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Right on the heel’s of Rick Pitino’s statements blasting Nike’s recruiting influence in NCAA basketball, an analysis released shows he may be on to something.
A Louisville Courier-Journal database shows that 58 percent of the Rivals.com’s top 10 seniors in the signing classes beginning in 2011, the first class from the Nike-backed Elite Youth Basketball League, came from Nike clubs, and of those, 69 percent, or 20 players, committed to college teams sponsored by that apparel company. Four committed to Adidas-sponsored colleges.
By comparison, nine top-10 players have played for Adidas-sponsored travel teams in those five classes, and only two went to Adidas-sponsored colleges. Six went to Nike schools, according to the database, and one, a current senior, remains undecided. – via IndyStar.com
Do you think Nike has an influence on where top recruits choose to play, or does this simply have to do with the fact that most of the top schools are sponsored by Nike? Read the full article at IndyStar.com, and share your opinion in the comments below.
