Elliot Welmer

[WVBilliken]

Saw speculation that Elliot Welmer is out for an extensive time.....perhaps until 2nd semester of next season.  I find that hard to believe given the Santos commit.   Welmer had his leg operated on in early April, seems to be an awfully long recovery time (for a bone break?), nine months. 

Does anyone know the real story?  My guess is he will be good to go for the start of the season........but just reading the tea leaves.

[SLU_Nick]

The real story is he won't play much even when fully healthy 

 

[WVBilliken]

Disagree....like EW a lot. 

[brianstl]

20 minutes ago, SLU_Nick said:

The real story is he won't play much even when fully healthy 

 

I tend to agree with this.  I just don't know if his skill set is something Ford really values in his offense.  Ford isn't hasn't exactly been Majerus when it comes to targeting stretch big men on the recruiting trail.  Didn't have them at OSU either.

[WVBilliken]

31 minutes ago, SLU_Nick said:

The real story is he won't play much even when fully healthy 

 

So.....are you saying he leaves......

[bauman]

I won't speculate on his staying or going, but if Foreman and Bess are as good as we hope (same with French) and with year over year improvement in JJ's strength and skills, I see EW as the 5th big next year upon his return from injury.  That equates to not a lot of playing time.  Add Santos and Gordon to the mix the following year and EW might be buried on the bench.  If he sees the above, then he might want to head to greener pastures.  However, his outside game is only matched by JJ out of all the other bigs, so he could serve a valuable role in games where 3 pt shooting is required.

[HoosierPal]

2 hours ago, SLU_Nick said:

The real story is he won't play much even when fully healthy 

 

Is that what Coach Cord told you?

[HoosierPal]

12 hours ago, bauman said:

I won't speculate on his staying or going, but if Foreman and Bess are as good as we hope (same with French) and with year over year improvement in JJ's strength and skills, I see EW as the 5th big next year upon his return from injury.  That equates to not a lot of playing time.  Add Santos and Gordon to the mix the following year and EW might be buried on the bench.  If he sees the above, then he might want to head to greener pastures.  However, his outside game is only matched by JJ out of all the other bigs, so he could serve a valuable role in games where 3 pt shooting is required.

I think you have the names in the wrong places. Neither Bess nor Foreman nor Santos is remotely a threat from the arc. Three point field goals are required in every game for the full 40.  The player on the roster who maybe is closest to Welmer's skill set is Johnson, and they aren't all that similar.

[Old guy]

Welmer is a puzzle, how bad was his fracture and how extensive the surgery? We really do not know. If he is not able play much next season because of his foot, he will be in really bad shape in terms of eligibility. He already used up his red shirt year (2015-16), played one full year and did well, and now it is possible he may not be able to play fully this coming year. If he transfers after this coming season, he will have to redshirt one further year and lose another year of eligibility. That would leave him with a single year of eligibility to go. He may be better off, if he thinks he will be sidelined for a good part of the coming season because of his foot injury, to transfer now and use the coming season healing and red shirting somewhere else (both at the same time), which will leave him 2 full years of play somewhere else. It is a shame, I really like him but it may be best for him to transfer before the next season starts. 

Again, I think he is a very good player when he can play and I will be sorry to see him go if he decides a transfer is what is best for him.

[WVBilliken]

22 minutes ago, Old guy said:

Welmer is a puzzle, how bad was his fracture and how extensive the surgery? We really do not know. If he is not able play much next season because of his foot, he will be in really bad shape in terms of eligibility. He already used up his red shirt year (2015-16), played one full year and did well, and now it is possible he may not be able to play fully this coming year. If he transfers after this coming season, he will have to redshirt one further year and lose another year of eligibility. That would leave him with a single year of eligibility to go. He may be better off, if he thinks he will be sidelined for a good part of the coming season because of his foot injury, to transfer now and use the coming season healing and red shirting somewhere else (both at the same time), which will leave him 2 full years of play somewhere else. It is a shame, I really like him but it may be best for him to transfer before the next season starts. 

Again, I think he is a very good player when he can play and I will be sorry to see him go if he decides a transfer is what is best for him.

In some medical cases student athletes can be granted a second year, thus potentially giving an athlete 6 years to play 4.  Welmer had one redshirt year and one year that he played.  If granted a medical year he would still have 3 to play.

[bauman]

11 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

I think you have the names in the wrong places. Neither Bess nor Foreman nor Santos is remotely a threat from the arc. Three point field goals are required in every game for the full 40.  The player on the roster who maybe is closest to Welmer's skill set is Johnson, and they aren't all that similar.

It seems that reading comprehension imight be an issue for you.  My post was meant to concede that EW has the 3-pt shooting skill, as does JJ.  However, my point was that Bess, Foreman and Santos (and you can add French to this list) are NOT threats from the arc, but rather strong-bodied inside presence players which is something EW is not.  I think we will have enough 3-pt shooters when Welmer is likely to return to the active roster.  I am happy with Bishop, ADH, Graves and JJ as our outside threats.

[Scoop]

Let's not start this crap about Welmer now just because he has a broken foot.  Kid has a unique skill set and played well down the stretch last year.  He will be an asset.  This board has been hard enough to read lately.

[AnkielBreakers]

I don't know who you weee watching his year.  He played pretty well.  The coaches really like him.  He was technically a freshman, so his game can even be better next year.

