Wood to Michigan State. Official

[dcvalpo]

 Cory was a stud for Valpo.

No.  That is too strong of praise.  If Cory was a stud, then what would you use to describe Brandon, Ivan, Raitis, Bryce, etc?  Those guys were all much better than Cory.  Studs don't disappear in big games, and Cory did so on multiple occasions.

He was a good player.  Not a stud, not great, etc.  

P.S.  In the game against Oakland, Benson was in foul trouble most of the game and only played 23 minutes.  To try and make it out like Cory really took it to him is a bit disingenuous.  

[dcvalpo]

Also, the "bad ankles" excuse for bad three point shooting is a new one...I'm going to have to use that one in church league! 

[rlh]

why is this discussion going on....did Corey ever do anything that would detract from his play here?  He gave us all he had for two year, despite being outmanned, outsized and out of position....I personally have nothing but respect for him and the way he played for us...not sure what your problem with him is, DC Valpo ,  but he doesn't deserve it

[vu72]

  Cory was a stud for Valpo.

No.  That is too strong of praise.  If Cory was a stud, then what would you use to describe Brandon, Ivan, Raitis, Bryce, etc?  Those guys were all much better than Cory.  Studs don't disappear in big games, and Cory did so on multiple occasions.

He was a good player.  Not a stud, not great, etc. 

P.S.  In the game against Oakland, Benson was in foul trouble most of the game and only played 23 minutes.  To try and make it out like Cory really took it to him is a bit disingenuous. 

Well, your the one who said "studs don't disappear in big games". Let's take a look:  I randomly looked at four games which could be considered "big" from last year.  They were the game at Kansas, the 2 Butler games, and the Iona game.  You also put Brandon in the "stud" category so surely he couldn't have "disappeared" during those big games could he??

Cory scored 10 points and 7 boards at Kansas.  Your stud Brandon had 9 points.  Against Butler in game 1 Cory had 14 points and Brandon had 9.  Against Butler in game 2 Cory had 16 and Brandon 15.  Against Iona Cory had 14 and Brandon 7.

I am in no way saying Brandon wasn't a stud.  What I am saying is that people should be willing to back up their comments with facts.  I just did.

And as for the ankle thing.  It was well documented and reported in the newspapers.  Cory could hardly walk in the early part of the season.  Ask Rod Moore whether or not Cory was tough.

I also seemed to miss the rebuttle about Cory's play against the great Eli Holman.  And that rebuttle was??

[dcvalpo]

  Cory was a stud for Valpo.

No.  That is too strong of praise.  If Cory was a stud, then what would you use to describe Brandon, Ivan, Raitis, Bryce, etc?  Those guys were all much better than Cory.  Studs don't disappear in big games, and Cory did so on multiple occasions.

He was a good player.  Not a stud, not great, etc. 

P.S.  In the game against Oakland, Benson was in foul trouble most of the game and only played 23 minutes.  To try and make it out like Cory really took it to him is a bit disingenuous. 

Well, your the one who said "studs don't disappear in big games". Let's take a look:  I randomly looked at four games which could be considered "big" from last year.  They were the game at Kansas, the 2 Butler games, and the Iona game.  You also put Brandon in the "stud" category so surely he couldn't have "disappeared" during those big games could he??

Cory scored 10 points and 7 boards at Kansas.  Your stud Brandon had 9 points.  Against Butler in game 1 Cory had 14 points and Brandon had 9.  Against Butler in game 2 Cory had 16 and Brandon 15.  Against Iona Cory had 14 and Brandon 7.

I am in no way saying Brandon wasn't a stud.  What I am saying is that people should be willing to back up their comments with facts.  I just did.

And as for the ankle thing.  It was well documented and reported in the newspapers.  Cory could hardly walk in the early part of the season.  Ask Rod Moore whether or not Cory was tough.

I also seemed to miss the rebuttle about Cory's play against the great Eli Holman.  And that rebuttle was??

Ok, then I stand corrected...Brandon is not a stud either.  He was consistently better than Cory, but I will remove him from my stud category. 

I'm not disputing whether Cory was hurt...he was banged up.  But the ankles weren't necessarily the cause for his bad shooting.  I think the bigger problem was that he took twice as many three pointers as the year before and more last season than all his other seasons combined.  He shot too much.  That was plain to see.

