Other available 2015 recruits

[Da Coach]

I don't think that any consideration is being given to 5th year transfers or JUCOs. If Bradley uses its last scholarship, I think it will go to a freshman "big". As a matter of fact, there is a rather tall young man on campus visiting today.

Though I think another freshman is more likely, I have heard Coach Wardle is considering another 5th year grad transfer (in addition to the offer out to Max).

[Vent]

There will be no problem with scholarships being available in the future. Some of the players that have signed LOI for this season will transfer before their four years are up. It has become common for players to transfer for a multitude of reasons. Players transfers due to lack of playing time, being homesick, illness in the family, lack of minutes, etc...

It is very common that players transfer from a coach's first recruiting class, especially when that coach is under the gun to fill scholarships late in the recruiting season. This isn't a criticism of the players we've recruited, it's just happens.

As an example, when Versace came here, his first recruiting class for the 1978-79 season, Mitchell Anderson was his only recruit didn't depart from the program. Derrick Thomas, James Copeland, Brent Wood, Ron Lindors all transferred. In addition Carl Maniscalco, a junior college transfer from Jackson Community College, where Dick had come from, departed the team during his senior season.

It was Dick's second recruiting class when he brought in David Thirdkill, Donald Reese, Hassan Houston, Bobby Ford, Eric Duhart, James Robinson and Eddie Mathews, that turned the program around.

[garbonie]

BU Recruit-2017-Aundre Williams

I don't think that any consideration is being given to 5th year transfers or JUCOs. If Bradley uses its last scholarship, I think it will go to a freshman "big". As a matter of fact, there is a rather tall young man on campus visiting today.

Just read this post by Old Coach. Have not heard anything else about it tho.

[garbonie]

One more name we might be interested in...

A proven scorer... Jermaine Ruttley, 17.4 ppg and over 6 RPG.... a 5th year transfer from FAMU to Louisiana Tech but now reopening his recruitment due to coaching change at Louisiana Tech.
he was FAMUs best player - he's a grad transfer and immediately eligible - and has some ties to Central IL.

UALR and LA Tech were after him...but we still have one open scholarship...


btw- even tho recruiting news seems to have slowed down a bit - I hear from pretty solid sources that our staff's recruiting EFFORTS have not slowed down...
and that they are hosting someone on campus virtually every single day and often several on weekends...
Some are still 2015 guys but others are 2016-18...
We likely won't hear much at all about them or their names as this is the way our current staff does things...
kids have been here from Illinois, Florida, Texas, Minnesota

Jermaine Ruttley is going to Arkansas-Little Rock.

[Da Coach]

Marcus Lovett, a highly rated point guard from Chicago Morgan Park, was coveted by Illinois among many others. He has committed to St. John's

http://verbalcommits.com/players/marcus-lovett-jr

[tornado]

Interesting...

definitely a lot of potential playing time for him, but mainly because of the myriad of players who are leaving St. John's and the rumbles of all the problems that paralled Steve Lavin's dissatisfaction there...
He might find himself in a giant rebuild with new coach/lots of new players..

But can't deny they get the New York press coverage...in fact his tweet announcing his LOI to St. John's read...
"It’s official NLI is done mom and dad trust this was best decision I made for MYSELF BrightLights here we come.”

https://twitter.com/Marcus_LoVett/status/601247948530393088

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/st-john-basketball-lands-chicago-pg-marcus-lovett-article-1.2230367

http://nypost.com/2015/04/25/third-steve-lavin-recruit-bolts-st-johns/

http://www.rumbleinthegarden.com/st-johns-basketball-recruiting/2015/3/28/8304725/steve-lavin-recruiting-scrambles-let-go

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25125477/st-johns-parts-ways-with-coach-steve-lavin

http://nypost.com/2015/03/12/st-johns-seniors-lavin-on-verge-of-leaving-empty-legacy/

anyway - Illini fans are bummed - their coach John Groce had a FULL YEAR's head start to recruit & win over Lovett
and yet the recently hired Chris Mullin still beats Groce out...

