Moussa Gueye tears ACL

[valpopal]

Transfer Moussa Gueye tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a Wednesday pick-up game in Tuscaloosa. Gueye had surgery and will be out indefinitely...

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/08/27/1709113/alabama-basketball-7-foot-transfer.html

[valpopal]

Here is the NWI Times report on Gueye's injury. However, the interesting parts are the following comments:

"There is no telling whether Vashil Fernandez will turn out to be a better college basketball player than Moussa Gueye, but one thing is for certain: Fernandez will play more games than Gueye this season... Fernandez has yet to be officially announced as a member of the 2011-12 Valparaiso roster, but the Jamaican big man is widely expected to earn significant playing time in the post."

I spoke to Vashil very briefly on Friday, but I did not feel it would be right to ask him about his status. Nevertheless, since fall semester classes have begun, everyone knows he is on campus, and news articles like the above are making statements about how much playing time he will be getting this year, shouldn't we be hearing an official statement soon?

http://www.nwitimes.com/blogs/sports/valparaiso-university/article_8f10a476-d19b-11e0-9063-001cc4c002e0.html

[vu72]

He is a student but his eligibility is still in question pending more paperwork from Jamaica.  It is possible that he may redshirt due to these issues.  This info is from a reliable source.

[valpopal]

He is a student but his eligibility is still in question pending more paperwork from Jamaica.  It is possible that he may redshirt due to these issues.  This info is from a reliable source.

Though I'd previously heard a rumor he had been cleared to play, I also was thinking more paperwork was needed, but the news article by Oren seems so sure that Fernandez will be playing this year ("one thing is for certain: Fernandez will play more games than Gueye this season") that I was wondering if he knows more about the current state of Vashil's status.

[lowposter]

Fernandez was announced today as a member of the team.

Just saw it on the VU website.

lowposter

[valpotx]

Yes, ask and ye shall receive!

[valpospartan]

and we get another questionable free throw shooter:

2011 National Prep School Invitational: Brehm Prep vs. Princeton Day #1

#25, shoots a FT, near the end of the video.

[valpotx]

We all know that he will be a little raw, but he does have some good length with his arms.  As he gets more experience and working with our coaches, I am sure he will be a productive player! 

Moving without the ball and positioning on defense will need to be worked on based on this video.

[cmack]

I am glad to know that he is just a little raw.  Here and I was expecting a big body with no discernible basketball talent.  Am I alone in thinking that players should not LEARN the game in college at a Division I school?

[lowposter]

cmack:

Does not one go to college to learn?

lowposter

[valpopal]

Here is an article today from CBS Sports about Green Bay's center Alec Brown that might be useful when thinking about the possibility of a player like Fernandez to develop:

Hidden Gem: Meet 7-footer Alec Brown

http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/31646263?source=rss_blogs_NCAAB

[agibson]

Fernandez was announced today as a member of the team.

Just saw it on the VU website.

Is _this_ where we announced the news, on the board?

Here I was assuming there'd be a dedicated thread.

[vu72]

Hopefully a guy like Yeo will grow a bunch also over the next two years!  Seriously, we could have had Brown but showed no interest.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing.  If Fernandez is 3/4 as good as Brown we have a winner.