Where in the world is/was

[vu72]

I assume that Huff, Nikkila, and Haanpaa will make the Finland squad based on recent games played.  Antti appears to be the only Center on their roster, so even if he comes off the bench, he should be a lock.  Our former players will get the honor of being the first team in this tournament to get completely spanked by the USA .  DeMarcus Cousins or Andre Drummond vs. Antti anyone? Gordon Hayward vs. Haanpaa or Huff? 

Now, I'm NOT trying to say that Shawn Huff is as good as Gordon Hayward, but did want to look up some stats.

Here are Hayward's college stats:

Season   GP   MPG   PPG   FG%   3FG%   FT%   APG   RPG   BPG   SPG
2009-10   37   33.5   15.5   46.4   29.4   82.9   1.7   8.2   0.8   1.1
2008-09   32    32.7   13.1   47.9   44.8   81.5   2.0   6.5   0.9   1.5

Final year:   FG 46% 3FG%  29.4   15.5 PPG  8.2 RPG  in 33.5 minutes

Here are Shawn's stats from his last two years:

SEASON   TEAM   MIN   FGM-FGA   FG%   3PM-3PA   3P%   FTM-FTA   FT%   REB   AST   BLK   STL   PF   TO   PTS
2007-08   VALP   31.4   4.3-8.7   .487   2.5-5.3   .479   1.6-1.9   .838   4.5   1.6   0.5   0.3   2.1   2.1   12.6
2006-07   VALP   31.0   3.8-8.8   .434   1.5-4.2   .364   2.2-2.5   .870   3.7   1.7   0.5   0.5   2.5   2.4   11.4

Final year:  FG%  48.7   3FG%  47.9   12.6 PPG  4.5 RPG  in 31.4  minutes

Somehow I would expect Shawn to represent Valpo fairly well in a matchup.  Love to see it.

[wh]

Interesting message from Paul Oren:

He does have to get a waiver, since it's his third school in a four-year period (cf. the McKnight case).

I love how certain things just SAIL THRU the NCAA and others get hung up.  They're like a Brazilian goalie sometimes.

You raise an interesting point. Short of some extenuating circumstance that I can't imagine, why would he get a waiver?  Moreover, I'm guessing that when he was given his release from Valpo, he was precluded from transferring to another HL program. I don't know for sure, but It would surprise me if he could get around that by going to Wagner first. If there's any gray here,  Valpo should fight this tooth and nail. 

[Smj]

I hope valpo doesn't fight it. ...   Would enjoy watching us shut him down - on the court.    (Also, he is just a kid trying to find his way)

[LaPorteAveApostle]

If there's any gray here,  Valpo should fight this tooth and nail.

Eh, I think that might be too much.  Kid has been gone two years. 

If he really wanted to go to UIC--if that was the game plan all along--2 years on Staten Island seems like too much purgatory for coming back "a short distance correctly", as Albee would put it.  That's attributing a little too much planning to him.  If all he wanted was to play back home, he could have gone other places.  Like Chicago State.

...on second thought, maybe Staten Island would be preferable.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

...Thinking some more, don't forget (I had) that the last we heard of him was when he got suspended in February.

http://www.valpofanzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=1745.0

Like FUN he was going to spend his last year there.  He simply had to get out, and where better than home?  Ish.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/17/uic-announces-addition-of-wagner-graduate-transfer-jay-harris/

Let's also not forget that playing for UIC (remember FLAMEOUT 2014?) may or may not be worse than just plain being suspended.

[wh]

Would you enjoy watching him shoot us down?  There's a reason players aren't allowed to transfer to other schools in the same conference.  It's a situation that's better avoided for everyone involved. As far as trying to make his way, he has literally hundreds of other D-1 programs to choose from besides UIC, including several in his home state.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

...quite frankly, I'm not worried about ANYBODY from UIC shooting us down as long as Coach Moore is running the show.

Of course, this season could be Howard's End.

[VULB#62]

Would you enjoy watching him shoot us down?  There's a reason players aren't allowed to transfer to other schools in the same conference.  It's a situation that's better avoided for everyone involved. As far as trying to make his way, he has literally hundreds of other D-1 programs to choose from besides UIC, including several in his home state.

Anyway, I think this is an application of the Favre rule.  He went to the Jets first, then could get around any restrictions on going to the Vikes.  Same here, i believe.  Wagner doesn't give a hoot about UIC and that is the new transfer of record. 

