high school."
CP: [laughs] "Well ... yeah" [nods]
JC: "And I also know that you're not even looking at this kid. Why is that?"
CP: [silence]
JC: "See, Coach, there is a trend you've developed. And I've noticed it, and I wanted to talk to you about it. It seems that no matter how good a White kid is, you won't go after him. Take for example a kid who was a senior last year, Aaron Hawley from Rogers."
CP: "He's a very good player."
JC: "Yes, sir. He is. And you didn't even look at him. I saw him play against Fayetteville (last year's 7A State Champ) 3 times last year, and he wore Gulley's (Fred Gulley, the "Gatorade PoY for Arkansas a year ago; currently playing for Oklahoma State) ass out every time they played. Here's a 6-8 kid running the point who can score from anywhere on the floor and you didn't even go after him."
CP: [staring]
JC: "But you did go after Gulley. Hard. And he's what? 5-11? And he couldn't hold a candle to the White kid. Why is that?"
CP: "Well, uh ... "
JC: "Coach, this happens every year. There are a lot of good black players out there, but there are a lot of good White players, too. But you don't go after any of them ... well, maybe if they're 7-feet tall like this Jonesboro kid. Is that what it takes for you to consider a White player as good enough?"
CP: "Well, uh ... "
JC: "Coach, at Kentucky you won a lot of games with talented White kids who could flat put the ball in the basket. Heck, Coach, you were one of those White kids. You had a tremendous playing career and won a lot of games."
CP: "I appreciate that. Thank you."
JC: "But Coach, here's the deal. Now that you're a head coach, you wouldn't recruit you the player."
CP: [wordless stare]
JC: "Can't you see the problem there? You refuse to go after White kids, even ones who can flat out play. And you know they won't be a problem off the court getting in all kinds of trouble, which has also been another issue for you with the guys you've been recruiting."
CP: [wordless stare]
JC: "And it's not like you've exactly been setting the world on fire by winning a bunch of games. You've got guys who can't play and are problems off the court, too. Yet you refuse to look at White kids who are better in every way."
CP: "Well, uh ... "
JC: "Coach, I know you're not going to give me a detailed answer about this stuff. I know you have to worry about who hears what in public and all that, and I'm not trying to be inflammatory or put you on the spot or anything like that. I know a lot of your job is political and you have to be careful what you say."
CP: "Well, I appreciate that." [nods]
JC: "But that doesn't take away from what I'm saying. I know you won't answer me here, but I want you to consider what I've said. There's a lot of problems in your program, and one of 'em is on display right here. When you're not even considering a young White kid who youadmit is better than a guy who is getting minutes for you right now, something is wrong with that. There's a lot of good players in this state, players who can put the ball in the basket and would love to be a Razorback, and you're not even considering them. I just want you to think about that. Think about the fact that you as a coach wouldn't be recruiting you as a player ... and how many games did you win playing for Kentucky? A lot, as I recall."
CP: "Well, uh ... "
JC: "Coach, thanks for letting me visit with you for a few minutes. I know you've probably not ever had anyone talk to you like this or about this subject. But growing up in Arkansas, I want the program to succeed, and this was something that I felt you needed to hear." [standing up and offering my hand]
CP: "Thanks for coming down." [shakes my hand while looking me in the eye ... but with an odd look on his face]
And that's it. I wish I could read minds to know what he was thinking as I walked away. He had a strange expression on his face, but it could have meant anything from "that guy was a psycho" to "that guy was right." I know he wouldn't have been any more surprised if I had hit him in the head with a 2x4. It was a cordial sit-down, but i think he was stunned that I would talk so plainly. I know his eyes kept getting wider and wider, but he didn't seem uncomfortable or angry. Rather, and I may be completely off the mark, he seemed like he was seeing things in a completely new way. At least, I hope that is what he was thinking ...
Did I make a difference? Who knows. But I know one thing for sure; I wouldn't have made a difference by keeping quiet. And maybe, just maybe, a White prospect that wouldn't have received a look will get one. Who knows ...
*****************************************************************
well, i'm out of time for now. i'll post more on the Championship games and some players when i can!
But, first of all, I would like to share with you my brief dialogue with current Arkansas Razorbacks head basketball John Pelphrey ... the conversation was unexpected, as I hadn't expected him to be in attendance, nor had I anticipated that I would have a chance to speak with him.
Pelphrey was in attendance during, and briefly following, the Class 4A Championship Game between all-White Jonesboro Westside and all-White Huntsville. The sole reason for his observing the game was the potential recruitment of talented junior Hunter Mickelson, a 6-10 power forward who can flat out play. But more on him later. When Pelphrey entered the arena, he was swarmed by folks wanting pictures and autographs and the like, so I waited until those folks cleared out before I approached him. It was shortly after the aforementioned game had concluded, and Coach Pelphrey was sitting alone at a reserved table, when I walked up and asked if I could speak with him. He kindly agreed, so I shook hands and took a seat.
The following is our conversation, as best I can remember using the notes I took afterwards. I purposefully was polite and respectful, but I'm sure I was pretty intense, as he barely looked away during the entire chat.
Jimmy Chitwood: "Coach, I've got a bit of an unusual question for you, one that I don't think you've probably ever been asked. But before I get to it, I was wondering if you could tell me what you saw during that last game."
Coach Pelphrey: "Well, obviously, the big kid (Hunter Mickelson) has a lot of talent, and you want to see what he could do. And the coach for Huntsville really has taught his guys how to shoot the ball. Those guys can really put it in the basket."
