2008-2009 BU roster - interesting facts

[Da Coach]

The 2008-2009 Bradley roster (considering just the recruited/scholarship players) will be perhaps the most geographically diverse in Bradley's history.

Here are the scholarship players for 2008-2009--
1 Eddren McCain G 5-11 170 Fr. Laplace, La. (Reserve Christian H.S.)
2 Dodie Dunson G 6-3 190 Jr. Bloomington, Ill. (Vincennes University) (Bloomington H.S.)
3 Darian Norris G 5-11 180 Fr. Las Vegas, Nev. (Mojave H.S.)
4 David Collins C 7-0 240 Sr. Toronto, Ontario (Missouri State-West Plains) (Emery Collegiate Institute)
5 Sam Maniscalco G 6-0 185 So. Chicago, Ill. (St. Patrick H.S.)
12 Theron Wilson F 6-5 197 Sr. Topeka, Kan. (Seward County C.C.) (Highland Park H.S.)
21 Will Egolf F/C 6-9 220 So. Juneau, Alaska (Douglas H.S.)
23 Chris Roberts G 6-4 196 Jr. Fort Worth, Texas (Navarro College) (Dunbar H.S.)
24 Andrew Warren G 6-5 200 Jr. Indianapolis, Ind. (Brebeuf Jesuit Prep)
32 Rashad Austin F 6-7 245 Sr. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Northeastern (Colo.) J.C.) (Etiwanda H.S.)
41 Thompson, AnthonyC 6-10 186 RFr. Houston, Texas (Klein Forest H.S.)
54 Sam Singh F/C 6-9 256 5Sr. Ozark, Mo. (Ozark H.S.)

I reviewed the Bradley media guides from the past 50+ years and as best as I can determine, this is the fewest scholarship players from the state of Illinois that Bradley has ever had on their roster (2- Sam Maniscalco and Dodie Dunson). There are also 2 players from Texas (Chris Roberts and Anthony Thompson), and one each from Alaska (Egolf), California (Austin), Indiana (Warren), Kansas (Wilson), Louisiana (McCain), Missouri (Singh), and Nevada (Norris), and one from Canada (Collins).

This team is also the first team under Jim Les that does not have a local Peoria area player that was recruited or on scholarship. The last team without a local Peoria area player was Jim Molinari's last team in 2001-2002.

[Lakeview Brave]

Im glad the coaches will go anywhere to find talent. I hope we continue to have at least 2 kids from Illinois on the roster every year.

[houstontxbrave]

Im glad the coaches will go anywhere to find talent. I hope we continue to have at least 2 kids from Illinois on the roster every year.

I just want us to have the best team possible regardless of where the players are from, but not having players from Peoria got Mo in a lot of heated water. Not speaking for him, but it was one of the factors in why he was let go. Remember the year before he was fired he was one healthy Jerome Robinson way from an NCAA berth.

The sharks will begin to circle if they read what Coach wrote. Wrong or right there are those who believe that you MUST have Peoria kids on a roster.

[Bradleyguy10]

They'll forget about if we do indeed win the MVC regular season...or the tournament.

Get the best players available and win with what you have...that's what they are payed to do. None of this Peoria garbage... If you get one great if you don't then just spin it as Bradley is becoming more nationally recognized, or even internationally with DC here and Milos coming (i know he moved here when he was 6 but still).

[brocks]

Are there any kids from Peoria with better records than McCain, Norris, Knezevic, et al? I haven't heard of any recently.

[BradleyBrave]

I just want us to have the best team possible regardless of where the players are from, but not having players from Peoria got Mo in a lot of heated water. Not speaking for him, but it was one of the factors in why he was let go. Remember the year before he was fired he was one healthy Jerome Robinson way from an NCAA berth.

The sharks will begin to circle if they read what Coach wrote. Wrong or right there are those who believe that you MUST have Peoria kids on a roster.

People were a lot more frustrated with Mo for BU being middle-of-the-road than where the players were from. Not having local players and playing a slower style of play was really just piling on to the real reasons he was let go - not winning and dwindling attendance. Had ISU and SIU been landing the local talent over BU, it might have been a legitimate gripe. Looking at the facts though, it's a farce. Mo made very strong efforts to land Mark Vershaw from East Peoria and Marcellus Sommerville from Central, but both opted for the Big 10 (as did most of the local talent in the 90's). People often forget about Aaron Zobrist starring for BU, Matt Moran playing for BU for a half season before deciding to give up basketball, Willie Coleman committing to play for BU only to leave school on the 2nd day of classes, and for recruiting Danny Adams before his firing. He made efforts for local kids, probably moreso than most people realize. If they expected him to land Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin, and Mike Robinson, they're insane.

To add to that, people tend to be more lenient and more patient with local kids than with kids from elsewhere. It's that way everywhere, so I am not just pointing the finger at BU on that one. But it's true - We all give our own the benefit of the doubt and are usually more patient with them.

Honestly, I don't care if the team is from Baghdad if they win basketball games. I think deep down every fan feels the same way I do. If you win with local kids, wonderful. If not, who cares. Just win baby, just win.

