The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(03-31-2020 10:24 AM)okgc Wrote:  Judy Bailey probably never even attended a WMU sporting event & Montgomery has frequently posted photos to his twitter pages during WMU events.

I said "vibe"... Montgomery is more about slick new dorms/dining facilities and academic programs than athletics... which is his prerogative... but he's definitely a mouthpiece of a board who is hell bent on cutting anything possible to stay above water... lots of financial pieces moving together... and yet they keep putting up new buildings on campus as if they are in bed with some mob owned construction company!

Prez does show up to events and does his "rah rah" in front of students... but what he does behind scenes is more important than to how loud he can sing the alma matter... there might be a larger stinking fish that spreads far across all of the decision making heads... going to be interesting to see how all of this works out as more and more money is not making it into athletics...

(03-31-2020 10:24 AM)okgc Wrote:  Judy Bailey probably never even attended a WMU sporting event & Montgomery has frequently posted photos to his twitter pages during WMU events.

Bailey attended football games. Even after she was terminated, she liked to pal around with the fancy folks in the suites.

(03-30-2020 09:50 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  That sucks!! Coach Hawkins stated on more than one occasion that he wasn't due to graduate so I don't see how this could be a graduate transfer.

Edit: I guess Coach Hawkins was wrong because it is being reported that he is graduating and is a graduate transfer. Damn!!

if Hawkins said that he's not exactly wrong. Johnson may have been short on WMU credits but the big schools can enroll him in summer classes and work around the loophole. They even use community colleges that have credit hours transfer agreements with the school. Example: If a kid is eight hours short of grad status and KVCC/KCC/Glen Oaks offers the eight hours with full acceptance of transfer to any Michigan public funded D1 school that is the loophole. It's common practice by D1 schools to get transfers struggling to become eligible. The hurdle for 5th years is acceptance into masters programs. "Basketball " schools have no program making that happen.

These players would've been gone no matter who we hired. They probably had their minds made up before the season was over. I don't really care losing for them. How talented they can possibly be when we finish back-to-back in the MAC's basement?

On the MAC board, the other fans teams are saying they're losing good players too. It's the reality of being in the MAC.

Blaming the AD on this is silly

Disagree B14. I'm of the belief that the way Hawk was released/treated is a big factor in their leaving. Likely loyal to Hawk. But also wishing for some success before their college career is over.

A big loss for sure. I enjoyed watching both of them.

(03-31-2020 12:48 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  These players would've been gone no matter who we hired. They probably had their minds made up before the season was over. I don't really care losing for them. How talented they can possibly be when we finish back-to-back in the MAC's basement?

If Johnson ends up at a Power 5 school is he talented? You think Flowers can't play?

(03-31-2020 12:48 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  These players would've been gone no matter who we hired. They probably had their minds made up before the season was over. I don't really care losing for them. How talented they can possibly be when we finish back-to-back in the MAC's basement?

On the MAC board, the other fans teams are saying they're losing good players too. It's the reality of being in the MAC.

Blaming the AD on this is silly

How good can they be? Did you ever go to or watch games this season? I don't know if the Broncos would have won any games without Flowers and Johnson.

(03-31-2020 12:40 PM)fastbuicks Wrote:  

(03-30-2020 09:50 PM)WMUPorter Wrote:  That sucks!! Coach Hawkins stated on more than one occasion that he wasn't due to graduate so I don't see how this could be a graduate transfer.

Edit: I guess Coach Hawkins was wrong because it is being reported that he is graduating and is a graduate transfer. Damn!!

if Hawkins said that he's not exactly wrong. Johnson may have been short on WMU credits but the big schools can enroll him in summer classes and work around the loophole. They even use community colleges that have credit hours transfer agreements with the school. Example: If a kid is eight hours short of grad status and KVCC/KCC/Glen Oaks offers the eight hours with full acceptance of transfer to any Michigan public funded D1 school that is the loophole. It's common practice by D1 schools to get transfers struggling to become eligible. The hurdle for 5th years is acceptance into masters programs. "Basketball " schools have no program making that happen.

