Recruiting - 2017

[slufanskip]

Just for some history. The old Vtime now STL Insider used to try and push every St. Louis recruit as if they were good enough to go to SLU and many posters just got tired of it. He wasn't interested in what was good for SLU, just what was good for the recruit (However, probably failing to realize if a recruit going to SLU isn't good for SLU it is also probably not good for the recruit) I know for a fact he became a college coach and did have good contacts with recruits. I do believe he wants SLU to do well, he was pretty young back then and imo just didn't have a real understanding of the level of player that SLU wants.

Personally I'm glad he's back. I'm sure he still has good connections and will bring value to the board. I also know he was pretty young when he was posting and I'm sure he has matured. He took a lot of heat back then. Some deserved, some not. However, he usually he handled himself pretty well.

[billiken_roy]

Casually insinuating that Ford was breaking ncaa rules to make contact with a recruit for illinois that has already signed a binding LOI is just flat out wrong.   It does not demonstrate maturity, or a level of understanding of the NCAA rule book I would expect a coach to respect.   And if you expect me to conform to the "don't be naive, everyone does it" mentality and assume our own coach is a cheater, sorry, that's flat out wrong.   Vtime should apologize to the board for drawing this image on the best fan message board in the billiken Fandom.   If he can't understand that the majority of fans don't want a cheater coach even in the slightest degree so be it.   But don't expect me to welcome V back if this is the example of what he will bring to the board.  

[DoctorB]

STL Insider is welcome to make any comments he has, as far as I'm concerned.  I speak as a person who has been denounced, and called "a joke" (or worse) on here many, many times.  I've spent much time just lurking in recent years, for that reason.  There's plenty of self-righteous, hypercritical voices in the media these days (and the White House, btw);  and some of it spilling over onto here on billikens.com.

I believe in the integrity of our coaching staff but for those who misunderstand the many ways the NCAA system can be manipulated and "bent" in so many words,  let me be clear:  lots of folks have been sniffing around LOI signees from all kinds of programs who lost coaches.  This is business as usual, folks.  So Illinois, Mizzou, Indiana, Washington, etc., better babysit those kids -- or else.  Everyone gets that, at least folks on the inside...

ps: fire away, STL Insider; I respect your experience and local knowledge, and I also deeply respect your caregiving for a special needs kid: kudos from one joke to another joke!

[Old guy]

1 hour ago, billiken_roy said:

And if you expect me to conform to the "don't be naive, everyone does it" mentality and assume our own coach is a cheater, sorry, that's flat out wrong.   

That is the mentality that creates slogans like: "Eat sh_t, 10 Trillion American flies can't be wrong."

[majerus mojo]

The NCAA is built around skirting BS rules like this. They know it, we know it, and they care even less than we do. Jumping down this poster's throat for stating the obvious seems like much ado about nothing. But I'll keep reading! The NCAA is a joke

[3star_recruit]

Again, sending messages through a player/recruit's AAU coach is not a violation.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-baNot onlysketball/news/no-player-sacrificed-more-than-northwesterns-crawford/nyava6j9mgsr10emx9ivu55rp

Technically, no one was recruiting Crawford. As he noted, “The rules don’t allow that.” But coaches could contact his AAU coach and mention that if Drew were to consider a graduate transfer they’d be overjoyed to present him with a new home. And they certainly did this.

 

 

 

[STL Hoops Insider]

14 hours ago, kshoe said:

If you notice the people that are going after STL Insider are ones that have posted continuously for about 15 years on this site. They aren't johnny come latelys or casual readers. They are posters that have a long memory and there have definitely been times when STL has been a poster with a very distinct angle that is not in the best interest of SLU . Maybe he has turned over a new leaf and is a true blue fan, but it's always weird how some posters come out of the woodwork when good things happen at schools like mizzou. A healthy amount of skepticism is reasonable but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

I was posting on Tuesday in the recruiting threads,, Cuonzo news broke Wednesday, so I didn't come out of the woodwork for Mizzou

[Old guy]

OK it is done I am ignoring the impatient __________ .

[WVBilliken]

Heck, this board is damn polite compared to the Mizzou board...........

