AJ Youngman

[tornado]

I have gone to Manual numerous times and if you go to the school I think you're pretty safe. If you choose to wander away from the school and walk up one of the dimly lit nearby streets like Wiswall, Griswold, or Antoinette (all of which have seen shootings this year just within blocks of Manual HS), then you could be at risk.

[tornado]

The Illinois Wolves head coach Mike Mullins just tweeted that AJ Youngman, Trevian Bell, and Carson Newsome were all standouts in the Wolves scrimmage against La Lumiere

[DeanMartin]

The Illinois Wolves head coach Mike Mullins just tweeted that AJ Youngman, Trevian Bell, and Carson Newsome were all standouts in the Wolves scrimmage against La Lumiere

I see why now. At Richwoods on Monday night, I didn't even recognize him. He had 17 points, and probably could have scored 30 pretty easy really. Read where he had 5-9 on 3's and 19 pts on friday at Champaign. I couldn't believe that was the same kid that I saw at the Richwoods Summer Tournament. Don't get me wrong, I thought he was good, but he was pretty chubby and a little slow IMO. He looks longer, muscular, and much more athletic. He moved his feet real well on defense and had a handful of steals. He plays with a real MOXIE about himself. Of course you better be pretty tough to play for Manual. Has he verbaled anywhere yet? Have we offered him? I can see where a knock-down shooter with his size will probably start to draw the hi-major interest (Matt Roth), but he could have a great career in the MVC.

[turtle]

AJ lucky to be out of that dumpster fire in Morton --- the boys team has become a joke -- Brown has his favorites and they are not athletes just richies

[turtle]

I see why now. At Richwoods on Monday night, I didn't even recognize him. He had 17 points, and probably could have scored 30 pretty easy really. Read where he had 5-9 on 3's and 19 pts on friday at Champaign. I couldn't believe that was the same kid that I saw at the Richwoods Summer Tournament. Don't get me wrong, I thought he was good, but he was pretty chubby and a little slow IMO. He looks longer, muscular, and much more athletic. He moved his feet real well on defense and had a handful of steals. He plays with a real MOXIE about himself. Of course you better be pretty tough to play for Manual. Has he verbaled anywhere yet? Have we offered him? I can see where a knock-down shooter with his size will probably start to draw the hi-major interest (Matt Roth), but he could have a great career in the MVC.

Unlikely he would ever consider BU -- the program is pretty much on the level of JC --- all those old dinosaurs and their red sweaters are passing away -- firing Versace was the nail in the coffin for BU basketball

[Da Coach]

Aw, come on turtle, why so mean? Every midmajor program goes in cycles, and Bradley will eventually rebound. Few midmajor programs have the financial support, the facilities, or the fan support that Bradley has.

And those dinosaurs are the people who are financially supporting the program, something our last president and AD seemed to ignore as they chased after and coveted the younger fans. The problem is that the much more self-centered Generation X and Generation Y/Millennial alumni just don't feel the obligation to donate and support the university like the older alumni do.
That's too bad. As the older red sweater fans die off, the program will have less and less support.

[tornado]

... the much more self-centered Generation X and Generation Y/Millennial alumni just don't feel the obligation to donate and support the university like the older alumni do.
That's too bad. As the older red sweater fans die off, the program will have less and less support.

Of course there's more than one way to support Bradley basketball - with your attendance, your financial support, and with your loyalty....
The gray hairs and long time fans support this program thru thick & thin, they are among the 1200 who showed at the Tradition banquet and the 5,000 still filling the seats now when we're losing.

The last administration went after the long time lower bowl fans, tripling their ticket prices, skyrocketing - even quadrupling their maintenance, and driving them out of their seats hoping that would bring in maybe an extra buck or two - but it backfired & contributed to huge financial losses under JG & MC-
...and I have never in >40 years seen either the lower bowl at Carver or the Fieldhouse lower sections so empty as we've seen since Dr. Glasser & Dr. Cross initiated their fan-bashing policies.
Long time loyal families - after occupying the same seats at Carver since 1982 - have simply given up many if not all of their lower bowl seats and some moved elsewhere with lower cost & maintenance. Some have passed on but many just stopped coming. The place sounds hollow now, take a bow Drs. Glasser & Cross.

Unlikely he would ever consider BU -- the program is pretty much on the level of JC --- all those old dinosaurs and their red sweaters are passing away -- firing Versace was the nail in the coffin for BU basketball

your viewpoint is fair- as the fallout from the last 4-5 years will hurt severely in recruiting and lots of talented kid will discount interest from Bradley -- but we hope we're back soon...and I hope AJ & his family keep an open mind - cuz no matter where kids go - turmoil can erupt overnite...
Just ask some of the kids at SMU, Mizzou, IU, DePaul, even BU...etc.... ..not to mention coaching changes, playing time decisions, injuries, and other things lead 40% of DI kids to consider transferring elsewhere when they find their 1st choice fails them.

btw- turtle - you seem well informed...wouldn't you say 95% of all DI recruits have the exact same five factors at the top of the list when choosing a college?
(Potential for playing time, rapport with staff, good academics, enjoy the campus/atmosphere, chance at post-season success/chance to play at "next level"...BU has 3 or 4 of those!)
I am sure some people might cynically throw "blue sky money" or some kind of "extra benefits" into the discussion but that would apply only to the Cam Newton or Anthony Davis caliber kids.

