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Post by Big D on Apr 19, 2005 6:08:32 GMT -5
Raider hoops enjoying depth By Marc Katz Dayton Daily News FAIRBORN | Barring injuries or any kind of defections, the Wright State Raiders will have a full complement of 13 scholarship basketball players for the first time in the fall, entering coach Paul Biancardi's third season. "It's a great feeling," said Biancardi, who took over a program that had only eight scholarship players. He moved the numbers up to 11 last season, then Vova Severovas quit the team after six games and freshman William Graham was redshirted coming off a high school knee injury. "What we were really lacking (the last two years) was depth," said Biancardi, whose two WSU teams were 14-14 and 15-15. "Hopefully, this will take care of that." Monday, the Raiders announced three signees, bringing the newcomer class to five, including previous signees Walter Chancellor of Wabash Valley Junior College and Scott Wilson of Cincinnati State CC. Joining those two are Robert Eldridge, a 6-1 guard from New Creations Prep in Richmond, Ind.; James Craft, a 6-11 post player from Mercersburg Academy, Pa.; and 6-3 guard Tyrone Scott from Detroit's Schoolcraft CC. Scott and Chancellor will be juniors. Wilson will be a sophomore and the others freshmen. The Raiders also have returning senior Jaron Taylor, juniors Zakee Boyd, Drew Burleson and DaShaun Wood and freshmen Everett Spencer, Parysh Munroe and Jordan Pleiman. Walk-on Reinaldo Smith may also be on the team, while walk-on Kimo Brown is considering other options. Scott, first team All Region XII and Honorable Mention All-Conference, averaged 15.3 points at Schoolcraft, where former WSU star Kevin Melson played. Craft averaged 12 points and eight rebounds on the way to All Mid-Atlantic Conference honors last season. Eldridge, a Gary, Ind., native, averaged 15.1 points, five rebounds and three assists and was New Creations' MVP. Biancardi said it was too early to tell how the recruits would fit into his rotation and even if he would change from his favored three-guard offense. The Raiders have been building up their post positions since Biancardi took over and last year used 6-7 senior Zach Williams and 6-7 Drew Burleson inside with help from 6-8 Jordan Pleiman and 6-7 Parysh Munroe, both freshmen. The addition of the 6-7 Wilson, the 6-6 Chancellor (who is also listed as weighing 265 pounds) and the 6-11 Craft (listed at a rail-thin 215 pounds) will enhance that position considerably. Chancellor averaged nine points and 8.3 rebounds at Wabash and is a Cincinnati native. Contact Marc Katz at 225-2157. www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0419wsubb.html
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Post by CSU on the Rise on Apr 19, 2005 9:27:22 GMT -5
Cleveland State has added Pennsylvania player of the year Tristian Crawford.
Crawford, a 6-4 forward, was named the Pennsylvania Class AAA Player of the Year by the Associated Press after averaging 23.0 points a game and leading Highspire to a 32-3 record and the state title. He turned up his performance in the postseason, averaging 28.8 points in the four state tournament games. A third team all-state honoree as a junior, he ended his career with 2,141 career points.
