Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (May 2019)

Status
Not open for further replies.
#376      
Hope they have another big that we don't know about. If not we need Samba to have progressed greatly. Hate to see us play undersized at the 4 another year.
 
#377      
My hopes lie in a great maturation in Samba. Full season, full off season to adapt to high D1and the preseason trip to Italy should let us know. Patterson is my hope for now and the future and a possible plan B big minute eater would certainly help. PG to develop can never hurt to backup possible top 50 future pg recruits or in case we do not get one of our targets. ILL... (edited to stay more positive)
 
#380      
I can really seethe we all know rj hampton not going to Texas tech so chris was going very hard on tj and tj wanted to go back to the tournament and Texas tech has a good record with grad tranfer so I see why
 
#381      

Deleted member 29907

D
Guest
TT lost alot of talent - perhaps he feels better odds of playing time?
 
#382      

mattcoldagelli

The Transfer Portal
I can’t ever remember being so completely punchless when we get kids on campus. Our OVs must have all the excitement of a dental appointment.
 
#384      
We need a better-recruiting strategy. This reliance on the portal as a way going forward, for whatever reason/s, is not working in our favor.

Well, we better find another GB in this class.
 
#385      

illini80

Forgottonia
Well that soured my attitude. Extremely happy with Kofi, but if we hadn't landed him...woof.... maybe Ayo doesn't come back and we would be in full meltdown mode.

Lack of visits left makes for limited opportunities remaining. I really don't know how I feel about Moss. He's got some talent for sure, but just doesn't seem like an "everyday guy" and I'm not sure he's even interested. Holyfield leaves a pretty big hole yet at the 4. We will need several guys to make major progress to cover that spot with existing personnel.
 
#389      

Deleted member 236589

D
Guest
I can’t ever remember being so completely punchless when we get kids on campus. Our OVs must have all the excitement of a dental appointment.
We are a hard sell because our name is not paired with success. The... Illinois is one of the "Elite" programs in college basketball (as BU says) does not ring true with kids who haven't seen us in an NCAA Tournament since they were 10 or 11. He has a vision to sell coming off a 12 win season and Chris Beard sells a vision of a Final Four last year. Pumping out NBA first rounders doesn't hurt either.

It's just what it is. Missing a grad transfer isn't the end of the world, but it kind of shows where we are.
 
#390      

illini80

Forgottonia
Much has been made about the importance (or lack of the importance) of fall signees. It sure would be nice to have a few guys locked up ahead of this spring madness.

I should just look, but that means still 3 spots open? I thought Kouma was looking like a backup plan. Hope we get him signed.
 
Last edited:
#391      

Deleted member 14522

D
Guest
Being a fan of Illinois basketball continues to depress both on and off the court. First two years of the Underwood era have been awful to watch. Now another recruiting miss on what felt like a slam dunk. These articles written about guys guaranteeing a trip to the ncaa tournament aren’t really doing it for me either. We have so many players that need to improve for this team to be successful next year. Hope they are willing to get in the gym and work, if not it will be another long season.
 
#392      
Oof. Ayo and Kofi are the only Top 100 kids BU has landed. Groce did better. At this point for the 2019 class, BU is 1 (maybe 2 if Bernard signs) for 60 or 70 offers? Is that a normal ratio for a program?

When you add that ratio with last year's exodus, including by players who were guaranteed playing time (finke, ebo, etc.), it sure feels like BU & co are having a difficult time persuading young men to play basketball in Champaign - which is 60% of their job.

3 roster spots open in mid-May for a once proud D1 program. Just oof.
 
#393      
Can't blame the kid. Go to a team that has serious momentum, even though they lost some good players or go to a team that is hopeful it can get going, but has done nothing to prove itself yet. Illinois will get there again. I can't wait to see how this upcoming Italy trip goes.
 
#395      

illini80

Forgottonia
I'm not sounding any alarms or going off the deep end here, but looking at 2020? We have a LOT of huge holes to fill. Once again we are spending too much staff time trying to fill the existing class. It's like deja vu all over again.
 
#397      

Deleted member 29907

D
Guest
Hope they have another big that we don't know about. If not we need Samba to have progressed greatly. Hate to see us play undersized at the 4 another year.
Samba and Tev need to step up next year - hoping Tev can channel MSG performance much more often.
 
#398      

mattcoldagelli

The Transfer Portal
We are a hard sell because our name is not paired with success

It’s more than that. We weren’t synonymous with success in the Groce years either and our OVs seemed to have a consistently positive impact.

You can rationalize it any way you want, but a kid who has already played for Underwood taking a pass isn’t a great sign.
 
#400      

illini80

Forgottonia
Wow. I am shocked.

Staff was not expecting this.

Clearly. On one hand I feel bad for them. On the other hand it's very discouraging that we haven't been able to lock down guys. I thought with Holyfield we were basically a lock for the tourney. Without him, it seems likely we will be riding the bubble all season. Can still make it, sure, but the margin got thinner.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.