Who are you excited about for next season?

[dogsrus]

I'm so glad you guys are keeping AT out of this crystalball circus. Action speaks louder than words. When the season starts i hope there is a sign disallowing Ban-Wagon jumpers. Keep working hard Braves

Exactly what is a "ban-wagon".....is that for players no longer on the team? I think PA Stinnent was placed on THAT wagon at CU.

[basketball nut]

I do not believe anyone has been overtly critical of AT. He's been on the team 3 years and we have hardly seen him play for some reason. Some have speculated why and this should come to no surprise. If there is someone out there that is sensitive about the situation at hand then it is up to AT to show us next year what he has to offer. As Houston mentioned there were a few posted comments on a social media to give us all pause along with very little court time. I hope that AT becomes the player we all hoped he would be on The Hilltop. It is up to him to show us that he can and I hope that any comments from this board does not distract him from achieving high goals. At this level you have to want it real bad!

Key to AT is he was a project (because of weight if for no other reason-should probably have been a JC player but then we wouldn't have had a cahnce at him) when he came here and, like a lot of Valley players, he has not done much so far but then he still has 2 years to prove himself.
My point that a lot of players really don't play their best until their junior, (look at Cox from DU) and for some even their senior, seasons. AT may really surprise this year. Yes he didn't get to play as much as a lot of us would have liked last season but we still seen glimpes of what we hope he can do and if he improves that much more by the start of this year he will contribute.

[Chico]

I don't know of anyone on this board, who are BU fans, that isn't pulling for AT on and off the court. But what is his potential? Being 6'9". So far, IMO, he has been a wasted scholarship. That's not being negative, that's facing facts. Come on AT, show us what you got. We need it.

[BradleyBrave]

I don't know of anyone on this board, who are BU fans, that isn't pulling for AT on and off the court. But what is his potential? Being 6'9". So far, IMO, he has been a wasted scholarship. That's not being negative, that's facing facts. Come on AT, show us what you got. We need it.

Exactly. I don't think there's one person on here that wouldn't be ecstatic if AT blossomed into an impact player.

[dogsrus]

Exactly. I don't think there's one person on here that wouldn't be ecstatic if AT blossomed into an impact player.

Don't forget the JL haters.....they'd be upset and give all the credit to Merfled or AL B.

[Beninator]

Nice thread... I'll try some semi-different picks to further the discussion.

1.) My pick is Milos for most improved. MK is the type of player that we need to compliment AW and DSE and to set up the 5.

2.) Biggest question mark is the production from the 5. The minutes are there for someone to step up and get them.

[Beninator]

Does she work in Peoria If so, where and when Money's NO Object I bet Benni knows
Me too on Eastman. He's got a some toughness about him that I think we need and must have

OOB, I hear that she works at and for "Goodwill".

[Out of Balance]

OOB, I hear that she works at and for "Goodwill".

I am all for spreading Goodwill

[SFP]

I am all for spreading Goodwill

and I'm all for receiving Goodwill! BTW... I wish nothing but Goodwill for our players and fans!

[Heemeskerk]

I have a question for anyone who can enlighten me... I am a bit confused about JP. He was supposedly a very high recruit (I think someone mentioned top 100) and was being recruited by some big ten schools etc.

How is it that such a high recruit is then red-shirted and is only expected to get marginal minutes in his first year after red-shirting.

Was JP just over-rated and as bigger schools saw more of him they backed off? Did he receive offers from any BCS schools?

I guess I am just perplexed at the type of talent and potential that I initially thought in regards to JP and what seems to be the reality.

I am looking forward to seeing JP as it seems local kids do very well. Also I love to see local kids stay at home and show loyalty to BU!

Also I am curious to know what JP needs to improve most about his game to compete in the MVC? Where are his deficiencies?

[Dallas Brave]

I have a question for anyone who can enlighten me... I am a bit confused about JP. He was supposedly a very high recruit (I think someone mentioned top 100) and was being recruited by some big ten schools etc.

How is it that such a high recruit is then red-shirted and is only expected to get marginal minutes in his first year after red-shirting.

Was JP just over-rated and as bigger schools saw more of him they backed off? Did he receive offers from any BCS schools?

I guess I am just perplexed at the type of talent and potential that I initially thought in regards to JP and what seems to be the reality.

I am looking forward to seeing JP as it seems local kids do very well. Also I love to see local kids stay at home and show loyalty to BU!

Also I am curious to know what JP needs to improve most about his game to compete in the MVC? Where are his deficiencies?

Thank you for asking this because I am perplexed about this as well. Has there been a more highly recruited player than JP that has signed under JL's regime? I was in full support of a RS for JP's freshman year because it looked like we had depth in the inside game last year. JP should be a man among boys with what we have seen.

[Braves4Life]

I think - and hope - that this is just a case of a small school kid that is not quite physically up to the challenge of the speed and strength of the college game yet. It is much easier, and more common, for a guard to make an immediate impact at the major college level than for a "big" like Prosser.

That said, I am looking for JP to show the potential of why he was such an acclaimed and sought-after high school player. I'm not expecting miracles from him (yet). I'd just like to see him have a year where he improves throughout like DSE and Eastman did. Then, I'm expecting BIG things from him as a junior.

[peoriaspitfire]

Based on effort alone, I look for DSE to continue his rise to the top. The biggest question marks all seem to revolve around the 4/5 spot...that is if we aren't running a 4 guard line-up, which for the record, I'm not opposed to for short periods of time.

[Chico]

I have a question for anyone who can enlighten me... I am a bit confused about JP. He was supposedly a very high recruit (I think someone mentioned top 100) and was being recruited by some big ten schools etc.

How is it that such a high recruit is then red-shirted and is only expected to get marginal minutes in his first year after red-shirting.

Was JP just over-rated and as bigger schools saw more of him they backed off? Did he receive offers from any BCS schools?

I guess I am just perplexed at the type of talent and potential that I initially thought in regards to JP and what seems to be the reality.

I am looking forward to seeing JP as it seems local kids do very well. Also I love to see local kids stay at home and show loyalty to BU!

Also I am curious to know what JP needs to improve most about his game to compete in the MVC? Where are his deficiencies?

Who said he was only going to get marginal minutes playing time? Posters on this board? I don't believe any of the coaches have come out and said how much playing time JP will get and I doubt if, at this stage, they know. I, for one, think being he was so highly recruited he will see more than marginal playing time.

[Heemeskerk]

Who said he was only going to get marginal minutes playing time? Posters on this board? I don't believe any of the coaches have come out and said how much playing time JP will get and I doubt if, at this stage, they know. I, for one, think being he was so highly recruited he will see more than marginal playing time.

I think this is based on the fact that he red-shirted last year. If he was going to have some impact I would be surprised he would have been red shirted. Unless the staff grossly over estimated our bigs last year when they decided to redshirt JP.

I guess there is a possibility that he has improved vastly over the off season.

Time will tell.