https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/483334521870237697
Per Oren's tweet, Yeo is leaving the program to play at Bethel University.
Sad, I was excited to see Clay mold into a great player - he could catch fire and play hard defense.
He just needed to put on some muscle to get playing time. I guess this helps our excess guard situation a bit.
A little surprising. I would have thought it would have been Nick Davidson before Clay. It was so hard to judge his overall ability or promise, as he was hurt/sick for much of the year while only being a freshman. I suspect the depth at the 2/3 coupled with the talent coming in made his choice perhaps easier. I wish him well playing for Greg.
As I mentioned in another thread a couple of weeks ago, the routine has been to have last-minute changes to the roster just before the second summer session begins. The second summer session begins tomorrow; therefore, I expected a possible surprise change to the roster this weekend.
This answers the question about the addition of Darien Walker as a shooting guard. Also, speculation about adding a big man to the roster can emerge once again.
I'm sorry to see Clay leave, especially since he seemed to be a good representative on and off the court, and I would have liked to see him play in full health. Clay also brought a lot of interest from his family, friends, and followers in Indiana. I wish him well, and I guess I'll have to retire the following profile poster I had created for him in the upcoming season.
Good luck, Clay!
(http://i62.tinypic.com/i40huf.jpg)
This move would seem to make no sense. Therefore I will avoid the speculation and await the confirmation (which I hope is not forthcoming) and a lengthy explanation.
Quote from: justducky on June 29, 2014, 04:47:37 PM
This move would seem to make no sense. Therefore I will avoid the speculation and await the confirmation (which I hope is not forthcoming) and a lengthy explanation.
http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2013-14/13765/yeo-released-from-commitment-to-basketball-program/
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Quote from: justducky on June 29, 2014, 04:47:37 PM
This move would seem to make no sense.
I take the explanation as given: Clay wants to be closer to family and friends. Bethel is a good location for Clay. I believe it is right near where Clay's girlfriend attends college and only a half hour from his home.
His desire to be "closer to home" makes a lot of sense. He will be 26.17 miles closer to home which, according to Mapquest, will save him 20 minutes per trip!! ???
Coach Drew's comment sounds just a little bit disappointed in the decision:
"Our university and program have invested a lot into Clay, and we are proud that he has became a better man, a better student and a better basketball player from his time at Valpo," said Drew. "He has expressed a strong desire to be closer to his family and high school friends, so we are releasing him from his scholarship at Valpo to enroll at Bethel College."
So "our program has invested a lot in Clay" ( read--and now the kid is leaving??)
"we are proud that he has become...a better student..." (read--he was really struggling to cut the academic requirements)
"he expressed a strong desire to be closer to ...his high school friends..." ( read--the kid was a little immature)
Who knows...
You always have to take university announcements like this with grain of salt. They are prescribed and they want to cover themselves to zero controversy.
Quote from: vu72 on June 29, 2014, 05:08:31 PM
His desire to be "closer to home" makes a lot of sense. He will be 26.17 miles closer to home which, according to Mapquest, will save him 20 minutes per trip!! ???
But what matters most importantly, I believe at Bethel he will be near where his girlfriend attends college, and he could see her every day. :)
Quote from: vu72 on June 29, 2014, 05:08:31 PM
His desire to be "closer to home" makes a lot of sense. He will be 26.17 miles closer to home which, according to Mapquest, will save him 20 minutes per trip!! ???
Coach Drew's comment sounds just a little bit disappointed in the decision:
"Our university and program have invested a lot into Clay, and we are proud that he has became a better man, a better student and a better basketball player from his time at Valpo," said Drew. "He has expressed a strong desire to be closer to his family and high school friends, so we are releasing him from his scholarship at Valpo to enroll at Bethel College."
So "our program has invested a lot in Clay" ( read--and now the kid is leaving??)
"we are proud that he has become...a better student..." (read--he was really struggling to cut the academic requirements)
"he expressed a strong desire to be closer to ...his high school friends..." ( read--the kid was a little immature)
Who knows...
Agree with vu72 here ... Bryce clearly isn't happy. But I believe that if a kid isn't 100% invested in your program, you're better off without him. So Valpo will move forward.
