The current Bradley players gave their verbal pledges to play at Bradley and have kept their words. They have been LOYAL to Bradley and loyal to the fans.
The coaching staff has likewise been loyal to Bradley and to the fans.
And quite obviously the vast majority of Braves fans are solid and loyal even in down years. I know I am, I think it's just part of who most people are - they are people with integrity and loyalty, especially to an institution that many if not most of us attended and give our personal and financial support to.
But then there are a crew of people who know not what loyalty is. They turn on anyone and anything when it's to their liking. Lately we have seen people claiming to be Bradley fans who display a hostile and arrogant attitude as if Bradley basketball is all about them. If they don't get what they want they'll even turn on their own mother - since loyalty means only being loyal to themselves!
We see attacks against players and attacks against the coaches. We see the vicious rumors.....slander that is unbased and false, yet propagated with glee by the false prophets.
But the most blatant example of the low state of the Bradley bashers is their incessant attempts to attack, criticize, and smear the true Bradley fans....
and for what.....for their LOYALTY!
Clearly they do not understand the concept. We are loyal BECAUSE we are LOYAL people....they think loyalty apparently only comes as a reward they give for something they want....like a simple "thanks"...but we all know most of those unloyal pseudofans have a pretty cheap loyalty since they are never among the names we see as solid supporters and donors. Like maybe just buying a ticket gives the right to rip on other fans who truly are loyal. That's the rules they live by.
Thankfully the folks at Bradley know who their true and loyal supporters are, and it is obvious they know by the way they treat their best supporters. Those who want to hide their identities and rant against Bradley stand out as phonies.
Some facts have come to light about the writer of the letter selected by the local Peoria paper to print as an attack against the Bradley team and Coach Les.
If we can assume the letter was indeed written by the person whose name and city were there, it has now become known that the person is a long time Peoria Journal Star employee as is his wife! Wow - this looks like a little hidden agenda if you ask me. Sure anyone is entitled to believe and write what they want, but when the facts are known and it is obvious that the PJS just happened to pick a letter written by one of their own employees, then more than a few eyebrows have to be raised.
Believe what you want, but if an employee of the Bradley athletic department was the writer of the letter, and it was pro-BU, then I am sure it would have been a HUGE deal and the paper would have made an issue out of it.
That's why Bradley basketball and BU athletics needs and fortunately HAS coverage in the form of forums, message boards, and blogs that are independent and not biased against Bradley as are certain other sources for whatever their motives.
There's more on this coming as well....and funny how all the bashers who started all the rumors are suddenly all gone...disappeared and not posting as if in hiding since their detailed rumors are beginning to look pretty silly.
Thankfully the facts can speak for themselves and time will show who is right.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Rumors and Darned Rumors
Just last week after Eddren McCain left Bradley - there were multiple reports that other players were going to leave and we'd be hearing about it any minute...
In fact I have heard rumors (specifically by name) since the MVC Tournament of players leaving and except for Eddren, who was the obvious pick if anyone was going to leave, NOBODY else has left....
so scratch one sky-is-falling theory that we're still waiting on...
Then back a couple weeks ago - a blogger said John Wilkins had verballed to Iowa State. Instantly a few on the message boards said it was true and even a few so-called legitimate press outlets went with the story saying Wilkins had verballed, even though there was solid and substantial doubt about the story. Much of that doubt was raised right on BradleyFans as no direct confirmation of the verbal came from anyone in the Wilkins family, and where our own personal inquiries led us to believe NO verbal had actually occurred. Even the Iowa State fans had more skepticism than many BU fans who panicked as usual and ran for cover.
Later, the newspaper issued a half-retraction saying Wilkins misspoke....
But then the PJ Star never quoted nor bothered to interview Wilkins or his dad in the first place. How was it he misspoke if he never spoke in the first place?
Oh well.....all the posters who went ballistic and chose to buy into the false report of the verbal also took swipes at anyone who had legitimate doubts about the story.
Now it appears, from sources, that just maybe Iowa State is nowhere near the top of Wilkins' list!
So scratch a second sky-is-falling rumor........
But the big time recruiters do have a way of putting stars into the kids' eyes and make them lust for the biggest offer. It will be hard for Bradley to land the kid now that some of the real smooth talkers are in his ear, but clearly he has not verballed to Iowa State, so again chalk another one up for the reasonable people who think before they swallow rumors hook, line, and sinker.
Now we come to the latest silly rumor. Of course there's been changes in the athletic department, and I know there are stresses and further things could happen...
but one of the prime laws of the universe demands that a vacuum will easily swallow up just about anything.....
Thus, just like the simple minds that choose to join mass hysteria when someone sees the Virgin Mary in a department store window, or when some on the whole eastern seaboard panicked when Orson Welles did a radio show.......
Now we have people spouting off the Bradley's head coach is fired...
In fact, people claiming to be fans (we know otherwise) are almost gleeful at this news. Makes you wonder if they'd be tickled pink to see a couple more ACL injuries??
But the firing is sure news to a whole lot of people who DO know the true story. Our head coach along with his assistants are out recruiting and have been seen traveling to get to their destinations. And no story yet appears in the paper, and we know how they love to run with underage drinking if it happens at BU or give false reports of commitments when they don't exist (Wilkins, Manual Cass) or play up a little on-campus tussle if it involves a player...
Where are all the stories?? Shouldn't it be front page news if Coach Les is fired?
But here's what I think. I think it will happen some day. Coach Les will tire of the constant negativity, the poor coverage and the stress that comes with the job, OR he might just have a better offer or opportunity....and it could happen soon.
I hope he stays and coaches the great young group he has and gives them a chance to succeed.....we've seen first hand what can happen if a program loses all its top young talent.
Bradley will be returning 3 of the very best players in the league from last year - THREE of the top four scorers in Valley play, and with Dodie Dunson returning from injury for his final season, Bradley could have actually 4 of the best scorers and all around best players.
Plus a lot of BU fans will anxiously await the debut of Jordan Prosser, and will want to see how Dyricus and Jake have developed, and will also want to see how the rest of the players have come along...
And with the mini-but incessant-groundswell of negative nellies you kinda wonder if a minority who are vocal are so insistent on getting their way that could it possibly happen again?
This is exactly what happened in 2002. And oddly some of the nellies are the very same people who engineered it back then. Assisted by the local media criticisms and complaining and frequent negative letters selected by the local press...forced Jim Molinari out just on the cusp of having an incredibly talented team...with Phillip Gilbert, James Gillingham, Danny Granger, Joah Tucker, Antoine Tisby, etc...
Now looking back, those same people who whined about the team now say those guys would have been awesome had they only stayed at Bradley. But most of them did not stay because the whiners got their way and Mo was gone.
I can cheer any team out there as long as they play hard and give us their best efforts...and I like the guys we have and I think it would be a serious and costly mistake of long term ramifications if BU feels pressured to make huge changes.
But I see a mindset that says we will look only at numbers and if the numbers aren't what we want, then we will change. Then when change leads to a prolonged period of lesser results, then we will just pile on the next group and demand change again...
There is one difference this time around. Last time the only message board around was NOT a Bradley board. It was, in fact, an anti-Bradley board - a board loaded with criticisms, where the mods actually wanted to see negativity towards BU.
This time around, thankfully, the only message board with any significant traffic will be fair and promote the truth and not vicious lies and rumors.
The Bradley fans will have somewhere to go to get the facts and be given truth rather than silly rumor...and unfair attacks and exaggerations.
Had Northern Iowa had this kind of fans, then in 2007 when they ended with 13 losses, 9-9 in the Valley, one-and-done with a loss in the first round of the Valley Tourney (to Bradley), and losing 9 of their final 12 games..........
most certainly those fans would have demanded a change...clean house and get rid of Jacobson...he just wasn't producing with the talented "cupboard" that had been left behind!
Fortunately for the UNI fans, they didn't have that mindset...
They saw what they had and viewed it differently than some other fans elsewhere..they stuck with Jake despite a few complaints that they had made a mistake in elevating him to the top when McDermott left.
I'll bet they're glad they did.
I am reminded of a story where the so-called experts were totally fooled by the "facts" that they saw...
It is a story of the Modigliani frauds....
A group of college students made couterfeit artworks, then planted then so they'd be found and discovered as if accidentally, then be hailed as immensely valuable and "re-discovered" works of art.
Then just when it happened, the students stepped forward and even produced videotape showing and PROVING the items were phony and worthless...........
yet since the so-called experts had been fooled SO BADLY and they had certified the works as legitimate and authentic....that those experts STILL stood behind the fakes and argued they were real - even in the presence of evidence that convinced everyone else.
This just goes to show how badly "experts" can be fooled, and even more - how unwilling they are to ever admit they've been bamboozled.
http://koehlerlaw.net/2009/10/the-vermeer-and-modigliani-forgeriesfrauds-criminal-in-d-c/
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Hey John Wilkins, read what they're saying about you!
Reviewing the Indiana boards, there's an awful lot that should open John Wilkins' eyes...
I know recruits pick where they want to play basketball mainly for the best exposure they can get, and then sometimes for the playing time....so I suspect that's what Indiana's Tom Crean is selling...
But....I hope Wilkins is smart and sees through the lies..
First....in order to even be recruiting and offering as many scholarships as he is, Tom Crean has to be yanking scholarships left and right and sending guys packing. Another recruit for next year is gone, just like David Williams, after he was offered and verbaled. So Wilkins has to know that even if he gets a ride to IU, the ride might not last very long...if he fails to produce, Tom Crean is NOT loyal to his players, but only to himself and will yank the ride like he did to Nick Williams as well......
In addition, Indiana is still recruiting several other similar players to Wilkins and their current roster also has a few, so there's a logjam and Wilkins still may not get playing time.
Plus IU is gonna be a last place team and the only exposure they're gonna get will leave the TV audience recalling how utterly bad Indiana has been since Eric Gordon left.
The final thing that should alert John Wilkins to what's going on at IU is to read the boards and see that probably 3/4 of all the people expressing an opinion are saying they really don't want Wilkins at IU. They think he's a mid-major recruit, not skilled, a couple years away, raw, and will be rusty since he hasn't played in a couple years.
I just hope JW checks what Bradley fans think of him, and how he'll be where he's a huge crowd favorite, and he'll still get the exposure...
check out Butler, check out the exposure Stephen Curry got, and the exposure UNI got...
John, your spot is being held...decide soon........
I always get a kick out of seeing a lecture being given by someone proclaimed to be
"a comedian, actor and environmental activist"...
seriously...the guy is a comedian -- he gets paid to say things that are made-up and funny...
..and yet he wants us to take him seriously as a global warming expert.
Wait - even the global warming experts don't have the credibility anymore of a stand-up comedian.....because of all the revelations of academic fraud, lies, suppression of truth and opposing data, and just outright BAD science..
I guess if I had nothing else to do, I'd love to hear when Ed Begley has to say on the environment...
The last time I saw him on TV arguing for global warming, he was demanding that all allowable data MUST be "peer-reviewed"...but since then all the "peers" have been shown to be in cahoots to hide and suppress the truth and promote false info to support their phony theories on global warming...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x905411736/Ed-Begley-Jr-featured-speaker-at-ISU-event
Of course Begley is so concerned about the environment...I wonder how many private jets the guy uses or maybe he saves money and just flies on Al Gore's private jet.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100017987/climategate-what-gores-useful-idiot-ed-begley-jr-doesnt-get-about-the-peer-review-process/
The warming scientists are about as believable as those who still insist that there's a Bigfoot and that all those tracks are real and so is that 30 year old grainy film...
Of course now that zillions of outdoor motion activated trail cameras and people will cell phone camera have still failed to show even ONE credible piece of evidence....the only thing left to ask is when's the final Bigfoot-believer in the world going to finally cry uncle and admit they fell for a giant hoax and there really is no such thing.
Anyway....seems most of the warming people are the same people as the Bigfoot believers and the same believers in all kinds of other silly hoaxes like UFO's and even the balloon boy UFO...
Any real scientists would naturally stand up and ask -- where is the real science here and why do those warming promoters and Bigfoot believers pass off rumor, legend, and bad science as actual science?
Isn't life fun where there really are comedians all over the place??
I know recruits pick where they want to play basketball mainly for the best exposure they can get, and then sometimes for the playing time....so I suspect that's what Indiana's Tom Crean is selling...
But....I hope Wilkins is smart and sees through the lies..
First....in order to even be recruiting and offering as many scholarships as he is, Tom Crean has to be yanking scholarships left and right and sending guys packing. Another recruit for next year is gone, just like David Williams, after he was offered and verbaled. So Wilkins has to know that even if he gets a ride to IU, the ride might not last very long...if he fails to produce, Tom Crean is NOT loyal to his players, but only to himself and will yank the ride like he did to Nick Williams as well......
In addition, Indiana is still recruiting several other similar players to Wilkins and their current roster also has a few, so there's a logjam and Wilkins still may not get playing time.
Plus IU is gonna be a last place team and the only exposure they're gonna get will leave the TV audience recalling how utterly bad Indiana has been since Eric Gordon left.
The final thing that should alert John Wilkins to what's going on at IU is to read the boards and see that probably 3/4 of all the people expressing an opinion are saying they really don't want Wilkins at IU. They think he's a mid-major recruit, not skilled, a couple years away, raw, and will be rusty since he hasn't played in a couple years.
I just hope JW checks what Bradley fans think of him, and how he'll be where he's a huge crowd favorite, and he'll still get the exposure...
check out Butler, check out the exposure Stephen Curry got, and the exposure UNI got...
John, your spot is being held...decide soon........
I always get a kick out of seeing a lecture being given by someone proclaimed to be
"a comedian, actor and environmental activist"...
seriously...the guy is a comedian -- he gets paid to say things that are made-up and funny...
..and yet he wants us to take him seriously as a global warming expert.
Wait - even the global warming experts don't have the credibility anymore of a stand-up comedian.....because of all the revelations of academic fraud, lies, suppression of truth and opposing data, and just outright BAD science..
I guess if I had nothing else to do, I'd love to hear when Ed Begley has to say on the environment...
The last time I saw him on TV arguing for global warming, he was demanding that all allowable data MUST be "peer-reviewed"...but since then all the "peers" have been shown to be in cahoots to hide and suppress the truth and promote false info to support their phony theories on global warming...
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x905411736/Ed-Begley-Jr-featured-speaker-at-ISU-event
Of course Begley is so concerned about the environment...I wonder how many private jets the guy uses or maybe he saves money and just flies on Al Gore's private jet.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100017987/climategate-what-gores-useful-idiot-ed-begley-jr-doesnt-get-about-the-peer-review-process/
The warming scientists are about as believable as those who still insist that there's a Bigfoot and that all those tracks are real and so is that 30 year old grainy film...
Of course now that zillions of outdoor motion activated trail cameras and people will cell phone camera have still failed to show even ONE credible piece of evidence....the only thing left to ask is when's the final Bigfoot-believer in the world going to finally cry uncle and admit they fell for a giant hoax and there really is no such thing.
Anyway....seems most of the warming people are the same people as the Bigfoot believers and the same believers in all kinds of other silly hoaxes like UFO's and even the balloon boy UFO...
Any real scientists would naturally stand up and ask -- where is the real science here and why do those warming promoters and Bigfoot believers pass off rumor, legend, and bad science as actual science?
Isn't life fun where there really are comedians all over the place??
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Bradley's doing a LOT better landing the top prospects out of Illinois
Time to put to rest the talk of BU missing out on the best Illinois kids. Over the past few years with BU getting Dodie, Dyricus, Jordan Prosser, and now Donivine Stewart and Walter Lemon....I think there can be little doubt Bradley's doing as well as any school in the state (there are 13 D-I schools) in landing the best INSTATE talent.
Here's a listing of kids out of Illinois high schools over the past decade and a half that have landed at Bradley, although a few never played at BU, and I am not sure we can really count the juco kids who come via a different route...but I included them.
.....And a rough sense of where they were ranked as high schoolers...
(rankings from the 90's are hard to find, and rankings vary so I gave some links)
Players are listed for the year they entered BU--
Can anyone deny that Coach Les has really stepped it up and is landing the better Illinois kids now??
96-97: Rob Dye (top 20)
97-98: none
98-99: Reggie Hall (top 30)
99-00: none
00-01: Phillip Gilbert - ranked #32 in Illinois per highschoolelite.com (Cello was unranked)
01-02: none
02-03: Jabbar Battle was ranked 26th as a HS senior but did not come to BU from high school, and Danny Adams & Joey Paul were both mentioned by HSelite.com but outside the Top 40
03-04: Daniel Ruffin was ranked 23rd in Class of 2003, Marcellus Sommerville was 7th ranked in Illinois (2001) but did not come to BU from high school, Michael Rembert was ranked #21 in IL Class of 2003
04-05: Jeremy Crouch was ranked 17th in IL in Class of 2004, Tony Bennett was unranked and did not come to BU from HS
05-06: none
06-07: Jeremy Fears was ranked 10th in IL (2004) out of HS, but did not come to BU from HS and did not ever play
07-08: Sam Maniscalco was ranked in the 14th, but actually 12th with the prep school kids eliminated
http://illinoishsbasketball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=1
08-09: Dodie Dunson was ranked 12th out of HS (2005) but did not come to BU from HS
09-10: Dyricus Simms-Edwards was #24, Jordan Prosser as high as #7 and others inside the Top 20
http://www.windycitybasketball.com/index.php?id=75
10-11: Walter Lemon is ranked #20-25
11-12: Donivine Stewart is ranked #10-15...but these guys had Donivine #7
http://www.windycitybasketball.com/index.php?id=77
12-13: still open
I don't think we're at the point where our instate recruiting is threatening University of Illinois...but clearly we've been doing consistently as good or better than ANYONE in the state and that includes SIU and ISU who some seem to think are doing a really great job of recruiting within the state.
Great job Coach Les, and keep it up..That's TEN Top 20-25 kids since 2003, with really NONE in the preceding decade, and quite possibly none going all the way back to the 80's or even late 70's, although we'll never know because the rankings as we know them did not exist back then.
Now bring us a few more among the local kids - Max, Bobo, etc.....
Here's a listing of kids out of Illinois high schools over the past decade and a half that have landed at Bradley, although a few never played at BU, and I am not sure we can really count the juco kids who come via a different route...but I included them.
.....And a rough sense of where they were ranked as high schoolers...
(rankings from the 90's are hard to find, and rankings vary so I gave some links)
Players are listed for the year they entered BU--
Can anyone deny that Coach Les has really stepped it up and is landing the better Illinois kids now??
96-97: Rob Dye (top 20)
97-98: none
98-99: Reggie Hall (top 30)
99-00: none
00-01: Phillip Gilbert - ranked #32 in Illinois per highschoolelite.com (Cello was unranked)
01-02: none
02-03: Jabbar Battle was ranked 26th as a HS senior but did not come to BU from high school, and Danny Adams & Joey Paul were both mentioned by HSelite.com but outside the Top 40
03-04: Daniel Ruffin was ranked 23rd in Class of 2003, Marcellus Sommerville was 7th ranked in Illinois (2001) but did not come to BU from high school, Michael Rembert was ranked #21 in IL Class of 2003
04-05: Jeremy Crouch was ranked 17th in IL in Class of 2004, Tony Bennett was unranked and did not come to BU from HS
05-06: none
06-07: Jeremy Fears was ranked 10th in IL (2004) out of HS, but did not come to BU from HS and did not ever play
07-08: Sam Maniscalco was ranked in the 14th, but actually 12th with the prep school kids eliminated
http://illinoishsbasketball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=1
08-09: Dodie Dunson was ranked 12th out of HS (2005) but did not come to BU from HS
09-10: Dyricus Simms-Edwards was #24, Jordan Prosser as high as #7 and others inside the Top 20
http://www.windycitybasketball.com/index.php?id=75
10-11: Walter Lemon is ranked #20-25
11-12: Donivine Stewart is ranked #10-15...but these guys had Donivine #7
http://www.windycitybasketball.com/index.php?id=77
12-13: still open
I don't think we're at the point where our instate recruiting is threatening University of Illinois...but clearly we've been doing consistently as good or better than ANYONE in the state and that includes SIU and ISU who some seem to think are doing a really great job of recruiting within the state.
Great job Coach Les, and keep it up..That's TEN Top 20-25 kids since 2003, with really NONE in the preceding decade, and quite possibly none going all the way back to the 80's or even late 70's, although we'll never know because the rankings as we know them did not exist back then.
Now bring us a few more among the local kids - Max, Bobo, etc.....
Monday, March 22, 2010
This is yet another "Year of the Mid-Major"
2006 was a year of the mid-major, then the selection committee muscled all the little guys out for a few years, but they have battled back to make 2010 another "Year of the Mid-Major"! And rightfully so - just look at the facts, especially considering how the seeding and travel distances were stacked so heavily against the non-BCS schools.
When Selection Sunday rolled around, we were all anxious to see how many of the deserving mid-majors were given bids. Everyone agreed that the pool of truly deserving BCS-teams was way smaller and almost nonexistent this year, so naturally we expected plenty of the deserving smaller schools should get a chance.
The number of mid-majors was up just a little from the past two years, but honestly, I really thought some of the deserving schools like UAB, Wichita State, Memphis, even Dayton, etc...still got overlooked...and the few mid-majors who did get the bids were given horrid seeding...
