Top 10 Valley recruits

[dogsrus]

Our friends on Redbird did a top 10 Valley recruits thread. Didn't see where he got the info but I THINK it was an average from 3 respected sites.

SIU had 3 in the top 10..... E.McCain came in at 6 or 7. Someone then asked to see last years numbers. BU had the top rated newbie Thompson at #1. Since he RS its nice to see our class will be on par with SIU's.

I think Sammy was 5 last year and looked to be the best of last years rankings as far as play/performance THIS year. I think I. Martin had a decent year for InSU also.

They plan on doing the Juco top 10 later.....good job Redbird forum.

With the recent signings I wonder if there will be an updated list? I would think D. Norris would easily sneak into the top 10.

[tornado]

Yes, I agree, this guy did an OK job, but all he did was repost something from ESPN.
I would note that he claims his source is ESPN, and they are notoriously inaccurate with a heavy east coast bias.

Where I would also take issue, are several of ESPN's assessments...as follows....

-- I can't deny that on paper, Booker, being a 4-Star recruit, is the highest rated kid coming into the Valley. But, the very people who know him the best and who have seen him, the writers who cover sports in St. Louis, have rated Booker below Torres Roundtree and Anthony James (UNI recruit).
Booker didn't even make the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd team All St. Louis Metro team. He was just honorable mention along with a bunch if kids that will never see Division I.--

http://prepsports.stltoday.com/ssi/prep/stories2008.nsf/basketball-boys/story/2AB7F5B7D6C2B55486257417000F6DE3?OpenDocument

--By the way, since UNI's recruit, Anthony James is very good and rated higher by the locals than Booker, why isn't James even mentioned on this guy's list of top Valley recruits?
Another glaring error!!! They also obviously did this list before Ryan Hare committed, as they don't mention him either.

--Then the #4 guy they have as Austin Pehl?? Gimme a break!! Pehl could be the 3rd best recruit UNI has coming in as they have James and also have John Moran.

--Likewise, the #8 kid, Tyler Cutter, isn't ranked anywhere, higher than 2-star, but still is on this list ahead of players like Roundtree and Stutz who everyone has as 3-stars.

--lastly, the two Drake kids, Jones and Weldon, are somewhat obscure and unknown and they can't find anything about them except a comment from one of the kids' junior season!
But they still ranked them as the 5th & 6th best incoming freshmen when nobody else has them ranked above 2-star anywhere else??

--The #9 name on the list -Damien Bell-Holter, some time ago, was released from his committment and is not coming to Missouri State.

--AND...The guy totally fails to mention two of Wichita State' recruits who are very, very good.
Both Garrett Stutz and Toure Murry are 3-STAR!


as with all rankings, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but this ranking is outdated and filled with omissions.


OH...and in case you want to know how they did on last year's rankings......they did very poorly
Throwing darts at a list of names would have done vastly better than these guys did predicting last year's freshmen.

The #1 ranked and #9 ranked on their 2007 list both redshirted and did not play.
The #2, #3, and #10 kids have already quit and/or left school and gone elsewhere, or are simply NOT D-I caliber players!
Their #6 (Creighton's Walker) was not even the best freshman on his own team! (Stinnett and Lawson were MVC All Frosh Team - but neither made their list!)
Then their #7 barely played at Evansville, even though he is 7-ft tall! What does that tell you!
So even though they had 10 cracks at it, they totally missed FOUR of the All Freshman Team members!
and the kid who was the freshman of the year in the Valley, P'Allen Stinnett was totally omitted from their 2007 list,
which in sum, kind of discredits these ESPN lists!

[dogsrus]

Yes, I agree, this guy did an OK job, but all he did was repost something from ESPN.
I would note that he claims his source is ESPN, and they are notoriously inaccurate with a heavy east coast bias.

Where I would also take issue, are several of ESPN's assessments...as follows....

-- I can't deny that on paper, Booker, being a 4-Star recruit, is the highest rated kid coming into the Valley. But, the very people who know him the best and who have seen him, the writers who cover sports in St. Louis, have rated Booker below Torres Roundtree and Anthony James (UNI recruit).
Booker didn't even make the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd team All St. Louis Metro team. He was just honorable mention along with a bunch if kids that will never see Division I.--

http://prepsports.stltoday.com/ssi/prep/stories2008.nsf/basketball-boys/story/2AB7F5B7D6C2B55486257417000F6DE3?OpenDocument

--By the way, since UNI's recruit, Anthony James is very good and rated higher by the locals than Booker, why isn't James even mentioned on this guy's list of top Valley recruits?
Another glaring error!!! They also obviously did this list before Ryan Hare committed, as they don't mention him either.

--Then the #4 guy they have as Austin Pehl?? Gimme a break!! Pehl could be the 3rd best recruit UNI has coming in as they have James and also have John Moran.

--Likewise, the #8 kid, Tyler Cutter, isn't ranked anywhere, higher than 2-star, but still is on this list ahead of players like Roundtree and Stutz who everyone has as 3-stars.

