Should Valpo fans be upset with Brandon Wood?

This, I hope, will be my last post on Brandon Wood.  It is time to look ahead!
As we are all well aware by now, Brandon Wood has left Valpo for the opportunity to play at Michigan State University.  The discussion of whether or not Valpo fans should be upset with Wood has been discussed at length on message boards with many people on both sides of the argument.  Brandon was able to use a loophole in the NCAA rules that allows student athletes the opportunity to transfer without losing a year of eligibility if they have graduated and the school they are currently attending does not offer the Master's program they are looking for.

Before we get started, I'm all for a guy doing what he has to do to maximize his earning potential.  Brandon put his name in the NBA draft so that he could go to some workouts and gauge what he needed to work on in order to succeed at that level.  What the NBA scouts want to see from Brandon, according to his father Anthony is how Brandon is at "matching up defensively against bigger, stronger and NBA ready players is the number one concern along with the ability to play with and against other NBA ready players on a night in and night out basis."  With that in mind it was determined that it'd be in Brandon's best interest to transfer to a bigger school that would face better competition on a nightly basis.  Schools in play besides MSU included: Purdue, UConn, Providence, and Florida State.

I asked Anthony Wood what made Michigan State the winner in the sweepstakes for his son's talents. He responded, "not one single thing was a deal maker. Grad program, coach, tournament chances, top 25 team, exposure, BIG MEN, etc."  I have a problem with his "grad program" reason, I don't think anyone truly believes this was ever about academics.  Then there is the "BIG MEN" part.  This was the first I'd heard of this as being a reason from the Wood camp as a reason to go to MSU.  It has been discussed to great length by the fans for VU to land a recruit who can play in the paint and be a force to recon with under the basket.  Perhaps him leaving is the fault of the Crusader coaching staff for failing to recruit an inside presence (I don't believe this to be true at all)?

Some Valpo fans have this feeling of betrayal.  Brandon Wood did not betray Valpo.  While him leaving hurts for the time being, Valpo will move on.  It shouldn't take long for fans to get over his departure as he never led a Valpo team to postseason or even conference glory.  Brandon came to Valpo, played his two years, achieved academic success by graduating with his bachelor's degree in sports marketing and business, and received many awards for athletic performances.  Personally, I think this move will prove a poor decision, but I'm no NBA talent scout.  I still see Brandon as an instant offense kind of guy at the next level, and going to MSU he is going to see his shot attempts drop (last season he averaged 13.5 shots per game).  He may, or may not, have a difficult time adjusting to a new offense and all new teammates.  I just think that if you are a scorer, you want to have your entire arsenal on full display every night when you are the target of the opponents defensive scheme.  I just don't see how that is going to happen playing at Michigan State.

Good luck Brandon.  I wish you success and a long and prosperous career in the NBA.  Also, don't forget to send in those alumni donations!

My new favorite Dino

There are many famous Dino's out there; Dino from the Flintstones, Dino Bruni (Italian cyclist), Dino Cicarrelli (former NHL player), and who can forget Dino Merlin (popular singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina).  You can have all those great Dino's, my new favorite Dino is incoming Valparaiso University Freshman Dino Jakolis.  From LaLumeire Prep School in LaPorte, Indiana the 6'7'' Jakolis comes in ranked 87th at his position by ESPN.  Jakolis took a few minutes to answer some questions for me.

HC: Dino, what sold you on Valpo? 
Dino: The coaches are great people who understand players and are willing to help them every moment.
HC: What other schools were recruiting you?
Dino: Northwestern, Marquette, La Salle, UIC and Duquesne.
HC: What do you think will be the toughest adjustment from playing at LaLumeire to playing at a D1?
Dino: I do not think that there should be any major problems. Just some minor corrections here and there and I will be set.
HC:  Who is your favorite Dino, Dino Raja, Dino from the Flintstones, or a different Dino?

Dino: Dino Raja and Dino from the Flintstones. The first Dino is great inspiration and the second one was the one I used to watch a lot when I was younger.
HC: What role do you expect to fill for the Crusaders your freshman year?
Dino: My expection is that I will play as guard. Guards penetrate, shoot and assist. Exactly what I like to do.
HC: Valpo is a bit undersized, are you concerned about potentially having to match up with some of the bigger guys in the Horizon League?
Dino: There is always a threat from big guys, but as long as I block them out, it shouldn't be a problem guarding big guys.
HC: According to ESPN, you have pretty good range and a nice pull up jump shot. They also note you are a pretty good ball handler for such a big guy. What part of your game will you work to improve on this Summer?
Dino: I will mostly work on shooting and ball handling. I believe that these two components are the keys. You always make a basket with your shot, either lay up or pull up jump shot, so why not add some extra effort.
HC: Do you have any pregame rituals/superstitions?
Dino: Not really. I have never bothered with that.
HC: What do you ultimately hope to achieve during your 4 years of playing at Valpo (personally, as a team, on/off the court)?
Dino: I would like to continue growing as a stable person, make connections with people, learn as much as I can about my studies and lastly, get basketball level to the higher stage.

Thank you Dino for taking the time out to answer these questions for me and the VU fans.  We are anxiously waiting to see you and the rest of the 2011-2012 Crusaders take to the court.  As always, if you'd like an email alert when a new post is made be sure to put your email address in the space provided above this post and click submit!

Wood to MSU

http://valpoathletics.com/news/default/173/10795/

Seems it is official and we can all finally move on.  Best of luck to Brandon at Michigan State.  Hopefully he can make it to the professional ranks, and his alumni donations back to VU will be substantial!

Only time will tell if this proves to be a good move for Brandon.  There are both positives and negatives for him leaving.  Personally, I'm glad this has come to an end and Valpo can look for another player to fill the voided scholarship left by Wood.  Maybe they can pick up a 1 year transfer of their own.  One name being tossed around is Mike Bizoukas from Munster who has a year of eligibility left.

Brandon Wood Update 2.0

A quick update about the status of Brandon.  It is becoming more and more evident that he has played his last game as a Crusader.  In a message received from Anthony Wood this evening (5/1) he states that Brandon will visit with Michigan State tomorrow.  Mr. Wood also states, "Brandon is requesting permission to contact letters to be sent to UCONN, Providence and Florida State."

I'm told the Purdue visit has not occurred yet.

Stay tuned....