gil709

Who are we talking about. One guess. Gilbert Arenas. Yes, the Daily News ran a full 5 column top 1/2 page article to lead off the local section of its sports coverage today about everyone's favorite topic: Whether Gil will transfer to Sylmar or stay at Grant for his final season.

Today's headline reads "Arenas Applies To Sylmar's Magnet Program." This story's got more legs than a centipede; just never quits; it's the Energizer Bunny high school basketball stories in our local SoCal media.

So we read this article with great interest, anticipating that it would have some news about Gil at the ABCD camp. But no, it was just about the continuing rumors. Had a nice picture of Gil. Take a look:

Gilbert Arenas

Did the Daily News actually confirm that Gil formally applied to transfer? Nope. The whole article, and the headline, is based upon "sources" who "have told the Daily News that Arenas. . . turned in the necessary paperwork more than a week ago and should learn as soon as early next week whether he has been accepted."

Unnamed sources. Not for attribution. In other words, "we're either making this up" or "we can't tell you who our source is because (a) he/she doesn't exist, (b) we don't know his/her name, or (c) if we told you it would result in (i) our source getting fired, or (ii) expose the source as completely unreliable." You gotta love the unnamed, faceless "sources."

The Daily News couldn't ask Gilbert whether it's true or not, because he's off at the adidas ABCD camp in Teaneck, NJ, where he's reportedly wowing the crowds and the college coaches, playing on a team which includes Shantay Legans (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Dos Pueblos in Goleta, Matt King (6'-5" Jr SG/SF) from La Cueva High in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Eric King (6'-6" Jr SF) from Lincoln High in Brooklyn, NY, DeShawn Stevenson (6'-6" Sr. F) from Fresno's Washington Union High, Thomas Davis (6'-7" Sr F) from Pineville High in Pineville, Louisiana, Apolinar Fernandez (6'-9" So. F/C) from Artesia High in Lakewood, Simi Valley's Rafael Berumen (6'-9" Sr F/C) Willie Johnson (6'-4" Sr G ) from Fresno's Edison High, and Michael Palmer (6'-9" Sr. C) from Gibson County in Dyer, Tennessee. Come to think of it, that's a very large number of SoCal guys all on one team, and it's pretty loaded.

But did the Daily News have anything from Teaneck. No, just some more about Gil transferring. Maybe. Kinda. Sorta.

Bonsignore did interview Gil's father, last week, and he asked him about the rumors, to which Gil, Sr., had this to say:

So neither Gil nor his father have confirmed (or denied) that he'll be transferring, or that he filed an application to transfer to the Sylmar magnet program. That much we already knew. What the Daily News article doesn't tell us is how Gilbert is playing at the adidas ABCD camp. For that, we suppose we'll have to rely upon our sources and more directly, upon hearing it from these guys when they get back Saturday and head for the local camps.

But for now, the Daily News concludes that Arenas has in fact applied for the program based upon their "sources," presumably employed at the school in Sylmar (employees who, if they revealed this information, probably violated various provisions of the State Education Code designed to protect the privacy of student records). The DN concludes that it's sources are probably accurate because Gil, Sr., "tipped his hand wile watching his son play with Sylmar against Fresno Buchanan during the War on the Floor tournament:

Bonsignore also notes that Sylmar Coach Bort Escoto refused to comment as well. But the fact that Escoto used Gilbert "extensively" during the tournament last week is enough to convince Vince that Gil is transferring. Bonsignore asks: "If Arenas does plant to return to Grant next fall, why the flirtation with the Sylmar summer team--and quitting Grant's club?"

For now, neither Gil, his father, coach Levine, coach Escoto, or anyone who really knows, is saying anything. Bonsignore and the Daily News are seemingly convinced that Gil is leaving Grant for Sylmar. The LA Times and Eric Sondheimer are convinced that Gil is staying at Grant, and that he'd sooner play for Crenshaw than Sylmar, and Sondheimer thinks that the latter will happen when hell freezes over.

Well, we're here to tell you that we at SoCalHoops know what Gil's got planned. We just can't you.

And don't believe everything you read. Especially "news" that's really just speculation.