[DeanMartin]

What a great night at the Den last night. A clash of Mid-Illini Conference heavyweights. Washington wins 43-40, great game. AJ Youngman was in attendance with a few of his Rams teammates & coaches. I had the good fortune of being introduced to him after the ball game.

I want to start off here by apologizing for an earlier post of mine (high school basketball message board) when I said that AJ should not be allowed to play at Manual after transferring from Morton. This is a very delightful & talented kid that carries himself very well. The following is not word for word, but I would say it's pretty darn close, as AJ graciously agreed to answer some of my questions. (not bad for only 3 or 4 minutes)

Question Were you impressed with Nate Kennell tonight & who's the better shooter? He said "Nate's really good. Some people think if you scored a lot points it means you played great, but some nights the ball just doesn't go in for you. Some nights you don't get many shot opportunities. He didn't score a lot tonight, but he made great passes to open teammates & didn't force up any bad shots. Nate plays the game the right way. If you play hard, play good defense, and get the 50/50 balls, it makes a shooter like he or I much more valuable, especially on a night the shot's not falling. I've never compared myself with other players, unfair to the other guy, unfair to me."

Question Why did you leave Morton? He said "I'm not trying to seem rude, but that's my family's private information."

Question Are you happy at Manual & how hard is it playing on a team with other great players like Williams & Douglas-Watkins? He said (big smile), "I love it, they are great players & great guys. If you can't get over yourself and play well with other great players you'll never make it far in this game. As far as being a student at Manual, it's fun, the students at Manual are just like the students at other high schools, they're just kids like me, no different." The genuine innocence that he made that last statement with was both refreshing, and shocking considering the reputation at Manual.

Question What are your goals? He said "Winning the Big 12 conference title and a state championship with his teammates, becoming a good defensive player, getting as prepared as I can for the next level. I think our style of play translates real well to the 30 second shot clock at the college level (I never thought about that) I want to play in the NCAA tournament, & play professionally if the opportunity presents itself."

Question How many D-1 schools are you hearing from? He said "I've been hearing from the same 12-15 D-1 schools for a while, but a few new schools have started to call & text me in the last couple weeks. I think it has a lot to do with switching AAU programs to the Illinois Wolves (Under Armor shoe sponsored program) in the late fall and now playing for a state ranked team like Manual. The coaches who have recently started to contact me have all pretty much said that they had already heard of me, but that my name's been popping up a lot more lately, and they are going to get out to watch me. It's amazing how my basketball life has changed so much in the last 12 months. I'm real fortunate now to be playing for 2 great programs with unselfish teammates, friends, and 2 great coaches."

Question Would you consider playing for Bradley University? He said "Sure, I'm from here, all my family lives here, but I haven't really heard from Bradley, so I haven't really thought about it. I'm busy doing my homework on the schools that are recruiting me, getting to know those coaches and programs the best I can so I make a good decision."

Question When do you plan on making a decision? He said, "I'm not sure, but sometimes the texts & calls can be overwhelming, and I get a little tired of it honestly, but it's a huge lifetime decision, and I'll be leaning on my dad, coach Booth, and coach Mullins to help me make the right decision."

I reminded AJ several times that it may not seem like it, but we want to win here again real bad, but we need to get better players, and great shooters to do so. No matter if this kid ends up playing for us or not, he made a great impression on me and I am now a fan. His university of choice will be getting a fine young man (pun intended).

[LongTimeFan]

I thought we were recruiting him. Maybe it was an assumption since he has been mentioned here many times??

[tornado]

....the students at Manual are just like the students at other high schools, they're just kids like me, no different."

more than a dozen of my wife's family members are Manual grads and still very proud of it. Sure there's a reputation, but rather than dwell on it, I applaud AJ & his family for doing exactly what it takes to start erasing that reputation - stay clean & get good grades! Well done.

.. but I haven't really heard from Bradley......

Too bad, I'd love to see us land AJ but our staff obviously are a little handcuffed in having zero open scholarships on paper for 2017...
Illinois Wolves kids (Sam Maniscalco, Evan Turner, Obediah Church, Chasson Randle, etc...) have always been great kids and fundamentally solid players.
Tell AJ he can always come on a baseball scholarship like Roger Phegley then become the star on the basketball team!

[LongTimeFan]

It may not be able to talk publicly about available scholarships for 2017, but do any of us really believe there will be no scholarships available? I believe that Bradley has 5 known scholarship offers for that year that have been mentioned here. Of course some like Williams have probably blown up enough to no longer be considering Bradley.

