2008-2009 BU roster - interesting facts

[Da Coach]

If I'm not mistaken, Jim Les has been recruiting local players. DeAaron Williams was signed until he screwed up. The Braves were also in the running for DJ Richardson as well before he chose Illinois. Kudos to Coach Les for recruiting QUALITY not location. If quality players are in central Illinois, he'll recruit them. If they're not, he doesn't. Its as simple as that.

Both Molinari and Jim Les have done a great job recruting. If anyone thinks it's easy recruiting to Bradley, they aren't informed. Even with the 2006 NCAA run, most kids around the country, and even in Chicago, know little or nothing about Bradley when they are first contacted.
As I have posted before, I recall Dick Versace and Stan Albeck saying they had to overcome the same problem. They had to do a lot more work to familiarize kids and their families with Bradley before he could even "get in the door". That creates a tremendous advantage for the state schools, and for schools that are always getting TV time and featured on SportsCenter.

If anyone wants to criticize Jim Les for the current lack of local players, recall that there have been more local players each year under Jim Les than there were in any of Mo's 11 seasons, and in many of Albeck's and Versace's teams.
And, those "critics" need to tell us what Peoria area players should Bradley have gotten that they didn't and that they had a chance at. Players that go to ACC, and Big Ten schools aren't realistic. The fact that kids like DeAaron Williams, Matt Roth, and Jordan Prosser were/are still seriously considering Bradley right to the end of their recruiting, after eliminating many other majors schools, is all the evidence I need to see that the Bradley coaches are doing their jobs well.

[SFP]

Wow. I just mentioned his name because he was a local kid recruited by BU. Sorry you're so bitter about his decision.

I do not know about anyone else but I'm not bitter about MR going to Indiana. I just wish that the fans on this site would just leave his name out of this board for now on. Due to the fact you brought him up this discussion would never have taken place.

You do love to add gasoline into the fire!

I bet you would make one hell of a great political corespondent for one party or the other.

[Da Coach]

We could take this a step further... How many Bradley players who have had their jerseys retired were from Central Illinois when we recruited them? I am at work so I dont have compete access to answer this question, but off hand, I can think of 2 players.

Good point. Most of the Bradley "Greats" were not local kids.
Despite a lot of local kids who have played at Bradley through the years, of the "Players of the Century", only Roger Phegley (East Peoria), Al Smith (Peoria Manual HS) and Paul Unruh (Toulon) could be considered local. Unruh was an virtually unheard of kid from a tiny farm town in Stark County. I don't know if Paul received any scholarship offers other than Bradley's, but it's been reported that Phegley did not get any basketball scholarship offers at all. Phegley was a walkon basketball player who came to BU on a baseball scholarship. And I don't think Al Smith was pursued by other schools than Bradley, too.

Here is Bradley's Team of the Century--
Joe Allen (Chicago, IL)
Mitchell Anderson (Chicago, IL)
Bob Carney (Aurora, IL)
Hersey Hawkins (Chicago, IL)
Jim Les (Niles, IL)
Anthony Manual (Chicago, IL)
Bobby Joe Mason (Centralia, IL)
Gene Melchiorre (Highland Park, IL)
Anthony Parker (Naperville, IL)
Roger Phegley (East Peoria, IL)
Al Smith (Peoria, IL)
Leverne Tart (West Palm Beach, FL)
David Thirdkill (St. Louis, MO)
Paul Unruh (Toulon, IL)
Chet Walker (Benton Harbor, MI)

Retired numbers- Unruh and Phegley are the only 2 "locals"--
11 Mitchell Anderson
15 Paul Unruh
31 Joe Allen
31 Chet Walker
33 Bob Carney
33 Hersey Hawkins
45 Roger Phegley

Even in the early years, when it was typical for the team to be made up almost entirely of local area players, the majority of the top players were not "locals".

Bradley All-Americans--
Joe Allen (Chicago, IL) 66-67 and 67-68 (by Helms Foundation)
Mitchell Anderson (Chicago, IL) 81-82 (Basketball Times, Helms Foundation)
Barney Cable (New Brighton, PA) 57-58 (International news Service)
Bob Carney (Aurora, IL) 52-53 (Helms) and 53-54 (Converse, Helms)
Bobby Garber (Metamora) 46-47 (Madison Square Garden "Little All-American")
Chris Hansen (Dundee, IL) 41-42 (PIC Magazine)
Hersey Hawkins (Chicago, IL) 87-88 (Consensus)
Dave Humerickhouse (Paris, IL) 46-47 (AP, Helms) 47-48 (AP)
Dar Hutchins (Harvey, IL) 38-39
Dave Lundstrom (Galesburg, IL) 68-69 (UPI Small All American)
Bobby Joe Mason (Centralia, IL) 56-57 (Helms), 58-59 (Helms), 59-60 (NABC)
Paul McCall (Robinson, IL) 41-42 (PIC Magazine)
Shellie McMillon (Chicago, IL) 57-58 (INS)
Gene Melchiorre (Highland Park, IL) 49-50 (Helms, Callyers News Bureau) 50-51 (Consensus)
Ted Panish (Morris, IL) 38-39 (Callyers)
Anthony Parker (Naperville, IL) 96-97 (AP)
Roger Phegley (East Peoria, IL) 77-78 (Converse, Helms)
Leverne Tart (West Palm Beach, FL)63-64 (Helms)
Paul Unruh (Toulon, IL) 47-48 (AP), 48-49 (Helms, Converse), 49-50 (Consensus)
Chet Walker (Benton Harbor, MI) 59-60 (AP, Converse, Helms, NBC, Sporting News, UPI), 60-61 (Consensus), 61-62 (Consensus)

[Scouter]

I do not know about anyone else but I'm not bitter about MR going to Indiana. I just wish that the fans on this site would just leave his name out of this board for now on. Due to the fact you brought him up this discussion would never have taken place.

