West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

More videos on Shifflett

Jr year highlights
https://youtu.be/YEf29D3ZC2s

2019 Pitt Jam
https://youtu.be/4nvqoUsTs7Y

Thanks! He has great range. WLU also gets some smart players too, as I have seen outstanding GPAs and test scores for Hazelbaker, Shifflett and Butler (haven't seen data on other players). Their team GPA was 3.11 last semester!

If NCAA votes tomorrow to move back 3 point line (as most expect) from 20 ft 9 inches to 22 feet 1.75 inches, I wonder if it just might make West Liberty even more dangerous and have a bigger impact on its opponents? Many of our opponents have some fringe 3 point shooters, whose % may be negatively impacted. Whereas players such as Yoakum, Bolon, Boswell, Shifflett, Conley and Butler all seem to be comfortable in shooting frequently from NBA 3 range. It could spread the floor even more, which allows their numerous slashers open lanes to the basket to score or pass. If passed in D1 for 2019, it will be effective in 2020 for D2.

[TVCS2]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

More videos on Shifflett

Jr year highlights
https://youtu.be/YEf29D3ZC2s

2019 Pitt Jam
https://youtu.be/4nvqoUsTs7Y

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Way early Pure Speculation on platoon 1 and platoon 2 in 2019
Platoon 1
Bolon
Yoakum
Dyer
Moore
Boswell

Platoon 2
Alessandro
McKinney
Robinson
Butler
Shifflett



Very interested in seeing Alessandro to see if he can defend inside because he is strong offensively.
Situational play depending on development during year - hazelbaker and Conley

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

It's my understanding he(Hill) had several D1's interested, but none wanted him to sit a year. This is why he went to a JUCO.

I know he had 7 or so D1 offers coming out of high school. Why he picked West Liberty, he only knows.

He committed on 4/29/2018, which is really late in the D1 recruiting cycle, if he actually had "Committable" D1 offers.

Just some idle speculation:
1. There are committable offers and then there are non-commitable offers. Some D1 schools like to get in early with recruits long before their senior year with a non-comittable offer.
I think Yahel Hill has some of these in 2016-2017, when there was talk of him in the Mr. Basketball discussion for the following season 2017-2018.
2. His size and weight may have made him a second or third choice at his position for D1 low majors and he was caught in a numbers game. Unfortunately, that issue still exists.
3. If he does not get major minutes at Talahassee, most d1 schools would shy away from a incoming junior who is not a juco star and can't start on day 1 at D1. If they don't want him to redshirt as sophomore, they certainly are not nterested in a bench warmer as a junior.

4. He may have realized that he would have a fair chance to compete to start at WL. No seniority system there. WL does not hold his height and slight build against him and the style minmizes its negative impact.
5. He may have liked the high level of play (most players do if they can handle the running) at WL. They average 1.33 points per possession, which is better than any D1 school.
6. He was astute enough to realize that high end D2 is higher quality basketball than low majors and many mid majors. (Go to basketball general discussion forum for a list of D2 schools that beat high major D1 schools).


I thought he was in a great situation at WLU with potential to be a D2 All American sometime during his career and play in Europe.
I wish him the best.

[Wvguy]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

It's my understanding he(Hill) had several D1's interested, but none wanted him to sit a year. This is why he went to a JUCO.

I know he had 7 or so D1 offers coming out of high school. Why he picked West Liberty, he only knows.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

His one year audition at WL would at least find him a home in the Atlantic Region next season should he choose to come back. It's a very odd move altogether. Was the 'D1' jump confirmed to be the reason he left or was it something else (grades, etc.)?

I haven't taken the time to look but does Tallahassee have a track record of being a feeder system? Some of those elite JUCO's are legitimately D1 factories.

But, Boat, as your buddy Joe Lombardi says ... "I get calls from 5'10" point guards all day long"

Seems like WLU is becoming a "feeder" for IUP! First was "Everything West Liberty is is Because of ME Dyer" a few years ago, now it's "I'm a Can't Miss D1 Superstar Humphrey" and perhaps his replacement will be "I Should Have Been An All-American Hill!"

I'm sure Hill has Joe's number on speed dial!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Yea...Tallahassee CC seems to be a "player mill" were players who couldn't find ANYWHERE else to go "park" for a year. First chance they have they seem to head for greener pastures...typically at another JUCO if they have any eligibility left. I'd be willing to bet his "Academic Major" is listed as - "The easiest courses possible to maintain my eligibility."

His one year audition at WL would at least find him a home in the Atlantic Region next season should he choose to come back. It's a very odd move altogether. Was the 'D1' jump confirmed to be the reason he left or was it something else (grades, etc.)?

