NCAA Letter of Intent Signing Period begins Wednesday

[tornado]

In the MVC - no real surprises and no unexpected signees so far....but not all the expected LOI's are in yet.

The ones in red below have been confirmed RECEIVED by official releases from the universities.
ISU's DeVaughn Purcell texted he had signed but ISU has not confirmed.
Both the Missouri State guys said they were going to sign but the university had not yet received them.
No official word on the SIU guys, but their beat writer tweeted that Weiher had signed and then tweeted this about Lavender...
"SIU mbb is still waiting on some paperwork for Alton Marquette G Deion Lavender"


2014
Bradley - Kendahl Amerson
Drake -
Evansville - Willie Wiley, Taylor Stafford
ILSU - DeVaughn Purcell
INSU - Grant Prusator
Loyola - Eric Peterson, Montel James, Jay Knuth
MSU - Loomis Gerring, Camyn Boone
UNI -
SIU - Deion Lavender, Austin Weiher
WSU -



The official Bradley article on Kendahl Amerson says he adds toughness and allows us to play more uptempo next season -
...fans will appreciate that as the promise of more uptempo has been made since Geno got here in 2011.


One other signing of note - Northwestern announces they have signed Johnnie Vasser - originally a Chicago kid, he's a multi-traveled (at least 5 different high schools)
and multi-transfer kid who was once a 4-Star recruit who finally played in some obscurity out in California, but who had dropped almost completely off the radar

http://www.nusports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041614aaa.html

[tornado]

we appear to be targeting almost exclusively juco kids except for Josh Cunningham

I recall that DR once wrote that it is bad to have too many juco kids...

"Too many jucos"

http://www.pjstar.com/x518440851/Reynolds-Too-many-jucos-for-Bradley

but look at the juco kids Dave Reynolds lists as comprising an undesirable pack of 5 guys that is proof of bad recruiting...

...Cellus, Boogie, Zach, Tony Bennett, & Will Franklin were great players and carried BU to a Sweet Sixteen!!!

[Da Coach]

One or two JC transfers on a roster to fill specific and immediate needs is fine. Many more than that and you could be asking for trouble.

Dave must be cringing as we look to add more jucos...

[wily coyote]

Dave must be cringing as we look to add more jucos...

DC I just don't get why you and T care what DR writes? If you don't like it don't read it. I for one think he and KW do a great job of writing about our Braves and for the most part keeping us inform. I could care less if some of their articles miss the boat when evaluating our talent. They are writers not talent evaluators and probably write what they've been told by someone from our staff. I for one also don't give a tinkers da-n if we have a roster full of JC's . I just want us to challenge for Championships like we all did not so long ago.

[Da Coach]

But just a few years ago, 2 jucos were more than enough for DR. Now we are loading up and some are gleeful. It's a double standard.

So you are fine criticizing my opinions. But Dave's and Kirk's obvious double standards are off limits?
It may not bother you that the media went out of their way to find every little topic to find fault with in the past, but now that we are in the worst stretch in the history of Bradley basketball, they think everything is rosy. A lot of people see the hypocrisy. But I am fine with those who prefer to look the other way. I guess I happen to have a good memory and am a bit more objective in looking at it.
Anyway, opinions are what message boards are for.

[wily coyote]

But just a few years ago, 2 jucos were more than enough for DR. Now we are loading up and some are gleeful. It's a double standard.

So you are fine criticizing my opinions. But Dave's and Kirk's obvious double standards are off limits?
It may not bother you that the media went out of their way to find every little topic to find fault with in the past, but now that we are in the worst stretch in the history of Bradley basketball, they think everything is rosy. A lot of people see the hypocrisy. But I am fine with those who prefer to look the other way. I guess I happen to have a good memory and am a bit more objective in looking at it.
Anyway, opinions are what message boards are for.

No I'm not criticizing your opinions at all. I'm just pointing out that you both spend a lot of time harping on DR and KW for things they write without knowing if it was their observations or just what they were told by our staff. I'm referring to player talent not the number of JC's we have or don't have on our yearly rosters. Again I will point out they are not evaluators but writers. I do understand you both hold DR and KW guilty of ,in your opinion , getting Jim run out of town but someday you've got to let it go.

