2018 Valley recruits

[tornado]

Now that teams are starting to get verbal commitments for 2018 and beyond - we'll start a new thread...


2018 (no commits yet in MVC for 201
Bradley - (2 open scholarships)
Drake - (7 scholarships)
Evansville - (6 scholarships)
Illinois State - (2 scholarships)
Indiana State - (4 scholarships)
Loyola - (4 scholarships)
Missouri State - (5 scholarships)
UNI - (4 scholarships)
SIU - (4 scholarships)
Valparaiso - (2 scholarships)

2019
Bradley - (7 open scholarships)
UNI - James Betz

(number of available scholarships will likely change)

[tornado]

Almost into August and not one of the MVC schools yet has a commitment for 2018 -
The two schools that just left the MVC (Wichita, Creighton) have 3 & 2 commitments respectively for 2018...

I think that's in part due to Valley-caliber kids holding out in hopes they will get a bigger offer and also in part due to the MVC coaches trying to be careful and offer kids who will have an impact.
There's also likely the perception that the MVC isn't what it used to be but that's the part our coaches have to sell the kids on...

Here's what 2018 & 2019 look like for commits

2018 (no commits yet in MVC for 201
Bradley - (2 open scholarships)
Drake - (7 scholarships)
Evansville - (6 scholarships)
Illinois State - (2 scholarships)
Indiana State - (4 scholarships)
Loyola - (4 scholarships)
Missouri State - (5 scholarships)
UNI - (4 scholarships)
SIU - (4 scholarships)
Valparaiso - (2 scholarships)

2019
Bradley - (7 open scholarships)
UNI - James Betz

(number of available scholarships will likely change)

a couple tweets this morning say our coaches are following the Illinois Irish

http://www.jayhawktournaments.com/2017summerfinalepools

[tornado]

2019 Aristide Boya

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=27072

2018 (no commits yet in MVC for 201
Bradley - (2 open scholarships)
Drake - (7 scholarships)
Evansville - (6 scholarships)
Illinois State - (2 scholarships)
Indiana State - (4 scholarships)
Loyola - (4 scholarships)
Missouri State - (5 scholarships)
UNI - (4 scholarships)
SIU - (4 scholarships)
Valparaiso - (2 scholarships)

2019
Bradley - Aristide Boya (6 open scholarships)
UNI - James Betz

(number of available scholarships will likely change)

[tornado]

Carbondale HS
Class of 2018 Darius Beane commits to SIU (brother of Anthony Beane). His father, Anthony Beane, Sr. is assistant under Barry Hinson at SIU.
He is variably listed as a 6-3 shooting guard and other times as point guard.
Carbondale HS was knocked out in their Regionals last year (53-50) by Benton HS, and in 2016 (48-31) by Centralia.

http://thesouthern.com/sports/college/salukimania/carbondale-high-school-s-darius-beane-staying-home-in-college/article_7353cd62-b05b-5b33-9189-3e2aac082463.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

He was at one time ranking Top 150 but I haven't read a lot on him lately, altho the Sun Times still has him rated #5 in Illinois Class of 2018
and ESPN & scout.com both have him at 3-Stars. Rivals has him unrated.

http://www.suntimeshighschoolsports.com/2017/05/14/henricksen-top-10-prospects-class-2018/

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=293298&postcount=21

BTW- SIU had a practice a few days ago open to the media... LINK
and one of their assistant coaches tweeted...
"The DAWGS got two studs in 6"10 KAVION PIPPEN @kavionp33 & 6"3 ERIC MCGILL have had great summers!!!"

Their media really covered it well...wish we'd get some summer coverage like this...

http://thesouthern.com/sports/college/salukimania/saluki-basketball-putting-bol-more-on-the-move/article_391303d9-75fb-5814-be1f-b2fa1591756f.html

http://thesouthern.com/sports/college/salukimania/hefferman-lloyd-has-looks-of-a-saluki-leader/article_32dc2a9a-e4b0-506f-9a51-b7eb71fc711e.html

http://www.franklincounty-news.com/2017/07/25/salukis-off-season-practice-full-swing/

[Da Coach]

SIU picks up another 2018 commitment- Sam Shafer, a 6'6" small forward/wing player from Lincoln-Way HS in Frankfort, Illinois committed to the Salukis today.

https://verbalcommits.com/players/sam-shafer

https://www.prephoops.com/2017/08/sam-shafer-siu/

[LongTimeFan]

SIU has a very start to the 2018 class.

[tornado]

They describe him as a shooting guard and his other two offers were Montana State & Tennessee-Martin

http://thesouthern.com/sports/college/salukimania/lincoln-way-east-s-sam-shafer-commits-to-siu-men/article_b39b108f-6557-50b7-834f-b2158353d4b8.html

...but with their remaining scholarships they are going to have to get some size...



