Shockers' recruit Fred Van Vleet tweets that he is only staying 2-3 years

[tornado]

then off to the NBA...

"....could be in the league after 2 years definately after three.."

https://twitter.com/#!/KRscout/status/194616984300826625

.. I think there's both good and bad in hearing this, if I were a Shocker fan...
-good because I like the kid's confidence...
-bad because I think he's in for a surprise at just how good other D-I players are, and he's just not that likely to be in the NBA in 2 or 3 years.

Trivia question - name the last two players form the Missouri Valley who were drafted BEFORE they completed their college eligibility??

Answer - is below - just mouse over to see...

Answer - of course we all know Patrick O'Bryant left Bradley after his sophomore season and was a lottery pick. Financially he did OK - but he struggled and is in all likelihood done as far as his NBA career.

The only other player in the past 3 decades (and maybe in all of history) that I know of was Benoit Benjamin who was drafted #3 overall in 1985 after 3 years at Creighton.

Ben Coupet left college early and entered the NBA draft but we all know what happened to him...

[LittleBrave]

I'm not seeing anything form the mouseover, but my guess is:

A guy from ISU-red (mid-'90's)
A guy from BU (mid 00's)

(Didn't want to give it away)

[tornado]

sorry -- here's what I have for the answer...if anyone knows of someone I cannot recall - lmk


"Answer - of course we all know Patrick O'Bryant left Bradley after his
sophomore season and was a lottery pick. Financially he did OK - but he
struggled and is in all likelihood done as far as his NBA career.

The only other player in the past 3 decades (and maybe in all of history) that
I know of was Benoit Benjamin who was drafted #3 overall in 1985 after 3
years at Creighton.

Ben Coupet left college early and entered the NBA draft but we all know what
happened to him... "

[TheGuy]

That's rich. Is he planning on leaving for the D-League?

[PTownHawkeye]

Didn't Rico Hill from ISU make a whoops, and go undrafted?

[Da Coach]

Didn't Rico Hill from ISU make a whoops, and go undrafted?

Actually, Rico Hill was drafted. He was the 31st pick overall (2nd pick of the 2nd round) of the 1999 NBA draft by the LA Clippers, after he played a year in Spain.

http://static.espn.go.com/nba/draft99/players/profiles/hill_rico.html

He never did play in the NBA, though.

[ph]

Larry Bird was drafted (1978 draft) before his eligibility expired, but then played for ISUb for his senior year anyway (78-79).

[tornado]

so u sayin' Fred's gonna have a Larry-Bird-like chance of success in the NBA??

[ph]

There's only one Larry Bird.
But you were asking about MVC players that were drafted before their eligibility expired...

[tornado]

..you were asking about MVC players that were drafted before their eligibility expired...

The only thing I asked was who were "the last two" - and said the only two I knew of drafted in the past 3 decades were POB & Benjamin..
You have to go back more than 3 decades to find Bird.......

but I know the way it is worded seems to allow Bird and maybe others to be included, but obviously in the context of what Van Vleet was saying,
really meant guys who declared for the draft and tried to go pro in the NBA, and making a mistake leaving college early and losing out on some of their eligibilty--
...in addition to Bird being more than 3 decades ago (34 years ago) Bird actually stayed in college and completed all his eligibility...

BTW Rico Hill didn't leave ISU in order to go in the draft - he left ISU and went overseas to play ball and not directly to the NBA Draft - being drafted later..yet still never playing in the NBA

[RoyalShock]

VanVleet didn't tweet that. It was the opinion of Kyle Randal (who has hyped FVV on his twitter all season) after having a conversation with him, and some other guy who replied to Randal's tweet.

In interviews (print, radio, TV) VanVleet comes across as highly confident, yet humble. I've followed him on twitter since he committed last summer. I've seen nothing that would lead me to believe he'd make predictions like that. In a recent radio interview he said WSU didn't make him any promises of playing time, and if they had, he wouldn't have committed here. The kid has a good head on his shoulders.

[tornado]

but it seems likely that the way Randle worded his comments - the only reason he would state the "3 years max" comment is if Van Vleet used that phrase..otherwise how would Randle have come to that conclusion - as he says - "After the convo I just had with FredVanVleet" ??
Thus it would appear he was quoting FVV

[RoyalShock]

I've seen many Randal tweets about FVV this past season. Lots of hyperbole in pumping up the local star. I have little-to-no doubt the tweet from KR is more of the same.

Almost a year of reading, listening and watching FVV interviews, plus his twitter feed, gives a pretty good feel for what he's like as a person, short of a personal meeting. FVV may have goals, but he's just not the type to say he's going to meet some standard of achievement like going league after X number of years.

[tornado]

Royal - we've had players similarly say they were gonna be in the NBA soon - from Ben Coupet to Taylor Brown and it really doesn't bother me -
..and like I said I kinda like the swagger & confidence even if they think that, doesn't hurt to set lofty goals...

[Toyota12]

Ben Coupet

Royal - we've had players similarly say they were gonna be in the NBA soon - from Ben Coupet to Taylor Brown and it really doesn't bother me -
..and like I said I kinda like the swagger & confidence even if they think that, doesn't hurt to set lofty goals...

Sad story about BU Ben Coupet..You hate to see this.. He was such a nice kid to talk to when he was at BU...

http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/8262862-418/story.html