Interesting GF Comment Re 2013-14 Recruiting

[tornado]

OC - I respect your thoughts - so answer me this...
in a word or two tell me what is the hurdle that has kept Bradley from landing kids from Chicago and even from Peoria (Manual, Central, etc..)?
It transcends decades, and covers every coach back to Versace...even to Stowell...

[Chico]

OC - I respect your thoughts - so answer me this...
in a word or two tell me what is the hurdle that has kept Bradley from landing kids from Chicago and even from Peoria (Manual, Central, etc..)?
It transcends decades, and covers every coach back to Versace...even to Stowell...

I thought DV did a good job recruiting Chicago.

[tornado]

yeah - he got a few great ones - that's what I meant by "back to Versace" but not back including Versace....
but Dick's biggest successes were mostly kinda overlooked kids like JJ, Anthony Manuel, & Hersey who other schools mostly passed on...
JL came via Niles & Cleveland State...then it drops off to Bertolini, etc......
but as I said elsewhere - I am happy with the Chicago recruiting ability of a Dick Versace - but to regain that kind of prowess in Chi-town we're gonna need to get someone with a Versace-type, leader, charismatic, energetic get-em-to the pros type personality.

[Old Coach]

OC - I respect your thoughts - so answer me this...
in a word or two tell me what is the hurdle that has kept Bradley from landing kids from Chicago and even from Peoria (Manual, Central, etc..)?
It transcends decades, and covers every coach back to Versace...even to Stowell...

I won't exaggerate my knowledge of Bradley basketball, or understanding of recruiting beyond my time or scope, but here goes it.

I've always worked under the assumption that recruiting Chicago is very political. Some people have the relationships (and stomach for it), and others don't. There have been times over the past 35 years when Bradley has had the connections and other times when they haven't. It's really difficult to develop an on-going pipeline. Even Illinois has struggled doing so.

As for the Peoria kids, you'll have to remind me if there have ever been Peoria kids that Bradley really wanted who went to an equal or lesser program instead of playing for the Braves. I can't really think of any. Most of the local kids who Bradley misses on seem to end up playing up a level.

[tornado]

very political and a lot of it is under the table - we definitely agree on that..but don't discount the truly talented kids in some Chicago-area-based AAU programs
that are solid D-I kids and they are not smeared with politics or sleaze...

... there were overtures from the likes of Sergio, Frankie Williams, Jamar Smith, Bobo, Billy Cole, Griffin, Marlon Brooks, Marcus Jackson, Steve Turner, John Little who all might have done both themselves and Bradley some good had they landed here - but certain barriers that go back to the 1990's prevented most of them from even considering BU..
Outside of Peoria, where those "influences" have virtually NO power - and under Bich - where that "influence" was negated -
then you see we DID land Jeremy Crouch, Dyricus, Prosser, Dodie, Ruffin, Cellus...


BTW -- remember this story...how Tony Bennett - who had a GREAT career & GREAT experience here at Bradley
told of how he was HEAVILY pressured to NOT consider Bradley!!!

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=209628&postcount=29

note - this mention of how Tony Bennett overcame the intense pressuring from his coaches and gurus in Chicago - qualifies and "good post" for counting purposes..

[Old Coach]

... there were overtures from the likes of Sergio, Frankie Williams, Jamar Smith, Bobo, Billy Cole, Griffin, Marlon Brooks, Marcus Jackson, Steve Turner, John Little who all might have done both themselves and Bradley some good had they landed here - but certain barriers that go back to the 1990's prevented most of them from even considering BU..

I agree. All of those players would have likely helped the Braves very much or at least contributed.

That being said, I don't think any of these players actually rejected an active offer from Bradley to play at an equal or lower level. As for the kids Bradley really wanted and lost on, 99% of the time, I'll expect a kid to choose playing in the Big Ten over playing at Bradley.

[tornado]

the "barrier" that I think stands between BU & Peoria kids as well as a similar "barrier" between BU & the Chicago kids - is hinted at in that story about Tony Bennett - and has been talked about on this board before...

-BU & our recruiters think Bradley is a good opportunity for any Chicago kid or any Peoria kid, we play at a high level, we get players to the pros & NBA, and there's a lot of good about Bradley - but we're not going to kiss your *** and promise playing time or hire your high school coaches just to get you - so why aren't y'all interested???

-The kid see two things....(1) where ya been for so long since you haven't aggressively been recruiting us and sweetening the deal by hiring our high school coaches and finding a way to "make us happy"...
and (2) our high school coaches tell us Bradley is NOT where we should go because you don't "play our game"...and don't kiss our guys' ***

[wizard1]

Interesting GF Comment---

Gents---In my experience, I don't believe that the town has much at all to do with a recruits decision. Too many successful BB programs are located in "Podunk" towns much worse in perception and reality than Peoria.