Well, time has proven two things in this regard...that the mid-majors ARE better than those talking heads and selection committee members thought, and they deserved better seeds......the consequence of which causes great anguish among the Big Easters and ACC'ers who got knocked off by the little guys.
Here is a run down and a REPORT CARD for the conferences based on their performance so far.........
The Best:
Missouri Valley - 1 team (UNI), 2-0 record, both wins against higher seeds (and a win over the #1 rated team) - Grade A+
Ivy League -- 1 team (Cornell), 2-0 record, both wins against higher seeds - Grade A
Horizon League - 1 team (Butler), 2-0 record, but both against far lower seeds - Grade A-
West Coast Conference - 2 teams (Gonzaga, St. Mary's), 3-1, with St. Mary's getting two wins over higher seeds - Grade A-
Big Ten - 5 teams (Mich. St., Purdue, Ohio St., Wisc., Minn.), 7-2, only one win vs. a higher seed, and it's a stumper why Maryland would be a higher seed than MSU (except for the obvious bias that explains it) - Grade B
Pac 10 - 2 teams, (Washington, Cal), 3-1, but not a single win yet over a BCS school who finished higher than 5th in their own conference - Grade B-
The Worst:
Big East - EIGHT teams in, record is a miserable 6-6, four of their teams were one-and-done, four losing to mid-majors, and FIVE losing to LOWER seeds - They have been the ultimate embarrassment of this tourney - Grade F
ACC - 6 teams, but just 5-5! Come on, this was supposedly the very top ranked conference! Wayyyy overrated -- Grade D- (saved only by their precious Dook who was granted a comfy #1 seeding, opponents like Arkansas Pine Bluff & hobbled Cal- missing a ket starter, and they got to play close to home on the east coast)
Big 12 - 7 teams in (KU, KSU, Baylor, TA&M, Mizzou, Texas, OSU) plus only one of the seven had to face a higher seed, yet FIVE are already gone (record 7-5) - several losing to lower seeds - including Kansas' humiliating but predictable loss to UNI - Grade D (but almost a D-)
SEC - 4 teams in, two are out already - losing embarrassing games to mid-majors - Grade C-
Mountain West - 4 teams, remember this conference was almost identical in strength to the Valley and WE BEAT THEM fair and square in the MVC/MWC Challenge - yet they are 2-4 with a couple losing to much lower seeds - Grade C-
A-10 - 3 teams, 2-2, with only one team remaining - and it's a real puzzler how Xavier got a #6 seed while teams like Notre Dame had a 6 and Vandy had a 4! - Grade C
Here is who's left in the Sweet Sixteen and what conference they come from........
also the percentage of team from their conferences that have been success ful and still remain!
Ranked by SUCCESS RATE:
100% Success:
MVC- Started with 1, 1 remains (UNI)
Ivy League- Started with 1, 1 remains (Cornell)
Horizon League- Started with 1, 1 remains (Butler)
60% Success:
Big Ten- Started with 5, 3 remain (MSU, OSU, Purdue) and two of their successful teams are playing without their best player!
50% Success:
WCC- Started with 2, 1 remains (St. Mary's)
PAC 10- Started with 2, 1 remains (Washington)
SEC- Started with 4, 2 remain (Kentucky, Tennessee)
33% Success:
A10- Started with 3, 1 remains (Xavier)
29% Success:
Big Twelve- Started with 7, 2 remain (KSU, Baylor)
25% Success:
Big East- Started with 8, 2 remain (Syracuse, WVU)
17% Success:
ACC- Started with 6, 1 remains (Duke)
Thus, again we see that the Big East and ACC have the worst success thus far in this year's NCAA Tournament. Wonder if that'll translate into maybe a few less bids next year as those on the selection committee possibly learn from their horrible experience. But don't hold your breath!
Even the Kansas press acknowledges that the midmajors are good this year and they surely deserve to be in this tourney!
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/20/1826869/kerkhoff-new-heroes-enter-ncaa.html
***EB-->>HCMPDD
When Selection Sunday rolled around, we were all anxious to see how many of the deserving mid-majors were given bids. Everyone agreed that the pool of truly deserving BCS-teams was way smaller and almost nonexistent this year, so naturally we expected plenty of the deserving smaller schools should get a chance.
The number of mid-majors was up just a little from the past two years, but honestly, I really thought some of the deserving schools like UAB, Wichita State, Memphis, even Dayton, etc...still got overlooked...and the few mid-majors who did get the bids were given horrid seeding...
Well, time has proven two things in this regard...that the mid-majors ARE better than those talking heads and selection committee members thought, and they deserved better seeds......the consequence of which causes great anguish among the Big Easters and ACC'ers who got knocked off by the little guys.
Here is a run down and a REPORT CARD for the conferences based on their performance so far.........
The Best:
Missouri Valley - 1 team (UNI), 2-0 record, both wins against higher seeds (and a win over the #1 rated team) - Grade A+
Ivy League -- 1 team (Cornell), 2-0 record, both wins against higher seeds - Grade A
Horizon League - 1 team (Butler), 2-0 record, but both against far lower seeds - Grade A-
West Coast Conference - 2 teams (Gonzaga, St. Mary's), 3-1, with St. Mary's getting two wins over higher seeds - Grade A-
Big Ten - 5 teams (Mich. St., Purdue, Ohio St., Wisc., Minn.), 7-2, only one win vs. a higher seed, and it's a stumper why Maryland would be a higher seed than MSU (except for the obvious bias that explains it) - Grade B
Pac 10 - 2 teams, (Washington, Cal), 3-1, but not a single win yet over a BCS school who finished higher than 5th in their own conference - Grade B-
The Worst:
Big East - EIGHT teams in, record is a miserable 6-6, four of their teams were one-and-done, four losing to mid-majors, and FIVE losing to LOWER seeds - They have been the ultimate embarrassment of this tourney - Grade F
ACC - 6 teams, but just 5-5! Come on, this was supposedly the very top ranked conference! Wayyyy overrated -- Grade D- (saved only by their precious Dook who was granted a comfy #1 seeding, opponents like Arkansas Pine Bluff & hobbled Cal- missing a ket starter, and they got to play close to home on the east coast)
Big 12 - 7 teams in (KU, KSU, Baylor, TA&M, Mizzou, Texas, OSU) plus only one of the seven had to face a higher seed, yet FIVE are already gone (record 7-5) - several losing to lower seeds - including Kansas' humiliating but predictable loss to UNI - Grade D (but almost a D-)
SEC - 4 teams in, two are out already - losing embarrassing games to mid-majors - Grade C-
Mountain West - 4 teams, remember this conference was almost identical in strength to the Valley and WE BEAT THEM fair and square in the MVC/MWC Challenge - yet they are 2-4 with a couple losing to much lower seeds - Grade C-
A-10 - 3 teams, 2-2, with only one team remaining - and it's a real puzzler how Xavier got a #6 seed while teams like Notre Dame had a 6 and Vandy had a 4! - Grade C
Here is who's left in the Sweet Sixteen and what conference they come from........
also the percentage of team from their conferences that have been success ful and still remain!
Ranked by SUCCESS RATE:
100% Success:
MVC- Started with 1, 1 remains (UNI)
Ivy League- Started with 1, 1 remains (Cornell)
Horizon League- Started with 1, 1 remains (Butler)
60% Success:
Big Ten- Started with 5, 3 remain (MSU, OSU, Purdue) and two of their successful teams are playing without their best player!
50% Success:
WCC- Started with 2, 1 remains (St. Mary's)
PAC 10- Started with 2, 1 remains (Washington)
SEC- Started with 4, 2 remain (Kentucky, Tennessee)
33% Success:
A10- Started with 3, 1 remains (Xavier)
29% Success:
Big Twelve- Started with 7, 2 remain (KSU, Baylor)
25% Success:
Big East- Started with 8, 2 remain (Syracuse, WVU)
17% Success:
ACC- Started with 6, 1 remains (Duke)
Thus, again we see that the Big East and ACC have the worst success thus far in this year's NCAA Tournament. Wonder if that'll translate into maybe a few less bids next year as those on the selection committee possibly learn from their horrible experience. But don't hold your breath!
Even the Kansas press acknowledges that the midmajors are good this year and they surely deserve to be in this tourney!
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/20/1826869/kerkhoff-new-heroes-enter-ncaa.html
***EB-->>HCMPDD
Saturday, March 20, 2010
John Wilkins update & Valley News
Now it's been 3 days since the news was pronounced by a message board source in Iowa that John Wilkins was verballing to Iowa State. Other news reports either ignored the initial report since there was and still is NO independent confirmation -- not from Wilkins, not from Wilkins' family, and not from the juco head coach.
Generally when the PJS has written about John Wilkins, there are gobs of quotes from Terry Carroll, the juco coach, from John himself or from his father, Jeff Wilkins in Gary, IN.
But oddly this time, absolutely NO quotes at all...just a parrotting of the message board report out of Iowa.
But there are some pretty solid reports from "behind the scenes" that the news of John's verbal is really quite premature, and that NO verbal has actually taken place.
That's not to say he isn't going to verbal to Iowa State or maybe Indiana, or elsewhere...but he just hasn't solidly verballed yet!
Going with such a story is a ploy often used to make it so difficult to publicly "withdraw" the statement about the verbal...that just maybe it was a ploy to pressure John into indeed carrying through with the verbal.
Iowa State really is that desperate...they can't win even when they have NBA caliber and even lottery caliber players, so what are going to do next year when they have virtually nobody?
Anyway....since the verbal was announced, there's an embarrassingly strong silence out of Iowa...the message boards have gone blank...no further followup stories, even though there were numerous promises that followup stories and interviews would be up by Thursday afternoon. They still aren't....so where are they and are they forthcoming at all, or will this story be exposed as a huge bonehead mistake?
For a good timeline of the events, and a summary of the events that leaves a whole lot of doubt about the cyclonefanatic.com report...check here...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15199
And as a little joke..I have compiled a David Letterman-like Top 10 list about Iowa State...
Top 10 reports on cyclonefanatic.com this morning...
10 - Greg McDermott has been moved to the position of athletic Director and Jeff Wilkins has been hired as new head coach
9 - John Wilkins has accepted a contract to play for Alba Berlin and will team up with Lucca Staiger, so he won't be playing at Iowa State
8 - Jonathan Wilkins, the 14 year old, 7-ft younger brother of John Wilkins has accepted a scholarship offer from Iowa State
7 - Greg McDermott has hired Jim Les as an assistant coach at Iowa State
6 - Donivine Stewart has changed his mind and will verbal to Iowa State instead
5 - Matt Roth has announced he will leave Indiana and transfer to Iowa State
4 - Jereme Richmond has reconsidered and is requesting to be released from his LOI so he can sign with Iowa State
3 - Sean Harris is leaving the mission field and treturning to the US to sign a Letter of Intent with Iowa State
2 - Tyler Les has accepted a scholarship offer from Greg McDermott and will play next year at Iowa State
1 - All three of Hersey Hawkins' sons have decommitted and will sign with Iowa State for next year
BRADLEY GETS ROBBED!!!
Here is a Sports Illustrated story/pictorial about the NCAA's biggest first round upsets...
they list Indiana State and Merfeld's Hampton upset...but when 13th seed Bradley knocked off Kansas in 2006, apparently nobody noticed...that win is NOT mentioned!!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1003/ncaa.tourney.biggest.first.round.upsets.history/content.1.html
Here's a really nice story on UNI and Ali Farokhmanesh...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/sports/ncaabasketball/20northiowa.html?ref=sports
I couldn't help but snicker at Digger Phelps and his ilk doing the commentating - and trying to come up with excuses and alibis on why mid-majors like Northern Iowa and Ohio are doing well, while Notre Dame, Louisville, and all the Big East teams are doing so poorly..
Digger even had the stupidity to claim it is because the schedule the Big East teams play is so difficult, that it drains then and they are no good any more by the post-season.
Whoa...then maybe they should schedule like ISU, but it sure didn't help them!!!
Wallace State stayed alive last night at the NJCAA Junior College Nationals....
Mitchell Anderson, Jr. play for them, as they beat NW Florida 69-62 to advance to the title game in the consolation bracket...
The Final Four who are playing for the overall Championship are--
Navarro vs. Eastern Utah (3rd place game)
Three Rivers vs. Howard (for the National Championship)
In the D-II juco playoffs, Lincoln beat Kirkwood 62-50.
Kirkwood's Kaylon Williams, who left Evansville for greener pastures, had 13 pts, 4 assists, 4 turnovers.
For Lincoln, ISU recruit, who now has an open scholarship guaranteed, was 4-16, including 0-7 from 3-pt range, 10 points, 3 assists, 2 TO.
Thankfully ex-Limestone Rocket DeMarius Sumrell had a great game to pick up Kenyon, and was 8-16 for 20 points!
Lincoln will now play Cincinnati State Technical & Community College for the National Championship.
Not much news on the topic of ISU's Bobby Hill's arrest for sexual assault..but there is more news of how Coach Tim Jankovich is going to free up a couple scholarships to go out recruiting this spring to find someone who can shoot.
Freshman Terrence Johnson..highly touted by ISU folks as a great scorer and point guard of the future...has quit and will transfer (or was he janked?).
His 8% shooting from beyond the arc is even worse than highly touted sharpshooter Sean Odzic's all time record bad shooting of 10.5%.
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15211
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_37dfb912-33db-11df-9e49-001cc4c03286.html
Osiris Eldridge ended his career as the 5th best career scorer at ISU with all time greats Ron Jones, Fred Marberry, Billy Lewis and Doug Collins ahead of him, although NONE of those guys got to play 4 years or 35 games in a season or have the benefit of 3-pointers, or get to take 450 shot attempts per season!
scout.com claims Donivine Stewart has verballed to Illinois State, not Bradley!
Sure this silly, erroneous report isn't from the Iowa State Cyclone site??
http://illinoisstate.scout.com/a.z?s=461&p=9&cfg=bb&c=4&yr=2011
Rayvonte Rice of Champaign Centennial could not lead his team to the Class 3A title game, and they will now play for 3rd place.
Rayvonte is a fine player and he is verballed to Drake...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15209
Ex-Drake head coach Tom Abatemarco is hired as assistant at Colorado.
http://www.coloradodaily.com/ci_14696349#axzz0iYrWQlOL
The beat writer for SIU wrote a summary article about their disappointing seaosn....it differs from what most Bradley fans would be used to in that it doesn't rip into the team and is actually quite fair, optimistic, and positive despite a far more ominous situation that Bradley has ever had!!
http://www.thesouthern.com/sports/ddba04ec-3317-11df-90a2-001cc4c03286.html
Likewise for ISU - despite a lot of downers, the guy doesn't rip on the team and the players...so it can be done!
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois/article_60d52a32-3241-11df-801b-001cc4c002e0.html
Evansville guard Monie Hudson is leaving and transferring...and their center Clint Hopf had knee surgery.
http://www.lancewilkerson.com/lance-wilkerson-blog/2010/3/19/aces-hopf-undergoes-knee-surgery.html
Generally when the PJS has written about John Wilkins, there are gobs of quotes from Terry Carroll, the juco coach, from John himself or from his father, Jeff Wilkins in Gary, IN.
But oddly this time, absolutely NO quotes at all...just a parrotting of the message board report out of Iowa.
But there are some pretty solid reports from "behind the scenes" that the news of John's verbal is really quite premature, and that NO verbal has actually taken place.
That's not to say he isn't going to verbal to Iowa State or maybe Indiana, or elsewhere...but he just hasn't solidly verballed yet!
Going with such a story is a ploy often used to make it so difficult to publicly "withdraw" the statement about the verbal...that just maybe it was a ploy to pressure John into indeed carrying through with the verbal.
Iowa State really is that desperate...they can't win even when they have NBA caliber and even lottery caliber players, so what are going to do next year when they have virtually nobody?
Anyway....since the verbal was announced, there's an embarrassingly strong silence out of Iowa...the message boards have gone blank...no further followup stories, even though there were numerous promises that followup stories and interviews would be up by Thursday afternoon. They still aren't....so where are they and are they forthcoming at all, or will this story be exposed as a huge bonehead mistake?
For a good timeline of the events, and a summary of the events that leaves a whole lot of doubt about the cyclonefanatic.com report...check here...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15199
And as a little joke..I have compiled a David Letterman-like Top 10 list about Iowa State...
Top 10 reports on cyclonefanatic.com this morning...
10 - Greg McDermott has been moved to the position of athletic Director and Jeff Wilkins has been hired as new head coach
9 - John Wilkins has accepted a contract to play for Alba Berlin and will team up with Lucca Staiger, so he won't be playing at Iowa State
8 - Jonathan Wilkins, the 14 year old, 7-ft younger brother of John Wilkins has accepted a scholarship offer from Iowa State
7 - Greg McDermott has hired Jim Les as an assistant coach at Iowa State
6 - Donivine Stewart has changed his mind and will verbal to Iowa State instead
5 - Matt Roth has announced he will leave Indiana and transfer to Iowa State
4 - Jereme Richmond has reconsidered and is requesting to be released from his LOI so he can sign with Iowa State
3 - Sean Harris is leaving the mission field and treturning to the US to sign a Letter of Intent with Iowa State
2 - Tyler Les has accepted a scholarship offer from Greg McDermott and will play next year at Iowa State
1 - All three of Hersey Hawkins' sons have decommitted and will sign with Iowa State for next year
BRADLEY GETS ROBBED!!!
Here is a Sports Illustrated story/pictorial about the NCAA's biggest first round upsets...
they list Indiana State and Merfeld's Hampton upset...but when 13th seed Bradley knocked off Kansas in 2006, apparently nobody noticed...that win is NOT mentioned!!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1003/ncaa.tourney.biggest.first.round.upsets.history/content.1.html
Here's a really nice story on UNI and Ali Farokhmanesh...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/sports/ncaabasketball/20northiowa.html?ref=sports
I couldn't help but snicker at Digger Phelps and his ilk doing the commentating - and trying to come up with excuses and alibis on why mid-majors like Northern Iowa and Ohio are doing well, while Notre Dame, Louisville, and all the Big East teams are doing so poorly..
Digger even had the stupidity to claim it is because the schedule the Big East teams play is so difficult, that it drains then and they are no good any more by the post-season.
Whoa...then maybe they should schedule like ISU, but it sure didn't help them!!!
Wallace State stayed alive last night at the NJCAA Junior College Nationals....
Mitchell Anderson, Jr. play for them, as they beat NW Florida 69-62 to advance to the title game in the consolation bracket...
The Final Four who are playing for the overall Championship are--
Navarro vs. Eastern Utah (3rd place game)
Three Rivers vs. Howard (for the National Championship)
In the D-II juco playoffs, Lincoln beat Kirkwood 62-50.
Kirkwood's Kaylon Williams, who left Evansville for greener pastures, had 13 pts, 4 assists, 4 turnovers.
For Lincoln, ISU recruit, who now has an open scholarship guaranteed, was 4-16, including 0-7 from 3-pt range, 10 points, 3 assists, 2 TO.
Thankfully ex-Limestone Rocket DeMarius Sumrell had a great game to pick up Kenyon, and was 8-16 for 20 points!
Lincoln will now play Cincinnati State Technical & Community College for the National Championship.
Not much news on the topic of ISU's Bobby Hill's arrest for sexual assault..but there is more news of how Coach Tim Jankovich is going to free up a couple scholarships to go out recruiting this spring to find someone who can shoot.
Freshman Terrence Johnson..highly touted by ISU folks as a great scorer and point guard of the future...has quit and will transfer (or was he janked?).
His 8% shooting from beyond the arc is even worse than highly touted sharpshooter Sean Odzic's all time record bad shooting of 10.5%.
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15211
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_37dfb912-33db-11df-9e49-001cc4c03286.html
Osiris Eldridge ended his career as the 5th best career scorer at ISU with all time greats Ron Jones, Fred Marberry, Billy Lewis and Doug Collins ahead of him, although NONE of those guys got to play 4 years or 35 games in a season or have the benefit of 3-pointers, or get to take 450 shot attempts per season!
scout.com claims Donivine Stewart has verballed to Illinois State, not Bradley!
Sure this silly, erroneous report isn't from the Iowa State Cyclone site??
http://illinoisstate.scout.com/a.z?s=461&p=9&cfg=bb&c=4&yr=2011
Rayvonte Rice of Champaign Centennial could not lead his team to the Class 3A title game, and they will now play for 3rd place.
Rayvonte is a fine player and he is verballed to Drake...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15209
Ex-Drake head coach Tom Abatemarco is hired as assistant at Colorado.
http://www.coloradodaily.com/ci_14696349#axzz0iYrWQlOL
The beat writer for SIU wrote a summary article about their disappointing seaosn....it differs from what most Bradley fans would be used to in that it doesn't rip into the team and is actually quite fair, optimistic, and positive despite a far more ominous situation that Bradley has ever had!!
http://www.thesouthern.com/sports/ddba04ec-3317-11df-90a2-001cc4c03286.html
Likewise for ISU - despite a lot of downers, the guy doesn't rip on the team and the players...so it can be done!
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois/article_60d52a32-3241-11df-801b-001cc4c002e0.html
Evansville guard Monie Hudson is leaving and transferring...and their center Clint Hopf had knee surgery.
http://www.lancewilkerson.com/lance-wilkerson-blog/2010/3/19/aces-hopf-undergoes-knee-surgery.html
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wheels Falling off at ISU?
Three years of underperforming and scheduling poorly and so far nothing to show, not even much NIT success??
