Sun-Times Final Look at the Class of 2009

[Braves4Life]

I'm pretty sure we won't care actually. If he plays heavy minutes for you guys next year (20 or so a game) you are either not having a good year or have suffered some severe injuries.

I guess that's why guys like Zeller and Thompson can step right in as freshmen and help North Carolina, or why Singler, Smith, and Scheyer can step in immediately to help Duke, or Rose and Evans at Memphis, or Maniscalco and McCain at BU (and I'm not comparing our guys to Duke/Carolina/Memphis, so don't even go there ).................... I could go on. Were these teams "not having a good year"?

If a guy's good, he's good. Period! I suspect if Prosser can step in and give BU 20+ mpg that YOU WILL CARE..... and it will be because he IS good, too. And 20+/game would probably = MVC NOY or All-Freshman Team

[shaunguth]

I suppose we're expected to really care that a Chicago writer thinks two Chicago boys are better players than a small-town central Illinois player?

[Bradleyguy10]

All this stuff about Prosser I keep hearing....


What are you really expecting from him next year?

and

What kind of talent is he? He used to be in the top 10 and has been dropping ever since. Is he a BCS-starter talent as a fr., so, jr., sr., or only a mid major starter talent level? What's the deal?

[Da Coach]

Those are the questions every coach has to answer for himself when he recruits a kid.
I don't think fans have to answer those questions or justify why they like a recruit to those who don't.

[BU freak]

Prosser is a stud!

Prosser is going to be a stud. How you can go from being a Top 100 recruit to 24 in the state just shows how much these recruting experts are being influenced by the bigger schools. Prosser turned down half the Big Ten and stuck with the home town school, who flat out-worked everyone else. If he doesn't start by the end of next year, I would be shocked. You made the right choice Jordan. Can't wait to see you anchor the middle for the next 4 years!

[Bradleyguy10]

Those are the questions every coach has to answer for himself when he recruits a kid.
I don't think fans have to answer those questions or justify why they like a recruit to those who don't.

I'm getting a negative vibe from your comment. I don't know what you are saying but I wasn't implying anything or saying that I didn't like JP. So take a step back because I'm not asking for you to "justify" anything. I'm merely asking what people think or expect from him...that's all. Sorry if that qualifies me as not a fan.

[wily coyote]

And one reason Terry Johnson did not receive an Mr. Basektball votes (since that really matters anyway???) is because he left St. Rita (private school) because his family could no longer afford it and went to Chicago North Lawndale where he accepted his position of a role player on a great team and not the teams #1 option...

RF 21 I do believe Terry Johnson will be a good player for the Birds but, I had to laugh at your reason for him going to North Lawndale. If you believe that it makes your post less creditable. TJ was a big part in Lawndale scheme but please don't try to get us to believe why he left St.Rita.

[OrangeandBlack74]

All this stuff about Prosser I keep hearing....


What are you really expecting from him next year?

and

What kind of talent is he? He used to be in the top 10 and has been dropping ever since. Is he a BCS-starter talent as a fr., so, jr., sr., or only a mid major starter talent level? What's the deal?

This is just one guy's opinion (mine), based upon what I saw when Eureka played Peoria Manual in the 2A sectional, and this past weekend when JP played in the Flash Flanigan event...

1. He's got a combination of size, strength and mobility that will serve him well against D1 competition.
2. He's got a decent mid-range jump shot, and finishes strong around the basket.
3. He's got better post moves right now than anyone else BU had on the roster this past year.
4. He has a decent chance to log 20+ minutes per game at the 4-5 position next year.

Will he start for BU next year? I'd say it depends on how Egolf recovers from his knee injury. Either way, I see JP getting plenty of PT as a freshman...and I think he will surprise a lot of people!

[tornado]

RF 21 I do believe Terry Johnson will be a good player for the Birds but, I had to laugh at your reason for him going to North Lawndale. ...

I have to suspect that his going to Chicago North Lawndale might have had something to do with the fact they were State Champs and returning all their players and the favorite to repeat at State.

