I see where Kirk Wessler has entered this argument about needing SHOOTERS with this statement
Bradley has not had a pure shooter since Andrew Warren, who was recruited and signed 10 years ago. Nate Kennell appears likely to break that streak, but he's only one guy. Several more are needed. Maybe Luuk van Bree and Antoine Pittman become good, consistent shooters; they have good strokes. We'll see. But look around at the "mid-major" programs who have had consistent success in the 21st century. With very few exceptions, a common thread is that half or more of the roster shoots well.
The "blame" -- to stick with the theme of the thread -- is shared. Les did not sign any shooters in his last five classes. Geno signed none in his four. While the jury is out on Wardle, data through 12 games indicates his first class yielded none and there's only one probable so far in the second.
So he immediately points the blame at Jim Les ....contending this its a problem dating to 2005. LOL!
A few of the facts as I see them - you decide...
#1- KW seems to stumble onto the fact that recruiting shooters is important.
The simplest of searches on this board will show, as we have done in this thread, we have had dozens of fans/posters who have been saying that exact same thing for the past 4-5 years....so Kirk is a little late to the party...
BTW- we have just come off the WORST 4 year stretch of shooting that any Bradley fan could recall. We have been the worst in 3-pt shooting over these last 4 years and none of our players other than possibly a couple of the Jim Les holdovers could help us a bit with their 3-pt shooting.
So the question needs to be asked...why does he only now bring this topic up? Where's he been the last four years with this argument?
Gimme a break - he never said a thing for four years while Geno filled the roster with horrible shooters and guys who couldn't even make layups or FT's and all the time Kirk was calling them
"difference makers", "go to guys", and "deeper & more talented"!
#2-
"Les did not sign any shooters in his last five classes."
Well, I beg to differ...
Jim Les' last five "CLASSES" that
were signed to come to Bradley included:
-2007-08 - Andrew Warren (career 40.2% shooter- as good as anyone else in the Valley in that era), Will Egolf (the best 3-pt shooting big man we've had in a couple decades at 36% his senior year), Sam Maniscalco (3 separate seasons of 35% or better - career 34% shooter), Theron Wilson (hit 41.2% from the arc his junior year and 51.4% in conference play in 2007-08- good enough for BEST in ENTIRE MVC -
LINK
-2008-09 - Dodie Dunson was a 38% 3-pt shooter on his career (better career 3-pt pct than UNI's Ali Farokhmanesh), Chris Roberts hit 36% on his career
-2009-10 - DSE wasn't great but he & Walt Lemon were the top two 3-pt shooters by far in Geno's first couple years
-2010-11 - Walt wasn't great but his 35% in Geno's 1st couple seasons was all Geno had!
-2011-12 - hey, I know this class never played for Jim, but Nate Well's three's save a couple wins for Geno and don't forget we had Remy Abell signed who shot OVER 40% his first THREE seasons in DI and will end his career at around 40% and also had a 48.5% season while at IU playing against far tougher defenses than anyone Geno recruited ever saw.
OK - so who has Geno recruited that compares?
I say 9 of the TOP 10 3-pt shooters recruited in the past 10 seasons were all Jim Les recruits, NOT Geno's- you decide
