Within the week after he finishes the OV with the Illini
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Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (October 2017)
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Within the week after he finishes the OV with the Illini
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I agree Ayo should have some say, but Nolley had the chance to be the first to commit and blew it to a certain extent. I know its an important decision and these are just kids, but that was a big production.. video done on Thursday, set a Halloween date to commit then moved it up, said he knew where he was going for weeks. Then when the time came we got a commit to Georgia then a 360 spin around to a reopened recruitment. Staff has to take who wants to come. They could have given the finn a later visit day, say October 27 after THT and Ayo, but we not in the position to string a recruit around. THT could have taken that October 13 visit or came last week, or last month even.
It is kinda why we all (yes you too) are on here afterall....should we talk about injustices in the world or the deficit....not on this board...ILL all the way in a good way...the other stuff is ILL as in it is how it makes me feel.
Nah, I don't think that any of my opinions will make their way to the staff or recruits. I basically check in to see what the "insiders" have to say, right or wrong. It's all fun.
You got it dude.
It might, but we got an official visit coming tomorrow and then you got the future McDonalds All American in for the weekend. Everyone in Champaign please get the "We Want Ayo" chant going all over campus, whenever you see him. Make sure it is said correctly (I Yo)!
Total agreement! The longer it takes, the bigger the whammy gets put on. Before people say what about Smith, he may end up being a blue chip but when he signed he was not.
Obviously the rankings didn't show it, but winning Mr. Illinois Basketball isn't something to write off just because recruiting services didn't show him love.
If we end up with Ayo, I still think Smith was a bigger pickup for the program. Instantly upped fan base interest and excitement, not to mention his talent. Obviously going back to back would be special, and Ayo could very easily end up being the better of the two, but from the standpoint of the program, Smith was a bigger get.
This is wrong for the simple fact that Ayo is from Chicago
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I don't understand why you guys don't think Nolley is leaning Illinois. He posted his Final 2 bracket, eliminating Illinois and GSt. I truly don't believe GSt ever had a shot, essentially narrowing it to UI, VT, and GA. Him deleting his Final 2 bracket but keeping his Final Four bracket strongly leads me to believe that it was directed towards us. If he wanted VT then he could have just switched his commitment, but he made sure his "pinned" tweet includes us. If his recruitment was truly "open" again, I feel he would have removed the bracket or at least went back farther than final 4. I have two plausible guesses:
1. Ayo told Nolley he wanted them to play together for UI, which is what I believe Nolley wanted all along. He realized he could be part of a "Big 3" with Smith and Ayo, helping him get to NBA more than staying in South. I feel like UI is his number one, and always has been (tweeting UI WBB player, trying to convince other recruits to come, etc.) and when he saw whiffs, he decided to go somewhere else. Once Ayo said he was leaning UI (which I believe he strongly is), he knew they could build a solid class around him, and he wanted to be a part of it. I believe BU needs to reach out again, as there were no indications that he was against being an Illini.
2. A blue blood came calling and showed interest, and he thought he could raise his stock for the spring, waiting for other decommits and ending up at a UK type if he dominates this winter.
I feel 1 is way more likely, but I think the Finn (although not for specs), could very well be more influential to our program as a player. Landing Nolley would be better for future recruits, but either plus Ayo would lead to two more solid signings (probably in spring) that could round out a solid class.
1. Ayo told Nolley he wanted them to play together for UI, which is what I believe Nolley wanted all along. He realized he could be part of a "Big 3" with Smith and Ayo, helping him get to NBA more than staying in South. I feel like UI is his number one, and always has been (tweeting UI WBB player, trying to convince other recruits to come, etc.) and when he saw whiffs, he decided to go somewhere else. Once Ayo said he was leaning UI (which I believe he strongly is), he knew they could build a solid class around him, and he wanted to be a part of it. I believe BU needs to reach out again, as there were no indications that he was against being an Illini.
2. A blue blood came calling and showed interest, and he thought he could raise his stock for the spring, waiting for other decommits and ending up at a UK type if he dominates this winter.
I feel 1 is way more likely, but I think the Finn (although not for specs), could very well be more influential to our program as a player. Landing Nolley would be better for future recruits, but either plus Ayo would lead to two more solid signings (probably in spring) that could round out a solid class.
