Anthony Slack is

[Big Mike]

on a visit to Creighton this week-end! Not much going on but I did find this......strange thing is he still list Bradley as giving him an offer........

Also Michael Thompson ......a 5'10 P/G from Chicago also list the Braves as giving him an offer?

[vbird]

on a visit to Creighton this week-end! Not much going on but I did find this......strange thing is he still list Bradley as giving him an offer........

That's the first I've read of this....everything I've read said he cancelled his trip to Creighton and was visiting Missou St. this weekend, and then would choose between MSU and ISU.

[cpacmel]

According to both Creighton fans and MO State fans he is in Springfield Missouri this weekend.

A matter of fact, some Creighton fans have said that Slack has no interest in Creighton and / or vice versa.


And if your going by scout, they have Dodie Dunson visiting Minnesota this weekend.....despite the fact that he signed with Iowa State last week.

[DannyCooksey]

Anthony Slack is............

........officially an Illinois State Redbird!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/04/18/sports/doc44450b761bf7a781015261.txt

This completes, on paper anyway, the best recruiting class in the Valley for 2006. Hopefully the newcomers mesh quickly with the talent we have returning and we can become an upper-tier team in the Valley again.

The 'Birds have gotten alot faster and a lot quicker and hopefully a lot better in the last 2 weeks with these 3 signings.

[Mikovio]

Let's save the excitement for when they actually show up on campus

[Murph]

It appears that ISU may be back....

[Da Coach]

This completes, on paper anyway, the best recruiting class in the Valley for 2006. Hopefully the newcomers mesh quickly with the talent we have returning and we can become an upper-tier team in the Valley again.

I can understand why an ISU fan would make such a bold statement, but is there any believeable source that rates ISU's class as "the best recruiting class in the Valley for 2006"? I haven't seen it.
There are a couple other schools that have had very good recruiting classes (CU, WSU, and UNI), and others that have not completed their yet (if BU lands Sikes I would take their's over ISU's).
Since I think ISU's biggest deficiency last year was a near-total lack of an inside game (something Bradley exploited in both games), I do not see how they have improved that at all. The only true "inside player" among the incoming recruits is Slack, and I don't think anyone would call an 11.6 points per game scorer an impact player.

[tornado]

This all sounds so amazingly deja vu.......

So the 6'7" Slack led his team to 7th at the NJCAA Finals, and was all tourney and the third leading scorer at the NJCAA?

Didn't ISU sign a 6'7" juco forward last year who was the leading scorer in the NJCAA National Junior College Basketball Tournament?

He was the top player on his junior college and led them to a #7 ranking in the Nation as well as led them to a 3-1 record at the NJCAA Finals and the Consolation Championship.
(this all sounds amazingly similar to what the present release says about Slack!)

The release from ISU a year ago also noted how highly touted that kid was and how much he was expected to help them immediately, and that he even led his team when he was in high school in points, three pointer, scoring average, rebounds and dunks!! (35)

That player was...............Mark Kruse who was a non-factor in 2005-2006 and is gone from the team now.

http://goredbirds.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/071405aah.html

[it's boogie time]

I don't know all the recruiting classes, but Wichita State got some projected good ones.

[Bravesguy]

ISU's Travis Wallace also led his team to a 7th place finish at the
NJCAA Finals, so how impressive is that, really?

http://goredbirds.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/wallace_travis00.html

[DannyCooksey]

I can understand why an ISU fan would make such a bold statement, but is there any believeable source that rates ISU's class as "the best recruiting class in the Valley for 2006"? I

How's this from early March???:

Dave Telep
Scout.com National Recruiting Director on Mar 3, 2006

sez the Best Incoming Recruits In The MVC in descending order are:

Arbry Butler, Wichita State
Bobby Hill, Illinois State
Jordan Eglseder, N. Iowa
Kenny Lawson, Creighton
and #1 is Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State

Isaac Miles (Creighton) knocks Butler out of the Top 5.

Add to this 3 of the Top 65 JUCO players in the country (According to JucoJunction). A better question would be how could it NOT be one of the best in the Valley???

We have signed 2 of the Top 5 incoming freshmen according to Scout.com. Also the top rated JUCO player (JucoJunction) entering the Valley in Dominitrix Johnson. Seems fairly obvious to me.

[collegehoopjunkie]

I agree, I think ISU's recruiting class is strong and one of the best if not the best in the Valley.

But------does this not create an ominous situation for Porter Moser.

Up until now his teams' poor performances have always been explained by people saying he hasn't had the opportunity to get the best players, he hasn't always gotten to use the players he recruited, his best players have defected, his best players have had academic issues, etc.

Now he will have absolutely no possible excuse. After all he has the best players in the Valley now, and there can be no more excuse for bad outcome.
If ISU doesn't finish in the top 3 in the Valley and get a post season bid (maybe even an NCAA bid) then is it time for Porter Moser to go?? How long will the Bird fans wait?

[DannyCooksey]

After all he has the best players in the Valley

who said this??? having one of the best recruiting classes in the Valley doesn't mean he has the best players.

I agree though, Moser will have to produce now. Hopefully with the arsenal he has now, he will do just that.

[cpacmel]

It's fun to debate this stuff in the offseason, but it absolutely doesn't mean anything when these kids hit the courts. Only after 2-4 years can you really determine who had the best class.

Most people go by awards and rankings, etc....And if you go by that stuff, ISU does have 1 of the top classes in the Valley....but like I said, once these kids hit the courts, they have to prove they deserved though rankings and awards.

[MacabreMob]

Ok, thanks for stopping in Redbird fans. Thanks for the info of your incoming players.

Now can you kindly continue this discussion at the Redbird board.

I doubt viewers over there care to read about Bradley's incoming players.

In fact, I was told a long time ago that people in B-N could care less what goes on in Peoria and for Bradley. Well, the same goes here.