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Not sure if this has been posted - Wilkins

a brand new premium Rivals article on John Wilkins has a whole lot more details...but here are just a few quotes...
but there's a lot more.......


"... 6-foot-9 forward John Wilkins, a versatile forward from the country of
Belgium who came to the United States to play some summer AAU basketball.
The son of former NBA player Jeff Wilkins surfaced this winter at
Southeastern Iowa Community College.

It's been a tough road for Wilkins to see the court in real competition. He
committed to play for Bradley last summer but the NCAA ruled him ineligible..
...the NJCAA decided to one up everybody and declare him ineligible for the
whole year. So he has just been practicing with us for the whole season."

Wilkins did not sign with Bradley in November and is a free agent.

Besides Indiana and Bradley, a couple other schools are seriously involved.
"He has visited Providence and he has visited Iowa State," said Carroll.
The coach was unaware of any other visit plans at this time
Because Wilkins has not played this season, there's an open question as to
whether he will have three or four seasons of Division One ahead of him.
"He is a very good student, knows two or three languages, had done a great
job in the classroom and I can't speak highly enough of him as a person," said
Carroll. "He is just a really nice kid."


hmmm...a "free agent"??
via further posts on the premium IU message board, the author of this Rivals article says Wilkins has NOT visited Indiana and has no current plans to do so, and that Indiana has not offered that anyone is aware of and even if they did, they do NOT have a scholarship available to give him unless further roster changes occur.
The vast majority of the posters in the discussion have said...
they're disinterested in using what remaining scholarships they might have to bring in another guy who can't play post or PG or who is "raw"...
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure what would keep him away from a chance to play in the Big East or Big 12. I guess when BU has talented, strong, big men in the frontcourt, they are utilized in the offense.
We went to TW quite a bit, and if he didn't take it to the rack, at least he could kick it back out for our guards to shoot with a little space.
 
LittleBrave said:
I'm not sure what would keep him away from a chance to play in the Big East or Big 12. I guess when BU has talented, strong, big men in the frontcourt, they are utilized in the offense.
We went to TW quite a bit, and if he didn't take it to the rack, at least he could kick it back out for our guards to shoot with a little space.
Click to expand...

When was Theron ever considered a talented big man?!

Theron was 6'5"
 
Well it makes is sound like Bradley is still very high on the list, like DC told us before. I have a good feeling about this, I really do. If Indiana is not as serious as it sounds and he hasn't visited there, I think it comes down to Bradley and Iowa St. I don't see Providence getting him.

I know which school I'd choose if it was between the current outlooks of BU and ISU....
 
BUfan14 said:
I know which school I'd choose if it was between the current outlooks of BU and ISU....
Click to expand...

Aren't we really in the same boat?

Iowa St. and Bradley both now have coaches clearly on the hot seat...


Main difference, Iowa St. is in the Big 12 and Bradley the MVC...


Question is, how much playing time does he want his Fr. (or So.) year?
 
SaintLouBrave22 said:
Aren't we really in the same boat?

Iowa St. and Bradley both now have coaches clearly on the hot seat...


Main difference, Iowa St. is in the Big 12 and Bradley the MVC...


Question is, how much playing time does he want his Fr. (or So.) year?
Click to expand...

I think we look to have a very good year next year.....They could be losing their best player and they weren't good this year. I'd take middle of the MVC before bottom of the Big 12.

Come on if he comes here, you don't see us having a great outlook for next year.....better than Iowa St. would? I see a championship with him and a big.
 
yet another premium recruiting article has appeared on JW...
but it says very little new, except...
it makes the same mistake other stories make, saying...
"..signed with Bradley in the fall of 2008 with plans to enroll for the second term of the 2008-09 academic year. But he was stymied by the NCAA clearinghouse. ...he tried to battle his NJCAA suspension through the Iowa court system. A battle he eventually lost."


