Frank Kaminsky Receives Big East Scholarship Offer
By Roy & Harv Schmidt ilprepbullseye.com May 18, 2010

Frank Kaminsky, the 6'10 class of 2011 center from Benet Academy in Lisle, IL has received a scholarship offer courtesy of DePaul University. New Blue Demons head coach Oliver Purnell extended the offer to Kaminsky while he was on an unofficial visit to the Lincoln Park campus this past weekend.

Kaminsky's offer from DePaul is his first from a Big East school and comes on top of previous offers from Northwestern University and the University Of Wisconsin. Kaminsky has also been offered by Northern Illinois University and Bradley University and is receiving heavy interest from Xavier, Illinois, Indiana and Davidson. Illinois Wolves head coach and CEO Mike Mullins confirmed the offer from DePaul.

Kaminsky has shown considerable improvement throughout the course of this spring. While he still needs to get stronger, he rebounds well and has started to become a consistent low-post scorer. In addition, Kaminsky runs the floor well, can face up and knock shots down from the perimeter and can block and alter shots defensively. At the present time, we consider him to be the third best true post prospect in Illinois from the 2011 class behind 6'10 Anthony Davis from Perspective High School in Chicago and 6'9 University Of Illinois commit Nnanna Egwu.

Getting back to DePaul, their offer to Kaminsky is yet another example of how Purnell and his coaching staff continue to be aggressive when it comes to their recruitment of top in-state prospects in the class of 2011. The Blue Demons recently received a commitment from 6'4 forward Jamie Crockett from Crete-Monee High School in Monee, IL and are also heavily involved with two of the top frontcourt prospects in the state--Davis and 6'7 forward Mike Shaw from De LaSalle Institute in Chicago.

We don't compete for recruits with the big schools... Didn't Patton get the memo?

Don't confuse effort with accomplishment.

U cant have accomplishment without effort first.

Must pursue all those late bloomers who MAY become a good fit like Kaminsky but lots of heavy hitters also pursuing him and that does not bode too well for NIU.

Keep in mind plenty of different factors can trigger a recruit's decision....some unrelated to bball, the staff etc....

(05-19-2010 09:39 AM)niu79 Wrote:  Don't confuse effort with accomplishment.

Who do you think is confusing the two? I haven't see anyone confused on the two concepts. Thanks for the 'heads up' though so we don't get confused on the difference. Whew.... Good catch!

I think it is good that we continue to try to get the good ones. If the effort isn't there, then the coaching staff isn't doing their job. Effort isn't a bad thing and it leads to accomplishment (for those who are still confused). Obviously we won't get most of them or even any of those at that caliber, but then again only one school can get a kid, and lots of other schools don't then get a kid like this - including some high majors who have also offered. If you don't try, you never will get one of the good ones. We can always go to plan B and C and D and E as time goes on we get crossed off the lists of our plan A guys. It is positive news to be mentioned as going after them. Of course, when they say "no" and we then go to Tennessee or elsewhere for recruits, then people will complain.

Until we land a big fish - other better fish are not likely to follow and join the school.

We need to sign a Bradley or Battle for the program to advance.
"X" factor is as close as NIU has come to signing a difference maker.
Two yrs in his case is better than none.

I agree. Which is exactly why it is good to hear that we are out there casting out offers to some of these big fish even if we are underdogs to land them. If we can improve and make somewhat of a name without one of those whoppers, then maybe those other younger big fish will pay more attention to our lures and possibly let us land one someday. But, if we can't get people in the stands (despite the record of the team because we are fair-weather fans), if we can't get students to support any athletic team at all, if we can't start winning some games, why would the big fish even pay us any attention? The coaches are out there all alone with not much bait on the hook to lure them in. Nobody involved - fans, coaches, players, NIU, media, etc. are doing what is needed to land a whopper right now.

(05-19-2010 03:33 PM)High On NIU Hoops Wrote:  I agree. Which is exactly why it is good to hear that we are out there casting out offers to some of these big fish even if we are underdogs to land them. If we can improve and make somewhat of a name without one of those whoppers, then maybe those other younger big fish will pay more attention to our lures and possibly let us land one someday. But, if we can't get people in the stands (despite the record of the team because we are fair-weather fans), if we can't get students to support any athletic team at all, if we can't start winning some games, why would the big fish even pay us any attention? The coaches are out there all alone with not much bait on the hook to lure them in. Nobody involved - fans, coaches, players, NIU, media, etc. are doing what is needed to land a whopper right now.

