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Best players in the state, regardless of class

If you are a school that is in Illinois you should make recruiting the state a priority. I think there is a need to recruit outside Illinois as well. All these other schools Wisconsin, Purdue, Iowa recruit and get kids from all overthere own state, not just Madison area, Lafayette area, or Iowa City area. Bradley somewhat does. They don't go much outside of the Peoria Area, like I stated before. If you call that recruiting the state and consider that getting kids from the STATE, wow)

Kevin Dillard played AAU for Meanstreets.


Jim Les has great passion and charisma for his job. He is very savy on how he talks and deals with the media. Very likeable in that sense. What has he done in his 7 or 8 years at BU. 1 NCAA (sweet 16) and 1 NIT? He was quoted on saying that Height is over rated and the only year he has been to the NCAA Tourney was when he had 7'1 Patrick O'Brien. The 2 crap tourneys they have been in the last 2 year (CBI & CIT) are a joke.

Can he coach? Thats a question I hear asked alot... When older Buescher was there it sure seemed like Les was doing a good job COACHING. Since older Buescher has left it doesn't seem to be the same COACH. Just a thought, not just from me but from alot of others I have talked to.
 
we've heard all these points before....and I don't disagree......
do we want better...of course, but so do nine other Valley teams, etc..

what it boils down to is whether the present guys are doing such a bad job that we need to intervene, make a change, or bring in someone new.

I know there are a few who endlessly post that we should do all those things, but the majority of rational people do not, and realize it is just such a tough business, and we are doing reasonably well with a very strong outlook, and that any major change right now would more likely be disasterous as helpful.

Again, outside of Butler (and don't go back further than a few years on Butler), Dayton, and maybe Creighton, the fraternity of mid-majors doing substantially better every year than Bradley is pretty small.

Personally I think when it all boils down to exactly what am I personally GOING TO DO....I have easily come to the conclusion that I am far more likely to see what I desire in future Bradley teams BY VIGOROUSLY supporting them, and helping to promote them in various ways such as place posters and boxes of pocket schedules in my office, sending out blogs and promo stuff to as many people as I can to boost BU, and just talking them up at work, at church (not during the sermon), and everywhere else.......
than to sit and dis on my alma mater and unfairly rip them.
 
For the record- Jim Les doesn't have anything against height, or big guys, but he's just like every other coach....he would rather play a smaller player if it gives him a better chance to win. It's the same reason UNI's Jordan Eglseder averaged only 19 minutes a game, Evansville's VanTongeren averaged only 16.7 mpg, and why every other 7-footer in the MVC like Nick Evans, Zach House, Josh Crawford, Brent Leitnaker, and Garrett Stutz were bench players.
 
Best Players in the State, Regardless of Class

Best Players in the State, Regardless of Class

A major problem in recruiting the city of Chicago is the difficulty of finding players who can qualify because of the citys lousy academics. This is not true of suburban Chicago but time spent in the city is usually a waste and better spent elsewhere.
Of course, the exception to this is programs that cheat to qualify players, Memphis being a prime example.
This is the primary reason you see fewer Chicago players at places like Mich. State, Wisc., Purdue, Michigan, Duke, N. Car., etc.
In addition to its academic problems, Chicago recruiting "sleaze" is rampant and makes the problem even worse.
Smart, honest recruiters don't waste a lot of time, effort, and $ in Chicago with good reason.
 
All this Chicago Bashing is spoken like true down staters. Hate on Chicago because of what you hear and say. I am orginally from upstate and have been in peoria for the last 5 yrs. Hate to tell you but Peoria has the same stuff happening, with shady transfers, people that ride a players success, and blah blah, the city just hasn't produced any high profile kids lately (Besides DJ RICHARDSON). There are Multiple High Profile kids every year in Chicago. All relative to the population. Easy to point the finger at Chicago.

Maybe Im off on this but why can't you play 2 big guys at a time. Collins and Thompson and create match up problems for other teams as well. Therron Wilson was a monster, best player on bradley's team last 2 yrs in my mind. However, Les has never utilized a big guy they just screen and rebound for the guards that shoot 3's. Collins, Sighn, Thompson, Sally, never had one guy we could go inside consistantly to to open up our shooters. Not saying these guys couldn't score inside but they never got opportunities too either.

I am sick of hearing how good Bradleys recruits are each yr and then how this team is going to be better and then they end up in the CBI or CIT... Just hard to swallow for me. I want better and expect better than what has been going on.
 
I might disagree a little...
and I am sure you know more AAU people, bosses, kingpins, or whatever you want to call them...
but I think even you will agree that the AAU people out of Peoria are decent people, and nowhere close to some of the AAU bosses in Chicago who carry wads of cash and are seemingly associated with the sleaziest of factors....
 
I can't say I totally agree with you, but I can't disagree with you either!!!

