Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[Future Insider]

Geoff is the European king - one guy will announce by end of weekend assuming admissions is cleared.

Second guy - the donors were just asked for more money to make it happen.

This staff is really impressive.

Please tell me it’s Egor Demin. This kid is a stud and also the NBA guys love his game.

 

[logjam]

The best wings have all gone elsewhere or never entered the portal at all, the search for a combo guard seems to have… ended?, and now the staff is apparently looking to Europe to fill holes. That worked out very poorly for UCLA last season.

The roster is essentially a bunch of third and fourth options. If, say, both Boswell and a guy like Tre White popped, there a higher-end B1G team there. But that’s a pretty big if, and one would hope Illinois would be in a healthier spot than crossing its fingers and hoping.

Would love to feel the optimism the majority of this board is feeling, but I just don’t see it. There’s zero indication Illinois is in on the best talent remaining in the portal, and the needle-movers are getting few and far between. Turning to Europe smacks far more of desperation than savvy.

Sounds like the rest of college basketball caught up to Illinois in NIL, if nothing else.

 

[Miles Leonard]

Stockton
Jordan
Bird
Magic
Malone

Geniuses here would still have us in the NIT with this starting 5

 

[KingWolf11]

Prediction: Cam to Illinois.

 

[TheodoreRex]

Geoff is the European king - one guy will announce by end of weekend assuming admissions is cleared.

Second guy - the donors were just asked for more money to make it happen.

This staff is really impressive.

if we are asking for money... that infers this guys is worth it/a difference maker

 

[FoundersClub]

Prediction: Coleman to UConn

 

[logjam]

Stockton
Jordan
Bird
Magic
Malone

Coleman is not coming back without a 5...

 

[Chuck Nuggets]

Have you watched elite first round picks? Taken over games like D Will, Nick, Kendall, Magic, and others first or second All B10 or even All American. Cam is not a first round pick imo nor is Coleman and they both will be playing college hoops next season if they wanna maximize future earnings. Don't kid yourself and compare Cam to most one and does. He isn't.

It's an army of strawmen.

 

[Joel Goodson]

this happened two years ago with Nico and last year with Perrin. We definitely weren't in triage mode when we got those guys.

Perrin left to play professionally back home. equating that situation to the early Euro failures is disingenuous

 

[Joel Goodson]

Prediction: Cam to Illinois.

IBIWISI, but, yeah, sure

 

[Wrightandjohnstreet]

Chester is cooking more than Underwood

 

[jamarvelous31]

I'm no insider but I bet the boosters have figured out a way to get the bags to feriners

Yeah, they found a way with Edey.

But it is still presumably cheaper.l since theres more barriers

 

[mysterio2525]

No true 5. We’d get bodied by Michigan and Indiana.

Don't forget Dwight got his !!! kicked by Michael in that episode

 

[BretMyBeachHouse]

Perrin left to play professionally back home. equating that situation to the early Euro failures is disingenuous

first, you still have Nico.

But I'd keep him in because there were other issues that we're likely to see with foreign students. So it's not just about whether you get another Matic. It's about whether you can get the guy into school, etc.

For what it's worth, I'm all in on him doing this. But the process does come with complications along with a difficulty in knowing how a given player may stack up against his peers here.

 

[dwpittman]

If that is all we are going against, we have one thing that they do not. A chance to be a legend! We hadn't won in over 100 years and never won the NCAA tourney. Those other schools, he would just be another. Plus, we got Fletch and OA, help him prepare even better! How's that for a case?

Short drive from his home in St Louis for friends and family to come see him play. Likely quite a few folks from his high school at u of I as well. Assuming those are good things.

 

[Joel Goodson]

Coleman is not coming back without a 5...

even with a legit 5, I highly doubt he's coming back. operative word: highly

 

[BackThatPassUp]

This is a weak draft and I hope Coleman stays in it to leverage that. Albeit he could make more money next year in college but that's only 1 year and it doesn't guarantee he'll land at a good situation within the NBA that will see him as a more multi-year piece within their personnel.

 

[Joel Goodson]

This is a weak draft and I hope Coleman stays in it to leverage that. Albeit he could make more money next year in college but that's only 1 year and it doesn't guarantee he'll land at a good situation within the NBA that will see him as a more multi-year piece within their personnel.

bingo. plus, it goes without saying that seeing him play for another school would be flippin' gross

 

[ChiefGritty]

first, you still have Nico.

But I'd keep him in because there were other issues that we're likely to see with foreign students. So it's not just about whether you get another Matic. It's about whether you can get the guy into school, etc.

For what it's worth, I'm all in on him doing this. But the process does come with complications along with a difficulty in knowing how a given player may stack up against his peers here.

I am 100% certain that the kinds of NIL salaries that are available now can "afford" a level of European basketball talent that could dominate college basketball. That's just a fact of where international basketball is now.

At the same time, there is not to this point a particularly decorated record of pulling kids straight from Europe to major conference basketball and having an instant impact, and it's a little scary being the guinea pig.

Nothing risked nothing gained I guess.

 

[Quasimodo101]

Serbia is in the cultural and historical shadow of Russia. One factor most would not factor in in regards to "going home" is, what are you going home to? I lived many years in Europe. I coached the national softball teams in 7 countries in prep for the 2020 Olympics as well. Croatia was under the influence economically of Italy, Austria, etc. Crotia had 400% more GDP per capita than Serbia. Do you think young Serbs and Rusdians would want to go home say compared to Lithuania or Croatia? I love this Holt kid, but I think he is a hard sell. There is more to keep or go home to.

 

[Loyalillini10]

Chester is cooking more than Underwood

 

[RichardKeenesCousin]

Other than Boswell who was rumored every off season none of us knew any of the other players who are transferring in were even considering Illinois
- Davis - nobody here follows Mercer basketball
- White - nobody here follows USC basketball or Louisville basketball (dumpster fire)
- Booth - only heard of him because he committed to PSU right after Amani commited to Illinois. Nobody here follows ND basketball.
- Humrichous - nobody here follows Evansville basketball

It stands to reason that our next recruits will be somebody we have never heard off.

Illinois HS basketball recruiting can last several years so we get familiar with Illinois kids

Hey Guy, knock it off with that mean stuff.

 

[ILBB94]

Geniuses here would still have us in the NIT with this starting 5

Well, they all are fairly old at this point and some of them have some pretty bad knees. Not sure how they would do over the whole season.

 

[Deacon05]

Chester is cooking more than Underwood

 

[sacraig]

Second base.