Now, there's even more issues, beyond the one in St. Louis I heard about during the Valley Tourney...
This guy labels ISU on the "Most Disapointment" list for their playing such a softie schedule then bombing out anyway...
http://www.eog.com/news/full-article.aspx?id=48056
Here's an ISU fan & writer's opinion -- and it isn't good -- from ISU's own campus newspaper....
http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31719:the-arch-of-sadness&catid=64:sportscolumns&Itemid=55
Here's a few quotes..........
"What Tim Jankovich has done in the last three years has been remarkable, but what the Fonzie-haired coach has come up short with, is not so remarkable.
You can’t argue with success, unless that success doesn’t involve an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Redbirds post the longest drought of any Missouri Valley team in making the NCAA Tournament at 12 years now.
The problem with droughts is, the longer they last, the more people stop believing. This community, although enthralled in basketball, may not have much to believe in now.
Sure, there’s a hungry, young cast ready to do MVC damage next year, but there will be no Eldridge, a three-time All-Valey first teamer. There will be no Dinma Odiakosa, the Valley Player of the Year runner-up. There will be no sacrifice-everything Lloyd Phillips. The Redbirds have graduated some talented players over the years, but this time, there’s no “maybe next year” feeling.
When Jankovich joined the Redbirds in 2007, a positive optimism circulated into an unexpected 25-10 NIT campaign. The following season turned into a 24-10 NIT campaign. Not too shabby. Nearly 50 wins in two seasons. And for the third straight season, this team boasts a 20-win campaign and is looking at another postseason tournament.
But what now? What happens after the season is over?
The era that Jankovich jumpstarted is going to need jumper cables now.
The future looks promising in Redbird country don’t get me wrong, but the more Selection Sundays that pass without “Illinois State” rolling off Greg Gumble’s tongue, the more these last three years will turn into “the years ISU should have gone to the dance.”
The first two trips to St. Louis in the Jankovich era hurt. The third could hurt just as bad, if not worse, in the long run.
But, ultimately, there has been one big arch standing in the way these last few years and sadly, the “Arch of Sadness” will define the start of Jankovich’s reign"
Then of course the monster issue of the ISU player, Bobby Hill and his arrest on sex charges....truly sad but even more mounting troubles for Coach Jank to have to defend...as all his best players are leaving town......
what else can happen when the wheels have all fallen off already???
now one of the Bloomington writers says the reason ISU missed the NCAA was they were trying too hard...
really?? not the underperforming or the lousy schedule?? Hmmm..
http://pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_c59aecf2-2997-11df-94fe-001cc4c002e0.html
Rumors now suggest that SIU's Anthony Booker wants to stay but that Kevin Dillard might still be leaning towards bolting...we will be hearing more soon, I suspect.
Likewise, even the local Shockers' press agrees their lousy scheduling hurt them...
http://www.kansas.com/2010/03/15/1225589/body-of-work-leaves-wsu-outside.html
Hey - did you know Bradley made it to the Elite Eight in 2006?? That's what this guy says!!!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/364067-abolish-the-play-in-game
Here's an ex-NBA guy who gets arrested for drugs....but note where he had them hidden...
He had several bags of marijuana hidden NOT just in his underwear (kinda like the underwear bomber) but he had the dope hidden in between his buttocks...
in other words he had it hidden in his butt-crack...and was going to probably either smoke it himself or offer it to someone else.
Well, I sure don't smoke, nor use any drugs, but just the thought of smoking something that's been crammed up into a 280 lb. sweaty athlete's butt crack would make me kick the habit pretty quickly!!
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7018114981?Ex-NBA%20Player%20Whaley%20Arrested%20For%20Hiding%20Drugs%20In%20Backside
Here's a good question...why did the Federal Government shut down the investigation of ACORN that was requested by Federal judges??
then the president's people tried to hide their involvement and hope nobody noticed...but newly revealed documents now show the big wigs all the way up to the White House are trying to hide the facts and help their corrupt friends...
http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2010/mar/obama-justice-department-shut-down-federal-acorn-investigation-according-documents-obt
http://www.judicialwatch.org/weeklyupdate/2010/10-obama-administration-protecting-acorn
Now, there's even more issues, beyond the one in St. Louis I heard about during the Valley Tourney...
This guy labels ISU on the "Most Disapointment" list for their playing such a softie schedule then bombing out anyway...
http://www.eog.com/news/full-article.aspx?id=48056
Here's an ISU fan & writer's opinion -- and it isn't good -- from ISU's own campus newspaper....
http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31719:the-arch-of-sadness&catid=64:sportscolumns&Itemid=55
Here's a few quotes..........
"What Tim Jankovich has done in the last three years has been remarkable, but what the Fonzie-haired coach has come up short with, is not so remarkable.
You can’t argue with success, unless that success doesn’t involve an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Redbirds post the longest drought of any Missouri Valley team in making the NCAA Tournament at 12 years now.
The problem with droughts is, the longer they last, the more people stop believing. This community, although enthralled in basketball, may not have much to believe in now.
Sure, there’s a hungry, young cast ready to do MVC damage next year, but there will be no Eldridge, a three-time All-Valey first teamer. There will be no Dinma Odiakosa, the Valley Player of the Year runner-up. There will be no sacrifice-everything Lloyd Phillips. The Redbirds have graduated some talented players over the years, but this time, there’s no “maybe next year” feeling.
When Jankovich joined the Redbirds in 2007, a positive optimism circulated into an unexpected 25-10 NIT campaign. The following season turned into a 24-10 NIT campaign. Not too shabby. Nearly 50 wins in two seasons. And for the third straight season, this team boasts a 20-win campaign and is looking at another postseason tournament.
But what now? What happens after the season is over?
The era that Jankovich jumpstarted is going to need jumper cables now.
The future looks promising in Redbird country don’t get me wrong, but the more Selection Sundays that pass without “Illinois State” rolling off Greg Gumble’s tongue, the more these last three years will turn into “the years ISU should have gone to the dance.”
The first two trips to St. Louis in the Jankovich era hurt. The third could hurt just as bad, if not worse, in the long run.
But, ultimately, there has been one big arch standing in the way these last few years and sadly, the “Arch of Sadness” will define the start of Jankovich’s reign"
Then of course the monster issue of the ISU player, Bobby Hill and his arrest on sex charges....truly sad but even more mounting troubles for Coach Jank to have to defend...as all his best players are leaving town......
what else can happen when the wheels have all fallen off already???
now one of the Bloomington writers says the reason ISU missed the NCAA was they were trying too hard...
really?? not the underperforming or the lousy schedule?? Hmmm..
http://pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_c59aecf2-2997-11df-94fe-001cc4c002e0.html
Rumors now suggest that SIU's Anthony Booker wants to stay but that Kevin Dillard might still be leaning towards bolting...we will be hearing more soon, I suspect.
Likewise, even the local Shockers' press agrees their lousy scheduling hurt them...
http://www.kansas.com/2010/03/15/1225589/body-of-work-leaves-wsu-outside.html
Hey - did you know Bradley made it to the Elite Eight in 2006?? That's what this guy says!!!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/364067-abolish-the-play-in-game
Here's an ex-NBA guy who gets arrested for drugs....but note where he had them hidden...
He had several bags of marijuana hidden NOT just in his underwear (kinda like the underwear bomber) but he had the dope hidden in between his buttocks...
in other words he had it hidden in his butt-crack...and was going to probably either smoke it himself or offer it to someone else.
Well, I sure don't smoke, nor use any drugs, but just the thought of smoking something that's been crammed up into a 280 lb. sweaty athlete's butt crack would make me kick the habit pretty quickly!!
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7018114981?Ex-NBA%20Player%20Whaley%20Arrested%20For%20Hiding%20Drugs%20In%20Backside
Here's a good question...why did the Federal Government shut down the investigation of ACORN that was requested by Federal judges??
then the president's people tried to hide their involvement and hope nobody noticed...but newly revealed documents now show the big wigs all the way up to the White House are trying to hide the facts and help their corrupt friends...
http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2010/mar/obama-justice-department-shut-down-federal-acorn-investigation-according-documents-obt
http://www.judicialwatch.org/weeklyupdate/2010/10-obama-administration-protecting-acorn
Monday, March 15, 2010
Donivine Stewart Verbals to Bradley
Donivine Stewart gave a verbal commitment to come to Bradley in the fall of 2011, after next year's senior season at Bartonville Limestone HS.
Here's just about everything you'd want to know about Donivine's verbal--
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15140
I have watched Donivine Stewart play basketball since he was in 5th grade, and have seen at least 3 or 4 of his games every year since, and have seen him play some summer ball, also...as a couple of my own kids have played against him in school ball and summer ball.
I have never seen him have a bad game, and he's always been a great ball handler and a good scorer.
I recall one game back in 2005, I watched Donivine play when he was a 6th grader for his Pleasant Valley 8th grade team and he had 30 points and almost single-handedly beat a very good Peoria Christian team that finished 2nd in State (8th grade IESA).
The following two years he literally carried his team to the State Finals, even though there were no other reliable scorers on his team...
Even the year before when Donivine was just a 5th grader, he carried his team to State in the 7th grade Finals - but they lost in the quarterfinals...
http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/index.asp?year=2004&class=7A
But in 2006 - Donivine's Pleasant Valley team made it all the way to the 7A Championship game, with Donivine personally scoring 43 of his team's 56 points in a 60-56 losing effort...taking home the runnerup trophy.
That is NO MISPRINT - Donivine scored 43 of his team's 56 points!
http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/scoreboards/contestDetails.asp?StateContestID=16935&StateID=1699&Year=2006&Class=7A&Position=1
In the first round, quarter final, and semifinal games, Donivine also scored 16, 37, and 21 points for a tournament total of 117 points in four games....
To date that still stands as the ALL TIME record for points scored in a state tournament at any level...and probably will remain so since they no longer play 4 games at state...
"Class 7A: 1985-2006
Most Points, Tournament 117 Donivine Stewart (16-37-21-43) Peoria Pleasant Valley 2006
Most Points, Championship Game 43 (16@2, 3@3, 2-3 FT) Donivine Stewart Peoria Pleasant Valley 2006"
http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/records_Individual.asp
Donivine returned to the State Finals the next year as an 8th grader with Pleasant Valley (2007) but this time finished 4th...
The format of the games had changed as the schools were newly split into 4 classes, so in the 3 games downstate, Donivine scored 29, 39 (of his team's 45), and 24 points..
http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/index.asp?year=2007&class=8-2A
Donivine also still holds the all time scoring record for the 8-2A Tourney - but nobody at any level has ever broken it...
Then when Donivine went to Limestone HS he immediately scored well enough as a freshman to lead the entire state in scoring at nearly 30 ppg.
He has continued to score well, in the 22-28 ppg range but he has tried to help his teammates as well...
donivine has been the area scoring average leader in all three of his seasons thus far at Limestone....and should be closing in on 3000 career points by this time next year.
Unfortunately Donivine has never had much teammate help in the scoring column....
Donivine will likely hold many if not most of the yearly and career scoring records at Limestone by the time he's done...and also holds some records from the Tournament of Champions high school tourney that's been held the past few years around Thanksgiving in Peoria.
I am excited for Donivine and also excited for Bradley...
Donivine will be a fine college point guard.
Donivine had legitimate offers from Iowa, DePaul, Illinois, and West Virginia, and even some interest from North Carolina...but wanted to stay and play in front of his hometown fans.
Plus, the Iowa & DePaul situations are a little shaky and the other offers might come with other requirements like redshirting...
Here are some YouTube videos of Donivine...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDRJkS77udg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKj5U881T6k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5sFWv_Kdc&NR=1&feature=fvwp
As you can see from the video - Donivine is good friends with the Manual kids and can maybe help sway a few to check out Bradley!!
This is huge.....very few of the Top 10 kids in Illinois go to smaller schools or mid-majors...
The kids Bradley has landed the past few years from locally (Dyricus Simms-Edwards, Jordan Prosser, Donivine) are all rated quite highly and should be a great team together down the road!
Now, let's go get John Wilkins, Sean Harris, Max Bielfeldt, and maybe another BIG MAN and a scoring wing!!
When Donivine was in junior high...
in the four games at "State" that year (Donivine's 7th grade year), Donivine had 117 points...
That number STILL STANDS as the most points by any individual in a single (7A) State Tournament, and his 43 is the most by any player ever in the title game...
His 19 FG in that title game also still stands as the most field goals in any game at State...
BUT here's even more IESA records.....
Donivine also played for his Peoria Pleasant Valley 7A team while he was in 5th grade and that team went to state, and made it to the quarterfinals, so in those two games Donivine scored 34 more points, AND also Donivine's Pleasant Valley team made the 2007 8-2A State Tournament and played three more games (in Monticello) taking home the 4th place trophy, and Donivine scored 29, 39, and 24 points in those three games...which also still hold the records for BOTH Most points in a game (39) and most points in a tournament (92).
SO -- in NINE games over three years at the IESA State Tournies, Donivine has an impressive 243 points, and nobody else in the history of the state even comes anywhere close!
Here's just about everything you'd want to know about Donivine's verbal--
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15140
I have watched Donivine Stewart play basketball since he was in 5th grade, and have seen at least 3 or 4 of his games every year since, and have seen him play some summer ball, also...as a couple of my own kids have played against him in school ball and summer ball.
I have never seen him have a bad game, and he's always been a great ball handler and a good scorer.
I recall one game back in 2005, I watched Donivine play when he was a 6th grader for his Pleasant Valley 8th grade team and he had 30 points and almost single-handedly beat a very good Peoria Christian team that finished 2nd in State (8th grade IESA).
The following two years he literally carried his team to the State Finals, even though there were no other reliable scorers on his team...
Even the year before when Donivine was just a 5th grader, he carried his team to State in the 7th grade Finals - but they lost in the quarterfinals...
http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/index.asp?year=2004&class=7A
But in 2006 - Donivine's Pleasant Valley team made it all the way to the 7A Championship game, with Donivine personally scoring 43 of his team's 56 points in a 60-56 losing effort...taking home the runnerup trophy.
That is NO MISPRINT - Donivine scored 43 of his team's 56 points!
http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/scoreboards/contestDetails.asp?StateContestID=16935&StateID=1699&Year=2006&Class=7A&Position=1
In the first round, quarter final, and semifinal games, Donivine also scored 16, 37, and 21 points for a tournament total of 117 points in four games....
To date that still stands as the ALL TIME record for points scored in a state tournament at any level...and probably will remain so since they no longer play 4 games at state...
"Class 7A: 1985-2006
Most Points, Tournament 117 Donivine Stewart (16-37-21-43) Peoria Pleasant Valley 2006
Most Points, Championship Game 43 (16@2, 3@3, 2-3 FT) Donivine Stewart Peoria Pleasant Valley 2006"
http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/records_Individual.asp
Donivine returned to the State Finals the next year as an 8th grader with Pleasant Valley (2007) but this time finished 4th...
The format of the games had changed as the schools were newly split into 4 classes, so in the 3 games downstate, Donivine scored 29, 39 (of his team's 45), and 24 points..
http://www.iesa.org/activities/bbk/index.asp?year=2007&class=8-2A
Donivine also still holds the all time scoring record for the 8-2A Tourney - but nobody at any level has ever broken it...
Then when Donivine went to Limestone HS he immediately scored well enough as a freshman to lead the entire state in scoring at nearly 30 ppg.
He has continued to score well, in the 22-28 ppg range but he has tried to help his teammates as well...
donivine has been the area scoring average leader in all three of his seasons thus far at Limestone....and should be closing in on 3000 career points by this time next year.
Unfortunately Donivine has never had much teammate help in the scoring column....
Donivine will likely hold many if not most of the yearly and career scoring records at Limestone by the time he's done...and also holds some records from the Tournament of Champions high school tourney that's been held the past few years around Thanksgiving in Peoria.
I am excited for Donivine and also excited for Bradley...
Donivine will be a fine college point guard.
Donivine had legitimate offers from Iowa, DePaul, Illinois, and West Virginia, and even some interest from North Carolina...but wanted to stay and play in front of his hometown fans.
Plus, the Iowa & DePaul situations are a little shaky and the other offers might come with other requirements like redshirting...
Here are some YouTube videos of Donivine...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDRJkS77udg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKj5U881T6k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5sFWv_Kdc&NR=1&feature=fvwp
As you can see from the video - Donivine is good friends with the Manual kids and can maybe help sway a few to check out Bradley!!
This is huge.....very few of the Top 10 kids in Illinois go to smaller schools or mid-majors...
The kids Bradley has landed the past few years from locally (Dyricus Simms-Edwards, Jordan Prosser, Donivine) are all rated quite highly and should be a great team together down the road!
Now, let's go get John Wilkins, Sean Harris, Max Bielfeldt, and maybe another BIG MAN and a scoring wing!!
When Donivine was in junior high...
in the four games at "State" that year (Donivine's 7th grade year), Donivine had 117 points...
That number STILL STANDS as the most points by any individual in a single (7A) State Tournament, and his 43 is the most by any player ever in the title game...
His 19 FG in that title game also still stands as the most field goals in any game at State...
BUT here's even more IESA records.....
Donivine also played for his Peoria Pleasant Valley 7A team while he was in 5th grade and that team went to state, and made it to the quarterfinals, so in those two games Donivine scored 34 more points, AND also Donivine's Pleasant Valley team made the 2007 8-2A State Tournament and played three more games (in Monticello) taking home the 4th place trophy, and Donivine scored 29, 39, and 24 points in those three games...which also still hold the records for BOTH Most points in a game (39) and most points in a tournament (92).
SO -- in NINE games over three years at the IESA State Tournies, Donivine has an impressive 243 points, and nobody else in the history of the state even comes anywhere close!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
John Wilkins, other Valley news, and then a couple odd non-sports stories
OK..if you love Bradley basketball, and if you ever wonder exactly what is true and what is not among all the reports you read...then save this blog entry...
I won't and CAN'T go into extreme detail, but for now I am gonna play along with all the internet reports that John Wilkins hasn't given Bradley a thought in months...
He never mentions Bradley any more....he appears all set to commit to one of a couple schools that have apparently NOT even offered yet, and they both look like long term rebuilding projects and laughingstock programs that are falling apart at the seams...
So believe when you want....but how many times do we have to give examples of how the national writers completely leave out Bradley in discussions with recruits..
Ezample - On the very weekend that Iman Shumpert was in Peoria seriously considering Bradley, many national writers were listing his choices and his offers and not one of them even mentioned Bradley.
Other recruits that have BU offers have also been subjects of articles that strangely fail to mention Bradley's involvement - and I am happy in a way about that, as I think a school typically wants its recruiting aims and plans to be kept a little quiet - if you know what I mean...
Another example - One story on Matt Roth flatly stated he had eliminated Bradley yet immediately Matt himself called and talked to the Peoria media to tell them that story was totally false and that the guy who wrote it had never even contacted Matt to get the truth! The quotes were completely fabricated!
Then we have the Jordan Prosser and Dyricus stories...where many, many reports never mentioned Bradley and several that did said they had long since eliminated Bradley - yet both had done NO such thing and ended up coming to Bradley despite the stories saying that would never happen!!
Almost every day I read a recruiting article somewhere in which a kid refutes what's being said about him and even refutes what's being quoted from him.....Jordan Prosser also had this happen to him to the point that he just stopped talking to some of the media and recruiting guys because of all the falsehoods and misquotes.
So believe what you want, but I have evidence that all is not lost......and you will find out more later....so Bradley is doing just fine on the recruiting front.....
Here's a story that seems to shed a light on what factors are important when a recruit chooses a school........
Its story about a kid who sounds a lot like LA Pomlee...the kid that Bradley wanted but he spurned Bradley offers to go and sit on the bench for two years at Iowa State, then get booted so they can open up another scholarship and go after John Wilkins!
This kid is still in high school - and he's getting recruiting interest - but mostly mid-majors like Northern Iowa who just WON their league and are playing the NCAA for the 2nd straight year!..
...then along comes an offer from Iowa State..
they are bad and have been bad for years...since they let Larry Eustachy go, and they are languishing at the bottom of their league, and their coach may be gone soon...
but still, here's what the kid says - and it tells you what factors are the most important when a recruit picks a school...even though you'd think the kid would look at academics, or the school's success, or post-season success, or that chance to play right away....but nope.......(note the kid averages about 12 pts/6 rebs - not all that impressive. Doesn't just about every high school in the naiton have at least 2 kids with numbers like that?)
"Ross Travis ...Chaska, Minn., the 6-foot-7, 205-pound junior
Travis said Iowa State is his most exciting offer. There haven't been many changes in recruiting for Travis, who's averaging 11.8 points, six rebounds
..The same six offers are on the table with Iowa State, Oregon State, Rice, Santa Clara, Northern Iowa and North Dakota State
but Travis said two schools in particular stand out with the Cyclones leading the way.
"Iowa State is the most exciting offer," Travis said. "They play high Division I teams which I'm looking for and the school is big so that was the most exciting offer."
Coach Kerry Keating's squad at Santa Clara is not far behind though.
"Santa Clara, even though they're not doing well this year, they're all the way out in California, so that was pretty exciting, too," Travis said.
"The higher Division I schools, all the bigger schools, are waiting on me to see if I get bigger,"
So even if it's a horrible school that won't win but a couple games in the next few years...it is still his favorite, simply because -
--they are big and it sounds exciting
--they play big schools (even if they don't win too often)
--and the California school seems to have some lure...
