Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (July 2018)

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#126      

EJ33

San Francisco
Was Illinois ever in serious competition for him? Seems like we don't do well in the QC area.

I'm with you. The QC has never seemed to be a strong area for recruiting. I think that part of the state, despite being in Illinois, seems so much more tied to Iowa. It's a shorter drive to the Iowa campus and media coverage matters too. The Iowa influence is stronger there. In Carton's case, that's obviously not the case- he's eliminated Iowa and Illinois so he's got his own reasons but historically I agree- the QC is a tough spot.

Bruce Douglas is the last one I can remember...and that was a long, long time ago.

I grew up near the Quad Cities and the fan base used to be more evenly split. Now the whole area is very firmly held by Iowa. For example, the airport is on the Illinois side (Moline), but the gift shop has racks of Iowa gear and zero Illinois gear. The Quad City Times also dropped its Illinois beat reporter years ago.

I can't remember a single Illinois football or basketball player from the Iowa side (Davenport, Bettendorf) and only a few football players from the Illinois side (Moline, Rock Island). Moline and Rock Island have produced a few basketball players over the years (e.g., Chasson Randle), but we haven't landed them. Ethan Happ was from a small Illinois town 30 mins outside the QC.

Bruce Douglas was from Quincy which might as well be in a different state. It's closer to Columbia, MO and Iowa City.

I'm always skeptical when I see recruiting targets from the QC or Quincy.
 
#127      
It just kills me to see all the Iowa stickers here in Galesburg, 50 miles from the river.
 
#129      

illini80

Forgottonia
It just kills me to see all the Iowa stickers here in Galesburg, 50 miles from the river.
Nope. Not a lot of Illini love in western IL. Tough to even find a station that covers them.
 
#130      
Adam@AdamZagoria -2m
Duke’s Coach K has spoken with 2019 @rc_basketball and @MacIrvinFire wing @KahlilWhitney and they plan to watch him this week.
 
#131      
I grew up near the Quad Cities and the fan base used to be more evenly split. Now the whole area is very firmly held by Iowa. For example, the airport is on the Illinois side (Moline), but the gift shop has racks of Iowa gear and zero Illinois gear. The Quad City Times also dropped its Illinois beat reporter years ago.

I can't remember a single Illinois football or basketball player from the Iowa side (Davenport, Bettendorf) and only a few football players from the Illinois side (Moline, Rock Island). Moline and Rock Island have produced a few basketball players over the years (e.g., Chasson Randle), but we haven't landed them. Ethan Happ was from a small Illinois town 30 mins outside the QC.

Bruce Douglas was from Quincy which might as well be in a different state. It's closer to Columbia, MO and Iowa City.

I'm always skeptical when I see recruiting targets from the QC or Quincy.

Do I at least get credit for getting the "Q" right?
 
#133      
I grew up near the Quad Cities and the fan base used to be more evenly split. Now the whole area is very firmly held by Iowa. For example, the airport is on the Illinois side (Moline), but the gift shop has racks of Iowa gear and zero Illinois gear. The Quad City Times also dropped its Illinois beat reporter years ago.

I can't remember a single Illinois football or basketball player from the Iowa side (Davenport, Bettendorf) and only a few football players from the Illinois side (Moline, Rock Island). Moline and Rock Island have produced a few basketball players over the years (e.g., Chasson Randle), but we haven't landed them. Ethan Happ was from a small Illinois town 30 mins outside the QC.

Bruce Douglas was from Quincy which might as well be in a different state. It's closer to Columbia, MO and Iowa City.

I'm always skeptical when I see recruiting targets from the QC or Quincy.

C J Schroeder - Davenport West HS - Illini recruiting class of '70 (my class). Pardon my age.
 
