Recruiting 2019

[VUGrad1314]

Is there any indication that Payton is looking to commit in the fall?

[VU2014]

Is there any indication that Payton is looking to commit in the fall?

I can't remember which interview it was but he mentioned he's looking to make his decision in the Fall.

[VUGrad1314]

That's a great sign for us!

[VU2014]

Training mixtape for Chris Payton. Fingers crossed his visit goes well this weekend.

https://twitter.com/amagylon/status/1030573269064269825

[ValpoDad89]

This would be huge is right. Hopefully the visit goes well. I'm sure him and JFL are familiar with each other which will help add another arrow into the quiver of recruiting.

[bbtds]

https://www.suntimeshighschoolsports.com/2018/07/23/storylines-notes-ny2las-summer-jam-bonanza/

I'm curious if the Coaches will get involved in Welch's recruitment. He sounds like a interesting prospect. He's made some noise this summer on the AAU circuit.

"◆ The offers for Naperville North's Tom Welch have become a little stagnant. And that's been surprising, especially considering the conversations I've had with college coaches over the past two weeks. The 6-7 forward still has double-digit offers to choose from but high-major programs, with the exception of Ole Miss, have not pulled the trigger. There should be more mid-major plus programs involved (Hello, A-10!?!?!). As I've told many college coaches of late, Welch is the player who in three years is playing at a mid-major and this question will essentially be asked: "How did he end up at a mid-major?""

Welch just committed to Loyola. I did a bigger dive into his game and I'm a fan. Would have loved to see the our coaches pursue him in recruitment.

https://twitter.com/michaelsobrien/status/1027688707145519104

He's going from being a Naperville North Husky to a Loyola Rambler. And Bob's your uncle.

[VU2014]

The newly updated Top 247 Class of 2019 Ranking: https://247sports.com/Season/2019-Basketball/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool

Both Valpo recruits Chris Payton and Alex Hemenway fell out of the "top 247" in the latest update. I wouldn't read too much into it because it's a really a fools errand to thoughtfully rank that many kids from a national perspective, but it's alway fun to take a look at.

Indiana Rankings:
1 Isaiah Stewart La Lumiere School (Rochester, NY)
2 Keion Brooks La Lumiere School (La Porte, IN)
3 Trayce Jackson-Davis Center Grove (Greenwood, IN)
4 Mason Gillis New Castle Chrysler Sch (New Castle, IN)
5 Emanuel Miller La Lumiere School (Canada, CANA)
6 Armaan Franklin Cathedral (Indianapolis, IN)
7 Isaiah Thompson Zionsville (Zionsville, IN)
8 Jakov Kukic La Lumiere School (La Porte, IN)
9 John-Michael Mulloy Carmel (Carmel, IN)
10 Alex Hemenway Castle (Newburgh, IN)
11 Paxson Wojcik La Lumiere School (La Porte, IN)
12 Cobie Barnes Floyd Central (Floyds Knobs, IN)
13 Jared Hankins Lawrence North (Indianapolis, IN)
14 Luke Bumbalough New Castle Chrysler Sch (New Castle, IN)
15 Lucas Kroft North Side (Fort Wayne, IN)
16 Aaron Etherington Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, IN)
17 Dexter Shouse Lawrence North (Indianapolis, IN)

Illinois Rankings:
1 E.J. Liddell Belleville West (Belleville, IL)
2 Terrence Shannon Lincoln Park (Chicago, IL)
3 Markese Jacobs Uplift (Chicago, IL)
4 DaJuan Gordon Curie Metropolitan (Chicago, IL)
5 Tom Welch Naperville North (Naperville, IL)
6 Marquise Kennedy Brother Rice (Oak Lawn, IL)
7 Chris Payton Bloomington (Bloomington, IL)
8 Terrence Hargrove Jr. East St. Louis (East Saint Louis, IL)
9 Ciaran Brayboy New Trier (Winnetka, IL)
10 Marquise Walker St. Joseph (Westchester, IL)
11 Perry Cowan DePaul College Prep (Chicago, IL)

[VULB#62]

Wow.  Sitting 34 miles from the chapel is a school that has 3 of the top 11 ranked players in Indiana.  Don't we have coach living in a tent just off that campus?  If not, we should.

[VUGrad1314]

The problem there is that most of the top players at La Lumiere pursue and receive P5 offers. Wojcik is an exception but that's what a Final 4 will do for you.

[VU2014]

The problem there is that most of the top players at La Lumiere pursue and receive P5 offers. Wojcik is an exception but that's what a Final 4 will do for you.

