Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April-June 2016)

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#3,277      

Illiniguy13

Illiniguy13
Illiniguy13
GameOfThrows said:
Self didn't do anything to develop Cliff Alexander. While Cliff and Jeremiah are different players, both have one thing in common: their only path to the NBA is to be a 4 that can rebound, defend the post if necessary and stretch the floor with a decent outside shot and have the ability to put it on the floor when necessary. Neither will make it in the NBA living under the basket. Cliff didn't develop those skills at KU, and thus he got drafted in the 2nd round and is struggling thus far.

Hopefully, Groce is selling JT on developing him into a compete basketball player that can make millions playing professionally in the NBA. at 6'9", Tilmon is not a 5 in the NBA except in the occasional small line-up where he will be asked to defend the post. A skill he can develop at Illinois since we won't have many of those here his Freshman year.

I should add that Groce's offense could be a plus for Tilmon as he will be asked to pick and pop, roll, or catch and dribble -drive off the pick quite often. The exact skills he will need for the NBA.
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Isn't Tilmon closer to 6'11"? I know his wingspan is in the neighborhood of 7'2" and to top that off with his athleticism I feel like being a 5 at the next level isn't out of the question. One thing I do know about Tilmon is he has good hands, a nice touch and some really excellent footwork. When he polishes up his post game, packs on some size and strength I could see him holding his own down low. No?
 
#3,278      

FatGreg

F
FatGreg
Illiniguy13 said:
Isn't Tilmon closer to 6'11"? I know his wingspan is in the neighborhood of 7'2" and to top that off with his athleticism I feel like being a 5 at the next level isn't out of the question. One thing I do know about Tilmon is he has good hands, a nice touch and some really excellent footwork. When he polishes up his post game, packs on some size and strength I could see him holding his own down low. No?
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He's 6'11 and long with a good frame. Not a banger, really, but he's got some nice tools to work with in the post. I think he'll be a 2 or 3 year player unless he gets bad advice, but he has the makings of an eventual 1st round pick.
 
#3,279      

Captain Bubbles

Captain Bubbles
Fairfield, IL
Captain Bubbles
The 5* who committed to Western Kentucky illustrates a sign. If a prospect of that caliber commits to a school like WKU, then one let's say of Tilmon's caliber can commit to Illinois. Sounds simple, yet true statement.

It's hard to tell what these recruits are thinking now these days, but I hope they consider each school athletically and academically. Choose the school that you believe is the right fit.
 
#3,280      

UofIChE06

U
Pittsburgh
UofIChE06
Tilmon is a 5 at all levels of play. What should really be attracting him to UI and what he needs is Fletch. The quick change in strength shown by a number of players should be quite appealing as the only thing separating Tilmon from a NBA 5 is strength to go along with his skill set. The only reason he is being called a 4 here is his lack of strength. He will be a complete package after a year or two in the S&C program
 
#3,281      

IAmChrisFarley

I
IAmChrisFarley
BIzzy said:
better education for starters and riding the bench behind hired guns at KU gives NBA scouts less to work with than watching a player compete in the Big10 against NBA level competition

if I were a scout i would much prefer to see my prospects on the floor against high level competition consistently in game environment ..more complete body of work
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Can we quit with the education line for 5* kids? These kids do not care about the academics. Especially, when Kansas and UNC are in the top 5. If it was someone like an Awodiran type recruitment, then it would have merit.

What NBA talent will Tilmon be going against? Isaac Haas? Good player, probable pro, but that's about it. Maybe I am mistaken and can't think of anyone else.

What Self has done for big men who have stayed for 2-3 years is where he makes his money. Just because of Alexander, Bragg, and Diallo didn't get a lot of PT doesn't mean anything. FYI, Bragg has told people close to him he absolutely LOVES Kansas.

Big Al said:
Regardless of the hows and whys around this commitment, if this kid is successful and winds up as a 1-and-done, it's good for Illinois and all of the other non-blue bloods. It would be more supporting evidence in the "If you're a 5-star talent, it doesn't matter where you go." argument.
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That it can, but then they can point to Ben Simmons and say, "See, he didn't develop like he wanted to. Come here to get proper coaching, going against the best in the nation, and be ready to play major minutes at the next level right away."

It's a two way street. It's tricky, and it sucks. Cause at one point we could say that, now we have to sell PT, start something special, be the pied piper, and start right away. Not too many of these kids want to be the pied piper, they rather go to something established.
 
#3,282      

TCTORNADO

TCTORNADO
TCTORNADO
Illiniguy13 said:
Im sure hoping Groce can answer that question better than I can...but I'd hope it's something along the lines of a player like Tilmon truly believing he has what it takes to be that guy despite a programs reputation. Who knows. Maybe he just wants to be an Illini. Wishful thinking.
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According to a Justin Smith interview awhile back, Groce is really pushing the "all Illinois" thing.
 
