Valley Recruits

[Da Coach]

A couple more names-
2025 Kobe Walker- 6'9 forward at Normal Community HS. He also plays for the Mid-Pro Academy with Matthew Zobrist..
>> https://verbalcommits.com/players/kobe-walker
>> https://x.com/ny2lasports/status/1803565395703427171
>> https://x.com/scottybscout/status/1807426835669528932

6'10", 250 lb All-State center Kobe Walker of Normal Community was recruited by Bradley, though it doesn't appear that Bradley offered.
He committed to Central Michigan last fall, but now he is decommitting and reopening his recruitment. Could Bradley be interested? - https://x.com/G_SullivanMPA/status/1909381320025030978

I don't know how involved Bradley was with Normal Community 6-10 big man Kobe Walker, but Walker had committed to Central Michigan way last fall. However, due to a coaching change there, Kobe Walker just re-opened his recruitment.
Walker averaged 19.1 ppg and 12.2 rpg in his high school senior season., and we need size.....

Valparaiso Head Coach Roger Powell continues to do a good job recruiting the transfer portal, as Valpo lands Kobe Walker, a 6'9", class of 2025 low post player from Normal Community High School, who had committed to Central Michigan, but decommitted a couple weeks ago.
It appears that Bradley was not involved in recruiting Kobe Walker in the portal, though as the above post from July, 2024 shows, Bradley did have some recruiting contact prior to his senior year at NCHS.
This is somewhat surprising to me. Valparaiso has the worst fan support among Valley teams, and they lost nearly all their significant talent from 2024-25. And I have heard they have very little in the way of NIL to offer. They also just signed another big man, Shon Tupuola, a 6'9" sophomore center from NAIA St. Mary of the Woods College, whose game is similar to Walker's.

[Da Coach]

Valparaiso gets an Easter Commitment- Mark Brown Jr.- a 6' point guard from Snow College, a junior college in Utah. As a sophomore, he averaged 13.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 4.3 apg. He shot 45.8% overall and 36.4% from three. He is originally from South Phoenix, AZ. - https://snowbadgers.com/sports/mens-...brown-jr-/4384

[Da Coach]

As noted, both Kaden Rickard and Trey Simpson have reopen their recruitment and are no longer committed to Murray State
LINK

And Tate Sage, who was verbally committed to Drake before their coaching change, is apparently not fully committed to the new coach yet, according to this recent tweet - https://x.com/Coach_Ritchhart/status...04986815361079

Tate Sage is all but committed. 6'7 wing that was committed to Drake. Just not "official" yet.

[yoda]

One more transfer commit tonight- UIC gets a commitment from Josiah Hammons of Sam Houston State. He is a 6'2" redshirt-senior. He played his freshman season at Mott Community College, a junior college in Flint, Michigan. Then he played his sophomore season at Truman College, a junior college in Chicago. Then he was at Incarnate Word for his junior season, and at Sam Houston State for his senior season. UIC will be his 5th college in 5 years. He is originally from Chicago. - https://x.com/336Edits/status/1913742505973080542
Bio- https://gobearkats.com/sports/mens-b...h-hammons/9765
Bio- https://uiwcardinals.com/sports/mens...-hammons/11044
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...josiah-hammons

