Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (March 2018)

[TheGMan]

Trice isn't ideal, but he's a better option simply for his rebounding, defense, and only tying up a scholarship for two years. Pretty concerning that this all-star staff can't recruit all that well. Flame away.

Trice would be a project big, as well. Most bigs are projects in some sense. Even a lot of the highly ranked ones. Now, if you know of some land of available, non-project bigs, please do not keep it to yourself. That's just selfish.

 

[TCTORNADO]

LOL, Piper's Sheep.

 

[Genesis]

Won't get to watch the state tourney because we have a tourney in St. Louis, but I'll have to record it. I'd like to see Morgan Park vs Springfield SE in 3A and I'll predict Ayo wins it all. In 4A, I'm expecting Belleville West and WY in the finals with EJ taking it all. Then we land EJ and have two state champs on the roster! Am I crazy?

 

[RIVERCITYCHIEF]

I don't see how anyone could watch that video of ball handling drills for 6'10" high school kid and not be very impressed. Georgie looks really skilled in those drills. Plus, he hasn't been in the states long and that may be why he isn't ranked. I'd love to see him shoot and pass but it sounds as if can can shoot it well too.

 

[Dan]

Illinois pursuing recent Ole Miss decommit Serrel Smith
https://twitter.com/UIHoopsRecruits/status/973929883649769472
https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Sports/status/973657937058115584

 

[Renegade19]

Ugh! Absolutely no reason to throw shade on THT.

You're right Joel. Shade was intended for the doomsdayers on the board who cried over his college choice. Poor wording on my part. I don't badmouth players/recruits publicly.

 

[RIVERCITYCHIEF]

The way he shook off those defenders was impressive. (What defenders? Oh, that's right. They weren't there.)

I guess you feel that program is wasting time and should just scrimmage. That coaches cant do some form of evaluation and development through drills. Practice and drills are a key way to evaluate and delelop players. I mean why do professional sports even have combines and run players and recruits through drills? He also just played well against a 5 star recruit. What he was doing is very difficult for a young 6'10" player. That is more impressive to me than any dunk. All programs have guys that can dunk. They don't have 6'10 with handles, shooting, and passing ability.

 

[Deleted member 29907]

The way he shook off those defenders was impressive. (What defenders? Oh, that's right. They weren't there.)

Now, now - he's still a youngin.... its good to see he's working on this ball handling skills.

 

[sacraig]

The way he shook off those defenders was impressive. (What defenders? Oh, that's right. They weren't there.)

Someone should probably tell the NFL about this concept. They could stop attending their own Scouting Combine.

 

[BlindLoyalty]

I am not too impressed with the following video of Giorgi. Maybe it because there are many great players in the game, a lot of shooters for sure. I wonder how many technicals were called in this game, very rough game !!

It is March, most rational people know late signs are lottery ticket/projects. If they don't work out you just Vesel them next season.

Giorgi is 6'10' and can breathe.

 

[mhuml32]

Illinois pursuing recent Ole Miss decommit Serrel Smith
https://twitter.com/UIHoopsRecruits/status/973929883649769472
https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Sports/status/973657937058115584

This kid can shoot it.

 

[Deleted member 29907]

I am not too impressed with the following video of Giorgi. Maybe it because there are many great players in the game, a lot of shooters for sure. I wonder how many technicals were called in this game, very rough game !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SAhcxUYvb0

Looks to be a scrimmage. Yeah, a bit rough. I did notice it was being played in a Catholic school gym though.

 

[RIVERCITYCHIEF]

What does that have to do with what I said? Please show me where I said drills aren't good for development. I'll wait. I simply said, and you're proving my point, that you can't base a HS player's talent level on these types of videos. There's no one defending him! It's not live-game footage. There's a reason he's not ranked and isn't being recruited by many P5 programs. He's a project. This isn't hard.

I'm not going debate evaluating players using drills anymore. Drills are a good tool for all skill levels. Grade school to the NBA. I think its certainly one way to do so besides just games.
He is from Australia and hasn't been here long. Was Delavadova ranked? Minnesota, Illini, and the Bonnies are the first on board and I'm glad we are. I also loved watching them beat Steve Alford and UCLA and their ranked players last night by the way...Go Illini!

