Just a few bits of news relative to the Valley ...

Did you see this?? Ex-SIU Saluki Brandon Wood has done just fine after being run out at SIU to make room for future star Kevin Dillard a couple years ago.

Wood was Valpo's top player and TEAM MVP --
http://twitter.com/#!/ValpoAD/statuses/64856198972841984

Valpo had a good season (won 23 games!), they made the post-season, and Brandon Wood was their best player - 17 ppg (would have led the Valley most years - other than Andrew Warren this year), 4.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 36.3% on 3-pointers.
Wood is now interested in leaving Valpo and being courted by Michigan State, Michigan, and Purdue!!

He also put his name in the NBA draft but may withdraw..
http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/150/10657/


One other name in the NBA draft is Andrew Albicy -- he's from Paris-Levallois in the French top pro league and he's teammates with Marcellus Sommerville.
But here's the news that is most important -- why's this guy in the NBA draft??
He is averaging only 11.2 ppg for Paris-Levallois and only 2.5 ppg when they play their tougher EuroCup Challenge games.

Cellus is averaging 12.8 ppg overall and 13.5 ppg in the EuroCup games!
Cellus also averages a team leading 6.3 rpg (9 rpg in EuroCup games), plus 2 apg, and 1.5 steals.
Maybe the NBA ought to look at Cellus and leave Albicy alone!

BTW -- one of Osiris Eldridge's teammates on his Turkish team Karsiyaka..
Aldemir Furkan is also in the NBA draft -- Furkan averages only 8.5 ppg compared to David Holston (Chicago State) 15.1 ppg, and Osiris's 10.3 ppg.


How'd you like a little P'Allen Stinnett followup...
so wouldn't everyone expect that P'Allen would dominate at the D-II level and even help his team to some national title or something -- right??

Well -- not exactly -- he got to play a lot...when he wasn't suspended for rules violations....
http://www.newspressnow.com/sports/26041977/detail.html

P'Allen averaged 30 minutes per game and took a lot of shots....
he was 127-262 and 47-122 on 3-pointers - 16.7 ppg...
but in the end Missouri Western was only 12-16 and lost games they should have won...
so that even if P'Allen is a good player -- he just doesn't seem to help his teams win.
This was exactly the opinion of the sports reporters -- that all that talent and athleticism somehow couldn't translate into wins.



Iowa State - like U of I is also planning an Italian preseason exhibition tour this summer...August 9-19 - 4 or maybe 5 games.
This will be a great benefit since Coach Hoiberg has a ton of new players and transfers and the extra practices and games will help immensely.
http://www.cyclones.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10700&ATCLID=205124860

Now -- will the players and brand new assistant coaches who are currently either under arrest for DUI or who are suspended for bar brawls be allowed to go??

http://iowastatedaily.com/sports/article_b5ae540e-66aa-11e0-8114-001cc4c002e0.html

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110428/SPORTS/110428030/1003/?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Iowa State will also be playing at Padre Island in a tourney on Thanksgiving.



Indian Hills' 6-6 SG Dijon Farr just signed with Utah...9 ppg, 5 rpg...

Pikeville College changes their name --
http://twitter.com/#!/awireman/status/65034355487158273


I put all the news for the last few days on the new instant twitter news site...

http://twitter.com/#!/BUBravesNews

This is by invitation only so you have to introduce yourself or make yourself known...
There's lots of great news and inside news but it will remain a "protected" site for various reasons - most of which are obvious....but at least I am not charging for viewing like some sites.....
PM me and make sure I know who you are -- if I haven't met you then we need to talk so I can be sure I know who each of those who request to follow are.......
Thanks............