Recruiting: 2018

[vu72]

Um, did you forget that a guy named Ryan Fazekas will be eligible next year?  heard he is a pretty good shooter! 

[VU2014]

Definitely could have used Ryan last night. He's the 3pt threat this team needs. Joe is a nice 3pt shooter, Bakari can makes 3s but I wouldn't call it a strength in his game. Tevonn is a great player but he's just not a consistent guy from 3. Kiser surprisingly has been better from 3 but he couldn't  get separation to get an open look last night. Golder has been able to hit 3s when he gets his feet set.

The team definitely could have used a player with Sasha's skill set. If we want a shot at beating High Major teams that have better pure athletes we'll probably need knock down shooters that can carry us in those special hot shooting nights.

[valpo64]

No question about more offense needed.  We need a top flight shooter who is a go-to guy like A P has been.

[wh]

Jim Peters from the NWI Times makes a very good point. We REALLY could have used a player like Sasha Stefanovic last night...

Can we please find a guy who is a 3-&-D type player... maybe not even an elite defensive player but a guy who is a dead eye shooter that can pull you back into games against high major teams like Purdue. Good Lord could we not make shots last night. I know those players don't grow on trees but I think we should be on the lookout.

https://twitter.com/jp8185/status/938928948569870339
https://twitter.com/noaccess2702/status/938929234080235520
https://twitter.com/jp8185/status/938930487426510849

If the staff doesn't think Mileek or Parker will take the next step by next season, maybe we should look into the grad transfer market for a reliable PF that we can have as a bridge guy till they're more developed.

https://twitter.com/jp8185/status/938928948569870339

If Peters nickname isn't Captain Obvious, it should be. I wonder why he thinks Matt recruited Stefanovic so hard (which he conveniently left out of his tweet).  Guys like Peters and Hutton (criticized ml for not hiring Vucic instead of lambasting the M'ville prep school puppet master for convincing Skara to transfer) should leave all mention of Valpo men's basketball to Oren and Osipoff, and focus on their specialty - NWI HS sports.

[VU2014]

I don't remember Peters ever criticizing Coach Lottich for not hiring Vucic. That was all Hutton who wrote that puff piece for then Post-Trib.

I think it was inferred that Matt recruited Sasha really hard. He was the priority recruit for Valpo Basketball last Fall. That was a complete gut punch when Purdue entered his recruitment at the last second. I don't think there was any ill intent with that tweet. It was just stating that Sasha would have very useful or a great fit for our team. Peters is a Purdue guy and doesn't hide it but didn't really take offense to the tweet.

I'm not going to lie I looked towards the end of Purdue's bench and saw Sasha in warmups (red-shirting for them) and thought "what if" a few times. He wouldn't have been the difference maker in winning that game but he would have a huge part of the team from the get-go.

[talksalot]

I did see a few "Deer in Headlights" moments from Parker and even Micah and at times, Bakari.  No excuse for Max who also had a few mental mistakes... but... it's over... and moving on...1pm in Muncie... glad they don't have to stew on that game for more than a day and half.

[VU2014]

Sounds like a pretty a good player.
https://twitter.com/NBCSPreps/status/939384183633469440

http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/video/wintrust-athlete-week-drew-peterson

[bbtds]

If the staff doesn't think Mileek or Parker will take the next step by next season, maybe we should look into the grad transfer market for a reliable PF that we can have as a bridge guy till they're more developed.

To be honest we have talent but it disappeared against Purdue. Walker, Burton, Evelyn just didn't show up enough between the 3 of them to win. Sasha and Fazekas both would have been needed.

[VU2014]

If the staff doesn't think Mileek or Parker will take the next step by next season, maybe we should look into the grad transfer market for a reliable PF that we can have as a bridge guy till they're more developed.

To be honest we have talent but it disappeared against Purdue. Walker, Burton, Evelyn just didn't show up enough between the 3 of them to win. Sasha and Fazekas both would have been needed.

Agreed we definitely have but its inexperienced talent. This team is still learning to play together and the guys looked like the moment and stage got to them. I'd also probably argue we were overmatched in certain position. Purdue is really good and has some veteran stud. Their defensive pressure really got to us, but the turnovers weren't just cause by them. It was mental errors from us. That's part of being young and have so many key players being new.



