Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (January 2019)

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#527      

Deleted member 4960

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I mean, the same could've been said with Ayo right? Our recruiting didn't exactly tick up after that. On court, the team has even been worse.

I guess it's easier to sell potential with all the youth, especially with a top 40 C and PG, but you really gotta read the stars to be sure this things gonna pan out. I think getting Kofi will ease a lot of recruits worries about having little to no inside help on next years team, but I don't think it's going to sway any very much, sans those directly connected to him like Brown.
 
#530      

Deleted member 4960

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I would say our recruiting has ticked up after Ayo committed. We had a top 25 class last year. and now have the best rated 5 star recruit we have had in a long time and a big man at that! And not from the state of Illinois!
 
#532      
Probably THE best complimentary sport to basketball - re: footwork.

Teammates on my Adult League side have asked me how I got so proficient at shielding the ball from defenders on the pitch. My response is : "I grew up in Illinois and learned how to box out at an early age"
 
#533      
Illinois and UConn are both great basketball schools with great fans and represent awesome opportunities for a kid like Kofi and we all look like petty children acting otherwise.

Agree regarding basketball. Illinois is just a better school. If a guy wants an education too, it's not close.
 
#534      

Deleted member 633632

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Getting Patterson would be an insane turn around on the recruiting front. Is he leaning anywhere?

I believe we will be seeing him on campus sometime in February.

Hopefully our sales pitch is on point! We need to give a him a big pot of Kofi and blow him away the same way we did Cockburn 😎
 
#540      
When it comes to recruiting, there are just a few schools that can show up at the last minute and flip a recruit, UK and Whitney for example. Usually it is relationship building and that takes time. But consider:

OA was born in the Dominican, came to the New York, poverty stricken, homeless for awhile, developed his game, went to Pitt and now is making serious money from this game. American dream.

KC was born in Jamaica, moved to New York, developed his game and has now committed to the beloved. Both OA and KC are from the islands.

OA has a reputation as a recruiter and a very likeable guy but no assistant coach in America matches up better with KC on a personal "I've been there level" than OA. We will hold on to this recruit.

I'm just waiting for the next Charlie Villanuvea to show, he's ours.
 
#541      
Teammates on my Adult League side have asked me how I got so proficient at shielding the ball from defenders on the pitch. My response is : "I grew up in Illinois and learned how to box out at an early age"

You sure you are aren't getting not getting picked up for next confused with I learned how to box out at an early age. Left out and boxed out are different afterall? Ikid Ikid...:cool:
 
#543      

Tevo

Wilmette, IL
For those (anyone?) who have seen two or more of these guys play, beyond just highlight reels, please compare and contrast:

Cliff Alexander vs. Francis Okoro vs. Kofi Cockburn


To me, they all look pretty similar -- big, strong guys who dominate smaller high school players, who score mostly on dunks. Highlight reels show the occasional short jumper or hook, but who can trust highlight reels?

Cliff (listed at 6-9 but wasn't that tall) was #4 on 247, spent his high school days dunking on everyone, then had a pretty lackluster single year at Kansas, and can currently be found in the Where Are They Now? file.

Okoro (listed at 6-9) was #56 on 247 last year, and is getting about 10 minutes a game at Oregon, and averaging 2.3 pts and 2.5 rbds (while fellow freshman big, Bol Bol is getting 21 and 9!)

Kofi is listed at 6-10 (and is therefore probably closer to 6-9 -- as opposed to "near 7-0" we hear), is ranked #33 on 247, and seems to have very similar body, skills and role as Okoro and Cliff.
 
#545      

Deleted member 746094

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For those (anyone?) who have seen two or more of these guys play, beyond just highlight reels, please compare and contrast:

Cliff Alexander vs. Francis Okoro vs. Kofi Cockburn


To me, they all look pretty similar -- big, strong guys who dominate smaller high school players, who score mostly on dunks. Highlight reels show the occasional short jumper or hook, but who can trust highlight reels?

Cliff (listed at 6-9 but wasn't that tall) was #4 on 247, spent his high school days dunking on everyone, then had a pretty lackluster single year at Kansas, and can currently be found in the Where Are They Now? file.

Okoro (listed at 6-9) was #56 on 247 last year, and is getting about 10 minutes a game at Oregon, and averaging 2.3 pts and 2.5 rbds (while fellow freshman big, Bol Bol is getting 21 and 9!)