#3,283      

FatGreg

F
FatGreg
If any highly ranked kid chooses Illinois right now, it will be largely due to one or more of the following factors: 1) he feels a deep bond and trust level with the staff and/or players, 2) he is an Illini fan, probably due to proximity or family/social connections, 3) he's from the area and wants his family to attend as many games as possible, 4) he has a trailblazer personality and wants to build something and leave a mark.

Playing time is mostly irrelevant when you're talking about top-50 kids; they believe they'll beat out anyone you put them up against. Generally speaking, these kids want guaranteed deep tournament runs, legit championship possibilities, maximum exposure, top facilities, big name coaches, and a fast track to the NBA. Virtually every top-50 kid thinks he's got lottery talent.

Our hope has to be that Tilmon and Goodwin genuinely feel a connection with Groce and the team, value playing in front of family and friends, and want to become local legends at the school they grew up cheering for. If those two commit, other top players are likely to follow. Goodwin is a natural leader and ferocious competitor and Tilmon is a possible lottery prospect: players like Scruggs and Terrence Lewis might look at those guys and say, "you know what, we can win a championship here." I think that Tilmon committing would increase the likelihood of Goodwin coming here. If Goodwin commits, I think he'll be the pied piper.
 
#3,284      

IAmChrisFarley

I
IAmChrisFarley
FatGreg said:
If any highly ranked kid chooses Illinois right now, it will be largely due to one or more of the following factors: 1) he feels a deep bond and trust level with the staff and/or players, 2) he is an Illini fan, probably due to proximity or family/social connections, 3) he's from the area and wants his family to attend as many games as possible, 4) he has a trailblazer personality and wants to build something and leave a mark.

Playing time is mostly irrelevant when you're talking about top-50 kids; they believe they'll beat out anyone you put them up against. Generally speaking, these kids want guaranteed deep tournament runs, legit championship possibilities, maximum exposure, top facilities, big name coaches, and a fast track to the NBA. Virtually every top-50 kid thinks he's got lottery talent.

Our hope has to be that Tilmon and Goodwin genuinely feel a connection with Groce and the team, value playing in front of family and friends, and want to become local legends at the school they grew up cheering for. If those two commit, other top players are likely to follow. Goodwin is a natural leader and ferocious competitor and Tilmon is a possible lottery prospect: players like Scruggs and Terrence Lewis might look at those guys and say, "you know what, we can win a championship here." I think that Tilmon committing would increase the likelihood of Goodwin coming here. If Goodwin commits, I think he'll be the pied piper.
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#3,285      

TCTORNADO

TCTORNADO
TCTORNADO
Anybody that doesn't think the higher up the rankings chain one goes, the "grayer" the recruitment gets is only naive. :)
 
#3,287      

Big Al

B
Big Al
IAmChrisFarley said:
That it can, but then they can point to Ben Simmons and say, "See, he didn't develop like he wanted to. Come here to get proper coaching, going against the best in the nation, and be ready to play major minutes at the next level right away."

It's a two way street. It's tricky, and it sucks. Cause at one point we could say that, now we have to sell PT, start something special, be the pied piper, and start right away. Not too many of these kids want to be the pied piper, they rather go to something established.
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He was already the #1 player in the country. His stock didn't drop. I'm sure his main focus wasn't so much to develop his skills as it was to showcase them. He did that at LSU and was the number 1 pick in the draft and an instant millionaire.

I don't think Ben Simmons is really the guy to point to in this argument, either. He's a generational talent and was a guaranteed sure thing as far as the draft was concerned (as long as he stayed healthy). He had nothing to prove. Start moving down the rankings and that changes.
 
#3,288      

FatGreg

F
FatGreg
Dan said:
Wisconsin potential 5-star 2019 C Nobal Days @nobaldays picks up #Illini offer on visit today.
https://twitter.com/scottybscout/status/748306370521403393
https://twitter.com/nobaldays/status/748305092923785216
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He's not just a potential 5-star, Nobal Days is potentially the top overall 2019 player in the country. He's 6'9 with a 7'0 wingspan, elite reflexes and reaction time, solid athleticism, and a Ben Simmons/Lebron-like feel for the game. Ultra skilled as a ballhandler and playmaker from the PF/C position. Has to grow into his frame, add strength, and develop scoring moves (both in the post and facing up). Right now, he's most interested in UW, Marquette, Illinois, and a few other midwest programs, but it will be the usual dogfight against KU, UK, UNC, and Duke for this kid.

Brian Snow said this after the Spiece Run N Slam this spring: "Probably the best passer at the entire event wasn’t a senior, and wasn’t a point guard, it was Nobal Days. Days is a 2019 power forward out of Racine, and out of the high post he might be one of the most difficult players in the country to deal with."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4KeeYRXvXs
 
#3,291      

Big Al

B
Big Al
t7nich said:
According a recent interview with Theo John he has no idea where he'll attend college.

