Correct. It is difficult to follow the team when it turns over so much. I try not to be the old man yelling at clouds but sometimes you just got to.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
- Status
The insiders keep saying great players are coming in...and at this point they better be. Because if you lose this many players that fans are attached to you have to follow through on the "promises". And if a team of 10 new players finishes middle of the pack how much leeway will fans give Underwood? Terrible chemistry and/or individual issues could derail next season (just like they could many seasons), but will fans still turn out to watch a group of players they aren't attached to? I don't think so. So if this is our new approach every year the staff better do a great job at it, because they won't have any leeway and if they don't have great success I think the fan response will not be good. And (certain) fans kind of drive this whole NIL thing so its a system that could crumble quickly.
I'm guessing his decision has been made for some time. He probably already knows where he is going, thus the portal entry is just a formality. There are a lot of deals in the works with people (not officially in the portal) throughout the country.
madillini4
Ozamataz Buckshank
- Millywaukee
I will feel no ill will towards Luke when he ends up going back home to play at IU
soupy17
- MI
Spent the morning doing some reformatting, reorganizing and updating the portal tracker spreadsheet. I've organized it now so that our committed transfers appear at the top, followed by uncommitted active targets. Those who have committed elsewhere have been sorted to the bottom. This should help a little bit with ease of use.
For those curious our insider crystal ball accuracy sits at a tidy 14/16 (88%) entries that have come to fruition. Not a ton of currently active ones, but one submission should catch some eyes here
For those curious our insider crystal ball accuracy sits at a tidy 14/16 (88%) entries that have come to fruition. Not a ton of currently active ones, but one submission should catch some eyes here
Underwood recruited over Sincere, Hansberry and Goode twice. It's inevitable they were gonna leave even though they all seemed to like it here. Illinois with Underwood is a Portal or Bust team right now. Worked out well last season, but the Portal can be a bit of a House of Cards and this approach is likely to blow up spectacularly one of these years, at which point it's hard to re-gain portal recruiting momentum. The Elite Eight of course bought a lot of goodwill, but the issue of retention and roster continuity has been huge ever since players could transfer without sitting out. It's ok for as long as the incoming transfers > the outgoing transfers on balance, but I don't love it as a sustainable program-building strategy.
Maybe we won't play them?? With 35 team/s in the conference, I can't remember.
Are people just forgetting that of all the players that started in the Elite 8 for every team this year, a majority of them were transfers? Kids who play hero ball would play that way with or without NIL incentive, and will continue to lose and not make the NBA (Skyy, Caleb Love, Matt Mayer, etc)
EVERY offseason since the NIL rule changes and since the transfer changes have occurred I’ve seen people on here say the same thing over and over and over again talking about “iDk iF i CaN cHeEr FoR tHiS tEaM.” Then months later the same people are in the game threads and post game threads doing what they said they wouldn’t, and are just as happy as the rest of us as we make the tourney and are finding more success it. This is how college basketball is now, deal with it, it’s not changing.
Coleman's social media game is definitely back on point
the original tweet is one of those BS tweets that sounds shocking when you first hear it, then you think about it and realize it says nothing at all
foby
- Bonnaroo Land
Avatar checks out.
I am sad to see so many players on the current roster depart, but this is the name of the game now. I wish Luke the best of luck. I really hope he considers leaving the Big Ten, although I think Northwestern would be a better fit for him than IU.
I REALLY hope the incoming players buy in to being EDGs and have the same pride putting on the jersey. Good news is coming soon
I REALLY hope the incoming players buy in to being EDGs and have the same pride putting on the jersey. Good news is coming soon
This. The bottom line is that the IL fanbase wants BOTH a team of multi-year guys that we can watch and cheer for over time as they develop, AND we want deep tournament runs and B1G titles every year.
And hopefully someday we can be in a place where we actually have both. It's not impossible, but it's VERY hard, and today is not that day. So in the meantime, it seems we have to pick our poison. Do we prioritize keeping the guys we have and settle for a lower ceiling for the team, or do we go for broke and risk a lower floor if the culture doesn't work out.
