It's because people take the mere mention of a player as a guarantee. Recruiting is fluid may be a joke to some, but it is 100% absolutely true. I think it has been proven out our insiders get correct information, but they can only relay what they hear from the staff or people with connections to the recruits. Things are changing every day in the portal with kids being promised the moon from all over the place. Just like players and coaches, fans are going to have to adapt to the new world of college basketball. High-turnover and mercenary players is the norm now unless the rules somehow change.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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RichardKeenesCousin
Richard Keene's Cousin
anyone who gets turned up one way or another about a message board needs to re-calibrate. "Like" this post if you disagree
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I think our current crop of insiders are all great posters with interesting perspectives in their own right and I take the info in exactly the spirit you describe, that's well said.
I'm here to get a sense of what the fanbase at large is thinking first and foremost, and to bounce thoughts about the team off the group, so the whole "the insiders are all that matters" and "ignore anyone who annoys you" thing doesn't really compute for me, but that's just me, different people can have different interests.
But the reason I couldn't help that particular comment is because there was such an unrealistic expectation level set, not publicly by the program or in the local or national media but specifically by our insiders. Not a stray bit of commentary or hype, this was beaten to a pulp as THE reality (beating an argument to a pulp, a subject I know a thing or two about...). You were not a member in good standing of Team Underwood if you did not kowtow to our total portal overlordship on April 1.
Some do, that's true. Some don't even need the actual name said! But very strong and clear language was used with respect to Storr and the impossibility of Hawkins entering the portal, to pick two prominent examples.
Taking that stuff with a grain of salt was wise, but it's only natural that there are people feeling let down and confused at this moment, and unwilling to just pretend this is what we were sold. I'm always a fan of more talk and more argument and more words (again, why I'm here), but to just issue sneering eye-roll gifs in response to people holding up an expectation level you created, nay, demanded? That's a bit rich for my blood.
I encourage everyone to say their peace at whatever length and tone they prefer, even if I disagree. There's mine.
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Depends if it’s a loud restaurant or not I guess.
We are recruiting him. We won’t guarantee him playing time though.
I come to troll but it is only because insiders are really not anymore on the insider than most of you all. They are educated on the program with thoughts on who Illinois will go after. I mean they have literally posted 100 plus names. I mean to think Brad and company are interested in 100 guys is insane. I am sure they have a tight list of names they feel would fit the program
You can tell by JK's shooting form that he is a man who, in fact, is a real basketball player.
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
I tend to think our insiders' overconfidence going into this off-season is a pretty solid representation of the info they were being provided, which means the staff, too, was overconfident. That's fascinating. That's, frankly, the good stuff I come to this site for in the off-season because, yeah, that's not what the program is going to publicly say. It also gives context to how things are playing out.
Ultimately, also, info is true until it's not. I think the staff was confident in Storr so the insiders were confident...until things changed. I think the staff didn't expect Hawk to enter the portal so the insiders didn't expect him to...until things changed. Our insiders aren't oracles. They are only as good as the information they've been provided and that information, as @Illinidrew points out, is changing faster than ever in this current crazy environment. Every one of us, from the staff to the fans, has to calibrate expectations accordingly.
Except no one in this thread is upset at the insiders for giving us info.
Why create a straw man just to start another exhausting, ultimately pointless discussion?
I think this is overly harsh. Where I think the missteps are for both board members and insiders alike is just underestimating how fluid this new landscape is and what an almost truly free market can do. Insiders can be told something is a done deal and report it. And in most of those cases it probably was a done deal and agreed upon, but it quickly becomes outdated information once another school finds out about it (likely from the recruits agents/handlers) and jumps in to up the bid. I think if the fanbase looks at it even slightly more reasonably like "this is a lock unless someone else comes in with a last second higher offer", it'll lead to a lot less frustration and aggravation.
And yes, I'm sure insiders can be much less optimistic, or more reserved in their estimates, but right now, the only way anyone becomes a lock is if they actually commit, and even then you're on watch up until the season starts to make sure they don't reopen for something better.