[vusupporter]

He's a graduate transfer with one season of eligibility left - he doesn't need a waiver.  It's just like any other fifth-year graduate transfer.

[VULB#62]

Makes even more sense.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

He's a graduate transfer with one season of eligibility left - he doesn't need a waiver.  It's just like any other fifth-year graduate transfer.

Absolutely not true. 

For one, graduate transfers need waivers if the conference requires it (cf. McKnight being denied by the SEC). But even if HL doesn't, he still needs a waiver from the NCAA because he's at his third different four-year school.

Because your son has already transferred once between Div. I schools, he will have to sit out a year if he transfers to a third Div. I school, even if he graduates. Graduating would, however, give him a chance to be immediately eligible at a Div. II school.

http://www.informedathlete.com/athletic-scholarships-transfer-issues

Here's the long version:

Graduate Transfer Waiver

The graduate transfer waiver is now typically used by athletes who have previous transferred once before and so cannot use the one-time transfer exception (even as a graduate student).

A letter from the previous school saying it does not object to the student-athlete being eligible;

Documentation that the student-athlete has been accepted into a specific graduate degree program;

Documentation about whether that degree program is offered by the previous school;
A student-athlete statement including the reasons for the transfer; and

A statement from the previous institution about the student-athlete's status on the team.

Generally the heart of the waiver is the three middle bullets. The NCAA wants to see that the student-athlete transferred in order to continue his or her academic career by pursuing a graduate degree not offered at the previous school.

http://www.athleticscholarships.net/ncaa-transfer-exceptions.htm

[koala]

Thought you'd all like to know that Ryan was selected in the Australian Boomers team to play at the World Championships in Spain     

After the heart break of being the last player cut for the London Olympics we are so happy and proud of him for never giving up and chasing his dream 

[valpopal]

Great news: congratulations to Rowdy!

[wh]

Couldn't happen to a more deserving young man!  Congratulations!

[VULB#62]

 

We'll be following his exploits with a great measure of pride ourselves.

[bbtds]

Please express my congratulations to Ryan also. He was one of the players who impressed when he got to Valpo but he also kept working hard and made his skill graph line go up all four years he was at Valpo. He got Valpo back to the NCAA tournament which I think was a great example of accomplishment and hard work.

[valpotx]

Congrats to Rowdy!  Hopefully he gets a chance to meet the other former Valpo players previously mentioned!

[koala]

He will, they travel to Finland and play a practise match and Angola is in their World Champs pool 

[wh]

Update on Bobby C:

http://www.valpolife.com/business/staff-development/44344-steiner-homes-a-family-business-putting-good-families-in-good-family-homes

As a Regionite, it's nice to see that Bobby is staying in NWI.  I believe Bobby and the Steiners attend the same church (Calvary).  Calvary is also Bryce's church (and Vashil's, who my son tells me is my grandson's Sunday School teacher).

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Saw him in the Stacks Friday night.  Almost went up and thanked him for grounding Air Anderson.

[valpopal]

[tweet]503735990297849858[/tweet]

[LaPorteAveApostle]

4th pick in the 2nd round (12th overall).

Anyone know anything about the NBL Canada?

I hope he can look back fondly on his time here.

[bbtds]

http://m.thestar.com/#/article/business/sportonomics/2013/12/02/nbl_canada_can_hoop_dreams_come_true_for_mississauga_power.html


The pay in the NBLC is low – the league's salary cap is $150,000 per team, per season – but the level of play his high enough to attract fans in mid-sized Canadian markets that lack big-time pro sports. The Brampton franchise averages more than 900 fans, and last year's champions, the London Lightning, drew 7,000 spectators to their home opener.

[valpotx]

I wonder why he wouldn't try for a European league, instead?  He would get better pay in some of those leagues, and they can't be much different in competition level (Baltics, Finland, etc).  Congrats to him regardless, and it only helps us to have more pictures on our wall of professionals!

[valporun]

I wonder if Jordan didn't get many looks from European teams because his numbers were small, and he didn't play up to a level that European teams were comfortable with? I mean I didn't really see anything in Jordan's game that screamed European leagues right out of college, so why not go to Canada, work on the things that will help him get better chances for looks from European teams, and keep trying to get there?