Paris Gulley

[Da Coach]

Paris Gulley is one of the top local Peoria talents in the class of 2009.
He is not ready to commit yet, but it sounds like Bradley is among schools checking him out--
Paris Gulley to sign in the spring
Looking to make it back to state finals

http://www.mouthpiecesports.com/highschool/blog/2008/11/13/paris-gully-to-sign-in-the-spring-looking-to-make-it-back-to-state-finals/

[massivemike3]

gulley

it would be nice to keep him in peoria,southern has 9 illinois players on the roster

[mexicobufan]

Anyone know why this kid doesnt have any offers?

[ph]

Not knowing anything about this situation, I would guess that the lack of offers is because the IHSA gave Manual recruits the "small school" 2A stigma. (Now that "Big" is 3A and 4A) It's like asking why fellow 2A Peoria Christian does not get much D1 interest.


Odd situation because 5+ years ago, Manual was a large 2A and Eureka (JP) was a small 1A

[tornado]

Manual is not spelled "Manuel"...so someone send Dan Poneman a memo...

also, I know a certain coach in Macomb likes Gulley, so it wouldn't surprise me if he does get an offer soon.

and as for kids from small schools, there is some bias that keeps recruiters away from the smaller schools, but if the talent is there, they will find you..
Ask Carlton Fay of Putnam Co. (enrollment 299), or Mike Tisdale of Riverton (enrollment 482), or Brett Thompson of Vienna (enrollment 392), or Butler's AJ Graves of White River Valley HS (enrollment 270).

[Scouter]

Not knowing anything about this situation, I would guess that the lack of offers is because the IHSA gave Manual recruits the "small school" 2A stigma. (Now that "Big" is 3A and 4A) It's like asking why fellow 2A Peoria Christian does not get much D1 interest.


Odd situation because 5+ years ago, Manual was a large 2A and Eureka (JP) was a small 1A

Yes, Manual is a "small school," but the Rams play almost all of their schedule against 3A/4A schools in the regular season before they play the smaller schools in the state tournament.

Paris Gulley was one of my favorite Peoria-area players to watch last season, but it doesn't really surprise me he hasn't signed with a college yet. He doesn't have a ton of size and doesn't have a mind-blowing skill set that some of these coaches love, but he's a good leader and quality all-around player. I think he'll be a good, solid player at the college level. Hopefully he gets a chance at a DI school.

[scout4126]

Paris seems like a good kid but I don't see him making an impact at the mid major level anytime soon. He's very small and isn't really a point guard. He has heart, hustle, and that helps him to score the ball pretty well. He may be able to sneak in at a low major but I'd project him as a nice D2 or NAIA player. And, please, do not think I am putting him down because there is NOTHING wrong with playing at a D2 or NAIA because they get about as much pub as most low majors anyway and a lot of them are better.

[tornado]

Paris Gulley and his Manual teammates played their first game in the Lincoln Tournament.
Manual (Class 2A) faced 4A O'Fallon and clobbered them 72-49, with Gulley scoring 30 points.
Gulley hit 14 of 17 shots!

(O'Fallon as some will recall, lost in the Championship game at Carver Arena in 2007 to Simeon, ending their season at 26-7, and giving them their first even state trophy in basketball. Their enrollment of 2480 is more than four times the enrollment of Manual)

Hey---someone upgrade the Manual HS athletic web page, please, the kids deserve better!!

http://www.manualhighschool.org/pages/Athletics.html

I still say someone in DI is going to give the guy a shot.
Anyone remember a kid named AJ Rompza?
He was a similar player last year for Whitney Young and he really only got one look, and he accepted a scholarship to University of Central Florida.
Guess what...Rompza, all 5-8 of him, is proving he belongs...
In his first 3 games as a freshman, he has started all three, and they have knocked off New Mexico at the Pit, gone 2-1 and Rompza is averaging 6.3 ppg, 3 asst./gm, and hitting FT's at 88%.



also

... NOTHING wrong with playing at a D2 or NAIA because they get about as much pub as most low majors anyway and a lot of them are better.

wait a minute, the experts have declared that there are NO DII's, DIII's, or NAIA schools that are as good as any DI's!!

[ER3]

wait a minute, the experts have declared that there are NO DII's, DIII's, or NAIA schools that are as good as any DI's!!

Yep...and other 'experts' have declared that UW-Platteville would finish in the upper half of the Valley.

[tornado]

way things are going, it kinda looks like they could run the table in the Valley


ps--here is the Lincoln Tourney website

http://www.railerbasketball.org/BSK-LCHS%20RR%20Schedules%20&%20Scores-2008.htm

[SFP]

I do not care where a kid played HS. All I want for Christmas is a pure, downtown, legit, from way out, dead eye shooter to sign with BU!

[ER3]

I do not care where a kid played HS. All I want for Christmas is a pure, downtown, legit, from way out, dead eye shooter to sign with BU!

Or 2...or 3....

[tornado]

video stories on Gulley and Manual

http://centralillinoisproud.com/media_player.php?media_id=46821

http://www.week.com/sports/35518574.html

[tornado]

The IHSA just released regional and Sectional assignments........and Manual, although they have
to be a favorite in 2A, is in perhaps the touhest Regional.

Manual, now in 2A, is in the Canton Regional/IVC Sectional.

The five teams in the Canton Regional are
Manual - who finished 2nd in State in 2007 and are the statewide favorites to win it this year
Peoria Christian - who finished 4th in State in 2004 and is ranked 2nd in the area in 2A
Farmington - who finished 4th in State in 2007
IVC -- who finished 2nd in State in 2006 and who are always strong
Canton -- a perennial Class 3A team whose enrollment (754) makes it the LARGEST 2A school

[Dubl R 1]

I doubt Manual will have a very tough time with any of those schools. Canton, at least plays some decent competition throughout the year.