I really don't think the insiders are purposefully trying to mislead people on the recruits we're going after or how confident the staff is about getting a recruit. It's just that the whole system is an utter mess.
And finally, one thing we all need to realize is that when you rely on the portal as heavily as we do, you are going to be involved in many very tight bidding auctions. You're going to lose your fair share of those. Just have to accept the hard losses with the good wins.
Honestly, if the staff was that overconfident then we may actually have a problem.
I think the expectation on Storr was probably correct at the time. But that was before the season was even over and had to have been Storrs agent telling us we were the desired destination and negotiating with us for him to come here. May even have ironed out most of the details. But once the agent could shop openly and did his job, it turned out that NIL money available was significantly higher than the previous year and Kansas (I am sure no one said we have more NIL money than them) outbid us. Anyone who has watched recruiting knows that everything is subject to change until the ink is dry (and maybe not even then). We were even being accused of tampering during the season with Storr before things changed and he went to Kansas. It is not like he went to Minnesota instead.
And, as for Hawkins, IIRC at the time his own father was tweeting he wouldn't play for anyone but Illinois if he came back.
I have little doubt that the story we were being given was accurate as far as our program knew.
No one said anyone was intentionally trying to mislead anyone.
It's their reaction when the info they receive winds up being incorrect that's the issue.
Just say, things are fluid instead of rolling their eyes or making snarky comments.
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
Indy, he already is our back up QB!!!
In the old days after the HS basketball tournament ended you might read a Loren Tate column in NG that Illinois is recruiting so and so and the main competition is Indiana or Michigan. Generally the staff kept it pretty quiet and and you would learn on day after LOI day where kids were going. Now people are posting on twitter and internet rumors. The funniest ones are from random twitter posters with 80 followers who get their information from Illini Loyalty.
Brad has already brought in 6 high quality recruits. Four- Boswell, Ivicic, White and Hamrichous could be day 1 starters. Davis and Booth will be competing with Ty DGL and Morez for last starting position. But other than staying at Holiday Inn last night what do I know. No we have not signed a top 5 SG/SF in portal yet. So far only Kansas (Storr) and Xavier (Maddox) have.
Sorry I'd dense what does Starkvegas mean?
I think the staff has done a great job this portal season putting the pieces together - we have:
1) A top tier PG who is pass first and a good three point shooter (we have a PG!)
2) A 7 foot center who can shoot the three and spread the floor (we have a true Center!)
3) A really good shooting stretch 4 who can be everything QG was in stretches but hopefully more consistency
4) A high upside wing in Tre White with 3 years left
5) A high upside stretch four in Booth with 3 years left
6) Sharpshooter who can shoot on the move in Davis with 3 years left
I mean - it's hard to argue with how good we've done so far in filling key roles that will fit nicely together in one of the top offensive schemes in the country - yes we are missing another "action wing scorer" as the missing piece.
If we get Watkins, I'd argue he's better than Storr and we will be really, really good next year, but even if we get Lathon, he would fit that role very well and we'll be a very good, balanced team next year with guys that can really score and we'd have some really good defenders that can hopefully be even better defensively than we were down the stretch last year - we have someone to defend the five spot and good wing defenders and a true PG defender
The future is still bright in my eyes even if we don't get Watkins -because the table has been set so well, we don't need a superstar wing, just someone to be a good all-around player at that spot
Mississippi State University
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Steelyunk
- Tobacco Road
Very well said. This looks like a good/balanced team that could be really good with one more top tier addition. Coach has earned my trust that he's going to field a highly competitive team year in / year out. I'm looking forward to the finished product.
sacraig
- The desert
On the contrary, we'd be silly to sign anyone right now before seeing who drops out of the NBA draft process.
sacraig
- The desert
sacraig
- The desert
I don't know. When I go bowling I've had people tell me I look like I know what I'm doing. I then disabuse them of that notion with a final score of about 75.
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