Recruiting

[valpopal]

Audio of radio interview with Clay Yeo:

http://thefanmichiana.com/Programs/RagzBar.aspx

[zvillehaze]

Clay Yeo to participate in North-South Indiana All-Star game.

http://blogs.indystar.com/recruitingcentral/archives/3430

[agibson]

OK!   Not bad!    One out of two ain't bad.

It does, I assume, send a sign that Davidson's really pretty unlikely to make the IN-KY team.

[classof2014]

Could possibly hear sometime today or tomorrow whether or not Mr. Basketball in Kentucky, Dominique Hawkins, where he will be going. If he's offered a scholarship from Kentucky chances are that's where he goes but I've seen weirder things happen.

[VULB#62]

Anyway, for fun and giggles' sake:

1994 Mr. Basketball:  Bryce Drew (that's who)
http://indylb-2135524474.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/production/sports/standing/mrbasketballpdf/1994.pdf

Quite a bit was made in the article about his three surgeries during his junior year to tame a tachycardia condition.  So it seems Bryce knows full well what Rossi was going through.  That's good.

[wh]

Boys basketball: Andrean's Nick Davidson named Player of the Year
By Mike Hutton mhutton@post-trib.com/@MikeHuttonPT April 6, 2013 11:16PM


Updated: April 7, 2013 2:03AM

Nick Davidson is going to major in nursing because he wants to help people.

It's the perfect fit for the Andrean senior and the Post-Tribune player of the year.

Davidson spent four years with the 59ers helping his teammates get better.

If there is such a thing as a responsibility gene, Davidson got a double dose of it when he was born.

"If you look at his career with a wide lens, it's crazy," Andrean coach Carson Cunningham said. "He has always been grounded. Any season has ebbs and flows but he's been a resilient leader who has remained grounded. He's a huge role model for our players to emulate and he's been a tremendous part of our school and basketball program. Andrean is a better place because of him."

Cunningham has beat the Davidson drum for four years, and for good reason. He was incredibly consistent at the most important position on the floor — point guard.

A sturdy 6-4, Davidson averaged more than 19 points and four assists per game.

He averaged more than 18 points per game for three seasons and he scored more than 1,600 points. As a freshman, he averaged 13.8 points and around four assists.

Cunningham, a point guard himself at Andrean and Purdue, said Davidson was one of the most efficient players in 59ers history.

His 3-point shooting percentage hovered in the high 30s, his field goal percentage was just under 50 and his assist-to-turnover ratio was better than 2-to-1.

Davidson could also be a bruiser in the lane, particularly at the end of games, when his team needed to get to the free-throw line. He made 17of 18 from the line to cap a furious second-half comeback against Bowman.

Davidson said he modeled his work ethic after Pete Maravich and Larry Bird — guys that were so good you didn't realize how good they were until they left.

"It's about never settling," he said.

Davidson also led Andrean to its first regional title since 2000, defeating Plymouth at Plymouth.

The season ended in heartbreaking fashion for the 59ers, who lost to Fort Wayne Concordia in overtime at the Huntington North Semistate.

Davidson committed to Valparaiso University two years ago and he has never wavered.

He's going there because it's close, he likes the program and his two younger brothers can watch him play and he can watch them play, too.

Ben Davidson played most of the year on the junior varsity.

Davidson took the suspense out of his college choice because he wanted to focus on the present.

"It allowed me to focus on Andrean basketball and not where I was going to go to college," he said.

Davidson said he felt no qualms about being one of the first local players since Bryce Drew to go to VU.

"The reason I chose Valpo is because of, not only what they offered athletically but academically," he said. "I weighed the pros and cons of the decision with my family and I felt like that was the best fit for me."

[agibson]

Davidson said he felt no qualms about being one of the first local players since Bryce Drew to go to VU.

