Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April 2017)

[Future Walk-On]

This really bothers me.

The guy is barely a blip on MSU's radar while we're falling over ourselves for him. Yet he's way more enamoured with East Lansing, and he's probably going to commit this weekend (whether or not he announces it).

+1000

We will all just have to wait till one day when the glory comes and we have earned the right to overlook 4 star kids and be that entitled...

 

[sacraig]

Cuonzo reminds me of Bruce Pearl.......musta went to the same school of ethics.

Except Pearl has a history of largely successful coaching by comparison.

 

[muskyman99]

Should we be worried about Devon or Damonte?

 

[illinitiger]

This really bothers me.

The guy is barely a blip on MSU's radar while we're falling over ourselves for him. Yet he's way more enamoured with East Lansing, and he's probably going to commit this weekend (whether or not he announces it).

I think smith will make an impact wherever he goes....would love to have him. Regardless, we now have a coach that has successfully fielded tournament teams routinely without many 4 star recruits.. or any 5 star recruits, that I'm aware of. I'm buying into the coach and know we won't live or die based on a couple recruits.
We will win!

 

[mattcoldagelli]

But AT THE VERY LEAST, you need to be 1000% sure you have Tilmon locked down before Walker gets that offer.

The trouble with this post is that this is an impossibility. Full stop.

If you've got a foolproof way to ensure 17- and 18-year-olds are going to absolutely, positively follow through on the things they tell you, you need to drop whatever you're doing and get into the college coaching business.

 

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

This really bothers me.

The guy is barely a blip on MSU's radar while we're falling over ourselves for him. Yet he's way more enamoured with East Lansing, and he's probably going to commit this weekend (whether or not he announces it).

Their most active board is on 247sports.com

 

[Goldtop]

This really bothers me.

The guy is barely a blip on MSU's radar while we're falling over ourselves for him. Yet he's way more enamoured with East Lansing, and he's probably going to commit this weekend (whether or not he announces it).

It says a lot about the desperation of the Illini fan base. They expect Izzo to pull in who he needs and they don't sweat about it.

 

[EthanM]

I don't know the details of Walker's contract, but is there any chance Underwood cans him if he fails to deliver either Smith or Walker? It seems to me as if that was a major reason he was hired.


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[Goldtop]

I think smith will make an impact wherever he goes....would love to have him. Regardless, we now have a coach that has successfully fielded tournament teams routinely without many 4 star recruits.. or any 5 star recruits, that I'm aware of. I'm buying into the coach and know we won't live or die based on a couple recruits.
We will win!

Only one I know of is Juan Evans - Point Guard OSU

 

[Deleted member 10676]

I don't know the details of Walker's contract, but is there any chance Underwood cans him if he fails to deliver either Smith or Walker? It seems to me as if that was a major reason he was hired.


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I certainly hope not.

 

[EJ33]

The low opinion of Walker is because nothing about the Groce era indicated to me that there was a diamond of an assistant hidden in the wreckage.

And I am quite certain that Tilmon and a very good chance at Smith were presumed by Whitman (not to mention by Walker himself), to be part of the deal when making Walker a part of the Illinois package.

I find the idea that Walker would have had even a passing chance at the job without the presumption that his presence guaranteed Tilmon to be totally preposterous. Whitman thought he could have his cake and eat it too. Underwood bought it. Both got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

It's bad judgment by all parties, and it's a tremendous waste of a very precious resource. I would have started fresh and let the recruits walk if they really wanted to. But AT THE VERY LEAST, you need to be 1000% sure you have Tilmon locked down before Walker gets that offer. Whitman panicked when Cuonzo made that big splash at Mizzou. And Cuonzo has now played us for absolute chumps, poaching Tilmon without even having to hire Walker.

It's the kind of thing that happens to a rookie AD feeling enormous pressure to shoot the moon.

The first three assistant coaches you hire don't end a coaching administration. I'm not jumping off any tall buildings over here. But big mistakes were made in this process by multiple different parties, and admitting and studying and processing mistakes is how you get better.

There's some truth.

Cuonzo has pretty much owned U of I since he left the state for Purdue.

 

[Bailey]

Mark Smith doesn't know or understand or care why a bunch of dopey message board posters were interested in him.

This a million times over. Fans thinking they have even a modicum sway towards a recruits decision (especially via social media) is baffling.

 

[Deleted member 10676]

Especially with a situation that has been as flaky and uncertain as Tilmon's. Which is just one of the several reasons why I considered it a mistake from the day the decision was made.

yeah, we know, we know---

 

[bbpeoria]

Tilmon vs Smith

Exactly Tillmon to Mizzou is going to happen for sure but o well i watched Tillmon this year alot and to me hes lazy gets in foul trouble alot thats y he went from a 5* to a 4*..And as for Smith this kid is a horse i would take him over any gaurd we have hands down he should of been our number one priority but it sounds like its MSU from what im hearing his dad really likes izzo

There are two problems in losing Tilmon:
1)He is at a severe position of need (ie the Illini is very short on tall frontcourt players)
2)The perception of losing the top rated recruit in the Illini class especially from an area that is fertile recruiting ground right now and to a direct competitor.

If the Illini were to lose Tilmon and had good frontcourt numbers I would not bat an eyelash as I have seen him and he is clearly overrated.

