Illini Basketball 2018-2019

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#1,501      
Greetings from Arizona, and yes, I am wearing shorts today. It's been a long time since I posted, so I wanted to sum up what I have seen thus far from my favorite basketball team.
 
#1,502      

haasi

New York
I am seeing 2-1 rest of nonconference and 3-15 in the rest of the conference season. That would be 3-17 in conference and 8-23 overall. Yikes
 
#1,503      
I am seeing 2-1 rest of nonconference and 3-15 in the rest of the conference season. That would be 3-17 in conference and 8-23 overall. Yikes

Drinking the orange kool aid? :hand:
 
#1,504      
The next 4 games are winnable but we could legit lose them all as well. ETSU has been good for awhile and FAU isn’t bad. I’d say switch the uni’s on FAU and not that much of a talent disparity.

There is just a serious lack of talent on this team and the brand might be at an all time low. Remember those teams we used to play and you would think “Man, I’m glad we’re not that team?” Well, we’re that team now.
Does anyone remember how a combination of Okoro, Castleton, Trice, or Conditt was going to be our saviors? None are averaging 3 points a game.
 
#1,505      

Hoppy2105

Little Rock, Arkansas
Does anyone remember how a combination of Okoro, Castleton, Trice, or Conditt was going to be our saviors? None are averaging 3 points a game.

They are also all backups on teams doing better than us. All potential tourney teams with UM being a championship contender.

If those guys were on our team, they could be getting way more playing time and possibly averaging way more points.

I will say, though, that I’m not sure any of them (except maybe Okoro) would have a freshman campaign like GB is having so far.
 
#1,506      
They are also all backups on teams doing better than us. All potential tourney teams with UM being a championship contender.

If those guys were on our team, they could be getting way more playing time and possibly averaging way more points.

I will say, though, that I’m not sure any of them (except maybe Okoro) would have a freshman campaign like GB is having so far.
I don't believe any two of them will be better than gorgi and samba in the future, we are going to be ok if the coach is given time
 
#1,510      
They are also all backups on teams doing better than us. All potential tourney teams with UM being a championship contender.

If those guys were on our team, they could be getting way more playing time and possibly averaging way more points.

I will say, though, that I’m not sure any of them (except maybe Okoro) would have a freshman campaign like GB is having so far.

I believe guys like Okoro, Castleton & to a lesser extent Conditt have a higher ceiling due to athleticism but I don’t think any of those guys can operate in the low post right now like Giorgi, nor could they put the ball on the floor from the pinch post like Giorgi. Or shoot from deep. We got a good one.
 
#1,511      
Rules guys...tell me: Could Samba be T’d up if he continues doing the Mutombo finger wag?
I actually was worried at the time when he did that and thought he might. I am guessing that BU might have spoken to him about it. I think many refs would have teed him up. In today's snowflake culture I'm not sure you can criticize someone's hairdo without getting flagged....
 
#1,512      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
As long as he's not wagging his finger right in somebody's face, it's not a problem. Gestures to the fans are usually just fine.
 
#1,514      
When I was growing up, I remember how awful Northwestern was at basketball and football in the late 70s and throughout the 80s and couldn’t imagine anyone rooting for programs like that. I have come to realize that we are now those Northwestern teams of that era. I feel sad for myself and other Illini fans😞. How did we get to this point?

MAC coaches Beckman and Groce. We're very young in football (most underclassmen in the BCS) and in hoops we have two upperclassmen contributing something in AJ and Kipper. Patience, Grasshopper...
 
#1,515      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
Hoping for an Olajuwan-like progression from Kane. They both played a lot of futbol growing up. Frivolity aside, Kane has much better hands than Egwu (low bar, I know). Several good flashes, hope springs eternal.
 
#1,516      
Hoping for an Olajuwan-like progression from Kane. They both played a lot of futbol growing up. Frivolity aside, Kane has much better hands than Egwu (low bar, I know). Several good flashes, hope springs eternal.
Egwu was more polished coming out of HS, played well behind Leonard his FR year, fouls were his biggest issues like most young bigs. He really stopped progressing by his JR year, that was his biggest downfall. His offensive game was extremely limited, never got much better, but his defense was lights out.

