Too early to give up on January. The school year isn’t even over yet for Christ sake. More likely Kouma is replacing HiggsKouma steps in for January. No clue about this kid. After Giorgi, I'll keep an open mind.
Too early to give up on January. The school year isn’t even over yet for Christ sake. More likely Kouma is replacing HiggsKouma steps in for January. No clue about this kid. After Giorgi, I'll keep an open mind.
I don't think there are any UIUC students from Chad.
Anyone from the Bronx?
I agree on individual players, but isn't there a reason that high major coaches generally recruit the top 100-150 first?Rating services are devised to get clicks and interest....we all do this very well to see who will be our next "great" player or fail? We also do this to lament how bad our misfortunes can be or have been. But riddle me this....who would have taken these players previously?
2014 Illini recruited #4 Alexander and we got #41 Black, I think we did well there? Ratings weren't 100% here.
2015 Illini recruited #19 Evans and we got #35 JCL, I think we obviously lost this one...Ratings were still not 100% because Evans was way better!
2016 Illini recruited #105 Moore and we got #230 Lucas, I would argue we definately got the better here.
2017 Illini recruited #46 Goodwin and we got #147 Smith and #149 Frazier....I would argue we WON both of those so far! Love Frazier!
2018 Illini recruited #30 Ayo and got him, would anyone on any other player take # 10-11-12-13 from this year based solely on rankings? Many would and you would have gotten Simons, Garland, Hagans or Grimes? I will take our #30 over these guys.
I tried to pick a player of same basic position and our highest ranked player for that year. At least what I could find anyways. So many clamored for the "whiff" players and when it was all said and done, the ILLINI fared well, just not well enough as a team.
The point is the services have a bunch of armchair experts, just like most of us and evaluators who place certain rankings on players based on their subjective viewpoints. Rankings are numbers and that is all, that said we need to keep getting some lower numbers for sure, but I am not disappointed in what we got, WHEN we got them. We had nothing to sale any player other than PT basically and even that as always is not a given.
These utterly silent Underwood recruitments really are something else.
I agree on individual players, but isn't there a reason that high major coaches generally recruit the top 100-150 first?
But many named Chad.I don't think there are any UIUC students from Chad.
I'm with you on the keeping an open mind stance. Before GB's success, I would have seen this and thrown my phone.Kouma steps in for January. No clue about this kid. After Giorgi, I'll keep an open mind.
Wisdom is a wonderful thing. Too bad it has to be earned the hard way.I'm with you on the keeping an open mind stance. Before GB's success, I would have seen this and thrown my phone.
Some of those reasons are Nike and Addidas. The FBI corruption investigation named many teams who are usually in the top 25, but they didn't wire tap those coaches phones. Only a very few, in a very limited investigation. The government is not interested in making Self or Townsend testify, or figuring out how UK, NC, and Duke end up with 2/3s of the McDAA every year.I agree on individual players, but isn't there a reason that high major coaches generally recruit the top 100-150 first?
More than I care to admit.Broke a lot of phones, eh?
Rumblings about a 2019 big visiting this weekend. Don't have a name, sorry. #notaninsider
I’ve never seen him in a game, but that video shows a long athletic player. He’s obviously smart. I’ll take 2 more.Good eleventh-hour get. Tall, rangy, and a bit of a project with real upside potential.
Hofstra must hate us.Apparently he had an offer from Hofstra. You know who else had an offer from Hofstra? Mr. Giorgi B. I’m on to your strategy, Brad.
HS senior or transfer?Rumblings about a 2019 big visiting this weekend. Don't have a name, sorry. #notaninsider
Chad??? That's a landlocked Saharan country with like 500 people, and only one was known to play basketball. And we got him!
So that makes Jamaica, Senegal, Georgia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico (Trent in some way), a 2nd generation Nigerian, and now Chad.
If I lived in Champaign, I'd consider opening an international flag store.
I agree with your post but I would ask “what upperclassmen?” The problem we had was that our most talented players were underclassmen. That explains why the scoring came from Freshmen. It bodes well for the future though if we can keep everyone on board.Giorgi and Ayo are very good players, but you generally do not see teams other than those who annually recruit and lose elite talent rely on freshman for 50% of the team's production unless the upperclassmen can't get it done. And that's precisely what happened to Illinois this year.
Rumblings about a 2019 big visiting this weekend. Don't have a name, sorry. #notaninsider
There are a lot more than 500 people in that country. And they have oil fields. Been to Chad for work a few years ago. Interesting experience.
Bernard Kouma would make the most sense.