2018 (no commits yet in MVC for 201
Bradley - (2 open scholarships)
Drake - (7 scholarships)
Evansville - (6 scholarships)
Illinois State - (2 scholarships)
Indiana State - (4 scholarships)
Loyola - (4 scholarships)
Missouri State - (5 scholarships)
UNI - (4 scholarships)
SIU - Darius Beane, Sam Shafer (2 scholarships)
Valparaiso - (2 scholarships)

2019
Bradley - Aristide Boya (6 open scholarships)
UNI - James Betz

[tornado]

Northern Iowa lands their first 2018 commit
Cedar Falls, IA, 6-1, 150 lb point guard AJ Green
He is rated 4-Stars by some services...(#91 by Rivals and #68 in the brand new scout.com Top 100)
They had a significant recruiting advantage since AJ Green's father just happens to be an assistant coach at UNI

http://www.unipanthers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=613&path=mbball

2018
Bradley - (2 open scholarships)
Drake - (7 scholarships)
Evansville - (6 scholarships)
Illinois State - (2 scholarships)
Indiana State - (4 scholarships)
Loyola - (4 scholarships)
Missouri State - (5 scholarships)
UNI - AJ Green (3 scholarships)
SIU - Darius Beane, Sam Shafer (2 scholarships)
Valparaiso - (2 scholarships)

2019
Bradley - Aristide Boya (6 open scholarships)
UNI - James Betz


BTW- not MVC, but DePaul picked up a comittment from a kid in Class of 2022 - Amari Bailey
a kid who has never attended a day of high school yet...

https://twitter.com/search?q=amari%20bailey&src=typd

[tornado]

ISU lands a verbal from Class of 2019 Chris Payton - from Bloomington HS

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26971

2018
Bradley - (2 open scholarships)
Drake - (7 scholarships)
Evansville - (6 scholarships)
Illinois State - (2 scholarships)
Indiana State - (4 scholarships)
Loyola - (4 scholarships)
Missouri State - Kabir Mohammed (4 scholarships)
UNI - AJ Green (3 scholarships)
SIU - Darius Beane, Sam Shafer (2 scholarships)
Valparaiso - (2 scholarships)

2019
Bradley - Aristide Boya (6 open scholarships)
Illinois State - Chris Payton
UNI - James Betz

[tornado]

There were some rumors that Chris Payton might also transfer and his brother did leave BHS.....but Chris seems loyal to them..
..but this season Bloomington HS gets bumped up to 4A - so they will have to travel to Chicago to find anyone else in 4A to play ...
I'm not sure there's that much difference between the top 3A teams and the top 4A teams but if they played a full 4A schedule they'd probably have had a harder road to the Finals.

They played a few 4A's last year but only 7 of their 30 opponents were significantly bigger or as large as the average 4A school they'll be playing next spring in March Madness. And of their four losses during the season - 3 of them were to 4A schools

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/bhs-moves-up-to-class-a-in-basketball/article_6f7e6746-40f0-5b26-a2e0-bd8c10dbde00.html

[tornado]

Drake lands a commitment from Class of 2018 forward Adam Thistlewood from Golden, CO

https://twitter.com/EvanDaniels/status/901883453800632320

Illinois State lands Class of 2018 PF Demontay Dixon from Franklin, Tennessee (other offers ETSU, Tenn. Tech)
He has attended Franklin Christian Academy up to this point (enrollment less than 100) but is transferring for his senior season to Spring Hill, TN Summit HS (enrollment 1300)

https://twitter.com/montaydixon20/status/901832390485606401

http://www.scout.com/Player/Demontay-Dixon-78522

*** but they have no seniors so someone on their current roster might be leaving or will lose their scholarship - or maybe Gassman's ride is one-year only or Chastain stays walk-on?




2018
Bradley - (2 open scholarships)
Drake - Adam Thistlewood (6 scholarships)
Evansville - (6 scholarships)
Illinois State - Demontay Dixon (1 scholarship)
Indiana State - (4 scholarships)
Loyola - (4 scholarships)
Missouri State - Kabir Mohammed (4 scholarships)
UNI - AJ Green (3 scholarships)
SIU - Darius Beane, Sam Shafer (2 scholarships)
Valparaiso - (2 scholarships)

2019
Bradley - Aristide Boya (6 open scholarships)
Illinois State - Chris Payton
UNI - James Betz

[Da Coach]

...
Illinois State lands Class of 2018 PF Demontay Dixon from Franklin, Tennessee (other offers ETSU, Tenn. Tech)
He has attended Franklin Christian Academy up to this point (enrollment less than 100) but is transferring for his senior season to Spring Hill, TN Summit HS (enrollment 1300)

Demontay Dixon is 6'9", 190 pounds. He actually transferred in prior to last season to Summit HS in Franklin, TN, and played his junior year there.
He had other offers from East Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.

https://springhillhomepage.com/dynamic-personnel-takes-summit-basketball-to-new-heights/

Here are some highlights of his junior year-
ISU gets a commitment from 2018 recruit 6'9", 190 pound Demontay Dixon-

http://www.hudl.com/video/3/4847574/5869c8fddfd8b72d80abf0ee

[tornado]

Illinois State lands Class of 2018 PF Demontay Dixon ...offers ETSU....

Dan Muller just hired Brian Collins from ETSU - so maybe this was a package deal to get Demontray??

[Da Coach]

So you're suggesting this kid is some kind of huge difference-maker for the ISU program that Muller would use one of his 3 assistant coaching slots just to get a chance to land him?

I think it may be more the other way around. He wanted Collins, and after Collins got there, he convinced Muller to give the kid an offer.

[tornado]

I wonder what Demontay Dixon meant when he said:
"I had to drop out of GRACE (his high school where he spent the first two seasons)" and then he had to appeal to the state and get a waiver in order to play at Spring Hill?

addl info - the Pantagraph article quotes Dixon as kinda getting a promise he will play as a freshman and not redshirt:
"..Muller.. saw me coming in freshman year, getting stronger the first couple months and playing a little bit
..and the next year I'll be playing a lot my sophomore year"

It also reveals that Dixon tore his right shoulder labrum just this past summer during AAU and is currently recovering from surgery.

The local article in Tennessee about Dixon's commitment said this
"Muller, entering his sixth year at his alma mater, has led the Redbirds to improvements in the win column each season since his arrival."
...which simply is NOT true at all...only TWICE in Muller's five years at ISU has their win total improved over the year before