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THE BEST IN ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL RECRUITING!

MidState of the Union: The Return Notice
by Jason McGee
April 26, 2006

MidStateHoops.com has returned from a month and a half hiatus. We would like to thank you for the overwhelming support for the site in the opening days since its return. Statistics indicate a great deal of site traffic to the tune of 25,000 hits in the first three weeks. These are great numbers and we appreciate all the kind words we have received. Unfortunately, the reception has not been all warm and fuzzy.

There have been some very disappointing responses from some viewers. Usually these things blow over. We understand people have a difference in opinions and that they would like to see certain players over others get time on the site through things such as rankings. However there is a point when the blatant disrespect reaches a level that is too much. We have reached that point.

Here at MSH we are all about exposure for the players. We attempt to do that to the best of our ability. With features such as Player Focus we do our best to bring as many players to the forefront as possible. When somebody disputes our rankings that is fine. Please do not get out of hand with it. Do not try to show us up. Aliases do not work. Don't appreciate us one month and trash us the next.

One such coach who I had been doing the very best I could to get exposure for left an email that was quite disturbing. Quotes from the email included "I'm just curious how much 'scouting' you've actually done over the past few months. To have -------- ------- from ------ ------ ranked as the number -- class of ---- player in the state is absolutely ridiculous." Other quotes include, "I think by ranking him and --------- ----------- in your top -- justifies the fact that your ability as talent scouts is not very good, " and "You guys better find something else to do with your time, because your not doing this job very well."

Coach, let me tell you something about MidStatHoops.com you might not know or are choosing to ignore. We have never taken claims as scouts. You make that assumption. We have always stated that rankings are merely for pomp and circumstance and that the colleges will always decide who the best players for their team are. Rankings are not life and death and you should quit treating them as such. You really sound like a father yelling at the coach from the bleachers to put your son in instead of an actual high school basketball coach. It is disappointing to think that people look up to you for leadership considering that your displayed maturity level is probably less than theirs. Not only that, but your player bashing is inappropriate and I would hate to think how many of your own players you have managed to put down.

The thing that makes this the worst is that just months before you were thanking me for the exposure for one of your players. Back then you came to us and asked calm and logical questions. We did the best we could for your player. Then what happened? Your player is dropped in the rankings just one time and you decide to go off? I doubt you would treat anybody that way especially somebody who has gone to bat for you in the past.

People have been telling us that we rank our players and run stories based on our agenda. What agenda would that be? Nobody here makes money from the site. Show us what our agenda is. Where do we promote AAU team workout facilities and AAU organization fall leagues on our site? What AAU team do we provide a direct link to on the front page? Our only goal is to cover the entire state as best we see fit.

We want to get as many players exposed as possible. We are not here to scout we are here to help. We have never brought down a player or criticized a player because that is not what we do. If you do not like the rankings do not look at them. It's times like these we consider eliminating rankings from the site. We however believe that the majority of the viewers enjoy the entertainment the rankings provide.

On another note, in the near future we hope to continue our transition. We plan to transfer all previous Player Focuses, MidState Matchups, and MidState of the Unions. We also plan to continue to release AAU team spotlights and hopefully introduce some more new things. Look out for the return of Off the Court Extras as well. We have already become the most innovative site in Illinois high school basketball site history and have more to come.