But then this...
"Coach Carroll believes Wilkins will be ready to make a commitment decision prior to the start of the regular 2010 signing period in April.
"Two weeks, three weeks, something like that," Carroll said when asked about Wilkins' decision for a timeline.
...we've got spring break and I think he'll go to his dad's and they will talk it all through one last time and then make a decision. Fifteen, twenty days from now, I think we'll know."
..he hasn't played really for, well it will be two-and-a-half years," Carroll said. "That's going to affect anybody."
 
One of the few years I'm more excited about April than March!
Not really thrilled about rooting for 1 Valley team in the tournament and BU not reaching at least the NIT again.
Eager to hear about JW and ready to get the baseball season underway here in Chicago.
 
Thus far Wilkins has visited one school more than all the others combined, has only one strong offer from one school that's holding a scholarship for him, and there's only one school that wants him as their centerpiece rather than a backup plan and would give him the opportunity to play right away rather than sit behind their other guys......
and I think he knows what school that is ........
 
BUfan14 said:
I think we look to have a very good year next year.....They could be losing their best player and they weren't good this year. I'd take middle of the MVC before bottom of the Big 12.

Come on if he comes here, you don't see us having a great outlook for next year.....better than Iowa St. would? I see a championship with him and a big.
Click to expand...

I can see you saying that Iowa State is going to be near the bottom...thats fairly evident...


Saying Bradley is prime for a championship run is a totally different story...what exactly has the team or coaching staff done to make you believe that?


We finished 4th with a team that had a lottery pick Center and went to the Sweet 16 and have yet to do any better than that...


I believe I will reserve my judgment until I see the recruits play, the current players get better, and the coaching staff and coaching in general get MUCH better...
 
SaintLouBrave22 said:
I can see you saying that Iowa State is going to be near the bottom...thats fairly evident...


Saying Bradley is prime for a championship run is a totally different story...what exactly has the team or coaching staff done to make you believe that?


We finished 4th with a team that had a lottery pick Center and went to the Sweet 16 and have yet to do any better than that...


I believe I will reserve my judgment until I see the recruits play, the current players get better, and the coaching staff and coaching in general get MUCH better...
Click to expand...

Even if you can say there is no evidence for a championship next year, you can at least agree the talent is there to do it then with a big and him correct? So we would at least have the potential, ISU would definitely not have the evidence nor the potential.
 
BUfan14 said:
Even if you can say there is no evidence for a championship next year, you can at least agree the talent is there to do it then with a big and him correct? So we would at least have the potential, ISU would definitely not have the evidence nor the potential.
Click to expand...


Yes, but thats my point...

We have seemingly had the talent for quite awhile now, but for some reason or another, just can not figure out how to put it all together.
 
SaintLouBrave22 said:
Aren't we really in the same boat?

Iowa St. and Bradley both now have coaches clearly on the hot seat...


Main difference, Iowa St. is in the Big 12 and Bradley the MVC...


Question is, how much playing time does he want his Fr. (or So.) year?
Click to expand...


Why would you take a middle of the pack MVC team over a lower tier Big 12 team? What do you gain being on a middle of the pack MVC team? ISU loses our best two frontcourt players in Gilstrap and Brackins and playing time for a 3/4 is readily available, in fact, if he can play the 3 at the Big 12 level, he can easily push for a starting spot. In the Big 12, he will play in front of NBA scouts on most every night if that is his dream. He will have a brand new practice facility that just opened this year and even as much as we have struggled, we are top 25 in attendance. We return three starters and gain three players back off of redshirts as well as adding several newcomers.

Will ISU make a run at the BIg 12 title next year? No. But the Big 12 will have seven teams in the NCAA this year, the MVC will have one. Chances of making the NCAA tourney at ISU may be as good as one at Bradley the next three years. And ISU just beat KSU on the road after having lost 9 games this year by under 7 points. We have struggled, but it isn't like we have been getting blasted.

