Logic doesn't quell pitchforks. :hand:
Illinois Basketball 2016-2017
- Status
Logic doesn't quell pitchforks. :hand:
Tum Tum Nairn, Mike Gesell, and Purdue's PG (Thompson?) aren't all conference PG's either. But they have talent around them, they know their role, and play smart basketball. If Tracy is healthy then that is exactly what he will provide next year. And next year Tracy will definitely have talent around him.
Lot of variables to consider, but if:
1) that's true
2) Groce was aware of that; and
3) Thorne would have been willing to come back for another year
then this is legitimately malpractice on the part of Coach Groce to play him in that IU game. Center is a GLARING hole for next year, and we won't be getting a transfer as good as Thorne. Again, impossible to know without knowing Thorne's desire to come back for another year, so I won't light the torches and bring out the pitch forks just yet.
Good move, because I think #3 is why he decided to try and play.
I don't think this is quite correct. It's not so simple as "being cleared". I'm pretty sure Leron is "medically cleared" from his injury, but he needs to continue rehab, get back in shape, etc to be able to play effectively. Now of course there has to be some legitimacy to things, i.e. they probably wouldn't have been able to justify keeping say Tate out all year due to his dislocated finger in the opener. But for a significant injury like Thorne/Black had, it's likely not too tough to make the case to keep them out.
And I think Thorne was in the same place as Black but made the choice to go ahead and try anyway. Because of #3 above.
Sure, but the logic behind the point wasn't exactly correct. Thorne could have been held out, as Westervelt points out. I believe Thorne likely didn't want to spend another year in college, which is probably why he played.
Just realized this but we will have no juniors next year...
Seniors: Nunn, Hill, Abrams, Tate, Morgan and a 5th Year big?
Juniors:
Sophomores: DJW, Jordan, JCL, Black and Finke
Freshman: Nichols, TJL
Seniors: Nunn, Hill, Abrams, Tate, Morgan and a 5th Year big?
Juniors:
Sophomores: DJW, Jordan, JCL, Black and Finke
Freshman: Nichols, TJL
This roster is built to win! Eager to see the current team grow the rest of the year, but next year's team gets me excited. Hope 2017 class is a good one, we will need to reload a lot of scoring.
ChazzReinhold
Mom! The Meatloaf!
Reliance on freshmen is just part of the problem. There are quite a few factors that can all be improved next year.
The freshmen will mature. JCL looks like he can be good defensively. He's quick and has good, quick hands to create some steals. DJ and AJ are both long and athletic, which our team doesn't really have right now. I don't think Finke will ever be an above average defender, but he will get smarter and stronger.
Rebounding should improve. Of course, Black will be a big lift here. And Finke will get stronger. DJ at the 4 will be an upgrade over Hill at the 4. And similarly, Hill should be one of the better rebounders at the 3. Plus, Abrams is a better rebounder than Lewis and Tate combined.
Speaking of Abrams, he will be a big upgrade defensively for us. The easiest way to disrupt an offense is to disrupt the PG. We can't really do that right now.
Groce will also have the ability to mix and match a lot more next year. If something isn't working, he can change it. This year that is tough to do with the freshmen and all the injuries.
URH Snyder 490
Orange Crush '89
- Northern Illinois
I thought Kipper would be a soph too, but I'm wrong a lot.
Sal Iacuzzo
- Yonkers, NY
He's a freshman, as of now he has 3.5 years of eligibility.
Thought this had been discussed that (and this is my understanding,) he can be eligible mid-way through the season, but a player only uses full seasons of eligibility. I.e. he has used 1 and has 3 years of eligibility remaining.
He'll play the spring semester of 2017 and have 3 more years left. Enrolling at Tulane counted as one of the 5 years but not one of his years of actual playing time.
red shirt frosh
This year is his redshirt year, so 4 years left, but as it stands he won't be eligible until end of first semester next school year, so he burns half of his redshirt freshman season next school year, then plays 2nd half. Plus three more years beyond.
Redshirt (finke) and injury (black).
For some reason I don't think this will be the final roster going into next season.
Agree....there may be some transfers out the door and some transfers in the door yet to be determined.
of course not, it doesn't have Austin.
Heck with 5th year senior, that roster begs for a junior college 7 footer....
IlliniFan12
- Cedar Falls, IA
I agree here. For the sake of class balance, Groce and Co. should extend their resources into the JUCO market. I wouldn't be upset at all if the staff took a less talented JUCO big over a slightly more talented 5th year big. (Assuming both can rebound and defend adequately.)
Well sure, if the gap isn't that big then I'm sure the staff would agree. The problem is that the gap between thw two tends to be huge. There are usually more 5th year bigs available than adequate juco players with no red flags (academic or personal). We may not be hearing anything when it comes to JUCO recruiting but the staff is surely evaluating possible options. I'm betting that it'll be a 5th guy though.
Reading through the posts, I still am not understanding how anyone can pick us in the top four of the conference next year. I have questions if Abrams ever plays again and even if he does, certainly don't expect him to step in and pick up where he left off two years ago after the injuries he has sustained. Will Black be back healthy and can he contribute at the level everyone thinks he can?
I don't see that much more depth or collective talent than we have had at any time during the last four years, a period of time that we have not even sniffed the upper echelon of the conference. Still think the bubble is the ceiling for next year's team. Hope I am wrong, but that is my feeling until proven otherwise.
We have gone through this exercise about how great next year's team is going to be for so long that I have been conditioned to temper my expectations. I would love for Illinois basketball to be great and fun again, but do not see the optimism that others do.
I don't see that much more depth or collective talent than we have had at any time during the last four years, a period of time that we have not even sniffed the upper echelon of the conference. Still think the bubble is the ceiling for next year's team. Hope I am wrong, but that is my feeling until proven otherwise.
We have gone through this exercise about how great next year's team is going to be for so long that I have been conditioned to temper my expectations. I would love for Illinois basketball to be great and fun again, but do not see the optimism that others do.
- Status