Illinois Prep Bulls-eye: The Illini And The Class Of 2011

[borange]

http://ilprepbullseye.com/page8.html

Who are they talking about?

[BananaShampoo]

Since we know that they frequent and post on this and other boards, I would assume it to be "us".

[peetMOSS]

Wow! Thanks for the thread borange! I think the people at Il prep bullseye have been reading some of the stuff we Illinois fans have posted.

[zoggle101]

It couldn't be us because the true voices of sanity on here don't feel this way. CY has never said anything negative because of the Beal decision. Their just trying to stir up controversy which is usually a good read. It's all Nadal(I don't read him anymore) would do. Unfortunately they are voices the opinions of less tenured posters and well, the uniformed fans of the ILLINI.

I have friends call me all the time letting me know about all things ILLINI that this board has talked about for weeks, maybe even months.

[borange]

Originally Posted by BananaShampoo

Since we know that they frequent and post on this and other boards, I would assume it to be "us".

After this past "discussion" I have no doubt that most of us could put names to each of their statements. They certainly understand what the posters on this board are saying.

[moe.fan]

HAHAHAHA!! That sh!% is hilarious. Groundhogday... I salute you sir. Hang this article on your refrigerator. Better yet, ask them for an autographed copy.

[borange]

Originally Posted by zoggle101

It couldn't be us because the true voices of sanity on here don't feel this way..

These are often not the loudest voices on this board.....

[theOriginalBluesBrother]

All is Well !!!!!!!!!!







Actually, I enjoy the news they bring us and the fact that are pro-Illini... but not so sure this article was necessary. Meh.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by moe.fan

HAHAHAHA!! That sh!% is hilarious. Groundhogday... I salute you sir. Hang this article on your refrigerator. Better yet, ask them for an autographed copy.

Nah... going to their website gives them a hit. I'll let them come on here if they have something to say.

[PLauderdale30]

I do kind of find this part intresting:

We are here to tell all Illini fans that they are getting carried away with this assessment and that we encourage them to relax. While Randle has stated that Kansas is among his favorite schools, the bottom line is that as of now Self has not offered Randle a scholarship. In fact, we are fairly certain that he hasn't seen Randle play as of yet. Since the beginning of the school year, Randle has taken unofficial visits to Purdue, Iowa State, Illinois, Ohio State and Iowa. With that being said, there is no question that Randle remains among coach Weber's top recruiting priorities in the class of 2011 and that the Illini are still among his frontrunners. However, all indications are that this one will continue to play out for a considerable period of time, which is why we don't see a commitment coming all too soon.

Im not in this "camp" thats scared to death of Bill Self coming in and taking away Chasson Randle, but the fact that he hasnt yet offered him a scholarship or hasnt yet seen him play doesnt mean a whole lot. I think its the Geico commercial that says "A 15 minute phone call can....", well a 15 minute phone call can change the entire landscape in this battle. So far, Randle doesnt have any of the real real big timers on his tail so a call from Self or even Coach K is going to change things very quickly, especially if he likes Kansas as much as they say he does.

[AEX]

And then there is the complete lunacy regarding what is being said about where the Illini currently stand with 6'5 class of 2011 forward Wayne Blackshear from Morgan Park High School in Chicago. We are referring to the belief amongst the majority of the Illini Nation, as well as several other media pundits and analysts who cover Illini basketball recruiting that the University Of Illinois has absolutely no chance of landing Blackshear

I thought this was interesting. Is it lunacy that, if someone has never expressed interest, an assumption is made that they are not interested? It's not like he has to come here by default if he doesn't decide on another program.

I generally keep my opinion out of the recruiting stuff, so I definitely don't take anything they wrote personally, but I find this to be an incredibly strange rhetorical gesture, if not incredibly off-putting.

Instead of calling a fair part of one's readership lunatics and raving idiots, why not just report the facts and let us come to a reasonable conclusion. I think must of us are capable and deserve that much credit.

