Big Men coming?

[valpo04]

thanks for your condescending remarks. what i was trying to find out is if it is official or not yet. of course we read about it and that's how we even know he exists in the first place.

See my comments about drama above...you two are dangerously close to being sent to the woodshed, never to return.  The mods here are fair, but do what needs to be done.

No... they aren't.

[dcvalpo]

Sorry, I didn't mean to step on your toes

[webbvufan]

So..................does anyone have any more info about Vashil Fernandez?  

[dcvalpo]

So..................does anyone have any more info about Vashil Fernandez?   

Some info should be coming relatively soon...there have been some hangups

[FWalum]

So..................does anyone have any more info about Vashil Fernandez?   

Thanks for getting this back on track. Unfortunately I have not seen anything additional other than the same info coming out of the University of Washington.  Here is an article from back in March... more about the young man other than just basketball.

[lowposter]

Ok, tell me the difference between Frenandez and Jared Smoot of Crown Point?  We passed on Smoot, who is a near 4.0 student and a great athlete...granted he is offensively challenged, but has the size and a d 1 body.

From the video, Fernandez appears to have Jamaican ability to run from point  A to point B quickly...gotta love those long strides, but perhaps very telling is what you do not see...and that is teammates looking him off when he has inside position and a couple of times he was wide open.  Granted, he did garner a couple of offensive rebounds and followup field goals, but his defensive footwork is not good and he tends to stand straight up most of the time on the floor.  Perhaps that is the best that is available at this time of the year. 

lowposter

[DMvalpo18]

i'm dangerously close? i apologize for whatever drama has been created. i will try my best to get things back to normal by doing my part. as far as fernandez, i'm hoping we can get something out his of 6'11 frame and athleticism as was mentioned. maybe this project will be worth it this time? i sure hope so.

[valpo84]

Lowposter, why do you say we "passed" on Smoot. He chose the Naval Academy. Lots of big schools looked at him.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/high-school/indiana/article_7333a37d-31eb-50ea-b05d-0aa2341e6661.html

http://www.nwitimes.com/high-school/crown-point/article_18620fbe-1a67-50dd-a14c-8b2617cdce02.html

Sounds like the kid chose the honorable option of going to a military academy, not that we "passed" on him. Was an offer made, did we have an opportunity to make an offer before he verballed? Would he have taken the offer? Why didn't Purdue or BYU get him?

Not every kid in the Region wants to stay in the Region for college even if we offered. And by the way Tim Duncan hadn't played much HS ball before WF signed him. But a player Washington (BCS) is looking at and we get seems like there must be some big upside here.

[valpo84]

Also, here's a question, we heard a lot about Austin Richie and that he was offered. Saw that he is going to Western Michigan? Why did he "pass" on Valpo? Wouldn't he have been a Brandon Wood replacement option too?

[DMvalpo18]

Also, here's a question, we heard a lot about Austin Ritchie and that he was offered. Saw that he is going to Western Michigan? Why did he "pass" on Valpo? Wouldn't he have been a Brandon Wood replacement option too?

austin richie "passed" on us?

[rlh]

I don't know if Richie passed on us or us him, but he's not the answer.  Is think sometimes we get so wrapped up in getting a "local" guy, we forget to really look at whether or not he can help...I don't think Richie can....as far as Smoot....I don't know what our interest in him was, but I broadcast several of his games over the past 4 years and he is very soft and would never survive the Horizon League.

[DMvalpo18]

thanks rlh. i trust your opinions as being highly accurate. it seems like the best local players don't take as much interest in valpo anyway. i guess playing at purdue or ohio state sounds way better to them, and i don't blame them.

[FWalum]

Also, here's a question, we heard a lot about Austin Ritchie and that he was offered. Saw that he is going to Western Michigan? Why did he "pass" on Valpo? Wouldn't he have been a Brandon Wood replacement option too?

austin richie "passed" on us?

Yes, this article explains the connection Homer Drew offers Richie. I am not sure why the kid, considering the family history, would want to play for the broncos.

[Valpo89]

It sounds like the family history is to start your college basketball career at a directional Michigan school, and then make a transfer. Maybe he'll end up at VU in a year or two.

[dcvalpo]

Ritchie is a good player and a very good-great shooter, but he would not have been a huge addition to the current make-up of this program.  If we couldn't get skilled big men, we got guys who made sense.  Two players coming from power conferences who can immediately compete for playing time, a freshman with some size, and a banger who makes us immediately tougher in the interior.  Yes, I wanted a big man, but I'll take the four we got and I'm pretty pleased.  Ritchie would not have made us better in the next two years, imo.

[valpopal]

I haven't seen this here yet. Paul Oren reports: "Vashil Fernandez is still very much in play for Valparaiso. The 6-foot-11 Jamaican gave his verbal commitment to the Crusaders according to several Internet reports, but word close to the program is that the holdup right now is a matter of high school transcripts. As Valparaiso fans have seen in the past with Paul Guede, these matters can be drawn out and incredibly frustrating for all involved. The bottom line is that Fernandez wants to come here, it's just a matter of when."

http://nwitimes.com/app/blog/sports/?p=5406

[agibson]

It's a Jamaican high school, right?  And then a year at a US prep school.  Hopefully things can be sorted out without too much trouble.