[bauman]

2 hours ago, WVBilliken said:

In some medical cases student athletes can be granted a second year, thus potentially giving an athlete 6 years to play 4.  Welmer had one redshirt year and one year that he played.  If granted a medical year he would still have 3 to play.

I'm sorry, but your idea would result in our investing 6 years of scholarships in Welmer and I'm not in favor of that plan.  Let's also remember that even going into this year, if he was playing with his high school class, he would be a senior.  I'm not suggesting he transfer, but I also don't want to use 6 scholarship years with him.  I think TF has clearly shown that he can recruit over EW during the next couple of years.

[bauman]

3 minutes ago, Scoop said:

Let's not start this crap about Welmer now just because he has a broken foot.  Kid has a unique skill set and played well down the stretch last year.  He will be an asset.  This board has been hard enough to read lately.

Can you say, "Injury Prone?"

[3star_recruit]

I think people are going to be surprised at how much Bess plays at the 3.  He was playing the 4 at Michigan State because they had much better options at his natural position.  Bess's combination of strength, speed and handle could make him a serious matchup problem at the 3 in the A-10.  He also has the potential to be a defensive stopper at that position.

[Old guy]

2 hours ago, WVBilliken said:

In some medical cases student athletes can be granted a second year, thus potentially giving an athlete 6 years to play 4.  Welmer had one redshirt year and one year that he played.  If granted a medical year he would still have 3 to play.

I was not aware of that. OK, so that being the case the issue remains what kind of fracture did he have this time and what did they do to fix it. Let me say that the first fracture Welmer had required a year to rehab. If this one was a re fracture of the old fracture (that  means whatever they did to fix the initial fracture like plates, screws, what have you, just gave way) then you have a real problem. There is only so many times you can fix a fracture of a major weight bearing joint before you  need to consider fusing the joint or limiting motion more or less permanently. Any such repairs might present problems with future play. This is not (I am sure of this) what Welmer wants. Again I do not know or have any information as to what kind of fracture he had this time, or what was done to him surgically.

[bauman]

9 minutes ago, 3star_recruit said:

I think people are going to be surprised at how much Bess plays at the 3.  He was playing the 4 at Michigan State because they had much better options at his natural position.  Bess's combination of strength, speed and handle could make him a serious matchup problem at the 3 in the A-10.  He also has the potential to be a defensive stopper at that position.

I would enjoy watching a lineup of Foreman, French, Bess, Goodwin, ADH start the first game next year!

[BIG BILL FAN]

20 minutes ago, Scoop said:

Let's not start this crap about Welmer now just because he has a broken foot.  Kid has a unique skill set and played well down the stretch last year.  He will be an asset.  This board has been hard enough to read lately.

Agree, if any would bother to listen to Coach Ford, you would know he is very high on Welmer's future. 

[WVBilliken]

15 minutes ago, bauman said:

I'm sorry, but your idea would result in our investing 6 years of scholarships in Welmer and I'm not in favor of that plan.  Let's also remember that even going into this year, if he was playing with his high school class, he would be a senior.  I'm not suggesting he transfer, but I also don't want to use 6 scholarship years with him.  I think TF has clearly shown that he can recruit over EW during the next couple of years.

I did not mean SLU; just saying it might be an option for him if he "reads the tea leaves" and decides to move on.

[brianstl]

My big question with Welmer going forward is what value Ford places on his skill set in the offense Ford wants to run.  Ford in the past hasn't really recruited players like Welmer.  He has skills but do they fit what Ford wants to do going forward with his own recruits?

[CBFan]

25 minutes ago, Scoop said:

Let's not start this crap about Welmer now just because he has a broken foot.  Kid has a unique skill set and played well down the stretch last year.  He will be an asset.  This board has been hard enough to read lately.

+1 Scoop Elliot really played well in the A10 tournament.  I remember listening to Earl when Elliot started slam dunking the ball Earl saying that what I have been saying Elliot should do

I forgot which tournament game it was that he dominated the middle with block shots and inside scoring.

[moytoy12]

2 minutes ago, brianstl said:

My big question with Welmer going forward is what value Ford places on his skill set in the offense Ford wants to run.  Ford in the past hasn't really recruited players like Welmer.  He has skills but do they fit what Ford wants to do going forward with his own recruits?

Bingo. 

[bauman]

3 minutes ago, BIG BILL FAN said:

Agree, if any would bother to listen to Coach Ford, you would know he is very high on Welmer's future. 

I have heard nothing from TF that wouldn't just be considered coach-speak.  To be honest, Welmer was nothing more and nothing less than adequate on a very poor team, last year.  Now he is hurt again and when he returns he will be facing some really stiff competition for minutes on the frontline.  Yes, if we get into a game where we need an additional 3-pt shooter, he would be valuable, but he didn't exactly burn up the nets last year, so lets not act like he is the key to our need for outside shooters.

[Billikenbooster]

35 minutes ago, CBFan said:

+1 Scoop Elliot really played well in the A10 tournament.  I remember listening to Earl when Elliot started slam dunking the ball Earl saying that what I have been saying Elliot should do

I forgot which tournament game it was that he dominated the middle with block shots and inside scoring.

Rob Loe....did very little inside to begin with, but by the end of his time developed a nice inside game, and could drive a little.  EW already has shown he can drive some.  EW will require patience.