[houstontxbrave]

People were a lot more frustrated with Mo for BU being middle-of-the-road than where the players were from. Not having local players and playing a slower style of play was really just piling on to the real reasons he was let go - not winning and dwindling attendance. Had ISU and SIU been landing the local talent over BU, it might have been a legitimate gripe. Looking at the facts though, it's a farce. Mo made very strong efforts to land Mark Vershaw from East Peoria and Marcellus Sommerville from Central, but both opted for the Big 10 (as did most of the local talent in the 90's). People often forget about Aaron Zobrist starring for BU, Matt Moran playing for BU for a half season before deciding to give up basketball, Willie Coleman committing to play for BU only to leave school on the 2nd day of classes, and for recruiting Danny Adams before his firing. He made efforts for local kids, probably moreso than most people realize. If they expected him to land Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin, and Mike Robinson, they're insane.

To add to that, people tend to be more lenient and more patient with local kids than with kids from elsewhere. It's that way everywhere, so I am not just pointing the finger at BU on that one. But it's true - We all give our own the benefit of the doubt and are usually more patient with them.

Honestly, I don't care if the team is from Baghdad if they win basketball games. I think deep down every fan feels the same way I do. If you win with local kids, wonderful. If not, who cares. Just win baby, just win.

I agree that the last few years of Mo were much more then the local lack of players. After 10 years of 10 passes before a shot, dedication to Defense and every year a player or more moving on there yes were other factors. But, it still was a HUGE part of the outcry that he was not getting the "local" players. Remember the many Canadians that were brought in, the Cameron Rigbys etc who came and went.

Mo lost the fan base when he would not budge off of his game management ideas and I think he just was here to long... I am sure there were many other internal factors but the loudest voices were those who wanted the roster full of Peoria players and likely that also ment a local guy to be head coach.

Mo though to me had brought in amazing talent throughout his tenure. It just was his ways were not always condusive to the talent he brought in. IE he he would not allow uptempo fan pleasing numbers and I think his personal ideals for life might have rubbed some of his recruits the wrong way. Also he was burnt when he went Juco with Selby, Flanders and Rabey but his best coaching season was the one where he had only 8 players and could not play with line ups and pretty much had to play with what he was dealt.

[MacabreMob]

I really can't stand the cry for local players.

Bradley should try to lure the best local players at all times... but don't hand out schollies just to have local players no matter the talent

If everybody got their own local players.... OB woulda been a Gopher. Heck, K El Amin woulda been a Gopher instead of helping UConn to a Nat'l Title. Deron Williams wasn't from the state of Illinois - was he? And I know I could go on and on.

[BradleyBrave]

I really can't stand the cry for local players.

Bradley should try to lure the best local players at all times... but don't hand out schollies just to have local players no matter the talent

If everybody got their own local players.... OB woulda been a Gopher. Heck, K El Amin woulda been a Gopher instead of helping UConn to a Nat'l Title. Deron Williams wasn't from the state of Illinois - was he? And I know I could go on and on.

Great post MM. If every team got their 'local' players, our own beloved Jim Les would have been a Loyola Rambler, JJ and Hawk would have been UIC Flames, and DePaul wouldn't have anyone because there aren't too many DI ballers that come from the mean streets of Lincoln Park.

[buballer82]

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.

[dogsrus]

Honestly, I don't care if the team is from Baghdad if they win basketball games.

What ever happened tp the Iraqi propaganda minister after the regime fell......I like Bobby Parker and all but with Baghdad Bob this team could go places.

[houstontxbrave]

And don't forget, Jordan Prosser might yet end up staying "home"....
but there just hasn't BEEN as much talent coming out of Peoria lately....
I have been saying this since Shaun Livingston graduated, that the "Peoria Pipeline" has significantly dried up!
(not that some people on a different message board didn't argue vociferously claiming even kids such as
Breland McKnight was being heavily recruited by Bobby Knight and was going to Texas Tech, and
that Billy Cole would grow to 7-feet and dominate in college, and that DeAaron Williams was going to be a starter at Wisky!!)
What was once touted as great local classes of 2010, and 2011 are settling out to be pretty unspectacular.

In the Class of 2009 we have DJ Richardson, Dyricus Simms-Edwards, & Jordan Prosser, but I don't see much else to hint we'll have other local D-I players from the Peoria-area Class of 2009. Plus, two of those 3 may "fall" to the mid-major level.

In the Class of 2010, we were hearing all the time about Manual's Marvin Jordan and PND's Nick Rochford.
now you have to do an exhaustive google search to find those guys.
There may not be a single D-I kid come out of the local Class of 2010.

In the Class of 2011, there was lots being written about Donivine Stewart, Andrew Jordan, and even a few others, but that's also dropped off a bunch.
Stewart is still getting some writeups, but things have even cooled a bit on him...
Read this comment from a premium recruiting article just this week...
"Evaluators are split on how much upside he has", and some say he is too small at 5-10, to play his natural position, shooting guard

Has anyone seen either Mo's kid or JL's kid play and could either be potential D1 players?

[SFP]

Get the best kid available and who wants to play for BU. I do not see the local kids clamoring to be a Brave so why should JL or that fact BU go out of their way. MR chose Indiana, so who cares anymore! I'm not from Peoria or central Ill. so all this Peoria love fest for local talent means little for me. If there is a guy that can ball from central mongolia and wants to be a Brave, bring him on!

[Beninator]

Great post MM. If every team got their 'local' players, our own beloved Jim Les would have been a Loyola Rambler, JJ and Hawk would have been UIC Flames, and DePaul wouldn't have anyone because there aren't too many DI ballers that come from the mean streets of Lincoln Park.

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.

[amckillip]

Agreed, I'd love to have a little local talent(not at the expense of losing other recruits) but not a kid who picked another school over BU when EVERYONE knew the coach he was committing to was a dirty as they come.