2017 Valley recruits

[tornado]

There certainly are not many "impact players" left for the fall 2017 season...
but....
Barry Hinson seems to have something up his sleeve - he still hopes to land one more impact player

http://thesouthern.com/sports/college/salukimania/hinson-hopeful-of-landing-another-impact-player-for/article_36475f09-2cb1-53bc-a3f3-199855dd17d7.html

Barry almost seems proud of the fact that he's shrewd to wait til all the top players are already taken, then finds the "hidden gems" and builds his roster with kids he didn't get until after July each summer...

(redshirting freshman Jeremy Roscoe failed to get himself eligible and is now gone so Barry has that one extra ride)

[tornado]

Drake fills one of their open scholarships with a very late addition...
A 6-6 German kid, Antonio Pilipovic ...

a German article says he's been plagued by injuries the past two years so hasn't been able to contribute much

[tornado]

...Evansville 2015 commit Dainius Chatkevicius...
.....has enrolled at Vincennes University and will be a juco freshman.....

Evansville lands yet another really late 2017 player...
one of their 2015 guys who didn't make it to Evansville, has now finished juco and verbals to Evansville...

Dainius Chatkevicius...
he is a 6-9 center who averaged 3.0 ppg and 3.2 rpg as a freshman then 4.4 ppg & 5.4 rpg as a sophomore at Vincennes (juco)
...but he's a 43% FT shooter so we need to foul the guy every time he has a chance to score...

[tornado]

Drake lands a very late 2017 addition...

They have found a rising juco sophomore that is a qualifier so he can transfer from State Fair Community College to Drake and be eligible right away..

Colton Kolowski, a 6-5 guard, will have 3 years of eligibility

Kolowski was originally from Yorkville HS where he played his first two years of high school ball then he transferred to Joliet (IL) Catholic for his junior & senior seasons.
He also but spent a year of postgrad at Moravian Prep (North Carolina) before playing last year at State Fair CC (Sedalia, MO).
At State Fair CC He only played 8 games due to a little issue early in the season ** but in 8 games he averaged 7.3 ppg & 2.3 rpg -SFCC went 1-7 in those 8 games...

[DUBulldog]

Drake lands a very late 2017 addition...

They have found a rising juco sophomore that is a qualifier so he can transfer from State Fair Community College to Drake and be eligible right away..

Colton Kolowski, a 6-5 guard, will have 3 years of eligibility

Kolowski was originally from Yorkville HS where he played his first two years of high school ball then he transferred to Joliet (IL) Catholic for his junior & senior seasons.
He also but spent a year of postgrad at Moravian Prep (North Carolina) before playing last year at State Fair CC (Sedalia, MO).
At State Fair CC He only played 8 games due to a little issue early in the season ** but in 8 games he averaged 7.3 ppg & 2.3 rpg -SFCC went 1-7 in those 8 games...

99% sure that Kolowski will be a walk-on at Drake.

[tornado]

another likely roster move...
One of Drake's only big guys, 6-8 TJ Thomas - who started half their games and was by far their leading rebounder...
..is now reportedly NOT returning for 2017-18.....

Drake's roster is updated and TJ Thomas is not listed for 2017-18 - so obviously he's gone. Rumor has it he left in the middle of their summer league and just quit the team & school altogether and isn't enrolled anywhere.

http://godrakebulldogs.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball

They do not have a lot of size- only 3 guys over 6-7 and only 5 over 6-3 (and talk that Kolowski & Pilipovic are both redshirt candidates)
..and all their frontcourt guys over 6-2 combined bring back a total of only about 10 ppg & 8 rpg.

[tornado]

Drake also has another new guy but won't be eligible until mid-year, named Samm Jones, a little heralded transfer from Northwestern..
he was a walk-on at Northwestern but never played there & is likely a walk-on at Drake.
http://godrakebulldogs.com/roster.as...06&path=mbball...

report today that Samm Jones gets one of Drakes remaining open scholarships for 2017-18

[tornado]

Illinois State picks up a very last second addition for 2017

A grad transfer from Texas Southern who was just hanging out there and no place to go has committed to ISU

Jerron Martin

https://twitter.com/MarcusHelton/status/903766057726468096

Originally from Maryland, he initially went to Ole Miss but never saw much playing time and was injured-- and after one season there (got a redshirt) and only a few minutes of playing time - he transferred to South Plains juco where he only averaged 3 ppg/0.7 rpg.
Then on the Texas Southern where he's spent the last two years deep in their rotation and getting limited playing time - scoring a total of only 62 points over the past two seasons - only 6 of which came last year as a senior.

So I guess he has one year of eligibility left and ISU spotted him..

[PurpleAceFan]

Good for the Birds. Practice bodies are definitely needed. My Aces offered too since they are 2 players short and wanted a 1 year player for practice and emergencies. Wish they would have gotten him.

[tornado]

ISU just gave a scholarship to (former) walk-on Isaac Gassman, but they picked up one they had not expected to have when Zach Copeland failed to qualify...

But they will be short on experience...
of their 14 rostered players- only five have played any time at all for ISU, and only one (Fayne) had more than a few starts.
Evans had 4 starts but N'Diaye, Hein, and Madison Williams were all deep reserves..

[tornado]

Illinois State picks up a very last second addition for 2017

A grad transfer ...Jerron Martin....

