MBB: American Rivers Conference

[AndOne]

A source very close to the situation and recruitment process of Danny Pawelski advises that a primary reason he chose Loras over Augie and North Central was that he didn't feel he had an adequate skill level to allow him to play effectively in the CCIW, and that he felt he would have a better chance for success in the IIAC. I saw him play several times this season and concur. Keep in mind I'm not knocking the conference, just reporting the facts, which come form an unimpeachable source. Danny has improved and certainly has the potential for further improvement. However, Duhawk fans will need to be patient. I can guarantee you that he won't immediately be filling the void left by the graduating big men. I believe the term "project" is very applicable here. Good luck to him.

MORE RECRUITING NEWS-----------

On a secondary note, playing at Loras will afford Danny the chance to team with another incoming Duhawk frosh from Benet Academy in Lisle, the town immediately east of Naperville where Danny (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley) is from. Brian Gaughan, Benet's 6'0" point guard will also attend Loras. I believe Danny and Brian are friends and played AAU ball together. Brian is the son of Benet's head coach, and even though a point, never met a shot he didn't like. When he is hot he can score in bunches, but when he is cold, your grandpa could hit a higher percentage.
Brian will need to learn to exhibit his other skills,  and not keep firing bricks on those nights when he isn't "on,"  to be successful at the next level.     

Unfortunately, AndOne has a source that is apparently NOT very close to the situation and recruitment process of Danny Pawelski.
Danny was being recruited by most every school in the CCIW, and several other schools from many areas. Never did he have a doubt about his playing ability or adequacy to play at any one of the CCIW schools.  Anyone who knows Danny knows that he may infact, be a "late bloomer".  He has continually grown in heighth every year, and skills have improved every year.  At no time has he had an ego to go along with that.  His goal was only to go on and play four more years of the sport he loves. Loras College provided the PERFECT fit.  The coaches and players at Loras were the absolute key in his decision to choose Loras. And based on a piece of advice from a conference rival coach, Danny chose the school "who wanted him the most, and who will look out for him for the next four years". It's funny that the kid was good enough for the CCIW coaches until he turned them down....now he's just a "project" for Loras! This is the real story.

Insidelook----

I'm doing my best Dikembe Mutombo imitation standing here in the lane and wagging my finger at you and telling you "don't bring that weak s__t in here."

Its pretty obvious that you're either a friend of Danny or a Loras student/supporter who, either way, is out of touch with reality.

First of all, the source of my information is someone very familiar with Danny and his basketball life. He is unimpeachable as far as having inside information that you can only hazard a slanted guess at. 

Secondly, you state Danny was being recruited by "most every school in the CCIW." As TQ has indicated, Wesleyan was on him early, and backed off him when they secured 2 more talented big men. Augie and North Central were on him early and continued their pursuit until his decision. Thats 1/4th of the CCIW, NOT "most every team." Along with that misguided contention, you stated "several other schools from many areas" were after him. What schools from what areas??? 

Third, its true that Augie and North Central both wanted Danny badly. Grey Geovanine of Augie, who lost both his big men this year, was all over Danny at every opportunity from smoozing his mom at the Elgin X-Mas Tourney to piling up probably half his cell phone and texting charges from Dec-Feb on Danny. He even texted him from the bus on the way back from North Central following the last game of the season. While Danny seemed to like Coach Giovanine, I have doubts whether their personalities would have meshed after long periods of close exposure.
North Central, which didn't have a "big" to lose this year, was on him heavily throughout with the idea he could make a fairly immediate contribution, unspectacular as it may have been, but still capable of supporting NCC's terrific forward combo.

Fourth, if Danny wanted a perfect fit a school that "would take care of him" the most obvious choice would ahve been North Central---Danny is a teammate and friend of Derek Raridon, son of NC Head Coach Todd Raridon, the school is 15-20 minutes from Danny's home, offering his parents the chance to see many games with the least amount of traveling, and Coach Raridon knows the family, often sitting with Mr. Pawelski at Neuqua Valley games. Additionally, NCC would have offered Danny a chance to contribute most likely, sooner rather than later.   

Sorry, Inside, but you just don't know much of the real story beyond the rose colored version you choose to project. "Inside" may be part of your screen name, but, in truth, 'OUTside' would have been much more appropriate.   

[Gregory Sager]

Danny was being recruited by most every school in the CCIW

"... most every school"? Of the eight schools in the CCIW, I can name two that I'm certain had no contact with him at all, and that's just the two of which I'm aware. I tend to agree with AndOne that it was actually a minority of CCIW schools that recruited Pawelski, not "most every school". If more CCIW schools than Augustana, North Central, and Illinois Wesleyan were after him, I have yet to hear of it.

Again, that's not a slam on Pawelski. It's just that the words "most every school in the CCIW" set off my hyperbole detector, just as was the case when a longtime commentator on CCIW Chat similarly (and erroneously) described the pursuit of Wheaton recruit Jeremy Pflederer as involving every school in the league.

[SLP-O-8]

The 2 starting bigs for Bv last year will be back and have to be one of the best combo big men in the country.  Fog is a big body down low while Cleveland is taller but can step back and hit the big 3 like the one to put them into OT with Wash U

[Klopenhiemer]

Fourth, if Danny wanted a perfect fit a school that "would take care of him" the most obvious choice would ahve been North Central---Danny is a teammate and friend of Derek Raridon, son of NC Head Coach Todd Raridon, the school is 15-20 minutes from Danny's home, offering his parents the chance to see many games with the least amount of traveling, and Coach Raridon knows the family, often sitting with Mr. Pawelski at Neuqua Valley games. Additionally, NCC would have offered Danny a chance to contribute most likely, sooner rather than later.

