I had been hearing that the final spot would likely be between Judson and Ekey. Ultimately, as y’all have pointed out, it’d be a risk to have two very young guys as first time assistants. Plus, Judson checks the “Midwest recruiting ties” much more than Ekey.
No offense to any coach previously, but I don't remember any of them making a strong presence felt within 3 miles of ISU.
Didn’t Muller get a commitment from Chris Payton? Granted it didn’t end well and I doubt it would have even had he actually come to ISU . . . There really have not been that many skilled players coming out of Blo-No, but I think had there been more players of higher caliber the recruitment might have been a little more insistent.
He also had Chastain, Bruninga and Tinsley from the area as well on the same team. Granted those careers didn't go as we all thought or hoped they would. I wonder if these situations made him not want to recruit local or Blo-No kids.
That’s not the point I don’t think. It’s that Muller never built relationships. Building relationships might get us the next Alec Peters rather than jumping in late. Or it might get us Chastain before Loyola rather than after.
Yeah, Payton was committed and you're right. It would've ended poorly. Though there hasn't been a ton here's a list of some D1 kids who were local that chose to go elsewhere under the previous regime. Were the Birds in the mix for any of them? Who knows.
Beane followed his dad as he left ISU for SIU from my memory. I think its all a little of both, I've heard stories recently that I question Muller's relationships with the area and city coaches. I do know that everything is probably true on both parts. Pedon is building good relationships which is a good step and hopefully we get a kid or 2 but we won't get every kid from the area to go to ISU. Since I can remember and followed ISU hoops since 1990 I can't really think of a local kid that was really good at ISU. Some kids just want to go away and not deal with the pressure going to school so close to home.
basketballmuseumofillinois.com
Didn’t Dodie Dunson first commit to ISU and then back out after the first week of summer practice?
Brandon Holtz was a Bird who I believe played with Dodie at BHS. I thought Dodie was committed to ISU at some point but grades were an issue? I could be misremembering or just making up a story that a kid turned down his hometown team to go play for their rival.
And you know as well as I do that most of these kids would’ve been grilled by this fan board as not worthy of scholarships.
Ding ding da ding ding...DingDing.
What does this have to do with anything? This fan base is tame as hell compared to down 74 and other basketball first schools.