Ahmad Starks to come home

[Monmouth_Bradley_Fan]

Personally, I won't lose sleep if we lose a 5 foot 8 inch 1 year guy from a not so good Pac-12 team. The Pac-12 hasn't even been that great as of late. As I have said, I believe we will likely already have the best back court in The Valley. Hard to draw a conclusion that Ahmad would actually play more here than at Illinois. If Ahmad is a 2 guard, and Lemon is going to go back to the 2 guard position, I am taking Lemon to start that spot over Ahmad every time. I really do not see where he would actually help improve us. Plus who knows if his head is even right if he is actually transferring for "personal" reasons.

[amckillip]

Personally, I won't lose sleep if we lose a 5 foot 8 inch 1 year guy from a not so good Pac-12 team. The Pac-12 hasn't even been that great as of late. As I have said, I believe we will likely already have the best back court in The Valley. Hard to draw a conclusion that Ahmad would actually play more here than at Illinois. If Ahmad is a 2 guard, and Lemon is going to go back to the 2 guard position, I am taking Lemon to start that spot over Ahmad every time. I really do not see where he would actually help improve us. Plus who knows if his head is even right if he is actually transferring for "personal" reasons.

With the state of our program, a kid that can play for Oregon State and play well... would immediately help. We're clearly going to start 3 guards, and will need scoring. Even if Starks wouldn't start(though I think he would) he would be one of the best 6th men in the Valley.

I am very skeptical of the idea we'll have the best backcourt in the Valley. We lost every guard that got playing time last year save Lemon, including the best defensive guard in the conference (midwest?), and we're going to start 2 new guards? I sure hope your right, but I definitely am not ready to jump to that conclusion.

[Future Walk-On]

wow - Groce loves those midmajor transfers - but if you're gonna be among the elite in the Big Ten I just don't think a lineup of Ekey's, McLaurin's, Paul, Starks are gonna do it

btw - these guys predict a 9th place finish next year for Illinois
http://hawkcentral.com/2013/05/01/124057/

the fact that Groce is working on 2014 recruits and using 5th years players for 1 year is fine with me.... I think a sophomore year Ekey could help...

give him some time...

and Paul is a potential big time get ... WMU wasn't bad this year.

9th place is possible.... but I think Rayvonte Rice is gonna be a stud.. and shoot me in the face if Purdue finishes ahead of Illinois this year.

[Monmouth_Bradley_Fan]

With Lemon, Fields, Grier and Bell, I definitely think we will have the strongest back court in the valley. I didn't know it was a guarantee that we were starting 3 guards??? Oregon State is NOT a premier program, nor do they have prime time players by any means. They haven't danced since 1990, and won a whopping 4 conference games in a not-so-strong Pac-12 last year. I think people see a transfer from a BCS school, and immediately get excited. However, I don't think there is so much exciting here. Sure the kid can play... but have a true impact? Doubt it.

[Old Coach]

Starks would have significant impact at Bradley. He would be the 2nd best player on the team.

[tornado]

I am not so convinced - I think he'd battle even for a starting position this coming fall - although it's not a certainty he's going to be eligibile 'til 2014
and in that kind of interval I don't like locking up a scholarship because I think we ought to be able to do better between now and fall of 2014.

Here's an article from Mark Tupper - says Starks is a "pint-sized" 5-7, who is a "one-year insurance policy" to back up Tracy Abrams..and he
is presuming that Starks will get the waiver - something NCAA would have to bend their own rules if they gave..

http://www.pantagraph.com/blogs/mark_tupper/groce-weighing-transfer-options/article_f3988653-051d-5f34-a285-1e611d52f871.html

If some school thought that about me, that they are targeting me as a pint-sized 1-yr backup - I'd go elsewhere

[amckillip]

With Lemon, Fields, Grier and Bell, I definitely think we will have the strongest back court in the valley. I didn't know it was a guarantee that we were starting 3 guards??? Oregon State is NOT a premier program, nor do they have prime time players by any means. They haven't danced since 1990, and won a whopping 4 conference games in a not-so-strong Pac-12 last year. I think people see a transfer from a BCS school, and immediately get excited. However, I don't think there is so much exciting here. Sure the kid can play... but have a true impact? Doubt it.

Wake Forest is no where near a premier program either, why do we expect Fields to be so good? And are we saying a Florida Atlantic transfer who didn't regularly start (3 games total) has a better pedigree that an Oregon State starter? Being on BU already doesn't make these guys backgrounds better. And honestly the Pac-12, despite being weak, was still far superior to the MVC...

Why do I think we're going to start 3 guards? Mainly because we barely have 1 starting "big man" let alone two (JP). The only center we have on our team is NW and he hasn't seen any meaningful time so far. Our best "big man" recruit decomitted/didn't qualify. We have Pickett, but he is smaller than many BCS guards, so I think we going to be playing 3 guards, because we don't have any big men.

[Bradleyfan1]

Starks would have significant impact at Bradley. He would be the 2nd best player on the team.