Kofi is listed at 6-10 (and is therefore probably closer to 6-9 -- as opposed to "near 7-0" we hear), is ranked #33 on 247, and seems to have very similar body, skills and role as Okoro and Cliff.

I can’t speak to the comparison, but we will find out more on Okoro’s abilities as he has been put into a more prominent role now that Bol Bol’s college career is all but over do to season ending surgery.

I am assuming the level of competition Kofi will play this year is much higher than the other two. Oak Hill typically plays a national schedule of the best of the best. Someone correct me if I am wrong.
 
#546      
The Kofi recruitment and being in on Patterson, Brown and others may bring a secondary benefit for in-state recruiting. As we saw from O'Brien's article, the Chicago coaches expect the Illinois coaching staff to bow down to them, and they give Illinois very little in return. With OA and BU recruiting on a national level, and getting talent from elsewhere, it puts the end to the mantra that you have to recruit Chicago to be successful. Assuming that BU can build a winning program with these out of state recruits, this will in turn change the bargaining positions of Illinois vis-a-vis the Chicago high schools. Unless the Chicago coaches provide help and deliver enough results for the effort they expect Illinois to expend, they can expect BU and OA will spend most of their efforts elsewhere.
 
#547      
I cant wait to check out the UConn board again today. That was a fun experience.
 
#548      
I watched the Oregon - Oregon St. game (I follow OSU) and was less than impressed with Okoro. He only played 16 minutes as the Beavers went up big early and the Ducks went with a smaller lineup to play full court pressure. He missed every shot he took (4 from the floor and 2 at the line) but he did have 5 rebs, 1 steal and 1 block. Previous game against Boise St. he played 19 minutes with no points (only shot once).
 
#549      
For those (anyone?) who have seen two or more of these guys play, beyond just highlight reels, please compare and contrast:

Cliff Alexander vs. Francis Okoro vs. Kofi Cockburn


To me, they all look pretty similar -- big, strong guys who dominate smaller high school players, who score mostly on dunks. Highlight reels show the occasional short jumper or hook, but who can trust highlight reels?

Cliff (listed at 6-9 but wasn't that tall) was #4 on 247, spent his high school days dunking on everyone, then had a pretty lackluster single year at Kansas, and can currently be found in the Where Are They Now? file.

Okoro (listed at 6-9) was #56 on 247 last year, and is getting about 10 minutes a game at Oregon, and averaging 2.3 pts and 2.5 rbds (while fellow freshman big, Bol Bol is getting 21 and 9!)

Kofi is listed at 6-10 (and is therefore probably closer to 6-9 -- as opposed to "near 7-0" we hear), is ranked #33 on 247, and seems to have very similar body, skills and role as Okoro and Cliff.
I feel like Okoro and Cliff might be more similar. Both about 6 9 240 pounds. Both pogo sticks, rim runners and shot blockers with intimidating athleticism and physiques. Kofi is the same height, but he is a space eater. Nimble feet, Intimidating size and girth.
 
#550      

CAHALL15

Central Illinois
For those (anyone?) who have seen two or more of these guys play, beyond just highlight reels, please compare and contrast:

Cliff Alexander vs. Francis Okoro vs. Kofi Cockburn


To me, they all look pretty similar -- big, strong guys who dominate smaller high school players, who score mostly on dunks. Highlight reels show the occasional short jumper or hook, but who can trust highlight reels?

Cliff (listed at 6-9 but wasn't that tall) was #4 on 247, spent his high school days dunking on everyone, then had a pretty lackluster single year at Kansas, and can currently be found in the Where Are They Now? file.

Okoro (listed at 6-9) was #56 on 247 last year, and is getting about 10 minutes a game at Oregon, and averaging 2.3 pts and 2.5 rbds (while fellow freshman big, Bol Bol is getting 21 and 9!)

Kofi is listed at 6-10 (and is therefore probably closer to 6-9 -- as opposed to "near 7-0" we hear), is ranked #33 on 247, and seems to have very similar body, skills and role as Okoro and Cliff.
He was measured at 6’10” without shoes at the NBA 100 camp in 2017. At the Nike Skills academy he was listed at 6’11, but it did not specify if that was with shoes or not.

https://www.nbadraft.net/nike-elite-100-rostermeasurements
 
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