Who are you excited about for next season?

[MacabreMob]

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?

And so this has me thinking of how B Cole was rated in HS and how many minutes he racked up his 1st year at UIUC.

[Heemeskerk]

And so this has me thinking of how B Cole was rated in HS and how many minutes he racked up his 1st year at UIUC.

Excelllent point.

[LittleBrave]

And if JP gets 10+ minutes per game, and we land MO, will we see AT on the court more than last year?
I think JP will get the same P.T. as SS got last year, unless he really struggles.

[BradleyBrave]

And if JP gets 10+ minutes per game, and we land MO, will we see AT on the court more than last year?
I think JP will get the same P.T. as SS got last year, unless he really struggles.

Well, the fact that MO is an 'if' right now isn't good. If we for some reason don't get MO on campus and on the team, this entire year was a colossal recruiting failure. I haven't heard of any unforeseen difficulties getting MO cleared yet, but you never know.

[LittleBrave]

Well, the fact that MO is an 'if' right now isn't good. If we for some reason don't get MO on campus and on the team, this entire year was a colossal recruiting failure. I haven't heard of any unforeseen difficulties getting MO cleared yet, but you never know.

Definitely a bad recruiting year if MO doesn't work out. Still hopeful though.

[mwilsont]

keep flying stealth brave keep flying stealth

[romar]

I have a feeling when all is said & done BU fans will be very happy with WL. So, I'd never call the recruiting year a complete failure.

BTW - anyone else think there might be some correlation between the asst-coaching shake up and all the recent rumors floating about JL to what's happened this past recruiting season?

Coaches love to drop rumors and hints about other teams or coaches while recruiting trying to give themselves any advantage.

[SFP]

Well, the fact that MO is an 'if' right now isn't good. If we for some reason don't get MO on campus and on the team, this entire year was a colossal recruiting failure. I haven't heard of any unforeseen difficulties getting MO cleared yet, but you never know.

Colossal is too big of a word. I believe in the guys we have right now! I want a big but next year we should be able to contend for the title regardless. The problem is that we will need a huge recruiting class next year if we do not fill in at least one more scholarship this year. I'd rather though not use it for filler. I'm still hoping for MO but if for some reason it does not happen I still will have high expectations for the team.

[tornado]

And so this has me thinking of how B Cole was rated in HS and how many minutes he racked up his 1st year at UIUC.

I like Bill Cole so this isn't meant as any disrespect...
Bill Cole was fairly unknown and mostly unranked by anyone when EARLY in his junior year even before the playing season started, he announced he was going to Illinois..and was going to be part of a monster recruiting class of Bruce Weber (Tisdale, MaCamey, Eric Gordon)
Cole was then immediately ranked as a 4-Star recruit..by BOTH scout.com and Rivals (ranked inside the top 75)

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=490529

I recall that at the time, Bill Cole was being touted as a 6-10 post presence who (reportedly) was being told by experts and doctors that his body would grow to 7-feet tall.

Here's one story from Dec. 2005...
"Bill Cole is a very skilled 6’10” big man from Peoria...
Currently Cole is a four-start recruit by Scout.com."

http://illinois.scout.com/2/482476.html

(by the way...just to show how sad things end up turning out.....here's one other line from that same story in Dec. 2005 when Illinois still believed they had Eric Gordon coming)...
"Looking down the road for Illini fans, imagine a front line some day of (Bill
Cole), Shaun Pruitt, Charles Jackson, Brian Carlwell, and Richard Semrau; all
of which fits well into Weber’s system. Not too bad for a guy that’s not
known as a “recruiter”."


Thus, the 4-Star rating was based mostly on hype and promise, and had those guys known Bill was 6-8 and would not grow any further and would take three years of riding the bench before contributing much at U of I, I am sure they would rethink the 4-Star rating...
Before he ever got out of high school - even though he nearly led his team to a STATE Championship, his rating dropped back down to 3-Stars...here in a 2007 story Cole isn't even ranked inside the Top 10 players in Illinois (he was 14th behind Carlton Fay, Justin Bocot, Mustapha Farrakhan, and Mike Stovall).

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=597932

http://rivals.yahoo.com/depaul/football/recruiting/rankings/rank-1798

[BU RICK]

I'm excited to see what Will Egolf does, I'm hoping he has a breakout season. It was funny when I emailed my friend about his signing, he emailed me back "will he golf?". My friend is a big time golfer with a 7 handicap. If Will can just stay out of foul trouble he will stay in the game much longer. I'm not so much worried about who we sign or don't sign this year, we've already signed a good one. We've got a team of good players coming back and I'm going to stay forever optimistic Go Braves!

[LittleBrave]

At this point, we need a guy like MO, to bang inside and grab some boards, or our chances to win the Valley will be very slim.

[bu fan 9]

The best thing about this year is we don't have to watch McCain.

[SFP]

The best thing about this year is we don't have to watch McCain.

Was that necessary? BTW I liked McCain.

[basketball nut]

At this point, we need a guy like MO, to bang inside and grab some boards, or our chances to win the Valley will be very slim.

We get way to excited about guys coming in as freshman. Yes, MO is big but he will only be a freshman so let's not expect him to carry the team. Everything hinges on how quick they learn the college game and it seems the big guys take longer.
Also JP redshirting was to give him another year to learn and get ready to play college ball and it also means 2 years after WE is gone for him to contribute.
I don't think the redshirt was a knock on his playing ability at all.

[MacabreMob]

The best thing about this year is we don't have to watch McCain.

Was that necessary? BTW I liked McCain.

Actually, IMO - the best thing about this year (and each year since Les has been coach) is we don't have to watch the painful Slow-Mo Offense.