Kane has all the potential Egwu had as a FR, it'll be dependent on if he can continue to become a better player, rather than stall.
 
#1,517      
BU mentioned Tev will be in O&B and that he is a very good young man. When? BU did not mention.

I am no longer concerned.
 
#1,519      
May have already been posted, but I noticed that Ayo is listed at #24 for ESPN's (Givony and Schmitz) 2019 draft board. I was skeptical Ayo would be one and done just because of how bad our team is, but perhaps it won't matter. THT is listed at #25 too, which I thought was interesting.

Now for the poll: do y'all think it is better or worse for the program if Ayo is a one and done? I could see both sides, but am interested in everybody else's opinion.
 
#1,520      
Now for the poll: do y'all think it is better or worse for the program if Ayo is a one and done? I could see both sides, but am interested in everybody else's opinion.
Worse and it honestly shouldn't be an argument. Of course the side, "having one and dones and sending kids to the NBA is a positive" exists and is valid, but we need impact at the collegiate level now, next year, and for years after that. Having Ayo stay 2+ years, then get drafted is much more valuable to this team than him being a one and done and hoping some 5* kids magically believe UI is better for them than the blue bloods. Ayo is going to be an exception rather than a rule/pipeline at least for the near future.
 
#1,521      
Ayo may yet show he is one and done but based on evidence so far, I don't see it. He is a very good athlete but not a great athlete base on what I have seen. He is an improved shooter but not a great shooter. I could be wrong.
 
#1,522      
May have already been posted, but I noticed that Ayo is listed at #24 for ESPN's (Givony and Schmitz) 2019 draft board. I was skeptical Ayo would be one and done just because of how bad our team is, but perhaps it won't matter. THT is listed at #25 too, which I thought was interesting.

Now for the poll: do y'all think it is better or worse for the program if Ayo is a one and done? I could see both sides, but am interested in everybody else's opinion.
THT is very inconsistent at this time. His game against us was by far the best he has played. Shooting just 41% from the field and 30% on threes for the year. Yes, he is averaging 15.4, but the blur we saw when he destroyed us was not indicative of the type of player he is now. Certainly don't see him as a high draft pick after just one season. I would take him either way, and sure wish we had him, though.
 
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#1,523      

Deleted member 554798

D
Guest
May have already been posted, but I noticed that Ayo is listed at #24 for ESPN's (Givony and Schmitz) 2019 draft board. I was skeptical Ayo would be one and done just because of how bad our team is, but perhaps it won't matter. THT is listed at #25 too, which I thought was interesting.

Now for the poll: do y'all think it is better or worse for the program if Ayo is a one and done? I could see both sides, but am interested in everybody else's opinion.
I’m surprised by this. I’ve yet to see him even mentioned in the 2nd round on all other mock drafts. Think he will be around a minimum of one more year if not two
 
#1,524      
THT is very inconsistent at this time. His game against us was by far the best he has played. Shooting just 41% from the field and 30% on threes for the year. Yes, he is averaging 15.4, but the blur we saw when he destroyed us was not indicative of the type of player he is now. Certainly don't see him as a high draft pick after just one season. I would take him either way, and sure wish we had him, though.

Cam Reddish is shooting 39% from the field and 36% from three, yet will likely be a top 5 pick in June. Efficiency stats tend to matter a little less at this stage than the eye test, and inconsistency is the nature of most freshmen. He may not be a first round draft pick but he's clearly got the talent -- these guys do these assessments for a living, after all.
 
#1,525      
I’m surprised by this. I’ve yet to see him even mentioned in the 2nd round on all other mock drafts. Think he will be around a minimum of one more year if not two

I find a lot of groupthink happens with mock draft boards, but not the kind necessarily influenced by the people doing the decision-making (i.e. scouts and execs). I tend to like those people/boards that approach the process more iteratively, and continually update based on what they're seeing and what they're hearing from the NBA. Givony and Schmitz are among the best at this.
 
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