#134      
I live a hour east of QC and it is almost impossible to get any Illini games on the radio. I think Illinois has done a very poor job of selling itself in the western part of the state which has allowed Iowa to get a very strong fan presence in this part of the state. Illinois needs to do a better job selling the brand outside of the central part of the state. Was in Wisconsin last weekend and anywhere you travel in that state the Badger brand dominates. In Illinois that is not even close to the case. If they want to fill a football stadium and basketball arena they need to sell the brand and get people in Illinois excited about them. 30 years ago Wisconsin was struggling and now has one of the most loyal fan bases in the country and locks down the state in recruiting to a large degree. It can be done but the Illini have a long ways to go and have never seemed very committed in my opinion in growing the brand and the fan base which has always seemed strange to me
 
#135      
I live a hour east of QC and it is almost impossible to get any Illini games on the radio. I think Illinois has done a very poor job of selling itself in the western part of the state which has allowed Iowa to get a very strong fan presence in this part of the state. Illinois needs to do a better job selling the brand outside of the central part of the state. Was in Wisconsin last weekend and anywhere you travel in that state the Badger brand dominates. In Illinois that is not even close to the case. If they want to fill a football stadium and basketball arena they need to sell the brand and get people in Illinois excited about them. 30 years ago Wisconsin was struggling and now has one of the most loyal fan bases in the country and locks down the state in recruiting to a large degree. It can be done but the Illini have a long ways to go and have never seemed very committed in my opinion in growing the brand and the fan base which has always seemed strange to me

Completely agree and I've always thought the same thing. I'm jealous when I visit Wisconsin that you see their gear everywhere, even gas stations are stocked full of their stuff. Same thing with Iowa. I live in the Metro STL area (Illinois side) and its probably 50% Mizzou fans. I hate it. If/when we get a winning product on the field again, they need to make a huge marketing push to start trying to influence younger kids and get the brand out there.
 
#136      
Adam@AdamZagoria -2m
Duke’s Coach K has spoken with 2019 @rc_basketball and @MacIrvinFire wing @KahlilWhitney and they plan to watch him this week.
I suppose this was inevitable.


The Ayo recruitment was a (welcome) deviation from the norm.
 
#137      

GortTheRobot

North Bethesda, Maryland
I remember the QC drought going all the way back to Acie Earl from my hometown of Moline. I also remember going into Temple’s sporting goods a few summers back, and the clerk saying the Illinois license was too expensive for them to want carry the brand.

By the way, Temple’s, the icon of Moline sporting goods, is now moving across the river to Iowa...I hate Iowa...it’s not a state...it’s an annexed cornfield.
 
#139      

Peoria Illini

Peoria, IL
Adam@AdamZagoria -2m
Duke’s Coach K has spoken with 2019 @rc_basketball and @MacIrvinFire wing @KahlilWhitney and they plan to watch him this week.

Hopefully that's going to happen a lot with guys that we are targeting. Means we are upping our recruiting game. If Whitney wants to build something here at Illinois, he'll come and play with Ayo, Trent, DaMonte' and the guys.

I think he sees that it's growing here and that we are moving back up the food chain in the college basketball world.

If he wants to be one of the many 5 stars at Duke, then that's where he'll go.
 
#142      
Completely agree and I've always thought the same thing. I'm jealous when I visit Wisconsin that you see their gear everywhere, even gas stations are stocked full of their stuff. Same thing with Iowa. I live in the Metro STL area (Illinois side) and its probably 50% Mizzou fans. I hate it. If/when we get a winning product on the field again, they need to make a huge marketing push to start trying to influence younger kids and get the brand out there.

As a fellow STL Illini, I agree that I hate that Mizzou dominates. I'd argue that saying its 50% Mizzou is quite low. However, I have definitely seen a substantial uptick and focus on STL by Illinois ever since Whitman came around (one of the reasons I love him).

Unfortunately, you are right though. We need to get a winning product on the field/court before we will begin to see any major movement.
 
#143      
Adam@AdamZagoria -2m
Duke’s Coach K has spoken with 2019 @rc_basketball and @MacIrvinFire wing @KahlilWhitney and they plan to watch him this week.

They have been interested for a while. Will be interesting to see what offers he gets during Peach Jam.

He has said he is planning to cut his list at the end of the summer, my guess would be 8-10 schools. Illinois will be on it.