Jerron Martin is the most experienced player they have now, but he's never gotten much more than deep reserve minutes at Ole Miss, South Plains, and Texas Southern..

ISU now has the unusual situation with their roster that their five transfer players have played considerably more and have more experience at other schools than the rest of their roster has playing for ISU.

[tornado]

Evansville, like ISU, picks up a very late addition for this season 2017-18.

They have added Kelvin "KJ" Riley, 6-5 guard who averaged 7.9 ppg & 4.6 rpg at Howard (juco) last year

[tornado]

an update of all the newcomers - hope I didn't miss anyone

2017
Bradley - Ryan Stipanovich - LINK, Elijah Childs, Luqman Lundy (0 open scholarships)
Drake - Teyvion Kirk - now reopened, Tai Bibbs - now reopened , Jalen Gibbs, Noah Thomas, Antonio Pilipovic, Samm Jones (transfer), Colton Kolowski (juco- prob walk-on), Connor Gholson (walk-on) (1 or 2 scholarships currently open as Bibbs, Kirk, Johannes Dolven and Billy Wampler are all gone)
Evansville - Evan Kuhlman (signed), Noah Frederking (signed), Marty Hill, Dainius Chatkevicius (juco), Kelvin "KJ" Riley (juco) (0 or 1 scholarships currently open) (Silas Adheke removed as he classified as a 2016)
Illinois State - William Tinsley, Elijah Clarance (signed), Zach Copeland, Taylor Bruninga, Matt Chastain, Jerron Martin (grad transfer), Christian Romine & Milik Yarbrough, transfers eligible in 2017 (zero scholarship currently open - Washington gone)
Indiana State - Devin Thomas (signed), Tyreke Key (signed), Qiydar Davis (transfer), Elafayette Stone (now reneged and signs with juco) (signed), Daniel Huenermann (signed), Clayton Hughes (1 scholarships currently open as Donovan Franklin is gone & Elafayette Stone gone)
Loyola - Cameron Krutwig (signed), Christian Negron (signed), Lucas Williamson, Adarius Avery, Carson Shanks, Aher Uguak (transfer) - transfer (zero scholarships currently open, Maurice Kirby gone, maybe one-over)
Missouri State - Reggie Scurry (signed), Darian Scott (signed), Mustafa Lawrence, (signed), Abdul-Hakim Fofana, James "JT" Miller - a grad transfer from Howard - (will not sign a Letter of Intent) (zero scholarships currently open- possibly one-over & someone isn't qualified, Chris Kendrix, Robin Thompson leaving and Austin Ruder is leaving & Ronnie Rousseau is back)
UNI - Austin Phyfe (signed), Tywhon Pickford, Miles Wentzien (juco),
Adam McDermott - walk-on transfer from North Dakota sitting out 2016-17 (zero scholarships left for 2017)
SIU - Demarius Jacobs - had signed LOI but now reneged and going to prep school, Eric McGill, Kavion Pippen, Marcus Bartley - transfer eligible in 2017 (1 scholarships currently open- Barry didn't get that late impact player)
Wichita State - deleted
Valparaiso - Markus Golder (juco) (LOI signed), Parker Hazen (LOI signed), Mileek McMillan (LOI signed), Marten Linssen (0 scholarships open)

The list of FRESHMEN - the rest above are transfers & jucos:

BU: Elijah Childs, Ryan Stipanovich
Drake: Jalen Gibbs, Noah Thomas, Samm Jones, Connor Gholson, Antonio Pilipovic (Will Halfon, Nick Girardi are not on their roster)
Evansville: Noah Frederking, Evan Kuhlman, John Hall
Illinois State: Elijah Clarance, Taylor Bruninga, Isaac Gassman
Indiana State: Tyreke Key, Clayton Hughes, Daniel Hunermann, Matt Deady, Ethan Claycomb
Loyola: Lucas Williamson, Christian Negron, Cameron Krutwig
Missouri State: Mustafa Lawrence, Greg Williams, Darian Scott
UNI: Austin Phyfe, Tywhon Pickford, Tanner Lohaus
SIU: Brendon Gooch
Valparaiso: Parker Hazen, Mileek McMillan, Marten Linssen

[tornado]

Missouri State added FIVE new players as detailed above plus they added back Ronnie Rousseau who had left the team last year....
According to our count and VerbalCommits.com, they have no open scholarships or are actually one-over on scholarships so it wouldn't appear that they have a scholarship available but...

now there's talk of this kid transferring to Missouri State...
Jared Ridder - who just enrolled at Xavier but is unhappy there and is leaving already...
Ridder would not be eligible this year and would have to sit out until 2018-19 due to transfer- so it is possible he may also go juco like Brady Ernst did.
He, like Elijah Childs, was one of the top players in Missouri last season

https://twitter.com/springfieldNL/status/911641570906181638

[tornado]

.... there's talk of this kid transferring to Missouri State...
Jared Ridder -...

now apparently Arkansas is entering the race to get Jared Ridder - as Missouri State scrambles to find a way to open up a scholarship..
Oddly, on paper, Arkansas also does not appear to have a scholarship, but ya never know nowadays - coaches seem to have ways of opening them up

you'd think Mizzou would make a pitch to get Ridder - and maybe they are but...
they have no open scholarship currently and maybe even be one-over - waiting to see if everyone qualifies....
They apparently are also one-over for next year already, too.