Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (March 2018)

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#1,976      
Piper said on the radio today that many grad transfers have a good idea where they're going when they announce a transfer. I'd imagine with potential transfers like Caroline and Cunningham much of the recruitment could be going on through back channels which is why we haven't heard anything concrete on either of them. I get the sense it could be a situation where either they come to Illinois or you never really hear anything because they decide to stay at their respective schools.
 
#1,977      
My question for the board would be why would a top 5th year player transfer to a program that probably is not going to make the tournament again next year. Wouldn't they want to go to a tourney ready team that needed them.
 
#1,978      
My question for the board would be why would a top 5th year player transfer to a program that probably is not going to make the tournament again next year. Wouldn't they want to go to a tourney ready team that needed them.

I'd say the staff expects to make the tournament next year and is overhauling the roster this spring to do so. There are plenty of mediocre teams that make the tournament, and I'd have to think adding Jones/Hinson, Ramey/JUCO PG, and a grad transfer big puts you in the picture.
 
#1,979      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
My question for the board would be why would a top 5th year player transfer to a program that probably is not going to make the tournament again next year. Wouldn't they want to go to a tourney ready team that needed them.
Get Caroline and I'd feel pretty good about making the tourney next season.
 
#1,980      

Deleted member 631370

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Piper said on the radio today that many grad transfers have a good idea where they're going when they announce a transfer. I'd imagine with potential transfers like Caroline and Cunningham much of the recruitment could be going on through back channels which is why we haven't heard anything concrete on either of them. I get the sense it could be a situation where either they come to Illinois or you never really hear anything because they decide to stay at their respective schools.


Possible.

Or it's possible we haven't heard anything from them because they have no intent to transfer.

Occam's Razor may apply, here. Unless there's evidence to the contrary, the most direct explanation here is that guys like Caroline are staying put.
 
#1,981      
Possible.

Or it's possible we haven't heard anything from them because they have no intent to transfer.

Occam's Razor may apply, here. Unless there's evidence to the contrary, the most direct explanation here is that guys like Caroline are staying put.

Caroline's season has been over for less than 24 hours. You would never hear anything even if he sure to transfer during the season beyond rumors.

I would agree that every day we hear nothing regarding Cunningham, the odds of him staying put increase.
 
#1,982      
I would agree that every day we hear nothing regarding Cunningham, the odds of him staying put increase.

Someone posted a story on this board saying either (or both) that he would not graduate before next fall or he had no intentions of transferring. This was a month or so ago but still.
 
#1,983      

BlindLoyalty

FartNoiseMotivation
I would agree that every day we hear nothing regarding Cunningham, the odds of him staying put increase.

The Dayton Daily News reported over two weeks ago that Josh Cunningham will not graduate until next year (2019) and he is not eligible to use the graduate transfer for his final year of eligibility.

Many on this board don't believe the report, so they are free to contact the Flyers beat writer that reported the info to confirm:

David Jablonski
David Jablonski covers the Dayton Flyers, Ohio State Buckeyes football, the Cincinnati Reds and Wittenberg University sports for the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun, Journal News and WHIO.
David.Jablonski@coxinc.com
937-244-7400
 
#1,984      
The Dayton Daily News reported over two weeks ago that Josh Cunningham will not graduate until next year (2019) and he is not eligible to use the graduate transfer for his final year of eligibility.

Many on this board don't believe the report, so they are free to contact the Flyers beat writer that reported the info to confirm:

David Jablonski
David Jablonski covers the Dayton Flyers, Ohio State Buckeyes football, the Cincinnati Reds and Wittenberg University sports for the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun, Journal News and WHIO.
David.Jablonski@coxinc.com
937-244-7400

Mark Alstork was in the same boat, but took summer school classes to graduate, which was why he couldn't join the team until the fall. If Cunningham wanted to transfer, he could theoretically do the same thing. If there was a 0% chance he could transfer, Piper wouldn't be mentioning his name as a potential grad transfer on the radio.
 
#1,985      
I'd say the staff expects to make the tournament next year and is overhauling the roster this spring to do so. There are plenty of mediocre teams that make the tournament, and I'd have to think adding Jones/Hinson, Ramey/JUCO PG, and a grad transfer big puts you in the picture.

It is great if the staff has that expectation, and we don't know the complete roster at this point, but I am certain nobody outside of the Illini family will expect us to make the tournament. In fact, we may be picked last in the Big Ten before the season starts.
 
#1,986      
If there was a 0% chance he could transfer, Piper wouldn't be mentioning his name as a potential grad transfer on the radio.

Meh... their job is to discuss topics of interest and they all know that Caroline and Cunningham have been discussed on Illini boards. They have often been very reluctant or late to cut the cord on recruits, or potential recruits, even when it is pretty well known that it is not happening. That certain "mystique" is always good for subscriptions and following.
 
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#1,988      
Caroline's season has been over for less than 24 hours. You would never hear anything even if he sure to transfer during the season beyond rumors.

I would agree that every day we hear nothing regarding Cunningham, the odds of him staying put increase.

Who will be Nevada's coach next year? Will Mussleman be back? Would that influence Caroline's decision, if he does have an inkling to transfer? Have the Illini shown any interest? Message board speculation does not count. Fact is, no one here knows, & won't know until he makes a public statement which he may, or may not make.
 
#1,989      

sacraig

The desert
It is great if the staff has that expectation, and we don't know the complete roster at this point, but I am certain nobody outside of the Illini family will expect us to make the tournament. In fact, we may be picked last in the Big Ten before the season starts.

Tell me again, was Loyola expected to be any good this year? Was Kansas State expected to make the Elite 8? Was Kentucky expected to be bad enough to only get a 5 seed? Was Virginia expected to lose only 2 games all year? What about then fall to a 16 seed in round one?

Preseason expectations mean next to nothing. What matters is who we get to fill the holes and how quickly they can mesh with the rest of the team and with Underwood's system. We don't have anywhere close to a clear picture of what our roster will be, let along whether or not we might realistically make the tournament.
 
#1,990      
Harry Froling is moving on from Marquette. I wonder if there is a cure for that stuff.
 
#1,992      
Yet another nail in the coffin of JG's legacy at Illinois...

While in retrospect people can say that Caroline was a miss, the timing of (both) his recruitment was never good for Illinois. He was not as high of a prospect coming out of HS and in his second go around it coincided with Groce securing Mike Thorne who was a better scorer and rebounder and a higher prospect.
 
#1,994      
Harry Froling is moving on from Marquette. I wonder if there is a cure for that stuff.

Now that is a guy to keep an eye in. He fills a needs and he's already familiar with the school plus he still has a couple years to play.
 
#1,995      

Deleted member 631370

D
Guest
Now that is a guy to keep an eye in. He fills a needs and he's already familiar with the school plus he still has a couple years to play.


Meh.

Granted, he only played about 13 minutes/game. But 2.8 points and 3 rebounds per game aren't anything to be excited about. Particularly as a sophomore. His numbers actually went down from his freshman year at SMU.
 
#1,996      

jrod1286

Pat Chambers
Illinois
Anymore speculation that Finke is transferring ? Or has that fabricated story about him transferring to play with his brother finally lost steam ?
 
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