Big game Bigby

[SAE94]

Isn't it funny how the US is always light years behind the rest of the world in education, yet I can only recall two overseas players that made it academically here. Al Beye (Senegal) and Damir Latovic (Serbia) and a whole slew of others who didn't, like the guys Huse recruited, one from France that ended up at St. John's after prep school and Muhammad Fall, who I think ended up at a JC, and from there who knows. OK maybe not a slew, but it seems like there were a lot more. Maybe our education system isn't quite as flawed as believed or we need to be better hand-holders to work them through the clearinghouse system.

[mslacat]

When recruiting a Foreign player it is not always about how smart or well educated they are it is about does their education program from their high school sync up with what the NCAA wants to see. The high schools in the United States and Canada are sync'd up with what we find as a normal and good education system but when you go across the pond it can be a little different but that little bit of a difference is all it takes for the NCAA to rule the player does not have the "Core Requirement". Tell what though, I bet if Kavell had signed with Kentucky or lets say N. Carolina he would be playing there this year, they always seem to get cut breaks by the NCAA.

[CatBlitz]

When recruiting a Foreign player it is not always about how smart or well educated they are it is about does their education program from their high school sync up with what the NCAA wants to see. The high schools in the United States and Canada are sync'd up with what we find as a normal and good education system but when you go across the pond it can be a little different but that little bit of a difference is all it takes for the NCAA to rule the player does not have the "Core Requirement". Tell what though, I bet if Kavell had signed with Kentucky or lets say N. Carolina he would be playing there this year, they always seem to get cut breaks by the NCAA.

Yep. Another reason why the NCAA is a cesspool of regurgitated BS. I really hate Emmert.

[BLACKnBLUEnGOLD]

If you heard a weird cacophony out in the general direction of I-90, that was my excitement for the basketball season. It stole my car and took off at 90 miles per hour while flipping me the bird and laughing out the window.

****** the NCAA!

[MSU01]

The NCAA has to be the most hypocritical organization in the history of the universe. We're all about academics and we won't let you play, unless you make us enough money that we don't care about that anymore.

[Stratomatic]

British big man Kavell Bigby-Williams committed to MSU, but academic issues sent him to Gillette JC in Wyo.
Maybe he will someday make it to Bozeman.
In his first game for Gillette, against the Montana Western JV, Kavell scored 14 pts on 6 of 10 shooting and 2-4 FT, 14 rebounds (2 offensive), 3 blocks, only 2 fouls, in 22 minutes.
Not a bad performance, no matter who the opponent was.

[duelalumnicat]

Too bad he is not here. I think Coach Fish could definitely use him inside.

[BLACKnBLUEnGOLD]

British big man Kavell Bigby-Williams committed to MSU, but academic issues sent him to Gillette JC in Wyo.
Maybe he will someday make it to Bozeman.
In his first game for Gillette, against the Montana Western JV, Kavell scored 14 pts on 6 of 10 shooting and 2-4 FT, 14 rebounds (2 offensive), 3 blocks, only 2 fouls, in 22 minutes.
Not a bad performance, no matter who the opponent was.

Fish promptly made up for the loss by recruiting a bunch of guards. Personally, I'd rather have Bigby.

[mslacat]

British big man Kavell Bigby-Williams committed to MSU, but academic issues sent him to Gillette JC in Wyo.
Maybe he will someday make it to Bozeman.
In his first game for Gillette, against the Montana Western JV, Kavell scored 14 pts on 6 of 10 shooting and 2-4 FT, 14 rebounds (2 offensive), 3 blocks, only 2 fouls, in 22 minutes.
Not a bad performance, no matter who the opponent was.

Fish promptly made up for the loss by recruiting a bunch of guards. Personally, I'd rather have Bigby.

