Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April 2018)

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#1,151      

TownieMatt

CU Expat
Chicago
That's not using 247, that's using some rando ranking pulled from the depths of the internet.

The issue people have with this class is that we were sold a mass exodus based on a lack of Big Ten talent and athleticism, and we've now brought in three players who had, generously, two major conference offers between them, none of whom we were really competing with anyone in particular for their services, all three of whom are totally unranked by 247, and all three of whom are minus athletes at the major conference level.

And we hung onto Matic Vesel, who shares all of those qualities and looked totally out of his depth last year, apparently for no other reason that too many other kids bailed.

It's not an issue with the class per se, it's an issue with whether this roster has actually been upgraded.

Woof. Classic S&C sky-is-falling post. I respect your ability to bum us all out... I mean keep us grounded.

A couple thoughts:

- Ayo and Jones are great pickups, and would be for just about any class we've had in the last 20 years.
- The straight swap of Feliz for Lucas should be a win. Feliz is a better offensive player and will occupy that scholarship for the same two years.
- Kane was a recent reclass that had a fair amount of interest for 2019 (I know Louisville was involved). He's regarded as a good athlete for his size, though not exceptional (great 7' athletes rarely end up anywhere but blue bloods).
- Griffin was one of best HS players in New York last year (POY to some). Being a good HS player doesn't guarantee success at the college level, but his length and shooting ability should translate. He's a nice piece to get this late.
- Giorgi is a gamble. No two ways about it. I think the staff likes his ability to pass out of the pinch-post. Will it work out? No idea, but if it doesn't, I don't think it sinks the direction of this rebuild.

It's about expectations at this point. Obviously Leron was the big loss. But even with Leron next season, what would this squad realistically expect to accomplish? I couldn't see it being more than a bubble team. Given time, this is class fully capable of getting us back to relevancy in the B1G. But it will take time.
 
#1,152      
I don't think anyone has a problem with this class. It's neither good nor bad. Using 247, we're middle of the conference (7th in the BIG).

Ranking / Position
27 Ayo CG
117 Tevian Jones SF
279 Kane PF
- Griffin SG
- Giorgi PF
12* Feliz

*12th overall Juco transfer, #1 PG

We're losing our best player in Black, and we're thin on bigs from last year to begin with. On the plus side, I expect that we're getting system guys this year, given the issues executing it last year.

That group isn't going to scare anyone, but I'm personally in the camp that we're going to get guys who can run the offense, play hard, and accelerate the rebuild. Still, we're very young, and probably hard-pressed to get into the upper half of the conference.

Rivals has us at #13 with only Mich and MSU ahead of us in the BIG. May be a reason not to put too much faith in the ratings when they are so much different.
 
#1,153      
Woof. Classic S&C sky-is-falling post. I respect your ability to bum us all out... I mean keep us grounded.

A couple thoughts:

- Ayo and Jones are great pickups, and would be for just about any class we've had in the last 20 years.
- The straight swap of Feliz for Lucas should be a win. Feliz is a better offensive player and will occupy that scholarship for the same two years.
- Kane was a recent reclass that had a fair amount of interest for 2019 (I know Louisville was involved). He's regarded as a good athlete for his size, though not exceptional (great 7' athletes rarely end up anywhere but blue bloods).
- Griffin was one of best HS players in New York last year (POY to some). Being a good HS player doesn't guarantee success at the college level, but his length and shooting ability should translate. He's a nice piece to get this late.
- Giorgi is a gamble. No two ways about it. I think the staff likes his ability to pass out of the pinch-post. Will it work out? No idea, but if it doesn't, I don't think it sinks the direction of this rebuild.

It's about expectations at this point. Obviously Leron was the big loss. But even with Leron next season, what would this squad realistically expect to accomplish? I couldn't see it being more than a bubble team. Given time, this is class fully capable of getting us back to relevancy in the B1G. But it will take time.