I noticed that 7 footer Peter Jurkin is leaving IU ... a foreign big man seems like a perfect fit for Valpo.
too bad for us, but better to figure out now that he's not cut out for D1 than to figure it out a couple years down the pike.
that explains why we are "in the mix" on Josh Fortune, as Chairback astutely noted:
http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/24/report-providence-transfer-josh-fortune-visits-lsu-colorado-minnesota-in-the-mix/ (http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/24/report-providence-transfer-josh-fortune-visits-lsu-colorado-minnesota-in-the-mix/)
THAT would be an upgrade.
Very sad to see, as I liked Clay. On the other hand, I always say that anyone who can't cut it away from home when they are in their own state, is very much a wimp ;). Learn to live on your own kids, and then you can go home. If you can't cut it away from family and friends, how will you make a splash post-college? Try going 1,000+ miles away from home, and then you can talk :).
tx, very good comment. Too bad. Time to grow up. I hope for him and I hopefully doubt that he is not leaving Valpo to move an hour east to be closer to his girlfriend. At the 19-20 year age, you have more ahead of you than focusing on about relationship stuff. That can wait.
Also 72, Bethel is not where Tonagel is HC. That is Indiana Wesleyan. Very interesting that Clay is transferring from playing 14 mpg at a D-1 mid-major, in order to be close to home and play at an NAIA school. Minutes might have been hard next year with all of the guards and his health issues, but why not play at a high level for another season to see what happens, and maximize your opportunity? Awesome for him that basketball is not his top priority, but especially if your relationship doesn't work out, how much are you going to be kicking yourself for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, when you realize you could have continued playing at the D-1 level?
Quote from: valpotx on June 29, 2014, 08:24:58 PM
Also 72,Bethel is not where Tonagel is HC. That is Indiana Wesleyan. Very interesting that Clay is transferring from playing 14 mpg at a D-1 mid-major, in order to be close to home and play at an NAIA school. Minutes might have been hard next year with all of the guards and his health issues, but why not play at a high level for another season to see what happens, and maximize your opportunity? Awesome for him that basketball is not his top priority, but especially if your relationship doesn't work out, how much are you going to be kicking yourself for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, when you realize you could have continued playing at the D-1 level?
My bad. Valpo has some connection with Bethel, don't we??
Quote from: vu72 on June 29, 2014, 09:04:23 PMValpo has some connection with Bethel, don't we??
cough homer drew cough cough
This continues to make no sense to me from either a basketball or distance, personal relationship perspective. Yes I realize that the employment of a logical thought process is not any teenagers' greatest strength but still ???. Intuitively you have to bet that there is much more to the story and that we will never know it.
A big disappointment but I wish Clay all the best.
Quote from: justducky on June 30, 2014, 01:45:14 AM
This continues to make no sense to me from either a basketball or distance, personal relationship perspective. Yes I realize that the employment of a logical thought process is not any teenagers' greatest strength but still ???. Intuitively you have to bet that there is much more to the story and that we will never know it.
A big disappointment but I wish Clay all the best.
Agreed. Things are never about what they're about. Clay showed a lot of promise and undoubtedly fit prominently into Bryce's plans over the next 3 years. Instead, an Indiana high school all-star with a good start at a good mid major decides to take his game to D-3 Bethel, where he will dunk over smaller people, take it to the rack at will, and score a million points. It seems akin to a high school varsity regular asking the coach if he can move down to the JV.
Quote from: EddieCabot on June 29, 2014, 06:37:18 PMI noticed that 7 footer Peter Jurkin is leaving IU ... a foreign big man seems like a perfect fit for Valpo.
Probably the worst player in D1 last year. No skills, no basketball background and is never healthly...please.....no
Quote from: valpotx on June 29, 2014, 07:36:27 PM
Very sad to see, as I liked Clay. On the other hand, I always say that anyone who can't cut it away from home when they are in their own state, is very much a wimp ;). Learn to live on your own kids, and then you can go home. If you can't cut it away from family and friends, how will you make a splash post-college? Try going 1,000+ miles away from home, and then you can talk :).
I hear you. Or going 1,000 miles away from home and not being able to afford a plan ticket home.
Too far from home? Give me a break......that is the worst excuse he could have given. Oh well...
