MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Greek Tragedy]

But any theorizing that doesn't have a source close to Raymond is really just idle talk at this point.

Idle or not, probably fun to talk and think about..."What if..."   

[thundermike11]

From the MIAA board...

Here's some recruiting tidbits from the Calvin camp:
Joel Kamp of Chicago Christian is in the fold.
Still waiting on final decisions from a PF from Florida, a wing from Up North, and a solid SG from the lakeshore. 

I'm pretty sure Wheaton was after Kamp.

Yeah, they were.

[usee]

Just curious, is Raymond a junior or senior?  It says Junior on the all america list but I recall seeing him referred to as a senior as well?  If he is returning, I imagine he is overwhelming pre-season favorite for national player of the year.  If not, I imagine it's pretty wide open. 

For personal reasons he skipped his sophomore season, so he is a junior by eligibility.  However, word is that he will graduate this spring, and already has a job lined up in his field.  It seems highly doubtful that he will be back.

I have been thinking about this and I don't know anything more than anyone else on here but I actually think just the opposite. I had a feeling going into the CCIW tournament and its even stronger now with Wheaton's success in the tourney. I will go on record as saying I would be very surprised if Kent did NOT return next year. A player with his level of competetive spirit is fueled by success and with the prospect of his whole starting 5 coming back from an elite 8 team I would think he is hungry for more as opposed to satisfied to ride off to Orlando for "financial services". I know there are economic concerns but he has the rest of his life to pay off debts. He likely would do it a lot faster than he thinks.

Look for #24 to lace them up for another late season run into the tourney.

While your theory seems plausible, usee, as far as I know that's all that you're doing -- expounding a theory. Have you made any inquiries among people in the know on the Wheaton campus? Although I haven't spoken to Kent Raymond himself, I have discussed his situation with two people affiliated with the Wheaton men's basketball program, and they both assured me that the chances that Raymond would return are very slim. Granted, both of those conversations were prior to Wheaton's tournament run, but the idea that the tourney run would've changed his mind all by itself is sheer speculation.

If you have a contact within the Wheaton program who can elucidate further as to Raymond's current thinking, then please share it. You can keep your contact anonymous, as I have. But any theorizing that doesn't have a source close to Raymond is really just idle talk at this point.

Gregory,

While I do have my "sources" I can neither confirm nor deny my speculative theory has any legs. I will say it is almost entirely speculation.

[AndOne]

Just curious, is Raymond a junior or senior?  It says Junior on the all america list but I recall seeing him referred to as a senior as well?  If he is returning, I imagine he is overwhelming pre-season favorite for national player of the year.  If not, I imagine it's pretty wide open. 

For personal reasons he skipped his sophomore season, so he is a junior by eligibility.  However, word is that he will graduate this spring, and already has a job lined up in his field.  It seems highly doubtful that he will be back.

I have been thinking about this and I don't know anything more than anyone else on here but I actually think just the opposite. I had a feeling going into the CCIW tournament and its even stronger now with Wheaton's success in the tourney. I will go on record as saying I would be very surprised if Kent did NOT return next year. A player with his level of competitive spirit is fueled by success and with the prospect of his whole starting 5 coming back from an elite 8 team I would think he is hungry for more as opposed to satisfied to ride off to Orlando for "financial services". I know there are economic concerns but he has the rest of his life to pay off debts. He likely would do it a lot faster than he thinks.

Look for #24 to lace them up for another late season run into the tourney.

I think he is referred to as a junior on the All-America list because he has used up only 3 years of eligibility.

Despite "his level of competitive spirit," he already voluntarily (no known injury, academic, monetary, or family issues that were ever publicized) sat out an entire year. He evidently misplaced that spirit somewhere along the way. Accordingly, there seems to be some valid reasoning behind questioning whether he'll return, especially in light of the fact that there is evidence his competitive spirit has already waned at least once. 

[usee]

Just curious, is Raymond a junior or senior?  It says Junior on the all america list but I recall seeing him referred to as a senior as well?  If he is returning, I imagine he is overwhelming pre-season favorite for national player of the year.  If not, I imagine it's pretty wide open. 

For personal reasons he skipped his sophomore season, so he is a junior by eligibility.  However, word is that he will graduate this spring, and already has a job lined up in his field.  It seems highly doubtful that he will be back.

I have been thinking about this and I don't know anything more than anyone else on here but I actually think just the opposite. I had a feeling going into the CCIW tournament and its even stronger now with Wheaton's success in the tourney. I will go on record as saying I would be very surprised if Kent did NOT return next year. A player with his level of competitive spirit is fueled by success and with the prospect of his whole starting 5 coming back from an elite 8 team I would think he is hungry for more as opposed to satisfied to ride off to Orlando for "financial services". I know there are economic concerns but he has the rest of his life to pay off debts. He likely would do it a lot faster than he thinks.

Look for #24 to lace them up for another late season run into the tourney.

I think he is referred to as a junior on the All-America list because he has used up only 3 years of eligibility.

Despite "his level of competitive spirit," he already voluntarily (no known injury, academic, monetary, or family issues that were ever publicized) sat out an entire year. He evidently misplaced that spirit somewhere along the way. Accordingly, there seems to be some valid reasoning behind questioning whether he'll return, especially in light of the fact that there is evidence his competitive spirit has already waned at least once. 

I think you are misinformed. He sat out a year because of a personal, spiritual choice. In my experience athletes' competitive natures don't "wane". I think your point is right but the exact opposite may be true. I wouldn't be asking why he left the first time, I would be asking why he came back.