Random but I know we touch on Nebraska earlier this weak: That's a rivalry game...
https://twitter.com/dannyobyrne/status/939514035116167168

[VU2014]

Drew Peterson of Libertyville, IL is lighting it up his senior season and is turning heads. He's a high level shooter with size. We are a pretty up and down 3 point shooting team. We shot well from 3 against Ball State but shot 18.8% against Purdue and 15.4% against USU.

The coaching staff has said it has to be a "home run". I wonder what type of HR player they're looking for? Another guard? Small Forward? A power forward?

[VU2014]

A 4-star freshman combo guard named C.J. Roberts from Mizzou has decided to transfer a few days ago. He was recruited and committed to Mizzou on September 2016 during the Kim Anderson tenure. Coach Dildy may have a relationship with C.J. since he committed to Mizzou while he was still an assistant coach there.

He was red-shirting his freshman year but decided to transfer because he wanted playing time. I'm assuming he'd need to sit out next season if he were to have a mid-season transfer? Or maybe he'd be eligible next season since he's already red-shirting this season but he might lose a season of eligibility. I'm quite sure what his status would be.

I'm not sure we're a fit but it would be interesting to see if we reach out.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article188662719.html

Point guard C.J. Roberts to transfer from Mizzou basketball team, father says
BY ALEX SCHIFFER
aschiffer@kcstar.com
DECEMBER 07, 2017 04:58 PM

"Missouri freshman guard C.J. Roberts is planning to transfer, his father, Craig Roberts, told The Star.

Roberts, a 6-foot combo guard from Irving, Texas, has not played in the regular season. Tigers coach Cuonzo Martin, after the Tigers' second game of the season, announced that Roberts would redshirt.

"He loves the school, he loves his teammates, but he wants to play," Craig Roberts said Thursday. "He wants to look for a situation where he can play."

Originally recruited under former Missouri coach Kim Anderson, C.J. Roberts was a four-star recruit out of high school and considered a top-100 player by Rivals.com. Roberts committed to Missouri in the fall of 2016 and stayed on with the program after Anderson was fired and ultimately replaced by Martin. In the spring, Missouri added the likes of Michael Porter Jr., Jeremiah Tilmon and Blake Harris, giving the Tigers a top-five recruiting class."

............

Considered an undersized shooting guard, Roberts was behind wings Kassius Robertson, Jordan Barnett and Cullen VanLeer this season. Missouri signed a pair of wings for next season in Javon Pickett and Torrence Watson, a consensus top-50 recruit.

Roberts could explore a junior-college option next semester, but his father said nothing has been set.

.............

http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/c-j-roberts
Status: Transferred from Missouri
Year: 2017 (FR)
Position: PG
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Hometown: North Richland Hills, TX
High School: Richland High School

Offers: Mizzou, UTA, SMU, TCU, Illinois, Baylor, LSU, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Purdue, Lamar, VT, Arizona, Rhode Island, Rutgers, South Carolina, Fresno State, LA Tech

[vu72]

I doubt Matt is looking for a 6' guard to fill the last spot.  With Freeman and Fazekas being added next year and with all the talent coming back playing time will be hard to find.  I'm guessing it will go to a freshman who will be more willing to wait than a four star with big expectations of one's self.

[VU2014]

I doubt Matt is looking for a 6' guard to fill the last spot.  With Freeman and Fazekas being added next year and with all the talent coming back playing time will be hard to find.  I'm guessing it will go to a freshman who will be more willing to wait than a four star with big expectations of one's self.

I was thinking the same thing but we were all in on Xavier Castañeda who is 6'0" also and would have been a true freshman. Roberts played primarily PG in High School but he's labeled a combo guard. I'm assuming he wants big minutes but we have Bakari and another high level freshman SG coming in who is expected to get big minutes.

It's pretty late in the recruiting process to land freshman but tbh the coaching staff could be working on a recruit that we have no clue about right now. Just my gut feeling but I think the last scholarship is most likely going to go to a high-major transfer.