The kid seems totally unimpressed with the offer from the Valley school!
Rumors - that some of our area's coaching staffs and others were at Carver last night watching the games and zeroing in on one or more of the Manual kids!!
Speaking of recruiting...Indiana coach Tom Crean sounds absolutely tickled pink that his team lost and is out of the Big Ten Tourney.
This is great - it allows him to get out and recruit.....
remember...they have no open scholarships, and in fact won't have an open ride for any kid until TWO years from this fall, in Fall of 2012...since all the kid they have now are almost all freshmen and sophomres and will still be around a while...and they already have several obscure kids who have already committed for the next couple years filling all the open rides.
So, this sense of urgency to get out and recruit means something's brewing...look for a bunch of current kids to get Creaned and have their scholarships Janked...
Anyway, here's what Crean says this morning...he's excited he can recruit instead of still being alive and playing basketball!
http://twitter.com/TomCrean/status/10421326641
One report I read this morning said that Nick Evans who was booted at Southern Illinois right after Will Egolf took him to the woodshed and he missed that silly monster dunk attempt...then he got a "T" in the next game, lost all his playing time and was booted...
He is going to transfer to University of Southern Indiana so he can transfer there (Division II) and be eligible right away..
That's where Jamar Smith was, but there's also rumors that possibly Torres Roundtree, who was also booted from SIU and is now at juco, will end up there, too.
Here's a story that didn't get very wide coverage...
right at the end of the game Wednesday between Akron and Eastern Michigan, there was a lot of fighting, numerous technicals and ejections, then a foul mouth, obscenity laced tirade by the EMU coach that all caught plainly on TV and radio by the media microphones at courtside...
You can read more details, but the EMU coach Charles Ramsey had to be escorted off and ejected and he cursed loudly...
Yesterday - a phony-sounding apology was posted on the official Eastern Michigan website by the school and the coach about his behavior...but oddly today you can do a search of the EMU site and it can't be found...but I saved the link from yesterday and the page can still be accessed.
The EMU message board unanimously wants the guy fired...
http://bgnewssports.com/2010/03/quarterfinal-game-between-akron-and-eastern-michigan-gets-chippy/
http://www.emueagles.com/news/2010/3/12/GEN_0312102613.aspx
Here are just a couple representative opinions posted...that want the coach fired
http://www.mlive.com/forums/eagles/index.ssf?artid=54651
http://www.mlive.com/forums/eagles/index.ssf?artid=54657
Here's a couple non-sports stories that caught my eye........
Did anyone else think what I thought when you first heard the story of the "runaway Prius" a couple days ago??
Did you also hear the 911 call made by the driver of the supposedly runaway car - made while he was driving...
He was able to make a 911 call, and stayed on the line with 911 personnel for 23 minutes!!!
... but when told repeatedly by the 911 operator to shift the car out of gear or shut off the engine, he himmed and hawed and mostly ignored the suggestion or hinted he didn't have a free hand because he was talking on the cell phone..or for some reason he was afraid to do so as he might actually succeed and slow down then get rear-ended!!
Now evidence is coming out that this was just another monster HOAX...
a way to get fame AND fortune and be able to get in on a lucrative lawsuit against Toyota...or at least get a free car..
...and just coincidentally the guy in question is filing bankruptcy and is $700,000 in debt!!!
PLUS the guy has made money filing suspicious insurance claims in the past and owns an adult swinger web site!!
Possibly the bigger theme here is how the so-called "mainstream media" NEVER once questioned this guy nor even asked the proper questions that would have instantly revealed this was a hoax...
it was almost as if the media was willingly playing along with the guy....likely because it does make good news, it does sell newspapers, and anyway...why not bring down a major worldwide automaker in the process....after all, they are real bad guys here!!
Here are several stories...the first one is pretty darned convincing
that this was a complete hoax from the beginning and the media fell for it...[/B]
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/12/toyota-autos-hoax-media-opinions-contributors-michael-fumento.html
http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-news-jamessikesinvestigated0311,0,4677651.story
http://www.thecollegedriver.com/posts/940-California-runaway-Prius-may-be-hoax-driver-bankrupt-behind-on-car-payments
Lastly....you wonder why would the media be complicit in lobbying against auto makers?? Well apparently it has happened before...
One comments in one of the above links talks about how CNN has done this before...(and btw- I saw this CNN piece and it was indeed aiming to paint the automakers as big bad guys...)
"...a couple of CNN anchors coaching people on how to "turn lemons into lemonade" by take advantage of the Lemon Law.
They were targeting people in Atlanta ... trying to get them to game the system and get a free car out of the deal."
Did anyone else read this local story...it's about a company in Peoria named "Firefly Energy".
It's about a "start-up" technology company, andf they asked for & received
$6 million in local loans and tax breaks from the City of Peoria and the County of Peoria, PLUS...
They also received a $7 million development contract from the U.S. government in 2007, followed by a $2 million grant from the U.S. military in 2008.
PLUS -- their own web site touts even more handouts they claim to have received...
"the defense bill for fiscal year 2006 includes 2.5 million dollars to speed up development of the Firefly battery"
"...the ...Electrolux (Corporation).. have invested in Firefly Energy and will become the first customer for the batteries
Electolux ..owns..Husqvarna, Poulan, and Weed Eater.. The ride-on mowers you see at Sears Garden Centers are most likely built by Electrolux."
..other private companies also have invested $$ in this company including Caterpillar...
"Caterpillar executive management decided in 2003 to provide seed funding for a separate business solely dedicated to the new technology. Firefly Energy was born!"
So in all...this new company pocketed a minimum of $15 million and maybe as much as $25 million in handouts and help courtesy of you and me, the taxpayers..and others....
Now, you guessed it, they are complately out of money and filing bacnkruptcy..
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_8268279f-77a4-5832-b9bc-aefd87a00e95.html
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x99748000/Firefly-files-for-bankruptcy
As a taxpayer...I'd like a few answers as to why our money was sunk into such a bad investment...and just curious whether any of the big wigs in this Firefly Corp. ended up getting rich in this scheme?? (although I think I already know the answer).
I won't and CAN'T go into extreme detail, but for now I am gonna play along with all the internet reports that John Wilkins hasn't given Bradley a thought in months...
He never mentions Bradley any more....he appears all set to commit to one of a couple schools that have apparently NOT even offered yet, and they both look like long term rebuilding projects and laughingstock programs that are falling apart at the seams...
So believe when you want....but how many times do we have to give examples of how the national writers completely leave out Bradley in discussions with recruits..
Ezample - On the very weekend that Iman Shumpert was in Peoria seriously considering Bradley, many national writers were listing his choices and his offers and not one of them even mentioned Bradley.
Other recruits that have BU offers have also been subjects of articles that strangely fail to mention Bradley's involvement - and I am happy in a way about that, as I think a school typically wants its recruiting aims and plans to be kept a little quiet - if you know what I mean...
Another example - One story on Matt Roth flatly stated he had eliminated Bradley yet immediately Matt himself called and talked to the Peoria media to tell them that story was totally false and that the guy who wrote it had never even contacted Matt to get the truth! The quotes were completely fabricated!
Then we have the Jordan Prosser and Dyricus stories...where many, many reports never mentioned Bradley and several that did said they had long since eliminated Bradley - yet both had done NO such thing and ended up coming to Bradley despite the stories saying that would never happen!!
Almost every day I read a recruiting article somewhere in which a kid refutes what's being said about him and even refutes what's being quoted from him.....Jordan Prosser also had this happen to him to the point that he just stopped talking to some of the media and recruiting guys because of all the falsehoods and misquotes.
So believe what you want, but I have evidence that all is not lost......and you will find out more later....so Bradley is doing just fine on the recruiting front.....
Here's a story that seems to shed a light on what factors are important when a recruit chooses a school........
Its story about a kid who sounds a lot like LA Pomlee...the kid that Bradley wanted but he spurned Bradley offers to go and sit on the bench for two years at Iowa State, then get booted so they can open up another scholarship and go after John Wilkins!
This kid is still in high school - and he's getting recruiting interest - but mostly mid-majors like Northern Iowa who just WON their league and are playing the NCAA for the 2nd straight year!..
...then along comes an offer from Iowa State..
they are bad and have been bad for years...since they let Larry Eustachy go, and they are languishing at the bottom of their league, and their coach may be gone soon...
but still, here's what the kid says - and it tells you what factors are the most important when a recruit picks a school...even though you'd think the kid would look at academics, or the school's success, or post-season success, or that chance to play right away....but nope.......(note the kid averages about 12 pts/6 rebs - not all that impressive. Doesn't just about every high school in the naiton have at least 2 kids with numbers like that?)
"Ross Travis ...Chaska, Minn., the 6-foot-7, 205-pound junior
Travis said Iowa State is his most exciting offer. There haven't been many changes in recruiting for Travis, who's averaging 11.8 points, six rebounds
..The same six offers are on the table with Iowa State, Oregon State, Rice, Santa Clara, Northern Iowa and North Dakota State
but Travis said two schools in particular stand out with the Cyclones leading the way.
"Iowa State is the most exciting offer," Travis said. "They play high Division I teams which I'm looking for and the school is big so that was the most exciting offer."
Coach Kerry Keating's squad at Santa Clara is not far behind though.
"Santa Clara, even though they're not doing well this year, they're all the way out in California, so that was pretty exciting, too," Travis said.
"The higher Division I schools, all the bigger schools, are waiting on me to see if I get bigger,"
So even if it's a horrible school that won't win but a couple games in the next few years...it is still his favorite, simply because -
--they are big and it sounds exciting
--they play big schools (even if they don't win too often)
--and the California school seems to have some lure...
The kid seems totally unimpressed with the offer from the Valley school!
Rumors - that some of our area's coaching staffs and others were at Carver last night watching the games and zeroing in on one or more of the Manual kids!!
Speaking of recruiting...Indiana coach Tom Crean sounds absolutely tickled pink that his team lost and is out of the Big Ten Tourney.
This is great - it allows him to get out and recruit.....
remember...they have no open scholarships, and in fact won't have an open ride for any kid until TWO years from this fall, in Fall of 2012...since all the kid they have now are almost all freshmen and sophomres and will still be around a while...and they already have several obscure kids who have already committed for the next couple years filling all the open rides.
So, this sense of urgency to get out and recruit means something's brewing...look for a bunch of current kids to get Creaned and have their scholarships Janked...
Anyway, here's what Crean says this morning...he's excited he can recruit instead of still being alive and playing basketball!
http://twitter.com/TomCrean/status/10421326641
One report I read this morning said that Nick Evans who was booted at Southern Illinois right after Will Egolf took him to the woodshed and he missed that silly monster dunk attempt...then he got a "T" in the next game, lost all his playing time and was booted...
He is going to transfer to University of Southern Indiana so he can transfer there (Division II) and be eligible right away..
That's where Jamar Smith was, but there's also rumors that possibly Torres Roundtree, who was also booted from SIU and is now at juco, will end up there, too.
Here's a story that didn't get very wide coverage...
right at the end of the game Wednesday between Akron and Eastern Michigan, there was a lot of fighting, numerous technicals and ejections, then a foul mouth, obscenity laced tirade by the EMU coach that all caught plainly on TV and radio by the media microphones at courtside...
You can read more details, but the EMU coach Charles Ramsey had to be escorted off and ejected and he cursed loudly...
Yesterday - a phony-sounding apology was posted on the official Eastern Michigan website by the school and the coach about his behavior...but oddly today you can do a search of the EMU site and it can't be found...but I saved the link from yesterday and the page can still be accessed.
The EMU message board unanimously wants the guy fired...
http://bgnewssports.com/2010/03/quarterfinal-game-between-akron-and-eastern-michigan-gets-chippy/
http://www.emueagles.com/news/2010/3/12/GEN_0312102613.aspx
Here are just a couple representative opinions posted...that want the coach fired
http://www.mlive.com/forums/eagles/index.ssf?artid=54651
http://www.mlive.com/forums/eagles/index.ssf?artid=54657
Here's a couple non-sports stories that caught my eye........
Did anyone else think what I thought when you first heard the story of the "runaway Prius" a couple days ago??
Did you also hear the 911 call made by the driver of the supposedly runaway car - made while he was driving...
He was able to make a 911 call, and stayed on the line with 911 personnel for 23 minutes!!!
... but when told repeatedly by the 911 operator to shift the car out of gear or shut off the engine, he himmed and hawed and mostly ignored the suggestion or hinted he didn't have a free hand because he was talking on the cell phone..or for some reason he was afraid to do so as he might actually succeed and slow down then get rear-ended!!
Now evidence is coming out that this was just another monster HOAX...
a way to get fame AND fortune and be able to get in on a lucrative lawsuit against Toyota...or at least get a free car..
...and just coincidentally the guy in question is filing bankruptcy and is $700,000 in debt!!!
PLUS the guy has made money filing suspicious insurance claims in the past and owns an adult swinger web site!!
Possibly the bigger theme here is how the so-called "mainstream media" NEVER once questioned this guy nor even asked the proper questions that would have instantly revealed this was a hoax...
it was almost as if the media was willingly playing along with the guy....likely because it does make good news, it does sell newspapers, and anyway...why not bring down a major worldwide automaker in the process....after all, they are real bad guys here!!
Here are several stories...the first one is pretty darned convincing
that this was a complete hoax from the beginning and the media fell for it...[/B]
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/12/toyota-autos-hoax-media-opinions-contributors-michael-fumento.html
http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-news-jamessikesinvestigated0311,0,4677651.story
http://www.thecollegedriver.com/posts/940-California-runaway-Prius-may-be-hoax-driver-bankrupt-behind-on-car-payments
Lastly....you wonder why would the media be complicit in lobbying against auto makers?? Well apparently it has happened before...
One comments in one of the above links talks about how CNN has done this before...(and btw- I saw this CNN piece and it was indeed aiming to paint the automakers as big bad guys...)
"...a couple of CNN anchors coaching people on how to "turn lemons into lemonade" by take advantage of the Lemon Law.
They were targeting people in Atlanta ... trying to get them to game the system and get a free car out of the deal."
Did anyone else read this local story...it's about a company in Peoria named "Firefly Energy".
It's about a "start-up" technology company, andf they asked for & received
$6 million in local loans and tax breaks from the City of Peoria and the County of Peoria, PLUS...
They also received a $7 million development contract from the U.S. government in 2007, followed by a $2 million grant from the U.S. military in 2008.
PLUS -- their own web site touts even more handouts they claim to have received...
"the defense bill for fiscal year 2006 includes 2.5 million dollars to speed up development of the Firefly battery"
"...the ...Electrolux (Corporation).. have invested in Firefly Energy and will become the first customer for the batteries
Electolux ..owns..Husqvarna, Poulan, and Weed Eater.. The ride-on mowers you see at Sears Garden Centers are most likely built by Electrolux."
..other private companies also have invested $$ in this company including Caterpillar...
"Caterpillar executive management decided in 2003 to provide seed funding for a separate business solely dedicated to the new technology. Firefly Energy was born!"
So in all...this new company pocketed a minimum of $15 million and maybe as much as $25 million in handouts and help courtesy of you and me, the taxpayers..and others....
Now, you guessed it, they are complately out of money and filing bacnkruptcy..
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_8268279f-77a4-5832-b9bc-aefd87a00e95.html
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x99748000/Firefly-files-for-bankruptcy
As a taxpayer...I'd like a few answers as to why our money was sunk into such a bad investment...and just curious whether any of the big wigs in this Firefly Corp. ended up getting rich in this scheme?? (although I think I already know the answer).
Friday, March 12, 2010
A few interesting news items...as we wait to see who ends up in which tourney
Among those named to the NCAA Division II All (Midwest) Regional Team...two ex-Illini commits appear!!
Jamar Smith is named to the 1st Team, but also David Palmer is on the 2nd Team..
http://www.allkyhoops.com/2010/03/stephens-palmer-named-to-daktronics-all.html
How many recall that David Palmer initially committed to Illinois, then went the prep route before heading to Seton Hall, then Iowa, then Northern Kentucky!
A new premium article on the DePaul site, says the poor performance of SIU and the rumored turmoil does indeed seem to be having an effect, and DePaul insiders want to put Chris Lowery on the back burner and go harder after Brian Gregory, as well as a few other names coming up....Isiah Thomas, Tony Barbee, Butler's Brad Stevens, and Rod Strickland.
Because of some quality teams being booted early from their conference tourneys, several new possibilities for the NIT force contemplation that ISU might fall out of NIT-consideration....they may end up in the CBI or CIT...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/article_17099d54-2d6c-11df-b688-001cc4c03286.html
For those who were at the Bradley game when the Zooperstars appeared at halftime...one of the costumed characters named mackerel Jordan ( a guy in a big fish suit) swallows another guy who pretends he's part of the coaching staff..
Well, this same Zooperstar character, Mackerel Jordan appeared on ESPN's SportsNation and swallowed the female host of the show, Michelle Beadle...
Here's a promo pic...
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/11/2010/03/500x_beadlejordan.jpg
and here's where you'll find the guy swallowing the attractive blonde host of the show...
http://deadspin.com/5491094/inflatable-dong+tongued-mascot-returns-to-eat-espns-michelle-beadle
Speaking of mascots...here (for adults only)is a funny picture of the Syracuse mascot...
http://guyism.com/2010/03/the-syracuse-mascot-is-a-bit-of-a-pervert.html
Jamar Smith is named to the 1st Team, but also David Palmer is on the 2nd Team..
http://www.allkyhoops.com/2010/03/stephens-palmer-named-to-daktronics-all.html
How many recall that David Palmer initially committed to Illinois, then went the prep route before heading to Seton Hall, then Iowa, then Northern Kentucky!
A new premium article on the DePaul site, says the poor performance of SIU and the rumored turmoil does indeed seem to be having an effect, and DePaul insiders want to put Chris Lowery on the back burner and go harder after Brian Gregory, as well as a few other names coming up....Isiah Thomas, Tony Barbee, Butler's Brad Stevens, and Rod Strickland.
Because of some quality teams being booted early from their conference tourneys, several new possibilities for the NIT force contemplation that ISU might fall out of NIT-consideration....they may end up in the CBI or CIT...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/article_17099d54-2d6c-11df-b688-001cc4c03286.html
For those who were at the Bradley game when the Zooperstars appeared at halftime...one of the costumed characters named mackerel Jordan ( a guy in a big fish suit) swallows another guy who pretends he's part of the coaching staff..
Well, this same Zooperstar character, Mackerel Jordan appeared on ESPN's SportsNation and swallowed the female host of the show, Michelle Beadle...
Here's a promo pic...
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/11/2010/03/500x_beadlejordan.jpg
and here's where you'll find the guy swallowing the attractive blonde host of the show...
http://deadspin.com/5491094/inflatable-dong+tongued-mascot-returns-to-eat-espns-michelle-beadle
Speaking of mascots...here (for adults only)is a funny picture of the Syracuse mascot...
http://guyism.com/2010/03/the-syracuse-mascot-is-a-bit-of-a-pervert.html
Thursday, March 11, 2010
New stuff I am hearing...
One reason perhaps why Bradley did not want to play further into the spring, in addition to what was said yesterday...is that there have been some injuries that are nagging to a few key players. Injuries that have not been mentioned, and it's time to let those guys get fully healthy and begin conditioning for next year.
I am still seeing really ridiculous criticisms of the players and coaches on certain anti-Bradley message boards, mostly based on horribly and even libelously false bases and assessments. Pretty amazing to what extent miserable people will go to if they want to find something to bellyache about!
I read several times since January that John Wilkins had lost his case, and even once article said it had been decided against him by the judge back in February...
However - since intelligent people try to deal with facts rather than just falsehoods....let's set the record straight...
there is a public access website where you can search any case in the Iowa court system and find what's going on...and I can tell you this with certainty...
that the case was JUST decided Tuesday, March 9.
The details were entered into the computer database on 3/10/10..
The database doesn't lie...here's a cut and paste copy of the entry...
Case: 08291 LALA003565 (DES MOINES)
Title: WILKINS, J W VS NAT'L JR COLLEGIATE ASSN
3/09/10
"DENYING TEMPORARY INJUNCTION & MOTION TO DISMISS"
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15096
But..if anyone wants to express their opinion about the judge, then they are FREE to do so and welcome to do so..
Go to this site and enter your opinion of the judge...it is free and it is your right..
Personally I stated that I felt the judge and the system unfairly treated John Wilkins with unnecessary and unfair delays on his request for an immediate and emergency injunction...I encourage others to enter their opinion on Judge Mary Ann Brown...
http://www.courthouseforum.com/forums/evaluationtrial.php?id=741572&which=judge
Here is a more expanded opinion survey...
http://www.courthouseforum.com/forums/evaluationtrial.php
Here's some video that shows John Wilkins with his team and John is really cheering on his teammates...(he is in the orange warmup)
John's team won last night to go to the D-I NJCAA Championships in Hutchinson, Kansas.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/viewQT/SCCvWilliston031010-mov
New Mexico is having a fine year winning the MWC, breaking into the rankings, and their coach Steve Alford being named MWC COY...but one of their players, Curtis Dennis, was once verbally committed to Northern Iowa, and was literally stolen away by Steve Alford, when he hired the kid's AAU coach.
"Curtis Dennis, a 6-foot-4 wing from Houston Inner City Academy in Houston, Texas, is verbally committed to Northern Iowa.