 

[TheGMan]

What does that have to do with what I said? Please show me where I said drills aren't good for development. I'll wait. I simply said, and you're proving my point, that you can't base a HS player's talent level on these types of videos. There's no one defending him! It's not live-game footage. There's a reason he's not ranked and isn't being recruited by many P5 programs. He's a project. This isn't hard.

I still want to know what non-project big you want us to go after. I think you can agree that a project big is better than nothing.

 

[whatahack]

FWIW....Frank Cusomano said he talked to his Illinois source and he said Illinois isn't in the running for EJ Liddell because of the Mark Smith situation.

 

[Peoria Illini]

I am not too impressed with the following video of Giorgi. Maybe it because there are many great players in the game, a lot of shooters for sure. I wonder how many technicals were called in this game, very rough game !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SAhcxUYvb0

This was a preseason scrimmage back in October. You could tell that they were out of sync, not used to playing with each other, etc. He moves pretty well, and seems to like to crash the boards.

Had to tell much from him on that video.

 

[FiveStar]

I want Giorgi B.
Looks to have better handles than any big man that we have had in many years.
Way more athletic as well.

We must be watching different people. Matic is significantly more athletic than this guy. He moves like Mav. Plodding. Very tight hips. He’s no Larry Bird that’s for sure.

Skill wise looks like he can do some things.

 

[MainelyIllini]

#Illini have locked in an official visit with 2018 big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili. 6-foot-9 per Derek Piper

Huge fan of this kids game. Only lived in the states for a year. From Austria. Per IlliniScout.

https://youtu.be/gXbLEjoVKZ4


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Peoria Illini]

FWIW....Frank Cusomano said he talked to his Illinois source and he said Illinois isn't in the running for EJ Liddell because of the Mark Smith situation.

That's too bad. Hopefully his source is wrong, but I can see that. I think Smith and EJ are pretty close. I'm sure BU and JW will continue to put the work on and see if they can improve that situation.

 

[TheGMan]

Safe money is still, and will pretty much always be, on a blue blood to get Liddell.

 

[AnticipatedSerendipity]

I'm not going debate evaluating players using drills anymore. Drills are a good tool for all skill levels. Grade school to the NBA. I think its certainly one way to do so besides just games.
He is from Australia and hasn't been here long. Was Delavadova ranked? Minnesota, Illini, and the Bonnies are the first on board and I'm glad we are. I also loved watching them beat Steve Alford and UCLA and their ranked players last night by the way...Go Illini!

*Austria

 

[t7nich]

[/B]

We must be watching different people. Matic is significantly more athletic than this guy. He moves like Mav. Plodding. Very tight hips. He’s no Larry Bird that’s for sure.

Skill wise looks like he can do some things.

Agree, the skill is there. But he's not more athletic than Matic. Similar style player though. Giorgi looks to have more overall strengh, which could help him battle down low (which won't be his strong suit).

I’m on the fence though. In a normal recruiting cycle there's no way we go after this kid. However.. Black TBD, likely gone. Vesel TBD, rumors are that he’s gone. Finke TBD, I think he probably stays for his final year. If we NEED bodies, then I guess it makes sense.

 

[Deleted member 654622]

FWIW....Frank Cusomano said he talked to his Illinois source and he said Illinois isn't in the running for EJ Liddell because of the Mark Smith situation.

How real are we taking this? I did not think we would get him in the end but if it is because of the struggles of Mark Smith and his decision to leave, that would be frustrating. But that would also mean that EJ did not have any real desire to be at Illinois.

 

[BWilson25]

Never trust Cusumano when it comes to Illinois. He's a Miznoz hack through and through. That said, it's pretty well known that Liddell likely isn't coming to Illinois, but it's been that way well before Smith took his ball and went home.

:thumb:

 

[foby]

I am not too impressed with the following video of Giorgi. Maybe it because there are many great players in the game, a lot of shooters for sure. I wonder how many technicals were called in this game, very rough game !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SAhcxUYvb0

An actual in season game against good competition. I think this shows more why we would want him.

[YOUTUBE]p3h3Ay45Uf0[/YOUTUBE]