[Illini Baby]

I just have to say the I think ILPrepbullseye is egotistical the way they write, they think they are "all knowing" and makes it seem like others don't have a right to their opinion...they are borderline demeaning when they write...maybe I am just sensitive

[Kasino81]

Originally Posted by borange

After this past "discussion" I have no doubt that most of us could put names to each of their statements. They certainly understand what the posters on this board are saying.

So true, it is totally about us

[Chris Yates]

They make several sound arguments. First, we ARE overly paranoid about Kansas and Bill Self. There's no question that Sherron Collins and Julian Wright left a sour taste in our mouths, and Kansas did beat us for Mario Little in the not-too-distant past, but our recruiting has been just fine in 2009, 2010, and 2011. I think the perception of the Illini has changed in the State of Illinois, and I don't think we're going to have so much trouble keeping the best in-state talent inside our state borders.

They're also probably right about Wayne Blackshear. I have been as resolute as anybody on this board in predicting that he will not be an Illini. I have good reasons for believing this, but it's also true that the coaching staff is still going to watch him play on a fairly regular basis. They wouldn't be doing so if the staff viewed him as a lost cause.

I know some of you get frustrated with the tone of Harv & Roy, but they put a great deal of time into their work, they take part in debate on this board on a regular basis, and they offer valuable insight into the recruiting battles in which our beloved school is involved. Do they know everything? No. But do they offer an interesting, informed opinion on our recruiting? Absolutely. Therefore, I think they're entitled to at least as much respect as we give to our other regular posters on this board.

Finally, I certainly agree with their central thesis that the class of 2011 at UI will be VERY solid. On that point, I hope we all can agree.

[james81]

Excellent article from the brothers. Perspective with an attitude--much more enjoyable to read.

[Calvin]

Actually, I'm not convinced Illini nation is as bad as many people believe. Some of the worst negative posts come from trolls masquerading as Illini fans. If you follow the message boards, it doesn't take much to stir things up.

[DaytonIllini]

Originally Posted by james81

Excellent article from the brothers. Perspective with an attitude--much more enjoyable to read.

Cosign. Great article. Accurately sums up some of the most egregious (albeit possibly correct) negativity on this and other boards while summarizing the 2011 class fairly well.

Personally I Love the Brothers and their insight. Sure they can be egotistical and are a tad too touchy but you take the good with the bad as far as I am concerned.

[TyinLex]

Groundhogday should be saluted for his very clean debate...looks like they had to write an article over the passion that some of us have on this site. They are clearly talking about this site and I think no matter what, the Illini Nation is back on the rise!

[IlliniBond]

We - as casual sports fans - can speak in 'absolutes'.
We can say this guy or that guy will NEVER play for UI.

But if we ran our own recruiting info site, we would not be talking that way.
I would be sitting on the fence also until the recruit makes a formal statement about which schools are or are not still on their list.

These guys are making a living talking to recruits - they are not supposed to jump to conclusions based on how they 'feel'.
These guys are correct to say NOBODY knows if Blackshear has completely eliminated UI from his list of schools or not.
They are correct to say that Weber and company are still recruiting Blackshear and as long as they do - there is a CHANCE (slim though it may be) of Blackshear coming to UI.

One thing I have learned in the recruiting of HS kids, anything is possible until the kid signs a letter of intent.

The oral commitment given by Tracy Abrams is one that I thought came out of nowhere. I did not think he was all that interested in UI, but just like that - he gave his verbal.

So when it comes to Blackshear - anything is possible - until he formally says UI is out of the running - which he has not done so yet.

[Groundhogday]

I put the Prep Bullseye guys in the Jim Cramer Mad Money category. Yes, they have some knowledge and experience. They watch a lot of high school basketball, far more than would be possible for someone with a job. But as with most website gurus in football and basketball, they need hits and subscriptions to pay the rent. So they are always going to spin things with the goal of keeping large fan bases interested. (For another example, see Tom Lemming and Notre Dame football.) And they will be incessantly blowing their own horn because they don't have the critical mass that attracts readers to sites like Illinihq.

Jim Cramer is entertaining if you like a lot of noise and he has real experience on Wall Street. But every objective analysis of his stock picks shows that anyone following his advice would lose money. Caveat emptor!