I am still confident Chin and BU land him, but it will be a battle. :shield:
 
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#144      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
Adam@AdamZagoria -2m
Duke’s Coach K has spoken with 2019 @rc_basketball and @MacIrvinFire wing @KahlilWhitney and they plan to watch him this week.


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#145      
I live a hour east of QC and it is almost impossible to get any Illini games on the radio. I think Illinois has done a very poor job of selling itself in the western part of the state which has allowed Iowa to get a very strong fan presence in this part of the state. Illinois needs to do a better job selling the brand outside of the central part of the state. Was in Wisconsin last weekend and anywhere you travel in that state the Badger brand dominates. In Illinois that is not even close to the case. If they want to fill a football stadium and basketball arena they need to sell the brand and get people in Illinois excited about them. 30 years ago Wisconsin was struggling and now has one of the most loyal fan bases in the country and locks down the state in recruiting to a large degree. It can be done but the Illini have a long ways to go and have never seemed very committed in my opinion in growing the brand and the fan base which has always seemed strange to me

Does the Illini caravan even stop in the QC anymore?
 
#146      

EJ33

San Francisco
I live a hour east of QC and it is almost impossible to get any Illini games on the radio. I think Illinois has done a very poor job of selling itself in the western part of the state which has allowed Iowa to get a very strong fan presence in this part of the state. Illinois needs to do a better job selling the brand outside of the central part of the state. Was in Wisconsin last weekend and anywhere you travel in that state the Badger brand dominates. In Illinois that is not even close to the case. If they want to fill a football stadium and basketball arena they need to sell the brand and get people in Illinois excited about them. 30 years ago Wisconsin was struggling and now has one of the most loyal fan bases in the country and locks down the state in recruiting to a large degree. It can be done but the Illini have a long ways to go and have never seemed very committed in my opinion in growing the brand and the fan base which has always seemed strange to me

Completely agree and I've always thought the same thing. I'm jealous when I visit Wisconsin that you see their gear everywhere, even gas stations are stocked full of their stuff. Same thing with Iowa. I live in the Metro STL area (Illinois side) and its probably 50% Mizzou fans. I hate it. If/when we get a winning product on the field again, they need to make a huge marketing push to start trying to influence younger kids and get the brand out there.

It is depressing to see the Quad Cities completely taken by Iowa (even the Illinois side). The solution is simple but not easy: win and win consistently.
 
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#148      
I grew up near the Quad Cities and the fan base used to be more evenly split. Now the whole area is very firmly held by Iowa. For example, the airport is on the Illinois side (Moline), but the gift shop has racks of Iowa gear and zero Illinois gear. The Quad City Times also dropped its Illinois beat reporter years ago.

I can't remember a single Illinois football or basketball player from the Iowa side (Davenport, Bettendorf) and only a few football players from the Illinois side (Moline, Rock Island). Moline and Rock Island have produced a few basketball players over the years (e.g., Chasson Randle), but we haven't landed them. Ethan Happ was from a small Illinois town 30 mins outside the QC.

Bruce Douglas was from Quincy which might as well be in a different state. It's closer to Columbia, MO and Iowa City.

I'm always skeptical when I see recruiting targets from the QC or Quincy.

Steve Kuberski - Moline 1965
 
#149      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
I live a hour east of QC and it is almost impossible to get any Illini games on the radio. I think Illinois has done a very poor job of WINNING which has allowed Iowa to get a very strong fan presence in this part of the state. Illinois needs to do a better job WINNING. Was in Wisconsin last weekend and anywhere you travel in that state the Badger brand dominates. In Illinois that is not even close to the case. If they want to fill a football stadium and basketball arena they need to WIN. 30 years ago Wisconsin was struggling and now has one of the most loyal fan bases in the country and locks down the state in recruiting to a large degree. It can be done but the Illini have a long ways to go and have never seemed very committed in my opinion in WINNING which has always seemed strange to me

FIFY :thumb:

Hopefully that winning part will start to happen again soon and the rest will take care of itself.
 
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