--lastly, the two Drake kids, Jones and Weldon, are somewhat obscure and unknown and they can't find anything about them except a comment from one of the kids' junior season!
But they still ranked them as the 5th & 6th best incoming freshmen when nobody else has them ranked above 2-star anywhere else??

--The #9 name on the list -Damien Bell-Holter, some time ago, was released from his committment and is not coming to Missouri State.

--AND...The guy totally fails to mention two of Wichita State' recruits who are very, very good.
Both Garrett Stutz and Toure Murry are 3-STAR!


as with all rankings, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but this ranking is outdated and filled with omissions.


OH...and in case you want to know how they did on last year's rankings......they did very poorly
Throwing darts at a list of names would have done vastly better than these guys did predicting last year's freshmen.

The #1 ranked and #9 ranked on their 2007 list both redshirted and did not play.
The #2, #3, and #10 kids have already quit and/or left school and gone elsewhere, or are simply NOT D-I caliber players!
Their #6 (Creighton's Walker) was not even the best freshman on his own team! (Stinnett and Lawson were MVC All Frosh Team - but neither made their list!)
Then their #7 barely played at Evansville, even though he is 7-ft tall! What does that tell you!
So even though they had 10 cracks at it, they totally missed FOUR of the All Freshman Team members!
and the kid who was the freshman of the year in the Valley, P'Allen Stinnett was totally omitted from their 2007 list,
which in sum, kind of discredits these ESPN lists!

Other then that how'd ya like it.....

[tornado]

I would not put either Eddren McCain or Damian Norris in my top 10 because I don't want to be accused of putting too much pressure on them.
I would list all the SIU and ISU recruits as tied for #1 so the pressure is on them.

[Braves4Life]

I would not put either Eddren McCain or Damian Norris in my top 10 because I don't want to be accused of putting too much pressure on them.
I would list all the SIU and ISU recruits as tied for #1 so the pressure is on them.

In fact, since all us Kool-aid drinkers (and esp. T and DC) were bashed for being overly optimistic during last year's off-season I think we should all just settle in for a LOOOOOOOOOONG 2008-09 season. We just lost our two stars, have no height or bulk, and are loaded with untested players. We'll probably be lucky to finish in the upper half of the Valley

[DUBulldog]

--lastly, the two Drake kids, Jones and Weldon, are somewhat obscure and unknown and they can't find anything about them except a comment from one of the kids' junior season!
But they still ranked them as the 5th & 6th best incoming freshmen when nobody else has them ranked above 2-star anywhere else??

Are you serious? Somebody had Weldon as the 5th or 6th best recruit coming into the MVC? He was barely in the top 5 or 6 players on his high school team. He averaged about 5 ppg, and scored a total of 7 points in 3 tournament games. He's walking on at Drake, and even though he's not taking up a scholarship, many Drake fans have questioned whether he's even good enough to be a walk-on.

[tornado]

probably be lucky to finsish in the upper half of the Valley

and if we are unfortunate enough to have multiple starters breaking bones, requiring major surgery, being forced to the sidelines by overly aggressive negative local press calling them renegades, etc...then I actually can't see how the Braves could even be expected to stay within 20 points of any of our opponents.

[MacabreMob]

In fact, since all us Kool-aid drinkers (and esp. T and DC) were bashed for being overly optimistic during last year's off-season I think we should all just settle in for a LOOOOOOOOOONG 2008-09 season. We just lost our two stars, have no height or bulk, and are loaded with untested players. We'll probably be lucky to finish in the upper half of the Valley

Right on B4L!

On the one hand, I predicted Bradley to win the MVC and go like 34-2 on the season.... just being so overly positive to make the "haters" wanna puke.

Then.... on the other hand, I would sarcastically say I just hope we finish .500. That, too, could make the "haters" wanna puke.

LOL!

[shaunguth]

In fact, since all us Kool-aid drinkers (and esp. T and DC) were bashed for being overly optimistic during last year's off-season I think we should all just settle in for a LOOOOOOOOOONG 2008-09 season. We just lost our two stars, have no height or bulk, and are loaded with untested players. We'll probably be lucky to finish in the upper half of the Valley

Yes....if we couldn't finish higher than 5th last season with the top two returning scorers in the conference, then we have absolutely no hope of even staying out of Thursday this season!

[tornado]

Might as well just book the hotel for Wednesday night on, to be sure you won't get lost in the rush for a Thursday reservation.

[Da Coach]

In fact, since all us Kool-aid drinkers (and esp. T and DC) were bashed for being overly optimistic during last year's off-season I think we should all just settle in for a LOOOOOOOOOONG 2008-09 season. We just lost our two stars, have no height or bulk, and are loaded with untested players. We'll probably be lucky to finish in the upper half of the Valley

It wasn't just the kool-aid drinkers here, the coaches and media picked Bradley 2nd behind SIU. And I think they would have finished 2nd (behind Drake) if not for Ruffin's injury.

We are due for an injury-free year next year.

[Stryker]

We are due for an injury-free year next year.

Amen to that. I want to see five starters make it through the entire season.