Dennis, a native of the Bronx, is a fifth year student at the school..."
http://scouthoops.scout.com/2/634559.html
http://www.golobos.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/dennis_curtis00.html
There's a new interview on one of the Premium services with Matt Roth about his progress...
Matt Roth unfortunately suffered a fracture of a bone in his foot during warmups just before the 3rd game of the season...their first in Puerto Rico (3 1/2 months ago0
In his only two games that he had played before that - against two very softie non-con patsies (Howard, USC-Upstate), Matt played very sparingly (7 min in 1st game, 4 min in 2nd), got only 2 shot attempts, and missed his only 3-pointer...
There were rumblings that he wasn't going to be used very much at all this season as Indiana had some far more athletic scoring guards like Maurice Creek (their best player), and Verdell Jones...
but we were never able to find out....as Matt has sat out all season, but held out some hope that he could return in February...but the healing is going very slowly......Matt is not resigned to the fact that he isn't going to play until next season....
He was told to slim down so there'd be less stress and weight on his foot, and so he's lost some weight, but he also fell way behind on conditioning...
but even now any effort to put weight on his right foot (fractured right 5th metatarsal, similar to what Andrew Warren had), still results in occasional pain but moreso, an unsteady feeling, that causes him to focus on trying NOT to land on his right foot...and he says he still can't get away from that feeling, so it inhibits his jumping and thus his shooting ability...
it is quite clear he is NOT going to return this season and will take a redshirt, but HE HAS STILL NOT DONE ANY CONDITIONING SPRINTS AND IS NOT IN ANY GAME-SHAPE.
He says he has to "force himself" not to think about or worry about coming down on it and refracturing it...and he still doesn't have good balance or cutting ability....
He is working hard with the staff and trainers so he'll be ready next fall...it'll be interesting to see what the team looks like with rumors of personnel changes and with tom Crean still actively recruiting to bring in a big man...
Just how bad is DePaul...and maybe how overrated are the players they have??
Mac Koshwal is hyped as an NBA-caliber talent...
it seems like it's been 10 years that this guy has been around and we've been hearing all the hype...
NBA talent, NBA body, etc...
well, is he NBA caliber...? Will he even get drafted...
He's more like 6-7 not the 6-10 he's billed at...
and all he can do is play low post..never even tries to shoot from more than 2 feet away..
But yesterday's game in the Big East Tourney was pretty telling...
south Florida won 58-49 and USF scored 50 of their 58 points in the paint,
repeatedly forcing the ball inside and shooting right in Mac's face, and he couldn't do a thing about it...
Koshwal had 8 pts in 36 minutes, but USF won the battle in the paint 50-22...with Dominique Jones getting 20 pts/9 rebs...
and USF didn't make a single 3 pointer (0-8)
Will Walker..DePaul's top scorer may have pro potential...he had a deceptive game...
if a guy shoots 8-24 , and only 4-14 from 3pt, then really it's a bad game, but he ends up with 20 pts...so some will think he had a good game.
BUT - here's what has the DePaul fans grumbling...
from their team stats...
Will Walker - their best scorer, averages 16 ppg, but he shoots only 35.8% overall!!! and only 30.7% from 3pt range!!!
On the season he needed 494 shot attempts to score 501 points....that's terrible!!
As a team, DePaul had nearly 100 fewer assists than their opponents..in other words...they are chuckers, and never share the rock...
nobody even averaged better than 2.8 apg..
and their FT shooting as a team was 58%!!!!!!
Koshwal also had one of the nation's worst A/T Ratio...
38/61!!!
Their two point guards combined (Jeremiah Kelly 33, Mike Bizoukas 22) still didn't total the number of turnovers that Mac Koshwal had...isn't that really odd??
Here's a Tiger Woods story....
Tiger Woods' supposed girlfriend from more than 15 years ago when he was in college is now giving interviews...
I gotta suspect she is panhandling for a payoff...what a bimbo...
she actually has the nerve to assume anyone really gives a hoot what she says or thinks about Tiger Woods...!!
"He definitely was a dork," she recalled with a laugh.
"He was kinda scrawny and wore thick glasses. He didn't really have a lot of female attention."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/03/09/tiger.woods.ex.speaks.ppl
I am still seeing really ridiculous criticisms of the players and coaches on certain anti-Bradley message boards, mostly based on horribly and even libelously false bases and assessments. Pretty amazing to what extent miserable people will go to if they want to find something to bellyache about!
I read several times since January that John Wilkins had lost his case, and even once article said it had been decided against him by the judge back in February...
However - since intelligent people try to deal with facts rather than just falsehoods....let's set the record straight...
there is a public access website where you can search any case in the Iowa court system and find what's going on...and I can tell you this with certainty...
that the case was JUST decided Tuesday, March 9.
The details were entered into the computer database on 3/10/10..
The database doesn't lie...here's a cut and paste copy of the entry...
Case: 08291 LALA003565 (DES MOINES)
Title: WILKINS, J W VS NAT'L JR COLLEGIATE ASSN
3/09/10
"DENYING TEMPORARY INJUNCTION & MOTION TO DISMISS"
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15096
But..if anyone wants to express their opinion about the judge, then they are FREE to do so and welcome to do so..
Go to this site and enter your opinion of the judge...it is free and it is your right..
Personally I stated that I felt the judge and the system unfairly treated John Wilkins with unnecessary and unfair delays on his request for an immediate and emergency injunction...I encourage others to enter their opinion on Judge Mary Ann Brown...
http://www.courthouseforum.com/forums/evaluationtrial.php?id=741572&which=judge
Here is a more expanded opinion survey...
http://www.courthouseforum.com/forums/evaluationtrial.php
Here's some video that shows John Wilkins with his team and John is really cheering on his teammates...(he is in the orange warmup)
John's team won last night to go to the D-I NJCAA Championships in Hutchinson, Kansas.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/viewQT/SCCvWilliston031010-mov
New Mexico is having a fine year winning the MWC, breaking into the rankings, and their coach Steve Alford being named MWC COY...but one of their players, Curtis Dennis, was once verbally committed to Northern Iowa, and was literally stolen away by Steve Alford, when he hired the kid's AAU coach.
"Curtis Dennis, a 6-foot-4 wing from Houston Inner City Academy in Houston, Texas, is verbally committed to Northern Iowa.
Dennis, a native of the Bronx, is a fifth year student at the school..."
http://scouthoops.scout.com/2/634559.html
http://www.golobos.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/dennis_curtis00.html
There's a new interview on one of the Premium services with Matt Roth about his progress...
Matt Roth unfortunately suffered a fracture of a bone in his foot during warmups just before the 3rd game of the season...their first in Puerto Rico (3 1/2 months ago0
In his only two games that he had played before that - against two very softie non-con patsies (Howard, USC-Upstate), Matt played very sparingly (7 min in 1st game, 4 min in 2nd), got only 2 shot attempts, and missed his only 3-pointer...
There were rumblings that he wasn't going to be used very much at all this season as Indiana had some far more athletic scoring guards like Maurice Creek (their best player), and Verdell Jones...
but we were never able to find out....as Matt has sat out all season, but held out some hope that he could return in February...but the healing is going very slowly......Matt is not resigned to the fact that he isn't going to play until next season....
He was told to slim down so there'd be less stress and weight on his foot, and so he's lost some weight, but he also fell way behind on conditioning...
but even now any effort to put weight on his right foot (fractured right 5th metatarsal, similar to what Andrew Warren had), still results in occasional pain but moreso, an unsteady feeling, that causes him to focus on trying NOT to land on his right foot...and he says he still can't get away from that feeling, so it inhibits his jumping and thus his shooting ability...
it is quite clear he is NOT going to return this season and will take a redshirt, but HE HAS STILL NOT DONE ANY CONDITIONING SPRINTS AND IS NOT IN ANY GAME-SHAPE.
He says he has to "force himself" not to think about or worry about coming down on it and refracturing it...and he still doesn't have good balance or cutting ability....
He is working hard with the staff and trainers so he'll be ready next fall...it'll be interesting to see what the team looks like with rumors of personnel changes and with tom Crean still actively recruiting to bring in a big man...
Just how bad is DePaul...and maybe how overrated are the players they have??
Mac Koshwal is hyped as an NBA-caliber talent...
it seems like it's been 10 years that this guy has been around and we've been hearing all the hype...
NBA talent, NBA body, etc...
well, is he NBA caliber...? Will he even get drafted...
He's more like 6-7 not the 6-10 he's billed at...
and all he can do is play low post..never even tries to shoot from more than 2 feet away..
But yesterday's game in the Big East Tourney was pretty telling...
south Florida won 58-49 and USF scored 50 of their 58 points in the paint,
repeatedly forcing the ball inside and shooting right in Mac's face, and he couldn't do a thing about it...
Koshwal had 8 pts in 36 minutes, but USF won the battle in the paint 50-22...with Dominique Jones getting 20 pts/9 rebs...
and USF didn't make a single 3 pointer (0-8)
Will Walker..DePaul's top scorer may have pro potential...he had a deceptive game...
if a guy shoots 8-24 , and only 4-14 from 3pt, then really it's a bad game, but he ends up with 20 pts...so some will think he had a good game.
BUT - here's what has the DePaul fans grumbling...
from their team stats...
Will Walker - their best scorer, averages 16 ppg, but he shoots only 35.8% overall!!! and only 30.7% from 3pt range!!!
On the season he needed 494 shot attempts to score 501 points....that's terrible!!
As a team, DePaul had nearly 100 fewer assists than their opponents..in other words...they are chuckers, and never share the rock...
nobody even averaged better than 2.8 apg..
and their FT shooting as a team was 58%!!!!!!
Koshwal also had one of the nation's worst A/T Ratio...
38/61!!!
Their two point guards combined (Jeremiah Kelly 33, Mike Bizoukas 22) still didn't total the number of turnovers that Mac Koshwal had...isn't that really odd??
Here's a Tiger Woods story....
Tiger Woods' supposed girlfriend from more than 15 years ago when he was in college is now giving interviews...
I gotta suspect she is panhandling for a payoff...what a bimbo...
she actually has the nerve to assume anyone really gives a hoot what she says or thinks about Tiger Woods...!!
"He definitely was a dork," she recalled with a laugh.
"He was kinda scrawny and wore thick glasses. He didn't really have a lot of female attention."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/03/09/tiger.woods.ex.speaks.ppl
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
More Valley News - and some other intriguing stories!
Still haven't heard much new on the incident that was witnessed in St. Louis - one of the top Valley teams' best player was observed taken from one of the St. Louis hotels in the custody of police. I have no report as to the nature of the incident or if any charges were filed.
Bradley decides not to play in the post-season...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15085
This will help recruiting...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=172188#post172188
Anyone wanna see what the Indiana Hooiser fans think of their coach going after John Wilkins...
here's just one example, but many fans don't want Wilkins, they think he's a project, and they can't see that he'll ever play there any more than other total projects like Bawa Muniru...
quote--
"What is the Indiana staff thinking?
Why in the world is Indiana's staff going after people that arent on major division one level cllege basketball, like Wilkins. That and did they forget that we live in one of the most tallent rich states in the country. Indiana recruit Indiana better before you start loosing the AAU and highschool coaches..."
http://indiana.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=731&tid=140842756&mid=140842756&sid=942&style=2
Here's a story that involves Eddren McCain's high scoring high school teammate, Tweety Carter at Baylor...
and it highlights how Baylor got so good, so fast...and of course it's shady recruiting and other shady activities...
-- but seriously, it's a BCS conference, so NCAA doesn't give a hoot about this cheating!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/ncb/columns/story?columnist=caplan_jeff&id=4979714
ISU fans are making a plea for the NCAA to remove the Strength of Schedule (SOS) as a criteria for at-large selection...
funny really, when you consider how laughably weak their SOS was....it's like asking them to remove D-I criteria and let D-II's and D-III's and maybe even some women's teams into the men's NCAA Tournament!
http://www.redbirdfan.com/msgforum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13452&sid=52834782fd69bc5e19b444709152c255
Here's a BIZARRE revolt among ISU Redbird fans --
http://twitter.com/xb7/status/10273728294
SIU loses a recruit to Hofstra...
http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/03/09/branden-frazier-to-hofstra/
Creighton is looking to quickly replace shooting guard P'Allen Stinnett...
http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1061429
I guess the all time world record worst meltdown and implosion on message boards belongs to SIU -- as Saluki fans dump on everyone from their coaches and players to their administrators...
they want Chris Lowery gone and yesterday would not be too soon...they were openly rooting for DePaul to lose so that just maybe they'd hire Lowery sooner...
I have never seen a team turn on their own so fiercely and hatefully...
gotta think it will open the eyes of future recruits and even present players...watch for a few to bolt and get out of Carbondale....maybe the Saluki fans might like being in the cellar with Evansville for a while.
I also found it funny on the Wichita State Shockers board a few fans were ridiculing other teams who might be in the CBI or CIT....all the while they are going to the NIT and probably would have contemplated the CBI or CIT if they didn't get NIT consideration!!
Drake recruit Rayvonte Rice, who may be about to reconsider...
single handedly outscored his 3A Regional Tournament opponent last night...
He had 23 points in Champaign Centennial's 43-18 win over Mahomet.
Blogger Joe Book takes on UNI's DUI decision to suspend Jordan Eglseder for only 3 relatively meaningless games...
"This absolutely weak decision by Northern Iowa clearly trumpets to the world that winning basketball games is more important than taking a stand and making a statement to a group of impressionable young men. Drinking and driving is completely intolerable, and Eglseder should have been benched for the remainder of the season, or removed from the team altogether. No second chances. Zero tolerance."
http://www.examiner.com/x-7020-Bradley-Braves-Examiner~y2010m2d14-Northern-Iowa-star-suspended
Wow- DePaul really tanked at the end....their fans are looking forward to something different next year!
Remember...DePaul's players are all 3-Star and 4-Star recruits...
Still hearing rumors about who will be DePaul's new coach...
Here's a funny story...all the Chicago Public School basketball coaches are getting in line and they want the DePaul head coaching job....they even sound a little litle they think it is an entitlement or birthright that it should go to a CPL coach!!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ncb/columns/story?columnist=powers_scott&id=4977826
Two other Big East coaches, Fred Hill & Norm Roberts are also on the HOT SEAT!!
Is Roberts the next in the line of Bill Self disciples who moves on then fails???
http://web.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100308&content_id=8712470&oid=2&vkey=21
Jerry Wainwright is still looking for his next coaching job...maybe Chris Lowery to DePaul then Jerry Wainwright to SIU??
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-0310-haugh-depaul-jerry-wainwright20100309,0,654152.column
Illini recruit Meyers Leonard had a pretty nice dunk in his Super Sectional game...
He basically pulled a Zack Andrews and leaped over the defender...
http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/rhawks/?action=view¤t=LeonardDunkPoster.jpg
Joe Lunardi still has Illinois in the NCAA - so tell me again why this guy is considered an expert?
Watch Purdue lose out on their #1 seed in the NCAA simply due to the injury to Robbie Hummel. So now tell me again how you can't point to injuries for lowered performance or expectations?
A member of the Kansas athletic department/fundraising staff has been "placed on administrative leave" - meaning booted because of improprieties...
The details sound like illegal use of funds...and maybe a whole lot more crooked stuff...
But - hey, this is Kansas basketball...so no need to make more than a tiny story out of it!!
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=172&f=2481&t=5702588
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/mar/08/ku-athletics-director-places-williams-fund-officia/
Here's an odd news item...sprinter Marion Jones has signed to play professional basketball with the WNBA Tulsa Shock!
She just got out of prison! She played basketball in college (13 years ago) - her new coach at Tulsa is Nolan Richardson!!
http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/athletics/109725-marion-jones-joins-womens-nba-side-tulsa-shock
Tennessee fans want to bring out BLACK jerseys to play in the NCAA...
if they do are we gonna see the press ripping them??
http://www.volnation.com/forum/tennessee-vols-basketball/97934-black-jerseys-sec-tourney.html
Bradley decides not to play in the post-season...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15085
This will help recruiting...
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=172188#post172188
Anyone wanna see what the Indiana Hooiser fans think of their coach going after John Wilkins...
here's just one example, but many fans don't want Wilkins, they think he's a project, and they can't see that he'll ever play there any more than other total projects like Bawa Muniru...
quote--
"What is the Indiana staff thinking?
Why in the world is Indiana's staff going after people that arent on major division one level cllege basketball, like Wilkins. That and did they forget that we live in one of the most tallent rich states in the country. Indiana recruit Indiana better before you start loosing the AAU and highschool coaches..."
http://indiana.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=731&tid=140842756&mid=140842756&sid=942&style=2
Here's a story that involves Eddren McCain's high scoring high school teammate, Tweety Carter at Baylor...
and it highlights how Baylor got so good, so fast...and of course it's shady recruiting and other shady activities...
-- but seriously, it's a BCS conference, so NCAA doesn't give a hoot about this cheating!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/ncb/columns/story?columnist=caplan_jeff&id=4979714
ISU fans are making a plea for the NCAA to remove the Strength of Schedule (SOS) as a criteria for at-large selection...
funny really, when you consider how laughably weak their SOS was....it's like asking them to remove D-I criteria and let D-II's and D-III's and maybe even some women's teams into the men's NCAA Tournament!
http://www.redbirdfan.com/msgforum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13452&sid=52834782fd69bc5e19b444709152c255
Here's a BIZARRE revolt among ISU Redbird fans --
http://twitter.com/xb7/status/10273728294
SIU loses a recruit to Hofstra...
http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/03/09/branden-frazier-to-hofstra/
Creighton is looking to quickly replace shooting guard P'Allen Stinnett...
http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1061429
I guess the all time world record worst meltdown and implosion on message boards belongs to SIU -- as Saluki fans dump on everyone from their coaches and players to their administrators...
they want Chris Lowery gone and yesterday would not be too soon...they were openly rooting for DePaul to lose so that just maybe they'd hire Lowery sooner...
I have never seen a team turn on their own so fiercely and hatefully...
gotta think it will open the eyes of future recruits and even present players...watch for a few to bolt and get out of Carbondale....maybe the Saluki fans might like being in the cellar with Evansville for a while.
I also found it funny on the Wichita State Shockers board a few fans were ridiculing other teams who might be in the CBI or CIT....all the while they are going to the NIT and probably would have contemplated the CBI or CIT if they didn't get NIT consideration!!
Drake recruit Rayvonte Rice, who may be about to reconsider...
single handedly outscored his 3A Regional Tournament opponent last night...
He had 23 points in Champaign Centennial's 43-18 win over Mahomet.
Blogger Joe Book takes on UNI's DUI decision to suspend Jordan Eglseder for only 3 relatively meaningless games...
"This absolutely weak decision by Northern Iowa clearly trumpets to the world that winning basketball games is more important than taking a stand and making a statement to a group of impressionable young men. Drinking and driving is completely intolerable, and Eglseder should have been benched for the remainder of the season, or removed from the team altogether. No second chances. Zero tolerance."
http://www.examiner.com/x-7020-Bradley-Braves-Examiner~y2010m2d14-Northern-Iowa-star-suspended
Wow- DePaul really tanked at the end....their fans are looking forward to something different next year!
Remember...DePaul's players are all 3-Star and 4-Star recruits...
Still hearing rumors about who will be DePaul's new coach...
Here's a funny story...all the Chicago Public School basketball coaches are getting in line and they want the DePaul head coaching job....they even sound a little litle they think it is an entitlement or birthright that it should go to a CPL coach!!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ncb/columns/story?columnist=powers_scott&id=4977826
Two other Big East coaches, Fred Hill & Norm Roberts are also on the HOT SEAT!!
Is Roberts the next in the line of Bill Self disciples who moves on then fails???
http://web.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100308&content_id=8712470&oid=2&vkey=21
Jerry Wainwright is still looking for his next coaching job...maybe Chris Lowery to DePaul then Jerry Wainwright to SIU??
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-0310-haugh-depaul-jerry-wainwright20100309,0,654152.column
Illini recruit Meyers Leonard had a pretty nice dunk in his Super Sectional game...
He basically pulled a Zack Andrews and leaped over the defender...
http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/rhawks/?action=view¤t=LeonardDunkPoster.jpg
Joe Lunardi still has Illinois in the NCAA - so tell me again why this guy is considered an expert?
Watch Purdue lose out on their #1 seed in the NCAA simply due to the injury to Robbie Hummel. So now tell me again how you can't point to injuries for lowered performance or expectations?
A member of the Kansas athletic department/fundraising staff has been "placed on administrative leave" - meaning booted because of improprieties...
The details sound like illegal use of funds...and maybe a whole lot more crooked stuff...
But - hey, this is Kansas basketball...so no need to make more than a tiny story out of it!!
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=172&f=2481&t=5702588
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/mar/08/ku-athletics-director-places-williams-fund-officia/
Here's an odd news item...sprinter Marion Jones has signed to play professional basketball with the WNBA Tulsa Shock!
She just got out of prison! She played basketball in college (13 years ago) - her new coach at Tulsa is Nolan Richardson!!
http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/athletics/109725-marion-jones-joins-womens-nba-side-tulsa-shock
Tennessee fans want to bring out BLACK jerseys to play in the NCAA...
if they do are we gonna see the press ripping them??
http://www.volnation.com/forum/tennessee-vols-basketball/97934-black-jerseys-sec-tourney.html
Monday, March 8, 2010
Strong Correlation Between Injuries and Success in MVC - plus an interesting rumor!!