JC: "Yes, sir. They can. And that's sort of why I wanted to talk with you. What I was meaning was why were you watching the game? You must've noticed that all the kids out there were White. And you don't exactly go after that kind of kid, even when they can flat put the ball in the bucket."
CP: [silence as his eyes kind of opened wide]
JC: "Coach, I was just wondering,do you just refuse to recruit a White kid?"
CP: "Now, I didn't say that."
JC: "No, sir. You didn't, but your track record speaks for itself. I know who you've signed since you've been at Arkansas, and I know the three kids you've got committed for next year. And they're just like mostof the guys sitting on your bench right now. In fact, you could change them out and no one would hardly notice. You've been signing a bunch of guys who can't score, and the results are obvious."
CP: [eyes opening a bit wider] "Well, uh ..."
JC: "Coach, I'm not from Jonesboro or Huntsville, so don't get me wrong. I didn't have a dog in this hunt. But I do knowa good basketball playerwhen I see one. I don't know if that #10 for Hunstville (Tucker Trumbo, more on him later) is a D-1 prospect or not, but I know that right now he would flat wear Jemal Farmer's (a current Razorback small forward who is supposedly a great athlete) ass out, even with him being a junior in high school."
CP: [laughs] "Well ... yeah" [nods]
JC: "And I also know that you're not even looking at this kid. Why is that?"
CP: [silence]
JC: "See, Coach, there is a trend you've developed. And I've noticed it, and I wanted to talk to you about it. It seems that no matter how good a White kid is, you won't go after him. Take for example a kid who was a senior last year, Aaron Hawley from Rogers."
CP: "He's a very good player."
JC: "Yes, sir. He is. And you didn't even look at him. I saw him play against Fayetteville (last year's 7A State Champ) 3 times last year, and he wore Gulley's (Fred Gulley, the "Gatorade PoY for Arkansas a year ago; currently playing for Oklahoma State) ass out every time they played. Here's a 6-8 kid running the point who can score from anywhere on the floor and you didn't even go after him."
CP: [staring]
JC: "But you did go after Gulley. Hard. And he's what? 5-11? And he couldn't hold a candle to the White kid. Why is that?"
CP: "Well, uh ... "
JC: "Coach, this happens every year. There are a lot of good black players out there, but there are a lot of good White players, too. But you don't go after any of them ... well, maybe if they're 7-feet tall like this Jonesboro kid. Is that what it takes for you to consider a White player as good enough?"
CP: "Well, uh ... "
JC: "Coach, at Kentucky you won a lot of games with talented White kids who could flat put the ball in the basket. Heck, Coach, you were one of those White kids. You had a tremendous playing career and won a lot of games."
CP: "I appreciate that. Thank you."
JC: "But Coach, here's the deal. Now that you're a head coach, you wouldn't recruit you the player."
CP: [wordless stare]
JC: "Can't you see the problem there? You refuse to go after White kids, even ones who can flat out play. And you know they won't be a problem off the court getting in all kinds of trouble, which has also been another issue for you with the guys you've been recruiting."
CP: [wordless stare]
JC: "And it's not like you've exactly been setting the world on fire by winning a bunch of games. You've got guys who can't play and are problems off the court, too. Yet you refuse to look at White kids who are better in every way."
CP: "Well, uh ... "
JC: "Coach, I know you're not going to give me a detailed answer about this stuff. I know you have to worry about who hears what in public and all that, and I'm not trying to be inflammatory or put you on the spot or anything like that. I know a lot of your job is political and you have to be careful what you say."
CP: "Well, I appreciate that." [nods]
JC: "But that doesn't take away from what I'm saying. I know you won't answer me here, but I want you to consider what I've said. There's a lot of problems in your program, and one of 'em is on display right here. When you're not even considering a young White kid who youadmit is better than a guy who is getting minutes for you right now, something is wrong with that. There's a lot of good players in this state, players who can put the ball in the basket and would love to be a Razorback, and you're not even considering them. I just want you to think about that. Think about the fact that you as a coach wouldn't be recruiting you as a player ... and how many games did you win playing for Kentucky? A lot, as I recall."
CP: "Well, uh ... "
JC: "Coach, thanks for letting me visit with you for a few minutes. I know you've probably not ever had anyone talk to you like this or about this subject. But growing up in Arkansas, I want the program to succeed, and this was something that I felt you needed to hear." [standing up and offering my hand]
CP: "Thanks for coming down." [shakes my hand while looking me in the eye ... but with an odd look on his face]
And that's it. I wish I could read minds to know what he was thinking as I walked away. He had a strange expression on his face, but it could have meant anything from "that guy was a psycho" to "that guy was right." I know he wouldn't have been any more surprised if I had hit him in the head with a 2x4. It was a cordial sit-down, but i think he was stunned that I would talk so plainly. I know his eyes kept getting wider and wider, but he didn't seem uncomfortable or angry. Rather, and I may be completely off the mark, he seemed like he was seeing things in a completely new way. At least, I hope that is what he was thinking ...
Did I make a difference? Who knows. But I know one thing for sure; I wouldn't have made a difference by keeping quiet. And maybe, just maybe, a White prospect that wouldn't have received a look will get one. Who knows ...
*****************************************************************
well, i'm out of time for now. i'll post more on the Championship games and some players when i can!
