2019 Valley Recruits

[tornado]

ISU's top recruiting target for 2019, Marvens Petion - from the same prep school as Abdul Ndiaye
just announced - and he's going the juco route - which means obviously - he is not a qualifier for DI
just like his teammate Abdul Ndiaye was also not qualified.
That's what has hurt their depth so badly the past few years and why they tank down the stretch - because
they tend to take so many kids that do not qualify and/or have to sit out that they have such a short bench.

it's almost comical how obvious their lack of depth has been the past few years - using walk-ons and forced to play
injured kids and threaten their careers - while at the same time ISU fans were coming onto this message board
trying to lecture us that ISU was the deepest they have ever been!! - LOL
...looking back - just who was spot on and who was so laughably wrong? They have been so wrong that they have
gone into hiding and never even tried to explain or defend their silly argument.

Muller was so desperate about his lack of depth that he even risked Bruninga's career trying to force him to come back with a broken bone and he re-fractured it

[tornado]

some other teams are opening up scholarships....

ISU's Isaac Gassman is transferring - was originally a walk-on but was on scholarship and expected back next year - but I have to think he is being pruned so Muller can get someone else.. It is being said that Hein & Copeland are next...

Northern Iowa's Tray Croft is leaving & transferring but he never played a game. He was declared academically ineligible upon transfer from junior college....kind of an embarrassing move by Ben Jacobson to offer the kid a scholarship and land him then have him never play and waste that scholarship for the year.

..and someone on one of the other Valley message boards said Illini's DaMonte Williams was interested in transferring to Bradley..


2019

Bradley - Stephan Gabriel, Antonio Thomas, Ville Tahvanainen, possibly JaMir Price, Rienk Mast, Danya Kingsby- transfer, will not sign LOI (1 open scholarship now that Hodgson and Pittman are transferring)
Drake - Roman Penn - transfer eligible in 2019, Issa Samake, Joseph Yesufu, Nate Ferguson, Luke Vaske- walk-on, redshirting this year, Jonah Jackson, Brady Ernst (1 open scholarship now that Matt Gray transferring)
Evansville - Artur Labinowcz - transfer, eligible in 2019, Sam Cunliffe - transfer eligible in 2019, DeAndre Williams- freshman redshirting 2018-19, Marcus Henderson, Peace Ilegomah - eligible mid-year 2019-20 (2 open scholarship)
ISU - DJ Horne, Dedric Boyd, Jaycee Hillsman, Keith Fisher - all three ineligible until fall of 2019, also Abdou Ndiaye will be ineligible until 2019 (still have 4 scholarships now that Chastain is placed on scholarship)
Indiana State - Cobie Barnes, Jared Hankins, Tre Williams, Cameron Bacote (transfer will be eligible in 2019), Christopher Agbo, Jake LaRavia (zero scholarships open - Hughes & Huenermann leaving)
Loyola - Tate Hall (transfer, eligible in 2019-2020), Paxson Wojcik, Tom Welch, Marquise Kennedy, Keith Clemons (1 open scholarship now that Bujdoso transferred)
Missouri State - Tyem Freeman, Jamonta Black, Dajuan Harris, Gaige Prim, Tyrik Dixon - transfer, eligible 2019, Isaiah Mosley, Spencer Brown- walk-on, Lamont West - transfer (appear to be oversigned by 1 now that both Wojciks leaving)
UNI - James Betz, Noah Carter, Cole Henry, Logan Wolf (walk-on for basketball & scholarship for football), Evan Gauger, Derek Krogman- walk-on, Antwan Kimmons
(zero open scholarships- now that Croft is gone)
SIU - Avery Taggart (will also walk on for football), Lance Jones, Chris Payton (3 or 4 open scholarships - but rumor that Payton may not be eligible)
Valparaiso - Eron Gordon and Nick Robinson - both transfers eligible in 2019, Donovan Clay, Sigurd Lorange, Emil Freese-Vilien, Ben Krikke (should have 1-2 open scholarships with Evelyn, Freeman, Golder, Sorolla & Smits transferring)

2020

Bradley - JaMir Price- if he does a year at Prep School (currently 5 open scholarships - we lose Brown, Hodgson, Kennell, Pittman, Bar)
UNI - Tytan Anderson (4 open scholarships)

[Da Coach]

Valparaiso has several open scholarships with all the players leaving.
Yesterday they got a verbal commit from a point guard from Norway-
https://www.nwitimes.com/sports/basketball/college/valparaiso-lands-international-point-guard/article_1a189400-beed-591c-b0c6-121f47b71258.html

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1114644743659511808

Highlight videos-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm1_FrA6oIo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBe_r9f4xfU

He averaged an19.6 ppg and shot 40% from three this past season on a Norway Basketball League team (Gimle) that finished 2nd in the league and is still alive in the finals of their playoffs. Valpo really needed a point guard and could have been a better team this past season if they had better talent and experience at that position, IMO.

[Da Coach]

And Valpo just got a 2nd commitment from an international player (see post above), 6'10" center Emil Freese-Vilien from Denmark.
He is 19 years old and has been playing for Vaerlose in the Danish Basketligaen, the top pro league in Denmark. He was a reserve player and averaged 4.2 ppg, and 2.2 rpg in 12.3 minutes off the bench.
He also played some for the U18 Denmark team in the 2017 FIBA Championships.
Valparaiso has 3 more scholarships open.

