Recruiting: 2024

[VUBBFan]

Does anyone have a list of our "committed" roster players for this coming season?  And also, do we still have offers out on which we have not received a final decision for this coming season?

Try this link: [size=78%]Verbal Commits[/size]

[valpo64]

Thanks, VUBBfan.

[valpopal]

Coach Powell has extended an offer to Davis Bynum, class of '24, a 6'8" forward from East St. Louis, Illinois:

[valpopal]

Angelo Ciaravino, 6'6" guard in class of '24, has received an offer from Valpo:
[tweet]1670599127451803648[/tweet]

[wh]

https://twitter.com/scottybscout/status/1670529190423150592?s=20

[VULB#62]

Here's the Tweet that confirms Pal's previous post. The staff was busy at The Shootout. 6'8" from East St. Louis. Later got offers from SIU-E and EIU.

https://twitter.com/d1davvis/status/1670602289407578114?s=20

[wh]

Our new coaching staff is totally transparent about what they're up to on the recruiting trail.

https://twitter.com/RVilleLivehoops/status/1672786754468814850?s=20

https://twitter.com/RVilleLivehoops/status/1669532510169051136?s=20

[wh]

Jason Jakstys PF 6-10 185 3-star

https://247sports.com/player/jason-jakstys-46139009/

[VULB#62]

I believe he is a 25 and part of the recent surge in Valpo offers that are highlighted in the 2025 string and PO's Twitter.  He is a rising junior, but his height/wt/* rating are important info.

The Romeoville, Appleton and Indianapolis recruiting trips this weekend are focused on 25s.

[vu84v2]

I believe he is a 25 and part of the recent surge in Valpo offers that are highlighted in the 2025 string and PO's Twitter.  He is a rising junior, but his height/wt/* rating are important info.

The Romeoville, Appleton and Indianapolis recruiting trips this weekend are focused on 25s.

Pat Baldwin Sr. was at the Appleton event (as were my wife and I) on Saturday.

[wh]

I believe he is a 25 and part of the recent surge in Valpo offers that are highlighted in the 2025 string and PO's Twitter.  He is a rising junior, but his height/wt/* rating are important info.

The Romeoville, Appleton and Indianapolis recruiting trips this weekend are focused on 25s.

247 says he's a 2024.

https://247sports.com/player/jason-jakstys-46139009/

[JD24]

Jason Jakstys

Every site I went to said '24 including the guys twitter. He's got some P5 offers including Illinois. Probably a longshot for Valpo at this point

[wh]

Another 3-star

https://twitter.com/J_Stanton21/status/1672074118760472577?s=20

https://youtube.com/watch?v=m_SKPJFJe4Y&feature=share

[tiny707]

We have no scholarships available in 2024. I don't see transfer's happening like Lottich era. Ben Jacobsen had zero transfers.

[VULB#62]

We have no scholarships available in 2024. I don't see transfer's happening like Lottich era. Ben Jacobsen had zero transfers.

     I'm confused.  I've predicated my views and comments on this string (and those in the 25 string) based on the zero schollies available in 24 — as Tiny points out and TVB spreadsheet indicates.  OK, I can maybe see one slot opening if, say, Connor intends to graduate and move on.  But can someone explain why Roger and his staff would offer so many 24s when technically, right now, no slots are open. Does Roger anticipate an exodus (forced or for whatever motivation) after year one, and he's hedging this year's bets? Is he offering 24s now as possible insurance (i.e., transfers-in) for 25? Are there any other scenarios out there that can explain it? I need help getting my head around this.

PO:  Can you help sort out the offers for us?

[historyman]

It certainly makes sense that Coach Powell was in Romeoville. He is from Juliet, you know. Ok, old joke from a guy who works much of the Chicago area.

[crusader05]

As of right now, if we don't fill the last scholarship spot we have 2 for 24 with one already committed. It could be that knows more about Palm and Connors plans and knows they won't be around for their 5th year so he's planning on  having 4 spots. Or he figures on transfers or he just wants to have Valpo's name out there connected to top recruits that he knows he isn't going to get. Offers only turn into spots if they commit before scholarships fill. It can also put some pressure on the kids to make a decision: you have a spot but I have two other guys who are interested and we are not going to wait forever.

[VULB#62]

As of right now, if we don't fill the last scholarship spot we have 2 for 24 with one already committed. It could be that knows more about Palm and Connors plans and knows they won't be around for their 5th year so he's planning on  having 4 spots. Or he figures on transfers or he just wants to have Valpo's name out there connected to top recruits that he knows he isn't going to get. Offers only turn into spots if they commit before scholarships fill. It can also put some pressure on the kids to make a decision: you have a spot but I have two other guys who are interested and we are not going to wait forever.

05, according to Paul's TVB spread there is only ONE spot open for 24-25 and that is already committed to McNair (IDK if there is a signed NLI though).  But you could be correct on Connor and Jerome's future plans, so that's still three spots, though not four. And who knows who else might decide to leave after this coming season.

As an aside to this, in Paul's latest TVB release, he interviews the the three remaining holdovers — Connor, Jerome and Darius — and Connor mentions his desire to contribute to a championship, so he might stick around till he's out of eligibility at the end of 24-25.

