“Here’s the bottom line: We are in the business to help young people. We can certainly do more to help C.J. by him being here than by us putting him out. The ball is in his court to be able to do the right things. We’ve given him the opportunity to right his ship, and if he doesn’t do that, then I guess that would mean being here doesn’t mean that much to him.” — Bill Self, Friday, Nov. 3.
All it took was a cup of coffee from the release of that statement for C.J. Giles to be nothing but a memory in the world of KU basketball. And in the end, that statement laid the groundwork for what truly ended up happening.
A few weeks ago, Giles was in a less-than-favorable position. He’d been suspended indefinitely by coach Self, was in an academic desert and was facing a court date concerning more than $4,000 in unpaid child support to the mother of his infant son.
And a few weeks later, all looked to be right in the world of C.J. Giles. He was back practicing with his teammates, preparing for a season of lofty expectations and a boundless ceiling. He was back on track to get things figured out in the classroom, and the University set it up so that a certain amount of his scholarship stipend every month went straight to child support.
All he had to do was toe the line, bust his hump for a year or two, and NBA riches awaited. Apparently, it was too much to ask. [ Monday night][1] allegedly could go down as evidence. But ultimately, it ties back to what Self said at the end of the above quote. Not only does being at Kansas not mean much to Giles, but he raised the pot even more with the alleged incident — he had no respect whatsoever for the woman, his teammates, his University, the basketball program and, frankly, himself.
Now he’s truly in a pickle.
Ask anyone who attended college and graduated from it, no matter where it was. There’s a transition period which varies from case to case between your final year in school and finding your comfort level in the real world.
It’s not something they prepare you for completely in college, but most are able to make said transition at some point. Some hit the ground running right after graduation while some avoid the real world for as long as possible in a variety of ways.
In his statement released to the media this afternoon regarding C.J.’s dismissal from the program, Self said that Giles would continue to receive academic assistance while at Kansas. But Giles has made it clear that he has other priorities. Plus, the academic side at Kansas might be a little less appealing when Giles realizes that plenty of the fringe benefits that go with being a KU basketball player go away when you’re no longer a KU basketball player.
Without proper preparation, Giles could be in for a world of trouble when the real world hits. There’s the responsibility of earning a living. There’s the responsibility of paying bills, rent and, in his case, child support. There’s also the harsh reality that you are all of a sudden supposed to be an adult.
Of course, who’s to say that Giles won’t get another shot. It took him just days to blow his second chance, but how many more days will it be until he’s granted a third? What doesn’t change is that he’s an energetic, athletic and long forward with a knack for swatting shots, which college coaches — and pro scouts — salivate on their loafers over.
He also, basketball-wise, has loads of — everyone’s favorite term — potential.
But will anyone take on all the baggage that comes with such an intimidating frontcourt presence? From a distance, it looks like there’s nothing C.J. Giles could possibly do to repair the damage he has done as far as his relationship with the Kansas program goes.
Is it too late for him elsewhere? No.
But he has a lot of growing up to do before the clock does run out. He’s not quite in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter yet, but he’s definitely had his share of halftime pep talks.
If he decides not to, the real world could be far more harsh with him — a physically imposing athlete with a face which screams of innocent, boyish charm — than it is with most.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2006/nov/07/giles_cited_battery/?mens_basketball
