AJ Youngman

[turtle]

Bradley doesn't look like DIII - they look like a team full of freshmen playing against other teams' varsity.... and it isn't gonna change overnight

I'm encouraged by the fact that right now we are tied for 1st in the MVC race and every MVC team from 5-10 doesn't look a ton better than we are ...
Go Braves!

Wardle is doing it all wrong, instead of wasting scholarships on freshmen his first year he should have used the Versace strategy and loaded up with JUCOs either way they would still be bad, but he could have recruited better 1-2 years sooner rather than waiting for avg/below avg freshmen to graduate

[turtle]

Noted that several scouts from SEC schools will be at several upcoming Manual games ( not Kentucky though)

[Da Coach]

Wardle is doing it all wrong, instead of wasting scholarships on freshmen his first year he should have used the Versace strategy and loaded up with JUCOs either way they would still be bad, but he could have recruited better 1-2 years sooner rather than waiting for avg/below avg freshmen to graduate

Most new coaches have at least a few leftover players they can build on to, but the debacle of the last 4 years left Wardle with only one, maybe two, real D1 caliber players, and unfortunately, none of them wanted to work hard and stay and rebuild the program from the disastrous level it was left. That was the problem, not Coach Wardle's choice of recruits.

Many fans would have been OK with a couple jucos, But what good would it have done to land another Chris Blake, or Jermaine Morgan?
By April, there were very few quality jucos left. Maybe you can point out a 2015 juco recruit who committed anywhere in D1 after Wardle was named coach who is contributing significantly at their school? Even if we had landed a few jucos, like you say, they would have been bottom of the barrel leftovers and Bradley would have still been bad, and they would have to start over again with rebuilding in 2 years. We've had enough of the annual rebuilding under Geno, so I believe most fans are OK with the way Wardle is doing it.

[tornado]

I think Coach Wardle was counting on a few of the juniors & seniors being available...but one by one, they left....but by then trying to recruit juco kids would have been useless.

Most of us thought we'd be able to win maybe 8-10 games but now with essentially just freshmen I will be surprised if we win 5.

[tornado]

The Manual trio had great games today

Peoria Manual 85 - Warren 47
Romon Douglas-Watkins 25, AJ Youngman 21, Da'Monte Williams 12

[tornado]

gotta watch this short replay clip of AJ Youngman...
especially the play at 22 seconds that starts with the ball on the left wing...

the entire Manual teams sets picks to get AJ wide open & he doesn't disappoint..

https://twitter.com/SpeaksBball/status/682045100294144001

I especially love the reaction of the opponents' head coach who stands there watching then just scratches his head...priceless


Here's another shot where he drains one from 25 feet - Steph Curry range ..and if you doubt that this shot went in then watch it swish at 16 seconds into this video

[tornado]

once again AJ getting hot from 3-range
Manual pulling away from Oak Park-River Forest..
4th qtr 48-35

[tornado]

Final
Manual 62 - OPRF 54
AJ Youngman 15, Romon-Watkins & Williams 16 each

[tornado]

Manual wins in the final seconds to advance to the Pontiac Tourney Championship

Manual 74 - Joliet West 73...
AJ Youngman had an off day but he's kinda forced to play in the post at times as Manual does not have much size..
Still, in the 3 games in Pontiac thus far, he's hitting 50% from beyond the arc.
averaging 14.3 ppg

Da'Monte Williams knew the recruiters were watching and went off for 37 points & 6 rebs
Trevian Bell had 24 for Joliet West.


Chicago CURIE edged Simeon 80-78 in the other semi and will face Manual later today at 5pm
Devin Gage & Elijah Joiner each had 23 for Curie, while Evan Gilyard had 22 & Zach Norvell had 24 for Simeon.

One time phenom Ben Coupet, Jr. seems to have dropped off the radar.
He had just 3 pts today and has a total of only nine for the entire tourney, and went scoreless with six turnovers against Bloomington HS.
Haven't heard his name mentioned lately among the elite...anyone know why?

[mvcfan]

I was there today. Were you? Youngman never played in the post. He is a smart player but he is not a D1 talent. Manual basically plays without a post. In the first half Williams played the middle against the zone. He is the real deal and it is crazy how much he resembles his father.

Coupet is another kid from Simeon who is lengthy and athletic but lacks any strengths as a basketball player. Novel heading to Gonzaga is good but selfish and cant go right.

Joiner for Curie to me was very impressive. He had 23 without forcing anything and also played very under control. Muller and Yacklich were in the building and he talked to Joiner and coach post game.

Joliet West has two kids that will have better D1 careers then Youngman. I will let you figure out who that is since you seem to know. Youngman missed the rim on at least three 3s.

[tornado]

Youngman missed the rim on at least three 3s.

I know - did you miss the part where I said

AJ Youngman had an off day

but he had been 10-16 up to that point in the tourney

[mvcfan]

I heard ya and I also heard you say he played in the post. Shooting wide open isn't that hard. Better athletes equal him struggling. His shot is about like Kennel's it takes a while for it to release

[tornado]

shooters can have cold streaks...but AJ is still getting DI offers...

the Championship of the Pontiac Tourney goes to Curie...
Curie 75 - Manual 65
For Curie - Devin Gage had 23, Elijah Joiner 17
For Manual - Williams 15, Romon-Watkins 19, Youngman 15


Bloomington HS's Charles Payton also had a good tourney and in the four games against Bloom, Simeon, Danville, & Benet
he averaged 17.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg

[tornado]

AJ Youngman's coach tweets that he went for 25 pts, 8 rebs, 3 asst - Manual clobbered Peoria Notre Dame

https://twitter.com/WolvesILL/status/684579243980918785

in other interesting high school result...
right after the media pronounced Chicago Curie the favorite to take State, they drop a game to Kenwood

https://twitter.com/HSBBALLjg/status/684539079191621632

https://twitter.com/michaelsobrien/status/682759785800929280

the problem with arguing that Curie or Kenwood are the favorite over Manual & Simeon, tho, is that Manual plays in 3A and those other guys are all 4A

[cpacmel]

AJ Youngman's coach tweets that he went for 25 pts, 8 rebs, 3 asst - Manual clobbered Peoria Notre Dame

https://twitter.com/WolvesILL/status/684579243980918785

in other interesting high school result...
right after the media pronounced Chicago Curie the favorite to take State, they drop a game to Kenwood

https://twitter.com/HSBBALLjg/status/684539079191621632

https://twitter.com/michaelsobrien/status/682759785800929280

the problem with arguing that Curie or Kenwood are the favorite over Manual & Simeon, tho, is that Manual plays in 3A and those other guys are all 4A

I don't want to muddy up your thread about Youngman.

But Curie was playing Kenwood without their best player (Devin Gage). He might have made a small difference in a 3 point loss.

I also think the writers were saying Curie might be the favorite in 4A because they had just beaten both Simeon (a favorite in 4A) and Manual (a Favorite in 3A). And they did so within an 8 hour span.