WE Must Recruit

[Beninator]

Wizard - You are correct, and it's so easy to type ....... but 3 things that are important:

1. We are in Peoria, IL. CBS and ESPN are not broadcasting many games from here (And don't say we start winning, they will come!!)
2. We do not have the 'payroll' the SEC (and others) have to recruit.
3. Many players you named above were not highly recruited back then (And the ones that were have some great stories how they were recruited). As somebody posted, tough to "Fall thru the cracks" in this day. Remember - the top 25 schools don't recruit.... They pick who they want. We have NO chance among the big boys to get the "Blue Chips."

You know I love Peoria (grew up here and stayed here), but many great basketball players have no idea where Bradley is located (Outside Illinois)!! I wish we could get some great players back in Peoria, but we all know that is becoming tougher and tougher.

GO BRAVES

I am not saying that recruiting is easy, but to answer your points:

1) There are MVC schools in Cedar Falls, Carbondale, Terre Haute, and Springfield, MO. Recruiting at the Mid-Major level also has to do with the sytem the coach installs. -see Ben Jacobson If UNI can get players to visit Cedar Falls, Iowa, then we can do the same here.

2) I doubt many mid-majors have the payroll that a SEC school has. NEXT

3.) I don't know many people who think that Bradley is going to land a Blue Chip recruit in the near future. Give me a group of talented 3 star and maybe a shot at a 4 star player every once in a while and I think we will be fine. --and I am not talking about playing a 4 or 5 guard offense either!-- If Coach Mo can land a 6'8 bruiser at WIU, then we should be able to do the same at Bradley.

[BUBalum05]

Nice to see some common sense that I agree with - this IS an extremely tough place to recruit to -- many kids in Chicago - just a couple hours away have never been to Peoria, don't know where it is on a map, and don't know that Bradley is located in Peoria...

I've always wondered how are we not cashing in more on the recognition from state tournament being hosted on our home court for 15+ years? I know that there is limited contact allowed from college coaches during the tourney, but come on, let's make them not forget where they're at. These kids have to realize the big "B" at center court and the "BRADLEY" on the sidelines isn't for the name of the semi-pro team in town.

[alczervik75]

Rick - as always you have your finger on the pulse of the facts and what's reasonable....
like you, I have chosen to make Peoria my home and I love it here...
but almost precisely two years ago we had a thread saying we HAD TO, MUST, was IMPERATIVE that we make a change and completely overhaul the program...and in that same context - some predicted it would only take a couple years to turn the entire thing around!

Well -we have made the change - and in that thread and a couple that were running at the same time - several fans touted Peoria as a WORLD CLASS town, everything going for it, lots of world-class reasons people would come - and they slammed the program for not landing talent because Peoria was "such a draw" that surely the only thing keeping the blue chippers from coming here was the staff we had running the program...etc..

Nice to see some common sense that I agree with - this IS an extremely tough place to recruit to -- many kids in Chicago - just a couple hours away have never been to Peoria, don't know where it is on a map, and don't know that Bradley is located in Peoria...
I have said that many times - and yet there's still some who having spent their entire lives here - think the place is a great draw...
Sadly I wish it were but it is not - and we need to work like crazy to get the talent coming here...it is and will NOT be easy...

It's not really about Peoria (maybe a little on what coach you could attract), but for most kids, it's not about the location very much. If it was, Depaul, UIC and Loyola would be much better than they are, and some of the blue bloods would never compete.

Sure, Omaha and Wichita are bigger cities, but it really only matters because as of late they put more butts in seats, not because kids prefer to be there. Butts in seats matter for facilities AND ability to pay a top coach. Most kids, parents and AAU coaches want their players to go to a place that will look out for their interests, develop their game so they can make money from it (overseas perhaps) and get an education. Bradley will be as successful at whomever the current head coach is (taking into account returning players), and Bradley will be able to financially compensate a coach based on donors and attendance.

Bradley has inherent advantages over most of the league, and inherent disadvantages from Creighton and WSU because of money. That said, we have a very good coach now, hopefully one who can build the program, and leave it on solid financial and talent ground when he leaves for greener pastures.

[LittleBrave]

Rick - as always you have your finger on the pulse of the facts and what's reasonable....
like you, I have chosen to make Peoria my home and I love it here...
but almost precisely two years ago we had a thread saying we HAD TO, MUST, was IMPERATIVE that we make a change and completely overhaul the program...and in that same context - some predicted it would only take a couple years to turn the entire thing around!

Well -we have made the change - and in that thread and a couple that were running at the same time - several fans touted Peoria as a WORLD CLASS town, everything going for it, lots of world-class reasons people would come - and they slammed the program for not landing talent because Peoria was "such a draw" that surely the only thing keeping the blue chippers from coming here was the staff we had running the program...etc..

Nice to see some common sense that I agree with - this IS an extremely tough place to recruit to -- many kids in Chicago - just a couple hours away have never been to Peoria, don't know where it is on a map, and don't know that Bradley is located in Peoria...
I have said that many times - and yet there's still some who having spent their entire lives here - think the place is a great draw...
Sadly I wish it were but it is not - and we need to work like crazy to get the talent coming here...it is and will NOT be easy...

The fact that P-town is not a great draw and that we have been a Thursday Play-in team are ingredients for exteremely tough recruiting.
I think that Chin and Geno are guys who kids want to play for though, and if they are centered on hoops and academics, then we have a chance.