I tend to agree and I was surprised when I heard we had offered and got commitments from three high school perimeter (PG/SG Worthy, SG/WG Hall and SG/SF Neuman) players and another JC perimeter guy (SF Everett) I would have thought that a big guy might be a priority. The thing I keep wondering about, though, is that with coach Haslam on the staff you never know if there is another Euro Big man or two that the Bobcats could be looking at. Haslam pulled Bigby-Williams out of seemingly know where when we signed him last November and also got us current Bobcat freshman 7-0 Bradley Fisher (although Fisher was more of a known commodity) so you never who they could be looking at. The actual early signing period starts November 12th so I will be real curious to see if Fish signs just the four we know about or comes up with an an additional signing of a player we have not heard of.

As far as the three high school players we did sign I went through all of the other Big Sky schools on ESPN recruiting site and they are reported MSU's three recruits are give a ranking in the range of 73-78 (out of 100) and are all rated as three star recruits. No other Big Sky school has a player rated above 70 (Weber St) and no three stars ratings. Now I am not going to start putting up banners yet and the true test will come when they get on the court here in Bozeman, but Fish is doing what he said he would do immediately and that is improve our talent level. Not to mention he also has said he believes the Conference is a guard oriented league so the emphasis on the 1,2 & 3 position. I have no doubt, though, before the spring recruiting season ends if not sooner Fish will sign at least one big man.

About Bigby-Williams: Man while he would by no means solve our all of problems on the interior, his strengths and skill sets are exactly what the 2014-15 team needs. A player who wants to rebound play defense and block some shots. I really wish we had him this year.

[duelalumnicat]

Mslacat, as always, thanks for your thoughts and insight. I agree. I wish we had Bigby-Williams this year.

[mslacat]

Probably should not do this but....

After four games this season for Gillette JC Kavel Bigby Williams has started every game and is averaging 15pts, 12.2rbs, 3.5blks, 1.5 asts while shooting 69.7% from the field but only averaging 24 minutes a game.

Bobcat Commit Quinton Everett is coming off the bench averaging 16 pts, 4.2 rbs 3 asts 1.8 stls while shooting 49% from the field & 41% from three point (his perceived weakness) while averaging 20.5 minutes a game.

Gillette is the #9 ranked Div. 1 JC in the country

[CatBlitz]

I honestly haven't been this excited about BB recruiting since the end of the Carlos Taylor era. I'm looking very forward to the next 5 years.

[msu_agfan]

I honestly haven't been this excited about BB recruiting since the end of the Carlos Taylor era. I'm looking very forward to the next 5 years.

+1

[mslacat]

Boy Kavell Bigby Williams is really starting elevate his recruiting stock over the past 3 weeks. I hope come next fall the Bobcats still have a shot at him! Bigby was having a pretty good year for Gillette JC to start out the season. He worked his way into the starting line up and was averaging about 10-12 points 10-12 rebounds and about 3-4 block shots a game for a very strong JC D-1 team. Then he suffered a high ankle sprain sat out a few games and when he came back in early January he still was struggling on the court. Well it looks like he has gotten his game back and then some. Once again he has worked his way back into the Gillette starting line up and over the past 6 games has been averaging 16 points, 13 rebounds, 4 block shots and shooting well over 55%. Furthermore he presence on defense has been dominating over some very good team. For the year he is averaging 10.6 points, 8.8 rebounds 3.4 blocks a game. I have to imagine if he keeps up his current level of play there are going to be dozens of mid to high major programs who are looking for a 6-9 to 6-10 athletic power forward who is not afraid to mix it up inside and is capable of pulling a double double every night. Man I wish he would have made NCAA eligibility not only could he made a big impact this year but down the line could be a dominate Big Sky player.

Now it is a wait and see situation!

[RickRund]

What a difference he could make in the middle for the CATS.

[BelgradeBobcat]

Now it is a wait and see situation!

When has a situation like this ever worked out for the Bobcats? Too bad-he likely would have made a huge difference this season.

[Rich K]

Gillette CC heading to national tournament.

http://www.gcpronghorns.com/mens-basket ... g-to-hutch

[mslacat]

It has started Utah has started recruiting Kavell and Iona has offered him.

[CatBlitz]

It has started Utah has started recruiting Kavell and Iona has offered him.

Welp, we're out of it. It was a good run I suppose.

[Hawks86]

UC Irvine just offered Bigby.