Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April 2018)

Status
Not open for further replies.
#1,076      
If Giorgi could eventually turn into 3/4 of what upperclassmen Mav was offensively but better defensively then that would turn out to be a well-used scholly.

I'm hoping in a couple of years we are good enough that 3/4 of Mav never sees the floor in 4 years
 
#1,078      
Prayers for Colbert regarding his brother and his troubles dealing with a serious blow like losing a brother. My wife went through that her freshman year in college. Very sad, hope he finds his way ok.

Hung out with him a bit when we were both freshmen. He's a great guy and all the best for him
 
#1,079      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
Nope. Unless he's committed to the beloved,

a) he peaked too early
b) his growth plates are closed
c) he's not an everyday guy or doesn't exhibit our "winning" culture
d) his skills are more attuned to an 8-sec offense (aka, not a good fit for BU's system)
Whoosh!
Very Clever.... not sure everyone will get electrician humor though?!

That said his tendency to switch on defense is both a positive & a negative...
I don't know. I heard he's hard wired for defense. That would help for before the light bulb comes on offensively.
 
#1,080      

Deleted member 8632

D
Guest
Whoosh!

I don't know. I heard he's hard wired for defense. That would help for before the light bulb comes on offensively.

I've heard he's put on some weight as well. He's "current"ly at 220........which will help the 3 phases of his game.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
#1,081      
Article on Okoro discussing his visit to Oregon. Some good information in the article.

http://www.oregonlive.com/recruiting/index.ssf/2018/04/francis_okoro_2019_4-star_cent_1.html

This seems somewhat decodeable. He says he's not a 2018 because he hasn't taken the SAT yet. The sudden scuttlebutt about reclassification has come right around the April 6 deadline to sign up for the May 5 SAT.

Sounds like Okoro has signed up for that date's SAT, and if he gets the score he needs (which will be released in late May) he will reclassify and probably head to Oregon if a scholarship is left open for him (a piece to watch).

The in-home with Underwood is probably to better understand that plan and gauge what our chances would be if we left the last slot open for him as well.
 
#1,082      
When he was a kid, he was fond of fishing and pastry. His grandfather was a watchmaker's apprentice who saved his money to move his family from Georgia to Austria, to avoid the war. Giorgi had a hard time at first, not speaking the language, and especially because he was taller than his classmates. Children can be cruel to outsiders and to kids who stick out. Sadly, Giorgi was both. But he was a fun-loving kid with a quick smile, and a penchant for silly faces, and Monty Python skits. Once given a chance, he became something of an attraction on the playground, a veritable one-man show of silly walks, clown-like antics and faces and voices to match.

The teachers noticed, too, but especially, Tobias Boll, the young Mathematics teacher who also coached the boys basketball team. He saw in young Giorgi an energetic and physically dextrous child, who also happened to be 6' tall in 7th grade.

Tobias approached the boy, but Giorgi wasn't sure; when it came to sports, he preferred football and darts. But the football coaches always put him in the goal, and the darts coaches were all drunkards, as darts coaches are. Basketball had never been a consideration in his small town, though of course he had heard of greats like Otar Korkia and Levan Moseshvili, who had won medals with the Soviet teams. Even as he started to grow, he hadn't considered basketball as a option.

Tobias got the boy to practice, and showed him some funadmental drills, and the connection was immediate. Giorgi thrived in the freedom that basketball offered, and his flexibility, long arms and quick feet all worked to his advantage. And after every practice, Tobias had a box of fresh kada, purchased from a speciality bakery. Oh, Girogi loved those days, and finally felt settled in: silly games on the playground, basketball practice after school, and fresh kada while sitting under the giant beech tree, staring at the distant alps.



Or, at least I assume it went something like that...
I love this. You have a gift.
 
#1,084      
This seems somewhat decodeable. He says he's not a 2018 because he hasn't taken the SAT yet. The sudden scuttlebutt about reclassification has come right around the April 6 deadline to sign up for the May 5 SAT.

Sounds like Okoro has signed up for that date's SAT, and if he gets the score he needs (which will be released in late May) he will reclassify and probably head to Oregon if a scholarship is left open for him (a piece to watch).