[HoosierPal]

FWIW, blog has French as All New England Power-5 Conference MVP. 

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/yags-point-forward-all-new-england-team?platform=hootsuite

[brianstl]

Quote

 

2017 Power-5 Conference MVP - Hasahn French, Commonwealth Academy

French built a loyal fan base of old school basketball grinders and new school analytics-driven cats from within the industry last summer while running with the PSA Cardinals. Both groups were drawn to French’s unique size, violent athleticism, unselfish team-first mentality and the value he placed on doing the little things to allow his teammates to shine. French took his summer momentum into the prep season, leading a young Commonwealth program to as high as #3 ranking in the national polls and a spot in the 2017 National Prep Championship.

For all of the team-oriented praise that has been heaped upon French over the last year, the versatile 6’7” Wingspan Big Man has also been responsible for some of the best individual performances that I’ve witnessed in that same span. French started the season with a 33-point/21-rebound/8-block outburst in a 98-64 win over Massanutten at the National Prep Showcase and always answered the bell when Commonwealth needed him most.

His 28-point/17-rebound/6-block performance against St Andrew’s in mid-February included the game-winning bucket with time winding down. He dropped 36-points and grabbed 15-rebounds against undefeated eventual-National Champion Brewster, in a game where three of his fellow Commonwealth starters were out with the flu.  French’s triple-double (28pts/17rebs/11blks/5ast) late in the season against South Kent was arguably the most dominant performance I witnessed all season and sealed Commonwealth’s spot in the Prep Championship. French averaged 21 points, 14 rebounds and 7 blocks per game during his final prep season and will bring his winning ways to Travis Ford’s Saint Louis Billikens program this summer.

Hasahn French (@Hasahn22) messed around & got a triple double (28pt/17reb/11blk/5ast) @RealJHardwick had 25pt/10reb/4blk in @SCATornados win pic.twitter.com/C9QXWuVqc4

— Mike Yagmin (@MikeYagmiNERR) February 26, 2017

 

 

That gets me fired up.

[slufanskip]

23 hours ago, billiken_roy said:

Casually insinuating that Ford was breaking ncaa rules to make contact with a recruit for illinois that has already signed a binding LOI is just flat out wrong.   It does not demonstrate maturity, or a level of understanding of the NCAA rule book I would expect a coach to respect.   And if you expect me to conform to the "don't be naive, everyone does it" mentality and assume our own coach is a cheater, sorry, that's flat out wrong.   Vtime should apologize to the board for drawing this image on the best fan message board in the billiken Fandom.   If he can't understand that the majority of fans don't want a cheater coach even in the slightest degree so be it.   But don't expect me to welcome V back if this is the example of what he will bring to the board.  

If I felt that's what he was doing I'd agree, but I don't think he was condoning cheating. Just asking if Ford was pushing to get Tillman to flip. We all know there are legal ways to do this. Maybe pushing to flip wasn't the right choice of words but didn't he clear up what he meant in another post. I personally would be disappointed if TF wasn't using his connections to gauge his interest and letting him know we have a spot if he was interested. Just follow the rules while doing it. I don't give a crap about the Illini, in fact didn't they continue to pursue both Tommie and Kevin after they committed to us? and I'd be surprised to learn they didn't reach out after the coaching change.

[Franchise_08]

1 minute ago, brianstl said:

 

That gets me fired up.

You had me at violent athleticism 

[majerus mojo]

6 minutes ago, Franchise_08 said:

You had me at violent athleticism 

Stole my comment haaaaaa. More of that please

[billiken_roy]

25 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

If I felt that's what he was doing I'd agree, but I don't think he was condoning cheating. Just asking if Ford was pushing to get Tillman to flip. We all know there are legal ways to do this. Maybe pushing to flip wasn't the right choice of words but didn't he clear up what he meant in another post. I personally would be disappointed if TF wasn't using his connections to gauge his interest and letting him know we have a spot if he was interested. Just follow the rules while doing it. I don't give a crap about the Illini, in fact didn't they continue to pursue both Tommie and Kevin after they committed to us? and I'd be surprised to learn they didn't reach out after the coaching change.

big difference between verbal commit and a signed LOI.

