Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (January-March 2016)

BlueChipBridesmaid · Jan 18, 2016

Tilmon, Da'Monte, and Goodwin are obviously the "must gets" in '17. The ones we have the best chance of getting and filling 2 positions of need and also adding toughness in the process. Get those 3, and go after your Scruggs/Wilkes/Smith as your 5th recruit. But if you land Tilmon, Williams, and Goodwin, the 5th recruit is icing on the cake.

TCTORNADO · Jan 18, 2016

miketherevelator said:
I agree, to the point Eastern's CB is 100% MSU. Plus Sparty was in to see Smith on Saturday and he scored 32 points. He told MOB Indiana is also coming at him hard. Didn't mention us.
After watching Brian Bowen of La Lu dominate in yesterday's game and outplay every other big man on the court including Tilmon, Banks and Nick Richards who is considered a strong Kentucky lean, I looked up his CB -- 100% MSU. Not that strange I guess considering he's from Saginaw. Izzo will never retire if he keeps getting recruits like these guys every year.

Scruggs is scheduled to visit MSU on 1/31. So good news is Izzo will not get both Scruggs and Eastern. Painter was in to see Eastern last week and tOSU was at practice the week they played at NW. Eastern also been to a couple of NW games.
Eastern had been to C/U a couple of UV's but probably been well over a year ago.

TCTORNADO · Jan 18, 2016

zpfled said:
This is exactly what I hope to see happen at Illinois. 3-4 stars from the region, primarily.

We're never going to be the team that gets a bunch of McDAA's, and I'm ok with that. If we get a bunch of Nunns and Hills and Finkes and let them grow into stars, that's the most fun anyway.

Can we at least have ONE every decade.

zpfled · Jan 18, 2016

TCTORNADO said:
Can we at least have ONE every decade.

We got our allotment last decade, although it was kind of a rip-off.

We have 4 years to get one if we're going keep the streak going!

zpfled · Jan 18, 2016

BlueChipBridesmaid said:
Tilmon, Da'Monte, and Goodwin are obviously the "must gets" in '17. The ones we have the best chance of getting and filling 2 positions of need and also adding toughness in the process. Get those 3, and go after your Scruggs/Wilkes/Smith as your 5th recruit. But if you land Tilmon, Williams, and Goodwin, the 5th recruit is icing on the cake.

Or get a 5th year transfer and then use the scholly for the class of 2018, help balancing that out a bit.

It's hard to get these big 5-man classes and keep everyone around for long, it seems.

TCTORNADO · Jan 18, 2016

zpfled said:
We got our allotment last decade, although it was kind of a rip-off.

We have 4 years to get one if we're going keep the streak going!

No Burger Boys in Illinois in 2016. Only 3rd time in the history of the game. Probably none in 2017 either.

Obelix · Jan 18, 2016

TCTORNADO said:
Probably none in 2017 either.

Tilmon will be a McD AA.

Obelix · Jan 18, 2016

PaytonHighstep said:
Agreed. Remember what started Izzo on his crazy run at MSU. He got local instate recruits to buy into his message and program, which catapulted MSU into a top 5-10 program. He developed 3 and 4 star recruits that he paired nicely with his top instate recruits. Looking back at his recruiting classes, I'm even more impressed with his coaching and ability to push his players to outperform their rankings is some cases. He developed some guys into solid to above average B1G players regularly.

Izzo had the talent to become arguably the best active college basketball coach. IMO it is not even close, he is the best. We can try to isolate a thing here and there, but Izzo has the total package. It is not so much what Izzo did IMO, but the fact that he had the talent and all-around ability to put all aspects of coaching together.

WesterveltVictoryCigar · Jan 18, 2016

Obelix said:
Tilmon will be a McD AA.

Is he transferring back to ESL?

Obelix · Jan 18, 2016

WesterveltVictoryCigar said:
Is he transferring back to ESL?

Maybe as a fifth year transfer.

Tilmon is still stuck in my mind as an instate player.

Illinilosch · Jan 18, 2016

TCTORNADO said:
No Burger Boys in Illinois in 2016. Only 3rd time in the history of the game. Probably none in 2017 either.

Nothing against your comment at all here (although I think there's a small chance 2017 can get 1 or 2 in the McD AA game), but I could care less about the McD AA anymore really. It's an overrated look at high school players and over the last several years has raised eyebrows as to how/why certain players get picked, or why certain ones don't. If we only get an McD AA every 10 years then I really don't care. I'm just concerned about getting the best recruits for our system and for our school. If they happen to be AAs then that's fine, but I don't think much of it anymore. Years ago I thought it was the end-all, be-all of recruiting. But the McD AA game anymore is pretty much a joke.