Great summary & perspective!
 
#1,154      

Illwinsagain

Cary, IL
When he was a kid, he was fond of fishing and pastry. His grandfather was a watchmaker's apprentice who saved his money to move his family from Georgia to Austria, to avoid the war. Giorgi had a hard time at first, not speaking the language, and especially because he was taller than his classmates. Children can be cruel to outsiders and to kids who stick out. Sadly, Giorgi was both. But he was a fun-loving kid with a quick smile, and a penchant for silly faces, and Monty Python skits. Once given a chance, he became something of an attraction on the playground, a veritable one-man show of silly walks, clown-like antics and faces and voices to match.

The teachers noticed, too, but especially, Tobias Boll, the young Mathematics teacher who also coached the boys basketball team. He saw in young Giorgi an energetic and physically dextrous child, who also happened to be 6' tall in 7th grade.

Tobias approached the boy, but Giorgi wasn't sure; when it came to sports, he preferred football and darts. But the football coaches always put him in the goal, and the darts coaches were all drunkards, as darts coaches are. Basketball had never been a consideration in his small town, though of course he had heard of greats like Otar Korkia and Levan Moseshvili, who had won medals with the Soviet teams. Even as he started to grow, he hadn't considered basketball as a option.

Tobias got the boy to practice, and showed him some funadmental drills, and the connection was immediate. Giorgi thrived in the freedom that basketball offered, and his flexibility, long arms and quick feet all worked to his advantage. And after every practice, Tobias had a box of fresh kada, purchased from a speciality bakery. Oh, Girogi loved those days, and finally felt settled in: silly games on the playground, basketball practice after school, and fresh kada while sitting under the giant beech tree, staring at the distant alps.



Or, at least I assume it went something like that...


I love this....
 
#1,155      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
So what happens when Okoro reclassifies and comes to Illinois and Ramey also picks Illinois? Matic or SpicyG get forced out?

giphy.gif
 
#1,156      

NJILLINI

Castle Pines, Colorado
So turns out Courtney Ramey is my next door neighbor. I bought this place a few months ago and have been fixing it up. I met his parents and knew they had a son in high school, but didn't put it all together until a bunch of recruitment letters showed up in my mailbox today by mistake. There have been some different cars there recently. I guess those were the in home visits. Small world.

What a great situation! Go buy a Miznoz sweatshirt, put it on and start parading your dog all over the Ramey's front yard. Hopefully, Fido drops one somewhere up near the porch. If he does, look around as if you are checking to see if anyone is watching and simply walk away. Wash, rinse, repeat several times daily.

Gotta help the home team!
 
#1,157      

BillyBob1

Champaign
Hahaha I wish. None from the beloved though. All were Big 12 schools.

Too bad you didn’t find one from Miznoz and you could have opened and put a couple hundred dollars in it. Take a picture and send to NCAA. Just say that’s the way it was in your mailbox.
 
#1,158      

sacraig

The desert
Too bad you didn’t find one from Miznoz and you could have opened and put a couple hundred dollars in it. Take a picture and send to NCAA. Just say that’s the way it was in your mailbox.

Mr. Pearl, is that you?
 
#1,159      
I don't think anyone has a problem with this class. It's neither good nor bad. Using 247, we're middle of the conference (7th in the BIG).

Ranking / Position
27 Ayo CG
117 Tevian Jones SF
279 Kane PF
- Griffin SG
- Giorgi PF
12* Feliz

*12th overall Juco transfer, #1 PG

We're losing our best player in Black, and we're thin on bigs from last year to begin with. On the plus side, I expect that we're getting system guys this year, given the issues executing it last year.

That group isn't going to scare anyone, but I'm personally in the camp that we're going to get guys who can run the offense, play hard, and accelerate the rebuild. Still, we're very young, and probably hard-pressed to get into the upper half of the conference.

Feliz is a 12*? Where does that put our class?
 