Thanks for the clarification

(03-31-2020 12:57 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  Disagree B14. I'm of the belief that the way Hawk was released/treated is a big factor in their leaving. Likely loyal to Hawk. But also wishing for some success before their college career is over.

A big loss for sure. I enjoyed watching both of them.

According to ch3 interview with KB,
She had to make quick decision since other schools were recruiting WMU athletes. That happened BEFORE Bates was named as coach.

WMU Athletic Director Kathy Beauregard discusses new hire and future of Bronco Athletics
https://wwmt.com/sports/content/wmu-athl...-athletics

(03-31-2020 06:48 PM)okgc Wrote:  WMU Athletic Director Kathy Beauregard discusses new hire and future of Bronco Athletics
https://wwmt.com/sports/content/wmu-athl...-athletics

No other AD’s in D1 were forced to hire internally because of COVID-19. Stop passing the buck, Kathy!

(03-31-2020 07:10 PM)holybovine Wrote:  

(03-31-2020 06:48 PM)okgc Wrote:  WMU Athletic Director Kathy Beauregard discusses new hire and future of Bronco Athletics
https://wwmt.com/sports/content/wmu-athl...-athletics

No other AD’s in D1 were forced to hire internally because of COVID-19. Stop passing the buck, Kathy!

WMU has hiring freeze and the governor has put State of Michigan gov on hiring freeze

(03-31-2020 06:48 PM)okgc Wrote:  WMU Athletic Director Kathy Beauregard discusses new hire and future of Bronco Athletics
https://wwmt.com/sports/content/wmu-athl...-athletics

What a joke!! She says she had to move fast because the players were being recruited by other universities so she hired Bates, who wasn't initially considered, to keep the team together. So within 24 hours their best 2 players announce they are transferring. I guess your plan didn't work KB!!

She claims other programs were illegally recruiting Bronco players. I hope she is looking deeper in to that and at least reporting it to the NCAA. If you are going to make that claim you have to act on it.

One reason why you don't let the players influence the choice of a new coach...

(04-01-2020 10:50 AM)BaldingBroncoFan Wrote:  She claims other programs were illegally recruiting Bronco players. I hope she is looking deeper in to that and at least reporting it to the NCAA. If you are going to make that claim you have to act on it.

She won't act on it... probably because its a combination of stretching a truth and it literally being a waste of time... NCAA doesn't give a $hit about the MAC.

From Rivals

After averaging 15.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a redshirt junior at Western Michigan, 6-foot-8 forward Brandon Johnson has hit the transfer portal and immediately picked up significant interest.

Rivals.com spoke with the native of Chicago on Tuesday night and he indicated that he's already heard from the likes of Cincinnati, Dayton, Houston, Illinois, Louisville, Minnesota, South Alabama, Tulane, VCU, Virginia Tech and others.

(04-01-2020 03:02 PM)Sleepy Wrote:  From Rivals

After averaging 15.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a redshirt junior at Western Michigan, 6-foot-8 forward Brandon Johnson has hit the transfer portal and immediately picked up significant interest.

Rivals.com spoke with the native of Chicago on Tuesday night and he indicated that he's already heard from the likes of Cincinnati, Dayton, Houston, Illinois, Louisville, Minnesota, South Alabama, Tulane, VCU, Virginia Tech and others.

I wonder if Bronco'14 still thinks that there was no talent on the team this past season?!

We would've had a lot of talent returning, no question. We'll never know if that would've translated to a worst-to-first sort of season.

We hear a lot about the past 2 years. But I think 3 years ago was a bigger blemish on our program's recent resume. We were pre-season MAC favorites, but finished the year .500 in the MAC and lost (in Kzoo) in the MAC tourney's first round.

The rumor is KB was pissed as hell after that loss to Akron. Probably decided then he wasn't going to get an extension unless the team drastically improved.

Also, my point was, we finished bottom of the MAC with them. Maybe another year with a different head coach would've made us a MAC power? Doubt it. Key losses, but not program-destroying.