I don't understand the negativity in this thread. I may be wrong, but it appears Clay has decided to transfer to a university in the same town where his girlfriend attends college. My understanding is that they have a very close relationship, and I guess for him the opportunity to see her every day apparently takes priority. I can't blame him for this choice and I respect his decision. Indeed, he is making a sacrifice by stepping down from Division I. I hold no ill will toward him: I will follow his career at Bethel, root for him and wish him well!
I don't fully understand the transfer, but wish him well!
Clay was an asset to the program in many ways. He will be missed, but I join those who wish much success in his new environment and his future endeavors.
Pal, I wish him well and I respect your viewpoints, but in reality 1) he will be attending a school with a lower academic reputations (per test scores and whatever media you find), 2) he will have to find a way to find cash to go to school as opposed to relying on a full ride scholarship, and 3) relationships can wait when you are 19 or 20. These are not the days of Little House on the Prairie anymore.
Then again, there is probably more that meets the eye in this situation.
I wish him well. Glad we got to know ya! :-[
Quote from: usc4valpo on June 30, 2014, 06:03:32 PM
Pal, I wish him well and I respect your viewpoints, but in reality 1) he will be attending a school with a lower academic reputations (per test scores and whatever media you find), 2) he will have to find a way to find cash to go to school as opposed to relying on a full ride scholarship, and 3) relationships can wait when you are 19 or 20. These are not the days of Little House on the Prairie anymore.
Then again, there is probably more that meets the eye in this situation.
Thanks, usc. I agree that Bethel is not on the level with Valparaiso academically, but it is a good college and it has the advantage of being near Notre Dame; therefore, its students can access that university's resources, lectures, entertainment, and arts as well. It is certainly superior academically to many Division I basketball universities. Also, my understanding is that Bethel is an NAIA school that does offer athletic scholarships since 90% of NAIA schools do. As for relationships, that is personal to every individual. Still, as I said previously, Clay is sacrificing a bit to make this move, which he must believe is beneficial overall to him. Nevertheless, I'm pleased that as a group we seem to be wishing Clay well.
Quote from: usc4valpo on June 30, 2014, 06:03:32 PM
Pal, I wish him well and I respect your viewpoints, but in reality 1) he will be attending a school with a lower academic reputations (per test scores and whatever media you find), 2) he will have to find a way to find cash to go to school as opposed to relying on a full ride scholarship, and 3) relationships can wait when you are 19 or 20. These are not the days of Little House on the Prairie anymore.
Then again, there is probably more that meets the eye in this situation.
First off Bethel plays in NAIA and I am pretty sure they give scholarships. The Crossroads Conference is a good conference. The lower academic standards is also true but if you plan on living near South Bend I guess it matters less.
I always told my kids "Until and unless you've got a wedding ring, don't move to be with your boyfriend/girlfriend."
Ditto on the ring thing. Seems like a high school attitude. Maybe they had lockers next to each other in HS and there was a concern that last year it took an extra 15 minutes to get to her place.
If that is the case at least don't say it. Bye bye.
I may have come across as a little hard on Clay. We won't ever know the true motivations. Still, the facts are that playing D1 requires a whole different level of commitment from NAIA. It is an around the clock effort and somehow it seems that Clay wasn't up to it. Nothing bad about that other than he said he could do it and accepted a full ride.
If the effort wasn't there for whatever reason, then it is best for all that he move closer to home and the less committed level of basketball associated with his present level.
I think there is another message gained from this situation...When was the last time an Indiana All Star decided that he was better suited to NAIA? Does this say anything about the level of player currently on our roster? I think so...
All the best...
If I'm not mistaken, Clay verbally committed to VU in his Jr. year. that fall, he and his mother sat behind us at a VU game. They both were really thrilled that he would be playing here. Granted, he was young, but surely they had to realize that he would be a few (and only a few) miles from home. I find it difficult to believe that the reason given is THE reason he is leaving. I, for one, am really sorry that he is leaving.
Quote from: Pathfinder on June 30, 2014, 07:50:38 PM
I always told my kids "Until and unless you've got a wedding ring, don't move to be with your boyfriend/girlfriend."
Lol
Quote from: okinawatyphoon on June 30, 2014, 12:58:12 PM
Too far from home? Give me a break......that is the worst excuse he could have given. Oh well...
