Illini Basketball 2019-2020
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skyIdub
Winged Warrior
Tacomallini
- Washington State
Is this verified or just speculation? BBV w a medical redshirt for this year
Give OA a huge raise.
Is a redshirt a done deal for BBV?
Yep. Chin needs one as well.
We keep performing like this, Whitman is going to take care of it. Don't worry.
The Dave
- CA
It is good. Should have included the "/s".
Count me in the group of people who is stunned by the collapse of tOSU this year. Early on I was glad we only play them once albeit on the road but now there are other ascending tams to worry about....Iowa....Minnesota.....no easy ones.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Assumption. If he qualifies (and I believe he does), it's a no-brainer, IMO. Kid shows a lot of promise.
illini80
- Forgottonia
Maybe things have gotten smoothed over and I hope they have, but there was an implication around the time of Walkers demotion, that Whitman may not be comfortable with OA’s recruiting style. Have you heard any rumblings along this line?
He might not like the recruiting style, but he sure does like getting those highly ranked recruits, which leads to big-time wins, which leads to boatloads of money.
+1 for any knowledge on the vote of confidence for OA & his recruiting style. USF notwithstanding, the Cockburn recruitment seemed fine; as did Griffin's and Curbelo's. OA may know how to navigate around the grey areas of recruiting, but provided that he is clean, Whitman is the one who approved his hiring; he did his due diligence and was confident that he could be an asset to the staff prior to extending or approving his contract.
Kofi and AG (yes, growing moment) are integral pieces of this team and its future. And as for the future, he received public praise from BU as the closer on the Curbelo signing. If this is an actual issue, it surely goes deeper than having pre-existing relationships with player's parents, coaches, etc; it is not Mizzou, and it is tantamount to the relationships that are built whilst on the recruiting trail ... simply with more backstory & accelerated rapport. OA has expanded and established viable recruiting footholds in previously untouched markets, which a one key area UI must continue to develop and sustain its success.
With his activity on the bench ... and Jamal's relegation to the back bench to serve out his "promotion" ... if OA is the man to close the competitive deals with BU, he will keep doing what he is doing until proved ineffective or implicated (internally) for recruiting infractions - more than suspicion or reliance on past history.
If Whitney wants to come and we can work it out that’s great. But, I really hopes T Jones sticks with us. I still think he has potential to do some good things here the next couple of years.
Plus when you look at what we are doing this season it is with guys that have been here a year or two with the exception of Cockburn and a little of Hamlin. Would like to keep that rolling with guys staying around. If we continue to see success like Ayo and Kofi are having we will have enough guys leaving for bigger and better things.
Which is why it doesn’t make any sense for Whitman to do a complete 180...he knew exactly what he was getting when he hired BU and OA....BU wants to run his program a certain way....especially in recruiting if you guys get what I’m saying, BU thought Whitman was on board with that then he completely flipped...BU will have a chat with Whitman at the end of the year.
Can and will this get worked out
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
Thanks
I clearly don't get exactly what you're saying, but you've said enough.
So let me get this straight. We’ve got the best record in the best conference in the country. I’d think our ranking should reflect that at some point. How long will it take? On the flip side, we’ve got a brutal stretch of games coming up. Oh my, this is too much for my aging heart to take. But I’m loving it!
Ifound it wild that Michigan St has only played 4 road games at another teams home court. (Seton Hall w, NW w, Purdue l, and Ind l) They have seven road games left and many are against the top half of the B10. We only have 5 rpad games left and have played most of the top teams on the road already. I like our chances with these last two Wins.
Just my opinion, but I don't want to see anyone run off this roster to make room for Whitney. He is not a shooter, and to play small forward for the Illini, you have to be able to shoot well and dependably. Jones has a good stroke and can develop into that kind of player with some pt, love, coaching, and confidence. If Whitney has never been a shooter, he likely never will be. Also, there is no guarantee that he will fit into team chemistry with his opinion of himself and his game or his willingness to make team success first priority. We have that now and running anyone off to make room for him is a huge gamble with likely failure. BU and staff know what they want and have proven willing to look anywhere to find those types of players. I am developing some trust in that, as well as their willingness to adapt to B1G coaching philosophies and junking what has proven does not work. I will give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their finding good kids who will work hard to learn the game....but I do not think KW is in their future plans. He needs to learn a lot about how the game is played at the top levels of college hoops, and it is quite different from the professional game. By the way, there are very, very few small forwards or big guards in pro ball who can't shoot pretty darn well.
I agree with you. Such a dumb thing to discuss, especially when the discussion has no merit and no relevance to today's game. I swear....people want to find drama wherever they can and it's ridiculous.
This goes back to the Adam Miller commitment. People chose not to be happy.
We've sucked for a decade, we couldn't recruit high level guys, people complained...now we're winning and recruiting well, but there has to be a sinister reason as to why.
At the end of the day.....butts in seats and merchandise sold trump all.
Not sure why this is a concern....at all.
Your second point is valid, and does speak to the need for talented depth to support in-coming talent who project to be one or two and done. It would be humbling for Whitney, which would be nice, and while he may blossom at his next school, he, like Tevian, could be the next Brian Randle but with baggage.
Tev's situation has become dire. His off-court issues should not have recurred; having talented everyday players like Tevian with freakish natural athleticism is great until that athleticism functions as a ceiling rather than a floor & catalyst for growth. He has had time to avail himself of the opportunities and resources that most students do not receive; if he cannot get the message in the classroom, he cannot represent the team as a proper student-athlete. Moreover, with the time that he has missed over the past two seasons, he is still struggling his way through what would have been his full freshman year. This is time that cannot be made up, meaning his issues have prevented him from developing the physicality and focus to defend well in the B1G.
Prediction: Tev is gone by season's or year's end. He has the support and opportunity but the fit does not seem to be there; tireless work is a hallmark of BU's style, and he seems ambivalent toward the notion. Tweets of gym photos and videos are great, but they do not sell dedication to staying eligible - why not tweet a pic of a tutoring session, books open, head down at the library, or a well-done assignment displayed on the refrigerator, and then a gym video? It is possible that he will stay and improve - Black and Jordan both improved under BU, and both Giorgi and Ayo have made immense progress on the court - however, the likelihood of him catching up the physicality of the B1G to realize his potential seems very slim. This is a slight restatement of the point of Whitney at UK.
Whitney is an interesting option, for sure. If Whitney chooses UI, shines on-court and become the anti-Tev, everyone wins, including top the talent who are charmed away from home; if he transfers here and is a replacement level player, it is a scholarship & time spend with Chicago goodwill gained; and if he chooses Georgetown, we are basically in the same position. A Whitney success story is a very interesting value prop for this staff to answer and act accordingly.
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