[Da Coach]

Article on Emil Freese-Vilien -
https://www.nwitimes.com/sports/bask...5975c815f.html

Videos-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwaSf7V7Lg4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQdOetV8WmI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7JZIJvw4wM

[Da Coach]

And now Valparaiso has gotten their 3rd commit for 2019 in the last 24 hours (see above), this one also from an international player,
6-7 forward Ben Krikke from Edmonton, Canada.
Valpo coach Matt Lottich now only has 2 open scholarships left. With their talent void, I am surprised he isn't going after a couple junior college kids, but maybe he will with those last 2 scholarships.


Ben Krikke has played for Team Canada's junior teams.
Since most high schools in Canada, especially those outside of Ontario, do not play HS basketball, kids who play get most of their experience from regional travelling teams in camps and tournaments.
One interesting comment he makes in an interview is that he learned a lot of his skills from watching an old set of Michael Jordan videos-
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...ikke-1.4153965

Ben's father Kent has been hosting those basketball summer camps for 18 years in Edmonton. But there's something else along the way Krikke discovered that helped shape his game.
He credits his father's Micheal Jordan DVD set for helping him hone his skills.
"That DVD, we've had that for quite a while," said Krikke.
"It has Michael Jordan's greatest games, plays, top 10 dunks, top 10 everything. I like to watch that and I've always re-watched it," he said.
"I think I've learned a lot of footwork from watching those videos and a lot of moves and a lot of hustle."

Video-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipfA1UpiGoM

[Da Coach]

Evan Taylor signs with SIU- https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsOwP3hWkAUUSp1.jpg

Some bad news for SIU, but with Barry Hinson leaving it is not totally unexpected. One of their 2019 recruits Evan Taylor, from Glenbard West HS, who signed a NLI last fall to SIU has requested his release and intends to reopen his recruitment. He will get interest from a lot of mid-majors who have open scholarships to fill.
Expect more SIU players to follow.

He was never a Bradley recruit, but he was offered a scholarship by ISU coach Dan Muller.

[tornado]

there would be plenty of playing time available - and I don't think he blew up enough to get many better offers...
Maybe the new coach just didn't really care to pursue the kid...

[Da Coach]

He is not an Illinois Wolves player

[tornado]

ISU head coach Dan Muller comments in this article on what he has coming back next year...

REMEMBER - he (and lots of ISU fans as well) claimed they were as deep last year as they had ever been and that their depth was their strongest point - only to find out how terrible LACK OF DEPTH was what actually killed them. But now they lose almost everyone who contributed so you'd think they'll even moreso lack depth - but not according to Muller...

Here's what Muller says now about losing almost all of their starters and ..."the Redbirds will be without five of their six leading scorers heading into next season."

"I really like where we're at, at all of our positions," said Muller. "I think there will be a lot of competition and depth at each spot"

He also concedes that Taylor Bruninga is still many months away...
"Taylor Bruninga (who hasn't played since last summer) is now in a soft boot in his recovery from surgery.
Muller doesn't anticipate Bruninga being able to play during the Redbirds' trip in August to Italy."




https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/co...ml?mode=nowapp

[tornado]

And now Valparaiso has gotten their 3rd commit for 2019 in the last 24 hours ...
6-7 forward Ben Krikke from Edmonton, Canada.,,,,

Valpo fans are really high on this kid, Ben Krikke...
they have posted a video of the kid dunking in a dunk contest...
https://twitter.com/BrianSwane/statu...02487783428098

[tornado]

Indiana State gets a verbal from a former Bradley recruit Jake LaRavia, who had committed to SIUE
then decommitted when there was a coaching change there.

Northern Iowa lands Antwan Kimmons, who had previously signed with Idaho State but had asked out of his commitment there when there was a coaching change - https://www.thegazette.com/subject/s...tball-20190404

Here's who is expected to sign this week
Bradley - Rienk Mast plus one more open scholarship, Danya Kingsby (transfer) won't sign a Letter of Intent
Drake - juco Jonah Jackson plus one more scholarship available, Brady Ernst (transfer) won't sign LOI
Evansville - none but 2 open scholarships, Peace Ilegomah (transfer) won't sign LOI
Illinois State - none, but 4 open scholarships
Indiana State - juco Christopher Agbo, Jake LaRavia, no other open scholarships
Loyola - juco Keith Clemons, they have 1 open scholarship
Missouri State - Isaiah Mosley, Spencer Brown (walk-on transfer won't sign LOI), Lamont West (transfer) won't sign LOI - no open scholarships
Northern Iowa - possibly Antwan Kimmons, zero open scholarships
SIU - none but they have four open scholarships - should be interesting
Valparaiso - Donovan Clay, Sigurd Lorange, Emil Freese-Vilien, Ben Krikke, and still have 2 open scholarships

[Jim]

Why don't you think Danya Kingsby will sign a LOI?

[Da Coach]

He can't because of the rules regarding National Letters of Intent (NLI or sometimes called LOI). Transfers from one D1 school to another are not eligible to sign NLIs.
Generally, a recruit can only sign a NLI once, with one exception- kids who signed out of high school and went to a D1 school initially, but then left and transferred to a juco. They can then sign a 2nd NLI when they graduate from their juco.

This is directly from the NLI website-
Prospective student-athletes enrolling in a four-year institution for the first time can sign an NLI. Student-athletes who start their academic career at a four-year institution and then transfer to a two-year college may also sign an NLI if they plan on entering a second four-year institution.
....you only sign an NLI when you first enroll in a four-year institution or if you are a 4-2-4 transfer student.

http://www.nationalletter.org/freque...ingTheNli.html (click on the 2nd and 3rd questions "Who signs a NLI?" and "Do I sign an NLI every year")

Sometimes you will see players "signing" to a school who do not fit this description and who are not eligible to sign an NLI. In those cases, it is actually scholarship agreement papers they are signing, not an official NLI.

[Jim]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing you basketball knowledge!