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Rapolas Ivanauskas transferring

lou v

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Aug 27, 2004
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Relax, relax...he's transferring high schools.

I just got off the phone with NU's 2016 commit, and he is transferring from Barrington (Ill.) to Brewster Academy, a boarding school in Wolfeboro, NH. Basically, he is doing it to play against a higher level of competition and prepare for his freshman year at NU. We will sure miss him in Barrington, though.

I'll have a story up soon.
 
Relax, relax...he's transferring high schools.

I just got off the phone with NU's 2017 commit, and he is transferring from Barrington (Ill.) to Brewster Academy, a boarding school in Wolfeboro, NH. Basically, he is doing it to play against a higher level of competition and prepare for his freshman year at NU. We will sure miss him in Barrington, though.

I'll have a story up soon.

Cheap click bait. Effective, but cheap nonetheless
 
Cheap click bait. Effective, but cheap nonetheless

I just read that Brewster had 7 players in the 2015 class in the Rivals top 50 and Falzon gave them their only loss by dropping 30 points. Damn!!!!! I can't wait to see Falzon play.
 
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Great opportunity for Rapolas. If you are parents, I image the thought process is something like, "Well, we no longer have to worry about paying 4 or 5 years of college tuition... Let's pay for one year of boarding school to put our son in the best possible position (socially, academically and basketball-wise) for the transition to being a college athlete."
 
Great opportunity for Rapolas. If you are parents, I image the thought process is something like, "Well, we no longer have to worry about paying 4 or 5 years of college tuition... Let's pay for one year of boarding school to put our son in the best possible position (socially, academically and basketball-wise) for the transition to being a college athlete."

Actually, he's getting a scholarship to Brewster, so they won't have to pay that $54,500 tuition, either.
 
Here's the story...

2016 Northwestern forward commit Rapolas Ivanauskas talks about his decision to transfer to New Hampshire's Brewster Academy for his senior season.

Link: On the move ($)
 
Relax, relax...he's transferring high schools.

I just got off the phone with NU's 2016 commit, and he is transferring from Barrington (Ill.) to Brewster Academy, a boarding school in Wolfeboro, NH. Basically, he is doing it to play against a higher level of competition and prepare for his freshman year at NU. We will sure miss him in Barrington, though.

I'll have a story up soon.

That's a dirty, nasty trick Lou.

Does this give us any inside access to high level players with academic standing?
 
With all these D1 guys at Brewster, is there any concern that Rapolas will not see significant playing time?
 
That's a dirty, nasty trick Lou.

Does this give us any inside access to high level players with academic standing?

It's not THAT nasty. Rapolas couldn't transfer at this point, anyway -- you can't transfer if you're not even in school. If he decided to leave NU now, it would be a decommitment, not a transfer. (And, believe me, he has no such plans.)

Could it give NU an in at Brewster? I don't see why not. Armon Gates is pretty well connected there already.
 
With all these D1 guys at Brewster, is there any concern that Rapolas will not see significant playing time?

No, they have definite plans for him. He probably won't be relied upon as much, but coaches at Brewster see him playing the same versatile role he played at Barrington -- and will play at NU. Plus, he'll be competing against better players every day in practice.
 
A friend of mine went to an New England Prep School for Hockey and I asked him about Brewster for Basketball, and he said they're usually very good, but the conference as a whole isn't all that much better than a typical Northern Illinois suburban school for basketball. FYI
 
A friend of mine went to an New England Prep School for Hockey and I asked him about Brewster for Basketball, and he said they're usually very good, but the conference as a whole isn't all that much better than a typical Northern Illinois suburban school for basketball. FYI

o_O

There were 20 former New England Prep School products selected in the last 4 NBA Drafts!
 
o_O

There were 20 former New England Prep School products selected in the last 4 NBA Drafts!

Welcome to the board, Brewster Academy. With that user name, you couldn't have picked a better day to post here for the first time.
 