[AB]

Not uncommon for coaches to recruit over the players they have. Insurance. Likely going to be two, three transfers each year. That is probably the norm for most schools. Jacobson lost his best returning player Noah Carter to Mizzou last year. It happens. Agreed, too many transfers under Lottich. So far, it appears we are recruiting for his style of play as opposed to recruiting a good player and putting a square peg in a round hole. You could trust JFL, Kiser and Frazekas with that. The Outlier in one season

[wh]

3-star players should not be out of reach. The Mountain West is recruiting 3-stars all day long, which explains why they were ranked 5th in conference NET and had 4 entries in the tournament. Meanwhile, the MVC finished 15th and had 1 low seed. At least for the moment we are very average mid-major conference with a lot of mouths to feed (think MAC 2.0).

[VULB#62]

Agree on the target-ability of 3* players for Roger. Once Valpo's style of play is documented by even just one season of game results and tape, Roger and his staff will go after "his type" of 3* player and I'll bet they'll land some — not just any 3*,  they'll have to be his kind of kid.

[wh]

Agree on the target-ability of 3* players for Roger. Once Valpo's style of play is documented by even just one season of game results and tape, Roger and his staff will go after "his type" of 3* player and I'll bet they'll land some — not just any 3*,  they'll have to be his kind of kid.

Maximus Nelson was a Rivals 3-star. To your point, he would not have fit Roger's recruiting profile of fast, athletic players that thrive in the open court, put good shots up early in the clock, play very physically, etc. That said, Max is fine young man and a good bb player. I wish him the very best at Ft. Wayne.

[VULB#62]

WH, you're succinct characterization of the style we hope will come out of the Valpo locker room on game night is offensive — in a good way 😂. 

Backstory:  Since I was at Concordia Prep, Bronxville, NY, too many decades ago, defense was injected into my bloodstream from the start. I played LB/TE and captained a FB team that gave up 12 points in my entire senior season — that actually got me to Valpo, BTW. At Valpo, as a sophomore (freshmen were ineligible back then) I immediately started at RG/LB (two-way football back then and I had no way, at 6'1", playing over Sr. TE Bill Schade who went to the Cowboys rookie camp) because I could play D and I was a decent blocker.  So......

Defense is the first thing I watch when I am at a game regardless if it is HS, college, pro, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, pickleball or whatever.  The last seven years under Matt, was so frustrating, because in some games the kids wound up playing good defense; others, what's that?  Tonight let's rebound; other nights, why should we do that?

I fervently hope that the speed and athleticism components equate not only to fast-paced scoring, but that those same qualities also equally translate into kick-butt rebounding and shut-the-door defense. Rim protection doesn't have to depend on just one guy (I love ya Vashil); it can be a team goal. And the paint can be made hell for anyone coming into the ARC.

My beliefs are simple.

If your athletic players hit their shots and play lock-down defense, they'll definitely win
If your athletic players hit their shots and play "just" adequate defense, they'll probably win.
If your athletic players have an off night shooting but still play lock-down defense, they'll probably win
If your athletic players have an off night shooting and play "just" adequate defense it's a 50/50 at best
        And, of course....
If your athletic players have an off night shooting and don't play much defense it's a guaranteed L, unless you are playing Chicago State. Oops! Check that.  Last season we proved that premise is no longer valid.

[wh]

WH, you're succinct characterization of the style we hope will come out of the Valpo locker room on game night is offensive — in a good way 😂. 

Backstory:  Since I was at Concordia Prep, Bronxville, NY, too many decades ago, defense was injected into my bloodstream from the start. I played LB/TE and captained a FB team that gave up 12 points in my entire senior season — that actually got me to Valpo, BTW. At Valpo, as a sophomore (freshmen were ineligible back then) I immediately started at RG/LB (two-way football back then and I had no way, at 6'1", playing over Sr. TE Bill Schade who went to the Cowboys rookie camp) because I could play D and I was a decent blocker.  So......

Defense is the first thing I watch when I am at a game regardless if it is HS, college, pro, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, pickleball or whatever.  The last seven years under Matt, was so frustrating, because in some games the kids wound up playing good defense; others, what's that?  Tonight let's rebound; other nights, why should we do that?

I fervently hope that the speed and athleticism components equate not only to fast-paced scoring, but that those same qualities also equally translate into kick-butt rebounding and shut-the-door defense. Rim protection doesn't have to depend on just one guy (I love ya Vashil); it can be a team goal. And the paint can be made hell for anyone coming into the ARC.

My beliefs are simple.

If your athletic players hit their shots and play lock-down defense, they'll definitely win
If your athletic players hit their shots and play "just" adequate defense, they'll probably win.
If your athletic players have an off night shooting but still play lock-down defense, they'll probably win
If your athletic players have an off night shooting and play "just" adequate defense it's a 50/50 at best
        And, of course....
If your athletic players have an off night shooting and don't play much defense it's a guaranteed L, unless you are playing Chicago State. Oops! Check that.  Last season we proved that premise is no longer valid.

A simple "Like" doesn't do this post justice. 

[VULB#62]

Here's another one.  What's with the "after a great conversation" intro in the last bunch of offer Tweets?  We're in with a bunch of other "after a great..." Tweets from Butler, NIU, Toledo, Cincy, ISUBlue, USI, IUPUI, Kent State, Indiana and Iowa - so far.

6'8", Crispus Attucks, Indianapolis, 2025

https://twitter.com/Dezmonbriscoe/status/1673498559344148487