Welcome to Texas ;)
Bethel is an NAIA D2. They give scholarships. Bethel got the info out there quickly!
https://twitter.com/bethelhoops/status/483728391661555713
https://twitter.com/bethelhoops/status/483689855612776448
https://twitter.com/bethelhoops/status/483676768742539264
Sure didn't take long to get photos in a Bethel uniform! Must have been a done-deal well in advance of the announcement.
Hey, nice to find I get a cameo in Bethel's video of Clay's highlights, and they used my photos for the closing collage. At least, they credited me.
Quote from: hoopfan22 on July 01, 2014, 08:52:47 AM
Bethel is an NAIA D2. They give scholarships. Bethel got the info out there quickly!
https://twitter.com/bethelhoops/status/483728391661555713 (https://twitter.com/bethelhoops/status/483728391661555713)
From another angle, I feel for the coaches, recruiters, and program when things like this happen. Maybe more needs to be made of a prospect's phycological and mental state prior to extending an offer of a scholarship. Many, many hours of time and travel are invested on these recruiting campaigns to hopefully find the right player to fit into a given scheme and system. Many players don't fit into emmediate plans, but are brought in to fill future voids. We are also losing a practice player to boot. You certainly wish a leaving player well, but there needs to be more in place to protect the school, and their investment also. Possibly a manditory year of abscence from the game regarless if they are moving down (D2) or not.
The same thing happened on the girls side with Ladd. She didn't even make it through a season. Left because she was "homesick". She was alllowed to pick right up with her new team the following season. Keith brought in players to build around, and compliment her play, and her exit changed the entire program.
Like everyone else, I wish Yeo well, but personally, I think there needs to be a stiffer penalty when players leave like this. It may force them to have a serious heart to heart and weigh all of their options before they commit to a program that is counting on them for their entire college career. JMO.
Ironic that wh compared Yeo to Scott Blum (admittedly in a different respect) but now they share another distinction. :/
Quote from: wh on April 20, 2013, 07:33:09 PM
Is Triton's Clay Yeo our first recruit from North Central Indiana since Scot Blum (O.D.) 25 years ago?
I wish we had a better topic, but I'm really enjoying reading all the insightful comments. I'm beginning to get energized about a new season of VU basketball.
Oren weighs in:
http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/does-valparaiso-have-a-transfer-problem/article_e5e6e02c-00ae-11e4-bbb4-001a4bcf887a.html (http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/does-valparaiso-have-a-transfer-problem/article_e5e6e02c-00ae-11e4-bbb4-001a4bcf887a.html)
I think the obvious answer is obvious because correct--we may have a transfer problem--but only because EVERYONE has a transfer problem these days.
I just have a feeling there is more than meet the eye with this situation. You live one hour away - I cannot realistically see how homesickness and a girlfriend can be a factor. We live in the internet world for crying out loud.
I just checked Alec Peters Twitter page and know comment on Clay. anybody else see/hear any comments? I man, how about a "good luck buddy" or something? Perhaps there is more to the story or players have been told to stand down.
Quote from: valpotx on July 01, 2014, 01:47:35 AM
Quote from: okinawatyphoon on June 30, 2014, 12:58:12 PM
Too far from home? Give me a break......that is the worst excuse he could have given. Oh well...
Welcome to Texas ;)
Thanks tx! Just moved to San Antonio two weeks ago. First time in Texas but loving it so far!
Really enjoyed watching Yeo... I don't want to sound bitter when I share this statement but my wife said only a fool would pick a girl over D1 basketball. If there is not more to the story it is quite disappointing. Maybe it is simple - he was not happy that he was not the star like in high school.
When we got this group I thought we would lose a couple....
Quote from: wh on July 01, 2014, 01:39:23 PM
I wish we had a better topic, but I'm really enjoying reading all the insightful comments. I'm beginning to get energized about a new season of VU basketball.
Not there yet but as with every time you get kicked in the shins it will always feel much better once it quits hurting. :'(
Quote from: usc4valpo on July 01, 2014, 06:07:45 PMI cannot realistically see how homesickness and a girlfriend can be a factor. We live in the internet world for crying out loud.
All of the loves of my life (will post a count for you when I get them tallied up) were pre-internet and therefore of no value towards delving into Clay's mindset.
