Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
The OP is concerned about a graduate transfer, which would appear to be an option. Of course, there are a couple of other suppositions there, which are totally unknown.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (May-June 2017)
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The OP is concerned about a graduate transfer, which would appear to be an option. Of course, there are a couple of other suppositions there, which are totally unknown.
IlliniOX08
- Bucktown, Chicago
Yea I don't get that. What pull does Lathon have with THT? THT and Ayo have much more pull on each other being from Chicago than Lathon from Mo.
THT has said himself how impressive the Illinois visit was.
618 Illini
- Chicago
He seems to have solid post moves and is agile for a 6'10" guy. I like his game from a fundamentals standpoint and you can't teach size, however, when watching highlight videos of 6'10" guys I would like to see a dunk or ten to show some athleticism and playing above the rim. Seems like Morgans moves in Finke's body IMO.
Wouldn't mind adding him to the roster but would hope we added another big or two above him.
Wouldn't mind adding him to the roster but would hope we added another big or two above him.
Didn't see a lot of dunks out of Kevin McHale either. He did ok with crafty moves and solid fundamentals around the hoop.
618 Illini
- Chicago
I agree it can be done without athleticism. You can probably list countless Big10 post players that succeeded in NCAA/NBA without being athletic. Hell Wisco has one every year it seems like. I am just saying in today's game being able to put your elbow in the rim makes up for laziness or lack of focus defensively/rebounding etc and I would like to add one or two on top of this kid.
You also must have caught the rerun of the 30 for 30 on Lakers/Celtics this Sunday with the McHale comparison haha.
You also must have caught the rerun of the 30 for 30 on Lakers/Celtics this Sunday with the McHale comparison haha.
Oldtoysrock
- Sarasota, Florida
Aside from being in different classes, how do Timme and Finke compare in their different game facets?
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Thanks, I got some heat for the comparison as well.Jordan Goodwin also seems like a good comp although I am not sure if his playmaking is on the same level as THT's
Nope hes just from Minnesota and the house that McHale built....
No I'm actually from Coal City, just live up here now. But I DID watch the 30 for 30 and it reminded me how effective McHale was against us and in the NBA with a vertical that probably wouldn't clear the Coal City phone book! So yeah he was in my mind LOL
Timme is a guy that fits well within BU's system. I believe that he had an offer from BU at OSU, so this is a guy the staff have had an eye on for a while. BU knows what skills he needs from a guy who plays the 5 in his offense, and if he thinks Timme has them then I am happy to trust his judgement.
Jordan Goodwin also seems like a good comp although I am not sure if his playmaking is on the same level as THT's
Would this mean then that Draymond is also a good comp for Goodwin?
I don't believe you've seen Goodwin play. Amazing playmaker.
Such an asinine argument. So UIUC is a more challenging job than, say, Eastern Illinois or SIU-Edwardsville simply because there is pressure to recruit Chicago? Or what about UIC and Chicago State, both of which have had essentially no success and are located IN said recruiting hot bed.
I said the same thing when Medcalf named Northwestern the best job in the state and I'll say it again here. This "fan pressure" argument is a double-edged sword because it means our fanbase is way more committed and loyal than Northwestern could ever dream. I think half the people on this board will be ready to knight Underwood if he makes the tournament this year, if he wins takes us to the Final Four he'll be a hero. The ceiling is so much lower in Evanston (no, I don't think they will ever be contending for a national championship).
All of this is to say that I can't wait to shove it down the throats of these know-it-all ESPN reporters when Illini basketball is officially back. I don't care if our players are from Chicago (hello, THT), Slovenia, Siberia, or Antarctica.
Tevo
- Wilmette, IL
I suspect the "challenge" part comes from the lofty expectations of the Illini fans and the media to both recruit the city, get every good downstate player, and get back to Final Fours. Of course, in reality, we can't take more than 3 or 4 players a year, on average, so MANY of the State's top players will always get away, and occasionally some of even the second tier guys will turn out to be stars, at which point, people will loudly and angrily wonder, "Why didn't Illinois get him?!" And then of course, anything short of Top 4 B1G results, tourney appearances every year and a long tourney run every few years will also be seen as failure to deliver.
At UIC, if you fail to win, you've done no worse than any other coach, and if you win -- well then you're a genius!
Captain Bubbles
- Fairfield, IL
Sources confirm EJ Liddell to visit Illinois this Friday.
Agreed. In the attached link, Timme finishes with the right and left hand and through contact. He seems to have a nose for the ball and could be an okay rim protector. He took his man off the dribble from outside the 3pt arc, had a solid mid range jumper, and displayed more than once instance where he grabbed the defensive rebound and then goes coast to coast for a layup at the other end. The only knock on him is his lack of athleticism and strength, but who knows what he will look like in two years.
https://youtu.be/2cqMuYUBkU0
Looks like a Whisky guy but he blocked more shots in this clip than we did last season.
ESPN fired like 75% of their actual writers and now all they're producing is clickbait garbage like this article. I would be more surprised if their insights were defensible rather than the obvious indefensible. We'd all be healthier to just not click ESPN article links anymore.
618 Illini
- Chicago
I Like his growth and athleticism. Would like him to sprout a few more inches to be that athletic big man that is so fun to watch. Hope his personality/home situation is more in line with the Mark Smiths of the world and not Jeremiah Tilmons
This is the one for the future, think he will be better than JT ever thought about being. Mark Smith be there to show him around.
This is the one for the future, think he will be better than JT ever thought about being. Mark Smith be there to show him around.
EJ just measured 6'6 without shoes and wingspan of 6'10.
Deleted member 14522
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I watched EJ play twice last year and was really impressed with his ability to block shots. Played very hard and really competed defensively. Hope he ends up an Illini!
RichBradIllini
- Peoria
He wasn't disrespecting Illinois. He's stating truths that are there for anyone to see. The 'challenge' is the pressure to win at Illinois. No one else coaching in IL faces the same pressure to win as the head coach of UI.
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Captain Bubbles
- Fairfield, IL
In terms of EJ's recruitment, keep Mark Smith in mind. Both are very good friends. Edwardsville is not that far from Belleville.
I think a lot of people who haven't seen liddell play would be shocked he's not a big man he's more of at this time a small power forward with small forward skills. While he's not a hyper athletic guy he is a very good athlete with great instincts he plays with a mean streak he plays well inside but he's much more that. For his age and size he handles the ball well and has a really nice shot from outside. The really great thing about him is he has eyes in the back of his head. The two games I saw him play he made numerous highlight reel passes. As far as development goes he looks young and while he's not skinny he's going to get bigger. He is very underrated from what I have read. I hope they get him signed up because as long as he works and avoids injury and trouble he will be an impact nba player
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