Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (November-December 2016)

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#1,126      

IlliniOX08

I
Bucktown, Chicago
IlliniOX08
UrbanaIsTheShiz said:
Some of the best moments I remember

AZ Elite 8
Eddie Johnson hits last second baseline jumper to beat MAgic's #1 MCU Saprtans
Nick Anderson half court to beat Indiana
Beating #1 GA Tech at the Assembly hall
Destroying Wake Forest
Improbable run to the BTT finals
2001 (?) Marcus Griffin touch basket off the inbounds to beat Wisconsin.
Paul inbounds to Griffey to beat the Hoosiers
beating Duke at Cameron Indoor to end some outrageous home win streak. Ill players slap the floor on defense mocking the blue devils.
Flying Illini beating Syracuse in the Tourney
Sergio's Fro
Watching guys like Luther Head, Jerry Hester, Warren Carter, Arch, Auggie all grow from awkward underclassmen to good and great players who brought it every night
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These below aren't really moments, but I look back fondly on these:

1997-1998 run to the Big Ten Title
Frank Williams' sophomore year highlights
Lucas Johnson being a constant jolt of energy
Knowing that the 00-01 team was going to be in every game just from their competitive desire.
The Krush constantly being rowdy
The big play ability of Dee Brown
When I was at UI, the constant buzz around campus that was the 5 month period during the 04-05 team's run.

And yes, I miss the all out swagger that the team constantly played with, really from 1999 all the way up through 2007. I wish I would have been alive/old enough to appreciate the runs in the 80's.. from the way my dad describes it, it's much of the same.
 
#1,129      

chief9

C
chief9
UrbanaIsTheShiz said:
Some of the best moments I remember

AZ Elite 8
Eddie Johnson hits last second baseline jumper to beat MAgic's #1 MCU Saprtans
Nick Anderson half court to beat Indiana
Beating #1 GA Tech at the Assembly hall
Destroying Wake Forest
Improbable run to the BTT finals
2001 (?) Marcus Griffin touch basket off the inbounds to beat Wisconsin.
Paul inbounds to Griffey to beat the Hoosiers
beating Duke at Cameron Indoor to end some outrageous home win streak. Ill players slap the floor on defense mocking the blue devils.
Flying Illini beating Syracuse in the Tourney
Sergio's Fro
Watching guys like Luther Head, Jerry Hester, Warren Carter, Arch, Auggie all grow from awkward underclassmen to good and great players who brought it every night
Click to expand...

I'd add:
Cory Bradford buzzer beater to beat Indiana in BTT
Frank Williams buzzer beatr against OSU
Frank beating Iowa by himself on ESPN
Illini comeback against Purdue to win 04 Big Ten title
Comeback and OT win against Seton Hall
Dee torching MSU his senior yr
Hill beating Maryland 2 yrs ago
Cook & Harrington going off on UNC
 
#1,131      

dmac279

D
dmac279
miketherevelator said:
And for us oldsters, none of those match the ultimate self-imposed nutpunch we gave ourselves in 1967, which has often been said to have affected Illinois right down to today. Looking back on it, it's hard to believe what happened and the repercussions that echoed for decades.
Imagine today an assistant athletic director taking a bunch of incriminating files to the university president, and the university president taking them to the Big Ten. And the Big Ten, even though it knew other schools were doing the same or worse, gutting the basketball and football programs with the threat of being tossed out of the conference if we didn't do it.
Talk about nutpunches. It's in our DNA.
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That was a program changer in the worst way. Spot on
 
#1,132      

Deleted member 10676

D
Guest
Deleted member 10676
#1,133      

Hoppy2105

H
Little Rock, Arkansas
Hoppy2105
T minus 3 hours! I'm currently at training and am barely paying attention. Luckily the training isn't all that great...
 
#1,134      

Deleted member 8213

D
Guest
Deleted member 8213
I'm hanging my hat on the fact that Cusamano would be crowing like a rooster if there was any hope for SLU in this. He's the biggest homer in the world and not very bright.
 
#1,135      

IlliniOX08

I
Bucktown, Chicago
IlliniOX08
miketherevelator said:
translation: I haven't heard enough yet to risk the 78 points I got for picking Tilmon.
Still curious as to what Cory Evans heard. It's been pretty much positive for us since yesterday afternoon.
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Not sure, but if you're on twitter and follow Ryan Evans he is responding to certain people saying he has a connected source inside the program who has indicated the LOI went to Illinois.

Basically at this point, who friggin knows. I still think it's Illinois based off of Tilmon's mom saying he's still committed to Illinois only a few days ago, the in-person visit from Groce yesterday (apparently), the sudden announcement he signed an LOI, Cusamano saying it's Illinois, and the Groce press conference being moved from 1 to 2:40.

So basically the stage is all set up for a giant nut punch.
 
#1,136      

brokensaphire

B
Arizona
brokensaphire
Breaking news.....

I have it on good authority that I don't know jack about the Tilmon announcement.
In all seriousness, folks, I do believe this situation sucks. Illini fans have had to endure so much in terms of recruitment for men's basketball. If JT announces he is NOT coming to the UofI I will be absolutely disappointed and disgusted. Here is why:
1. From all accounts, the Tilmon family shows it possesses good character. The mother puts out a message stating that just because there is a delay it does not mean that Jeremiah isn't still committed to the Illini. That message is for the hard-luck fans (the coaches are aware) and should hold a lot of weight.
2. Other than this delay, JT has shown he wants to be an Illini in a myriad ways.
3. Groce announcing a press conference should be a sign that he as the LOI. A press conference for any other reason wouldn't make much sense. Has Travis Ford called for a presser?

