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BU recruit- 2015 - Kamau Stokes

Da Coach

Da Coach

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Bradley is recruiting Kamau Stokes, a 5'11", 155 pound point guard who is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. He originally committed to Toledo out of high school, but then decided to do a year at a prep school. He is currently at Fork Union Prep Academy in Virginia.
He helped lead his high school to an undefeated state championship in Maryland in Class 3 last March.

The Dave Reynolds said this:
Stokes....signed with Toledo. However, a coaching change prompted him to ask for a release and enroll in the prep school.

However, I am confused by this, since Toledo has had the same head coach, Todd Kowalczyk, for the last 4 1/2 years, since 2010!
These articles report that it was Kowalczyk who recruited and signed Stokes last March-
http://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/22...all-recruiting-2-star-pg-kamau-stokes-commits
http://www.utrockets.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18000&ATCLID=209468409

He decided to back out of his commitment and attend prep school around July 1-
https://twitter.com/evandaniels/status/484086885266907136

He currently does not appear to have any D1 offers.

He will be visiting Bradley November 23-25 for the Bradley games against North Carolina A&T and Texas A&M-CC.

This recruiting site includes a video-
http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/kamau-stokes

another few videos-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hL4u4QzZLs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kuoMpcBfRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFYu3UmZs9c
 
Da Coach said:
..., a coaching change prompted him to ask for a release ..
Click to expand...

yeah - that's puzzling - definitely no coaching change there but some recruiting gurus say it was because he expected he could go higher and worked out for coaches from Tennessee and other schools..

BTW- Todd Kowalczyk took over at Toledo in 2010 and took the team from 4 wins to 27 wins last year - an incredible job of rebuilding in just 3-4 years!!
 
Kamau Stokes was at the Bradley-NC A&T game Sunday, and is reported to be staying for the game Tuesday against Texas A&M-CC.
 
Da Coach said:
Kamau Stokes was at the Bradley-NC A&T game Sunday, and is reported to be staying for the game Tuesday against Texas A&M-CC.
Click to expand...

Hope he enjoys his stay and if he watched our PG play he'd have to realize there is playing time for him as soon as he steps on campus. TS needs to get well SOON.
 
Several recent reports on Kamau Stokes (Fork Union Military Academy) - the most recent recruit to visit at Bradley..

"5??™11 Kamau Stokes from Fork Union (Military) VA was the guy who
provided both the spark and the firepower in his team??™s 96-93 overtime loss in
the first game of the day against Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA. Stokes finished
with 33 points, three assists, three steals, and 4-6 3-pointers and also
impressed us with his speed, quickness, and athleticism, court vision, ball
handling and passing skills, and ability to defend."
http://www.hoopscooponline.com/author/clarkc/

"Kamau Stokes of FUMA lead all scorers with 21..."
https://twitter.com/NextUpRecruits/status/541322088725094400
http://www.elitehoopsreport.com/

and from just last weekend...
"Kamau Stokes has major college speed and quickness. He can also make open shots to the arc and create his own..
He can run offense .. pressure the ball .. toughness and willingness to compete..
Stokes has offers from Bradley, Fairfield, Louisiana Tech, Loyola of Illinois, and LaSalle."
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncb...servations-best-western-plus-caisson-shootout
 
Just about the only kids who had visited since last spring were Stokes & Marlon Stewart & Gavin Block - and all are gone elsewhere now...and none of those Chicago kids we were supposed to be loading up on has mentioned Bradley.

Just a couple years ago Dave Reynolds announced "A defining moment" in the history of recruiting at Bradley, and declared a new era of success that hasn't been seen ...

"since the 1980s when Dick Versace's staff signed city standout after city standout —
from Mitchell Anderson to Donald Reese to Willie Scott to Hersey Hawkins."

...Remember this day, Bradley fans. It may take some time.
But it may well be a moment that ushers in a return to glory for the Braves."

Funny to go back and read some of that spin & hype that was so ridiculous...
http://blogs.pjstar.com/pressrow/2012/10/13/a-defining-moment-for-bradley-program/
 
Here is another column even more recently (less than a year ago) that included absurd, over-the-top hype-filled statements-

Wessler: New recruits bring fresh optimism for Braves
http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140503/SPORTS/140509714/10962/SPORTS

Ford knew one thing, even before the Braves’ ugly exit from the play-in round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
“This can’t happen again.”

Ford had reason to believe the leadership would improve....

Joe Henricksen of City/Suburban Hoops report: “Great recruiting coup for Bradley.”

Daniel Poneman, an independent analyst: “Bradley got a SQUAD now … Might be the best D1 team in Illinois in the next few years.”

But there is a lot to like about the potential of this group...
"When you get guys coming from places where they’ve won and competed for championships, it matters....Mental toughness is such a generic term and hard to define, but that’s the kind of kid we’re looking for, and we believe those are the kind of guys we got.”

But it has been a decade since Bradley had such a promising collection of new talent. In their second season together, that group — Daniel Ruffin, Patrick O’Bryant, Boogie Wright, Tony Bennett, Jeremy Crouch — wound up in the NCAA Sweet 16.

Dare we dream so big again?
 
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