Here's a thought - I just counted the number of games missed by the key players of each Valley school - and for reference I chose the top 8 kids in scoring average...
If I missed anyone, let me know, but it is a pretty accurate refelction of how important it is to play with all your players.....
Here's how the ten Valley teams rank in games lost to players from injuries and other issues (players who redshirted all season from the outset are not included but if the player had to come off redshirt then the games he missed do count as long as he was one of their main guys). I even allowed for key players who were disciplined or dismissed.
Bradley - 47 (Dunson 29, DSE 5, Taylor Brown 4, Jake Eastman 9)
Indiana St. - 39 (Kelly 19, Lathan 12, Marshall 6, Richard 2)
Evansville - 30 (Bouchie 18, Lacey 6, Hopf 4, Haarsma 2)
Creighton - 14 (P'Allen 11, Carter 3)
SIU - 12 (Evans 9, Dillard 1, Freeman 1, Booker 1)
UNI - 5 (Eglseder 3 - but they did LOSE to Evansville with him out, Moran 2)
Wichita St. - 3 (Hannah 3 early season cupcakes)
Drake - 1 (Josh Young 1)
Missouri State - none
ISU - none
So what is the point....?
The point is that the teams that finished 1-2-3 in the Valley were clearly the teams who were among the ones that lucked out and avoided injuries and player losses...
The teams with the most player losses clearly had the more disappointing seasons.....
It is as simple as that....Bradley had the most games lost to injuries and other personnel losses, and Indiana State was the only other Valley team close....and BOTH had somewhat disappointing seasons, especially at the end.
I know there's a never ending debate about whether you can use injuries as an excuse....and it seems the very people who say that about Bradley - also allow for other teams to use injuries as an excuse!! (Purdue, Indiana State, etc.)
But facts are facts....if you want to praise other teams then be fair and note how much they avoided the injury factor and had all their key players at the key times - and that's not always a factor of the players themselves or the coaching.
I guess if you are constantly going to compare Bradley with teams that you praise and call better teams, then please include this fact...
Northern Iowa was NEVER without more than just one key player, and they never lacked a key player when it mattered or in the tourney...while clearly other teams DID.
Even when they did lose Eglseder AFTER their team had clinched - then they clearly struggled and even lost to last place Evansville!
They might have made the correction, but in my paper this morning, there's A PICTURE OF THE UNI team holding the sign that reads
"State Farm MISSOURI VALLEY CHAMPS"
...The caption says,
"Northern Illinois players celebrate.."
(note to staff...UNI is NOT Northern Illinois!!)
Also, I agree with the sentiment that Valley schools need to schedule tougher...
but why does this column have to appear in the Peoria paper and not in the papers of Bloomington or Carbondale where it might do more good?
Bradley is the ONE school that BOTH this year and in the past several years HAS scheduled tough....while it's been ISU, SIU, WSU, and even Northern Iowa who have scheduled soft!
I included UNI but at least they tried to schedule tougher but they struck out horribly!
Tell me who were Northern Iowa's BCS opponents??
It just so happens that they did play FOUR BCS opponents...DePaul, Boston College, Iowa, and Iowa State...
all four were miserable this seaosn, as weak as BCS opponents come!
DePaul is pathetic and UNI even LOST to them!
Iowa State, Iowa, and BC are all sub-.500 and battling to stay out of last place in their respective conferences!
UNI couldn't have hand picked a slate of four BCS teams that were weaker...sorry, but it's the truth! BC even lost on their own home floor to MAINE!!
Oh, and the numbers in the PJS were wrong....Indiana State did NOT have the leagues best SOS - that honor goes to Bradley whose SOS ranks 60, while InSU ranks 63.
So how about the single most prevailing rumor that was swirling in St. Louis??
...That SIU's Chris Lowery is going to leave SIU and become the next head coach at DePaul??
Well...now there's an article being discussed about that topic...
Note that the article quotes Lowery ONLY as saying he has not signed anything with DePaul nor reached any kind of specific agreement...
It does NOT say he is staying at SIU or that he WON'T be the next coach at DePaul...
Anyway...once it gets started on the SIU board, then Saluki fans really seem to want Lowery GONE!!
http://www.dailyregister.com/sports/x2096602085/Lowery-remains-Southern-Illinois-head-coach
http://www.salukitalk.net/st/viewtopic.php?t=32218&sid=13a29204941c65d5a742fefb22a4384d
Speaking of SIU - read this long post by an SIU fan who was terribly embarrassed and upset by the behavior of several other Saluki fans...
he also tears into Chris Lowery and a few others...
the followup comments are pretty interesting as well.....
Seems that Salukiland is in complete turmoil and meltdown...
gotta wonder if the same thing would happen elsewhere....as I really doubt it except for maybe one other school whose fans I'd place in roughly the same category as Salukifans....where classlessness is a true art form...
http://www.salukitalk.net/st/viewtopic.php?t=32246&sid=13a29204941c65d5a742fefb22a4384d
The guy also confirms he's almost sure Anthony Booker (as well as other players) are gonna be gone from SIU...
Is Seton Hall the new haven for thugs and malcontents? We all know that Seton Hall has lived in the bottom of the Big East for a long time and pressure is on head coach Bobby Gonzalez to produce a winner. Surely he sees what is happening to his counterparts like DePaul's Jerry Wainwright and the recent firing of Tim Welsh and hiring of Keno Davis at Providence. He knows he has to get a winner soon - and drawing talented kids to Seton Hall has got to be tougher than getting them to Villanova or UConn!
So, he does what many coaches do in this situation, he starts recruiting marginal kids - the ones other coaches pass on because of behavior and attitude issues. This technique just blew up horribly at Binghamton, and of course at Baylor a few years ago under Dave Bliss, but I am sure Gonzalez thinks Seton Hall is no Binghamton or Baylor, and just maybe it's gonna work for him....
We had previously discussed Michael Glover - one of the well travelled Boys to Men kids who ended up never getting eligible at Seton Hall, then unsuccessfully suing the NCAA.
But - here's a couple interesting articles describing how Gonzalez has built his team around "high-risk, second-chance transfers", and how much trouble that plan is causing.....
also - add in the fact that Gonzalez is also a very volatile and divisive person and often throws his own players under the bus...and did so before departing his last job..
Just coincidentally, many of the high profile transfers have already had legal issues and most have even failed to qualify!!
Looks like Seton Hall is going to miss the NCAA again this season...so is this unorthodoz plan working??
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08seton.html?pagewanted=1&ref=sports
Bobby Gonzalez clearly has a history of fighting, illegal and improper behavior, cheating, lying, and selling his soul to win games...
They all knew that at his last coaching job (Manhattan) and they are still talking about how he ruined their program!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08manhattan.html
You have to wonder how long is Seton Hall going to risk going the same way Binghamton just did....how long before some really serious issue arises or the school finds itself hammered for their violations??
Here's a nice column from Drake that shows the classiness they have and honor and speak so highly of their own players.....
Nice to see it.....wish we'd see more instead of so much ripping and attacks...
http://www.timesdelphic.com/2010/03/08/end-of-one-era-start-of-another
Along this same vein, I talked with several of the players and their parents over the weekend...and anyone who says or thinks that what's said negatively on message boards isn't hurtful or insulting, and maybe even backfires and hurts the team, simply doesn't have a clue or they are using their ignorance as a defense shield. But in time even those boards where the insults are prevalent start to die and nobody goes there any more.
Case in point, while BradleyFans was buzzing with well over 200 people online Friday and Saturday after the games...the other places that purport to be Bradley fan sites - even the ones heavily promoted with tons of advertising....were languishing with maybe one lurker and a google-bot....seriously - nothing being talked about at all, except still some bozos trying to stir up discontent....
Nice article on Yuba, who ended up 24-4 after this was supposed to be a rebuilding year!
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/sports/cornelius-92497-season-49ers.html
Indiana and head coach Tom Crean just canned his top assistant and top recruiter...Roshown Mcleod, apparently an effort to deflect criticism over their continued bad play and terrible recruiting success.....
But isn't it time to get past all the blame game...blaming the previous coach for the shambles the program was in, blaming the NCAA even though they didn't really issue a single penalty on Indiana, now blaming his underlings....they brought it all upon themselves..
and now blaming they are other assistants!!
Indeed McLeod was brough in specifically to help them land kids like Kyrie Irving, David Williams, and Josh Selby....and he did help bring in Victor Oladipo....but I see this as a preemptive move by Tom Crean to label McLeod as the scapegoat for everything wrong at Indiana.
If you look closely, read the local press, and check their message boards, there is a growing discontent brewing...
Indiana fans wanted and expected a little bit better by now, and Tom Crean has not yet brought in any blue-chippers...
In fact, most of the players he has landed are mid-major caliber kids and the schools he's beating out for them are like Bradley (for Matt Roth), George Washington (for Will Sheehey), George Mason, VCU, and SMU (for Victor Oladipo), and a few jucos for Bawa Muniru, and they did get beat out by both UNLV and Valparaiso for Beas Hamga!!!
This move allows Crean to blame his underlings for his own failures....and it isn't likely to fool too many of the Indiana fans....who are growing restless that the team has been losing so consistently and plays more like Indiana State than Indiana.
Illinois had an incident that not many people saw...but on the sidelines, Bruce Weber wanted to discuss shot selection with Demetri McCamey and McCamey kinda pushed Weber away and didn't want to talk...
here's a video of the event...
Read Weber's lips....The "F" word then the "BS" word...
http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=11744
...well, they are the FIGHTING ILLINI!!!
One last rumor circulating in St. Louis, that one team's star player had a little incident involving the police at about 4AM....more to come later...
If I missed anyone, let me know, but it is a pretty accurate refelction of how important it is to play with all your players.....
Here's how the ten Valley teams rank in games lost to players from injuries and other issues (players who redshirted all season from the outset are not included but if the player had to come off redshirt then the games he missed do count as long as he was one of their main guys). I even allowed for key players who were disciplined or dismissed.
Bradley - 47 (Dunson 29, DSE 5, Taylor Brown 4, Jake Eastman 9)
Indiana St. - 39 (Kelly 19, Lathan 12, Marshall 6, Richard 2)
Evansville - 30 (Bouchie 18, Lacey 6, Hopf 4, Haarsma 2)
Creighton - 14 (P'Allen 11, Carter 3)
SIU - 12 (Evans 9, Dillard 1, Freeman 1, Booker 1)
UNI - 5 (Eglseder 3 - but they did LOSE to Evansville with him out, Moran 2)
Wichita St. - 3 (Hannah 3 early season cupcakes)
Drake - 1 (Josh Young 1)
Missouri State - none
ISU - none
So what is the point....?
The point is that the teams that finished 1-2-3 in the Valley were clearly the teams who were among the ones that lucked out and avoided injuries and player losses...
The teams with the most player losses clearly had the more disappointing seasons.....
It is as simple as that....Bradley had the most games lost to injuries and other personnel losses, and Indiana State was the only other Valley team close....and BOTH had somewhat disappointing seasons, especially at the end.
I know there's a never ending debate about whether you can use injuries as an excuse....and it seems the very people who say that about Bradley - also allow for other teams to use injuries as an excuse!! (Purdue, Indiana State, etc.)
But facts are facts....if you want to praise other teams then be fair and note how much they avoided the injury factor and had all their key players at the key times - and that's not always a factor of the players themselves or the coaching.
I guess if you are constantly going to compare Bradley with teams that you praise and call better teams, then please include this fact...
Northern Iowa was NEVER without more than just one key player, and they never lacked a key player when it mattered or in the tourney...while clearly other teams DID.
Even when they did lose Eglseder AFTER their team had clinched - then they clearly struggled and even lost to last place Evansville!
They might have made the correction, but in my paper this morning, there's A PICTURE OF THE UNI team holding the sign that reads
"State Farm MISSOURI VALLEY CHAMPS"
...The caption says,
"Northern Illinois players celebrate.."
(note to staff...UNI is NOT Northern Illinois!!)
Also, I agree with the sentiment that Valley schools need to schedule tougher...
but why does this column have to appear in the Peoria paper and not in the papers of Bloomington or Carbondale where it might do more good?
Bradley is the ONE school that BOTH this year and in the past several years HAS scheduled tough....while it's been ISU, SIU, WSU, and even Northern Iowa who have scheduled soft!
I included UNI but at least they tried to schedule tougher but they struck out horribly!
Tell me who were Northern Iowa's BCS opponents??
It just so happens that they did play FOUR BCS opponents...DePaul, Boston College, Iowa, and Iowa State...
all four were miserable this seaosn, as weak as BCS opponents come!
DePaul is pathetic and UNI even LOST to them!
Iowa State, Iowa, and BC are all sub-.500 and battling to stay out of last place in their respective conferences!
UNI couldn't have hand picked a slate of four BCS teams that were weaker...sorry, but it's the truth! BC even lost on their own home floor to MAINE!!
Oh, and the numbers in the PJS were wrong....Indiana State did NOT have the leagues best SOS - that honor goes to Bradley whose SOS ranks 60, while InSU ranks 63.
So how about the single most prevailing rumor that was swirling in St. Louis??
...That SIU's Chris Lowery is going to leave SIU and become the next head coach at DePaul??
Well...now there's an article being discussed about that topic...
Note that the article quotes Lowery ONLY as saying he has not signed anything with DePaul nor reached any kind of specific agreement...
It does NOT say he is staying at SIU or that he WON'T be the next coach at DePaul...
Anyway...once it gets started on the SIU board, then Saluki fans really seem to want Lowery GONE!!
http://www.dailyregister.com/sports/x2096602085/Lowery-remains-Southern-Illinois-head-coach
http://www.salukitalk.net/st/viewtopic.php?t=32218&sid=13a29204941c65d5a742fefb22a4384d
Speaking of SIU - read this long post by an SIU fan who was terribly embarrassed and upset by the behavior of several other Saluki fans...
he also tears into Chris Lowery and a few others...
the followup comments are pretty interesting as well.....
Seems that Salukiland is in complete turmoil and meltdown...
gotta wonder if the same thing would happen elsewhere....as I really doubt it except for maybe one other school whose fans I'd place in roughly the same category as Salukifans....where classlessness is a true art form...
http://www.salukitalk.net/st/viewtopic.php?t=32246&sid=13a29204941c65d5a742fefb22a4384d
The guy also confirms he's almost sure Anthony Booker (as well as other players) are gonna be gone from SIU...
Is Seton Hall the new haven for thugs and malcontents? We all know that Seton Hall has lived in the bottom of the Big East for a long time and pressure is on head coach Bobby Gonzalez to produce a winner. Surely he sees what is happening to his counterparts like DePaul's Jerry Wainwright and the recent firing of Tim Welsh and hiring of Keno Davis at Providence. He knows he has to get a winner soon - and drawing talented kids to Seton Hall has got to be tougher than getting them to Villanova or UConn!
So, he does what many coaches do in this situation, he starts recruiting marginal kids - the ones other coaches pass on because of behavior and attitude issues. This technique just blew up horribly at Binghamton, and of course at Baylor a few years ago under Dave Bliss, but I am sure Gonzalez thinks Seton Hall is no Binghamton or Baylor, and just maybe it's gonna work for him....
We had previously discussed Michael Glover - one of the well travelled Boys to Men kids who ended up never getting eligible at Seton Hall, then unsuccessfully suing the NCAA.
But - here's a couple interesting articles describing how Gonzalez has built his team around "high-risk, second-chance transfers", and how much trouble that plan is causing.....
also - add in the fact that Gonzalez is also a very volatile and divisive person and often throws his own players under the bus...and did so before departing his last job..
Just coincidentally, many of the high profile transfers have already had legal issues and most have even failed to qualify!!
Looks like Seton Hall is going to miss the NCAA again this season...so is this unorthodoz plan working??
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08seton.html?pagewanted=1&ref=sports
Bobby Gonzalez clearly has a history of fighting, illegal and improper behavior, cheating, lying, and selling his soul to win games...
They all knew that at his last coaching job (Manhattan) and they are still talking about how he ruined their program!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08manhattan.html
You have to wonder how long is Seton Hall going to risk going the same way Binghamton just did....how long before some really serious issue arises or the school finds itself hammered for their violations??
Here's a nice column from Drake that shows the classiness they have and honor and speak so highly of their own players.....
Nice to see it.....wish we'd see more instead of so much ripping and attacks...
http://www.timesdelphic.com/2010/03/08/end-of-one-era-start-of-another
Along this same vein, I talked with several of the players and their parents over the weekend...and anyone who says or thinks that what's said negatively on message boards isn't hurtful or insulting, and maybe even backfires and hurts the team, simply doesn't have a clue or they are using their ignorance as a defense shield. But in time even those boards where the insults are prevalent start to die and nobody goes there any more.
Case in point, while BradleyFans was buzzing with well over 200 people online Friday and Saturday after the games...the other places that purport to be Bradley fan sites - even the ones heavily promoted with tons of advertising....were languishing with maybe one lurker and a google-bot....seriously - nothing being talked about at all, except still some bozos trying to stir up discontent....
Nice article on Yuba, who ended up 24-4 after this was supposed to be a rebuilding year!
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/sports/cornelius-92497-season-49ers.html
Indiana and head coach Tom Crean just canned his top assistant and top recruiter...Roshown Mcleod, apparently an effort to deflect criticism over their continued bad play and terrible recruiting success.....
But isn't it time to get past all the blame game...blaming the previous coach for the shambles the program was in, blaming the NCAA even though they didn't really issue a single penalty on Indiana, now blaming his underlings....they brought it all upon themselves..
and now blaming they are other assistants!!
Indeed McLeod was brough in specifically to help them land kids like Kyrie Irving, David Williams, and Josh Selby....and he did help bring in Victor Oladipo....but I see this as a preemptive move by Tom Crean to label McLeod as the scapegoat for everything wrong at Indiana.
If you look closely, read the local press, and check their message boards, there is a growing discontent brewing...
Indiana fans wanted and expected a little bit better by now, and Tom Crean has not yet brought in any blue-chippers...
In fact, most of the players he has landed are mid-major caliber kids and the schools he's beating out for them are like Bradley (for Matt Roth), George Washington (for Will Sheehey), George Mason, VCU, and SMU (for Victor Oladipo), and a few jucos for Bawa Muniru, and they did get beat out by both UNLV and Valparaiso for Beas Hamga!!!
This move allows Crean to blame his underlings for his own failures....and it isn't likely to fool too many of the Indiana fans....who are growing restless that the team has been losing so consistently and plays more like Indiana State than Indiana.
Illinois had an incident that not many people saw...but on the sidelines, Bruce Weber wanted to discuss shot selection with Demetri McCamey and McCamey kinda pushed Weber away and didn't want to talk...
here's a video of the event...
Read Weber's lips....The "F" word then the "BS" word...
http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=11744
...well, they are the FIGHTING ILLINI!!!
One last rumor circulating in St. Louis, that one team's star player had a little incident involving the police at about 4AM....more to come later...
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Leaving St. Louis
It was disappointing to see the Braves play poorly on Saturday - but UNI is a senior loaded team and they are a good team...
We can hope for a chance to still play in one of the post-season tourneys - but Braves fans also can look forward to next year when we will be one of those loaded, senior led teams...
We will have three of the top scorers in the league returning.....and most of the other league leading teams lose a whole lot more than we do.
I had a great time in St. Louis - good friends and family with us, good restaurants, and a fun time....
With no real team left to root for in the post-season (unless we get in the CBI or CIT), I guess I will have more time on my hands.....
The Pantagraph has a blurb about Jordan Prosser - he's looking forward to next year...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_4a91637a-29a0-11df-a46c-001cc4c002e0.html
and I talked with the families of virtually all the players and they're all optimistic about next year as well......
We can hope for a chance to still play in one of the post-season tourneys - but Braves fans also can look forward to next year when we will be one of those loaded, senior led teams...
We will have three of the top scorers in the league returning.....and most of the other league leading teams lose a whole lot more than we do.
I had a great time in St. Louis - good friends and family with us, good restaurants, and a fun time....
With no real team left to root for in the post-season (unless we get in the CBI or CIT), I guess I will have more time on my hands.....
The Pantagraph has a blurb about Jordan Prosser - he's looking forward to next year...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_4a91637a-29a0-11df-a46c-001cc4c002e0.html
and I talked with the families of virtually all the players and they're all optimistic about next year as well......
Friday, March 5, 2010
Headed to St. Louis
Hope to see a large contingent of BU fans in St. Louis....
GO BRAVES..............
Ben Jacobson, who everyone picked to win the Valley, is the MVC Coach of the Year..
SIU loses on Thursday to Drake, Evansville loses to Missouri State..
In other interesting news....
Dayton, who was everyone's top pick in the A-10, has faltered... after being ranked in the Top 20, they have fallen way off and now have to worry about being left out of the NCAA. They are 19-10, and just 8-7 in the Atlantic-10, and have lost 3 of their last 4 and 4 of 6!
WIU's Ceola Clark has not only been their leading offensive option, now he picks up a nice defensive honor...the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year...
Mo knows defense!!!
IVC grad Zach McAllister is picked as the Yaknees' minor league Pitcher of the Year!
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x1483434480/Chillicothe-native-picks-up-Yankees-honor
and then finally.....here's what it means to be a Kansas basketball fan....
a woman who calls herself Samantha Ryan (I suspect that's not her real name) is a Kansas grad and is reportedly a big time porn star...
she was apparently a courtside guest of the Kansas coaching staff....and nobody thought much of it...