Recruits select programs based on the coaches personality, persuasiveness, and charisma and the "picture" he paints for their future in his program. Also, a winning program, facilities, closeness to home, playing time, and their overall comfort with what they see. The really good ones believe they are going to the NBA so they want to be in a college program that can help them get there. This was one of Versaces primary talking points.

[tornado]

... Too many successful BB programs are located in "Podunk" towns much worse in perception and reality than Peoria....

I know - they have found ways to overcome their situation - we have not consistently been able to...
...save for the great recruiting early on in the Mo years and a short stretch that KW referred to in the 2000's.

[jrish12]

... there were overtures from the likes of Sergio, Frankie Williams, Jamar Smith, Bobo, Billy Cole, Griffin, Marlon Brooks, Marcus Jackson, Steve Turner, John Little who all might have done both themselves and Bradley some good had they landed here - but certain barriers that go back to the 1990's prevented most of them from even considering BU..

Sergio: Illinois
Frankie: Illinois
Jamar: Illinois
Bobo: SIU-C
Cole; Illinois
Griffin: Illinois
Brooks: DePaul
Jackson: Marquette
Turner: Chicago St./Lewis
Little: UNI
Guyton: Indiana
Bielfeldt: Michigan
Roth: Indiana
Richardson: Illinois
Edgerson: Washington St.
DeAaron Williams: Wisconsin, then non qualifier at Bradley
Cellus: technically chose Iowa over Bradley at first and then transferred back, so his original choice was also a BCS school.
Thornton: Milwaukee, then Bradley and never really saw the floor

So by my count, there are 4 players out of the ones that you mentioned, plus a few more that I listed, that did not go to a BCS school. one of which even dropped down to D 2 Lewis, 1 chose a Horizon school which is a slight step below the Valley but came to Bradley and never saw the floor, and 2 play in the Valley, which would be equal IMO. I dont think we need to recruit Peoria just because its Peoria. You have to have the talent first, and like someone mentioned high school kids 98-99% of the time are going to choose the highest offer they receive, even if it means riding the bench instead of playing, because it is that notion that they are in a BCS league.

[tornado]

several of those guys would have had great careers & helped Bradley a bunch - and were NOT all that far from selecting Bradley (Roth, Bielfeldt, Cole, Brooks, DJ)
Given some different circumstances and the right recruiting approach we had a shot at many of them -

I think we need to get (at least some of) the best kids in our own back yard.

[jrish12]

several of those guys would have had great careers & helped Bradley a bunch - and were NOT all that far from selecting Bradley (Roth, Bielfeldt, Cole, Brooks, DJ)
Given some different circumstances and the right recruiting approach we had a shot at many of them -

I think we need to get (at least some of) the best kids in our own back yard.

Umm Bielfeldt wasnt even offered by Bradley....

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/ba.../max-bielfeldt

Roth was between Bradley, Indiana, and SLU. Chose the highest level possible.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/ba...7819/matt-roth

Cole: Not offered by Bradley, final 3 were Illinois, DePaul, and Wisconsin
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/ba...3756/bill-cole

Richardson: Final choices were Illinois, Georgetown, Florida, Kentucky, and Indiana.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/ba.../dj-richardson

Cant find anything on Brooks because it was so long ago, but none of those players you mentioned, with the exception of Roth were "close to choosing Bradley"

[tornado]

disagree - many of them would have been had we positioned ourselves better - multiple reports said Bielfeldt definitely would have considered - perhaps even chosen Bradley.
Your explanation - that BU never offered - falls precisely within my main point - that with few exceptions (the ones JL landed) we have failed to lock up even the best talent in our own back yard.
I have some insight as to the further details as I have heard Coach Mo give some explanation - and it's largely due to petty personal issues between a few "players" in the Peoria area and a few people at Bradley.
You're welcome to your opinion - but can you think of any Peoria kid who came and played ball at Bradley other than those two - all the way back to Charles White?

[jrish12]

disagree - many of them would have been had we positioned ourselves better - multiple reports said Bielfeldt definitely would have considered - perhaps even chosen Bradley.
Your explanation - that BU never offered - falls precisely within my main point - that with few exceptions (the ones JL landed) we have failed to lock up even the best talent in our own back yard.
I have some insight as to the further details as I have heard Coach Mo give some explanation - and it's largely due to petty personal issues between a few "players" in the Peoria area and a few people at Bradley.
You're welcome to your opinion - but can you think of any Peoria kid who came and played ball at Bradley other than those two - all the way back to Charles White?

DSE, Donovinne Stewart(who we found out was in over his head) and if you count walk ons Lavin, Alwan, Phillips. Eddie Mathews I would call a "Peoria kid" as he grew up in the metro Peoria area.

[tornado]

.. - but can you think of any Peoria kid who came and played ball at Bradley..

just as I thought -- the only two examples other than walk ons were both not PEORIA KIDS - THEY WERE Washington & Limestone kids - and I had already pointed out above that we were frequently getting those kids anyway (Crouch, Pross, etc..) because the "players" in Peoria have little influence on kids from the schools outside of Peoria.