[FinalFour88]

I appreciate the Prep Bullseye guys' insight and all, but I thought their write up here was odd. Fans on a message board were saying things about recruits that they didn't agree with so they write an article about it? It seemed a little low-brow to me, and sort of unprofessional and petty. How many of us were posting in that thread about Blackshear? Maybe a dozen or two? That's hardly worth writing about, nor is it particularly newsworthy.

Just saying.

[MTILLINOIS]

Originally Posted by Chris Yates

They make several sound arguments. First, we ARE overly paranoid about Kansas and Bill Self. There's no question that Sherron Collins and Julian Wright left a sour taste in our mouths, and Kansas did beat us for Mario Little in the not-too-distant past, but our recruiting has been just fine in 2009, 2010, and 2011. I think the perception of the Illini has changed in the State of Illinois, and I don't think we're going to have so much trouble keeping the best in-state talent inside our state borders.

They're also probably right about Wayne Blackshear. I have been as resolute as anybody on this board in predicting that he will not be an Illini. I have good reasons for believing this, but it's also true that the coaching staff is still going to watch him play on a fairly regular basis. They wouldn't be doing so if the staff viewed him as a lost cause.

I know some of you get frustrated with the tone of Harv & Roy, but they put a great deal of time into their work, they take part in debate on this board on a regular basis, and they offer valuable insight into the recruiting battles in which our beloved school is involved. Do they know everything? No. But do they offer an interesting, informed opinion on our recruiting? Absolutely. Therefore, I think they're entitled to at least as much respect as we give to our other regular posters on this board.

Finally, I certainly agree with their central thesis that the class of 2011 at UI will be VERY solid. On that point, I hope we all can agree.

Cy, I would like to add that the Bros hit nail on the head. Just look at the perception we give. This is another hurdle that Weber and Co. must fight to over come. I would bet the coaching staff asks each potenial recruit to ignore or stay away from Illinois message boards. All boards and it's member (including myself) probably do more harm than go trying to figure out the future of Illinois basketball.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by FinalFour88

I appreciate the Prep Bullseye guys' insight and all, but I thought their write up here was odd. Fans on a message board were saying things about recruits that they didn't agree with so they write an article about it? It seemed a little low-brow to me, and sort of unprofessional and petty.

Nothing new for the brothers (not that Brian Stinnette was mature in his response).

http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Forum...ead.php?t=8923

[DaytonIllini]

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

I put the Prep Bullseye guys in the Jim Cramer Mad Money category. Yes, they have some knowledge and experience. They watch a lot of high school basketball, far more than would be possible for someone with a job. But as with most website gurus in football and basketball, they need hits and subscriptions to pay the rent. So they are always going to spin things with the goal of keeping large fan bases interested. (For another example, see Tom Lemming and Notre Dame football.) And they will be incessantly blowing their own horn because they don't have the critical mass that attracts readers to sites like Illinihq.

Jim Cramer is entertaining if you like a lot of noise and he has real experience on Wall Street. But every objective analysis of his stock picks shows that anyone following his advice would lose money. Caveat emptor!

Off Topic but facts not in evidence. I have seen many analyses that suggest Cramer is an idiot or a genius depending on perspective and bias.

http://www.businessinsider.com/henry...kpicker-2009-5

Nevermind that he called the Exact Bottom in the housing market 6 months in advance or that he was telling everyone that there was about to be a meltdown in the financial markets weeks ahead of time. Though I can list miserable calls as well.

The On Topic point is that you attacked them and what they do publicly. Whether it was warranted or not, whether they were too sensitive or not, it is hardly surprising that they would whack back a bit. At least they did it in a fairly civil manner on their site.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by DaytonIllini

Nevermind that he called the Exact Bottom in the housing market 6 months in advance ...

Ummm... we are quite a ways from the bottom of the housing market. If you want to follow Jim Cramer's advice, feel free.

As for challenging them publicly, I did so on this public forum. If they felt the need to respond, the place to do so would be on this public forum, wouldn't it? The basic problem for the brothers is that we are all equal on this forum, there is a substantial amount of give and take and disagreement, and they can't really handle any criticism.