By the way, Johnson's move from St. Rita at 7740 S. Western Ave. to North Lawndale at 1616 S. Spaulding, meant he would pass numerous other schools on the way to go to his new school nearly 10 miles away through congested city streets.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=1616+S.+Spaulding&daddr=41.751667,-87.684444&hl=en&geocode=%3BFXMUfQIdpArG-g&mra=ls&sll=41.812267,-87.679138&sspn=0.378717,0.566483&ie=UTF8&z=12

[RedbirdFan21]

I have to suspect that his going to Chicago North Lawndale might have had something to do with the fact they were State Champs and returning all their players and the favorite to repeat at State.

You suspect that? Hmmm... sounds like wild speculation to me...

By the way, Johnson's move from St. Rita at 7740 S. Western Ave. to North Lawndale at 1616 S. Spaulding, meant he would pass numerous other schools on the way to go to his new school nearly 10 miles away through congested city streets.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...3&ie=UTF8&z=12

The location of one school vs. another is irrelevant... the location of a school compared to his home is the only relevant factor... Do you know where he lives? He could live next door to North Lawndale for all you know...

[jeffsu]

You suspect that? Hmmm... sounds like wild speculation to me...



The location of one school vs. another is irrelevant... the location of a school compared to his home is the only relevant factor... Do you know where he lives? He could live next door to North Lawndale for all you know...

Are you really that naive?

[tornado]

seems Shaun Livingston found a way to live next to Central....

In Chicago, nobody cares who hops from what school to what other school....
unless you go to a private school and end up taking home a state trophy.

I know for a fact that when a previously unknown private school located near us, suddenly won a state trophy, suddenly inquries came by the droves asking for proof of residency, academic eligibility, physical exam forms, etc...to see if there was some way that some player could be deemed suspicious or ineligible so that "someone" could take that trophy away.
Ultimately they did find a way to take one of Hales' trophies away...but who the hey ever cares about this stuff at the public schools?
Wake me up when it happens.........virtually every school in 3A and 4A had kids on their rosters that were recent transfers..........recruiting is alive and well in Chitown.
Unfortunately the guys downstate (eg - Limestone) just aren't very good at it yet...in fact they are actually quite sloppy and bad at it.

[Da Coach]

Here is another expert's ranking of the top players in Illinois-

http://www.angelfire.com/ky/prephoops/0809/Feb09BolusILBoys.html

Jordan Prosser is #11
Dyricus Simms-Edwards is #12

Terry Johnson is #16
Zeke Upshaw is #19

Rick Bolus is a highly respected high school talent evaluator, and is not biased toward the Chicago area kids.

And Rivals does a good job rating players- here is their rankings for 2009 Illinois kids from last year.
Note Jordan Prosser is #7 in the class of 2009, and Johnson and Upshaw are not in the top 20.-

http://depaul.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=2001

By the way- here is another interesting article I came across about Illinois basketball-
Peoria, not Chicago, boasts Illinois' best high school hoops

http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool/rise/basketball/boys/news/story?id=3969954

[bufan73]

I am a little skeptical of Prosser myself because he plays in a Cow Polk conference. Ok, he as the credentials...but what talent has he faced?

[tornado]

Here is another expert's ranking of the top players in Illinois-

http://www.angelfire.com/ky/prephoops/0809/Feb09BolusILBoys.html

Jordan Prosser is #11
Dyricus Simms-Edwards is #12

Terry Johnson is #16
Zeke Upshaw is #19

Rick Bolus is a highly respected high school talent evaluator, and is not biased toward the Chicago area kids.

And Rivals does a good job rating players- here is their rankings for 2009 Illinois kids from last year.
Note Jordan Prosser is #7 in the class of 2009, and Johnson and Upshaw are not in the top 20.-

http://depaul.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=2001

By the way- here is another interesting article I came across about Illinois basketball-
Peoria, not Chicago, boasts Illinois' best high school hoops
http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool...ory?id=3969954

Da Coach, RedbirdFan21 probably won't have the time, so you should go share those links with the people on the Redbird board