While NIU has a ways to go to attract the caliber of talent your talking about, I respectfully disagree that NIU coaches have little with which to recruit talent. The Convo Center is a heck of a venue, especially for a MAC program; there are many programs that are wildly successful playing in venues that pale in comparison to the Convo.

The Convo center is a beautiful facility. The times we visited NIU we always looked at it and pictured it with large (or at least decent) crowds, a fun-loving student section, and being loud. Then we went to our first NIU basketball game after Tyler committed. And, we haven't seen it that way yet for a NIU game. I know some of you say that the team has to win first, and I understand that to an extent, and agree with it to an extent (even though I really believe there should be more fans and students there to help spur the team on to get some of those wins, to bring in more fans, to lead to more wins, to bring in more fans, etc. instead of waiting for a winning team before showing the love to these guys. I have some favorite teams, and I support the concept of the franchise or program more than individual coaches or players and root for those teams no matter how they do on the court or field. Sure I am disappointed or upset at times, but support them and cheer for them no matter what). So, to that note, I'd say the Convo isn't a draw for recruits like some people think it is for our coaches to brag about. When recruits come to a game they aren't looking at if the team won or lost because they probably think they can come in and help that. But, when they come and see mostly empty seats, no real student section, and not a festive atmosphere, then the Convo center pales in comparison to arenas that it shouldn't.

Back on track of the thread: NIU coaches are out there trying to recruit. Believe that. It is an uphill battle they are trying to overcome. Why it is so uphill is a different thread.

The Convo has not had anything close to decent attendance since it opened in 2002 (except, of course, for the opening game against DePaul, which STILL did not sell out). Coincidentally, our W-L record has mostly been quite bad during that span. Whether we like it or not, basketball has become an afterthought on campus. I'd be willing to bet that no college team in the country has a total lack of student support like we do. It is indeed sad, but I can understand the sentiment of the fans when they see what we have all seen on the court for the past few years. Since the advent of the Ricardo Patton Era, I have never been so restless and bored at a basketball game. For me, there was much more excitement under Rob Judson. The really unfortunate thing is that no matter if we start winning immediately, it will take time, wins against big teams, and some massive marketing and publicity to get the fans back.

Coach Storm said "But, when they come and see mostly empty seats, no real student section, and not a festive atmosphere, then the Convo center pales in comparison to arenas that it shouldn't."

I have been saying this for years. In one way or another, I think most of us have. My point is that college basketball means the college basketball atmosphere. College basketball is crazy students in the stands, yelling, the loud pep band, cheerleaders, silverettes, the Jesse White tumblers at half time, local kids getting in really cheap or free, and exciting basketball (and maybe even a few wins). The players really only control a SMALL part of the overall college basketball experience. We alumni that do not live in DeKalb can only have a limited impact on game day atmosphere. And that is where previous administrations have missed the boat. Home student attendance as crucial to college basketball as oxygen is to keeping us alive. Without student attendance, you will not have true college basketball. Therefore, EVERYTHING possible has to be done to get student attendance to an adequate level. If we can't fix the patient's breathing problem, don't worry about his athlete's foot problem. If we can't fix the student attendance issue, no use worrying about anything else. (By the way, this all applies to Football as well, and I am not sure past administrations understood that either (except maybe Jim Phillips)). With basketball especially, though, a student and local DeKalb fan base has to be built. Question: Who is tasked with this job?

The GOOD news is it doesn't have to be BUILT, it only has to be RE-BUILT. I can remember going to games in the early 90's, 4-5,000 in the stands, the smell of popcorn, kids running around, Jesse White and co. bouncing around (and our home victory over Wisconsin)... so at least we know that the town and school want that, we just have to plug them back in... wins and a likable coach is the formula. One or two seasons of GOOD memories in our new basketball home and we'll be up and running...

Landing the kid or kids is the bottom line. Early on it's fun to "compete" (and I'll assume for sake of conversation that competing is offering), but I don't quite think this is early on. I don't pretend to understand every trend, but it would be my guess that at this stage Ricardo does not have a boat load of time to land the big name or two. 3 and 4 years in may be a bit late in the game. We'll see.

It is my stong guess that we will be starting from square one AGAIN in a year or two. Hope I'm wrong.