I have great respect for Bradley and your fans from my visits here, I just don't understand the belief that ISU has nothing to offer a student athlete.
 
tornado said:
Thus far Wilkins has visited one school more than all the others combined, has only one strong offer from one school that's holding a scholarship for him, and there's only one school that wants him as their centerpiece rather than a backup plan and would give him the opportunity to play right away rather than sit behind their other guys......
and I think he knows what school that is ........
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with your thought process here...it makes perfect logical sense to me...

However, kids that are legitimate D-I prospects just don't think this way. An overwhelming majority of them simply want to play for the biggest name team in the biggest name conference that will be on TV the most number of times...They believe they will get minutes anywhere they go, they believe they are future NBA players, they refuse to consider the notion they are any program's "back-up plan" or that they will have to sit the bench behind anyone...

Are there exceptions? Sure. We'll just have to see if Wilkins is one of those...or if he decides that being seen on the bench on the Big 10 Network every night is a more attractive opportunity.
 
FarmerClone said:
Chances of making the NCAA tourney at ISU may be as good as one at Bradley the next three years.
Click to expand...

False, Bradley has the potential and talent to make the tournament the next few years, I don't believe ISU does. And What do you gain out of being on a bottom of the Big-12 team?? Is it easier to win the MVC or get in the top tier of the Big 12??

1. We are getting new facilities next year too.
2. We have a great fan base too with top 50-60 attendance.
3. We WILL be better than ISU next year, I'm pretty confident in that.
4. You may be in the Big 12, but I believe this middle of the pack MVC team won the series against you.
5. I don't think we will be middle of the pack next year, so potential top MVC team over bottom big twelve team? Yes sir.
6. Even if we were middle of the pack again, you ask why would I pick middle of the pack MVC over bottom Big 12? Because why would I want to be on a team at the bottom losing most of my games in any conference?? "Well were at the bottom, but we're in the Big 12" doesn't make me feel any better, that just means we have a longer way back to the top because the teams are better. Losing isn't fun I don't care what conference you're in.

7. The fans here obviously care more for Wilkins and he would be more loved by our fans than at ISU, he would just be one of the boys there to most.
8. the MVC will be a multiple bid league again next year-book it.
9. JL's system is perfect for an athletic perimeter forward of his nature.
10. He will have instant playing time here too, so that's a wash.
11. He could very well be a #1 option here, probably not at ISU right away. What would impress NBA scouts more?
12. It's not like we have gotten blasted this year either, a few home collapses away from a decent season.
13. ISU just beat KSU. so what? We beat Illinois and UNI while they were ranked, so what?? We still weren't good enough in every other game.

I understand where your coming from and I'm probably just really biased here, but I see Bradley being a much better choice for JW. It's not that you having nothing to offer prospects, cause you definitely do. But I think in JW's particular case, we are a better option.
 
The way I see it is that BU has been all over him from the get go and did all they could to help him be a D1 player. Both programs have qualities they can offer prospective student athletes. It really all comes down to what John values and wants.

I had a friend that played at Northwestern in the early zero's. He started as a freshman and loved to brag about how he got to play in the Big 10, even if they were awful. He didn't go there for the education either as his major was "French studies" and he was from France. He wanted to be scouted and be close to Chicago so it was a good match for him.

If John wants to get scouted then he has to be sure he is going to get PT at ISU. I have to believe though that after 2 and a half years of not playing basketball and he is still getting D1 offers from good schools shows him that if you are good enough you'll get the exposure you need. BU is closer to his Dad by over 3 hours. Plus ISU doesn't play any further East or closer to his dad. With BU, there is always a Chicago game, Butler, InSU, IlSU, whatever Horizon teams we face, Evansville. Dad could see 75% of our games with reasonable travel. Our new facilities would open right when he got here in the summer.

One thing I don't like is how McDermott knows the Valley and JL. I'm sure he has been putting things in John's head about BU, JL, and the Valley. It's up to John to figure it all out. Hopefully, he makes his way here.
 
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