Former Illini in College Hoops

#626      

One Man Fast Break

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One Man Fast Break
Illini_1105 said:
Yep. What I heard is the following, for those curious:

Skyy from day one wouldn’t listen to coaches about running sets and plays in practice, and would always mouth off. Mayer, a natty winner and a transfer being brought in for the culture guy, was the opposite and was a do your job or get out guy. One day in practice skyy was being a whiny baby and Mayer said if you don’t start doing your job here today I’m going to clock you. Skyy continued to go off script in practice and !!!!! and Mayer went over and socked him. After practice, skyy went to coach and said you either kick him off the team or I’m leaving, and coach said “you better toughen up” and Skyy quit later that week.

After hearing the story, it made sense to me why coach stuck it out with Mayer despite him falling off a cliff. He was rewarding the tiny piece of culture he thought remained, and it was more important to protect that in a lost season than it was to try to mix up a line up with a team that wasn’t going to go anywhere
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I don't think Mayer comes off particularly well in that exchange, to the extent what you described is accurate, either. Especially as Mayer had his own issues with going off script. We don't need 5th year seniors going around punching freshmen to try and build a "culture".
 
#627      

PepeSilvia

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PepeSilvia
Illini_1105 said:
Yep. What I heard is the following, for those curious:

Skyy from day one wouldn’t listen to coaches about running sets and plays in practice, and would always mouth off. Mayer, a natty winner and a transfer being brought in for the culture guy, was the opposite and was a do your job or get out guy. One day in practice skyy was being a whiny baby and Mayer said if you don’t start doing your job here today I’m going to clock you. Skyy continued to go off script in practice and !!!!! and Mayer went over and socked him. After practice, skyy went to coach and said you either kick him off the team or I’m leaving, and coach said “you better toughen up” and Skyy quit later that week.

After hearing the story, it made sense to me why coach stuck it out with Mayer despite him falling off a cliff. He was rewarding the tiny piece of culture he thought remained, and it was more important to protect that in a lost season than it was to try to mix up a line up with a team that wasn’t going to go anywhere
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Mayer fell off a cliff shooting the last couple games last year but he was also one of 2 guys that could score last year with the other being Shannon. Plus he's a legend for immediately dropping 24 on Michigan after poisoning himself with energy drinks.

Mayer ended up being miscast with having the ball in his hand to much and create his own shot but that was more of a result of him having to after Clark quit and Epps got worse during the season.

Mayer would have been an absolute stud if he was in the Quincy Guerrier role on this year's team.
 
#628      

the national

the national
the Front Range
the national
RabidDawgClassic said:
Feels more like regret.
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were the millers no ragrets GIF
 
#629      

Tacomallini

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Washington State
Tacomallini
RJ Melendez and Georgia play tonight, 8:30pm Central, vs. Seton Hall. Winning team will play the winner of Indiana St./Utah on Thursday in NIT finals.
 
#631      

PtGd

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PtGd
Illini2010-11 said:
Good for him. He gets to play on a grand stage in April.
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I saw R.J. and spoke with him during warmups before Georgia's NIT Round 2 game against Wake Forest in Winston Salem NC, the school my wife went to and graduated from.

He was very cordial to me and his face lit up when I told him I was a forever Illini fan. He gave me a fist bump, after I told him that all Illini fans are rooting for him and miss him.
It was pretty cool for this old guy in that fifteen second interaction, with security preventing me from getting on the floor.


He was making nearly every 3ptr in warmups, and followed many of them up with some nice dunks, but a couple freshman have passed him in the depth chart and he played only about seven minutes. He should be getting more time IMO.
 
#632      

PtGd

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PtGd
PtGd said:
I saw R.J. and spoke with him during warmups before Georgia's NIT Round 2 game against Wake Forest in Winston Salem NC, the school my wife went to and graduated from.

He was very cordial to me and his face lit up when I told him I was a forever Illini fan. He gave me a fist bump, after I told him that all Illini fans are rooting for him and miss him.
It was pretty cool for this old guy in that fifteen second interaction, with security preventing me from getting on the floor.


He was making nearly every 3ptr in warmups, and followed many of them up with some nice dunks, but a couple freshman have passed him in the depth chart and he played only about seven minutes. He should be getting more time IMO.
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Wake was playing without their leading scorer and first team all ACC Hunter Sallis due to a foot injury he suffered apparently walking off the court after their first round victory, or so someone said.

Georgia got off to a big lead and Wake got to within three several times with the ball, in the waning minutes, but couldn't complete the rally.