Thats a pretty bold statment to be talking about a kids perfect fit.  Just beacuse North Central is 15 minutes away from Danny home does not mean its a perfect fit.  Unless either of you are his parrents, blood relations, or close family friend, I have a hard time understanding how any of these conclusions could have been made other than hearsay. 

The perfect fit for a college student quite possible could be 1,000 miles away from his home base.  There is a lot more to a college decision than finding the place cloeset to home.  Maybe Danny chose Loras because it gave him the opportunity to leave the state of IL and branch out into a new community. 

[AndOne]

Klop----

1. I agree with you 100% when you say the perfect fit may be a school 1,000 miles away. I myself chose a school over 500 miles from home.

2. My statement about a perfect (or pretty darn close to perfect) fit was made in reference to the schools that were being talked about (Augie, Loras, & North Central) and not any imaginary school that Danny was never linked to.

3. While you couldn't possibly know it beforehand, I'm in a pretty good position to make the statement I did because I know each and every one of the parties involved, and see most of them on a very regular basis.

4. Part of Danny's choosing Loras WAS for the opportunity to get out of Naperville. The other main reasons were that he felt he would have a better chance for success in the IIAC as opposed to the CCIW. Also, as I previously posted, he will be playing with a good friend of his from another nearby school who will also be a freshman at Loras next year.

[insidelook]

Klop, I couldn't agree with you more...unless these statements are coming from Danny's parents or blood relatives, assume that most of this is clearly "hearsay".
It is interesting how many individuals suddenly have such a close insight to the situation.
It is a fact that Danny does have a childhood friend who is also going to Loras, however, Danny has been in contact with the coaches from Loras since last summer. His friend just began looking at Loras during the late part of his Senior year.  He in no way impacted Danny's decision making process.  In fact, if having a friend to go away to college with was so important to Danny, he has a former NV team mate and friend at Augustana, so that would have been great too.  His decision to attend Loras was purely based on his connection to Coach Gorton, and to the current players that he spent time with. From what I know, Danny does look forward to going to school away from home, and in fact, passed up a very nice scholarship at St. Xavier University because he felt even that was too close to home.
There are no guarantees for any player at any level. I think with hard work and determination he will make a contribution at Loras, and believe he would have at any CCIW school as well.

[sportsknight]

Sure seems to be a lot of discussion of a player that has never suited up for an IIAC game.

[Klopenhiemer]

Sure seems to be a lot of discussion of a player that has never suited up for an IIAC game.

Hey its the off season.  What else is there to talk about.  I was actually waiting for one of Gregory Sager sermons to be posted, but I am still waiting

[doolittledog]

Sure seems to be a lot of discussion of a player that has never suited up for an IIAC game.

Hey its the off season.  What else is there to talk about.  I was actually waiting for one of Gregory Sager sermons to be posted, but I am still waiting

We could make an over/under for Mr. Sager and start wagering 

[Gregory Sager]

Sure seems to be a lot of discussion of a player that has never suited up for an IIAC game.

Hey its the off season.  What else is there to talk about.  I was actually waiting for one of Gregory Sager sermons to be posted, but I am still waiting

We could make an over/under for Mr. Sager and start wagering 

I don't deliver a sermon unless there are ushers present to take an offering.

[doolittledog]

Sure seems to be a lot of discussion of a player that has never suited up for an IIAC game.

Hey its the off season.  What else is there to talk about.  I was actually waiting for one of Gregory Sager sermons to be posted, but I am still waiting

We could make an over/under for Mr. Sager and start wagering 

I don't deliver a sermon unless there are ushers present to take an offering.

Now that made me laugh...good one 

[AndOne]

Klop, I couldn't agree with you more...unless these statements are coming from Danny's parents or blood relatives, assume that most of this is clearly "hearsay".
It is interesting how many individuals suddenly have such a close insight to the situation.
It is a fact that Danny does have a childhood friend who is also going to Loras, however, Danny has been in contact with the coaches from Loras since last summer. His friend just began looking at Loras during the late part of his Senior year.  He in no way impacted Danny's decision making process.  In fact, if having a friend to go away to college with was so important to Danny, he has a former NV team mate and friend at Augustana, so that would have been great too.  His decision to attend Loras was purely based on his connection to Coach Gorton, and to the current players that he spent time with. From what I know, Danny does look forward to going to school away from home, and in fact, passed up a very nice scholarship at St. Xavier University because he felt even that was too close to home.
There are no guarantees for any player at any level. I think with hard work and determination he will make a contribution at Loras, and believe he would have at any CCIW school as well.

Inside----

First of all, you need to realize that there are some other pretty knowledgeable  people in here besides yourself. Furthermore, that some of these people have had a pretty close insight into the recruitment process for quite some time, and did not acquire their understanding of the situation "suddenly."

Nobody ever said Danny would not make a "contribution" at any school. I think he will. How big of a contribution remains to be seen. I also think chances are good that he'll make a bigger contribution at Loras than he would have in the CCIW, and that was part of his decision making process.   

Much good luck to Danny both in the classroom and on the court at Loras.

[Klopenhiemer]

Sure seems to be a lot of discussion of a player that has never suited up for an IIAC game.

Hey its the off season.  What else is there to talk about.  I was actually waiting for one of Gregory Sager sermons to be posted, but I am still waiting

We could make an over/under for Mr. Sager and start wagering 

I don't deliver a sermon unless there are ushers present to take an offering.

Made me laugh as well.  +k to just so you know my comment was not in malice rather in ribbing

[SLP-O-8]

for those with rivals accounts...the beavers are on the front page of iowapreps.com

[MWCSID2005]

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Click below for No Ordinary Conference Order Form:
http://www.midwestconference.org/MWC_Book_OF.pdf