[dcvalpo]

I haven't seen this here yet. Paul Oren reports: "Vashil Fernandez is still very much in play for Valparaiso. The 6-foot-11 Jamaican gave his verbal commitment to the Crusaders according to several Internet reports, but word close to the program is that the holdup right now is a matter of high school transcripts. As Valparaiso fans have seen in the past with Paul Guede, these matters can be drawn out and incredibly frustrating for all involved. The bottom line is that Fernandez wants to come here, it's just a matter of when."

http://nwitimes.com/app/blog/sports/?p=5406

  My guy tells me that things are being ironed out and we should have some news sooner or later. 

[FWalum]

Ritchie is a good player and a very good-great shooter, but he would not have been a huge addition to the current make-up of this program.  If we couldn't get skilled big men, we got guys who made sense.  Two players coming from power conferences who can immediately compete for playing time, a freshman with some size, and a banger who makes us immediately tougher in the interior.  Yes, I wanted a big man, but I'll take the four we got and I'm pretty pleased.  Ritchie would not have made us better in the next two years, imo.

The jury is out for a while but as you said dcvalpo, I really don't think he would have had the opportunity to contribute much with all the perimeter players that we have.  I have seen Richie play a few times even back in 7th and 8th grade and he is almost a Seth Colclasure clone.

[lowposter]

I would disagree with the comparison with Seth Colclasure comparison.  Seth was an outstanding shooter, one of the best in VU history.

Richie can handle the ball better, is a very good passer, creates, handles the ball, and has one of the quickest releases I have seen.  It will be interesting to see how this translates to the mid major college level.  As we all know, the game gets much quicker at that level.

He had an incredible number of offers...something like 25 or so, mostly from mid majors, but still, that is amazing.  Bright kid, much like Colclasure (Engineering major at VU if my memory is correct...how many of those does one see in D1?).

BTW, was there a player that was more inconspicuous than Seth Colclasure?  He simply blended in and blended in very well.  He was the type of player that was consistent and reliable.  His shooting ability made teams respect him and his placement on the floor.  Great free throw shooter who always played the final minutes of close games.

Not sure who I would compare Richie to ... must think about that for awhile.

As good of player as he is, not sure how much he would have helped at VU.  I agree a big man is needed more.

loposter

[lowposter]

Actually, it didnt take long to compare Richie to a current VU player - Jay Harris.

[dcvalpo]

I would disagree with the comparison with Seth Colclasure comparison.  Seth was an outstanding shooter, one of the best in VU history.

Richie can handle the ball better, is a very good passer, creates, handles the ball, and has one of the quickest releases I have seen.  It will be interesting to see how this translates to the mid major college level.  As we all know, the game gets much quicker at that level.

He had an incredible number of offers...something like 25 or so, mostly from mid majors, but still, that is amazing.  Bright kid, much like Colclasure (Engineering major at VU if my memory is correct...how many of those does one see in D1?).

BTW, was there a player that was more inconspicuous than Seth Colclasure?  He simply blended in and blended in very well.  He was the type of player that was consistent and reliable.  His shooting ability made teams respect him and his placement on the floor.  Great free throw shooter who always played the final minutes of close games.

Not sure who I would compare Richie to ... must think about that for awhile.

As good of player as he is, not sure how much he would have helped at VU.  I agree a big man is needed more.

loposter

I have to agree here...Seth Colclasure was in a unique class of his own and I really don't think the comparisons here are accurate.

We have really missed having a steady, rock solid guy like Seth!  Nice post(er), lowposter

[covufan]

I haven't seen this here yet. Paul Oren reports: "Vashil Fernandez is still very much in play for Valparaiso. The 6-foot-11 Jamaican gave his verbal commitment to the Crusaders according to several Internet reports, but word close to the program is that the holdup right now is a matter of high school transcripts. As Valparaiso fans have seen in the past with Paul Guede, these matters can be drawn out and incredibly frustrating for all involved. The bottom line is that Fernandez wants to come here, it's just a matter of when."

http://nwitimes.com/app/blog/sports/?p=5406

  My guy tells me that things are being ironed out and we should have some news sooner or later. 

Hopefully, we'll hear one way or the other soon...

[vu72]

Not sure if this has been posted, but this article goes into some depth on Vashil Fernndez.  Academically, it sounds like he will be just fine and the quality of Valpo's business school may have been a factor in his picking us (if he really has). The lack of an athletic shot blocker is something any of the coaches will tell you is what gave us all the defensive problems. I don't see scoring from the five as a key issue so if he can fill the defensive void, we may be on to big things!  


http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110320/sports/sports9.html

[vuweathernerd]

any idea when when his committment might be made official?