As for Smith, this is a kid not necessarily at a position of Illini need but is such a hard working good kid from a good family that is probably still slightly underrated. He is a kid I can root for no matter where he goes...Tilmon, uh, no! I would be very surprised if Tilmon does not underachieve in college.

 

[sdfidaho]

I don't know the details of Walker's contract, but is there any chance Underwood cans him if he fails to deliver either Smith or Walker? It seems to me as if that was a major reason he was hired.


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I'm sure that isn't written anywhere. Nor should it be.

 

[mattcoldagelli]

It's the kind of thing that happens to a rookie AD feeling enormous pressure to shoot the moon.

This is pretty unfair, as well. There's zero reason to believe Whitman didn't go into this with eyes wide open. It's not as if he (or Underwood, for that matter) is some babe in the woods when comes to dealing with HS athletes.

We took the highest percentage shot we had. We missed. That's how it goes sometimes.

 

[MSUspartan]

Their most active board is on 247sports.com

Yeah I can assure you guys he is probably our biggest recruit outside of Brandon McCoy. MSU fans are well aware (we have large VIP, and free threads on Mark), and are really excited about the possibility of him joining us. I'm not quite as optimistic as some of you though about him heading to MSU, my bet is still on Kentucky. If he leaves MSU without committing within a day or two later I'd say Illinois/UK would be the destination.

 

[EthanM]

I'm sure that isn't written anywhere. Nor should it be.

Well I agree with that. However, let's say you give someone a job because they say they can deliver a certain resource to them. You hire them with the understanding that they can deliver that resource. After that person is hired, they fail to deliver. What would you do if you barely know that person and there are other people out there that you think can do a better job?


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[Deleted member 8213]

The low opinion of Walker is because nothing about the Groce era indicated to me that there was a diamond of an assistant hidden in the wreckage.

And I am quite certain that Tilmon and a very good chance at Smith were presumed by Whitman (not to mention by Walker himself), to be part of the deal when making Walker a part of the Illinois package.

I find the idea that Walker would have had even a passing chance at the job without the presumption that his presence guaranteed Tilmon to be totally preposterous. Whitman thought he could have his cake and eat it too. Underwood bought it. Both got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

It's bad judgment by all parties, and it's a tremendous waste of a very precious resource. I would have started fresh and let the recruits walk if they really wanted to. But AT THE VERY LEAST, you need to be 1000% sure you have Tilmon locked down before Walker gets that offer. Whitman panicked when Cuonzo made that big splash at Mizzou. And Cuonzo has now played us for absolute chumps, poaching Tilmon without even having to hire Walker.

It's the kind of thing that happens to a rookie AD feeling enormous pressure to shoot the moon.

The first three assistant coaches you hire don't end a coaching administration. I'm not jumping off any tall buildings over here. But big mistakes were made in this process by multiple different parties, and admitting and studying and processing mistakes is how you get better.

Your whining about Jamall Walker borders on farcical. By all accounts he's a good coach and a good recruiter with connections to a lot of players. The "precious resources" have not been squandered. Get a grip you can't force 18 year old kids to honor their word.

 

[Adnarel]

Mark Smith doesn't know or understand or care why a bunch of dopey message board posters were interested in him.

I know this argument fits your narrative comfortably, but it's not rooted in reality. It is a mistake to think that IL and similar sites are the only places where Illinois fans are enthusiastic about Mark Smith. To suggest that Mark Smith does not have a grasp of how fans have at least a passing understand of incoming classes and local buzz is a pretty big disservice to Smith and Illini Nation both. Smith surely understands that there are fans out there who would feel proud and privileged to have him play for Illinois. And not just kooky ones that go to IL.

 

[sdfidaho]

Well I agree with that. However, let's say you give someone a job because they say they can deliver a certain resource to them. You hire them with the understanding that they can deliver that resource. After that person is hired, they fail to deliver. What would you do if you barely know that person and there are other people out there that you think can do a better job?


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My gut feeling with BU is that he will replace any assistant that fails to deliver.
A big downfall of our previous coach was misplaced loyalty...IMO.
I just don't see that replacement happening a matter of days after a hire.

 

[Deleted member 8213]

I just don't see that replacement happening a matter of days after a hire.

It would be a very desperate look indeed to switch course on Walker because one recruit changed his mind.

 

[Deleted member 10676]

Well I agree with that. However, let's say you give someone a job because they say they can deliver a certain resource to them. You hire them with the understanding that they can deliver that resource. After that person is hired, they fail to deliver. What would you do if you barely know that person and there are other people out there that you think can do a better job?


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I sincerely doubt Walker guaranteed anything. He's been around 17 year olds long enough to know better than that. It was Tilmon's mother who said if Jamall stayed, Jeremiah would. Jamall was the lead recruiter on Mark Smith so he was the only thread to him. Like Matt said, we took a calculated risk, the best chance we had and it didn't work out. That's recruiting. Walker still has value, he's not some newbie. For one thing, without him we've got nobody in the St. Louis area who knows anything or anybody. He knows the players we have and the three coming in. He's had experience scouting the B1G and coaching our players. Saying he's useless unless he brings us 2 players is nonsense.

 

[Deleted member 10676]

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[frozenrope9190]

So is there is a listing of guys that Antigua has his hooks in at this point that could be persuaded to come to Illinois? (sorry if I missed an earlier post that addressed this).