MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[frodotwo]

Another recruit for UWSP:

One of the more prolific and versatile players in Wisconsin's class of 2015 decided on Wednesday evening to play basketball for coach Bob Semling at NCAA Division III national champion UW-Stevens Point.

Canon O'Heron, a 6-foot-6 forward who averaged 25.3 points per game as a senior, joins the previously announced Ethan Bublitz of Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Drew Fredrickson of Mount Horeb and Brett Tauber of Madison Memorial in the incoming recruiting class at Stevens Point.

A four-time first-team all-league pick in the Scenic Bluffs Conference, O'Heron had received recruiting interest from schools at the NCAA Division II and III levels as well from several NAIA schools before selecting Stevens Point.

A physical and skilled player, O'Heron can dominate in the paint with his ability to finish through contact or he can step outside and make three-point shots.

In addition to his prolific scoring average, O'Heron also contributed 9.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while helping Bangor to a 21-3 record, including a 14-0 mark in league outings.

The Player of the Year in the league as a senior, O'Heron shot 57 percent from the field, 67 percent from the foul line and 38 percent from three-point range while scoring 30 or more points six times.

O'Heron scored a career-best 41 points in a 75-68 loss to West Salem and ended his stellar prep career scoring more than 1,500 points for coach Jordan Laufenberg and the Cardinals.

Stevens Point is coming off yet another banner season.

The Pointers shared the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crown with Whitewater and then went on to win six games in the Division III Tournament, including a 70-54 victory over Augustana (Ill.) in the national title game to cap a 27-5 season.

Semling was named Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and has compiled a 242-54 record during his 10 years as head coach for a winning percentage of 81.7 percent. 

O'Heron is the #49 ranked recruit in Wisconsin according to Wissports.net and Bublitz is #32

Though a copy and paste post, congrats on your milestone post of 1,000! 🎂🎂🎂

But I started and ended with my own words   

[tomt4525]

Saw on Wissports.net that Mark Miller reported some recruiting news on Oshkosh and Whitewater on 5/6 and Point on 5/7. I don't get the subscription though. Is this information that has recently been posted?

Yes, it's news that has already been reported...Oshkosh is putting together a really good class to add to a solid nucleus coming back, that article you mentioned had them picking up 6'4" wing Brett Wittchow from Laconia.  Whitewater's pickup was Mitch Pfeiffer from Kettle Moraine.  He's an athletic 6'3" wing who should be a very good WIAC player.  The Point news was already shared in Bangor's Canon O'Heron, a 6'6ish" post that can step back and hit from long range as well.  Turned down atleast 1 Divison 2 scholarship to attend Point.  Point's class coming in has a little bit of everything but I'm hoping they can add a wing with some size to finish it off.

For any interested parties, I can report some Oshkosh news from down south of the cheese curtain here in Illinois. This may have been reported before, but if not, here you go;

For about a month now, Oshkosh has had a committment from Sam Johnson. Sam is a 6'7" PF from Riverside-Brookfield HS here in IL. I have never seen any of the Oskosh recruits play, and know nothing about them. Still, I would be willing to bet that Johnson will be UWO's top recruit. He averaged about 17 PPG and 8 RPG, and was Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A/4A 3rd team All-State. He shoots threes better than a lot of 2 guards. He was recruited by several CCIW, IIAC, and Midwest conference teams as well as at least one other WIAC team who wears purple.

You admit to not knowing the Wisconsin area recruits for Oshkosh, and I'll admit to not knowing anything about Illinois area recruits...other than the 1 recruit, Robby Nardini, going to Point...who I'm excited about.....but I'm willing to bet Oshkosh's top recruit is Ben Boots, from Kimberly WI.

Well, time will tell, Tom.
Keep in mind, Ben is a guard and Sam a forward so we're talking apples and oranges.
Not sure about Boots, but Johnson played against top level suburban Chicago talent in a huge percentage of his games. Was Boots competition up to that level?
One certainty is that it appears UWO is getting at least 2 top level recruits.
I will bet that Ben Boots does have the coolest name. 