[Duff Man]

1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

FWIW, blog has French as All New England Power-5 Conference MVP

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/yags-point-forward-all-new-england-team?platform=hootsuite

 

[BIG BILL FAN]

1 hour ago, billiken_roy said:

big difference between verbal commit and a signed LOI.

Just stop Roy. Really get tired of your holier than thou attitude. No one was ever implying that TF should cheat. You're the same ass who used to continually bash RM. You have much higher standards for others than you do for yourself. Really get tired of your phony attitude. You must be terribly insecure. 

[slufanskip]

2 hours ago, billiken_roy said:

big difference between verbal commit and a signed LOI.

I get that. My point was I don't care if it's fair to the Illini. But I think you know you can get word out without breaking the rules. As long as Travis isn't breaking the rules I don't care if he skirts the edges.to get the word out that SLU would love to have Tillman

[slufanskip]

56 minutes ago, BIG BILL FAN said:

Just stop Roy. Really get tired of your holier than thou attitude. No one was ever implying that TF should cheat. You're the same ass who used to continually bash RM. You have much higher standards for others than you do for yourself. Really get tired of your phony attitude. You must be terribly insecure. 

Roy isn't being phony. I've known him for a long time as many on here have. We don't always agree, but I guarantee you he really just cares about SLU and just wants them to be a clean program.

Roy, just to be clear ... do you mind TF getting word to a recruit in this situation as long as he stays within the NCAA rules?

[billiken_roy]

7 minutes ago, slufanskip said:

Roy isn't being phony. I've known him for a long time as many on here have. We don't always agree, but I guarantee you he really just cares about SLU and just wants them to be a clean program.

Roy, just to be clear ... do you mind TF getting word to a recruit in this situation as long as he stays within the NCAA rules?

Until that recruit is released from his LOI we should be hands off

[STL Hoops Insider]

Roy, you have to talk to the AAU coaches anyway about all their players. If the AAU brings up Tilmon in the conversation instead of Ford initiating it, would you want him to hang up the phone immediately?  How would you handle that scenario Roy?

[willie]

4 minutes ago, STL Hoops Insider said:

Roy, you have to talk to the AAU coaches anyway about all their players. If the AAU brings up Tilmon in the conversation instead of Ford initiating it, would you want him to hang up the phone immediately?  How would you handle that scenario Roy?

You don't have to make qualifications. Most of us see nothing wrong with letting a player know you would be willing to talk if the player changes his mind. 

[cheeseman]

I would agree that if a player is signed then other schools should stay away from him.  The problem here with Tilmon is that the coach he signed with is gone - I get that the AC is still there who did the heavy lift in recruiting him but who knows if the AC stays or not at this point.  When coaches leave, players who had signed always reconsider their situation - that is fair.  If another school says to an AAU guy that if Tilmon decides to change his mind then we would be interested in talking to him.  Nothing wrong with this - but until the kid gets his release then no formal/face to face contact should be made.  I think some are getting caught up on the what if stuff here.  No need to get everybody in an uproar. 

[STL Hoops Insider]

I just want Roy to answer that question and then I'm done with it. I know the rules. He either doesn't know, or is pretending not to know for the sake of some old axe to grind.

[BIG BILL FAN]

4 hours ago, slufanskip said:

Roy isn't being phony. I've known him for a long time as many on here have. We don't always agree, but I guarantee you he really just cares about SLU and just wants them to be a clean program.

Roy, just to be clear ... do you mind TF getting word to a recruit in this situation as long as he stays within the NCAA rules?

Yes he is a phony. I've been reading his crap for years. He thinks he is on a higher moral plain than everyone else. I for one will never forget the despicable comment from our so called best fan about Coach Majerus. Roy has no tolerance for anyone holding a differing view than his own. He pouted and left the board before when individuals called him out. I respect everyone's opinion and after all, this is a message board. When I see a bully, I will call him out. No one can deny that he isn't. As I said, he is a very insecure man. You would think a man with such a high level of "integrity" could at least show minimal respect for fellow Billikens fans.