Hey! Show of hands! All for getting Bethel back on our exhibition schedule. :thumbsup:
Interesting! I didn't know that Cameron Witt was because of academics. I thought that he was told that he wouldn't be playing, so we honored his scholarship to finish his degree.
A few comments on Oren's column. First off no list should have walk-ons. I love having them but one leaving in no way reflects a program.
Second, I am pretty sure I saw Kurth speak at his senior day so although health stopped him from playing I would not list him either.
I for one would not have listed Yeo as the returning player with the most potential. I liked him, I wish he was staying, but...
Quote from: IndyValpo on July 02, 2014, 07:18:50 AMFirst off no list should have walk-ons.
Excellent point. No offense (no pun intended there), but if they were important enough to matter in the grand scheme, they would be important enough to have received some money.
Quote from: IndyValpo on July 02, 2014, 07:18:50 AMSecond, I am pretty sure I saw Kurth speak at his senior day so although health stopped him from playing I would not list him either.
Wait...he was on there? (rereads) OK, it wasn't a "transfer" list, but a "players who have left the program" list. You're right, Kurth doesn't qualify. If this were a "players who did not fulfill the entirety of their eligibility once at VU" then, yeah, he could be on that list.
But he spoke at Sr Night, so game set match IV.
Quote from: IndyValpo on July 02, 2014, 07:18:50 AM
A few comments on Oren's column. First off no list should have walk-ons. I love having them but one leaving in no way reflects a program.
Second, I am pretty sure I saw Kurth speak at his senior day so although health stopped him from playing I would not list him either.
I for one would not have listed Yeo as the returning player with the most potential. I liked him, I wish he was staying, but...
I totally agree with this. I think Yeo was a bit too lanky and thin for a small forward and he didn't have the ball handling skills for a guard. I feel like he would have grow into a Matt Kenny role if he bulked up a bit. But without the size he would have been buried to the bench underneath the new guards. I definitely think Carter has NBA summer league invite potential and Jubril and Peters have the most potential after that.
Next problem with Oren's column:
PG -- Brandon Wood
SG -- Jay Harris
SF -- Samuel Haanpaa
PF -- Richie Edwards
C -- Bryan Bouchie
Sixth Man -- Andrew Ferry
Seventh Man -- Clay Yeo
If Ferry is indeed worthy as 6th man on a transfer list then we really don't have a problem. I thought perhaps I had missed something but the guy played 22 games, under 5 minutes per and averaged under a point. I wont even list all that belong there ahead of him.
I would be hard pressed to put Yeo ahead of Harris, Miles or Haskins maybe not Sylla.
I do love to debate lists though.
It's quite obvious to me that the coaching staff new of Yeo's intentions for quite the while. Thus the signing of Darien Walker makes much more sense than it did a week ago, since he will take the spot of Yeo in the lineup.
Ferry went on to average around 11 ppg at Cornell, while shooting 39% from 3, and is currently playing professionally in Spain:
http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Andrew-Ferry/Summary/15766 (http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Andrew-Ferry/Summary/15766)
http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Andrew_Ferry/Albacete_Basket/163117?AmNotSure=1 (http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Andrew_Ferry/Albacete_Basket/163117?AmNotSure=1)
Quote from: IndyValpo on July 02, 2014, 08:57:22 AMSixth Man -- Andrew Ferry
I thought that was a joke, and a funny one at that. Tex points out that, maybe not.
But I don't think that is necessarily true. It's kind of revisionist history to say that because he is playing pro ball in Spain (which certainly is not true of any of our other walk-ons) he was better than, say, Yeo.
Just because the girl that was less-than-attractive in junior high became gorgeous while attending high school in upstate NY doesn't mean she was any better looking when she was here.
Witt to focus on academics; Will not compete
http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2011-12/10949/valpos-witt-to-focus-on-academics-will-not-compete/ (http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2011-12/10949/valpos-witt-to-focus-on-academics-will-not-compete/)
As for Kurth, I was making a list of players who left the program with eligibility remaining. If he isn't on the list because of health, then Kenny Harris and Alex Rossi would be off the list as well. If he isn't on the list because he graduated from Valparaiso, then Brandon Wood and Cameron Witt would be off the list as well. Yes, Kurth spoke at Senior Day (and spoke and spoke and spoke), but the list was comprised of players who didn't play out their entire eligibility at Valparaiso.