Obviously suburban Chicago will have more talent than anywhere in Wisconsin, but the conference Boots plays in, the Fox Valley Association, is one of the best conferences in the state.  He played against scholarship level players on a nightly basis.  If both Johnson and Boots along with Wittchow pan out for Oshkosh, Oshkosh just may make a Big 3 in the WIAC.

[AndOne]

I don't know the Oshkosh personnel, but I do know that Johnson would have started as a freshman on other teams that recruited him, and who have been superior to UWO over the past several seasons.
So, if he and the other 2 recruits you mention do indeed pan out, I agree that a Big 3 in the WIAC in coming years is entirely possible.

[AndOne]

Platteville has historically been pretty active in the suburban Chicago market. However, this past season, I can't readily remember seeing them at even one area high school game. Does anyone know how UWP's recruiting went this year, both in general and specifically in the Chicago area?

[petemcb]

I can assure you that those are not the only three prize recruits that Oshkosh has come up with this Spring.  It is looking like a banner recruiting class and there will definitely be a Big 3 in the WIAC a year from now, if not this upcoming season. 

[Titan Q]

UW-Oshkosh...


* Alex Van Dyke, 6-8 F (Union Grove H.S.)

http://journaltimes.com/sports/high-school/hornickle-headed-to-wyoming/article_1824d466-6c0b-5c86-8fa6-32dd269b32f6.html

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2228372/alex-van-dyke


* Kyle Beyak, 5-11 PG (Prospect H.S., Illinois)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJkoOeOpWwU

http://basketball.dailyherald.com/article/20150305/sports/150309328/

[AppletonRocks]

Saw on Wissports.net that Mark Miller reported some recruiting news on Oshkosh and Whitewater on 5/6 and Point on 5/7. I don't get the subscription though. Is this information that has recently been posted?

Yes, it's news that has already been reported...Oshkosh is putting together a really good class to add to a solid nucleus coming back, that article you mentioned had them picking up 6'4" wing Brett Wittchow from Laconia.  Whitewater's pickup was Mitch Pfeiffer from Kettle Moraine.  He's an athletic 6'3" wing who should be a very good WIAC player.  The Point news was already shared in Bangor's Canon O'Heron, a 6'6ish" post that can step back and hit from long range as well.  Turned down atleast 1 Divison 2 scholarship to attend Point.  Point's class coming in has a little bit of everything but I'm hoping they can add a wing with some size to finish it off.

For any interested parties, I can report some Oshkosh news from down south of the cheese curtain here in Illinois. This may have been reported before, but if not, here you go;

For about a month now, Oshkosh has had a committment from Sam Johnson. Sam is a 6'7" PF from Riverside-Brookfield HS here in IL. I have never seen any of the Oskosh recruits play, and know nothing about them. Still, I would be willing to bet that Johnson will be UWO's top recruit. He averaged about 17 PPG and 8 RPG, and was Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A/4A 3rd team All-State. He shoots threes better than a lot of 2 guards. He was recruited by several CCIW, IIAC, and Midwest conference teams as well as at least one other WIAC team who wears purple.

You admit to not knowing the Wisconsin area recruits for Oshkosh, and I'll admit to not knowing anything about Illinois area recruits...other than the 1 recruit, Robby Nardini, going to Point...who I'm excited about.....but I'm willing to bet Oshkosh's top recruit is Ben Boots, from Kimberly WI.

Well, time will tell, Tom.
Keep in mind, Ben is a guard and Sam a forward so we're talking apples and oranges.
Not sure about Boots, but Johnson played against top level suburban Chicago talent in a huge percentage of his games. Was Boots competition up to that level?
One certainty is that it appears UWO is getting at least 2 top level recruits.
I will bet that Ben Boots does have the coolest name. 