[tornado]

I know, but if there the scholarship situation is uncertain, it does shrink the possibility that someone might commit this early

[turtle]

Aw, come on turtle, why so mean? Every midmajor program goes in cycles, and Bradley will eventually rebound. Few midmajor programs have the financial support, the facilities, or the fan support that Bradley has.

And those dinosaurs are the people who are financially supporting the program, something our last president and AD seemed to ignore as they chased after and coveted the younger fans. The problem is that the much more self-centered Generation X and Generation Y/Millennial alumni just don't feel the obligation to donate and support the university like the older alumni do.
That's too bad. As the older red sweater fans die off, the program will have less and less support.

Not being mean -- but come on its been what 25 plus years ? Put a winner on the floor and I can guarantee the fans and donors will show up again.

[turtle]

What a great night at the Den last night. A clash of Mid-Illini Conference heavyweights. Washington wins 43-40, great game. AJ Youngman was in attendance with a few of his Rams teammates & coaches. I had the good fortune of being introduced to him after the ball game.

I want to start off here by apologizing for an earlier post of mine (high school basketball message board) when I said that AJ should not be allowed to play at Manual after transferring from Morton. This is a very delightful & talented kid that carries himself very well. The following is not word for word, but I would say it's pretty darn close, as AJ graciously agreed to answer some of my questions. (not bad for only 3 or 4 minutes)

Question Were you impressed with Nate Kennell tonight & who's the better shooter? He said "Nate's really good. Some people think if you scored a lot points it means you played great, but some nights the ball just doesn't go in for you. Some nights you don't get many shot opportunities. He didn't score a lot tonight, but he made great passes to open teammates & didn't force up any bad shots. Nate plays the game the right way. If you play hard, play good defense, and get the 50/50 balls, it makes a shooter like he or I much more valuable, especially on a night the shot's not falling. I've never compared myself with other players, unfair to the other guy, unfair to me."

Question Why did you leave Morton? He said "I'm not trying to seem rude, but that's my family's private information."

Question Are you happy at Manual & how hard is it playing on a team with other great players like Williams & Douglas-Watkins? He said (big smile), "I love it, they are great players & great guys. If you can't get over yourself and play well with other great players you'll never make it far in this game. As far as being a student at Manual, it's fun, the students at Manual are just like the students at other high schools, they're just kids like me, no different." The genuine innocence that he made that last statement with was both refreshing, and shocking considering the reputation at Manual.

Question What are your goals? He said "Winning the Big 12 conference title and a state championship with his teammates, becoming a good defensive player, getting as prepared as I can for the next level. I think our style of play translates real well to the 30 second shot clock at the college level (I never thought about that) I want to play in the NCAA tournament, & play professionally if the opportunity presents itself."

Question How many D-1 schools are you hearing from? He said "I've been hearing from the same 12-15 D-1 schools for a while, but a few new schools have started to call & text me in the last couple weeks. I think it has a lot to do with switching AAU programs to the Illinois Wolves (Under Armor shoe sponsored program) in the late fall and now playing for a state ranked team like Manual. The coaches who have recently started to contact me have all pretty much said that they had already heard of me, but that my name's been popping up a lot more lately, and they are going to get out to watch me. It's amazing how my basketball life has changed so much in the last 12 months. I'm real fortunate now to be playing for 2 great programs with unselfish teammates, friends, and 2 great coaches."

Question Would you consider playing for Bradley University? He said "Sure, I'm from here, all my family lives here, but I haven't really heard from Bradley, so I haven't really thought about it. I'm busy doing my homework on the schools that are recruiting me, getting to know those coaches and programs the best I can so I make a good decision."

Question When do you plan on making a decision? He said, "I'm not sure, but sometimes the texts & calls can be overwhelming, and I get a little tired of it honestly, but it's a huge lifetime decision, and I'll be leaning on my dad, coach Booth, and coach Mullins to help me make the right decision."

I reminded AJ several times that it may not seem like it, but we want to win here again real bad, but we need to get better players, and great shooters to do so. No matter if this kid ends up playing for us or not, he made a great impression on me and I am now a fan. His university of choice will be getting a fine young man (pun intended).

What did you think of Washington ? -- those little guys can really play -- I would love to see a Manual Washington matchup

[DeanMartin]

more than a dozen of my wife's family members are Manual grads and still very proud of it. Sure there's a reputation, but rather than dwell on it, I applaud AJ & his family for doing exactly what it takes to start erasing that reputation - stay clean & get good grades! Well done.


Too bad, I'd love to see us land AJ but our staff obviously are a little handcuffed in having zero open scholarships on paper for 2017...
Illinois Wolves kids (Sam Maniscalco, Evan Turner, Obediah Church, Chasson Randle, etc...) have always been great kids and fundamentally solid players.
Tell AJ he can always come on a baseball scholarship like Roger Phegley then become the star on the basketball team!

If I were as smart as you Tornado I would have asked him is he plays baseball. Roger is my all time favorite Brave.