Recruiting 2019

[4throwfan]

I agree with wh for the most part, but would frame it a little differently.  Bringing Sorolla back likely means stopping a regression, but I don't think it means improving the team more than incrementally, with the incremental part being his own incremental yoy improvement.

[JD24]

We ran the offense through a offense first big last season and how did that work out? This team needs a 4 or a 5 who can take on a the bulk of the minutes and play solid-good defense and clean up the glass and get have a solid FG % in the post. Sorolla offers that. Not to mention he has experience playing with a good chunk of the roster. Chemistry is somewhat there already. He's not a perfect player but he's pretty solid and there is some room with upside down with him actually being healthy next season. I think most of the offense will need to come from the wings and Fazekas. I actually think the backcourt has the chance to be more efficient offensively next season if the Javontakes the next step, along with guys like Sackey taking the next step. There isn't a offensive big man on the transfer market that is going to be a guy you want to run the offense through. I can't emphasize enough how thin the tansfer market is for big men.

Agree with your main point that Valpo's offensive improvement is going to have to come through better play on the wings and guards, but I don't think running the offense through Smits is what caused it to be so poor last year.  With Fazekas being hurt so often, Golder regressing, Sorolla having his worst year offensively due to injury, Evelyn having a historically bad year, Freeman being a freshman that needed to grow on the offensive end, and Sackey being so bad offensively, Smits was basically the only offensive bright spot that Valpo had, especially during conference play.  I do think Freeman should make a jump offensively, Robinson should at least be solid, Gordon could be good, but given how little he did offensively at Seton Hall, I might temper expectations that he'll be a big-time scorer right away, and Fazekas being healthy might be the biggest factor in how good Valpo can be offensively this year. Here were Valpo's individual offensive ratings during conference play last year (100 is average) and their total % of offensive possessions used in the conference games they played. 1. Fazekas - 107.9 (4.32%) 2. Smits - 103.5 (16.22%) 3. Kiser - 102.7 (4.19%) 4. Lavender - 99.2 (13.05%) 5. Freeman - 97.5 (16.27%) 6. Sorolla - 96.4 (6.69%) 7. Golder - 91.0 (11.59%) 8. McMillan - 86.7 (3.35%) 9. Evelyn - 81.7 (12.14%) 10. Sackey - 79.7 (10.32%) So when about 3/4 of the team's total offensive possessions during were used by guys who had below average offensive years in MVC play, you can see why the team's offensive rating was the worst in the league last season.  FWIW - Gordon had an offensive efficiency rating of 100.4 and Robinson had a rating of 107.8 in their last years at their previous stops, though neither were heavy usage guys on the offensive end.

Can you explain the stat/rating for those on the board who might be interested?

[IrishDawg]

Can you explain the stat/rating for those on the board who might be interested?

Certainly - it essentially measures an individual player's points per 100 possessions by looking at 4 factors.  Effective field goal percentage (like regular field goal %, but factors in that 3 point field goals are worth 1.5 times 2 point field goals), turnover rate, offensive rebounding rate and free throw rate (rate at which a player gets to the foul line).  To get a better rating, players need to shoot the ball well, take care of the ball, rebound the ball on the offensive end well and get to the foul line often.

[JD24]

Can you explain the stat/rating for those on the board who might be interested?

Certainly - it essentially measures an individual player's points per 100 possessions by looking at 4 factors.  Effective field goal percentage (like regular field goal %, but factors in that 3 point field goals are worth 1.5 times 2 point field goals), turnover rate, offensive rebounding rate and free throw rate (rate at which a player gets to the foul line).  To get a better rating, players need to shoot the ball well, take care of the ball, rebound the ball on the offensive end well and get to the foul line often.

Thanks and it makes some sense.

Does it measure or is there any measurement of how a player might, for lack of a better way of putting it, hang on to the ball too long while trying to decide what to do with the ball? I'm not being facetious here and I've seen Guards do this as well. I do think this was an issue with Smits last year as the offense what come to a halt while he decided what to do with the ball. I don't know how this would get measured.

[bbtds]

Does it measure or is there any measurement of how a player might, for lack of a better way of putting it, hang on to the ball too long while trying to decide what to do with the ball? I'm not being facetious here and I've seen Guards do this as well. I do think this was an issue with Smits last year as the offense what come to a halt while he decided what to do with the ball. I don't know how this would get measured.

You could invent it by measuring points scored to time handling the ball without an asst or score. You could call it the "IBS, we got the Smits again" stat. IBS stands for Irritable Bad Stall.

[EddieCabot]

Anyone heard any updates on targets for the last scholarship?  I think another big guy needs to be added, but maybe the staff will hold it and hope for a home run mid-year transfer.

[vuny98]

Anyone heard any updates on targets for the last scholarship?  I think another big guy needs to be added, but maybe the staff will hold it and hope for a home run mid-year transfer.

I think a quality big man would be the best fit, but I would think that also depends on how confident the staff is on Freese-Vilien. Also, at 6-8 and 6-7, Krikke and Clay have some height as well. So even if we don't add a big man, we have some incoming bodies that have decent height to go along with Mileek and Ryan to compete with most teams inside.

[vu72]

Anyone heard any updates on targets for the last scholarship?  I think another big guy needs to be added, but maybe the staff will hold it and hope for a home run mid-year transfer.

If Sorolla is gone then we have two, don't we?