Obviously suburban Chicago will have more talent than anywhere in Wisconsin, but the conference Boots plays in, the Fox Valley Association, is one of the best conferences in the state.  He played against scholarship level players on a nightly basis.  If both Johnson and Boots along with Wittchow pan out for Oshkosh, Oshkosh just may make a Big 3 in the WIAC.

Ben Boots was All Conference in the Fox Valley Association, the deepest conference in Wisconsin over the past 10 years in my opinion.  Neenah, Appleton East, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Appleton West amongst others.   

[Greek Tragedy]

In the same daily herald article has Paul Weiss from Christian Liberty going to La Crosse.

[Titan Q]

UW-Platteville...

* Ethan Woodrow, 6-6 F/C (Fountain Central H.S., Indiana)

http://www.prephoopsindiana.com/prospects-2015-ethan-woodrow

http://www.journalgazette.net/blog/preps-plus/Hoosier-Basketball-Top-100-boys-5590076

[Titan Q]

Lance Randall from D2 St. Leo to D2 Lindenwood.  Brad Sodeberg left to work for Tony Bennett at UVA.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/basketball/college/lindenwood-hires-ex-slu-assistant-to-coach-basketball/article_14135344-df95-519a-8726-92b0c1b9f8e9.html

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/soderberg-was-content-at-lindenwood-but-couldn-t-say-no/article_41ff2191-ae57-5ff6-8fe1-0f58b6d1807c.html

All kinds of WIAC ties here.

[Greek Tragedy]

Thanks for the updates, TQ.

Amazing Randall lasted 4 years at St. Leo before leaving. It's usually no more than 3 before he wants to pack up.

[frodotwo]

Thanks for the updates, TQ.

Amazing Randall lasted 4 years at St. Leo before leaving. It's usually no more than 3 before he wants to pack up.

So I wonder where that leaves the #30 ranked recruit per wissports.net:

30   Carter Belling   Kaukauna   6'0"   PG   St. Leo (DII)

[Just Bill]

If he signed an NLI and wants to back out he's at the mercy of St. Leo to grant him a release. If he goes elsewhere in D-I or D-II without a release he's ineligible for two years. He could go to a D-III without penalty.

I still don't know why any recruit signs that thing. It's not necessary to receive a scholarship and it forfeits dozens of rights. There's virtually no benefit to the student-athlete from signing it, other than getting your picture in the paper.

[tomt4525]

If he signed an NLI and wants to back out he's at the mercy of St. Leo to grant him a release. If he goes elsewhere in D-I or D-II without a release he's ineligible for two years. He could go to a D-III without penalty.

I still don't know why any recruit signs that thing. It's not necessary to receive a scholarship and it forfeits dozens of rights. There's virtually no benefit to the student-athlete from signing it, other than getting your picture in the paper.

I partially agree with that statement...but it also binds the school to the player if they end up getting hurt.  In a case like this where the coach leaves, I haven't seen many instances that the school won't let the player out of their letter of intent.  There might be stipulations where they can't go to a school in their conference and that sort of thing, but if they wanted out, 99% of the time they can get out.

[Just Bill]

If he signed an NLI and wants to back out he's at the mercy of St. Leo to grant him a release. If he goes elsewhere in D-I or D-II without a release he's ineligible for two years. He could go to a D-III without penalty.

I still don't know why any recruit signs that thing. It's not necessary to receive a scholarship and it forfeits dozens of rights. There's virtually no benefit to the student-athlete from signing it, other than getting your picture in the paper.

I partially agree with that statement...but it also binds the school to the player if they end up getting hurt.  In a case like this where the coach leaves, I haven't seen many instances that the school won't let the player out of their letter of intent.  There might be stipulations where they can't go to a school in their conference and that sort of thing, but if they wanted out, 99% of the time they can get out.

No protection for getting hurt in an NLI. They can drop you just as fast as they can sign the paperwork. An NLI commits you to them, not them to you.