Moline's Paul Bayer transfers

[Da Coach]

Paul Bayer, the sharp-shooting guard from Moline high school has announced he will accept a scholarship to attend Lehigh University of the Patriot League.

[smitty]

Wow, what a surprise! I didn't know he was even considering Lehigh. Are you sure?

[Da Coach]

He had gotten recent interest from Lehigh. Lehigh had gotten a committment from a Chicago area kid, Matt Shamis back on Oct. 4. Lehigh coach is Billy Taylor, who is from Aurora, and has spent a lot of time recruiting Illinois. Immediate playing time was a major factor in his decision.

[Cellus]

I know you usually have good info Coach, but I am very surprised to hear this. The recruiting sites have him considering Creighton, Wyoming and Marquette. In fact, several places say he will attend the Marquette version of Midnight Madness. Can you verify that he has committed?

[BU fan]

There have been several undersized shooting guards/small forwards that have made it to the NBA from the MVC, like Kyle Korver, Hersey Hawkins, Rodney Buford, and others. Have there been many players from the Patriot League make it to the NBA? I wonder what would influence his choice to play for Lehigh rather than Creighton, Marquette, or Wyoming?

[bradley fan]

Scout Hoops announcement

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=1112142

[BU fan]

Bradley, at one time was very interested in Bayer. But he did not seem too warm toward Bradley, thus Bradley was not involved since maybe early this year.


Here is another report

http://www.chicagohoops.com/articles1/bayercommits.html

[Big Mike]

Isn't this where Mitch Gilfillan (PND) is playing ?

[Da Coach]

You are correct. Good memory.
He is a senior this year. Tempus fugit.

http://www.lehighsports.com/sports/mbball/rosters/displayPlayer.asp?PLAYER_ID=3261

[dogsrus]

[quote="Da Coach"] Tempus fugit.


Wasn't BU looing at this kid at one time.....

[user1]

Tempus failed to make grades and ended up going to Horological school.

But speaking of Gilfillan, who is a senior at Lehigh (Bethlehem, PA).
Mitch started one game and played in 25, but averaged only 12 mpg, taking only 3 shots per game and hitting only one for a scoring average of 3ppg.
Lehigh has been mediocre for many years, and they were pretty mediocre again last season at 14-15 overall and 7-7 in their conference (Patriot). The closest thing they had to a "quality win" would maybe be a 57-54 home win over Bucknell who went on to beat Kansas in the NCAA, but they had an RPI of 240 and didn't beat any other team whose RPI was under 150.

Lehigh plays a very deliberate style and averages only 60 points per game, hitting only 38% on FG's, and scoring in the low 50's or even in the 40's numerous times.
And their home games draw a paltry 1500 per game, far less than the BU scrimmage games at the Fieldhouse.

I would have thought Bayer would have ended up at some school with a little higher profile. Lehigh may be a good fit, but my guess is he is looking for a lot of playing time right away plus a good education.

[BradleyBrave]

I said last year after seeing him play that he wasn't an MVC-caliber player. I was chastised from some on the other board who claimed he was going to Stanford or Creighton. Looks like my assessment of him was correct.

[BU fan]

Shooting was his forte, but I saw him play once, but he is not quick or mobile for a kid only 6'5". Supposedly he had scholarship offers from higher level schools like Creighton and Wyoming, but lost those by waiting too long for Stanford to come through with an offer (which never happened).

Lehigh might be a team on the rise, so maybe a good place for him.

[WB6]

Here's an article from today's QC Dispatch talking about Bayer's decision to commit to Lehigh:

Posted online: October 17, 2005 12:23 AM
Print publication date: October 17, 2006
Bayer finally finds home in Lehigh U.
By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com


Marquette. Stanford. Creighton.

Despite having that list of dream schools calling, the recruiting game turned into a living nightmare this summer for Paul Bayer.

An early June injury set the Moline High School basketball star back in the recruiting process, and kept wary colleges from offering a scholarship.

However, that bad break turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Bayer, who verbally committed Thursday during a recruiting visit, to accept a scholarship from the Division I program at Pennsylvania's Lehigh University.

The nationally-acclaimed, academic powerhouse never was on Bayer's recruiting radar until he returned from the injury in late July. Yet, the Moline senior plans to sign a binding national letter-of-intent with the 2004 Patriot League champs during the NCAA's early signing period, Nov. 9-16.

"I didn't feel any pressure to accept the first offer that came my way. I knew I'd find some place to go, before or after the (prep) season," said Bayer, who ranks sixth on Moline's all-time scoring list with 1,048 points.

"I did want to get it done before the season, if I could, because otherwise it's a real stressful situation. But, it had to be the right fit for me. I was lucky. After seeing Lehigh, I knew it was perfect. I loved it."

Bayer took one other of the five official visits allowed under NCAA rules, getting an all-expenses-paid look-see at Marquette in the spring. Bayer also made an unofficial visit on his own to Creighton.

"What really got me were the academics, and the opportunities you have after graduating from there," said Bayer, noting 75-percent of Lehigh's students have jobs waiting for them before they graduate.

Besides being one of the country's best engineering schools, Lehigh also offers a top 10 nationally-ranked program for accounting -- a field of study Bayer will enter. The well-networked school's notable alumni include Chrysler savior Lee Iacocca and legendary race-team owner Roger Penske.

"Only so many guys get to play in the NBA," said Bayer, an honorable mention all-state selection last season. "You have to look down the road farther and be prepared for your future after the game is over."

Bayer especially got that message in June, during a summer-league game at St. Ambrose. A Muscatine player fell awkwardly and crashed into Bayer, hyperextending a knee and fracturing his leg below the joint.

Bayer reports that he's completely recovered now. However, Bayer missed nearly eight weeks of the important summer recruiting season, sitting out from early June to late July to heal.

"I had no chance to go to any of the camps I needed to attend. I was going to Marquette, Stanford and Creighton so they could evaluate me," Bayer said. "Then, when I did come back, I joined an AAU team to play in a national tournament in Orlando, was only around 70-to-80 percent, and only played so-so.

"A lot of schools lost faith in me after that, but I understand. For some of them, that was their first and only impression of me. That was their only chance to see me and evaulate me this summer."

Only Marquette and Wyoming remained interested after the Orlando trip, Bayer said. However, Lehigh emerged as Bayer's silver lining in that dark cloud.

Lehigh coach Billy Taylor -- a former star at Aurora West and Notre Dame -- called saying he noticed Bayer at the tournament, and invited him for a visit. Undaunted by being a late-comer in the recruiting process, Lehigh's persistence in August and September finally paid off last week.

"I tell kids all of the time, `Go where you fit in. Go where you'll have a chance to play and get a great education.' I'm happy for Paul because he did that. He's getting an Ivy League-quality education at a school that's still competitive on the basketball floor." said Moline coach Frank Dexter, noting Lehigh's successor as the Patriot League champs last season (Bucknell) knocked off national-power Kansas in last spring's NCAA tournament.

``I'm still getting calls from places like Georgetown, asking about him. But those kinds of schools would have needed to see him during the season, because he's a different player now. He's always had Division I range on his shot, but he's 20 pounds stronger now, he's quicker and he's more physical. But instead of waiting for an offer and taking what he could get after the season, Paul used his chance to pick where he wanted to go, and I think he made a great choice.''

[chitownBUB]

PB may end up being a steal for Lehigh.