It seems clear which way Brad sees it, but it's worth noting that so far, EVERY add we've signed has multiple years of eligibility left. Hopefully over the years to come we can get a nice, balanced parade of elite talent with staggered years of eligibility remaining, and thus in the future we're primarily using our NIL money to pay guys to STAY because there aren't any other guys out there we like better from a talent/fit perspective.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Based on what Insiders have said, I do not see Goode being pushed out (either indirectly or directly). The fact that they claim Brad wanted him to stay was an indication that there was a role for Goode to play here. The fact that is not the role he wanted, does not mean he was pushed out. Being pushed out would mean that there was no role to be had on the team, so Goode had no choice but leave. Goode is completely within his rights to find a new place to play next year, but it is clear there was a role here (just not the one he wanted). I am personally tired of all of these takes that the staff is "pushing" out the homegrown talent.
How did he get a degree in 3 years? Wow.
Did he take extra classes during the summer?
Then the players must become full employees of the University. Only then can contracts stipulating term lengths be signed and enforced. Right now, the schools are delegating the payments to outside sources via “endorsements,” thereby surrendering control.
Agree. Said the same last year. Until a contractual system is put in place this is the chaos that will exist in college basketball. I'm not arguing right vs wrong, and I am happy Brad and Josh understand that this is the way the game is now played given the existing rules. Re-tool each and every year and maximize the talent on the team. They have perfected it for the moment, IMO.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Employees are free to leave a job at any time and non-compete clauses are legally invalid in many states.
(There was an effort to do that in Illinois that I don’t recall the outcome of tbh)
That the sport cannot go on like this is clear. *HOW* to get to where it needs to go is devilishly tricky.
Seems like a really nice guy. Sorry to see him go. My daughter (UI freshman) will be devastated!
Ugh. I really liked him. He bought in early and did all the right things. He was a leader and did his best. This is one of those guys that I didn't want to leave, but understand why he left. Good luck Luke on your next spot and I know you'll shine wherever you go!
Professional athletes have contracts that dictate a number of years. They can't leave.
I don’t post much, usually just a question about recruits, but here are my thoughts now that Goode is in the portal.
I like Goode, but I don’t blame him for seeking other opportunities rather than riding the bench. And while he wouldn’t be one of our top players next year it seems, I saw him as a culture continuity guy and I thought that was important.
With so many exiting the program and the uncertainty of who will be filling the roles, my greatest concern is not lack of talent but entering into another 22-23 season where the talent is there but the unity/culture/personalities result in a decline.
I just really hope we don’t get pigeonholed into taking talent-only players because that’s what’s left and they aren’t EDGs.
I like Goode, but I don’t blame him for seeking other opportunities rather than riding the bench. And while he wouldn’t be one of our top players next year it seems, I saw him as a culture continuity guy and I thought that was important.
With so many exiting the program and the uncertainty of who will be filling the roles, my greatest concern is not lack of talent but entering into another 22-23 season where the talent is there but the unity/culture/personalities result in a decline.
I just really hope we don’t get pigeonholed into taking talent-only players because that’s what’s left and they aren’t EDGs.
robertgoulet
IL Board Resident Crooner
- Austin, TX
I don't think the "sport cannot go on like this" thing is that clear. I really couldn't care less about players having the right to move when they want and make $. I'm probably in the minority but I don't think it's a huge minority and I would bet that there's a majority of the majority that will eventually accept this new reality and deal with it.
It's not a whole lot different than building a roster of 5* talent that go to the draft after 1-2 yrs. Either way you're still not going to have guys around for 4 yrs. I don't care which way UI does things I just want the most talent and I want a natty.
PizzaHutParkingLot
- McPherson, KS
Interested to see what the leadership council for next season looks like. Ty and...?
hooraybeer
- Pittsburgh, PA
i expect the landscape to look vastly different in ten years and think this period will become known as the open portal era
- Status