Speaking for myself and not Matt here, but he supposedly filmed his commitment video two weeks ago, which would have been after his VT official visit and two weeks after he visited here. It's possible that he weighed his options and filmed a commitment video to UI, went to UGA on his official visit, ended up getting blown away and threw the UI video out the window. Of course, you can also substitute VT for UI in the previous sentence and that is probably the more realistic scenario.
We do have the rumored Ayo connection, but his parents liked VT. It's probably 80% VT, 20% to UI if I were betting here.
sacraig
- The desert
Did Nolley ever actually post his commitment video? I don't recall seeing it, and it seems like if it never got posted, then the idea that UGA blew him away and he made that as a last minute decision holds some weight. It would imply that his commitment video was for somewhere else so he didn't post it.
If we're guessing, I'll go 97% VT. Just not seeing how the decommit could be because of us. Happy to be wrong though.
I have said this before I know we all like Ayo and THT (great for recruiting) but I really think we are extremely perimeter heavy.
I don't see (2) seasoned sophomores (D-Will and Frazier) moving over for Ayo and THT to come in and share time...I don't know you might throw Smith and TJL in the mix as well..depends on how the season goes early.....we continue to need a quality athletic big that can run the floor and defend to free Finke up to play a true stretch 4 position....
I don't see (2) seasoned sophomores (D-Will and Frazier) moving over for Ayo and THT to come in and share time...I don't know you might throw Smith and TJL in the mix as well..depends on how the season goes early.....we continue to need a quality athletic big that can run the floor and defend to free Finke up to play a true stretch 4 position....
I have said it as well. But Illinois hasn't won in Chicago for a while. I mean a real big win. AYo's recruitment has also been a little weird. The list of schools coming after him hasn't been filled with the usual heavy hitters. Wake Forest? Xavier? Where are the usual suspect? Kansas? Carolina? Duke? Illinois took 3 guards last year, one the year before that, two the year before that. With only JCL leaving. I keep forgetting about Jordan. He has never been a factor and the one skill he had that I thought would translate was shooting and that hasn't even worked. I am a big trent frazier fan. I believe he will be a good four year player. The guards are pretty set.
t7nich
- Central IL
Serious bro?
I don't see him going to Georgia. His parents obviously weren't happy with that choice. I don't see them magically changing their mind.
t7nich
- Central IL
At this point in time, the Smith pickup is by FAR the bigger boost for the program if picking between the two. That's because he's the ONLY one of the two to put his faith in our program and make a full commitment to our Illini!!
I for one feel we should cast all our love and support towards the young men that have chosen us, and be cautious who we say we is a "program changer" if they bless us with their attendance.
Our program changers may very well be in orange and blue as we speak, busting their butts so they can represent our school in the year to come.
Let's support them!!
Tevo
- Wilmette, IL
Two things:
While Ayo said in his comments to Ryan Evan that his "current and future teammates are important", that doesn't mean that his incoming class is critical. The guys he will likely PLAY with most are the current freshman. Regardless of who else we might sign in the '18 class, Ayo is the only one likely to play much as a freshman. Sure, a pipeline of good guys is great, and I'm sure it's more fun to have a class of friends go through the same things as you, but basketball-wise, I'm not sure it should matter too much.
For Valtonen -- how much do you think it will matter that Matic is now on the team, able to provide some perspective about this whole "coming to America" process both during the visit and recruiting, but also as a potential teammate next year? Then again, ASU has a sophomore from Barcelona and a RS Freshman from Ukraine. Dang it, Bobby Hurley!
While Ayo said in his comments to Ryan Evan that his "current and future teammates are important", that doesn't mean that his incoming class is critical. The guys he will likely PLAY with most are the current freshman. Regardless of who else we might sign in the '18 class, Ayo is the only one likely to play much as a freshman. Sure, a pipeline of good guys is great, and I'm sure it's more fun to have a class of friends go through the same things as you, but basketball-wise, I'm not sure it should matter too much.
For Valtonen -- how much do you think it will matter that Matic is now on the team, able to provide some perspective about this whole "coming to America" process both during the visit and recruiting, but also as a potential teammate next year? Then again, ASU has a sophomore from Barcelona and a RS Freshman from Ukraine. Dang it, Bobby Hurley!
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
These are basketball players not tourists. Their goal is to make the NBA not get a tan.
The temperature of the school will have little to no determinant on where he goes.
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Yeah right
If he was worried about the weather he could go play for UCF, USF or something.
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