recruiting

[BUFAN]

That's my point. I actually knew how The Hawk was recruited, my point is you can't judge someone based soley on who was recruiting them. Dick knew he had something, but no one else did.

You cant compare JL to Dick Versace, you just cant.

[Missouri Brave]

Very few top players who have come to Bradley were heavily recruited. Hawk had offers from Eastern Washington and ISU. Jim Les had only an offer from Cleveland State, which he took, because BU wouldn't offer him. Danny Granger chose Bradley over Yale. Roger Phegley had no Division I basketball offers and came to BU to play baseball. And the list goes on.

And, as far as Hawk goes, Versace knew he had a player, he just didn't know how good of a player. Even after inking Hawk, the thought by man around town was that Jerry Thomas was the prized recruit for the Braves that year.

Two more points:

1. I think the fact that this kid was being recruited by Coach Mo at WIU is a great sign. First, Coach Mo was a strong recruiter. Second, Mo did the unimaginable and transformed Jeff Rabey (remember him?) into a stud of a post player his senior year so he must have a pretty good eye for what kind of project can be developed into a quality contributor.

2. Notable exception was a guy like JJ Anderson, who led the nation in scoring.

[amckillip]

You cant compare JL to Dick Versace, you just cant.

I wasn't comparing the two at all, I was saying coaches can (and often do) find diamonds in the rough. (Though DV is far overrated by BU fans IMO. - Let the bashing start )

[Beninator]

(Though DV is far overrated by BU fans IMO. - Let the bashing start )

In what ways? You may be surprised by my response.

[unbekannt]

Why did we spend millions of dollars for new buildings if we are going after kids that are being recruitied by Western and Army? Give me a break.

The Army spends far more on recruiting than Bradley ever could!

I wouldn't get upset over things like this. Plenty of big schools and NBA teams miss on players. Just because little schools are looking at them doesn't mean they aren't good players. Get upset when we don't get talent or players don't get better.

[amckillip]

In what ways? You may be surprised by my response.

Well, he only had a couple good years, didn't win more than one NCAA game, and got run off by the NCAA. Any time BU makes the LA times for something like this: http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-...ley-university I am not a fan of that coach.

Learning about DV when I was a young BU BBall fan he was exactly the kind of coach I couldn't stand (get a school violations then leave for the pros). At least Pete Carol gave USC some rings.


I'm scared to be posting this.

[Big Mike]

There are very few 6'10 t0 7' players that are jrs in high school that are in control of thier body....I am excited that Wells could pan out....if he wasn't a project the Braves would not of had a chance of getting him to come here! He will be a sr this season and get more PT....who knows how good he will be be but I am excited about talking a chance on a 7'1 kid who is already a qualifier and weighs 215 now, after the red/shirt this kid could shatter the block shot record with almost 200 blocks from the soph & jr seasons!

[mrcoachdude]

There are very few 6'10 t0 7' players that are jrs in high school that are in control of thier body....I am excited that Wells could pan out....if he wasn't a project the Braves would not of had a chance of getting him to come here! He will be a sr this season and get more PT....who knows how good he will be be but I am excited about talking a chance on a 7'1 kid who is already a qualifier and weighs 215 now, after the red/shirt this kid could shatter the block shot record with almost 200 blocks from the soph & jr seasons!

Just take a look at JP in Big Mike's post...a year of strength training did him WONDERS...now if this young man apply's himself like JP did, good things could happen

...agree with you Mike...if he was not a project BU would be on the outside lookin in...

[Beninator]

Well, he only had a couple good years, didn't win a single NCAA game, and got run off by the NCAA. Any time BU makes the LA times for something like this: http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-...ley-university I am not a fan of that coach.

Learning about DV when I was a young BU BBall fan he was exactly the kind of coach I couldn't stand (get a school violations then leave for the pros). At least Pete Carol gave USC some rings.


I'm scared to be posting this.

In all fairness, DV won the NIT when that tournament still meant something. I am not the greatest DV fan, but that team was shafted by the NCAA! DV did get a first round NCAA win in 1986 vs Texas El Paso and lost in the second round to Louisville which eventually won the NCAA's. I will admit that DV did some good things on the Hilltop. He brought us back to the national spotlight and left the team almost in ruins. I never thought that DV was the greatest x's and o's coach and his recruiting tactics were a bit on the shady side.
Let the fireworks begin!

[amckillip]

In all fairness, DV won the NIT when that tournament still meant something.

I would debate that point, but I know what you mean.

