Vashil Fernandez

[valpocleveland]

https://www.facebook.com/valpoathletics?fref=nf

"Stay tuned..." w/link to Vashil Youtube video.

[agibson]

! No longer available

[agibson]

Paul Oren reports everybody but Relvao on campus, and Relvao wasn't expected anyway because of national team duty.  So, now I guess the questions is, are we stashing and/or losing Relvao?  Or did we manage to get permission for somebody to pay their own way, or an (unprecedented?) scholarship exception, or something?

[valpopal]

Now that it is official:


[tweet]626811214904078336[/tweet]

[agibson]

And the "treat it's like a game report due on deadline, write it in advance" award goes to Paul Oren
http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/vashil-fernandez-returning-to-valparaiso/article_7be79b80-36cc-11e5-b09d-1fefdd420613.html

[agibson]

And the "treat it's like a game report due on deadline, write it in advance" award goes to Paul Oren
http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/vashil-fernandez-returning-to-valparaiso/article_7be79b80-36cc-11e5-b09d-1fefdd420613.html

One the one hand Paul's "expert witness" makes it sound like it'd be easy for one of the NBA sons to pay their own way, and that could have worked.  On the other hand, he mentions multiple sources that seem to indicate someone's leaving the team, or "won't be joining the team for this season" with an announcement to come in hours or days... Fascinating.

[valpotx]

Raitis can kiss his career blocks record goodbye lol. 

I truly hope that Smits takes this as a positive to get better, and compete against a premier defensive player in practice for his FR year.  This obviously helps our team immensely this next season, but it can do wonders for Smits development as well.

[Valpofan00]

And the "treat it's like a game report due on deadline, write it in advance" award goes to Paul Oren
http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/vashil-fernandez-returning-to-valparaiso/article_7be79b80-36cc-11e5-b09d-1fefdd420613.html

One the one hand Paul's "expert witness" makes it sound like it'd be easy for one of the NBA sons to pay their own way, and that could have worked.  On the other hand, he mentions multiple sources that seem to indicate someone's leaving the team, or "won't be joining the team for this season" with an announcement to come in hours or days... Fascinating.

I really hope no one transfers...

[agibson]

I was contemplating it anyway, but does this mean I have to make plans to go to Detroit?  *sigh* The championships March 8?  Spring break for VU... but VCS in session surely.  Will have to tread carefully with the fam.  First round NCAA tournament game's always going to be tricky, so might be as close as I get... until the second/third round!

[agibson]

First round NCAA tournament game's always going to be tricky, so might be as close as I get... until the second/third round!

Hmm.. St. Louis? Des Moines? Louisville?  Or, hey, now that the NCAA likes to keep teams close to home, why not Chicago for the Sweet 16?  United Center baby!

[agibson]

Some quotes from the VU official release (no, the Youtube release wasn't the official one)
http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/news/2015-16/14750/vashil-fernandez-granted-fourth-season-of-athletic-eligibility-will-return-to-valpo/#.Vbpk3Lft3RA

"In January, the NCAA Leadership Council took action to grant NCAA staff temporary authority to consider extenuating circumstances and discretion when reviewing cases," said Kim Smith, Valparaiso University associate director of athletics for compliance. "Because of this temporary review process (TRP), the NCAA staff was willing to take another look at Vashil's case. As a freshman, Vashil was penalized one year of his eligibility - in addition to being ineligible for competition in his first year - due to the application of delayed enrollment legislation. With the help of the Horizon League staff, we were able to have Vashil's case reconsidered under TRP. The NCAA staff determined that Vashil's case was one that should be reviewed based on circumstances out of his control which ultimately, according to the NCAA, caused him to graduate late."

...

"I am excited to be back and I am excited to see all the good things that God has in store for me, my family and the Valpo basketball program over the next year," said Fernandez. "I am just trying to improve on last year, both individually and as a team, and do greater things than last season. I am first and foremost thankful to God, then the NCAA and Valparaiso University for giving me the opportunity to play my fourth year of college basketball."
...

"Vashil has made a huge impact on our campus since his arrival," said men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew. "He is as good an example of a student-athlete as can be found anywhere in the country. Our basketball program and Valparaiso University are elated to have him back."

[Valpofan00]

Well Relvao is gone

[agibson]

[tweet]626816318961020933[/tweet]

I suppose you could follow twitter on your own, but think of this as a sort of permanent "while you were gone"

[covufan]

Paul Oren reports everybody but Relvao on campus, and Relvao wasn't expected anyway because of national team duty.  So, now I guess the questions is, are we stashing and/or losing Relvao?  Or did we manage to get permission for somebody to pay their own way, or an (unprecedented?) scholarship exception, or something?

Great news for Vashil and the team for this season! 

I'm also wondering what is happening with the scholarship situation for the year, and Relvao for coming years. 

[78crusader]

So, one recruit for this season and none so far for next season.

Short term, this is great news. Long-term, maybe not so much.

Paul

[Valpofan00]

Has Lexus been cleared to play yet? He won't be playing in the Canadian games correct?

[valpotx]

Hopefully we get to revisit Relvao again post-Vashil.  It sounded like he would have been a project, but had the capability to be another Vashil.  Maybe he signed a European professional contract, due to the success he was having in the U20 tournament, and it made it easy for us to drop him as well?

[SanityLost17]

Best Case Scenario:
Vashil continues to improve offensively and helps lead Valpo to the sweet 16.  In the process he makes Smits better by giving him a big body to bang with every day in practice.  Relvao goes to a JUCO and plays a ton of minutes and improves way more than he would have sitting on Valpo's bench.  He still decides to come to VU and becomes a huge impact player by his Junior and Senior year.   

Worst Case Scenario: 
Our rose colored lenses about Vashil's potential improvement wear off quickly as we realize that Vashil is still a bit of an offensive liability.  The new 30 second shot clock speeds up the game causing Vashil to be less effective on the defensive end.  The Relvao decision scares away future recruits because they can't trust the program.  Relvao becomes a star somewhere else.   

[Smj]

I don't want to lose Relvao....   I have seen game videos and he is the real deal.    good for vashil....

[hoopfan22]

Guess I wasn't talking so crazy. Relvao is tough to give up but either way someone was going to get squeezed out of a scholarship. I figured no way it's Smits and it would have looked very bad to do a current player that way.

[covufan]

I don't get all of the Vashil "offensive liability" talk.  How is a man that is coming back for an unexpected fourth season that lead our team in offensive rebounds, hustles his butt off on offense, knows his role on offense - how is this a liability?

[wh]

Guess I wasn't talking so crazy.

Great scoop. Congrats!

[agibson]

, due to the success he was having in the U20 tournament

He apparently finished with a tourney-high 4 bpg! It's only U20, but...

[valpo64]

just checked the Valpo
Athletic site where it says the NCAA has granted Vashil a 4th year!!    GO VALPO!!

[agibson]

Paul's updated his blog post
http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/vashil-fernandez-returning-to-valparaiso/article_7be79b80-36cc-11e5-b09d-1fefdd420613.html
I think there's a proper news story posted now as well (and non-Valpo media twitter, and news sites, are starting to perk up).

From the blog

Sources have indicated that the hope is that Relvao will enroll at a JUCO and then join the Crusaders in the fall of 2016.

The fact that Relvao became the "expendable" player shows just how "all-in" Drew is going to go for this season.