Valley Tournament discussion thread

[bigjimmy]

What a wonderful weekend of watching what a great basketball team can do when they are playing at their best. ISU Blue did what they could but Wichita was and is just too tough and too good. The core 4, like they have all year, led the way. The Shockers will be a real tough out in the Big Dance. Hope they get their shot at Kansas somewhere along the line. What a difference in both talent and execution when you compare them with BU. I think Evansville, SIU and Missouri State all have bright futures though Wichita will still be the clear favorite next season. I'm just wondering which team will break Wichita's Valley winning streak. Good luck to Walt, Tyshon, Jordan, Chris and Mason in whatever the future holds for them. Now it's on Geno and the staff to bring in guys who are basketball players, not just athletes. Geno and the staff really have to work on the guys who'll be back next year to get them better. I didn't think we really had one guy who will be back next year that got better as the season progressed. That needs to change or we'll be back in the play in game again next season.

[Da Coach]

A couple great articles about Wichita State and the MVC tournament in today's PJ Star-

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140309/SPORTS/140309067/11130/SPORTS

Kirk Wessler-

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140309/SPORTS/140309042/11130/SPORTS

[wily coyote]

What a wonderful weekend of watching what a great basketball team can do when they are playing at their best. ISU Blue did what they could but Wichita was and is just too tough and too good. The core 4, like they have all year, led the way. The Shockers will be a real tough out in the Big Dance. Hope they get their shot at Kansas somewhere along the line. What a difference in both talent and execution when you compare them with BU. I think Evansville, SIU and Missouri State all have bright futures though Wichita will still be the clear favorite next season. I'm just wondering which team will break Wichita's Valley winning streak. Good luck to Walt, Tyshon, Jordan, Chris and Mason in whatever the future holds for them. Now it's on Geno and the staff to bring in guys who are basketball players, not just athletes. Geno and the staff really have to work on the guys who'll be back next year to get them better. I didn't think we really had one guy who will be back next year that got better as the season progressed. That needs to change or we'll be back in the play in game again next season.

bigjimmy agree with everything in your post. The most important thing you said was ,Geno and staff need to recruit basketball players ,not just athletes. I would be more than happy to see kids who can flat out shoot the ball rather than some kids long and lean who can run and jump but can't shoot or won't rebound. Good post.

[tornado]

...Geno and staff need to recruit basketball players ,not just athletes....

well, I know coaches wouldn't listen to advice from fans but how is it that we saw this coming when most of our incoming recruits the past couple years either did NOT play ball at all the preceding year and when they did, they were ineffective scorers even when playing against opponents that were non-DI players.
.... then our press is totally stumped as to why we are the worst offensive team in the league and manufacture some way to blame the only player who can score!

Leadership starts at the top - so if there's no leaders in this team headed into year-four - then just who's fault is it - are we still gonna stupidly try to blame WL next year as well?

We need to recruit shooters and scorers....something that I know sounds pretty simple and yet we simply have not done it.

Missouri State landed Austin Ruder - an outstanding shooter & scorer in HS yet got few offers.

Likewise with UNI's Matt Bohannon

Evansville's DJ Balentine was a prolific shooter & scorer in Kokomo

and we know about Fred Van Vleet only having NIU ...
...and kids like Alec Peters, Justin Gant, etc literally wanting to hear from BU and yet not...

many of these kids were barely recruited - we have to land some of them and not go shopping all the time for obscure Texas juco kids or high schoolers who do not have D-I skills
..unfortunately headed into year-4 with only the spring leftovers out there - even if we load up on some now, they'd still be a year or two away...

[Toyota12]

recruiter

We need to evaluate our lead recruiter! Jaden Uken is our lead recruiter for GF just like Jerrance Howard was for Illinois! Maybe that is where it all starts. Why don't move on and hire Willie back?

[Da Coach]

We need to evaluate our lead recruiter! Jaden Uken is our lead recruiter for GF just like Jerrance Howard was for Illinois! Maybe that is where it all starts. Why don't move on and hire Willie back?

Willie was not effective either, and had never been a college recruiter before. Really, nobody among our staff these last 3-4 years ever has been a proven successful recruiting assistant.

How about we get a proven, successful D1 recruiter? Why not pony up and get Jerrance Howard? FWIH, he would have taken the Bradley head coaching job if it was offered, and he'd love to return to his hometown.

[bradleyfan124]

I saw Eastern Kentucky got into the NCAA. Isnt that the school her highness came from? Ironic isnt it that a few years after she is gone they are able to qualify for the NCAA

[mvcfan]

Are you talking about Jerrance as an assistant or head coach? He would not come to Bradley to be an assistant.

[Da Coach]

I believe for the right price, he would. But IMO, he'll make a very good head coach some day.

[wily coyote]

We need to evaluate our lead recruiter! Jaden Uken is our lead recruiter for GF just like Jerrance Howard was for Illinois! Maybe that is where it all starts. Why don't move on and hire Willie back?

My memory isn't what it used to be but it's still pretty good. Willie is responsible for Bell being here. Need I say more?

[BU30]

According to Anthony Fields, Willie is also the reason he is at BU.