Ever since Zeus begat Hercules and oversaw his development into the World’s Strongest Man ““ I hear he dragged a Honda Odyssey across Greece ““ fathers have presided over their sons’ athletic careers like instructive caretakers.
On the first day of the college basketball spring signing period yesterday, Ray McCallum Jr. and Trey Zeigler ““ both of whom were targeted heavily by UCLA ““ chose to sign with schools at which their fathers are the coaches. For McCallum, that meant committing to Detroit; for Zeigler, it meant signing with Central Michigan. For both, it means sacrificing a chance to play at a high-major school for the opportunity to stay close to home and be tutored by their patres familias.
Sure, we’re all a tad bitter that McCallum and Zeigler won’t be coming to Westwood in the fall. Both would have been enormous coups for a Bruins program that has already hauled in three solid recruits but has four scholarships open because of graduations and transfers. Both players are high-level performers, and both possess high basketball IQs. The latter trait is actually a product of the reason that both guys spurned UCLA: They are the sons of coaches.
Despite the team’s recent struggles, the appeal of UCLA remains strong, particularly to mature guards. Bruin signee Tyler Lamb cited coach Ben Howland’s ability to send well-developed, ready-made guards to the NBA as a great recruiting chip, an enticement that “speaks for itself.”
But can you blame McCallum and Zeigler for taking advantage of such a rare opportunity? Former Davidson star Stephen Curry and current Butler standout Gordon Hayward have proven that even if you play at a mid-major, you have a chance to garner attention from the NBA. Perhaps seeing Butler ““ who plays in the Horizon League with Detroit ““ make the Final Four was all the justification McCallum needed that he could get the best of both worlds by playing for dad.
My old man is a UCLA alum who most definitely campaigned for me to be a Bruin, and my coming here was a decision I would make over and over again. This situation goes a step beyond that. While my dad has some coaching experience of his own, his is in the music realm, and I am to performing music what Charles Barkley is to swinging a golf club. But in the tiniest of ways that I can relate to these guys, it makes a lot of sense. Sure, there are advantages to moving away from college, but if my road to the NBA can be paved with either Covel pasta or with Mom’s home cooking, I’m going with the latter.
There’s also the flip side of the coin to consider. In terms of talent and notoriety, both sons are providing their fathers’ programs with huge boosts. But you have to take into account the more emotional elements of the coach-player dynamic as well; legendary Grambling football coach Eddie Robinson once postulated that “coaching is a profession of love. You can’t coach people unless you love them.” That necessity is a whole lot easier when the player shares your DNA.
Fathers, sons and sports have long been inexorably linked. As events of the last few days have evidenced, it’s a tie not easily unfastened, even in an NBA factory like UCLA. To the junior McCallum and young Zeigler, the benefits of playing for their pops clearly outweighed the negatives, and you have to give them credit for making that decision. As to whether or not playing for their fathers will hinder their potential NBA careers? Who knows, maybe the elder McCallum and Zeigler will continue to excel at something they’ve done already: procreate.
If you want your son’s first words to be “pick-and-roll,” e-mail Eshoff at reshoff@media.ucla.edu.