Updated 2025 commitment list -
2025 MVC commitments-
Belmont- Isaiah West, Nic McClain
Bradley- Matt Zobrist, Montana Wheeler, Dietrich Richardson, A.J. Smith, Alex Huibregtse, Mayar Wol
Drake- Tate Sage*, Braden Appelhans, Bryson Bahl, Owen Larson, Griffen Goodbary, Jaehshon Thomas, Jalen Quinn, Isaiah Carr, Wilguens Jr. Exacte
Evansville- Bryce Quinet, A.J. Casey, Keishon Porter
INSU- Enel St. Bernard, Kingston Land, Martin Kaupanger, Sterling Young
ILSU- Nick Allen, Isaac Ericksen, Tyreek Coleman, Mason Klebo, Landon Davis
Missouri State- who cares?
Murray State- Tristian Ford, Mason Miller, Frederick King, K.J. Tenner, Ben Shtolzberg, Javon Jackson. Layne Taylor, Brock Vice, J.J. Traynor, Brayden Shorter, Dylan Anderson
SIU- Luke Walsh, Daniel Pauliukonis, Caden Hawkins, Quel'Ron House, Jalen Haynes
UIC- Rashund Washington, Andy Johnson, Nano Barrantes, Mekhi Lowery, Sam Silverstein, Abdul Momoh, Josiah Hammons, Ante Beljan
UNI- Jalen Wilson, Geon Hutchins, Ismaël Diouf
Valparaiso- J.T. Pettigrew, Carter Hopoi, Rakim Chaney, Owen Dease, Shon Tupuola, Isaiah Barnes, Mark Brown, Jr., Kobe Walker
*- players who committed to coach who has since left and been replaced. Unclear if these commitments are still valid.

As noted, both Kaden Rickard and Trey Simpson have reopen their recruitment and are no longer committed to Murray State
LINK

[Da Coach]

One more transfer commit tonight- UIC gets a commitment from Josiah Hammons of Sam Houston State. He is a 6'2" redshirt-senior. He played his freshman season at Mott Community College, a junior college in Flint, Michigan. Then he played his sophomore season at Truman College, a junior college in Chicago. Then he was at Incarnate Word for his junior season, and at Sam Houston State for his senior season. UIC will be his 5th college in 5 years. He is originally from Chicago. - https://x.com/336Edits/status/1913742505973080542
Bio- https://gobearkats.com/sports/mens-b...h-hammons/9765
Bio- https://uiwcardinals.com/sports/mens...-hammons/11044
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...josiah-hammons

Updated 2025 commitment list -
2025 MVC commitments-
Belmont- Isaiah West, Nic McClain
Bradley- Matt Zobrist, Montana Wheeler, Dietrich Richardson, A.J. Smith, Alex Huibregtse, Mayar Wol
Drake- Tate Sage*, Braden Appelhans, Bryson Bahl, Owen Larson, Griffen Goodbary, Jaehshon Thomas, Jalen Quinn, Isaiah Carr, Wilguens Jr. Exacte
Evansville- Bryce Quinet, A.J. Casey, Keishon Porter
INSU- Enel St. Bernard, Kingston Land, Martin Kaupanger, Sterling Young
ILSU- Nick Allen, Isaac Ericksen, Tyreek Coleman, Mason Klebo, Landon Davis
Missouri State- who cares?
Murray State- Tristian Ford, Mason Miller, Frederick King, K.J. Tenner, Ben Shtolzberg, Javon Jackson. Layne Taylor, Brock Vice, J.J. Traynor, Brayden Shorter, Dylan Anderson
SIU- Luke Walsh, Daniel Pauliukonis, Caden Hawkins, Quel'Ron House, Jalen Haynes
UIC- Rashund Washington, Andy Johnson, Nano Barrantes, Mekhi Lowery, Sam Silverstein, Abdul Momoh, Josiah Hammons, Ante Beljan
UNI- Jalen Wilson, Geon Hutchins, Ismaël Diouf
Valparaiso- J.T. Pettigrew, Carter Hopoi, Rakim Chaney, Owen Dease, Shon Tupuola, Isaiah Barnes, Mark Brown, Jr., Kobe Walker
*- players who committed to coach who has since left and been replaced. Unclear if these commitments are still valid.

[yoda]

SIU picks up their second portal transfer in the last 2 days- Quel'Ron House, a 5'11" freshman guard at Jacksonville State ...

looking at his stats, he had an awesome game when JSU beat Western Kentucky, 14 pts, 9 reb, 7 asst and just 1 turnover.

