I think we will get at least one of them, maybe both.
Obviously, the kids can change and unchanged their minds a dozen times if they wish.
I never get my hopes up too high when it comes to recruiting because it is recruiting.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April-June 2016)
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I think we will get at least one of them, maybe both.
Obviously, the kids can change and unchanged their minds a dozen times if they wish.
I never get my hopes up too high when it comes to recruiting because it is recruiting.
I share your concern with numbers of replacements, but I don't think it as doom and gloom as little hope, a lot will also depend on the guys currently projected on the roster develop.
...Abrams/Tate are replaced by TJL/Damonte at the moment, considering the low bar at pg we have set over the last 5 yrs, that's better than our running average, maybe not where we would really like to be, but by 2018 it likely puts us in as good of a place since we had both Chester & Demetri on the roster at pg.
...Losing Malcom & Nunn will be tough, but fortunately we have JCL, AJ, DJW, Kipper (if he ever plays a 3), plus Pickett already, so this isn't hopeless.
...Big is the largest problem, we have Finke, Black, Kipper (if he is a 4), which if this year shows us anything, that isn't enough & big is the hardest position to fill with a freshman, plus we lack a true 5 in the mix. If we miss out in 2017, then we may have to roll the dice with a 5th yr again...
For that reason, give me Tilmon and I would be willing to call it a class. At this point, I think it is all about the quality of big/s we get in 2017.
Whether he is taking visits or not does not mean that he didn't give a silent verbal earlier. He did. I am 100% confident about that. Again, it doesn't mean that he won't change his mind and go somewhere else, either.
It definitely would sting to see those guys go elsewhere. But you're right. We gotta make do. Considering where our program is, it's really nice to know guys like Damonte are eager to come aboard.
It's been tough witnessing some of Groce's transgressions here. But I'll say this much-sooner or later Groce is going to get the roster he wants and that is going be a scary team nobody wants to play. It's going to all come together for him eventually. I'd really like to see that happen here. Time will tell.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
I hope you are correct.
Me being correct about the silent verbal does not mean that he will necessarily come here. He has definitely told them that he is coming. Until he goes public, it is still just a silent verbal. Lots could change between the time he did it and when he goes public. I am not saying he is a lock to come to Illinois. I am just saying that the silent verbal did happen.
If Groce was not on the hotseat, Tilmon and Goodwin would already be committed, imo.
Nope. That is not what happened. There is more that I cannot divulge. But it is not as flippant as you make it sound. Groce has a relationship with him and his mother that goes back to Tilmon's 8th grade year.
Again, I am not saying he is a lock, but he definitely told the coaches that he was coming here, and he did it several months ago. I was told about it the day that Lucas was in town playing at Parkland by someone who would know.
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fyi...this is a good reference because of class size, a bit of a bust in hindsight compared to rating, but solid based on play of Tracy & Egwu. I just sprinkled in many of the names from 247 for 2017 to get an idea of what it would take to get equivalent classes. Tilmon certainly puts us in the range, Right now at 90 Goodwin doesn't really move the needle much on paper.
2011 (14)
63 Mycheal Henry
64 Mike Shaw
65 Tracy Abrams
76 Nnanna Egwu
159 Devin Langford
NR Ibrahima Djimde
2017
14 Jeremiah Tilmon
20 Brian Bowen
40 Malik Williams
46 Damonte Williams
67 Nojel Eastern
90 Jordan Goodwin
106 Trent Frazier
122 Theo John
134 Justin Smith
202 Javon Pickett
His response was in my direct question and discussion about silent verbal and imminent commitment: "[laugh] No, that never happened. Illinois is in good shape, but Tilmon will take visits to schools."
I think "silent verbals" are a frequent product of message boards and have absolutely zero meaning and no connection to reality. Groce has been on the hot seat because of his results and performance and nothing could change or will change from the time of Tilmon's earlier "silent verbal." Whitman pretty much has announced that Groce will be back, nothing more could be done. So if that was a concern, he would have announced. As far as the future, there is also zero that will be done to guarantee that Groce will remain the coach in the future whether that is before or after his "silent verbal."