FYI, I didn't bring up Holman.  I didn't need to rebut that since I wasn't involved in that argument.

RLH, why do you single me out as having a "problem" with Cory?  First of all, there are multiple posters here pointing out some of Cory's deficiencies.  Second, I said he was a good player.  I appreciate how hard he worked and the scoring he brought to the program.  But, if we are going to have a forum to discuss Valpo basketball, discussing the impact of players can't be off limits, even if an opinion is negative. 

Ok, that is my last word on Cory.  Good, not great player...we will miss his scoring but will benefit from having more toughness on the block.

[valpospartan]

How does a thread about wood leaving turn into an argument whether another player is good, bad, tough, soft, a stud or whatever?

Give it up, guys.

[dcvalpo]

How does a thread about wood leaving turn into an argument whether another player is good, bad, tough, soft, a stud or whatever?

Give it up, guys.

You're right...let's get back to Michigan State basketball.

[agibson]

Ok, that is my last word on Cory.  Good, not great player...we will miss his scoring but will benefit from having more toughness on the block.

Unfortunately, I suppose you meant that we _would_ benefit from more toughness on the block!  We'll see what develops...

[agibson]

So, coming back to Brandon.  I can't help but wonder how all of this connects to Homer's departure.  Did Brandon know before he left?  Did Homer's departure speed Brandon's? Or vice versa?  I can well imagine that Homer delayed his departure by some weeks to finish negotiations with Brandon.  I wonder if it means that all other personnel moves for the season were also tied up in advance, before Homer left...

[agibson]

For a little outside perspective on the Wood vs. Johnson debate, Bleacher Report weighs in.  (That is, it's outside perspective unless one of you wrote the piece.)  At the end of their "Bryce takes over" piece http://bleacherreport.com/articles/703264-valparaiso-crusaders-homer-drew-to-retire-bryce-to-take-over-program they have

The loss of seniors Cory Johnson, Howard Little and Michael Rogers, as well as the transfer of Junior guard Brandon Wood, (after flirting with the NBA Draft) will leave Bryce with a young but talented squad.  Finding scoring shouldn't be a problem, as Valpo still has great depth on the wings and at the point (including transfers Will Bogan from Ole Miss and Ben Boggs from Virginia Tech).  The biggest challenge will be replacing forward Cory Johnson.

Forward Richie Edwards (JUCO Sophomore) and guard/forward Dino Jakolis of Croatia join the transfers on the 2011-12 squad, looking to build off its best season in a decade.

[dcvalpo]

Did you write that?

[agibson]

Nope, not me, a certain Dave E.  I don't know if he's active here - I assumed not, but don't really know.

A 2010 Alumnus of Valparaiso University with a degree in muisic and lifelong Cleveland and Ohio State fan. Dave looks to give a former student's perspective on the Valparaiso basketball team, as well as thoughts about Ohio's teams. MLB, Horizon League Basketball, and College Football commentary can be found as well.

[bbtds]

dcvalpo wrote:

But, if we are going to have a forum to discuss Valpo basketball, discussing the impact of players can't be off limits, even if an opinion is negative. 

Excellent point! I think this should be one of the mission statements of this board. Obviously no cheap shots but let people give their opinion. If it means starting a new thread so be it but it must be wide open for all opinions.

[Crusader65]

So, coming back to Brandon.  I can't help but wonder how all of this connects to Homer's departure.  Did Brandon know before he left?  Did Homer's departure speed Brandon's? Or vice versa?  I can well imagine that Homer delayed his departure by some weeks to finish negotiations with Brandon.  I wonder if it means that all other personnel moves for the season were also tied up in advance, before Homer left...

All good questions but I believe Brandon was looking out for Brandon.  On this coming years team I see more roll players with more balanced scoring and feeding the "HOT" hand more which is not Brandon's strong point.  There was a time late in the season where a swore that Brandon didn't want to share with Broekhoff because he (Broekhoff) was gaining more of the limelight.  Ryan wasn't seeking this but was naturally maturing into a very difficult match-up for many in our conference.  Brandon saw a bigger stage with spotlight and unique circumstances that was a window of opportunity.  I don't blame him for taking it I just wonder why he thought he had to look.  I believe he saw the writing on the wall that Valpo was going to be more balanced and even though talk of featuring him, it still might have limited his showcase.  He wants the NBA - I don't think he has the resume yet and he hopes a run in the BigTen(12) with a NCAA appearance almost assured is a better way for him to go.