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Post by Big D on Apr 19, 2005 16:04:24 GMT -5
UWM recruits given release Jeter says Panthers will fill the two spots By DAN MANOYAN dmanoyan@journalsentinel.com Posted: April 18, 2005 New UW-Milwaukee basketball coach Rob Jeter might have thought the bulk of his recruiting work for next season had been handled by his predecessor, Bruce Pearl, but apparently that is not the case. Before leaving UWM to accept the Tennessee coaching position, Pearl signed three players to letters of intent for next season. Two of them, junior college guard James Douglas of Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich., and Cincinnati Moeller High School forward Ryan Childress, have asked Jeter for and been granted releases from their national letters of intent. Walt Waters, a 6-foot-10 post player who is also from Schoolcraft, is already on campus. But Waters, who has a history of academic problems in previous short stays at Pittsburgh and Cleveland State, is, according to sources, unlikely to be with the team next season. Jeter, in just his second week on the job, is taking the defections in stride. "It's not a problem," Jeter said. "We've already had some very good players visit and we plan to have some more in. Add that to the nucleus we've already got on campus and we'll be just fine." Jeter has at least three scholarships to offer now, and possibly four if Waters doesn't stay at UWM. Jeter is unable to comment on specific recruits but it is known that he is particularly interested in another Schoolcraft sophomore, 6-5 Kevin Massiah. The Toronto native plays a wing position. Waters, a massive left-hander, was considered one of the best junior college big men in the nation while at Schoolcraft. He was considered a top-100 high school prospect before signing originally to attend Pittsburgh. Douglas, a 6-3 guard, is rated the 43rd-best junior college player in the nation by HoopScoop Online. He played for one season at Eastern Michigan, averaging 7.2 points per game and making 15 starts. Childress is a 6-8 power forward who played for national powerhouse Moeller. After his junior season, he was rated the 12th-best player in Ohio. www.jsonline.com/sports/coll/apr05/319458.asp
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Post by Big D on Apr 19, 2005 16:08:26 GMT -5
Vander Meer picks UIC LC grad leaves Bowling Green BY BRIAN WADDLE bwaddle@nwitimes.com 219.933.4191 This story ran on nwitimes.com on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 12:39 AM CDT MEN'S BASKETBALL Ray Vander Meer remembers the long drives all too well. "The last three games, I put 2,000 miles on my car," Vander Meer said. "With gas at $2.19 a gallon I might have had to get another job." Fortunately, the Vander Meer family won't have to sweat it anymore. Their son, Scott, a Lake Central grad who announced his decision to leave Bowling Green last week, has picked the University of Illinois at Chicago. "(UIC head coach) Jimmy Collins and (associate head coach) Mark Coomes were at our house for an hour and a half Sunday," Ray Vander Meer said. "There was rumors of three or four schools, even Valparaiso, but that's what they were -- rumors. "I honestly had UIC as my first choice when Scott was deciding. But I think he was looking more at the campus and things like that." Scott Vander Meer, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound center, will redshirt next season because he's transferring from another D-1 school. But he'll still have three years of eligibility with the Flames. "The last five years they've been to the NCAA Tournament three times," Scott Vander Meer said. "I almost picked them when I first decided, but at the last second switched. It will be rough sitting out (a year), but it will give me a chance to get better and build my strength." Vander Meer, an All-Area performer during the 2003-04 season, averaged 13.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.8 blocks a game his senior season at Lake Central. Vander Meer played three seasons at Andrew High School in Tinley Park before moving over the border and leading the Indians to a 17-6 record and into the championship game of the Class 4A East Chicago Sectional. Vander Meer played in 29 games at Bowling Green this past season, starting the final 11. He averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds a game for the 18-11 Falcons, but set a school record with seven blocked shots in his first start against Ohio. Vander Meer also carried a 4.0 grade-point average during the fall semester. Vander Meer will be joined at UIC by Merrillville standout guard Josh Mayo. nwitimes.com/articles/2005/04/19/sports/college_sports/52ae7464b45ca40286256fe80014e458.txt
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Post by Big D on Apr 19, 2005 16:23:40 GMT -5
Vikings Sign Three Players For 2005-06 Season Contact: Brian McCann April 19, 2005 CLEVELAND - The Viking men's basketball program took a big step towards completing its roster for the 2005-06 season by signing three players to national letters of intent to attend Cleveland State and play basketball beginning in the fall of 2005. Viking head coach Mike Garland made the announcement on Tuesday. Garland will be a guest on Neil Bender's Issues and Answers show on WKNR 850 AM tonight (April 19) from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Signing with Cleveland State are Tristan Crawford (Steelton, PA/Highspire), Carlos English (Detroit, MI/Mott CC) and Terry Walker (Grand Rapids, MI/Ottawa Hills). English will be a junior with two years of eligibility remaining while both Crawford and Walker will both enter CSU next fall as freshmen. "The addition of Tristan, Carlos and Terry completes a very talented recruiting class," head coach Mike Garland said. "We have definitely improved ourselves at every position and taken a big step towards having the personnel to play our aggressive style of basketball for 40 minutes a game." Crawford, a 6-4 forward, was named the Pennsylvania Class AAA Player of the Year by the Associated Press after averaging 23.0 points