"John took an unofficial visit to the University of Minnesota last weekend. He has taken official visits to Oklahoma and Purdue, while Illinois and Marquette are among the schools coming after him hard."

http://kstp.com/sports/theo-john-champlin-park-gophers-purdue-oklahoma-target/4185138/
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Oklahoma (April) and Purdue (June) may be distant memories by the time he's ready to commit. Maryland is likely to be a major player in this recruitment.
 
#3,292      

Smacko

S
Lexington, KY
Smacko
Illiniwek06 said:
And the kid followed Stansbury from A&M to WKU.
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Stansbury is as dirty as they get. Stansbury is so dirty that he was willing to roll around in the mud with Renardo Sidney and his crew long after every coach with half a brain pulled out of the recruitment.
 
#3,293      

Greensboro

Greensboro
Greensboro
FatGreg said:
He's not just a potential 5-star, Nobal Days is potentially the top overall 2019 player in the country. He's 6'9 with a 7'0 wingspan, elite reflexes and reaction time, solid athleticism, and a Ben Simmons/Lebron-like feel for the game. Ultra skilled as a ballhandler and playmaker from the PF/C position. Has to grow into his frame, add strength, and develop scoring moves (both in the post and facing up). Right now, he's most interested in UW, Marquette, Illinois, and a few other midwest programs, but it will be the usual dogfight against KU, UK, UNC, and Duke for this kid.

Brian Snow said this after the Spiece Run N Slam this spring: "Probably the best passer at the entire event wasn’t a senior, and wasn’t a point guard, it was Nobal Days. Days is a 2019 power forward out of Racine, and out of the high post he might be one of the most difficult players in the country to deal with."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4KeeYRXvXs
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That just isn't fair for 8th grade...he passes a lot, maybe too much, but as his team was probably up 10 points after the first 2 minutes of the game they were probably already pulling off the gas to avoid running up the score. He is so much bigger & better than the other kids it is hard to tell how good he is.
 
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#3,294      

IAmChrisFarley

I
IAmChrisFarley
Big Al said:
He was already the #1 player in the country. His stock didn't drop. I'm sure his main focus wasn't so much to develop his skills as it was to showcase them. He did that at LSU and was the number 1 pick in the draft and an instant millionaire.

I don't think Ben Simmons is really the guy to point to in this argument, either. He's a generational talent and was a guaranteed sure thing as far as the draft was concerned (as long as he stayed healthy). He had nothing to prove. Start moving down the rankings and that changes.
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I know it's in the best comp, but he's the most recent MCDAA, and number 1 pick not to come from a blue blood.


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#3,295      

FatGreg

F
FatGreg
One slight advantage Illinois may have in Nobal Days' recruitment is that his brother Kaj will be a freshman this year at UI-Springfield. Kaj will be a college senior when Nobal is a freshman (or, if Kaj redshirts, a junior). Probably doesn't help much, but you never know. Heck, maybe Kaj will redshirt this year and eventually grad transfer to UIUC.
 
#3,297      

riffraff

riffraff
Peoria
riffraff
Greensboro said:
That just isn't fair for 8th grade...he passes a lot, maybe too much, but as his team was probably up 10 points after the first 2 minutes of the game they were probably already pulling off the gas to avoid running up the score. He is so much bigger & better than the other kids it is hard to tell how good he is.
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I love seeing a guy this tall pass effectively and quickly. He seems to play unselfishly. He can dribble in the open court, too.
 
#3,298      

t7nich

t7nich
Central IL
t7nich
Big Al said:
Oklahoma (April) and Purdue (June) may be distant memories by the time he's ready to commit. Maryland is likely to be a major player in this recruitment.
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True. I believe the turtles will have 2 (maybe 3) rides to give for 2017.. and quite a few offers out to potential 4/5’s. Plus they have 3 Freshman Forwards coming in this year. So we’ll see how hard they go after Theo.
 
#3,299      

IlliniPuck99

IlliniPuck99
IlliniPuck99
Sorry to change the subject, but sounds like his family REALLY likes Vanderbilt, even after they felt Notre Dame and Brey were at the top after a string of recent visits.

Apparently Roger Powell is having a significant influence on them, as well as the strong Christian backgrounds of all of the other coaches.
 
#3,300      

IAmChrisFarley

I
IAmChrisFarley
IlliniPuck99 said:
Sorry to change the subject, but sounds like his family REALLY likes Vanderbilt, even after they felt Notre Dame and Brey were at the top after a string of recent visits.

Apparently Roger Powell is having a significant influence on them, as well as the strong Christian backgrounds of all of the other coaches.
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WHO???


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