Sounds like the loyalty Groce has expressed in Tilmon since he was in 8th grade holds a lot of weight with him. I'm choosing to believe there really was a silent verbal and Tilmon will uphold his end of that and make it public after taking some visits. Yes you can argue "well if he gave the silent verbal, then why hasn't he commited already?" but you can also argue that his loyalty is there no matter what why not embrace the recruiting process anyways? I'm sure Groce has encouraged Tilmon to take it all in.
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Thank you for sharing the info that you've been giving Combes! I hope Tilmon stays true to JG, I've always thought he personally loves the idea of playing at UI for Groce. I believe that the biggest problem is he probably has people in his ear telling him he'd be crazy to go to Illinois over the other schools recruiting him. Hopefully what he has said about loyalty turns out to be true and he helps bring the team we all love back to national prominence!
JCL didn't even mention Illinois on a few videos leading up to his announcement.
That's because he was a UM lock.
"Its a lock , UM or ND."
Deleted member 10676
D
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Sweet. All we have to do is promise playing time! Someone tell Groce! :thumb:
Maybe some of the sources are giving out correct info from a recruit based on how the recruit felt at that time , and as time went on the recruit was starting to feel a little different but still love the idea of playing for the home school.
Or maybe said recruit(s) and their family weren't really clear on the precariousness of Groce's job status and have now been brought up to speed by rival coaches, prompting a fundamental reevaluation of what Illinois is offering.
That is different though than a "verbal." A verbal means a commitment to the coach and school. Giving a "silent verbal", i.e., a commitment to coach/school and then actively continuing your recruitment, taking home visits, taking official visits, etc. means absolutely nothing. Zero. The "silent" part also mean absolutely nothing if it is not so "silent" but appears at great frequency on message boards. That does not mean that the player may eventually commit to any school (including Illinois).
" I'll tell you a great secret coach, I am committed to you, I'll definitely attend your school. In the meantime, I'll have some great home visits with Shaka Smart, Bill Self, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo and others and also take some great visits to their schools. I will do it so we can just make fun of them when I make it public in a few months. But shhhh... please do not tell anyone coach, that will be our little secret... just only tell a few people so it can appear on message boards every day and everyone and their mother know about it. Don't worry, the other coaches are idiots, they will never find out, it will be our little secret."
Makes you wonder how Groce is addressing that in his pitch to recruits.
I am not an insider nor do I consider myself one. I just happen to know someone very well who has access to information that most do not. He is the insider.
Kids change their minds all the time, so the fact that Tilmon has told the coaches that he is coming does not necessarily mean that he will end up here. I think we have a very good shot, though.
Kids change their minds all the time, so the fact that Tilmon has told the coaches that he is coming does not necessarily mean that he will end up here. I think we have a very good shot, though.
At the end of the day, there's nothing he or Whitman or anyone can say. The situation is what it is.
I think Bill Cubit handled it pretty well. He didn't make any promises or pretend he had leverage that he didn't. He just spoke to the inherent instability of college coaching and expressed his confidence in his ability to get the job done and said he was going to face forward and not worry about it. It was meaningless and it didn't sway anyone with way more stable options and we saw in the end what that attitude was worth, but it was all you can do in that situation.
Yeah, it certainly sounds like a ridiculous idea with that verbage
But is it really that ridiculous to think a conversation between Groce and Tilmon went down something like this: "I'm coming to Illinois but I'm going to embrace the recruiting process and do my due diligence. I think it's right for me to take my time on going public with my decision."Yeah, it certainly sounds like a ridiculous idea with that verbage
The first part of that statement is contradictory and unnecessary, to the second part of sentence. If you are going to say that I will do my due diligence, take home visits, take official visits, and take my time before making a commitment, there is no meaning of starting a sentence by saying "I'm coming to Illinois."
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