Is Bryce the last VHS player we've had?  How many have there been, ever?  It seems like VHS consistently turns out D1 quality players - I'm not sure exactly at what rate (how many, on average, per year).  Of course, there are reasons we don't see too many VHS students: many don't _want_ to stay so close to home, the fit has to be there, etc, etc

[valpotx]

A few of my teammates were from VHS, but still, not many.  The only other 'local' product I can think of since Bryce, would be Ali Berdiel, but that is 'local' via Andrean/Puerto Rico 

[covufan]

Davidson said he felt no qualms about being one of the first local players since Bryce Drew to go to VU.

Is Bryce the last VHS player we've had?  How many have there been, ever?  It seems like VHS consistently turns out D1 quality players - I'm not sure exactly at what rate (how many, on average, per year).  Of course, there are reasons we don't see too many VHS students: many don't _want_ to stay so close to home, the fit has to be there, etc, etc

Not sure if Bryce is the last, but before him there was Harden, Anselm, Smith, Cavanaugh, Schmidt, Redmon, also Meyne (Boone Grove), Beesley (LaPorte), Gipson (MC?), Tonagel (LaPorte?).  I think that Michigan as been recruiting Porter County well in the last several years.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

How many have there been, ever?  It seems like VHS consistently turns out D1 quality players - I'm not sure exactly at what rate

The latter point is true; I don't know if it's one per year but it's close. Certainly there are very close long-time friends of the program who read these boards who can say better than I (since they coached these men), but since Bryce, no one. But before Bryce, the record book is littered with them:

David Redmon (VHS '90) 1992-1995 (transfer from UALR) VU Hall of Fame, 2004 class
http://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/halloffame/2003-04/2834/david-redmon/

Rob Cavanaugh (VHS '90) 1990-1994  Should be in the Hall of Fame if Jamie Sykes is.
4th in assists when he graduated; 4th in FT% when he graduated.

Casey Schmidt (VHS '89) 1992-1994 (transfer from Arizona) VU Hall of Fame, 2008 class
http://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/halloffame/2007-08/2804/casey-schmidt/

Mike Jones (VHS '86) 1986-1990  See above on Cavanaugh.
7th in points at graduation; 5th in assists at graduation.
I mean, if Sykes is there, he is famous for a great pass.  Jones is famous for a layup to force OT vs. ND.

Scott Anselm (VHS '85) 1985-1989  See above on Jones.
9th in points at graduation; 3rd in assists.

I don't know enough about Todd Smith (HC Tom's son)...was he a Valpo High kid too?

(and of course briefly Rob Harden )

http://www.valpolife.com/sports/high-schools/4860-basketball-legends-roundtable-a-great-event

[vusupporter]

How many have there been, ever?  It seems like VHS consistently turns out D1 quality players - I'm not sure exactly at what rate

The latter point is true; I don't know if it's one per year but it's close. Certainly there are very close long-time friends of the program who read these boards who can say better than I (since they coached these men), but since Bryce, no one. But before Bryce, the record book is littered with them:

David Redmon (VHS '90) 1992-1995 (transfer from UALR) VU Hall of Fame, 2004 class
http://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/halloffame/2003-04/2834/david-redmon/

Rob Cavanaugh (VHS '90) 1990-1994  Should be in the Hall of Fame if Jamie Sykes is.
4th in assists when he graduated; 4th in FT% when he graduated.

Casey Schmidt (VHS '89) 1992-1994 (transfer from Arizona) VU Hall of Fame, 2008 class
http://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/halloffame/2007-08/2804/casey-schmidt/

Mike Jones (VHS '86) 1986-1990  See above on Cavanaugh.
7th in points at graduation; 5th in assists at graduation.
I mean, if Sykes is there, he is famous for a great pass.  Jones is famous for a layup to force OT vs. ND.

Scott Anselm (VHS '85) 1985-1989  See above on Jones.
9th in points at graduation; 3rd in assists.

I don't know enough about Todd Smith (HC Tom's son)...was he a Valpo High kid too?

(and of course briefly Rob Harden )

http://www.valpolife.com/sports/high-schools/4860-basketball-legends-roundtable-a-great-event

Were any of those guys also First Team All-Conference in a second sport as well? 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I think that Michigan as been recruiting Porter County well in the last several years.