[Da Coach]

I know that is sort of the talking points of those who now have the rose-colored glasses, that it's all about the firing of Jimmy. But that is not the issue at all. I am actually happy for Les that he is extricated from this. It is about winning. Something that has not happened as much as was promised.
The changes came with a lot of promises.... promises that the changes would lead to improvements, NCAA bids, better team play, more fan enjoyment, championships, revenue streams, and much more.
None of that has happened and it's foolish to look the other way and pretend things are rosy. Fans are not stupid. They know the difference between quality opponents and the teams we've played the last 2 years. They know the difference between a successful program, and one that's ready to check out of their St. Louis hotel every Thursday night after the play-in round.
Sure I think the media has been hypocritical. Lots of people agree. I am also sure they couldn't care less what I think, and I don't know why it bothers some so much to post endlessly attacking my opinions.
But even the most minimal expectations were for a winning program after 3 years, yet we are not close to getting back to where we started, And the promises? We've failed miserably at that.

[lefty]

I know that is sort of the talking points of those who now have the rose-colored glasses, that it's all about the firing of Jimmy. But that is not the issue at all. I am actually happy for Les that he is extricated from this. It is about winning. Something that has not happened as much as was promised.
The changes came with a lot of promises.... promises that the changes would lead to improvements, NCAA bids, better team play, more fan enjoyment, championships, revenue streams, and much more.
None of that has happened and it's foolish to look the other way and pretend things are rosy. Fans are not stupid. They know the difference between quality opponents and the teams we've played the last 2 years. They know the difference between a successful program, and one that's ready to check out of their St. Louis hotel every Thursday night after the play-in round.
Sure I think the media has been hypocritical. Lots of people agree. I am also sure they couldn't care less what I think, and I don't know why it bothers some so much to post endlessly attacking my opinions.
But even the most minimal expectations were for a winning program after 3 years, yet we are not close to getting back to where we started, And the promises? We've failed miserably at that.

Maybe we could have one thread devoted to anti-PJS,KW,DR??¦??¦instead of bringing them up in every thread??¦??¦??¦just a thought

[LongTimeFan]

Sounds like a good idea. This idea has been adopted on another board. I will add that I avoid that thread and any such comments that appear in other threads.

I'm not a big fan of one of the writers but it is just my opinion and am trying to move on. I do enjoy the articles about the players and the recruits.

[Da Coach]

So we should selectively censor certain opinions?

How about we just allow people to post opinions, and allow others to differ, and not always attack the individual? If people don't want to read them, they don't have to.
Ad hominem attacks seem to only come from one side.

[LongTimeFan]

I did not mean to imply that I do not understand your and t's comments and can empathize with them. I just wanted to keep the board positive and enjoyable for readers. I would hope we can get some of the many visitors to comment on this board.

I also consider comments about recruits, coaching, fan attendance, and such as fair game here.

[tornado]

I don't get it...the topics of who we land, where they come from, and how many of them are juco kids - have all been fair and popular topics since message boards were invented.

Now, all of a sudden, when someone points out that we have a LOT of juco kids and are targeting almost exclusively juco kids, then OMG - that's a topic that is scary and the poster needs to be taken to task.

it's comical...

[tornado]

Here's the updated list of spring MVC signees now that SIU, Missouri State and ISU have their LOI's in

http://www.missouristatebears.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041714aaa.html

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/mccloud-signs-with-isu-basketball-team/article_b91927f5-84e7-55cd-903a-842b3a2c3428.html

http://www.siusalukis.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041714aaa.html

and ISU lands the first "surprise" getting a LOI from Justin McCloud


2014
Bradley - Kendahl Amerson
Drake -
Evansville - Willie Wiley, Taylor Stafford
ILSU - DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, Justin McCloud
INSU - Grant Prusator
Loyola - Eric Peterson, Montel James, Jay Knuth
MSU - Loomis Gerring, Camyn Boone
UNI -
SIU - Deion Lavender, Austin Weiher
WSU -

[Da Coach]

Though not officially a recruit, and he will not sign a NLI, Drake will also get a transfer- sophomore Kale Abrahamson from Northwestern.

[tornado]

ought to hear some word on visitors this coming week