(05-20-2010 07:41 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  The Convo has not had anything close to decent attendance since it opened in 2002 (except, of course, for the opening game against DePaul, which STILL did not sell out). Coincidentally, our W-L record has mostly been quite bad during that span. Whether we like it or not, basketball has become an afterthought on campus. I'd be willing to bet that no college team in the country has a total lack of student support like we do. It is indeed sad, but I can understand the sentiment of the fans when they see what we have all seen on the court for the past few years. Since the advent of the Ricardo Patton Era, I have never been so restless and bored at a basketball game. For me, there was much more excitement under Rob Judson. The really unfortunate thing is that no matter if we start winning immediately, it will take time, wins against big teams, and some massive marketing and publicity to get the fans back.

You'd be surprised how many D1 college programs experience the same or worse level of student support than NIU does. I'm an EIU alum, hoops games especially on weekends were a big draw (4-5K). With EIU joining the OVC and the program gradually losing more over time; avg attendance is now a little over 1K per game. Chicago St is just over 1K per game, Western IL doesn't even get 1K per game. SIU's is down to 4800, ISU 6500, Loyola 2200, Central MI about what Northern draws (1700) and EMU is at 1K. You have to believe at some point, the combination of NIU's proximity to several major markets and a great venue to play in are going to positively impact the quality of talent which will cause NIU's w-l record to improve with the result of greater fan support.

(05-20-2010 04:08 PM)onlinepole Wrote:  

(05-20-2010 07:41 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  The Convo has not had anything close to decent attendance since it opened in 2002 (except, of course, for the opening game against DePaul, which STILL did not sell out). Coincidentally, our W-L record has mostly been quite bad during that span. Whether we like it or not, basketball has become an afterthought on campus. I'd be willing to bet that no college team in the country has a total lack of student support like we do. It is indeed sad, but I can understand the sentiment of the fans when they see what we have all seen on the court for the past few years. Since the advent of the Ricardo Patton Era, I have never been so restless and bored at a basketball game. For me, there was much more excitement under Rob Judson. The really unfortunate thing is that no matter if we start winning immediately, it will take time, wins against big teams, and some massive marketing and publicity to get the fans back.

You'd be surprised how many D1 college programs experience the same or worse level of student support than NIU does. I'm an EIU alum, hoops games especially on weekends were a big draw (4-5K). With EIU joining the OVC and the program gradually losing more over time; avg attendance is now a little over 1K per game. Chicago St is just over 1K per game, Western IL doesn't even get 1K per game. SIU's is down to 4800, ISU 6500, Loyola 2200, Central MI about what Northern draws (1700) and EMU is at 1K. You have to believe at some point, the combination of NIU's proximity to several major markets and a great venue to play in are going to positively impact the quality of talent which will cause NIU's w-l record to improve with the result of greater fan support.

True, but our attendance is virtually 100% non-student. We have no real student section because there are no students at the game (except for a tiny handful).

(05-20-2010 07:41 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  I'd be willing to bet that no college team in the country has a total lack of student support like we do.

Oh, I'll take that bet. You only have to look in the direction of Ypsilanti. Don't even have to get into the lower conferences.

(05-19-2010 09:00 AM)HuskiemobileMan Wrote:  We don't compete for recruits with the big schools... Didn't Patton get the memo?

Yeah, how dare we think we can amount to anything!! The gall of some people, the athletic department actually wanting to succeed. What is next in this crazy world!? You all should have received the NS memo! Get with it people.

(05-20-2010 04:27 PM)OZoner Wrote:  

(05-20-2010 07:41 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  I'd be willing to bet that no college team in the country has a total lack of student support like we do.

Oh, I'll take that bet. You only have to look in the direction of Ypsilanti. Don't even have to get into the lower conferences.

So I guess they have fewer than 5 students at a game?

(05-20-2010 07:41 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  The Convo has not had anything close to decent attendance since it opened in 2002 (except, of course, for the opening game against DePaul, which STILL did not sell out). Coincidentally, our W-L record has mostly been quite bad during that span. Whether we like it or not, basketball has become an afterthought on campus. I'd be willing to bet that no college team in the country has a total lack of student support like we do. It is indeed sad, but I can understand the sentiment of the fans when they see what we have all seen on the court for the past few years. Since the advent of the Ricardo Patton Era, I have never been so restless and bored at a basketball game. For me, there was much more excitement under Rob Judson. The really unfortunate thing is that no matter if we start winning immediately, it will take time, wins against big teams, and some massive marketing and publicity to get the fans back.

Excitement from Judson teams???? Yeah if you like to watch bad basketball...