Illini Basketball 2018-2019

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#126      
Just so we can all level the expectations for the freshmen on the frontcourt. No freshman frontcourt player (PF or C) in the last 20+ years has ever averaged 9.8 ppg (Finke's production). And we had some good/great frontcourt players over that time span, including Cook, Augustine, Mike Davis, Shaun Pruitt, Richmond, Leonard, Tisdale, Egwu. Even the 8 ppg conference mark that you mention, the last freshman frontcourt player who I believe did that (although they were not keeping conference individual stats back then) may have been Brian Cook.

Hopefully, some of our freshmen frontcourt players will develop into great players, but expectations should be tempered in their freshman year.

Agree with this and is why we need DeLaRosa. Believe if he is healthy he is great improvement over Finke in defense and rebounding. Also believe Kipper can match Black in defense and rebounding and can be a significant scorer. The big IF is AD's health when we get to conference play. Hopefully Giorgio and Samba can be productive backups as he will be more limited in mins.
 
#127      
I was pointing out that a big who can't play D, hauls in fewer than 5 rebounds per game, and can't crack 8 ppg in conference play is really of no use to us.
Are you that confident that our not high rated true freshman bigs will outproduce that? One of whom may not even be on the team? Finke would have been NO use to us? I suspect that come big ten play, we will be desperate for a Finke level player.
 
#128      

sacraig

The desert
Are you that confident that our not high rated true freshman bigs will outproduce that? One of whom may not even be on the team? Finke would have been NO use to us? I suspect that come big ten play, we will be desperate for a Finke level player.

No, I never said that. I am confident that Finke is not the caliber of player we need to be our primary big option in order to be competing for championships, though.

I realize Finke would have likely been a better option than any of our first year bigs coming in. I'm talking overall, though. It's not like the hit we took when losing Malcolm Hill.
 
#129      

Tevo

Wilmette, IL
No, I never said that. I am confident that Finke is not the caliber of player we need to be our primary big option in order to be competing for championships, though.

I realize Finke would have likely been a better option than any of our first year bigs coming in. I'm talking overall, though. It's not like the hit we took when losing Malcolm Hill.

I think the way to say that, then, to avoid all the “freshman won't even be as good as Finke!” discussion, is to say, “while our freshmen may not produce as much as Black and Finke would this year, that's okay, because long term our team will be better off for getting them the playing time and opportunity to develop. I'd rather have the freshman learning this year, when even WITH Black and Finke we wouldn't have been a real contender, so that next year almost everyone will be back with hopefully another strong class of recruits, and we'll be making real progress as a program.”

At least, that's how I think about it.
 
#130      
A starting team of Black, Nichols, JCL, Ayo and Frazier with Finke and El General off the bench would have been one of the favorites to win the B1G.
 
#133      
It is not rebounds per inch that count... if I can have an 8-foot player averaging 5 rebounds, I still get 5 rebounds per game that I do not otherwise have. Also, the fact that Black was a better player is not so much relevant, he was. But Black is not on the team, you still lost Black and you lose Finke and 9.8/4.6 per game and even Ebo at 2.2/2.4. At the end, we lost 27.3 pts and 12.2 rbs per game, and it was a weak frontcourt.

But it has a hard case to make that the frontcourt additions will provide 27.3/12.2 combined or that a freshman individually will average similar production to Black, yet it is extremely doubtful that a freshman will even match 9.8 ppg and 4.6 rpg, Finke's production.

I don’t think anyone is trying to make the case that interior production will match last year. But, our backcourt will more than make up for it.
 
#134      
A starting team of Black, Nichols, JCL, Ayo and Frazier with Finke and El General off the bench would have been one of the favorites to win the B1G.
JCL wouldn’t start for this year’s team. He can shoot it but that’s it. Williams and Feliz are better.
 
#135      
Lance Irvin (one of the brothers) is named HC at Chicago State. Chris Zorich is the new AD. Irvin is an interesting hire.
 
#136      
No, I never said that. I am confident that Finke is not the caliber of player we need to be our primary big option in order to be competing for championships, though.
Well that's fair, but it's a long way from not the "primary big option in order to be competing for championships" to "of no use to us" (us here being a team that no one thinks will be competing for a championship this year). Finke would help us win more games this year, of that I have no doubt.
 
#138      

sacraig

The desert
Well that's fair, but it's a long way from not the "primary big option in order to be competing for championships" to "of no use to us" (us here being a team that no one thinks will be competing for a championship this year). Finke would help us win more games this year, of that I have no doubt.

Consider me a guy who would rather have the long game in mind and therefore is totally fine getting freshmen bigs who actually want to be here some experience if it pays off in a year or two.
 
#142      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
Per Ryan Evan, Samba Kane has passed all classes and will be good to go.

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It's Samba time.......!
 
#147      
Just so we can all level the expectations for the freshmen on the frontcourt. No freshman frontcourt player (PF or C) in the last 20+ years has ever averaged 9.8 ppg (Finke's production). And we had some good/great frontcourt players over that time span, including Cook, Augustine, Mike Davis, Shaun Pruitt, Richmond, Leonard, Tisdale, Egwu. Even the 8 ppg conference mark that you mention, the last freshman frontcourt player who I believe did that (although they were not keeping conference individual stats back then) may have been Brian Cook.

Hopefully, some of our freshmen frontcourt players will develop into great players, but expectations should be tempered in their freshman year.
I don't expect a freshman frontcourt player to come in and score more than Finke but I do expect one of them to get 4-5 boards per game and play better defense. If they can score half his points, I'll be pleased. We'll get production elsewhere to make up for his 9 ppg. His god awful defense won't be missed.
 
#148      

haasi

New York
A starting team of Black, Nichols, JCL, Ayo and Frazier with Finke and El General off the bench would have been one of the favorites to win the B1G.
Not even close. probably a tournament team tho
 
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