Remember a few weeks ago.......if Kane doesn't qualify, Giorgi is our only big man, what is the staff doing, yada, yada. Now, not so much.
Illini Basketball 2018-2019
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Remember a few weeks ago.......if Kane doesn't qualify, Giorgi is our only big man, what is the staff doing, yada, yada. Now, not so much.
Not if you ask Black, Finke, Smith and Ebo.
I’ll feel better after Kane is on campus and Adonis is healed. Still gun shy after Thorne never really returned to form.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
We have 3 possible solutions at C, hopefully, they all contribute meaningful minutes. They don't have to be dominant for UI to have success this year. If 2 can defend, rebound and put-back missed shots for 35 minutes a game, it will be a HUGE plus. This will allow the perceived strength of the team (guards/wings) to do what they do, cause havoc on defense and score. This team is absolutely deeper and more athletic than last year. Can they play basketball as well, or hopefully better? That is what we will find out, beginning in November. I choose to be optimistic, I fully understand the pessimists and independant 3rd parties will likely side with them in the pre-season predictions. I would rather be wrong than believe that my team will be bad, 4 months prior to playing meaningful games.
@Indiana, Feb 9, 1974....67-107
I don't mean to be pessimistic. I just want to keep my optimism in check somewhat, as it's been a vicious cycle of getting my hopes up and then dashed. Rinse, repeat. As a fan, I understand that unrealistic expectations just come with the territory, but as always, I'll be watching the games and rooting for my team, probably cursing half the time but most definitely imbibing throughout.
I was hoping Ebo, Black and Finke came back. But Ebo was starting to look like a better fill in last year for Finke at times. That was an eye opener when a lightly recruited freshmen is battling a 4 year seasoned player.
Black was a complete loss, was hoping he was transitioned into a Roger Powell type player his season. Playing PF with a true center and taller wings.
Ebo, still not sure the story there. I don't see the staff pushing out the door unless grades or attitude an issue.
MSmith, still think he could of been successful. But possibly a win/win for both sides.
TownieMatt
CU Expat
- Chicago
The roster turnover is due to a clash of styles. Coaches build teams to match their personalities—and according to a certain WVU coach, the previous roster was "as soft as baby s***".
Flip the page to last season, when we bring in one of the toughest, most demanding coaches in the NCAA. He wants to build a roster that fits his style, which couldn't be further from what he inherited. As the season progresses, players realize this isn't what they signed up for under the previous regime and look to move on.
Does BU beg them to stay? Heck no.
What's the result of replacing a soft coach with a really demanding one? A complete roster overhaul.
Sidenote: It makes me chuckle how much some people get fired up about losing players that were a part of one of the worst stretches in the last half-century of Illinois basketball.
Flip the page to last season, when we bring in one of the toughest, most demanding coaches in the NCAA. He wants to build a roster that fits his style, which couldn't be further from what he inherited. As the season progresses, players realize this isn't what they signed up for under the previous regime and look to move on.
Does BU beg them to stay? Heck no.
What's the result of replacing a soft coach with a really demanding one? A complete roster overhaul.
Sidenote: It makes me chuckle how much some people get fired up about losing players that were a part of one of the worst stretches in the last half-century of Illinois basketball.
This s an improvement in the interior over what we had last year with the exception of Black. Ebo has been effectively replaced. I love that our incoming bigs shouldn't make ne cringe if they get fouled and go to the line and must be guarded outside a few feet.
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We don't know that and Giorgi as a replacement for Finke is not even close.
Deleted member 11196
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Your sidenote is something that also makes me ponder Illini fans. What part of a 4-14 B1G record is so wonderful that fans want to maintain that level ? ? :tsk::tsk: I know I'm old, but I just don't understand this line of thinking....
BU creaned all of his own recruits, so it is not exactly players who signed up under the previous regime. BU actually went out of his way to praise some of his own recruits (i.e., Smith - Best prepared and toughest freshman he ever coached, Ebo - Best athlete on the team) which was way premature and unjustified. The only bright spots last year were ALL players who signed up under the previous regime.
I must have missed this quote, link??
Peoria Illini
- Peoria, IL
He also went out of his way to praise guys that were already here. Finke, Black, Jordan, Kipper, Lucas, etc. Most coaches will try the praise route to instill some confidence in his squad. Besides Smith, Ebo and Matic were roster fillers on short notice. I'm sure he hoped they would work out, but they didn't. Many thought Smith had a toughness to him based on his physical play in HS, but it ended up not to be the case, when his playing time decreased.
Time to move on. We need players that want to be here and that can handle a little toughness out of their coach.
Hopefully we have that with this incoming class.
Time to move on. We need players that want to be here and that can handle a little toughness out of their coach.
Hopefully we have that with this incoming class.
Theres always a dichotomy between expecting improvement by a player and grabbing a recruit whos possibly better. Some people side with the former, others the latter.
Last years team under performed, but not to the point we would've been sniffing an NCAAT bid if everything went our way. But I still think a 5th year Finke is better than Giorgi (at least next year), and I have doubts Kane will be much better than Ebo. The question becomes, does adding Ayo, Jones, and Feliz offset and/or add more than Black and Tejon? I'd almost say thats a wash, so in the end of the day, purely speaking about next year, I wouldn't be surprised if we ended with the same record, or even won 5 more games. Freshman are almost always wildcards, impossible to predict.
As long as turnover like this year doesn't happen every 12 months, this teams set up to improve in the next couple years. The real question is can BU elevate this talent to be where his "proven" system needs them to be.
Ebo & Smith would have likely become bright spots...
What did Ebo excel at or was just good at? I agree to disagree. I like Finke but I think Kipper will more than fill Finke's shoes and stat line. Plus someone else could as well
BananaShampoo
Captain 'Paign
- Phoenix, AZ
This is pretty much how I always imagine Old Ward, but that's none of my business:
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Wait, what? Giorgi is a worse defender than Finke? IBIWISI. Same with rebounding. Yep, Giorgi isn't much of a stretch 4, but we don't need that. I'll gladly trade a 15' -in presence for Finke's streaky outside shot. No one's expecting Bez to be a lockdown defender, but MF set the bar very low on D.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
I don't mean to be pessimistic. I just want to keep my optimism in check somewhat, as it's been a vicious cycle of getting my hopes up and then dashed. Rinse, repeat. As a fan, I understand that unrealistic expectations just come with the territory, but as always, I'll be watching the games and rooting for my team, probably cursing half the time but most definitely imbibing throughout.
Didn't mean to single you out, but I guess quoting you does that. I used to keep my optimism in check, it's more fun not to. Especially, since they cannot lose a game for at least 4 more months.
Deleted member 4960
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+1 on the last paragraph!
Why does everyone look at Giorgi as the weak link of this incoming class? Has anyone actually seen him, Kane or Higgs play in an actual game?
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