[AndOne]

Just curious, is Raymond a junior or senior?  It says Junior on the all america list but I recall seeing him referred to as a senior as well?  If he is returning, I imagine he is overwhelming pre-season favorite for national player of the year.  If not, I imagine it's pretty wide open. 

For personal reasons he skipped his sophomore season, so he is a junior by eligibility.  However, word is that he will graduate this spring, and already has a job lined up in his field.  It seems highly doubtful that he will be back.

I have been thinking about this and I don't know anything more than anyone else on here but I actually think just the opposite. I had a feeling going into the CCIW tournament and its even stronger now with Wheaton's success in the tourney. I will go on record as saying I would be very surprised if Kent did NOT return next year. A player with his level of competitive spirit is fueled by success and with the prospect of his whole starting 5 coming back from an elite 8 team I would think he is hungry for more as opposed to satisfied to ride off to Orlando for "financial services". I know there are economic concerns but he has the rest of his life to pay off debts. He likely would do it a lot faster than he thinks.

Look for #24 to lace them up for another late season run into the tourney.

I think he is referred to as a junior on the All-America list because he has used up only 3 years of eligibility.

Despite "his level of competitive spirit," he already voluntarily (no known injury, academic, monetary, or family issues that were ever publicized) sat out an entire year. He evidently misplaced that spirit somewhere along the way. Accordingly, there seems to be some valid reasoning behind questioning whether he'll return, especially in light of the fact that there is evidence his competitive spirit has already waned at least once. 

I think you are misinformed. He sat out a year because of a personal, spiritual choice. In my experience athletes' competitive natures don't "wane". I think your point is right but the exact opposite may be true. I wouldn't be asking why he left the first time, I would be asking why he came back.

Misinformed?
If he sat out a year because of a "personal, spiritual choice," then doesn't that confirm that his spiritual self overshadowed and overwhelmed the competitive aspect of his nature? Accordingly, such personal and voluntary action then gives further testimony to the fact that his competitive spirit is absolutely capable of being suppressed by his spiritual side, causing his competitive  juices to diminish in phase or intensity i.e. to wane. 

[Pat Coleman]

This is a serious discussion?

[Mr. Ypsi]

I seem to recall that this discussion already occurred 2.5-3 years ago, when Kent Raymond first chose to sit out his sophomore season - the discussion was not pleasant.

May I suggest that no one knows but Kent (and perhaps not even him).  Much as I am dying of curiosity, I think he has earned the right to be left to his own decisions.

[AndOne]

Pat----

Its at least as serious as the discussion of the "collective we" (either including or excluding "he") on the previous page-----or any number of discussions on about 1000 pages within D3Hoops.   

I wasn't aware that "serious" was a requirement.   

Whats considered "serious" by one reader might seem asinine to another.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr.----

I agree completely that nobody but Mr. Raymond, and possibly not even him at this point, knows.

Usee commented that he would be surprised if he didn't come back. I was merely pointing out that, for whatever reason, he already voluntarily skipped playing for a year. As that was before he had enough credits to graduate, I think now that he evidently will have the required credits as of the end of the current term, it certainly raises the question of whether he'll return. Evidently the mere suggestion he might not return pissed off at least 2 people who refuse to consider that possibility exists. Thats all.

[usee]

Pat----

Its at least as serious as the discussion of the "collective we" (either including or excluding "he") on the previous page-----or any number of discussions on about 1000 pages within D3Hoops.   

I wasn't aware that "serious" was a requirement.   

Whats considered "serious" by one reader might seem asinine to another.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr.----

I agree completely that nobody but Mr. Raymond, and possibly not even him at this point, knows.

Usee commented that he would be surprised if he didn't come back. I was merely pointing out that, for whatever reason, he already voluntarily skipped playing for a year. As that was before he had enough credits to graduate, I think now that he evidently will have the required credits as of the end of the current term, it certainly raises the question of whether he'll return. Evidently the mere suggestion he might not return pissed off at least 2 people who refuse to consider that possibility exists. Thats all.

Pat,

this is as about as serious as it gets in the offseason.

AndOne,

"pissed off" You give yourself way too much credit. 

[Pat Coleman]

So I'll rephrase: This is seriously a discussion? A bunch of people thinking they know what is in Kent Raymond's head?

[thundermike11]

So I'll rephrase: This is seriously a discussion? A bunch of people thinking they know what is in Kent Raymond's head?

Amen

[Titan Q]

So I'll rephrase: This is seriously a discussion? A bunch of people thinking they know what is in Kent Raymond's head?

And what was in his head (the year he decided to sit out). 

I'm pretty sure Kent Raymond is the only person qualified to comment credibly on this topic.

[usee]

So I'll rephrase: This is seriously a discussion? A bunch of people thinking they know what is in Kent Raymond's head?

And what was in his head (the year he decided to sit out). 

I'm pretty sure Kent Raymond is the only person qualified to comment credibly on this topic.

I never claimed to be commenting credibly. Of course that can be generally applied to most of my posts....and much of this board now that I think about it. 

[Dennis_Prikkel]

So I'll rephrase: This is seriously a discussion? A bunch of people thinking they know what is in Kent Raymond's head?

And what was in his head (the year he decided to sit out). 

I'm pretty sure Kent Raymond is the only person qualified to comment credibly on this topic.

I never claimed to be commenting credibly. Of course that can be generally applied to most of my posts....and much of this board now that I think about it. 

usee - did you leave a "K" out of that last sentence ?

DoS