Kansas assistant coach Kurtis Townsend arranged for Samantha Ryan to have a bunch of top notch courtside tickets for the KU-KSU game....something I suspect scalpers could have easily gotten several hundred bucks a ticket for...
Well, if that wasn't enough, Ryan posed for pics and was apparently a fan favorite!!!
So I guess college campuses want to clean up their image, get tough on drugs and alcohol, get rid of stereotypes and abuse against women and minorities...
but what the hey...let's have a lot of fun with a porn star...right!!
I guess it really doesn't surprise me.......
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/04/1789737/whitlock-how-the-porn-star-got.html
http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTL/McKernan/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4098/Timmys-Tidbits-The-Samantha-Ryan-KU-Fallout-And-Other-Stupid-Stuff.aspx
http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTL/McKernan/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4090/Its-Not-Easy-To-Do-As-A-Missouri-Guy-But-I-Tip-My-Cap-To-KU.aspx
GO BRAVES..............
Ben Jacobson, who everyone picked to win the Valley, is the MVC Coach of the Year..
SIU loses on Thursday to Drake, Evansville loses to Missouri State..
In other interesting news....
Dayton, who was everyone's top pick in the A-10, has faltered... after being ranked in the Top 20, they have fallen way off and now have to worry about being left out of the NCAA. They are 19-10, and just 8-7 in the Atlantic-10, and have lost 3 of their last 4 and 4 of 6!
WIU's Ceola Clark has not only been their leading offensive option, now he picks up a nice defensive honor...the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year...
Mo knows defense!!!
IVC grad Zach McAllister is picked as the Yaknees' minor league Pitcher of the Year!
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x1483434480/Chillicothe-native-picks-up-Yankees-honor
and then finally.....here's what it means to be a Kansas basketball fan....
a woman who calls herself Samantha Ryan (I suspect that's not her real name) is a Kansas grad and is reportedly a big time porn star...
she was apparently a courtside guest of the Kansas coaching staff....and nobody thought much of it...
Kansas assistant coach Kurtis Townsend arranged for Samantha Ryan to have a bunch of top notch courtside tickets for the KU-KSU game....something I suspect scalpers could have easily gotten several hundred bucks a ticket for...
Well, if that wasn't enough, Ryan posed for pics and was apparently a fan favorite!!!
So I guess college campuses want to clean up their image, get tough on drugs and alcohol, get rid of stereotypes and abuse against women and minorities...
but what the hey...let's have a lot of fun with a porn star...right!!
I guess it really doesn't surprise me.......
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/04/1789737/whitlock-how-the-porn-star-got.html
http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTL/McKernan/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4098/Timmys-Tidbits-The-Samantha-Ryan-KU-Fallout-And-Other-Stupid-Stuff.aspx
http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTL/McKernan/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4090/Its-Not-Easy-To-Do-As-A-Missouri-Guy-But-I-Tip-My-Cap-To-KU.aspx
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Some Movement on P'Allen and a Look Back on the Illinois Prep Schools
Is he or isn't he...that's what Creighton fans are wondering....
Is P'Allen Stinnett kicked off the team and fully gone or is he coming back next year. Nobody knows and nobody's talking but there is one interesting NEW development...
The roster page on the official Creighton web site suddenly has a brand new team picture, obviously taken quite recently, but it does NOT show P'Allen Stinnett, even though the roster still has his name listed.
Here is the brand new team roster page with picture:
http://www.gocreighton.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1000&KEY=&SPID=69&SPSID=89384&&DB_OEM_ID=1000&KEY
Note the absence of Stinnett in the picture...but here's what that same page looked like just a week ago in this cached view...
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:TQQynF-SRP4J:www.gocreighton.com/SportSelect.dbml%3FDB_OEM_ID%3D1000%26SPID%3D69%26SPSID%3D89384+%22Watonga,+Okla.+(Northern+Oklahoma+College-Enid)+(Watonga+HS)%22&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
But if you look at a couple of the players in the new picture, like Justin Carter (who had dreadlocks until half way through the season) and Casey Harriman, who only recently cut his shaggy hair...
then you realize this is a recently re-taken team photo just for the website, that does NOT include P'Allen.
Time will tell...but P'Allen is exemplary of a lot of the more talented kids...especially the prep schoolers.........somehow they seem more troubled, and more widely travelled.........
In that vein...I decided to look at all those kids who went through the prep schools that we had or have here in Illinois.
Here's a look at the three Illinois prep schools that are the only three I am aware of over at least the past 20 years who have delved into the realm of top level basketball. Each of these three schools HAND PICKED their roster of players from top caliber high schoolers, literally guaranteeing that almost everyone on their roster would be D-I caliber...
but so many turned out troubled, widely travelled, and ineligible for various reasons, and failing and flopping way, way beyond what would have been expected for the caliber of talent they had.
Is this a prep school thing? Do these prep schools force the kids to grow up and play college level opponents way too fast and drive the kids more as basketball commodities than as kids or as human beings.....with those who fail just being cast aside as if doesn't matter if only just a couple can actually succeed??
Two of the schools are now closed, only Brehm Prep is still operating. Boys to Men Academy operated from 2005 through 2007, and Decatur Christian operated only one year in 2006-2007...
Both of the schools' coaches claimed all their players would be successful at the D-I level, but I think in retrospect, that is now seen to be clearly false...
In fact the prep experience at both BTMA and DCS might actually be viewed as having truly harmed the careers of most of the players that passed through their doors.
We'll start first with Boys to Men - a so-called prep school in Chicago started up by Loren Jackson pretty much just for the purpose of getting his prodigy, Mac Koshwal, eligible and to the pros....
Mac was a kid Jackson saw as a true NBA'er and a certain star at the college level - but he had to get eligible because Koshwal was shamefully kicked out of high school in Chicago when it was found that he and Loren Jackson has lied about everything from the kid's age, to his grades, to his background and how he was essentially smuggled into the US on false passports from Sudan through Canada...and Koshwal had no parent to speak, but Jackson himself, the kids basketball coach, was his "guardian"...a fairly fishy scenario - right from the start.
BTW- Thijin Moses was also in the same boat, living in Jackson's home (reminiscent of the cheating scandal where Bobby Hill and his brother and many other St. Louis high school kids were given homes, free rent, food, and other luxuries just to play basketball for St. Louis Vashon - but that's another whole story as all those vashon kids flopped, too!!)
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=147032#post147032
Anyway....The kids who graduated in 2006 from BTMA are all but lost to memory, but at least four of them can still be tracked.
Xavier Crawford never did get academically qualified and went to Yuba. Crawford committed to Cal State Northridge..finally got to play a little last year..he was a deep sub even on a weak squad, produced insignificant numbers, then was gone before the season started last fall - kicked off the team and nobody has ever said why.
He clearly had zero D-I success.
Craig Brackins left BTMA in 2006 and went to another prep school...possibly the one thing that saved the guy from the same fate as all the other Boys to Men failures...
He is a top player, but got injured ion prep school - setting him back a bit, but ....now he's a junior at Iowa State..and is an NBA caliber player. BUT - he never showed that at BTMA and developed mostly after leaving Loren Jackson's mentoring.
Thijin Moses did poorly at at BTMA, but DePaul recruited him....but his freshman year showed he was overrated....NOW dismissed from DePaul he went to Texas A&M Corpus Christi - didn't make academically and finally finished up at Seward Co. CC juco - He went to D-II Southwest Baptist Univ. and played their first nine games, then was dismissed from the team for unspecified issues.
This was the coach's statement-
"..Four players were dismissed from the team Thursday due to academic and team rules violations. Thijin Moses, Tim Baines, JT Hatfield and Mayse Walker were removed from the roster. Guiot stated, "Here at SBU, you have take care of your classwork and meet the rules and expectations. We do things the right way and some didn't do that. We have kids that are buying in now. They played well together with team chemistry."
http://www.sbubearcats.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=325
Michael Glover played at BTMA in 2006, finished HS at American Christian and went to Seton Hall, but wasn't academically eligible and had to go find another prep school for 2006-2007, and is now set to be at Seton Hall this fall.
Later - he was deemed ineligible, sued the NCAA, lost and now will have to go to juco...
He has still never played a game of D-I basketball.
Then of the players who are listed as seniors or "post grad" students in 2007, here are the names:
The seniors..........
Anthony Edwards 6'4" Sr Guard Chatsworth, CA (never played D-I)
Djibril Coulibaly 6'9" Jr Forward Jamaica, NY ....finally in 2008 is at Manhattan..deep sub and in his first two years at Manhattan, has only averaged a couple minutes of play and 0.8 ppg.
Jamel Jackson 6'3" Sr Guard Brooklyn, NY
(ended up not qualifying and went to Technical Career Institute in NYC, a juco and headed Seton Hall...but was ineligible at Seton hall, booted out and now back at juco for one final year.
He then went back to SHU, and now, having played his junior year, averages 5 ppg as a deep sub.
Leon Freeman 6'3" Sr. Guard Belleville, MI (spent an extra year at prep school - Eldon Academy in MI)
(apparently few people know this, as both Rivals and scout still have him listed as 2007 recruit from BTMA)..was in juco but now all but disappeared...
He has never played D-I.
Kordero Anderson 6'2" Sr Guard Chicago, IL -- has never played college ball, but was Lincoln College for a while in 2007 and not there in 2008.
Nyal "Mac" Koshwal 6'9" Sr Forward Chicago, IL (went to DePaul)...now a junior, and putting up decent numbers in rebounding and scoring, but not enough to help his team win any games.
He might just finish his career at DePaul having played in the most losses of any player there ever...he is marginal at best to ever make the NBA. You simply can't play center at 6-7 (he is NOT 6-10!) in the NBA..
Raymond Sims (sometimes listed as "Simms") 5'9" Sr Guard Philadelphia, PA never qualifed, then went to Paris junior college and then to South Alabama.
He actually appeared in 10 games, as a sub, then was dismissed from the team.
Spencer Adams 6'6" Sr Forward Champaign, IL ..WAS AT Yakima Valley CC but not there in 2008..never played D-I.
Timothy Kiewel 6'9" Sr Forward/Center Parma, OH ..went to Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, AZ., then he transferred to Eastern Utah juco) He has since left Eastern Utah...has never played D-I.
The post grad kids...........
Alvin Abreu 6'2" PG Guard Lynn, MA ....Abreu is at New Hampshire Univ...now a junior avg 13 ppg, but playing at the lowest level of D-I...
Clarence Holloway 7'1" PG Center Chicago, IL (was going to Louisville) -- but after 6 years of high school including one at Boys to Men, he is still unable to gain clearance from the NCAA Clearinghouse and was to sit out 2007-2008.....unfortunately he had to undergo surgery for a serious heart condition and this has sadly ended Holloway's career.
David Sanchez 6'9" PG Forward Toa Alta, PR ..was at Lon Morris juco but must be ineligible as he never played..and never made it to D-I.
Devin Miller 6'3" PG Guard Chicago, IL -- was at Kennedy-King juco, avg 15.4 ppg in 08-09, then verballed to Coastal Carolina..was briefly listed on their roster, then was gone, much like a whole lot of these BTMA kids, likely a casualty of bad academics. He has never played D-I ball.
Elijah Dildy 5'9" PG Guard Chicago, IL..now a soph at Kennedy-King juco in Chgo., avg. 1.6 ppg, 0.8 apg
...........here's more on Elijah Dildy...
http://websportschicago.com/id406.htm
Dildy finished his 1st year at Kennedy-King Junior College and averaged 1 point per game, 1 assist per game (he's a 5'3" PG!)..then he was gone, and has never played any more college ball.
Maurese Jackson 6'6" PG Forward Chicago, IL played at Monroe College (juco) in New York..avg 4 ppg in 08-09, then was gone and has not played anywhere since.
Then the kids that were listed as still being juniors.......
Jelani Poston 6'6" Jr Forward Chicago, IL (left BTMA and went to Cincinnati Harmony Prep) ..then finally went to UIC..
didn't play at first because of failure to clear the NCAA...(too many different high schools)
finally played a handful of games in 2008-2009, averaging 3 ppg, then was dismissed mid-season for academics like so many of these guys, and is gone this year...apparently dismissed.
Jeremiah "Miah" Kelly 6'0" Jr Guard Chicago, IL (American Christian Academy Prep School in Philly)
............Kelly verballed to DePaul....doing OK in the early going...finishing his sophomore season as a backup averaging 4.8 ppg, 2 apg.
Timothy Baines 6'6" Jr Forward Zion, IL went to Kaskaskia juco in Centralia..avg. 6.5 ppg there in 08-09
He also went to Texas A&M-CC and was dismissed at the same time Moses was.
Turhon Cora Jr 6'4" Jr Guard Chicago, IL had transferred to BTMA from Rich Central..then was at Oakton CC avg 12.7 ppg in 08-09 (DII juco)
Never played D-I ball.
Tyrone Justin Howard 6'3" Jr Guard Chicago, IL - no info - has never played D-I
Clay Johnson - never played college ball
Michael Tuitt was listed on the 2005-2006 BTMA roster ...he played little at BTMA, then transferred to American Christian School in Aston, Pa.
...he then got an offer from Morehead State but never qualified
.......presently at Monroe College (DI juco) avg 9 ppg in 08-09..finally made it to Hampton, and has played in a handful of games averaging 3 ppg.
Also...Angel Garcia was at BTMA for a week or so in the fall, but then went to East Chicago...was going to play at Memphis but was held out 2008-2009 because he was not cleared by NCAA, then this year he tore his knee up and still has not played.
Manual Cass was also there for a few days then went to prep school out east and was going to UTEP the next year. Cass was dismissed and was now at John A. Logan Junior College momentarily, then was going to walk on at Kent State, but dismissed there as well (academics.)
Finally he landed at Frank Phillips juco and despite all the years is now finishing his sophomore season at Phillips, but no word on if he is playing anywhere next year.
Marcus Relphorde also spent a few weeks there at BTMA, then went to another prep school and then to Saint Louis where he was run out by Majerus, transferred to Indian Hills juco and is now at Colorado
..possibly being the player who has been at the most schools ever in all of history...even more than Manual Cass...
...Going back to his high school days, he's actually been at 10 different schools!
I'm not talking just verballing to those schools, he's actually been at them and then transferred at each place!!!
He was reported to have started at Homewood-Flossmoor, but he transferred to a school in Kentucky,
then when he found out he was not going to be eligible, he came back to H-F, then considered transferring to some school in Chicago and
there was talk of Whitney-Young or Simeon, but instead he chose Hales Fransciscan at first, then moved on to Boys to Men.
But he was only there a couple weeks and realized he was deep in the rotation and transferred to American Christian in Philly.
Then on to Saint Louis, then to Indian Hills, and now Colorado...
......so that's at least 9...but oddly, there are reports that momentarily between stops in Chicago, he even was at one other Chicago school for a few days... So it may be 10 schools in the past 6-7 years
http://www.chicagohoops.com/articles1/relphordenov.html
Shawn Hilliard he didn't qualify, then went to Technical Career Institute in New York,
a 2- year junior college, and washeaded to Binghamton.
Apparently he never qualifed and was never on their roster...probably a fortunate thing given all the horrible scandals Binghamton has had. He has never played D-I.
Jesse Childs finished at Mesa Community College (juco) and went to Wisconsin-Green Bay...appeared on their roster, then was dismissed before ever playing due to "violation of team rules". (does this story sound familiar?)
Darion Anderson was set to go to NIU in 2006-2007, but he wasn't on the roster. He ended up playing at NIU and turned out ot be one of their better players, but was not much of a team player and frequently was in the coach's doghouse.
...playing fairly well. ...17 ppg in 3 games but 5 turnovers/
The rest of the 2005-2006 roster shows these guys.........Gerald January, Aaron Jackson who were seniors in 2006 and have not been heard from since.
So....out of these 35 different players who spent at least SOME time at Boys to Men, so very few ever qualified or played D-I, the few who did had to go elsewhere - either another prep school or juco to get eligible, and one or two at most have had even the tiniest impact at the D-I level.
Many - way, way too many had ongoing academic and behavioral problems that casued them to get kicked out repeatedly wherever they went!!
You decide, but I'd say the Boys to Men experiment severely HURT far more kids' careers than helped them...
Decatur Christian school actually had an even higher level roster - as they literally hand picked top European kids - many who had already played professionally and who were far older than ordinary high school kids.
Also these kids were individually sposored and lived with Decatur families..so they had at least a slightly better chance from the social end of things...
The roster per the website as of 6/14/07
Joel Johnson 5'10 155 13 G 11 - never played after high school
Ty Nurse 6'0 170 G 10
..................Ty Nurse had gone back to Canada and enrolled at Canada Basketball's National Elite Development Academy (Hamilton, Ont) for the 2007-08 academic year. .........He is now at Midland Junior College, but doesn't start, averaging 5 ppg, 2 apg.
Justin Snyder 5'7 150 G 12 - did not play after HS
John Taylor 5'8 155 G 12 - did not play after HS
Ivan Gombovic 6'6 195 G 12 -- went to Winchendon School (MA) -- but never played D-I.
Johan (or Johann) Mpondo 6'9 215 44 F 12 (Cameroon) -- was said to have signed with Rhode Island.
http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=67447&sport=2
but was never academically eligible,and transferred to prep school (Massanutten in Virginia)
Here is Johann Mpondo at Massanutten
http://www.militaryschool.com/athletics/pgroster.htm
then he went to New Orleans and gets a small amt. of playing time, averaging 3 ppg.
Beas Hamga 7'0 225 F/C 11 -- one of the worst overrates ever...this kid was deemed a 5-Star prospect by almost everyone and a probably one-and-done to the NBA!!
Numerous top D-I schools battled for his verbal and Steve Alford at Iowa landed Hamga, then lost him when he moved on to New Mexico....
But his troubles started with being ineligible for 2007-2008 season at UNLV..being described as a long term project.. troubled then booted there, bounced around quite a bit, then finally finishing at Weatherford juco...playing a few games between his numerous injuries. Nobody knows where he's going, but at 7-ft he probably will get some D-I chance...so let's see...
Austin Woods 5'10 180 F 11 - not playing
Ozren Bjerogovic, 6-6 12 -- appeared on the roster of Liberty University, then was booted after he was deemed ineligible due to professional play.
Duro Bjegovic, 6-8 12 -- bounced around then finally at Missouri State-West Plains (David Collins' juco) --.. transferred to Highland juco (name also spelled Djuro)..avg 9.5 ppg in 08-09
Then went to Sacramento State, and averaged 7 ppg at the lower level of D-I.
Lucca Staiger 6'5" G 12...ineligible for his freshman season at Iowa State (professionalism)..played fairly well as a sophomore, then bolted to go play pro ball his junior year...leaving his team, Iowa State to battle for LAST place in the Big 12 despite having TWO of these prep schoolers!!
Nikola Gacesa 6'10 240 F/C 12 -- is on the roster at Florida International...actually got to play 4 years there, then dismissed this year for unspecified reasons...career avg. 6 ppg.
Darrington Hobson 6'7" 180 F 12...at Eastern Utah Junior College..then New mexico -- this kid is a fine player, but now has only one season left.
Mario Stula -- deemed ineligible until the 8th game of his 2nd season at DePaul
He is at best only a minor contributor at DePaul even though they could use just about anyone who can play.
Jeliso Palacio 5'11 165 G 11
Brad Clark 5'10 180 G 12
Mike Behrens 6'6 225 G/F 12
Birama Konate 6'10 225 F 11
Chris Nandoe 6'11 235 F 11
Alioune Diallo 7'1 240 C 10 (Senegal)
......all these players -m never heard from again....none played D-I
"Birama Konate" was said to be playing for DCS - but apparently never did....according to their coach
http://www.africabasket.com/MLI/MLI.asp?NewsNo=20
(some of the links don't always work but can be dug out using google)
Then a few more names were on their website roster:
Michael Grady, Melvin Tate, Malcom Walker, Bronson Dotson, Demeatrio Wade,
Zac Conrad, Matt Flint, Zack Stortzum, John Reimer.
but nothing can be found on any of these..none have played D-I.
-- lastly....in this story that was published when Decatur Christian closed down, their coach said this:
"They will or have placed each senior in a D-I program"
(Boys to Men coach Jackson said something similar about his players)
and
"Beas Hamga and Ty Nurse are the only underclassmen in the program"
http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2007/05/05/sports/h_r_preps/boys_basketball/1023238.txt
This does not seem to be true...and isn't even close!
Many of their seniors did not and are NOT playing D-I ball anywhere.
The only guys who went straight to D-I are Stula (DePaul), Staiger (Iowa State), Hamga (UNLV) but all were deemed ineligible and had to sit out, and really none have had careers to brag about.
Hobson committed to New Mexico- but then didn't pass the clearinghouse and moved to a Utah juco.
he will likely be the only one who, after a circuitous route, might have a good D-I career.
The head coach at Decatur has moved on and is at a prep school, a small one, in Indiana...
Alan Huss is now coaching at Culver Military Acvademy, and they do reportedly have some D-I talent that they have recruited there!!
http://iowa.scout.com/a.z?s=8&p=2&c=944900&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2fiowa.scout.com%2f2%2f944900.html
Of course because they recruit their talent to their school, they cannot be members of IHSA....
