Pistol

Where's Brad Davis?

I would hate to see us lose another one to the MVC. The kid's got his sights set high now, but what if the ACC schools don't come knocking? He's 6'11" and only a soph. I'm not saying we have to offer yet, but we have to let him know we're more than interested and that he's got more potential than an MVC player. My guess is that we're already in touch with him regularly, especially with a great big man coach like Angres Thorpe.

Brad wants to run more. He's well aware that fans won't be filling up the Savvis Center or the new arena to see a team score in the 50's. We're moving in that direction, and Tyus would be a really nice player to have. The King James Classic announcer said he's looking at Kansas, Memphis, and SLU. We're obviously not at the same level as the first two, but Tyus might want to come back home and be the man. He has the talent to put butts in the seats.

I'm with you, OJ- if we don't go after the same players that the top programs are recruiting, then we'll never become a big-time program. That being said, I don't know if Brandenburg has any offers yet or if he'll get them for sure, but a local player of his stature should be recruited very hard by the program in town, no matter who else is after him. There's a lot to be said for a kid wanting to stay close, amd parents are as persuasive as anyone. We can't concede on any kid where we have the geographic advantage.

I believe Taj Gray was set to be a Billiken until Romar left. Instead, we wind up being second place to Sampson twice.

I disagree. Recruiting a JUCO forward was a good idea from the start. Otherwise, we're counting on JJ and two freshmen, one coming off a massive knee injury, to perform at the 4. If Ian doesn't come back, we can't play a 4-guard style this year. Lance may not be a real 4, but at least he's tall enough to guard one. Plus, he's a shooter, and I don't know if you've looked at our shooting percentage recently, but it isn't impressive. Bottom line: JUCO players are at least one, generally 2, years removed from high school, so they are more physically developed and seasoned against a higher level of play.

I know I'm new (at posting, anyway) here, but I'm not for banning anyone who is a supporter of this program. The only advice I would have is to be more careful and not post the first rumor or piece of info that you hear.

One reason, BRoy: the other program is Indiana. We gave Lance a great shot, but we're not there yet.

The arena itself probably wasn't as big a factor as it is given credit for. The fact of the matter is that we lost to Indiana. The big boys came in late, flexed their muscle, and got what they wanted. Sure, Lance isn't the only answer, but he would have been a really nice fit for our program for the next two years. If we're going to compete with programs like IU in March, we need to compete for recruits all year long. Yes, we should have offered Lance earlier, which may or may not have gotten him to sign before IU looked like the best option. My question now is what are we going to do with the last two scholarships? Is anyone else waiting in the wings this spring, or are these going to be used for early-signees in the fall? I don't want to spend them for the sake of spending them or we'll wind up with another JJ. However, if Ian doesn't return and we only have Dustin and Adam coming in, we are going to be the dream come true for every opposing A-10 PF and center.