At first glance, thought that was Bobby Baccalieri Jr
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Wasn't trying to sound too negative but...I mean...Watkins to Lathen, Kelly, or Kasparas - that gap is pretty big imo.
Watkins - we're talking a likely 1st team All Big 10 guy. Are any of those 3 that level?
I think those guys are okay...but I'm not sure if it'd be right to label them on that level IMHO.
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Loyalillini10
- Urbana, IL
I'm here to get Illinois basketball recruiting information. I am interested in what information is being given by those who may be closer to the program than most and really couldn't give a s@#$ what the fanbase at large is thinking. But that's just me providing another perspective.
The only snarky remarks I've seen from insiders is when someone comes in all doom and gloom saying well be in the bottom of the big ten and be in the NIT. At that point its open season imo.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
See I feel like THAT is the fruit of overconfidence about what we can do in the portal.
If we have a deal to make for a good player who will fill a major role for us we should make that deal this second. As was the case for Storr and Maddox, in retrospect.
The idea that any great opportunity that leaves the draft is just naturally going to gravitate to Illinois was a fairy tale.
I guess I'm not sure Watkins in on that level. He wasn't 1st, 2nd, or 3rd team all-ACC last year.
He'd be my pick of those four, but I don't think there's a world of difference, except with the extremely young and inexperienced (but more talented) Kasparas.
I don't think anyone is saying they are all on Watkins level - he's clearly the top choice with the most proven capabilities - but to be fair he wasn't even All - ACC last year, so it's not like he's a sure fire 1st team all big ten - I think he can be, but it's not the likely outcome
The question is can we still be competing for a big ten title with one of the others and I think we still can
Lathon - I don't think is as much of a step down as some think - we saw for ourselves how good he was with Ty/TSJ on him
Kelly - we'd be betting on him returning to his shooting form from two years ago - but the talent is there
Kasparas - he has all the skills we'd want, but it will be an adjustment to the college game, how quickly that happens is anyone's guess
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Attachments
As discussed earlier, if Illinois somehow signed transfer SF Jamir Watkins (FSU), then we would leave two scholarships open and be done with recruiting.
If Illinois does NOT sign Watkins, I think that we should try to sign transfer SG Jordan Lathon (Morehead State) [or transfer SG Miles Kelly (Georgia Tech)], then try to sign transfer SG Damari Monsanto (Wake Forest), leaving only one scholarship open. Just an opinion... and one I would expect BU to never share.
Lathon (or Kelly) and Monsanto, together, might somewhat proximate the production we would get from Watkins alone.Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
One of my concerns is 3pt shooting. We are a team that has averaged 794 3s a year over the last 3 years. Now granted, we've shown minimal concern about not making them. In 2022-23 we took 793 3s and hit 31% of them, but that was a frustrating team. Last year we took 809 but hit 35% and had a much better season.
Looking at this roster Boswell, Humrichous, and Davis are the only good 3pt shooters. And I personally have concerns that Humrichous is going to have a much tougher time in the Big Ten and I think Davis will be a bench player that sees less than 10 mpg. If we bring in Watkins or Kelly, they're not great 3pt shooters. We're either going to have to change the offense, or we better be good on the offensive boards, because our 3pt shooters don't look to be elite.
Looking at this roster Boswell, Humrichous, and Davis are the only good 3pt shooters. And I personally have concerns that Humrichous is going to have a much tougher time in the Big Ten and I think Davis will be a bench player that sees less than 10 mpg. If we bring in Watkins or Kelly, they're not great 3pt shooters. We're either going to have to change the offense, or we better be good on the offensive boards, because our 3pt shooters don't look to be elite.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Ivisic's 3pt shooting stats are lights out, DGL is a good shooter, Booth is a plus shooter for the position, this isn't really my worry at all, and Watkins and Kelly are decent shooters as well.
All of these guys are better 3pt shooters than Domask.
There's the difference. I don't think this roster, even with one of the additions you mention, is Big Ten title good. One of those additions gets us off the bubble and into the Top 25 discussion, IMO.
And that's not doom and gloom. It's a transitional season where we are returning just two players. If we compete for the Big Ten championship, that's a masterclass by Underwood. If we're a competitive, NCAA tournament team this year, that's still a darn good job by Brad.
Everyone on here hates Torvik (usually when he doesn't agree with their opinion).
Right now, without Ivisic (not in his database yet), we are projected to be 59th overall.
Adding Lathon moves us up to 55th.
Adding Kelly moves us up to 54th.
Kasparas isn't in his database.
Maybe Torvik is WAY off, that's certainly possible. But it's the one actual data point we have so far.
Booth is a better 3 point shooter than Domask? Domask struggled last year, but he shot 34.5% for his career.
Well, look back a couple pages then buddy. All the guy said was that if we don't land Watkins we're in trouble because we don't have any other elite wing options.
There was no mention of the NIT or the bottom of the Big Ten.
sacraig
- The desert
Did I say that they would gravitate to Illinois? No. But we shouldn't be taking people we don't think are right if the portal is going to fill with a glut of talent when players don't grade our for the draft.
At that point, it's incumbent on us to go out and sign one, not assume they will all come to us.
Epsilon
M tipping over
- Pdx
Do we have any sense for how many players will drop out of the draft? And how many of them are wings? And on the flip side, do we have a sense for “better” programs (however that’s defined) needs where we would be competing for the same players? Just curious what the world of supply and demand looks like at this point for wings we need…
A guy from my neighborhood in CHS gym class bowling at Arrowhead threw one of these. But righty. It skipped over and hit 7 in the lane next to ours.
The lane was unimpressed.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Holy cow, amazing stats department
Carey Booth in 2023-24: 1.1 3PG on 3.6 attempts, 29.7%
Marcus Domask in 2023-24: 1.1 3PG on 3.6 attempts, 29.7%
The difference is that 61% of Booth's FG attempts were from 3, whereas only 29% of Domask's were.
Domask has been a good shooter in his career but struggled in that aspect with us and increasingly downshifted that as part of his game, it never dominated his game in the first place.
Whereas this group coming in is all about letting fly, this roster is being built with exactly that in mind.
What happened to him? He went from snapping necks to snapping Slim Jims
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
A stray observation:
Of the top 35 transfers in college football, only two are committed to a school outside of the Big Two of the B1G and SEC (both to Miami)
Of the top 35 transfers in college basketball, 13 are committed to a school outside the Big Two, 14 are committed inside the Big Two, and 8 remain uncommitted.
Of the top 35 transfers in college football, only two are committed to a school outside of the Big Two of the B1G and SEC (both to Miami)
Of the top 35 transfers in college basketball, 13 are committed to a school outside the Big Two, 14 are committed inside the Big Two, and 8 remain uncommitted.
First of all, he'll get better. Secondly, Uhhhh...who is better than him?
Braden Smith - maybe
Ballo - maybe
Thornton - maybe
and...?
Can't think of all the names right this moment off the top of my head, sorry if I missed some, but I think that's it. If at worst you're the 4th best player in the conference preseason - I think that qualifies as a likely 1st team All BIG 10 player...
He'd be the perfect "star wing" type of guy we've been looking for the past month or so IMO.
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skyIdub
Winged Warrior
- Status