[VULB#62]

I doubt Matt is looking for a 6' guard to fill the last spot.  With Freeman and Fazekas being added next year and with all the talent coming back playing time will be hard to find.  I'm guessing it will go to a freshman who will be more willing to wait than a four star with big expectations of one's self.

I was thinking the same thing but we were all in on Xavier Castañeda who is 6'0" also and would have been a true freshman. Roberts played primarily PG in High School but he's labeled a combo guard. I'm assuming he wants big minutes but we have Bakari and another high level freshman SG coming in who is expected to get big minutes.

It's pretty late in the recruiting process to land freshman but tbh the coaching staff could be working on a recruit that we have no clue about right now. Just my gut feeling but I think the last scholarship is most likely going to go to a [homerun] high-major transfer.

I fixed for you. 

[valpotx]

Very cool, he is from my general area.  Not many basketball players come from Richland HS.

[VU2014]

We don't have any scholarships available for the rest of this season but this is a list of the best mid-season transfers available. Maybe we could convince one of these guys to wait to till the 2018-2019 season, which we have a 1 scholarship available. The coaching staff says whoever gets that scholarship would need to be a "home run". Kevin Sweeney does a nice little write up on each player.

https://twitter.com/CBB_Central/status/944328871402463233

https://cbbcentral.com/2017/12/22/notable-midseason-transfer-tracker/

[M]

There may be 2 scholarships open come the end of the year right depending on what happens with JB?

[VU2014]

If Chairback is correct, lets make that 2 "home run" recruits with the 2 available scholarships. We need impact talent. Let's not waste these scholarships on role players because we have enough of those of the roster as it currently stands. It's going to need to be a pivotal recruiting class for this coaching staff. We can't afford to miss on these scholarships.

From what I understand he's (Joe) gone and not coming back. 

[VU2014]

Did anyone else notice that Gary, IN native Davon Dillard was dismissed from Oklahoma State a few days ago? He's a former Top 100 recruit (ESPN), #3 in the State of Indiana, former teammates with Joe Burton and also was recruited and received a scholarship from the Valparaiso Coaching Staff.

Do you think the Staff would reach out and try and recruit him as a transfer? He's a 3-4 star recruit.  I'm just throwing it out there.

I don't know what he was dismissed from Oklahoma State for but would you offer? I've never seen him play but I'm sure some others on this board have. I'm not sure we're in a position to take a risk on character or would want to. We've had a pretty chaotic roster the last few years that has nothing to do with bad character.

https://twitter.com/mark_cooperjr/status/941377584516030465
https://twitter.com/OpticanOliver/status/941770867893092352

[M]

Probably a pass for me. Violating team rules on multiple occasions...I know being close to home can sometimes straighten a guy out but it also can bring other distractions when your old friends are back in close with you.

I think bernard is worth a look at Merrillville, dude is a lights out shooter. I know he was at Valpo's camp over the Summer so we either aren't interested, have others in front of him, or JB night yet be back.

[VULB#62]

And then there are academic admission standards.

[VU2014]

With Joe likely no longer with the team. We now have 2 available scholarships for 2018.

Does anyone see any possible transfers on this team? My gut says no, but I'm curious what others think.

What type of player would you like to see added to next years team? Shooter? Power Forward? Small Forward? Best available Transfer?

[M]

I don't want to speculate on current guys who might transfer. I'd like to see Valpo use one of these two for a transfer from a high major in either a grad transfer role or a sit one play 2 type thing. Would like a 2 guard or a big strong 4 if it's a grad transfer.  With the other one I'd like them to grab a high school senior or maybe just sit on it and look for a mid season transfer next season.

[valpo64]

We need prolific shooters and scorers....any class, transfer, whatever...a go-to guy on offense like Alec was.  The 6-4 and 6-5 swing guys are a dime a dozen, the in-betweeners who sometimes don't have the speed or are not quite big enough to play up-front.  In either case they often have problems scoring on a regular basis.   

[covufan]

My guess for the two remaining scholarships is one graduate transfer and one P5 transfer that has to sit out a year, or a JC transfer with 3 years remaining (like Golder).  Both will be the best basketball players we can get, regardless of position.  If we don't get the grad transfer, we have no senior for next season.