Here is my point with Andrew Ferry. That kid was something special and he was completely disregarded while he was here. Great kid from a wonderful family (his father was finalist for VU President before Heckler got the job). Ferry was on the team in the 9-22 year and overcame numerous medical issues to play at the collegiate level. He just never got a fair shake from the coaching staff. I can still remember the game at Loyola when Valpo was down to six scholarship players and it was clear that Ferry should be on the floor. He got 1 minute. His father wrote a book called "Faith in the Freshman" (http://faithinthefreshman.com/ (http://faithinthefreshman.com/)) about his own journey and includes a chapter at the end about Andrew's time at Valparaiso. It's a solid read.
Call it revisionist history if you'd like, but Ferry could've helped the Crusaders in 2008-09 and certainly could've done so later in his career.
Quote from: Pgmado on July 02, 2014, 11:59:46 AMThat kid was something special and he was completely disregarded while he was here.
I don't doubt that. But it is telling that he was the success at CU that he never was here for two reasons--one, the style of play in Ithaca really suits the whole white-dude-sniping-from-the-corner thing--but two, because they don't have athletic scholarships.
It's too bad he didn't get more of a shot here, but it is hard to blame the coaching staff for basically ignoring the walk-ons when they have tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention thousands of hours, invested in scholarship players. In the Ivy League, they don't have those sunk costs staring them in the face at every practice.
Is it possible that Yeo just didn't like Valpo? I remember some kids could never get comfortable at Valpo. They couldn't find a group and eventually left for other schools. Maybe the same thing happened with Yeo?
Quote from: Pgmado on July 02, 2014, 11:59:46 AM
Here is my point with Andrew Ferry. That kid was something special and he was completely disregarded while he was here. Great kid from a wonderful family (his father was finalist for VU President before Heckler got the job). Ferry was on the team in the 9-22 year and overcame numerous medical issues to play at the collegiate level. He just never got a fair shake from the coaching staff. I can still remember the game at Loyola when Valpo was down to six scholarship players and it was clear that Ferry should be on the floor. He got 1 minute. His father wrote a book called "Faith in the Freshman" (http://faithinthefreshman.com/ (http://faithinthefreshman.com/)) about his own journey and includes a chapter at the end about Andrew's time at Valparaiso. It's a solid read.
Call it revisionist history if you'd like, but Ferry could've helped the Crusaders in 2008-09 and certainly could've done so later in his career.
Are you saying you knew all along that Ferry should have been getting minutes while he was here, or you surmised it after the fact based on how he performed at Columbia. Personally, no one was more surprised about what he accomplished after he left here than I was. The Ferry I saw was slow afoot with limited athleticism. He seemed far more suited for NAIA than D-1. Obviously, that was the coaching staff's assessment, as well.
I guess all I'm saying was that 9-22 season was miserable on every level. Giving Ferry some run couldn't have been any worse.
Looking back at my photos, I noticed that I had captured Clay scoring the last basket in the final game, the College Insider Tournament game against Columbia. At the time, this shot seemed to offer promise for the future, especially since Clay finally appeared fully healthy. It is a shame we won't see more images like this one:
(http://i62.tinypic.com/e9t6km.jpg)
Thought about captioning that photo "COMING SOON TO 127 PEOPLE NEAR YOU" but you know, some people can take things the wrong way when you're only trying to be funny.
Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on July 02, 2014, 02:12:00 PM
Thought about captioning that photo "COMING SOON TO 127 PEOPLE NEAR YOU" but you know, some people can take things the wrong way when you're only trying to be funny.
That's hysterical! I actually went to their sports site to try and see how many folks attend their games. All of their games, including the big conference tourney, showed official attendance of 0! I wonder if its some sort of NAIA rule not to publicize the stats or whether it is out of embarrassment, who knows. I know D3 shows attendance.
Apostle, as to these comments:
It's too bad he didn't get more of a shot here, but it is hard to blame the coaching staff for basically ignoring the walk-ons when they have tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention
thousands of hours, invested in scholarship players. In the Ivy League, they don't have those sunk costs staring them in the face at every practice.Don't be too sure. They don't give "official athletic scholarships" but, in the same way as Valpo football players not getting scholarships, somehow all these guys are getting money. As for the not having "thousands of hours" invested, I know that isn't true. I was on the staff for a big AAU tournament held in Minneapolis. Every year Tommy Amaker (Harvard) and his guys were there recruiting. Given the high academic standards, Ivy coaches may well travel more, to find good fits both academically and skill wise. It's not like they hold an open gym and how enough guys show up to field a team!