The other Illinois prep school still currently running in Brehm Prep...
They also have a whole lot of international kids plus a couple transfers from Chicago schools.
The jury is still out as most of their players have not graduated...but I wouldn't hold my breath...as lots of issues are already troubling the kids...including serious injuries that have occurred as they play these high schoolers against a schedule of far bigger and stronger juco kids...
One injury to Siakam was a serious fracture of multiple facial bones...
The kids they have include James Siakam and Dre Henley who were sure D-I kids from the start, but time will tell if this prep school experience benefits them or hurts them like the other two schools hurt all their players.
One thing is known, that one D-I prospect, a kid named Earl Ruffin, has already graduated, but was not eligible (sound familiar already??) and went to juco at Northern Oklahoma College at Enid...
Ruffin is a freshman guard there averaging 3.5 ppg, 31% on 3-pt shoting, and 0.9 assists...
and he has also missed 8 games, so he is yet to show D-I Potential.
But we will still hear more about Brehm....they have a lot of talent....but it waits to be seen if any of the highly touted talented kids ever makes a dent at the next level.
Recall, out of those 65 different kids who names were at least linked to or who played at those other two jucos, really only ONE (maybe two if you count Hobson - tho the jury is still out) has been a star at the D-I level, Craig Brackins...
a couple others are having decent careers (Koshwal, etc..) but definitely NOT sure NBA caliber careers, and of the other 95% of those kids, a few made it to the lower echelons of D-I but most flopped and never had success anywhere, despite the lofty predictions.
I'd say the prep school "experiment" for the vast majority of these kids was an abysmal failure both athletically and academically.
Is P'Allen Stinnett kicked off the team and fully gone or is he coming back next year. Nobody knows and nobody's talking but there is one interesting NEW development...
The roster page on the official Creighton web site suddenly has a brand new team picture, obviously taken quite recently, but it does NOT show P'Allen Stinnett, even though the roster still has his name listed.
Here is the brand new team roster page with picture:
http://www.gocreighton.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1000&KEY=&SPID=69&SPSID=89384&&DB_OEM_ID=1000&KEY
Note the absence of Stinnett in the picture...but here's what that same page looked like just a week ago in this cached view...
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:TQQynF-SRP4J:www.gocreighton.com/SportSelect.dbml%3FDB_OEM_ID%3D1000%26SPID%3D69%26SPSID%3D89384+%22Watonga,+Okla.+(Northern+Oklahoma+College-Enid)+(Watonga+HS)%22&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
But if you look at a couple of the players in the new picture, like Justin Carter (who had dreadlocks until half way through the season) and Casey Harriman, who only recently cut his shaggy hair...
then you realize this is a recently re-taken team photo just for the website, that does NOT include P'Allen.
Time will tell...but P'Allen is exemplary of a lot of the more talented kids...especially the prep schoolers.........somehow they seem more troubled, and more widely travelled.........
In that vein...I decided to look at all those kids who went through the prep schools that we had or have here in Illinois.
Here's a look at the three Illinois prep schools that are the only three I am aware of over at least the past 20 years who have delved into the realm of top level basketball. Each of these three schools HAND PICKED their roster of players from top caliber high schoolers, literally guaranteeing that almost everyone on their roster would be D-I caliber...
but so many turned out troubled, widely travelled, and ineligible for various reasons, and failing and flopping way, way beyond what would have been expected for the caliber of talent they had.
Is this a prep school thing? Do these prep schools force the kids to grow up and play college level opponents way too fast and drive the kids more as basketball commodities than as kids or as human beings.....with those who fail just being cast aside as if doesn't matter if only just a couple can actually succeed??
Two of the schools are now closed, only Brehm Prep is still operating. Boys to Men Academy operated from 2005 through 2007, and Decatur Christian operated only one year in 2006-2007...
Both of the schools' coaches claimed all their players would be successful at the D-I level, but I think in retrospect, that is now seen to be clearly false...
In fact the prep experience at both BTMA and DCS might actually be viewed as having truly harmed the careers of most of the players that passed through their doors.
We'll start first with Boys to Men - a so-called prep school in Chicago started up by Loren Jackson pretty much just for the purpose of getting his prodigy, Mac Koshwal, eligible and to the pros....
Mac was a kid Jackson saw as a true NBA'er and a certain star at the college level - but he had to get eligible because Koshwal was shamefully kicked out of high school in Chicago when it was found that he and Loren Jackson has lied about everything from the kid's age, to his grades, to his background and how he was essentially smuggled into the US on false passports from Sudan through Canada...and Koshwal had no parent to speak, but Jackson himself, the kids basketball coach, was his "guardian"...a fairly fishy scenario - right from the start.
BTW- Thijin Moses was also in the same boat, living in Jackson's home (reminiscent of the cheating scandal where Bobby Hill and his brother and many other St. Louis high school kids were given homes, free rent, food, and other luxuries just to play basketball for St. Louis Vashon - but that's another whole story as all those vashon kids flopped, too!!)
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=147032#post147032
Anyway....The kids who graduated in 2006 from BTMA are all but lost to memory, but at least four of them can still be tracked.
Xavier Crawford never did get academically qualified and went to Yuba. Crawford committed to Cal State Northridge..finally got to play a little last year..he was a deep sub even on a weak squad, produced insignificant numbers, then was gone before the season started last fall - kicked off the team and nobody has ever said why.
He clearly had zero D-I success.
Craig Brackins left BTMA in 2006 and went to another prep school...possibly the one thing that saved the guy from the same fate as all the other Boys to Men failures...
He is a top player, but got injured ion prep school - setting him back a bit, but ....now he's a junior at Iowa State..and is an NBA caliber player. BUT - he never showed that at BTMA and developed mostly after leaving Loren Jackson's mentoring.
Thijin Moses did poorly at at BTMA, but DePaul recruited him....but his freshman year showed he was overrated....NOW dismissed from DePaul he went to Texas A&M Corpus Christi - didn't make academically and finally finished up at Seward Co. CC juco - He went to D-II Southwest Baptist Univ. and played their first nine games, then was dismissed from the team for unspecified issues.
This was the coach's statement-
"..Four players were dismissed from the team Thursday due to academic and team rules violations. Thijin Moses, Tim Baines, JT Hatfield and Mayse Walker were removed from the roster. Guiot stated, "Here at SBU, you have take care of your classwork and meet the rules and expectations. We do things the right way and some didn't do that. We have kids that are buying in now. They played well together with team chemistry."
http://www.sbubearcats.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=325
Michael Glover played at BTMA in 2006, finished HS at American Christian and went to Seton Hall, but wasn't academically eligible and had to go find another prep school for 2006-2007, and is now set to be at Seton Hall this fall.
Later - he was deemed ineligible, sued the NCAA, lost and now will have to go to juco...
He has still never played a game of D-I basketball.
Then of the players who are listed as seniors or "post grad" students in 2007, here are the names:
The seniors..........
Anthony Edwards 6'4" Sr Guard Chatsworth, CA (never played D-I)
Djibril Coulibaly 6'9" Jr Forward Jamaica, NY ....finally in 2008 is at Manhattan..deep sub and in his first two years at Manhattan, has only averaged a couple minutes of play and 0.8 ppg.
Jamel Jackson 6'3" Sr Guard Brooklyn, NY
(ended up not qualifying and went to Technical Career Institute in NYC, a juco and headed Seton Hall...but was ineligible at Seton hall, booted out and now back at juco for one final year.
He then went back to SHU, and now, having played his junior year, averages 5 ppg as a deep sub.
Leon Freeman 6'3" Sr. Guard Belleville, MI (spent an extra year at prep school - Eldon Academy in MI)
(apparently few people know this, as both Rivals and scout still have him listed as 2007 recruit from BTMA)..was in juco but now all but disappeared...
He has never played D-I.
Kordero Anderson 6'2" Sr Guard Chicago, IL -- has never played college ball, but was Lincoln College for a while in 2007 and not there in 2008.
Nyal "Mac" Koshwal 6'9" Sr Forward Chicago, IL (went to DePaul)...now a junior, and putting up decent numbers in rebounding and scoring, but not enough to help his team win any games.
He might just finish his career at DePaul having played in the most losses of any player there ever...he is marginal at best to ever make the NBA. You simply can't play center at 6-7 (he is NOT 6-10!) in the NBA..
Raymond Sims (sometimes listed as "Simms") 5'9" Sr Guard Philadelphia, PA never qualifed, then went to Paris junior college and then to South Alabama.
He actually appeared in 10 games, as a sub, then was dismissed from the team.
Spencer Adams 6'6" Sr Forward Champaign, IL ..WAS AT Yakima Valley CC but not there in 2008..never played D-I.
Timothy Kiewel 6'9" Sr Forward/Center Parma, OH ..went to Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, AZ., then he transferred to Eastern Utah juco) He has since left Eastern Utah...has never played D-I.
The post grad kids...........
Alvin Abreu 6'2" PG Guard Lynn, MA ....Abreu is at New Hampshire Univ...now a junior avg 13 ppg, but playing at the lowest level of D-I...
Clarence Holloway 7'1" PG Center Chicago, IL (was going to Louisville) -- but after 6 years of high school including one at Boys to Men, he is still unable to gain clearance from the NCAA Clearinghouse and was to sit out 2007-2008.....unfortunately he had to undergo surgery for a serious heart condition and this has sadly ended Holloway's career.
David Sanchez 6'9" PG Forward Toa Alta, PR ..was at Lon Morris juco but must be ineligible as he never played..and never made it to D-I.
Devin Miller 6'3" PG Guard Chicago, IL -- was at Kennedy-King juco, avg 15.4 ppg in 08-09, then verballed to Coastal Carolina..was briefly listed on their roster, then was gone, much like a whole lot of these BTMA kids, likely a casualty of bad academics. He has never played D-I ball.
Elijah Dildy 5'9" PG Guard Chicago, IL..now a soph at Kennedy-King juco in Chgo., avg. 1.6 ppg, 0.8 apg
...........here's more on Elijah Dildy...
http://websportschicago.com/id406.htm
Dildy finished his 1st year at Kennedy-King Junior College and averaged 1 point per game, 1 assist per game (he's a 5'3" PG!)..then he was gone, and has never played any more college ball.
Maurese Jackson 6'6" PG Forward Chicago, IL played at Monroe College (juco) in New York..avg 4 ppg in 08-09, then was gone and has not played anywhere since.
Then the kids that were listed as still being juniors.......
Jelani Poston 6'6" Jr Forward Chicago, IL (left BTMA and went to Cincinnati Harmony Prep) ..then finally went to UIC..
didn't play at first because of failure to clear the NCAA...(too many different high schools)
finally played a handful of games in 2008-2009, averaging 3 ppg, then was dismissed mid-season for academics like so many of these guys, and is gone this year...apparently dismissed.
Jeremiah "Miah" Kelly 6'0" Jr Guard Chicago, IL (American Christian Academy Prep School in Philly)
............Kelly verballed to DePaul....doing OK in the early going...finishing his sophomore season as a backup averaging 4.8 ppg, 2 apg.
Timothy Baines 6'6" Jr Forward Zion, IL went to Kaskaskia juco in Centralia..avg. 6.5 ppg there in 08-09
He also went to Texas A&M-CC and was dismissed at the same time Moses was.
Turhon Cora Jr 6'4" Jr Guard Chicago, IL had transferred to BTMA from Rich Central..then was at Oakton CC avg 12.7 ppg in 08-09 (DII juco)
Never played D-I ball.
Tyrone Justin Howard 6'3" Jr Guard Chicago, IL - no info - has never played D-I
Clay Johnson - never played college ball
Michael Tuitt was listed on the 2005-2006 BTMA roster ...he played little at BTMA, then transferred to American Christian School in Aston, Pa.
...he then got an offer from Morehead State but never qualified
.......presently at Monroe College (DI juco) avg 9 ppg in 08-09..finally made it to Hampton, and has played in a handful of games averaging 3 ppg.
Also...Angel Garcia was at BTMA for a week or so in the fall, but then went to East Chicago...was going to play at Memphis but was held out 2008-2009 because he was not cleared by NCAA, then this year he tore his knee up and still has not played.
Manual Cass was also there for a few days then went to prep school out east and was going to UTEP the next year. Cass was dismissed and was now at John A. Logan Junior College momentarily, then was going to walk on at Kent State, but dismissed there as well (academics.)
Finally he landed at Frank Phillips juco and despite all the years is now finishing his sophomore season at Phillips, but no word on if he is playing anywhere next year.
Marcus Relphorde also spent a few weeks there at BTMA, then went to another prep school and then to Saint Louis where he was run out by Majerus, transferred to Indian Hills juco and is now at Colorado
..possibly being the player who has been at the most schools ever in all of history...even more than Manual Cass...
...Going back to his high school days, he's actually been at 10 different schools!
I'm not talking just verballing to those schools, he's actually been at them and then transferred at each place!!!
He was reported to have started at Homewood-Flossmoor, but he transferred to a school in Kentucky,
then when he found out he was not going to be eligible, he came back to H-F, then considered transferring to some school in Chicago and
there was talk of Whitney-Young or Simeon, but instead he chose Hales Fransciscan at first, then moved on to Boys to Men.
But he was only there a couple weeks and realized he was deep in the rotation and transferred to American Christian in Philly.
Then on to Saint Louis, then to Indian Hills, and now Colorado...
......so that's at least 9...but oddly, there are reports that momentarily between stops in Chicago, he even was at one other Chicago school for a few days... So it may be 10 schools in the past 6-7 years
http://www.chicagohoops.com/articles1/relphordenov.html
Shawn Hilliard he didn't qualify, then went to Technical Career Institute in New York,
a 2- year junior college, and washeaded to Binghamton.
Apparently he never qualifed and was never on their roster...probably a fortunate thing given all the horrible scandals Binghamton has had. He has never played D-I.
Jesse Childs finished at Mesa Community College (juco) and went to Wisconsin-Green Bay...appeared on their roster, then was dismissed before ever playing due to "violation of team rules". (does this story sound familiar?)
Darion Anderson was set to go to NIU in 2006-2007, but he wasn't on the roster. He ended up playing at NIU and turned out ot be one of their better players, but was not much of a team player and frequently was in the coach's doghouse.
...playing fairly well. ...17 ppg in 3 games but 5 turnovers/
The rest of the 2005-2006 roster shows these guys.........Gerald January, Aaron Jackson who were seniors in 2006 and have not been heard from since.
So....out of these 35 different players who spent at least SOME time at Boys to Men, so very few ever qualified or played D-I, the few who did had to go elsewhere - either another prep school or juco to get eligible, and one or two at most have had even the tiniest impact at the D-I level.
Many - way, way too many had ongoing academic and behavioral problems that casued them to get kicked out repeatedly wherever they went!!
You decide, but I'd say the Boys to Men experiment severely HURT far more kids' careers than helped them...
Decatur Christian school actually had an even higher level roster - as they literally hand picked top European kids - many who had already played professionally and who were far older than ordinary high school kids.
Also these kids were individually sposored and lived with Decatur families..so they had at least a slightly better chance from the social end of things...
The roster per the website as of 6/14/07
Joel Johnson 5'10 155 13 G 11 - never played after high school
Ty Nurse 6'0 170 G 10
..................Ty Nurse had gone back to Canada and enrolled at Canada Basketball's National Elite Development Academy (Hamilton, Ont) for the 2007-08 academic year. .........He is now at Midland Junior College, but doesn't start, averaging 5 ppg, 2 apg.
Justin Snyder 5'7 150 G 12 - did not play after HS
John Taylor 5'8 155 G 12 - did not play after HS
Ivan Gombovic 6'6 195 G 12 -- went to Winchendon School (MA) -- but never played D-I.
Johan (or Johann) Mpondo 6'9 215 44 F 12 (Cameroon) -- was said to have signed with Rhode Island.
http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=67447&sport=2
but was never academically eligible,and transferred to prep school (Massanutten in Virginia)
Here is Johann Mpondo at Massanutten
http://www.militaryschool.com/athletics/pgroster.htm
then he went to New Orleans and gets a small amt. of playing time, averaging 3 ppg.
Beas Hamga 7'0 225 F/C 11 -- one of the worst overrates ever...this kid was deemed a 5-Star prospect by almost everyone and a probably one-and-done to the NBA!!
Numerous top D-I schools battled for his verbal and Steve Alford at Iowa landed Hamga, then lost him when he moved on to New Mexico....
But his troubles started with being ineligible for 2007-2008 season at UNLV..being described as a long term project.. troubled then booted there, bounced around quite a bit, then finally finishing at Weatherford juco...playing a few games between his numerous injuries. Nobody knows where he's going, but at 7-ft he probably will get some D-I chance...so let's see...
Austin Woods 5'10 180 F 11 - not playing
Ozren Bjerogovic, 6-6 12 -- appeared on the roster of Liberty University, then was booted after he was deemed ineligible due to professional play.
Duro Bjegovic, 6-8 12 -- bounced around then finally at Missouri State-West Plains (David Collins' juco) --.. transferred to Highland juco (name also spelled Djuro)..avg 9.5 ppg in 08-09
Then went to Sacramento State, and averaged 7 ppg at the lower level of D-I.
Lucca Staiger 6'5" G 12...ineligible for his freshman season at Iowa State (professionalism)..played fairly well as a sophomore, then bolted to go play pro ball his junior year...leaving his team, Iowa State to battle for LAST place in the Big 12 despite having TWO of these prep schoolers!!
Nikola Gacesa 6'10 240 F/C 12 -- is on the roster at Florida International...actually got to play 4 years there, then dismissed this year for unspecified reasons...career avg. 6 ppg.
Darrington Hobson 6'7" 180 F 12...at Eastern Utah Junior College..then New mexico -- this kid is a fine player, but now has only one season left.
Mario Stula -- deemed ineligible until the 8th game of his 2nd season at DePaul
He is at best only a minor contributor at DePaul even though they could use just about anyone who can play.
Jeliso Palacio 5'11 165 G 11
Brad Clark 5'10 180 G 12
Mike Behrens 6'6 225 G/F 12
Birama Konate 6'10 225 F 11
Chris Nandoe 6'11 235 F 11
Alioune Diallo 7'1 240 C 10 (Senegal)
......all these players -m never heard from again....none played D-I
"Birama Konate" was said to be playing for DCS - but apparently never did....according to their coach
http://www.africabasket.com/MLI/MLI.asp?NewsNo=20
(some of the links don't always work but can be dug out using google)
Then a few more names were on their website roster:
Michael Grady, Melvin Tate, Malcom Walker, Bronson Dotson, Demeatrio Wade,
Zac Conrad, Matt Flint, Zack Stortzum, John Reimer.
but nothing can be found on any of these..none have played D-I.
-- lastly....in this story that was published when Decatur Christian closed down, their coach said this:
"They will or have placed each senior in a D-I program"
(Boys to Men coach Jackson said something similar about his players)
and
"Beas Hamga and Ty Nurse are the only underclassmen in the program"
http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2007/05/05/sports/h_r_preps/boys_basketball/1023238.txt
This does not seem to be true...and isn't even close!
Many of their seniors did not and are NOT playing D-I ball anywhere.
The only guys who went straight to D-I are Stula (DePaul), Staiger (Iowa State), Hamga (UNLV) but all were deemed ineligible and had to sit out, and really none have had careers to brag about.
Hobson committed to New Mexico- but then didn't pass the clearinghouse and moved to a Utah juco.
he will likely be the only one who, after a circuitous route, might have a good D-I career.
The head coach at Decatur has moved on and is at a prep school, a small one, in Indiana...
Alan Huss is now coaching at Culver Military Acvademy, and they do reportedly have some D-I talent that they have recruited there!!
http://iowa.scout.com/a.z?s=8&p=2&c=944900&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2fiowa.scout.com%2f2%2f944900.html
Of course because they recruit their talent to their school, they cannot be members of IHSA....
The other Illinois prep school still currently running in Brehm Prep...
They also have a whole lot of international kids plus a couple transfers from Chicago schools.
The jury is still out as most of their players have not graduated...but I wouldn't hold my breath...as lots of issues are already troubling the kids...including serious injuries that have occurred as they play these high schoolers against a schedule of far bigger and stronger juco kids...
One injury to Siakam was a serious fracture of multiple facial bones...
The kids they have include James Siakam and Dre Henley who were sure D-I kids from the start, but time will tell if this prep school experience benefits them or hurts them like the other two schools hurt all their players.
One thing is known, that one D-I prospect, a kid named Earl Ruffin, has already graduated, but was not eligible (sound familiar already??) and went to juco at Northern Oklahoma College at Enid...
Ruffin is a freshman guard there averaging 3.5 ppg, 31% on 3-pt shoting, and 0.9 assists...
and he has also missed 8 games, so he is yet to show D-I Potential.
But we will still hear more about Brehm....they have a lot of talent....but it waits to be seen if any of the highly touted talented kids ever makes a dent at the next level.
Recall, out of those 65 different kids who names were at least linked to or who played at those other two jucos, really only ONE (maybe two if you count Hobson - tho the jury is still out) has been a star at the D-I level, Craig Brackins...
a couple others are having decent careers (Koshwal, etc..) but definitely NOT sure NBA caliber careers, and of the other 95% of those kids, a few made it to the lower echelons of D-I but most flopped and never had success anywhere, despite the lofty predictions.
I'd say the prep school "experiment" for the vast majority of these kids was an abysmal failure both athletically and academically.
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