Max B.

[Disturbed]

Didn't know if this had been discussed here.

http://chicagohoops.hoops247.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79:class-of-2011-peoria-notre-dame-star-max-bielfeldt-takes-unofficial-visits-to-both-illinois-and-valparaiso&catid=34:recruiting

[SaintLouBrave22]

Max needs to look at Bill Cole's career before he heads to IL...


Does he want to ride the bench for basically 2 1/2 years til he gets his shot?


Surprised ISU didn't look at him with their record of developing big men the last few years...

[45otseoj]

Surprised ISU didn't look at him with their record of developing big men the last few years...

FWIW ISU was the only Valley school that didn't show interest.

[tornado]

Max needs to look at Bill Cole's career.....

naww...Bill is a decent example but he was a scholarship kid from the start....just like Stan Simpson....
....Max needs to look at the U of I walk ons because none -- NOT A SINGLE ONE in Bruce Weber's tenure...from Chris Hicks to Bubba Chisholm...have ever played more than a handful of seconds -- unless your name is Michael J. Jordan...

[ER3]

naww...Bill is a decent example but he was a scholarship kid from the start....just like Stan Simpson....
....Max needs to look at the U of I walk ons because none -- NOT A SINGLE ONE in Bruce Weber's tenure...from Chris Hicks to Bubba Chisholm...have ever played more than a handful of seconds -- unless your name is Michael J. Jordan...

Didn't Trent Meacham come to Illinois as a walk-on?

[Da Coach]

Didn't Trent Meacham come to Illinois as a walk-on?

That is an interesting example, but the cases are not very similar. Meacham wanted badly to go to Illinois out of Champaign Centennial High School in 2004, but Bill Self was never interested in recruiting him. Self left Illinois in March, 2003 (the end of Meacham's junior year at Centennial), and Bruce Weber became coach in April, 2003. Weber never showed interest in Meacham either, despite Meacham's strong desire to play for the Illini. Weber did not even offer a walkon spot to Meacham.
So Meacham committed to Dayton on September 3, 2003. Meacham went on to have a terrific freshman season at Dayton- played in all 29 games, was 2nd in assists, was their leading 3-point shooter at 45.9%, lead in FT pct at 89.6%. Then after Illinois' terrific Final Four season in 2004-2005, he decided to leave Dayton and wanted to transfer to Illinois and play as a walkon. By then, Weber was in the market for another point guard, as he was not getting any quality point guards to replace the players he inherited from Self. Weber has said he tried to talk Meacham out of transferring, but Meacham was determined to do so. Weber would later take some criticism for "taking Meacham away from Dayton", since he complained so publically about Indiana stealing his recruit in 2006- Eric Gordon.
http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/9563183 (see the last 7 paragraphs)
So he accepted Meacham as a walkon, and Meacham went on to earn a scholarship and play very well for 3 years, including his last 2 years as a full-time starter.

Meacham is a great kid, and is currrently playing pro ball in Germany.

here was a nice article about him and his fiance from a couple years ago-

http://www.sj-r.com/sports/x512361014/Supinie-Meacham-Lisch-connect-through-basketball-religion

[tornado]

Didn't Trent Meacham come to Illinois as a walk-on?

Meacham was not recruited to Illinois he had to prove himself somewhere else before Weber would even consider having him on the team

[Future Walk-On]

you guys are acting like Weber is the only coach that doesn't play walk-ons