However, to be honest there is only 1 AAU program that actually seems to do something consistantly. There are alot of teams Peoria Carver, Peoria Allstars, Team IL (Bloomington), IL Elite (Champaign)... But the Peoria Irish seems to be the only program I am aware of that has multiple teams that play a real schedule and both in the spring and summer.

Like I said its all relative to numbers.

There are shady people in Peoria (they might not be as sleezy or as well known as the ones in chicago, but they are there). Hell I know friends in chicago that ask me about 1 specific person down here all the time. There just hasn't been that "PROGRAM" or "PLAYER" to latch on to lately.
 
midstateknowitall said:
I can't say I totally agree with you, but I can't disagree with you either!!!

However, to be honest there is only 1 AAU program that actually seems to do something consistantly. There are alot of teams Peoria Carver, Peoria Allstars, Team IL (Bloomington), IL Elite (Champaign)... But the Peoria Irish seems to be the only program I am aware of that has multiple teams that play a real schedule and both in the spring and summer.

Like I said its all relative to numbers.

There are shady people in Peoria (they might not be as sleezy or as well known as the ones in chicago, but they are there). Hell I know friends in chicago that ask me about 1 specific person down here all the time. There just hasn't been that "PROGRAM" or "PLAYER" to latch on to lately.
Click to expand...

While the Irish are a solid program, they haven't even been around long enough to send anybody to college. Their first players are the 2009 ones who will just be getting there this Fall. I could be wrong but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the class of 2011 was their last. Team Illinois has been around almost 10 years and they play a full schedule as well and are one of the oldest AAU programs in the state, regardless of location.

The truth is AAU ball is expensive and unless you have a shoe company behind you is nearly unsustainable. And in this state, if you aren't in Chicago or the immediate area, you basically won't have a shoe contract which means your program is probably only going to last so long until whoever runs it decides its too difficult to keep going and the benefits of doing so do not outweigh the headaches that come with it. There is a reason that programs like the old Ft. SOOY that had some of the most talented teams in the country seemingly disappear into thin air as if they never existed.

With that being said, I agree that there are absolutely handlers in Peoria but they just don't get recognized as often because they keep a VERY low profile and as you said they don't have marquee players as often as upstate. I don't think most people realize just how dirty AAU is. If people knew the half of it they would be disgusted.
 
Yes, Team IL has been around for a while but since the graduation of Brandon Dunson the program hasn't been the same. Like you said AAU Programs are alot of work and a hell of a lot more expensive than most think. I follow high school ball religously and in the off season I try to do as much as I can with AAU as well. Team IL the last couple years has not been the same nor played a legit/full schedule. The one team they have this year 17U is coached by a guy named Todd Haynes. His team was the one in the program that stayed together last year and it looks to be the same way this year. There website last yr listed Donivine Stewart and other players that never played for them that I saw or was told about. In the past Team IL did have talent and have a solid program. However, recently it seems like it has been on the decline. Hopefully, they do rebound and get it rolling again.

I have no idea what the Peoria Irish will do but I believe it is a program the city of Peoria needs. I believe that carver and the all stars should of been included or been apart of that just to make this area look even stronger as a whole. Hopefully, it will continue because for as much dirt that goes on in AAU it does help kids get better and allow them to use there basketball talents to go to college.
 
For the record Team Illinois has 3 teams this year, 17U coached by Todd Haynes, 16U coached by Dodie Dunson, and 14U coached by Mike Donnelly and they all have full schedules.

But I agree that Peoria needs more AAU teams. For the amount of talent that is in the city, 3 AAU teams is not enough. The sad thing is that because of the costs to run a team it is unlikely that the number will be rising anytime soon.
 
Real good article. Good to see some exposure for Programs like that in the paper.



BU STUNNA:

I promise you Todd Haynes 17 team is the only one that plays a full schedule. There 16's play spottingly here and there. I don't know anything bout there 14's so they might.
 
midstate....we (my kids' team) played some summer scrimmages this week against Midland, and they have a couple fine players, senior Adam Varvil - good shooter, junior Tyler Terrance, a big post player, and a soph, Doug Shanklin..
did I read where youthink Terrance has D-I potential? He would need to get quicker...
 
Midland looks like it should have the making to be a good small school team.

The Varvil kid is a good shooter and will help keep the floor spread.

The Terrance kid definitely has D1 "POTENTIAL" just because he is 6'10 and huge. However, lazy as all get up the couple times I have seen him play. He also is not athletic or very mobile. Needs alot of work, but can't say he doesn't have Potential.

The Shanklin kid i think will be a stud. He is like 6'6 and can step out away from the hoop. He has good footwork and can score in the post as well. If he keeps working hard and finds a competitive summer team to play on.. I think he is there best chance at a D1 Prospect.
 
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