I haven't taken the time to look but does Tallahassee have a track record of being a feeder system? Some of those elite JUCO's are legitimately D1 factories.

But, Boat, as your buddy Joe Lombardi says ... "I get calls from 5'10" point guards all day long"

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Yea...Tallahassee CC seems to be a "player mill" were players who couldn't find ANYWHERE else to go "park" for a year. First chance they have they seem to head for greener pastures...typically at another JUCO if they have any eligibility left. I'd be willing to bet his "Academic Major" is listed as - "The easiest courses possible to maintain my eligibility."

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I feel even worse for Yahel Hill.

Talahassee CC appears to be a school that churns and burns players.
Massive roster turnover each year.

NONE of the 4 freshmen from the 2017-2018 team were on the 2018-2019 team.

Chris Agbo played one year at Talahassee and then transferrred to Pearl River CC - then committed to Indiana State (D1)
Jaquan Morris landed at Blinn College (neither D1 nor D2)
Chris Swiney transferred to Rowan (neither D1 nor D2)
Bamba Jaye transferred from Gillette WY to Talahassee and is at Shaw as RS Jr (D2) and averaged 0.2 points per game and was shooting 10% FG

The 3 Sophomores on the 2018-2019 team were all transfers. The remainder of the roster were freshmen..

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

But they won't be ashamed...these people are un-shamable! When Hill does not sign with a D1, they will simply move on to the next player and fill his head full of D1 non-sense. Of course they will trumpet the few "success" stories were they convinced a DII player that he was D1 and that player actually ended up at a D1 while totally ignoring the probably hundreds of players he influenced that ended up back at a DII or the uncounted that ended up giving up on basketball (and college).

Unfortunately you are right... they are just exploiting kids.
BTW, I looked at TCC roster. There is only one other guy 6-0 on the entire roster and he is a soph.
Also, TCC is getting a lot of D1 transfers (my guess is academic casulaties) so it is not a given that Yahel will walk right in and start. One thing in his favor is that playing a year at WL has improved his understanding of the game (provided the new coach at TCC shares the philosophy of teamwork and unselfishness). From verbalcommits transfer list

2 SG DeAndre Gholston FR 6-2 170 Kent State Tallahassee Community College
3.3 PG Eric Hester SO 6-3 175 Akron Tallahassee Community College
2 PF Isaih Moore FR 6-10 180 College of Charleston Tallahassee Community College
2 SG Tariq Silver RS FR 6-5 185 Eastern Michigan Tallahassee Community College
2 SF Daivon Stephens FR 6-5 185 Eastern Michigan Tallahassee Community College

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

So sad. He had a bright future at WL. He was in such a good situation there.
Terrible academic decision as well as sports decision.

Whoever influenced him with the siren song of d1 stardom should
be ashamed

But they won't be ashamed...these people are un-shamable! When Hill does not sign with a D1, they will simply move on to the next player and fill his head full of D1 non-sense. Of course they will trumpet the few "success" stories were they convinced a DII player that he was D1 and that player actually ended up at a D1 while totally ignoring the probably hundreds of players he influenced that ended up back at a DII or the uncounted that ended up giving up on basketball (and college).

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I can't imagine Yahel thinks this is going to be the outcome after he walks into Ben's office at WL at the conclusion of the season to tell him he's transferring.

A Freshman Guard starting on a perennial Top 10, D2 team goes to Tallahassee CC his sophomore year!!! I guess it's believable in some regards, but where are you gonna end up! Bad decision...

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

This whole process was very Chucky'isk!!! We'll see where he ends up after next season when he realizes that he's not a D1 player!

Probably in the Atlantic.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I can't imagine Yahel thinks this is going to be the outcome after he walks into Ben's office at WL at the conclusion of the season to tell him he's transferring.

A Freshman Guard starting on a perennial Top 10, D2 team goes to Tallahassee CC his sophomore year!!! I guess it's believable in some regards, but where are you gonna end up! Bad decision...

This whole process was very Chucky'isk!!! We'll see where he ends up after next season when he realizes that he's not a D1 player!

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Yeah ... they run some serious talent through there. They are typically stacked with academic non-qualifiers, ... those types.

I can't imagine Yahel thinks this is going to be the outcome after he walks into Ben's office at WL at the conclusion of the season to tell him he's transferring.

A Freshman Guard starting on a perennial Top 10, D2 team goes to Tallahassee CC his sophomore year!!! I guess it's believable in some regards, but where are you gonna end up! Bad decision...