Aside from Rapolas doing what is best for himself it is really sad the way high school basketball has changed over the last few decades. Kids transferring schools at an alarming rates, attendance down at games especially state tournament games, less Friday night games, lack of reporting on games, spring / summer basketball travel teams being more important than the high school team in recruiting and loyalty, so many classes in state basketball that championships are watered down, and now players leaving for Prep Schools their Junior and Senior years are becoming more and more prevalent. Change is always constant but in this case I really think High School basketball is becoming less interesting
 
a) Kids transferring - I'd argue kids don't transfer much more than they did since the 80s. That's about the time the tendency for transferring became much more basketball-related than family/academic reasons.

b) Travel teams - For me, this is by farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr where high school basketball as well as the transition from h.s. to college has gone of the rails. I think this is problema numero uno for high school hoops. I can't believe for a second that high school players are better served by these programs than they would be with something in the ballpark of a year-round high school team.

As the NABC starts to take on broader issues, I wish they would address these programs. However, they must find something useful about them. I've never heard a successful college coach complain about them.
 
Aside from Rapolas doing what is best for himself it is really sad the way high school basketball has changed over the last few decades. Kids transferring schools at an alarming rates, attendance down at games especially state tournament games, less Friday night games, lack of reporting on games, spring / summer basketball travel teams being more important than the high school team in recruiting and loyalty, so many classes in state basketball that championships are watered down, and now players leaving for Prep Schools their Junior and Senior years are becoming more and more prevalent. Change is always constant but in this case I really think High School basketball is becoming less interesting
It's what happens when free market forces eclipse community values. It will be better for the individual but diminish the larger experience and eventually reduce opportunities feeding the larger culture.
 
a) Kids transferring - I'd argue kids don't transfer much more than they did since the 80s. That's about the time the tendency for transferring became much more basketball-related than family/academic reasons.

b) Travel teams - For me, this is by farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr where high school basketball as well as the transition from h.s. to college has gone of the rails. I think this is problema numero uno for high school hoops. I can't believe for a second that high school players are better served by these programs than they would be with something in the ballpark of a year-round high school team.

As the NABC starts to take on broader issues, I wish they would address these programs. However, they must find something useful about them. I've never heard a successful college coach complain about them.

Had an assistant coach at High major school say to me a few years back that as much as he disliked Travel basketball and how it was more pleasant to deal with high school coaches in recruiting travel basketball makes it easier for the recruiter. When you go to most high school games you see 1 or maybe a handful of D-1 players (albeit the exception for the really top high school teams). In travel ball tournaments teams are full of D-1 prospects..its one stop shopping and you can evaluate a kid vs. other top players. In high school it may be one player dominating kids who will never play beyond high school.. That is why they do not complain openly...plus as this coach said to me his boss (A high profile coach) does not care one bit how or who they have to deal with to get players just get the player.
 
Aside from Rapolas doing what is best for himself it is really sad the way high school basketball has changed over the last few decades. Kids transferring schools at an alarming rates, attendance down at games especially state tournament games, less Friday night games, lack of reporting on games, spring / summer basketball travel teams being more important than the high school team in recruiting and loyalty, so many classes in state basketball that championships are watered down, and now players leaving for Prep Schools their Junior and Senior years are becoming more and more prevalent. Change is always constant but in this case I really think High School basketball is becoming less interesting

Prep schools are using success on the hardcourt (less expensive proposition than success on the gridiron) as a means to attract paying students.

There was a NE prep school which was struggling to attract students - so they invested in their BB program and achieved fairly quick success.

Paying students and alums more eager to open their wallets soon followed.
 
Prep schools are using success on the hardcourt (less expensive proposition than success on the gridiron) as a means to attract paying students.

There was a NE prep school which was struggling to attract students - so they invested in their BB program and achieved fairly quick success.

Paying students and alums more eager to open their wallets soon followed.

Hmmmm........perhaps a certain private University is doing the same............
 
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