[bbtds]

Here is a senario that no one at Valpo wants to really face as the truth but what if Brandon is right and this does lead to at least at shot for him on an NBA team that he would not have gotten by staying at Valpo? Sometimes it's all about perception. Lubos Barton never got a chance at making an NBA team. Then Missouri basketball coach, Quin Snyder, thought that was the biggest surprise in that year's NBA draft.

[DMvalpo18]

i guess i also stand corrected. cory played pretty well against holman. still, i will put it to rest on my end by agreeing with dcvalpo. good player. not legend.

[valpo84]

By the way, Lubos had a shot at the NBA. The Cavs had him on their summer team that year. I thought he played well enough that summer to be included on a very bad Cavs team (pre-Quitness era). Lubos had NBA shooting range but was labeled slow and no D. Frankly, he was better than fellow countryman Jiri Welsch whom he played with on Junior teams, who later was traded to Cavs. We used to razz Welsch as he sat at the end of the bench telling him Lubos was better. He pointed to his wallet in reply.

[dcvalpo]

By the way, Lubos had a shot at the NBA. The Cavs had him on their summer team that year. I thought he played well enough that summer to be included on a very bad Cavs team (pre-Quitness era). Lubos had NBA shooting range but was labeled slow and no D. Frankly, he was better than fellow countryman Jiri Welsch whom he played with on Junior teams, who later was traded to Cavs. We used to razz Welsch as he sat at the end of the bench telling him Lubos was better. He pointed to his wallet in reply.

LOL 

[valpospartan]

Meanwhile, back to Brandon Wood.....
Tom Izzo said this about BW, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press:

"He's going to help us a lot because we have so little depth there," Izzo said Wednesday at the Big Ten spring meetings. "He's a guy that's been proven. At the same time it will be a big adjustment to make in a short period of time."

Izzo sees Wood, an All-Horizon League player, as more of a shooting guard who can play the point as well.

"We need scoring at the position and he's going to have to play some (point guard), that's what I've seen on film," Izzo said. "He's got size (6-feet-3), he's 210 (pounds)."

http://www.freep.com/article/20110519/SPORTS07/105190659/1055/NLETTER07/Izzo-on-transfer-Brandon-Wood---He-s-going-to-help-us-a-lot-?source=nletter-sports

[vu72]

By the way, Lubos had a shot at the NBA. The Cavs had him on their summer team that year. I thought he played well enough that summer to be included on a very bad Cavs team (pre-Quitness era). Lubos had NBA shooting range but was labeled slow and no D. Frankly, he was better than fellow countryman Jiri Welsch whom he played with on Junior teams, who later was traded to Cavs. We used to razz Welsch as he sat at the end of the bench telling him Lubos was better. He pointed to his wallet in reply.

Funny story about Jeri Welsch, and this goes back to when Lubos was a Sophomore or Junior.  I was in Homer's office talking about recruits and he said they were after a kid named Jeri Welsch (I remember him actually saying that he had a commitment--which was down graded by one of the assistants to a maybe), as a "backup plan" in case Lubos decided to turn pro!  Funny how the worm turns sometimes!

[sectionee]

I don't recall Brandon ever running the point during his two years here.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  That could be a tough challenge for him as the pg has to know everything about every play, handle full court pressure, and make good decisions all the time.

[Valpo89]

Since when is Brandon 6-3, 210?
I'm thinking more like 6-1, 190.

[agibson]

I don't recall Brandon ever running the point during his two years here.  Please correct me if I'm wrong. 

Really?  I think I've gone to the other extreme, and actually listed him on the point guard depth chart.  I think many others didn't go that far.  But, I thought he brought the ball up now and then, etc.

[sectionee]

You could be right.  Seems last year it was either Buggs or Harris the majority of the time and the year before wasn't Kurth bringing the ball up court?  I guess I wouldn't think of him as a point guard and will be interested to see how he manages to grasps the most important position on the court.

[dcvalpo]

Since when is Brandon 6-3, 210?
I'm thinking more like 6-1, 190.

That may even be generous...I was thinking more like 5'9", 145