Oh, I certainly didn't mean that these guys don't get money--of course they do, as we've talked about in other threads (recruiting)--but they aren't on "athletic scholarships", thus the money is not coming out of AD pockets, but out of the school's.
And Ivy coaches do put in time recruiting and coaching--I didn't mean that they don't--just that when other coaches look down their bench--they don't see everyone equally, try as they may.
Just like in the NBA, where the guy making the max deal is not looked upon in the same way as the guy on the 10-day. When a college coach looks down the bench and sees a schollie and a walk-on as his two options, he will put the former in 97% of the time--exceptions being a) gahrbaj time and b) "sending a message".
An Ivy coach looking down his bench is liberated from a great deal of those constraints.
Man, do we get far afield sometimes. :)
Quote from: Pgmado on July 02, 2014, 11:52:35 AM
Witt to focus on academics; Will not compete
http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2011-12/10949/valpos-witt-to-focus-on-academics-will-not-compete/ (http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2011-12/10949/valpos-witt-to-focus-on-academics-will-not-compete/)
As for Kurth, I was making a list of players who left the program with eligibility remaining. If he isn't on the list because of health, then Kenny Harris and Alex Rossi would be off the list as well. If he isn't on the list because he graduated from Valparaiso, then Brandon Wood and Cameron Witt would be off the list as well. Yes, Kurth spoke at Senior Day (and spoke and spoke and spoke), but the list was comprised of players who didn't play out their entire eligibility at Valparaiso.
Right, I remember the release, but figured that was the program putting a good face on a situation where we didn't need him to play anymore.
As I'm sure I'm the only Valpo fan that has attended a recent men's basketball game at tiny Gates Gymnasium on the Bethel College campus (Homer Drew coached there in the early 80's) it was not a bad experience. My guess is there were 400 to 500 fans for a 3:00 p.m. game against Marian University of Indianapolis. They had video showing on two screens one facing each side of the gym. Just like at Valpo they had an opening video which showcased their talent. Remember that Bethel is a well established program in NAIA Div II. They went to the Final 8 of the NAIA Div. II national championship this past season in Point Lookout, MO. Yes, that is where Greg Tonagel's Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats won the NAIA Div. II national championship. Bethel lost to Midland U of Nebraska in the tournament. The niece of a good friend was a cheerleader at Marian University and he had promised to see one of the last games that his niece was going to be cheering at. I, as a good friend, went with him so he would have some one other than his not-so-knowledgeable-about-sports sister to talk to during the game. I was intrigued by the fact that Homer had started out at Bethel.
The things that stood out for me the most about that game is that there was a prayer before the game, one of the Bethel cheerleaders got engaged during halftime and Marian pulled out an impressive win over Bethel in a high scoring game. Other than eating at a loaded Chinese buffet up near the mall on Grape Rd in Mishiwaka after the game it was a nice experience.
(http://www.bethelcollegepilots.com/images/Events/Facilities/fullgym.jpg)
I went to high school with Andrew Ferry and his 37 siblings. I could be misremembering, but I don't think he started when he was a junior (we were DIII in a rather talentless state)... It's not that he was some underrecuited gem, but he always did have a nice confident shot.
I was shocked to see him end up with a productive career at Cornell. It's a bit of 20/20 hindsight to blame Valpo for letting him slip through the cracks.
Has anyone considered perhaps Clay didn't want to work hard enough in the off-season to play Division I? That's what I was thinking. And with all of the other talented guards coming in, maybe he saw the writing on the wall with regard to his playing time.
I'm disappointed, because he showed plenty of potential last season and I talked to an assistant coach last summer who told me he thought Clay would end up being the best player in this class. I had trouble believing that, especially after seeing Alec Peters play.
I do know one thing - I'll bet the coaching staff will be very hesitant in the future about recruiting a kid from a small school in Indiana. Maybe it's too tough to make the adjustment from being the big fish in a small pond to the "larger pond" at VU. Get closer to home? Please. It's got to be a girlfriend thing.