Otherwise, personally having taken several trips to Peoria and having lived close to Normal, I would have a hard time convincing people that Peoria provides a more attractive college atmosphere.

[tornado]

small private schools in obscure areas like Peoria are the worst places to recruit to --
schools like SIU, ISU, even UNI have a few benefits BU doesn't have but even so - note that UNI doesn't exactly have a ton of NCAA success either - so if you're saying you wish we had as much success as those schools - then I'd argue that we already do!!

[alczervik75]

small private schools in obscure areas like Peoria are the worst places to recruit to --
schools like SIU, ISU, even UNI have a few benefits BU doesn't have but even so - note that UNI doesn't exactly have a ton of NCAA success either - so if you're saying you wish we had as much success as those schools - then I'd argue that we already do!!

I don't think there is much difference between recruiting to any MVC school. I think Creighton and WSU have a slight edge due to facilities, and the fact they are more likely to have a top well connected coach because they can pay them.

I think now that we've upgraded facilities, we leapfrog most of the rest of the valley, but are certainly no worse to recruit to. We should recruit better simply because we should have a better staff of recruiters because we can (and do) pay more. I agree there isn't much difference in the success of the programs you mention in the last 20 years, we just need to make sure we are on top of them in the future. Recruiting is really about connections and making people feel comfortable that you can help them. I think we have a staff to do that. Building a program at this level is recruiting good enough, and making sure you have the pieces that fit your system and develop them.

[Da Coach]

Recruiting to every school is different. Some campuses can attract recruits because of a myriad of available activities and features of their community that a small, private school like Bradley cannot compete with. Most state schools have a lot more to offer recruits in terms of extra-curricular activities..

[wizard1]

We Must Recruit

Rick---As far as I know, $$ are not a problem in BU recruiting. Money is readily avilable for this---Look at what we are paying for a recruiter like Chin and the salary of our coach. If we could solve this problem by throwing money at it, it would be great but thats not going to solve the problem.

t---You are partially right and partially wrong. I do not believe Peoria is a major factor. Versace recruited very successfully in Chicago. His recruits didn't know any more about Peoria than todays kids. For the past few years, we have lost far too many great local players to other schools. Illinois has feasted off of Peoria kids! This didn't use to happen. We need to stop hanging our heads over Peoria.

Do Chicago kids know where Champaign, Cedar Falls, Lafeyette, Carbondale, Bloomington, Ames, Etc. are? Peoria is not the problem--- We need to do a better job of EVALUATING and PERSUADING.

[Old Coach]

Rick---As far as I know, $$ are not a problem in BU recruiting. Money is readily avilable for this---Look at what we are paying for a recruiter like Chin and the salary of our coach. If we could solve this problem by throwing money at it, it would be great but thats not going to solve the problem.

t---You are partially right and partially wrong. I do not believe Peoria is a major factor. Versace recruited very successfully in Chicago. His recruits didn't know any more about Peoria than todays kids. For the past few years, we have lost far too many great local players to other schools. Illinois has feasted off of Peoria kids! This didn't use to happen. We need to stop hanging our heads over Peoria.

Do Chicago kids know where Champaign, Cedar Falls, Lafeyette, Carbondale, Bloomington, Ames, Etc. are? Peoria is not the problem--- We need to do a better job of EVALUATING and PERSUADING.

I agree with you up to the point that you include Champaign. Fact of the matter is, nearly every Illinois game is available on national television via the Big Ten Network. As for the other MVC towns, I'm with you.

[Rick LeHew]

Rick---As far as I know, $$ are not a problem in BU recruiting. Money is readily avilable for this---Look at what we are paying for a recruiter like Chin and the salary of our coach. If we could solve this problem by throwing money at it, it would be great but thats not going to solve the problem.

When I said 'payroll' I meant more what SEC schools (and others that are accused of cheating) do during recruiting. I know we have the 160M that many Bradley staff helped raise over the past years...... Let's not start with the salary of our coach. That should be another thread.

[alczervik75]

Recruiting to every school is different. Some campuses can attract recruits because of a myriad of available activities and features of their community that a small, private school like Bradley cannot compete with. Most state schools have a lot more to offer recruits in terms of extra-curricular activities..

I don't disagree. However, Bradley can also sell some things, small class sizes, tight nit campus proximity to facilities and other items that ISU/ can't. There are more examples, imo, of small private schools like Gonzaga, Butler and Creighton achieving lasting success at the Mid Major level than there are of second tier state schools. I think most of the players Geno would like to recruit are concerned first with the basketball situation, which is primarily coaches, facilities, conference, tv. I'm not discounting that some recruits might like the additional activities, but I think it's more likely to sustain success at a Private school with booster/admin support.

[real fan]

Good recruiting starts with great relationships with high school, prep school and JUCO coaches , I think we finally have a staff that has most of this covered , now all they need to do is sell these players on how great it is to play for Bradley and what great fans and facilities we have, if the rest of the Valley schools can do it then we should be able to do this also because we are 3rd in attendance with a below ave. team.
I only hope coach Coleman stays for awhile because I truly believe he will land us the type of players we need to turn this around, he just needs time.

[battlebasset]

Why does WE need to recruit? I thought he was graduating? Oh wait, never mind...