[vuny98]

Anyone heard any updates on targets for the last scholarship?  I think another big guy needs to be added, but maybe the staff will hold it and hope for a home run mid-year transfer.

If Sorolla is gone then we have two, don't we?

Almost positive that the Sorolla was already counted as gone in the scholarship count. So we have one left, if he comes back then we are filled.

[EddieCabot]

Anyone heard any updates on targets for the last scholarship?  I think another big guy needs to be added, but maybe the staff will hold it and hope for a home run mid-year transfer.

If Sorolla is gone then we have two, don't we?

Difficult to keep track.  Kiser, Fazekas, Gordon, Robinson, Morgan, McMillen, Sackey, Freeman, Lorange, Clay, Krikke and Freese-Vilien = 12.  That leaves one scholarship available for Sorrolla to return or to add another newcomer.

[VUBBFan]

Sounds like a mature high character player we're getting. Can't wait to see how he plays for us.

https://twitter.com/DonovanClay11/status/1132303334466105345

[wh]

Sounds like a mature high character player we're getting. Can't wait to see how he plays for us.

https://twitter.com/DonovanClay11/status/1132303334466105345

When you read posts like this you are reminded that there is so much more to these young guys than athletic ability.

[VU2014]

Former Valpo recruit decommitted from SIU. He initially committed to SIU while Barry Hinson was still the SIU Head Coach. He also mysteriously left his High School basketball team which is a red-flag. I'm not sure if he wanted to be at SIU once Hinson left, because he wasn't Mullins recruit. I'm not sure Valpo is still interested but it's certainly strange timing...

He's uber athletic but doesn't have a consistent jump shot. He's also a little undersized for the 4. He's kind of a tweener. It seemed to have scared off P5s. It seems like wanted to be at P5 but the serious interest that developed his So/Jr season dried up a bit. Valpo was in his "final 3" if I remember correctly.

https://twitter.com/THefferman/status/1138525997064773639

[FieldGoodie05]

Former Valpo recruit decommitted from SIU. He initially committed to SIU while Barry Hinson was still the SIU Head Coach. He also mysteriously left his High School basketball team which is a red-flag. I'm not sure if he wanted to be at SIU once Hinson left, because he wasn't Mullins recruit. I'm not sure Valpo is still interested but it's certainly strange timing...

He's uber athletic but doesn't have a consistent jump shot. He's also a little undersized for the 4. He's kind of a tweener. It seemed to have scared off P5s. It seems like wanted to be at P5 but the serious interest that developed his So/Jr season dried up a bit. Valpo was in his "final 3" if I remember correctly.

https://twitter.com/THefferman/status/1138525997064773639

Before I heard he up and quit his high school team I was high on his heart and abilities.  But after reading things like this I think I'd take a pass, we had enough of that selfishness with several players the last few years IMO.

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/basketball/bloomington-high-star-chris-payton-leaves-basketball-team/article_6856cf9d-73f0-537b-8058-b788da608765.html

[VU2014]

Former Valpo recruit decommitted from SIU. He initially committed to SIU while Barry Hinson was still the SIU Head Coach. He also mysteriously left his High School basketball team which is a red-flag. I'm not sure if he wanted to be at SIU once Hinson left, because he wasn't Mullins recruit. I'm not sure Valpo is still interested but it's certainly strange timing...

He's uber athletic but doesn't have a consistent jump shot. He's also a little undersized for the 4. He's kind of a tweener. It seemed to have scared off P5s. It seems like wanted to be at P5 but the serious interest that developed his So/Jr season dried up a bit. Valpo was in his "final 3" if I remember correctly.

https://twitter.com/THefferman/status/1138525997064773639

Before I heard he up and quit his high school team I was high on his heart and abilities.  But after reading things like this I think I'd take a pass, we had enough of that selfishness with several players the last few years IMO.

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/basketball/bloomington-high-star-chris-payton-leaves-basketball-team/article_6856cf9d-73f0-537b-8058-b788da608765.html

Yeah his actions sort of feel like the "selfishness" that Coach Lottich said he wanted rid of the team. Or I he defined it as the "me" mentality that I'd love to him further explain about last seasons team. If he ever joins Paul for a podcast I love to hear him expand on that or at least describe what a "me" player is without naming names, which he'd never publicly do.

[bbtds]

Yeah his actions sort of feel like the "selfishness" that Coach Lottich said he wanted rid of the team. Or I he defined it as the "me" mentality that I'd love to him further explain about last seasons team. If he ever joins Paul for a podcast I love to hear him expand on that or at least describe what a "me" player is without naming names, which he'd never publicly do.

It certainly puts a big question mark over Payton. The fact that his older brother also quit the same high school team in the same manner makes you wonder if it points to a family situation that neither of the brothers could overcome. I would think that Payton would need to prove himself on a lower college level such as Div. II or III or a low major in Div. I before he would be given a chance at a mid-major or high-major program in Div. I. If the situation that made him quit on his HS team is rectified and he proves himself on a college level than maybe Valpo could take a chance on Payton.

[valpo84]

Was curious about a couple recruits and how they were doing.

David Skogman is on the Buffalo roster, but has not played this year.  Could not determine if they are redshirting him, or if he is injured.  Whitesell is the coach there, former Loyola coach.

Prosper Obidiebube has played just 9 games for 38 minutes at UT-Chattanooga.

No opinions just wondering how they were doing.