[zessito]

Is there a Mac Irvin Fire link to the St. Johns basketball program? Fire kids generally end up in a program where there is a Fire connection. I'll be amazed if there isn't a Nick Irvin connection to the Red Storm.

[tornado]

There are links - but a lot never gets made known...
however this story has a few reasons given by LoVett's dad why he'd like to play in New York

It's kinda hard to read with the non-stop references to how legendary great the kid is, he's a guaranteed NBA'er, on par with Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, a sure fire one-and-done...
it gets just a little monotonous reading all the guaranteed-superstar talk - but it makes ya wonder if just maybe this article is kind of a bit overblown and setting the bar a bit too high and setting the kid up for failure..

http://www.theshadowleague.com/articles/mullin-is-in-now-st-john-s-should-lov-ett

[Da Coach]

Here is another big man that just became available-

Chris Olivier is a 6'8", 245 pound center who played the last 2 seasons at Eastern Illinois. He was EIU's second leading scorer at 13 ppg and top rebounder at 5.3 rpg in the 2012-15 season.
Former Bradley coach Jim Les actually recruited Olivier when he was at Seton Academy in South Holland, Ill. But ne did not qualify out of high school in 2010, and ended up doing a year at Quakerdale Prep in Iowa. He signed in 2011 with Northern Iowa, where he was injured at the beginning of his freshman year and redshirted. After transferring and sitting out another year, he has played the last 2 seasons at Eastern Illinois. He will graduate and have 1 year of eligibility left as a 5th year grad-transfer.
I saw him play in Charleston last November against UC Davis, and he is a big man who has some skills. I believe he could help Bradley for 1 year. But he may also want to play for a potential winning team.

https://twitter.com/jeffborzello/status/593947467810410496

http://www.eiupanthers.com/roster.as...64&path=mbball

The competition for Max Bielfeldt will probably ramp up a notch now that one of the only other quality 5th year big men just committed.
Former EIU center Chris Olivier is transferring to Oklahoma State. He was also strongly pursued by Iowa State among others.

[Da Coach]

Also, an essay on how the 5th year transfer rule went from a good system to help kids with eligibility left to pursue their desired degree and still be able to play basketball, to an overused system where players and schools game the system by pretending to transfer for academic reasons, but in reality just restocking and providing depth for the big boys.
Fifth Year Transfer Rule Killing Mid-Majors

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2015/5/29/8687383/double-bonus-fifth-year-transfer-rule-killing-mid-majors

[Old Coach]

Also, an essay on how the 5th year transfer rule went from a good system to help kids with eligibility left to pursue their desired degree and still be able to play basketball, to an overused system where players and schools game the system by pretending to transfer for academic reasons, but in reality just restocking and providing depth for the big boys.
Fifth Year Transfer Rule Killing Mid-Majors
http://www.midmajormadness.com/2015/...ing-mid-majors

Great point! The Chris Olivier is a great example of this too. Oklahoma State would never have given consideration to Olivier 3 years ago when EIU picked him up as a transfer who started at UNI.

[tornado]

.... Other players unsigned i would like to see us go after include 6'6" 185lb Tevin Mack (4 star player)(Texas only school serious about him) ...

Tevin Mack is leaving Texas and transferring
He had a team-leading 14.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg

[LongTimeFan]

He must be interested in going to a more successful program and/or a higher profile team. With those averages he was getting a lot of playing time.

does Texas have a new coach?

[tornado]

they have a new coach as of April 2015, Shaka Smart
but Tevin Mack verballed to VCU in fall of 2014 when Smart was at VCU
then when Shaka Smart moved to Texas, Mack decommitted -- a month or so later, Mack followed him to Texas

[Da Coach]

He must be interested in going to a more successful program and/or a higher profile team. With those averages he was getting a lot of playing time.

does Texas have a new coach?

He was suspended from the Texas team twice this season- once early and suspended for their opening game, then again in mid-January, from which he was never reinstated. He has missed their last 13 games. Both suspensions were for "violations of team rules", but it must have been something serious to be essentially kicked off the team, even though he was their best player.