JMO

TheBucket · Jan 18, 2016

Obelix said:
Izzo had the talent to become arguably the best active college basketball coach. IMO it is not even close, he is the best. We can try to isolate a thing here and there, but Izzo has the total package. It is not so much what Izzo did IMO, but the fact that he had the talent and all-around ability to put all aspects of coaching together.

Coach Cal and Coach K say hello.

Robert Bennett · Jan 18, 2016

TheBucket said:
Coach Cal and Coach K say hello.

Coach K yea , Cal heck no !!!!!! Dude is a good recruiter not a good a coach IMO . Even the people here in Lexington says that.

illinitiger · Jan 18, 2016

Robert Bennett said:
Coach K yea , Cal heck no !!!!!! Dude is a good recruiter not a good a coach IMO . Even the people here in Lexington says that.

Yep...Cal just lost to Auburn on Saturday who just lost to Missou...guess that makes us better than Kentucky?

Obelix · Jan 18, 2016

TheBucket said:
Coach Cal and Coach K say hello.

Calipari is not even in the same ballpark and IMO Izzo is better than K.

Adnarel · Jan 18, 2016

zpfled said:
We're never going to be the team that gets a bunch of McDAA's, and I'm ok with that. If we get a bunch of Nunns and Hills and Finkes and let them grow into stars, that's the most fun anyway.

I'm having so much fun watching Finke. I'd love to have a player or two like that every season.

That must be what it feels like to be a Wisconsin fan.

TCTORNADO · Jan 18, 2016

Adnarel said:
I'm having so much fun watching Finke. I'd love to have a player or two like that every season.

That must be what it feels like to be a Wisconsin fan.

Speaking of Wisconsin, Ethan Happ was co-B!G freshman of the week, with Lyle, last week.

UofIChE06 · Jan 18, 2016

TCTORNADO said:
No Burger Boys in Illinois in 2016. Only 3rd time in the history of the game. Probably none in 2017 either.

Tilmon is still considered to be "from" IL as is Verge (although he isn't in the McD range). Just because he is playing at a prep school in a different state doesn't mean he isn't an Illinois recruit. Also why no one from La Lu has won Mr. Basketball in Indiana.

Obelix · Jan 18, 2016

TCTORNADO said:
Speaking of Wisconsin, Ethan Happ was co-B!G freshman of the week, with Lyle, last week.

I think Lyle is a major talent, who should make a big jump from freshman to sophomore year. If he can stay eligible and out of trouble that is.

Smacko · Jan 18, 2016

Obelix said:
I think Lyle is a major talent, who should make a big jump from freshman to sophomore year. If he can stay eligible and out of trouble that is.

I don't think the eligibility thing will be an issue. With the amount of "tutors" and academic oversight that goes on, those things tend to have a way of working themselves out. I have to deal with the Kentucky academic support staff pretty frequently, so I know how a lot of these things are handled. He will be put in classes where a lot of the grade is based on written work instead of exams. Kids who don't know the material can fail an exam. It is pretty hard to fail when you just turn in a paper that someone else wrote for you.

His issue will be whether or not he can stay out of trouble and if he is willing to stick around and pretend to be a student for another year.

Obelix · Jan 18, 2016

UofIChE06 said:
Tilmon is still considered to be "from" IL as is Verge (although he isn't in the McD range). Just because he is playing at a prep school in a different state doesn't mean he isn't an Illinois recruit. Also why no one from La Lu has won Mr. Basketball in Indiana.

Yeah, but he will officially still be listed from Indiana.

TCTORNADO · Jan 18, 2016

UofIChE06 said:
Tilmon is still considered to be "from" IL as is Verge (although he isn't in the McD range). Just because he is playing at a prep school in a different state doesn't mean he isn't an Illinois recruit. Also why no one from La Lu has won Mr. Basketball in Indiana.

LaLu not part of IHSAA.

TCTORNADO · Jan 18, 2016

Obelix said:
I think Lyle is a major talent, who should make a big jump from freshman to sophomore year. If he can stay eligible and out of trouble that is.

Lyle had a triple/double last week against Rutgers. Only the 5th one in tOSU history.
Quick question for Illini historians, any triple/doubles in our history??

illiniknight · Jan 18, 2016

TCTORNADO said:
Lyle had a triple/double last week against Rutgers. Only the 5th one in tOSU history.
Quick question for Illini historians, any triple/doubles in our history??

I remember Sergio McLain had one.

BillyBob1 · Jan 18, 2016

TCTORNADO said:
Lyle had a triple/double last week against Rutgers. Only the 5th one in tOSU history.
Quick question for Illini historians, any triple/doubles in our history??

Didn't Rennie Clemmons dunk over Shaq give him one?