a game and leading Highspire to a 32-3 record and the state title. He turned up his performance in the postseason, averaging 28.8 points in the four state tournament games. A third team all-state honoree as a junior, he ended his career with 2,141 career points. Crawford was ranked among the top 40 players in the region at the 2004 Boy's Basketball Shootout and as one of the top 20 seniors by the Pennsylvania/Maryland Basketball Camp. He was recently recognized in the April 18 edition of Sports Illustrated as part of "Faces in the Crowd." "Tristan is the natural scorer that we were lacking this year," Garland said. "Not only can he score out of offensive sets, but he has the ability to create shots for himself and he is a tremendous finisher. More importantly, because he understands the importance of shot selection, he has developed into a very efficient scorer." A 5-9 point guard, English averaged 8.7 points and 6.3 assists last year on the Mott team that went 30-3, winning the league western conference title and finishing second in the NJCAA District 12 tournament. English was efficient offensively, shooting .505 from the field (54-107) and .718 from the line (51-71). He ended the year ranking 13th nationally in assists and 21st in steals (2.5 spg). Prior to enrolling in junior college, English was a four-year starter at Detroit's Warren Fitzgerald High School. He was a two-time all-city pick by the Detroit News, scoring 1,273 career points. English averaged 20.4 points, 6.0 assists and 5.0 steals as senior in 2002-03 to help Warren Fitzgerald to a 19-4 record. As a junior, he averaged 15.5 points, 7.8 assists and 6.2 rebounds as part of a 21-2 squad. "Carlos will fit in well on the perimeter and his quickness will add a another dimension to our game plan," Garland said. "Not only is he extremely quick but his ability to play at his top speed yet stay in control makes him a special player." Walker, a 6-9 forward, earned honorable mention all-state honors from the Detroit News this past year after averaging 9.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.1 blocks. He shot 52.0 percent from the field and 71.0 percent from the free throw line. He was ranked as the fifth-best post-player in Michigan by Prep Spotlight. "I love the defensive presence that Terry has on the court," Garland said. "He will be able to step into the lineup next fall and immediately contribute by rebounding and blocking and altering shots. His offensive skills are going to develop as he gains experience but he is tall and athletic and loves to run the floor." The trio that signed this week will be joined next year by J'Nathan Bulloch (Flint, MI/Northern), who signed during the early signing period last fall. In addition, Ije Nwankwo (Detroit, MI/Country Day) will become eligible in December after transferring to CSU from Purdue in January. The Vikings completed the 2004-05 season with a 9-17 record and in eighth place in the Horizon League with a 6-10 mark csuvikings.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041905aaa.html
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Post by Big D on Apr 20, 2005 15:55:55 GMT -5
Loyola Men’s Basketball Signs Brandon Woods 4/20/2005 Loyola head coach Jim Whitesell added some size to his lineup with the signing of 6-foot-8 forward Brandon Woods CHICAGO (April 20, 2005) – Brandon Woods (Moreno Valley, Calif./Canyon Springs/Eastern Arizona College) has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Loyola University Chicago and compete for the men’s basketball team, Ramblers head coach Jim Whitesell announced today. At Eastern Arizona College this season, the 6-foot-8 forward contributed 19.2 ppg and chipped in 7.9 rpg, while shooting at a .608 (228 for 375) clip from the field. “We are very exciting about Brandon choosing Loyola,” Whitesell said. “Brandon can help us with our front-line scoring. He runs the floor well and is very crafty on the baseline. We really like his work ethic and he comes from a very good junior college program. He has been well coached and is prepared to play at the next level”. Woods led EAC in scoring as a sophomore this season, ranking third in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) in scoring, eighth in rebounding and second in field goal percentage. As a freshman at Eastern Arizona, Woods posted 13.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg, after contributing 15.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg and 4.0 apg as senior at Canyon Springs High School in California. Woods is Loyola’s second signee, joining guard J.R. Blount (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Dominican), who committed during the early signing period in November. Blount helped lead Dominican to an undefeated season and the Division III state championship in Wisconsin. Loyola recorded 13 wins in Whitesell’s first season in Rogers Park as the Ramblers surpassed preseason expectations by tying for fourth place in the Horizon League. Loyola advanced to the semifinal round of the Horizon League Championship before falling to eventual champion and NCAA Sweet 16 finalist UW-Milwaukee. www.loyolaramblers.com/sports/mbball/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=10083
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Post by Big D on Apr 20, 2005 16:05:01 GMT -5
Flames stockpiling talent REPORTS: 3 INCOMING TRANSFERS By Mike Pankow (4/20/05) In various reports in the last week, UIC has received word of three transfers coming into the program. The biggest could well be Scott Vander Meer, who played one season at Bowling Green before deciding to return closer to home. Vander Meer (pictured), who played one year at Lake Central High School in Northwest Indiana and three years at Andrew High School in Tinley Park, stands 6-foot-11 and weighs 235 pounds and could give the Flames a real defensive presence in the post area. “I almost picked [UIC] when I first decided [to attend college],” Vander Meer told the Times of Northwest Indiana. “It will be rough sitting out , but it will give me a chance to get better and build my strength.”