[Beninator]

I would debate that point, but I know what you mean.

Again in all fairness.. I believe that the NCAA tournament had only 48 teams back then. If the NCAA had the field of 64 then as now, that team does some damage in the tournament. Just trying to present the other side as I am not the biggest DV fan. Although I know that a lot of his players loved to play for him.

[houstontxbrave]

In all fairness, DV won the NIT when that tournament still meant something. I am not the greatest DV fan, but that team was shafted by the NCAA! DV did get a first round NCAA win in 1986 vs Texas El Paso and lost in the second round to Louisville which eventually won the NCAA's. I will admit that DV did some good things on the Hilltop. He brought us back to the national spotlight and left the team almost in ruins. I never thought that DV was the greatest x's and o's coach and his recruiting tactics were a bit on the shady side.
Let the fireworks begin!

He also took a Bradley program in 1979-80 that had one 9 games the year before, to a Valley tourney title and an appearance in the NCAA's.

It can be debated that he left BU in ruins, but he took over a pretty broken down product. The NCAA punishment and violations by todays standards are pretty weak, even by those days standards they were weak.

I pretty much grew up during the Versace era and I for one will never forget the excitement of Bradley Basketball during the time DV was there and I am glad he became part of the history of Bradley.

The leaving the program in ruins phrase is precisely reserved for Stan Albeck. He folks left Bradley in shambles even if he didnt get any NCAA violations. He should have been given a violation for the horrible impersonation of a basketball coach. He was given a gift in 88 directly from Versace.

[real fan]

Well, he only had a couple good years, didn't win more than one NCAA game, and got run off by the NCAA. Any time BU makes the LA times for something like this: http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-...ley-university I am not a fan of that coach.

Learning about DV when I was a young BU BBall fan he was exactly the kind of coach I couldn't stand (get a school violations then leave for the pros). At least Pete Carol gave USC some rings.


I'm scared to be posting this.

Dick Versace put Bradley basketball back on the map and he did break some rules but they were not big and should not have been penalized as much except that they were little BU and should not be competing against the big boys so we will teach them a lesson, had Bradley fought this they could have stayed on top for a very long time, he recruited good tough nose basketball players and won championships, Albeck and his staff came in and tore everything apart and was a bad choice in the long run, by the way Dick was forced out by our Pres. and athletic director.

[Beninator]

He also took a Bradley program in 1979-80 that had one 9 games the year before, to a Valley tourney title and an appearance in the NCAA's.

It can be debated that he left BU in ruins, but he took over a pretty broken down product. The NCAA punishment and violations by todays standards are pretty weak, even by those days standards they were weak.

I pretty much grew up during the Versace era and I for one will never forget the excitement of Bradley Basketball during the time DV was there and I am glad he became part of the history of Bradley.

The leaving the program in ruins phrase is precisely reserved for Stan Albeck. He folks left Bradley in shambles even if he didnt get any NCAA violations. He should have been given a violation for the horrible impersonation of a basketball coach. He was given a gift in 88 directly from Versace.

You will not get a debate from me about Albeck, however the downward spiral began when DV left BU. As for what happened after 1979-80, you might want to check out the money allocated to recruiting after 1979-80. I think that you will find that the budget was much more generous.

[wizard1]

Recruiting---Dick Versace

DV was a great college coach who brought BU back after years of mediocrity. The success, achievements, excitement, recruiting, etc. in the DV era was unparalleled.

Mitchel Anderson, David Thirdkill, Voyce Winters, Anthony Manual, Jim Les, Donald Reese, Willie Scott, Hersey Hawkins, Etc., Etc. The list goes on and on----We havn't come close to this kind of recruiting since DV was sold out and served up to the NCAA by an administration that was terrified of the high profile and occasional controvery of that era and settled for a more mundane, boring, safe, and mediocre program instead.

Had DV stayed, we almost certainly would have been in the Butler, Gonzaga class and perhaps even better! Dick was loved by his players and was a master at welding a cohesive, together team where every player understood and accepted their role and "bought in" 100% to what he and Tony B. wanted.

His practices were open to fans, he was out in the community , and not at all reclusive or secretive regarding his program.

Albeck was an interem "Finger in the dike" guy who was brought in by Fergie to keep the team (and Hawkins) from leaving after the administration refused to back up their coach. Fergies tactic worked but Albeck was an awful coach and was replaced by Molinari who did a pretty job of repairing the damage but never reached the lofty heights of the program under DV.