#1,160      
That's not using 247, that's using some rando ranking pulled from the depths of the internet.

The issue people have with this class is that we were sold a mass exodus based on a lack of Big Ten talent and athleticism...

Those were sales racked up in a message board echo chamber, with
a few sportswriters caught up in the meme. But the word oft-repeated by coach is culture, code word for players not willing or able to buy in, mostly the latter. But not for lack of trying. I think the taint of Groce-ball was too deeply imbedded for some of these players to relearn a drastically different system, and especially to execute it with the total abandon it requires to be successful. And when the going got tough, old Groce-ball habits kicked in, along with all that hesitancy.

We didn't lack talent and athleticism so much as a killer instinct. That's why you bring in a bunch of blank slate freshmen who don't know any better, who think an Underwood (boot camp) practice is the norm, and you teach them to be assassins.
 
#1,161      

illini80

Forgottonia
I went down a youtube wormhole after watching that....The Delson Training that is profiled sure teaches kids to dunk the ball instead of laying it up. He seems to jump without gathering himself like Finke had to do. i think he'll be ok. Sure, he doesn't look hugely athletic, but I think he'll have a respectable freshman campaign. Strong enough and aggressive enough....Id be happy with 7 pts and 5 boards a game as a Fr.

I think we'd all be more than thrilled with that. Not likely to happen though.
 
#1,165      

jrod1286

Pat Chambers
Illinois
Underwood and staff did a great job thus far getting guys to commit to a basement dwelling big 10 school.
 
#1,166      
That's not using 247, that's using some rando ranking pulled from the depths of the internet.

The issue people have with this class is that we were sold a mass exodus based on a lack of Big Ten talent and athleticism, and we've now brought in three players who had, generously, two major conference offers between them, none of whom we were really competing with anyone in particular for their services, all three of whom are totally unranked by 247, and all three of whom are minus athletes at the major conference level.

And we hung onto Matic Vesel, who shares all of those qualities and looked totally out of his depth last year, apparently for no other reason that too many other kids bailed.

It's not an issue with the class per se, it's an issue with whether this roster has actually been upgraded.

*nods along*

Also, the excusing some of the flyers we are taking due to it being March/April. We had three open scholarships in the fall (Alstork, two open) and only filled one. Could have oversigned by one as well if we expected any transfers.

Hoping for the best, but not sold on the process or the results yet.
 
#1,167      
Woof. Classic S&C sky-is-falling post.

I was more trying to answer the people saying "I can't fathom why anyone wouldn't be excited by all these great pickups, blah blah blah, best case scenario for all of our unranked guys".

The sky is not falling. We have a terrific young backcourt. I am higher than many on Kane and Ebo. Underwood remains a credible coach. There is time yet.

But I don't do blind faith unless Steve Winwood is involved. The truth is its own reward.
 
#1,168      
We've needed a rim protector ever since Egwu graduated. I don't care how many stars they have next to their name, if they can't play good defense, then they don't fill our need. Kane might not be that guy, but I feel a hell of a lot better about his defensive potential than those other two guys.



Kane is way under-rated for a 2018 kid. Love this kid and his upside.
 
#1,169      
I was more trying to answer the people saying "I can't fathom why anyone wouldn't be excited by all these great pickups, blah blah blah, best case scenario for all of our unranked guys".

The sky is not falling. We have a terrific young backcourt. I am higher than many on Kane and Ebo. Underwood remains a credible coach. There is time yet.

But I don't do blind faith unless Steve Winwood is involved. The truth is its own reward.
Steve Winwood was never a good B-ball coach.
 
#1,173      
Also plagued by dubious clock management skills: "...near the end and just ain't got the time."
 
#1,174      
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

2018 3 Star PF, 6’9, Bryce Golden included Illinois in his final 6 schools.

Illini
Uconn
Syracuse
Georgetown
Wichita
Butler

Is that list of schools good enough for some of you? [emoji6]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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