Recruiting La Lumiere is apparently all about who the coaching staff is friends with. Loyola has the in side track there. They've landed 2 kids in the last 2 years from that prep school. Porter Moser's assistant coach hire have been savvy when it comes to recruiting doors they open for them.

[IrishDawg]

The problem there is that most of the top players at La Lumiere pursue and receive P5 offers. Wojcik is an exception but that's what a Final 4 will do for you.

Wojcik wasn't one of those kids.  Offers from Columbia, Harvard, San Jose State, Illinois State, DePaul and Loyola by the time he committed in June.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/Valpo_Hoops/status/1032747694324965376
https://twitter.com/inthegymhoops_/status/1031984046111444992

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0EInqVkv-E&feature=youtu.be

[M]

Need to convince him this is the place to be. Would love to hear that he cancels his SIU visit.

[wh]

[/quote]

Need to convince him this is the place to be. Would love to hear that he cancels his SIU visit.

Ok, here's a subtle tiebreaker. Bloomington is 100 miles closer to Valpo than it is to Carbondale. An easier, less time consuming, less costly trip for family and friends to attend home games.

Savings:
Money - 16 games/year x 200 miles/game = 3200 miles/season = 12,800 miles over 4 years = $6800 @ $.535/mi.
Travel Time - 2 Hrs/game

[VUGrad1314]

The staff is still going to have to do a good job selling him on the program. If travel were the only concern why not just stick with the hometown Redbirds? I'll say this much though, the fact that he came to the camp here got an offer and scheduled VU as his first visit is a tremendously positive development. I really hope he commits.

[wh]

The staff is still going to have to do a good job selling him on the program. If travel were the only concern why not just stick with the hometown Redbirds? I'll say this much though, the fact that he came to the camp here got an offer and scheduled VU as his first visit is a tremendously positive development. I really hope he commits.

I called it a subtle tiebreaker, not "the only concern." lol  Obviously, it's 1 minor thing among a ton of considerations, but I will say this.  If Illinois State were on his list, don't think they wouldn't be playing up the family time and expense thing for all it's worth. Secondly, driving an extra 200 miles and spending an extra 2-3 hours on the road on a weeknight in the dead of winter after working all day to watch your son play and then having to get up early the next morning to go back to work is more than a minor additional sacrifice or inconvenience. 

[VU2014]

Hopefully they get a good crowd to make a strong impression. Fingers crossed the weather holds up.

https://twitter.com/CoachLottich/status/1033108164961624065
https://twitter.com/valpoathletics/status/1033092340213264384

[VU2014]

Any word on how the Chris Payton visit went?

[elephtheria47]

Brandon Newman is returning to valpo high. His mother is sick. Purdue isn't that far away and I think they are the leaders, but something to keep an eye on.

[VU2014]

Brandon Newman is returning to valpo high. His mother is sick. Purdue isn't that far away and I think they are the leaders, but something to keep an eye on.

I hope his Mom gets well soon. 🙏

https://twitter.com/ballislife_219/status/1033802196599615489?s=20

[VULB#62]

Brandon Newman is returning to valpo high. His mother is sick. Purdue isn't that far away and I think they are the leaders, but something to keep an eye on.

I hope his Mom gets well soon. 🙏

https://twitter.com/ballislife_219/status/1033802196599615489?s=20

That is so tough on a young man. I hope the family will get through this and that Brandon will be able to cope.

[VU2014]

Any word on how the Chris Payton visit went?

As of right now it sounds like he's still going to that SIU visit on Sept. 14. Hopefully the visit went well and we made a strong impression. Over the weekend his Meanstreats AAU teammate committed to SIU.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/Valpo_Hoops/status/1034618012450676737
https://twitter.com/chilandprephoop/status/1032806443785900032

[wh]

https://twitter.com/Valpo_Hoops/status/1034618012450676737
https://twitter.com/chilandprephoop/status/1032806443785900032

It will be great adding Top 5 recruits from IL in back to back years.

[VU2014]

Just saw this. I don't know who Sal is or his credibility but he has some legit people following his account. He also has the inside scoop on some of the top recruits in the state of Illinois.

It's encouraging to hear that we may be in his top 2. It's a little unusual to decommit from ISUr and then come back to them, but it was unusual for him to initially verbally commit so early in the process. Bloomington is his hometown so that may or may not be an advantage or disadvantage for them. He mentioned that he thinks he'll end up committing to a school that hasn't been offered yet. Nevada? They were rumored to be in the mix because they hired a coach that is from the Midwest and has a personal relationship with him.

https://twitter.com/salspeaksball/status/1035350700530778114