In my best estimation, many signs point to the reality that this delay is likely not about a faltering commitment to the UofI but perhaps something inside the Tilmon family that we just can't be privy to. If this is a rejection it is a very cruel one not inline with everything the JT team has shown thus far.

Love my Illini,
:chief:
 
#1,137      

DReq

DReq
Always Illini
Central Illinois
DReq
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#1,138      

Obelix

Obelix
Obelix
miketherevelator said:
Still curious as to what Cory Evans heard. It's been pretty much positive for us since yesterday afternoon.
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Probably what I heard last week: Don't believe a word when you hear SL people saying that SLU is not involved with Tilmon anymore, Kansas is heavily involved, not SLU but Kansas, Frank Cusumano, etc. All smokescreen and all coming from SL sources. SLU had been making a strong push for Tilmon.

Having said that, I doubt WCIA would televise live if they did not know the outcome. Illinois reporters and stations are not very good at this game, so they must definitively know that it is Illinois.
 
#1,139      

SuperMetroid

SuperMetroid
Evanston
SuperMetroid
brokensaphire said:
I have it on good authority that I don't know jack about the Tilmon announcement.
In all seriousness, folks, I do believe this situation sucks. Illini fans have had to endure so much in terms of recruitment for men's basketball. If JT announces he is NOT coming to the UofI I will be absolutely disappointed and disgusted. Here is why:
1. From all accounts, the Tilmon family shows it possesses good character. The mother puts out a message stating that just because there is a delay it does not mean that Jeremiah isn't still committed to the Illini. That message is for the hard-luck fans (the coaches are aware) and should hold a lot of weight.
2. Other than this delay, JT has shown he wants to be an Illini in a myriad ways.
3. Groce announcing a press conference should be a sign that he as the LOI. A press conference for any other reason wouldn't make much sense. Has Travis Ford called for a presser?

In my best estimation, many signs point to the reality that this delay is likely not about a faltering commitment to the UofI but perhaps something inside the Tilmon family that we just can't be privy to. If this is a rejection it is a very cruel one not inline with everything the JT team has shown thus far.

Love my Illini,
:chief:
Click to expand...

I choose this reality...at least for the next 3 hours.

And one of my favorite memories that I haven't seen is the Brandon Paul OSU game, if only because my wife is a Buckeye and that is the one and only time we've really gotten the better of them since we've been together.
 
#1,141      

Deleted member 10676

D
Guest
Deleted member 10676
IlliniOX08 said:
Not sure, but if you're on twitter and follow Ryan Evans he is responding to certain people saying he has a connected source inside the program who has indicated the LOI went to Illinois.
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Glad to hear that about Ryan Evans, but Cory Evans, who is pretty respected in the field picked SLU yesterday. I understand the Prezkop guy choosing SLU on the 8th when it seemed like he was actually de-committing and not just waiting on signing, but picking them yesterday when there hasn't been any real public news favorable to the Billikens puzzles me, but he must have heard something. That or he had zero points on the original verbal commit and just took a flyer hoping he might look like a genius.

http://247sports.com/PlayerInstitut...East-St-Louis-184303/CurrentExpertPredictions

Obelix seems to have answered this.
 
#1,142      

Golfer63

G
Golfer63
SuperMetroid said:
I choose this reality...at least for the next 3 hours.

And one of my favorite memories that I haven't seen is the Brandon Paul OSU game, if only because my wife is a Buckeye and that is the one and only time we've really gotten the better of them since we've been together.
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They came back to Champaign the following year in year one of Groce and we blew them out by like 25.
 
#1,143      

illiniknight

I
illiniknight
miketherevelator said:
Glad to hear that about Ryan Evans, but Cory Evans, who is pretty respected in the field picked SLU yesterday. I understand the Prezkop guy choosing SLU on the 8th when it seemed like he was actually de-committing and not just waiting on signing, but picking them yesterday when there hasn't been any real public news favorable to the Billikens puzzles me, but he must have heard something. That or he had zero points on the original verbal commit and just took a flyer hoping he might look like a genius.

http://247sports.com/PlayerInstitut...East-St-Louis-184303/CurrentExpertPredictions
Click to expand...

This troubles me a little but it seems to be the only SLU indicator. All other arrows point to the Illini
 
#1,145      

IlliniOX08

I
Bucktown, Chicago
IlliniOX08
miketherevelator said:
Glad to hear that about Ryan Evans, but Cory Evans, who is pretty respected in the field picked SLU yesterday. I understand the Prezkop guy choosing SLU on the 8th when it seemed like he was actually de-committing and not just waiting on signing, but picking them yesterday when there hasn't been any real public news favorable to the Billikens puzzles me, but he must have heard something. That or he had zero points on the original verbal commit and just took a flyer hoping he might look like a genius.

http://247sports.com/PlayerInstitut...East-St-Louis-184303/CurrentExpertPredictions

Obelix seems to have answered this.
Click to expand...

Yea the Evans thing is obviously of concern. I'm looking at the body of evidence pointing to Ill. And if Ryan Evan actually has a source who says Ill received the LOI then that's the strongest evidence yet. If you believe Ryan Evan that is.

What gives me comfort on the Evans pick is that there hasn't been a rush of other CB picks going to SLU for Tilmon.. yet. His is still the only one.
 
#1,149      

stuemke5

stuemke5
stuemke5
You could sit in cardiopulmary/CHF training with me! Thankfully IL on an announcement day to keep me occupied!!
 
#1,150      

troym22

troym22
troym22
stuemke5 said:
You could sit in cardiopulmary/CHF training with me! Thankfully IL on an announcement day to keep me occupied!!
Click to expand...

I really hope you know that's going to happen. I can't stand the thought of another nut punch.
 
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