A quite day on the message board..

[Braves4Life]

.....I'm not sure I agree with some of the ideas you're using to justify we didn't want him.

I'm NOT floating any ideas as to why JL did not want Wilkins. I'm simply offering up an alternative that we do not know. Everyone (myself included) has pinned this on Wilkins and this being his decision. As I said, it is quite possible that after he visited Les and BU one last time that something caused JL to "let Wilkins go"; he supposedly verballed to Iowa St. soon after his visit to BU. Maybe Wilkins placed "conditions", or maybe it became apparent to Les that he was being used, or maybe Les thought Wilkins would not be eligible at either BU or through the NCAA. All I'm saying is we don't know what happened. I trust JL knew what he was doing and I hope that The Ocho Monster is a BEAST; what he potentially offers is more of our missing link than what Wilkins could have brought.

[Braves4Life]

Talent...NBA upside...skilled big man...With an open scholarship it sure seems like we'd be willing to follow that guy to the end of the earth to try and get a committment from him...

Fears, DeAaron Williams, Brown, P'Allen....... Not all "great players" make good mid-major players. Some are more of a headache than they're worth.

[BUfan14]

I really don't think JL could forsee that EM, his starting PG going into the season would leave... I also don't think it's as simple as only one side acted, why can it not be both, JL saw Wilkins wasn't firm and decided it wasn't worth the risk.

The point about EM is an excellent one to make. People shoot down the MO was more important theory by saying that we had two more open scholarships. Actually that wasn't true a month ago, so maybe we did drop out because a post was more important. The EM thing wasn't predictable.

It could also be very well JL was tired of the ride, saw it wasn't realistic anymore and moved on. He didn't necessarily have to pull the offer, but maybe he just stopped recruiting him heavily. WL and MO were ready to commit to Bradley, and so JL took the sure bet perhaps.

Some fans, both BU and ISU are saying Bradley fans are just saying MO was a bigger need just because we are angry. I would argue, if you don't think a post was our biggest need I don't know what Bradley games you were watching last year. ISU fans should know that best of all the way they killed us on the glass last year that was by far our biggest need. We needed a post more than a wing, I think that is obvious.

Either way, I think both teams did well in this deal however it happened, it will be an interesting couple games this year as always, and I am ready to move on.

[SFP]

Some fans, both BU and ISU are saying Bradley fans are just saying MO was a bigger need just because we are angry. I would argue, if you don't think a post was our biggest need I don't know what Bradley games you were watching last year. ISU fans should know that best of all the way they killed us on the glass last year that was by far our biggest need. We needed a post more than a wing, I think that is obvious.

Either way, I think both teams did well in this deal however it happened, it will be an interesting couple games this year as always, and I am ready to move on.

We had a poll about what we the fans would be happy with in this recruiting class and a real big with Lemon was at the top of the list by far. To say anything else is just talk. Yes we all wanted John Wilkens the player we think he is but a true big was more essential to next season being successful.

[wily coyote]

But there has to be a reason why the larger schools pursuing Wilkins backed away........

There is a reason and its been put on this board several times and gotten removed. I'm not going to give them (MOds) a chance to do it again but I don't believe we were recruiting him at the end because of situations that have happened eariler. Kudos to JL for his recruitment of JW and its time to move on.

[OrangeandBlack74]

Kudos to JL for his recruitment of JW and its time to move on.

Amen to that! He signed with another team. Can we PLEASE forget about him now and move on??? Let's worry about JW when his team comes to Carver next season. Geeesh...

[lake Camelot]

It would be nice to get the bigger kid from Oregon(Is it Crittle). I wonder if we ever recruited him. I know we recruited Humphrey from Oregon.

[KillerB]

Quiet means silent. Quite is something else

Ignoring my typo... I really hoped for a discussion on the last scholarship and little to no talk of JW. Hasn't that horse been beaten to death on other threads already?

[LittleBrave]

Ignoring my typo... I really hoped for a discussion on the last scholarship and little to no talk of JW. Hasn't that horse been beaten to death on other threads already?

Maybe it will take more time, like as we get into November, to have the horse beaten to death.
Which is why we need a guy like Michael O. to take a beating and still go strong!

[BUfan14]

Ignoring my typo... I really hoped for a discussion on the last scholarship and little to no talk of JW. Hasn't that horse been beaten to death on other threads already?

I have stated my view on the last scholarship before. My Ideal is a 6'2-6'5 Wing who can shoot. If he is also athletic great we could always use another athletic wing too, but we need a shooter first and foremost. A guy in the JC model would be perfect for me.

A transfer shooter wouldn't be a bad thing either, because we already have depth next year and if we could get an experienced shooter who could step right in after next year to help replace our 3 best 3 point shooters that would be ideal. A Marshall Henderson type would be perfect, although some don't think he has even talked to Bradley. We need a shooter for the year after next year, as we really don't have one right now.

I also wouldn't mind a 7'0 guy, or a third PG considering we only have SM and DSE to handle the point. An injury would put a strain on the PG spot and likely force someone out of position as well, unless WL can handle the point. I'd like to see Tyler Les walk-on here as well.

[romar]

I have stated my view on the last scholarship before. My Ideal is a 6'2-6'5 Wing who can shoot. If he is also athletic great we could always use another athletic wing too, but we need a shooter first and foremost. A guy in the JC model would be perfect for me.

A transfer shooter wouldn't be a bad thing either, because we already have depth next year and if we could get an experienced shooter who could step right in after next year to help replace our 3 best 3 point shooters that would be ideal. A Marshall Henderson type would be perfect, although some don't think he has even talked to Bradley. We need a shooter for the year after next year, as we really don't have one right now.

I also wouldn't mind a 7'0 guy, or a third PG considering we only have SM and DSE to handle the point. An injury would put a strain on the PG spot and likely force someone out of position as well, unless WL can handle the point. I'd like to see Tyler Les walk-on here as well.

Don't forget DD - he played the point at Iowa State & spelled SM at times his Jr. year. He should be back to form next year & that gives BU a 3rd guard to run the point.

[BUfan14]

Don't forget DD - he played the point at Iowa State & spelled SM at times his Jr. year. He should be back to form next year & that gives BU a 3rd guard to run the point.

Good point, forgot about that. If DD can do it, we would still need a third PG for the year after unless WL could do it behind DS and DSE, but in terms of this year my number 1 priority like I stated remains a wing 3 point shooter.

Patrik Auda sounds good too, although I haven't read how good a shooter he is at a 6'9 wing, it says he has "a good perimeter skill set." So hopefully that means he can shoot.