The in-home with Underwood is probably to better understand that plan and gauge what our chances would be if we left the last slot open for him as well.

I think you decoded it perfectly.

However, in my mind, it's really hard to know which school he is leaning towards if he reclassifies because it seems he made this decision at the last minute.

I think he visited Oregon because he's never been out there. Obviously he's been to Illinois and Purdue multiple times. If he get's the score he needs, he will have visited, and have all the information he needs to make a decision, on the schools that interest him.

Underwood will get clarification from Okoro, like you said, and figure out how to play his chess piece.

Should be interesting to see how this one plays out.
 
#1,085      

foby

Bonnaroo Land
When he was a kid, he was fond of fishing and pastry. His grandfather was a watchmaker's apprentice who saved his money to move his family from Georgia to Austria, to avoid the war. Giorgi had a hard time at first, not speaking the language, and especially because he was taller than his classmates. Children can be cruel to outsiders and to kids who stick out. Sadly, Giorgi was both. But he was a fun-loving kid with a quick smile, and a penchant for silly faces, and Monty Python skits. Once given a chance, he became something of an attraction on the playground, a veritable one-man show of silly walks, clown-like antics and faces and voices to match.

The teachers noticed, too, but especially, Tobias Boll, the young Mathematics teacher who also coached the boys basketball team. He saw in young Giorgi an energetic and physically dextrous child, who also happened to be 6' tall in 7th grade.

Tobias approached the boy, but Giorgi wasn't sure; when it came to sports, he preferred football and darts. But the football coaches always put him in the goal, and the darts coaches were all drunkards, as darts coaches are. Basketball had never been a consideration in his small town, though of course he had heard of greats like Otar Korkia and Levan Moseshvili, who had won medals with the Soviet teams. Even as he started to grow, he hadn't considered basketball as a option.

Tobias got the boy to practice, and showed him some funadmental drills, and the connection was immediate. Giorgi thrived in the freedom that basketball offered, and his flexibility, long arms and quick feet all worked to his advantage. And after every practice, Tobias had a box of fresh kada, purchased from a speciality bakery. Oh, Girogi loved those days, and finally felt settled in: silly games on the playground, basketball practice after school, and fresh kada while sitting under the giant beech tree, staring at the distant alps.



Or, at least I assume it went something like that...

Awesome! Now do Samba and Matic!
 
#1,086      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
When did they become the "Fighting Ducks"? Did I miss something, or is this just one of their 1,420 (plus or minus 5) uniform combinations?
 
#1,089      

illini80

Forgottonia
If Giorgi could eventually turn into 3/4 of what upperclassmen Mav was offensively but better defensively then that would turn out to be a well-used scholly.

I agree. Mav contributed a lot on the offensive end, but was a liability on the defensive end. And that's being kind.
 
#1,094      

illini80

Forgottonia
220, 221, whatever it takes

I'm positive he can transform us into a high voltage offense down the line, but it's important to stay grounded and avoid the negative, so for the current time I'm staying neutral.
 
#1,096      

TownieMatt

CU Expat
Chicago
I agree. Mav contributed a lot on the offensive end, but was a liability on the defensive end. And that's being kind.

I could see that being an issue for Giorgi as well. He's apparently not known for his rebounding, and I don't think he has the quickness to be a great defender in the B1G. You really have to hope his offense shines through and he can do enough on the defensive end to stay on the floor. I think we may also see him paired in the frontcourt with a rim protector like Kane or Ebo.

I have absolutely no idea what to think about Calloo.

Agree. So hard to evaluate a guy that wasn't a big contributor on his HS team, but that HS team was stacked with high D1 talent.
 
#1,097      

NJILLINI

Castle Pines, Colorado
I don't know, Conduit is pretty electric with the ball in his hands. Plus he's really good at finding the outlet pass. I'd still take him.

Really? I find your comments somewhat shocking. I mean, I was amped up when we were recruiting Conduit but that pretty much short-circuited when he selected the Cyclones. And I watched him play this past year. He's no excitement generator.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.