Illini Basketball 2019-2020

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#676      

sacraig

The desert
Don't think you can say this. He was ready, and history shows it....unless you think $41 mil guaranteed at age 24 is a bad thing....

Yeah, at some point, a player is going to benefit more in terms of growth by going up against NBA opponents as opposed to a few extra years of diminishing returns against college opponents. Sure, Meyers was far from a highly-polished player, but he was an athletic freak who was mostly competing against people who were not in his league in terms of ability. Competing against his peers in the NBA likely accelerated his development as compared to one or two more years with us, and it came with a nice fat paycheck to boot.

He made the right call. I hope we have a lot more of these "what might have been" players who successfully bolt early for the NBA. Ideally they would mostly wait until like their second or third year, though so we can get more than one year of benefit. Also, the Jereme Richmonds of the world don't apply to this hope.
 
#677      
1: Ayo—Feliz
2: Frazier—Griffin/Damonte
3: Holyfield—Jones
4: Giorgi—Kipper
5: Cockburn—Kane—Kouma

Best damn 5 start. That’s 6”1, 6”5, 6”8, 6”9, 6”10. Solid. 3 shooters/scorers, 1 proven double digit post-scorer, and an absolute UNIT at the 5.

This is a top half of the league starting 5. If we land Holyfield, and keep the rest of the roster in-tact (assuming we lose Higgs for medical reasons), we should expect to receive preseason votes in top 25, be ranked at some point in the season, compete and beat some of best in the league consistently. This is the year we turn the corner!
 
#678      
I'm banking on the fact that we land Holyfield

But a starting lineup of
Ayo, Trent, Tevian, Holyfield, Giorgi with Feliz taking the remaining minutes from the guards and Kofi the first big man off the bench would be a solid 7. Add in Damonte, AG, Kipper, and Samba to round out the minutes and that's a solid, deep rotation

If we land Holyfield, that's him, Kofi and Giorgi for the two spots underneath, which is 80 mins/game. 3 X 25 is 75, and that assumes all can play 25 mins/game. They probably eat up no more than 70 mins/game, leaving at least 10 at for Samba.
 
#679      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
If we land Holyfield, that's him, Kofi and Giorgi for the two spots underneath, which is 80 mins/game. 3 X 25 is 75, and that assumes all can play 25 mins/game. They probably eat up no more than 70 mins/game, leaving at least 10 at for Samba.

If we land Holyfield, we're cookin' with gas! Hopefully, Kane makes serious strides and seizes 12-15 minutes. Hoping the game really slows down for him. Any offense is gravy.
 
#684      
No matter who starts, seems like we are not going to fill all 13 spots again this year?

Or, as someone posted, are we getting a couple more from the transfer portal?
 
#685      

illini80

Forgottonia
No matter who starts, seems like we are not going to fill all 13 spots again this year?

Or, as someone posted, are we getting a couple more from the transfer portal?
There is a fair amount of uncertainty at this point. We are still recruiting, but it remains to be seen who and how many we get. BU seems unfazed by keeping a spot open at all times and maybe it will payoff in the long run if the right player comes along. My feeling is I would rather take a developmental player with that open spot, but then nobody asked me. 🙂
 
#686      

Whitmans Sampler

Eastern Iowa
I know it’s been said before, but no way does Giorgi not start
Man, imagine reading this sentence without having knowledge from this past season. We have a Top 50 absolute tank of a center joining the program, and possibly adding another forward who was primed to be the 2018 Southland POTY before injury. Yet there’s still no way that our 370th ranked, cone-dodging, why-did-we-even-sign-this-guy Giorgi Bezhanishvili does not start as a sophomore. This is Illini reality and I’m lovin’ it.
 
#687      
McCamey-Paul-Richardson-Davis-Tisdale

vs.

Ayo-Trent-Holyfield-Giorgi-Cockburn

who ya got?
 
#689      
McCamey-Paul-Richardson-Davis-Tisdale

vs.

Ayo-Trent-Holyfield-Giorgi-Cockburn

who ya got?
Is that the good McCamey or the bad McCamey? The one that put up 16 assists in the first half at Mackey, or the one that came out of the locker room for the second half? Ayo may be more of an athlete, but I don't think his passing skills hold a candle to McCamey's.
 
#691      
Who is coaching each team?
good question. same coaches for each squad.

regardless, that team was a 9 seed in the tournament. If we get a 9 seed this year, i’ll be ecstatic. I think we could get as high as a 5 or 6 if things come together, but a 8-10 should be an expectation if we land Holyfield.
 
#692      

Deleted member 633632

D
Guest
so no Kouma and no Kipper?

No I just left question mark's by the those two for now until it is 100% certain they will be here next year. But as for right now, with Holyfield coming in for his visit this weekend instead of next, only helps reinforce what I'm hearing, that there is still some more potential shuffling of this roster still to come...
 
#693      

Deleted member 633632

D
Guest
If kipper and kouma aren't here next year, which they very well could be! I think we replace them with a point guard and a wing ~ (3/4 type)
 
#694      
Looks like Barrett Benson, NW transfer will end up SIU. Also it appears Antonio Reeves is a Saluki lean. 2 good gets for the new coach.
 
#699      
Is that the good McCamey or the bad McCamey? The one that put up 16 assists in the first half at Mackey, or the one that came out of the locker room for the second half? Ayo may be more of an athlete, but I don't think his passing skills hold a candle to McCamey's.
I'll take the mccamey that played the first half with the girls ball and couldn't miss. Can't remember the game?
 
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