Shaquille O'Neal Almost An Illini

#1      

uofi09

U
uofi09
I never heard about this until I saw this article/video. This would have awesome had he come to Champaign.

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/p...aquille-oneal-flyin-illini-it-almost-happened

It always seems like a of big stars have reflected back and said they wanted to Illinois.

Aaron Rodgers wanted to come here
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-aaron-rodgers-illinois-20141014-story.html

Jay Cutler wanted to come here
https://www.thesportsbank.net/illin...llinois-but-ron-turner-shifted-qb-priorities/

Any other big star that wanted to come here?
 
#2      

illini0440

illini0440
illini0440
uofi09 said:
I never heard about this until I saw this article/video. This would have awesome had he come to Champaign.

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/p...aquille-oneal-flyin-illini-it-almost-happened

It always seems like a of big stars have reflected back and said they wanted to Illinois.

Aaron Rodgers wanted to come here
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-aaron-rodgers-illinois-20141014-story.html

Jay Cutler wanted to come here
https://www.thesportsbank.net/illin...llinois-but-ron-turner-shifted-qb-priorities/

Any other big star that wanted to come here?
Click to expand...
Aaron Rodgers has Turner offered a scholly instead of preferred Walkon
 
#4      

Oskeefan

O
Virginia Beach, VA
Oskeefan
I remember seeing him with some of the players during the Halloween 'parade', it was wet and cold, worst case weather for recruiting anybody. I've always bought the story that Dale Brown made contact w/ him as a sophomore in Germany, before his dad was transferred to San Antonio.
 
#5      

illini80

illini80
Forgottonia
illini80
I have no personal knowledge of anything, but was always told Shaq was coming until money came into play.
 
#6      

KevinC

KevinC
KevinC
Jalen Rose was very interested in coming here and we didn't recruit him.
 
#7      

champaignchris

C
champaignchris
KevinC said:
Jalen Rose was very interested in coming here and we didn't recruit him.
Click to expand...

We were on probation and ineligible for the tournament. We also had reduced scholarships and had to revoke scholarship offers to kids that year because we didn’t have enough to go around.

I believe Marc Davidson and Robert Bennett were the only scholarship freshmen that year. (Rennie Clemons was a redshirt.)

Whatever interest level Rose might have had prior to his senior year in high school was probably gone by the time the sanctions came down.
 
#9      

KevinC

KevinC
KevinC
champaignchris said:
We were on probation and ineligible for the tournament. We also had reduced scholarships and had to revoke scholarship offers to kids that year because we didn’t have enough to go around.

I believe Marc Davidson and Robert Bennett were the only scholarship freshmen that year. (Rennie Clemons was a redshirt.)

Whatever interest level Rose might have had prior to his senior year in high school was probably gone by the time the sanctions came down.
Click to expand...
Not true.
 
#10      

the national

the national
the Front Range
the national
champaignchris said:
We were on probation and ineligible for the tournament. We also had reduced scholarships and had to revoke scholarship offers to kids that year because we didn’t have enough to go around.

I believe Marc Davidson and Robert Bennett were the only scholarship freshmen that year. (Rennie Clemons was a redshirt.)

Whatever interest level Rose might have had prior to his senior year in high school was probably gone by the time the sanctions came down.
Click to expand...
Robert Bennett, now that is a name I haven’t heard in a long while.
 
#11      

bluemountain

B
bluemountain
illini80 said:
I have no personal knowledge of anything, but was always told Shaq was coming until money came into play.
Click to expand...
I think Shaq liked the coaching staff and obviously we had been successful, but we were too far away and Dale Brown had a really strong relationship with Shaq and his dad