Vander Meer played in 29 games at Bowling Green in the 2004-05 season, starting the last 11 contests. He averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds for the Falcons, who finished at 18-11 under coach Dan Dakich. He set a school record of seven blocked shots in his first start against NCAA tournament participant Ohio.
He also played against UIC on Nov. 24, scoring five points, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking three shots in the Falcons’ 63-51 victory.
UIC coach Jimmy Collins and assistant Mark Coomes spent over an hour at Vander Meer’s home last weekend, sealing the deal. Collins would be especially happy with the 4.0 grade point average that Vander Meer carries.
Vander Meer will three seasons of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2005-06 season due to NCAA transfer rules. As a prep senior at Lake Central, he averaged 13.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.8 blocks.
Meanwhile, the Flames were also busy picking up another perimeter player. A report in the Orange County (Calif.) Register said that Saddleback College point guard D.J. Smedley signed a Letter of Intent.
The 5-foot-9 Smedley averaged 7.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists and shared Orange Empire Conference MVP honors with teammate Dominique Ricks. The Gauchos, located in Mission Viejo, Calif. were 28-3 overall and 13-1 in conference play.
Lindy’s magazine had Smedley ranked as the No. 10 junior college point guard in its season preview.
Smedley played his first year of college at Riverside Community College. He averaged 21 points and nine assists at Lincoln High School in San Francisco.
The Flames also picked up another commitment from the West coast in junior college forward George Irby, according to the Highline Community College team website.
Irby, a 6-foot-8 power forward at Highline in Des Plaines, Wash, averaged 12.5 points and led the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges with 10.9 rebounds per game this past season. He shot 57 percent from the field and averaged a league-leading 2.8 blocked shots per contest as a freshman.
Irby would have to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer regulations, because he has only one year of junior college experience.
He prepped at Kent-Meridian High School in suburban Seattle and also played football there.
geocities.com/uicflamesbasketball/news.htm
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Post by Big D on Apr 20, 2005 17:52:41 GMT -5
Men's Basketball Inks California Junior College Point Guard D.J. Smedley April 20, 2005 Chicago, Ill. - University of Illinois at Chicago Head Men's Basketball Coach Jimmy Collins announced on Wednesday afternoon that Saddleback Junior College (Calif.) point guard D.J. Smedley has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Flames next season. Smedley, who was ranked as one of the top 10 junior college point guards in the country by Lindy's College Basketball, averaged 7.6 points, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game last year at Saddleback, helping direct the Gauchos to a 28-3 record and an Orange Empire Conference title. The 5-foot-10 floor general led the conference in assists in 2004-05 en route to earning Orange Empire Conference Co-MVP honors. Smedley was also named California Community College First Team All-State. "In D.J. we get a natural point guard who can really push the ball and sees everyone on the floor," Collins said. "He has a very, very high basketball I.Q. "(Incoming freshman point guard) Josh Mayo we feel is the same type of player and this makes this team reminiscent of when we had Martell Bailey and Jonathan Schneiderman on the floor at the same time." The Flames totaled back-to-back 20-win seasons with Bailey and Schneiderman in the backcourt, advancing to the NCAA tournament in 2002 and the NIT in 2003. As a prepster, Smedley competed at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco, Calif., averaging 21 points and nine assists per game. He earned First Team All-Metro Conference honors his senior season and guided the Mustangs to the AAA/CIF San Francisco Section Championship. Smedley played his first year out of high school at Riverside Community College (Calif.), where he earned first-team all-conference honors before transferring to Saddleback. Smedley joins newcomers Mayo (Merrillville, Ind./Merrillville), Othyus Jeffers (Chicago, Ill./Hubbard/Los Angeles Southwest CC), Danijel Zoric (Serbia and Montenegro/Collin County CC) and Lance Young (Rock Island, Ill./Alleman) on UIC's 2005-06 roster uicflames.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042005aaa.html
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Post by Raiderfan on Apr 21, 2005 22:22:46 GMT -5
BigD, thanks again for posting the recruiting info.