You do love to add gasoline into the fire!

I bet you would make one hell of a great political corespondent for one party or the other.

There was talk about local players recruited by Bradley. Matt Roth is a local player. He was recruited by Bradley. So I brought him up. How does that "add gasoline to the fire?" The only people adding gasoline to the fire are the people who have a problem with his name being mentioned. Why should we not bring up his name? Does he not exist?

[Da Coach]

Sorry to remove some of the posts from this thread. Please, no negative stuff about any player that didn't choose to come to Bradley. As far as Matt Roth goes, he obviously liked Bradley and struggled to select a program with a great tradition from one of the top basketball conferences over Bradley. I don't think he needs to make excuses for picking Indiana over BU, and we wish him well.

[MacabreMob]

..... Despite a lot of local kids who have played at Bradley through the years, of the "Players of the Century", only Roger Phegley (East Peoria), Al Smith (Peoria Manual HS) and Paul Unruh (Toulon) could be considered local. Unruh was an virtually unheard of kid from a tiny farm town in Stark County.

Actually, I think Paul Unruh was from Osceola, a town about 12 miles from Toulon, and road a bus to school in Toulon (long before Toulon merged with other neighboring towns to form Stark County High School).

[Chico]

I think we would all like to see local area players on the BU roster. But as long as the coaches try to recruit the players they think could help the program I'm happy with it. If the player would rather go somewhere else I'm fine with that also. Our coaches have proven they can recruit nationally. Keep up the good work Jim, and the whole staff.

[Big Mike]

I also like the BEST PLAYER AVAILIBLE approach by the staff.....like everyone else on this board...I'm ready to WIN!

[Da Coach]

Actually, I think Paul Unruh was from Osceola, a town about 12 miles from Toulon, and road a bus to school in Toulon (long before Toulon merged with other neighboring towns to form Stark County High School).

You are right, but he is listed in the BU media guides as hailing from Toulon. And the PJ Star and every other source now lists Toulon as his hometown.--

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:BzkwcCI4DesJ:www.pjstar.com/services/sports/2003hoops/unruh.html+%22paul+unruh%22+toulon&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

But this site about Toulon High School says he was from Osceola (in the Boys Basketball section)--

http://www.illinoishsglorydays.com/id39.html

[brocks]

Sorry to remove some of the posts from this thread. Please, no negative stuff about any player that didn't choose to come to Bradley. As far as Matt Roth goes, he obviously liked Bradley and struggled to select a program with a great tradition from one of the top basketball conferences over Bradley. I don't think he needs to make excuses for picking Indiana over BU, and we wish him well.

I'll go along with this to the extent that I won't mention any recruits, but let's not make excuses for IU. That program is a disgrace; no two ways about it.

[MacabreMob]

You are right, but he is listed in the BU media guides as hailing from Toulon. And the PJ Star and every other source now lists Toulon as his hometown.--

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:BzkwcCI4DesJ:www.pjstar.com/services/sports/2003hoops/unruh.html+%22paul+unruh%22+toulon&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

But this site about Toulon High School says he was from Osceola (in the Boys Basketball section)--
http://www.illinoishsglorydays.com/id39.html

Wow - how do you find this stuff DC?

I tried to sound like I knew something. Hehe. But I also always thought he lived in or very near Toulon until I asked him at the banquet this past year. That's when he told me he was actually from Osceola.

LOL! You always amaze me DC. Thanks for the neat link, btw.

[SFP]

There was talk about local players recruited by Bradley. Matt Roth is a local player. He was recruited by Bradley. So I brought him up. How does that "add gasoline to the fire?" The only people adding gasoline to the fire are the people who have a problem with his name being mentioned. Why should we not bring up his name? Does he not exist?

Scouter if not the gasoline then the match! LOL You just have this way of igniting things for better or for worse. I'm not saying you are wrong or right just what I feel.

[That Guy]

I'll go along with this to the extent that I won't mention any recruits, but let's not make excuses for IU. That program is a disgrace; no two ways about it.

I would say Indiana University has one of the best and most prestigious reputations in college basketball. And up until Sampson and his dealings, IU was one of less than 5 programs nationwide that had never been under NCAA sanctions. That's something programs like Kentucky, Illinois, and yes, even our own BU cannot say. There's no denying that the IU job and everything it stands for has long been considered one of the 5 best coaching jobs in the country. I would say the coach was a disgrace, and tarnished the IU legacy, but I wouldn't say the program is a disgrace.

[brocks]

I would say Indiana University has one of the best and most prestigious reputations in college basketball. And up until Sampson and his dealings, IU was one of less than 5 programs nationwide that had never been under NCAA sanctions. That's something programs like Kentucky, Illinois, and yes, even our own BU cannot say. There's no denying that the IU job and everything it stands for has long been considered one of the 5 best coaching jobs in the country. I would say the coach was a disgrace, and tarnished the IU legacy, but I wouldn't say the program is a disgrace.

I'm not talking about its history. I'm talking about the sorry state of that crooked program right now. It is a disgrace.

There have been times in BU's history when BU was a disgrace. Whelliston's opinion notwithstanding, that was quite some time ago. Same for Michigan and UNLV and many others. I guess it's Indiana's turn.

[Big Mike]

BU webpage is now updated on the current roster.....

http://www.bubraves.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3400&KEY=&SPID=1498&SPSID=19333