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I know a lot of people think Taylor Bruninga in a couple years will be considered a big miss for a lot of schools...
but seriously - how often do really BIG MISSES occur...
I can't really think of a whole lot, and more often kids are rated high and then don't pan out...a different kind of recruiting miss.
But here are the BIG misses I can think of from around here- kids who weren't that highly regarded who ended up with incredible careers...
Alec Peters - Valpo
Fred Van Vleet - Wichita
Jared Brownridge - Santa Clara
Brett Bisping - Siena
Dikembe Dixson - UIC
Garret Covington - WIU
Doug McDermott - Creighton
Walt Lemon, Jr.
Jimmy Gavin - Winthrop
anyone else think of some??
And here's one that maybe a lot of people have never heard of...a kid who EVERY step along the way - nobody thought much of him...
a kid named Tyler Johnson was lightly recruited, 6-1 guard out of high school...despite being the area Player of the Year in 2010 playing for tiny Mountain View, CA St. Francis High School
- but he got an offer to Fresno State and played little as a freshman - averaging just 4 ppg - but he worked hard & improved...
-PLUS he grew a couple extra inches AFTER he left high school - so by the time he finished his senior year at Fresno State he was 6-4 and averaging 15 ppg - still not jaw-dropping.
-and of course he wasn't drafted but he went to a few workouts and earned a spot on a D-League roster and gradually showed some promise...
GUESS WHAT - he just signed a 4-year deal with the Miami Heat that will pay him $50 million with the 4th year being at $15 million per year!
Not bad for a kid nobody really wanted back then...
but that's not even the end of the story - because this season he really got his shot, with LeBron & DWade gone...
Tyler Johnson has really become the Heat's best shooting guard!
but seriously - how often do really BIG MISSES occur...
I can't really think of a whole lot, and more often kids are rated high and then don't pan out...a different kind of recruiting miss.
But here are the BIG misses I can think of from around here- kids who weren't that highly regarded who ended up with incredible careers...
Alec Peters - Valpo
Fred Van Vleet - Wichita
Jared Brownridge - Santa Clara
Brett Bisping - Siena
Dikembe Dixson - UIC
Garret Covington - WIU
Doug McDermott - Creighton
Walt Lemon, Jr.
Jimmy Gavin - Winthrop
anyone else think of some??
And here's one that maybe a lot of people have never heard of...a kid who EVERY step along the way - nobody thought much of him...
a kid named Tyler Johnson was lightly recruited, 6-1 guard out of high school...despite being the area Player of the Year in 2010 playing for tiny Mountain View, CA St. Francis High School
- but he got an offer to Fresno State and played little as a freshman - averaging just 4 ppg - but he worked hard & improved...
-PLUS he grew a couple extra inches AFTER he left high school - so by the time he finished his senior year at Fresno State he was 6-4 and averaging 15 ppg - still not jaw-dropping.
-and of course he wasn't drafted but he went to a few workouts and earned a spot on a D-League roster and gradually showed some promise...
GUESS WHAT - he just signed a 4-year deal with the Miami Heat that will pay him $50 million with the 4th year being at $15 million per year!
Not bad for a kid nobody really wanted back then...
but that's not even the end of the story - because this season he really got his shot, with LeBron & DWade gone...
Tyler Johnson has really become the Heat's best shooting guard!