I know you were very high on the Childress kid out of Moeller......it sounds like a big loss for UWM. It will be interesting to see where he ends up.
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Post by Big D on Apr 22, 2005 21:20:32 GMT -5
Massiah Signs Letter Of Intent To Join Panthers Junior college forward added to Milwaukee roster MILWAUKEE - Kevin Massiah of Toronto, Ontario, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, head coach Rob Jeter announced today. Massiah is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound forward who played this past season at Schoolcraft Community College in Michigan. He averaged 15.5 ppg while shooting nearly 62 percent from the field. He also averaged 7.7 rebounds per game in helping Schoolcraft to a 27-3 record. He attended Western Kentucky University for two years, playing as a reserve for an NCAA Tournament team in 2002-03 before missing the 2003-04 season with an injury. He has two years of college elibility remaining. "He is a tremendous addition to our program," Jeter said. "He is extremely athletic, versatile and exciting. He can score from the perimeter and with his back to the basket. He should fit in very well with the Panther style of basketball." (From Kevin O'Connor, Sports Info Director) uwmfreak.proboards5.com/index.cgi?board=New&action=display&n=1&thread=1114210278
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Post by Big D on Apr 26, 2005 18:58:42 GMT -5
The UWM message board is reporting that they have signed 6-4 SG Tyrone Young out of Vincennes CC. He averaged 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3 assists as a sophomore at Vincennes CC. As a high school senior he averaged 25.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was named Missouri Player of the Year as a senior. ScoutHoops: 2 star recruit. RivalHoops: 1 star recruit. Hoopscoop JUCO Ranking: 13.
This has not been confirmed yet.
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Post by Big D on Apr 26, 2005 19:11:34 GMT -5
I also saw on UWM's message board that Childress is going to visit UWM this weekend, but he has openned his recruiting back up since they released him from his LOI. The schools that he reports he is interested are Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State, Toledo, and Wright State. He was recently interviewed by Scout.com and they have him as listing all these schools as well. I don't know where we stand in his recruitment since we are supposed to be out of scholarships. If we end up getting him, he is either going to walk on for a year, or someone we think is coming back next year isn't. Here is his recruiting page on Scout: scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=1512236
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Post by Raiderfan on Apr 26, 2005 22:26:26 GMT -5
I am shocked to see we are recruiting Ryan Childress! With no scholarships available I can't imagine him walking on when he has other comparable offers. Like Big D already suggested I hope this doesn't mean someone might be jumping ship.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have him on our team. A kid who is 6-8 and 230 lbs would be a terrific addition. What were his stats this year at Moeller?
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Post by Big D on Apr 27, 2005 6:23:51 GMT -5
He averaged 15.6 pts, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on a team that went to the state semifinals. He is a blue colar type post player that likes to mix it up under the basket. He also has a nice outside shot. He connected on 34% of his 3 pt shots last year. www.gclsports.com/bkTeamStats.aspx?schoolid=17&satid=14I originally found it hard to believe that he would be willing to walk on at WSU when he has scholarship offers from MAC schools and UWM. After I thought about, it wouldn't surprise me as much now. His tuition at Moeller for a year is probably just as much as it would be for WSU for a year, so finances probably aren't an issue. We are the closest of the schools he is interested it, so if he wants his parents to be able to see most of his games, but still go away to school we are a good option. I still think it is a long, long shot for him to end up here, but I can dream.
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Post by BasketBallJones on Apr 27, 2005 16:50:54 GMT -5
If he comes here, he would only have to pay tutiton for one year. Taylor is a senior, and they could give him that scholarship starting the 2006-07 season.
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