Here's what Zack Novak has to say about that:
Novak freak out

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Were any of those guys also First Team All-Conference in a second sport as well? 

Doubtful.  But I don't think I can adequately defend the point further without offending baseball players in general.

[Valpo89]

Yes, Todd Smith went to Valpo High School. He hit one of the biggest shots in school history to upset MC Rogers and Delray Brooks in the 1983 Regional.

[covufan]

Yes, Todd Smith went to Valpo High School. He hit one of the biggest shots in school history to upset MC Rogers and Delray Brooks in the 1983 Regional.

I believe he graduated from VHS in '84.  Tom Smith was literally recruiting from his back yard.

[chef]

All-conference in other sports - Bryce Drew, tennis and Casey Schmidt in baseball.

[chef]

In the four years Bryce was a student at Valparaiso University he was without question the best basketball player and best tennis player on campus. Gordon Hayward might have had a similar distinction in his two years at Butler.

[valporun]

Was Jamie Sykes added for his baseball prowess, or was it more for his inclusion as the thrower of the pass that made Pacer legendary?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I think what vusupporter was going for, chef, was which of all those players was also all-conference in college at a second sport, in defense of Jamie being in the Hall over Cavanaugh/Jones/Anselm.

Certainly B-Drew, if he's not shooting anymore, should go back to tennis as an outlet.  Then again, who has the time?

Here's a start at a list of other D1 VHS players:
Scott Martin
Rob Hummel
Hayden Humes

ok...took a second to look it up.  Coach Knauff would know and he cites "nearly 50", so I'm going to stop right there.  If I had the book I would start typing.  But you could just take my word for it since we're getting a little off-topic.

http://thegreenandwhitebook.com/

[chef]

One big reason Jamie came to Valpo was he was offerred a chance to play both baseball and basketball. He was drafted by the Diamondbacks prior to his Sr (5th year), and many believed he would not come back for his final basketball season. Obviously, history would have been written differently had he not returned.

[chef]

BTW: I'm getting really slow in my old age to understand things. Thanks for the explanation Apostle...

[covufan]

I think what vusupporter was going for, chef, was which of all those players was also all-conference in college at a second sport, in defense of Jamie being in the Hall over Cavanaugh/Jones/Anselm.

Certainly B-Drew, if he's not shooting anymore, should go back to tennis as an outlet.  Then again, who has the time?

Here's a start at a list of other D1 VHS players:
Scott Martin
Rob Hummel
Hayden Humes

ok...took a second to look it up.  Coach Knauff would know and he cites "nearly 50", so I'm going to stop right there.  If I had the book I would start typing.  But you could just take my word for it since we're getting a little off-topic.

http://thegreenandwhitebook.com/

When I first read vusupporter's comment, I thought college as well.  After Chef's answer, I went back to reread.  I think vusupporter knew the answer (at least one of them) and it was HS all conference.

[historyman]

I believe he graduated from VHS in '84.  Tom Smith was literally recruiting from his back yard.

Gee......McCallum, McDermott....and those are just the Mc's.........Jim and Tyler Les (UC Davis), Ernie and Trey Zeigler (CMU), Louis and Chauncey Orr (Bowling Green), Dave and Jordan Boots (South Dakota), Jim and Billy Molinari (Western Illinois) just to name a few.

And who can forget this picture........................


http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/03/28/2013-03-28-best-buzzer-beaters-x-large.jpg

[lowposter]

The biggest miss VU had recently was Brad Karp, but then again so did 350 other D1s.  Already 2000 career points in three years at NAIA St. Xaiver including 28 against Notre Dame his sophomore season. 

If you want to see how good he is, take a look at him at VU open gym this summer. 

[FWalum]

Recruiting = inexact science

There are a lot of D1 misses that end up playing in the lower leagues for various reasons. Just this season had a kid from our last Tech team that is now playing in the NBDL. Could have probably played on a number of D1 teams.