[Da Coach]

SIU picks up their second portal transfer in the last 2 days- Quel'Ron House, a 5'11" freshman guard at Jacksonville State U., in Jacksonville, Alabama. He is originally from Louisville, KY. As a freshman, he averaged 8.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, and 3.0 apg. He shot 39.6% overall and 35.6% from three. He was named to the CUSA All-Freshman team. - https://x.com/SerosPartners/status/1913697225080820194
Bio- https://jaxstatesports.com/sports/me...ron-house/6551
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba.../quelron-house

[Da Coach]

Tristian Ford, who Bradley offered and who committed to Murray State when Steve Prohm was the coach, has announced that he will keep his commitment, and play for Ryan Miller. - https://x.com/4tford2/status/1913685203039510576

[Da Coach]

Drake got a commitment last night from Isaiah Carr, a 7'0" junior center from the University of Denver. In 12 games played last season, he averaged 6.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg. He played one season at Grand Canyon U., and the last 2 years at Denver. He is originally from Las Cruces, New Mexico. - https://x.com/isaiahcarr24/status/1913420732110905690
Bio- https://denverpioneers.com/sports/me...aiah-carr/5288
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...93/isaiah-carr

[yoda]

SIU lands John A Logan juco - Caden Hawkins

LINK- https://www.loganvols.com/sports/mbk...ins_caden_2zrc

IMG_3950.jpg

[Da Coach]

UIC gets another portal transfer Abdul Momoh- 6'7" senior forward at Central Connecticut. He started all 31 games for CCSU and averaged 8.6 ppg and 6.1 rpg. He was the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a 3rd team All-NEC selection as a senior. He has one season of eligibility left due to a redshirt his freshman season. - https://x.com/ThePortalReport/status...66164622377029
Bio- https://ccsubluedevils.com/sports/mb...moh_abdul_qpmk
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...34/abdul-momoh

[Old_TRex]

Yoda.
Funny. Man. Funny.
I passed by Grinnell on the way back to Idaho.
I hope his elbow is okay..

[yoda]

Murray State head coach Ryan Miller gets his 9th portal transfer- Brayden Shorter, a 6'5" sophomore guard from D2 Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. He averaged 7.9 ppg as a freshman, and 15.5 ppg this past season as a sophomore. He was 119-324 from three (36.7%) from three. ...

wow, the Valley hasn't seen a guy with these numbers in a while....324 3-pointers attempted is way, way more than anyone in the MVC took last year and led all of DII and DIII.
I believe it's even more than the all time record for 3-pt attempts in the MVC that Isaiah Swope set last year.
And his 433 total total shots attempted (avg 13/game) is roughly what the Valley scoring leader (Stirtz) put up - and yet, Shorter didn't even lead his own team in scoring. And I guess as much as the ball must have been in his hands with all those shots going up he surely must have racked up a lot of assists as well, right?
(no, he had only 35 assists total all season.)
Did Grinnell recruit him?

[yoda]

Wonder if Bradley dropped off after we got AJ Smith, or did he pick Valpo over a Bradley offer?

[Da Coach]

Loyola transfer from Tuscola, Illinois, Jalen Quinn, commits to Drake. He is a junior and has 1 season of eligibility left. - https://x.com/jalen_quinn/status/1912902245869367353
Bio- https://loyolaramblers.com/sports/me...len-quinn/2650
Stats in 3 years at Loyola- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...65/jalen-quinn

And Tulsa transfer Isaiah Barnes, a 6'7" junior F/G has committed to Valparaiso. He spent 2 seasons at Michigan and 2 at Tulsa. He has one season remaining due to a redshirt year his first season at Michigan. He was a 4-star recruit out of high school, and he played his senior season at Chicago Simeon Academy. This past season at Tulsa, he averaged 9.3 ppg and 4.6 rpg - https://x.com/Isaiahbarnes_/status/1912903660541009998
Bio- https://tulsahurricane.com/sports/me...h-barnes/11747
Stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba.../isaiah-barnes