Id say 3rd at best.......Lets not take Grier lightly ! Maybe I am blinded by how he reminds me of Andrew Warren ... I know those are huge shoes to fill but the kid can shoot! And has a rep for being Clutch

[Bradleyfan1]

Wake Forest is no where near a premier program either, why do we expect Fields to be so good? And are we saying a Florida Atlantic transfer who didn't regularly start (3 games total) has a better pedigree that an Oregon State starter? Being on BU already doesn't make these guys backgrounds better. And honestly the Pac-12, despite being weak, was still far superior to the MVC...

Why do I think we're going to start 3 guards? Mainly because we barely have 1 starting "big man" let alone two (JP). The only center we have on our team is NW and he hasn't seen any meaningful time so far. Our best "big man" recruit decomitted/didn't qualify. We have Pickett, but he is smaller than many BCS guards, so I think we going to be playing 3 guards, because we don't have any big men.

Id say 3 guards at least maybe 4!

Pickett is more ready than Pross to be our starting 5...IMO


THE VALLEY was better than the Pac 12 last yr


If you are considering Tucker a Big why not Barnes too ....who I am Really excited about! Barnes and TP will be beastly on the glass, I think, for not so tall guys!

[Old Coach]

Id say 3rd at best.......Lets not take Grier lightly ! Maybe I am blinded by how he reminds me of Andrew Warren ... I know those are huge shoes to fill but the kid can shoot! And has a rep for being Clutch

I like the potential Grier brings, but he's much more slight than what Andrew Warren was.

Anyway, clearly, opinions differ with regards to Starks.

[Monmouth_Bradley_Fan]

Wake Forest is no where near a premier program either, why do we expect Fields to be so good? And are we saying a Florida Atlantic transfer who didn't regularly start (3 games total) has a better pedigree that an Oregon State starter? Being on BU already doesn't make these guys backgrounds better. And honestly the Pac-12, despite being weak, was still far superior to the MVC...

Why do I think we're going to start 3 guards? Mainly because we barely have 1 starting "big man" let alone two (JP). The only center we have on our team is NW and he hasn't seen any meaningful time so far. Our best "big man" recruit decomitted/didn't qualify. We have Pickett, but he is smaller than many BCS guards, so I think we going to be playing 3 guards, because we don't have any big men.

I expect fields and Grier to be better because they are bigger, and have already been in the program for an entire year. the Pac-12 was no where near "far superior" to the Valley last year, and especially the year before. I am not trying to be negative towards this kid, but Bradley likely would have had 4, if not more than 4 wins in the Pac 12 this last year.

Tyshon being "smaller" than many BCS guards is quite the statement. He might be an inch shorter than some, but when it comes to build, Tyshon is twice the man of many BCS forwards. We could start 3 guards, but with these tall athletic wing men we have recruited, I would be surprised if one doesn't start for us. Between Austin, Blake, and Swopshire, I think one of them will break out and start for us.

Prosser, although he might not be fantastic, has to start. If not just simply for a big body in the paint on D, and some rebounds. Why? Because a line-up with 3 guards, a forward, and Tyshon at the 5 will result in teams getting 2nd and 3rd chances on a constant basis on the boards.

[Old Coach]

Prosser may very well start, but I don't think he has to. You can start Pickett & Blake down low and be just fine.

[BUfan14]

I'm not doubting the impact people say Starks would have, but if he is only 5'8", shoots below 40%, rarely gets to the line, and does not average many assists, and isn't a defensive star, what exactly is the major strength he provides?

Someone who takes 9+ shots to get a little over 10 point a game and shoots below 40% doesn't sound like a star offensive player to me at 5'8". What am I missing?

[alczervik75]

wow - Groce loves those midmajor transfers - but if you're gonna be among the elite in the Big Ten I just don't think a lineup of Ekey's, McLaurin's, Paul, Starks are gonna do it

Thankfully for Illinois, they only two of those guys could ever play together.

McLaurin was nothing special, but he inherited a roster void of bigs and needed something. He's already bringing in a top 15 class of 5 freshman next year, to go along with Rice, so it makes sense to take Ekey and Starks as reserves to fill holes more than bringing in 7 freshman.

I think next year will likely be the worst of Groce's tenure, the roster he inherited, with the seniors leaving was poised to not be that great next year, but after that when Freshman become sophomore's along with Abrams, Cosby and Egwu and they should be in a solid place. Maybe not top 10 without another difference maker, but pretty solid top 20.

[alczervik75]

I'm not doubting the impact people say Starks would have, but if he is only 5'8", shoots below 40%, rarely gets to the line, and does not average many assists, and isn't a defensive star, what exactly is the major strength he provides?

Someone who takes 9+ shots to get a little over 10 point a game and shoots below 40% doesn't sound like a star offensive player to me at 5'8". What am I missing?

He shoots nearly 40% from 3 against BCS competition, that's a skill that is somewhat rare.