Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April 2017)

[IllFanInMi]

I know his Uncle, recently asked him if he was going to MSU, he didn't know, but did say the pressure has always been to go to MSU, and he may want to do something different. He thought Arizona was too far away as he wants family to be able to go to games. I said tell him to get over to Illinois; he laughed.

 

[IllFanInMi]

Bowen that is, not Smith, I need help with responding to previous quotes I guess.

 

[sacraig]

I know his Uncle, recently asked him if he was going to MSU, he didn't know, but did say the pressure has always been to go to MSU, and he may want to do something different. He thought Arizona was too far away as he wants family to be able to go to games. I said tell him to get over to Illinois; he laughed.

Hopefully someday in the not-too-distant future, this won't be something that draws laughs anymore.

 

[FiveStar]

I'm just confused because only Chicago treats us like this the downstate guys are loyal yadda yadda yadda

 

[OneTime3]

Hat ceremonies are so triggering, not watching another one of those.

 

[Dvick217]

Can someone please remind me why we kept Walke

 

[IllFanInMi]

Hopefully someday in the not-too-distant future, this won't be something that draws laughs anymore.

I don't believe it was meant to be disrespectful to Ill, more of an Illinois not on his radar. Although it does reveal the work we have to do to get back to where we belong with the 5* kids.

 

[LouAlcinder]

Can someone please remind me why we kept Walke

 

[PapaKvells]

Can someone please remind me why we kept Walke

Because he is good at building a rapport with recruits and he is a competent coach (did well in the NIT).

If the only reason why he was retained was to keep this recruiting class in tact, then shame on us for exploiting him for such a short term need. But the assumption that this year's recruits are the only ones that he will ever connect with is crazy to me.

 

[PapaKvells]

I don't believe it was meant to be disrespectful to Ill, more of an Illinois not on his radar. Although it does reveal the work we have to do to get back to where we belong with the 5* kids.

I thought Illinois was the first, and as of 6 months ago the only, school interested in him. Was MSU a Johnny Come Lately or were they pursuing him for some time now? I'm confused.

 

[Dvick217]

Hat ceremonies are so triggering, not watching another one of those.

Because he is good at building a rapport with recruits and he is a competent coach (did well in the NIT).

If the only reason why he was retained was to keep this recruiting class in tact, then shame on us for exploiting him for such a short term need. But the assumption that this year's recruits are the only ones that he will ever connect with is crazy to me.

Cool man, Thanks!

 

[IllFanInMi]

Sorry Pizza, I was referring to Bowen, not Smith. Izzo offered him for his 2nd communion gift.

 

[afpharmdawg]

I am tired of losing. We are losing on and off the court. I believe we may have a bright future, but we are losing right now. I am usually an optimistic guy. This is killing me.

 

[Deleted member 29907]

I am tired of losing. We are losing on and off the court. I believe we may have a bright future, but we are losing right now. I am usually an optimistic guy. This is killing me.

We'll be alright. We have just gone through a major leadership change and the product on the court was not good for 10 years.... nothing was going to happen overnight..

Groce was a 'nice guy' coach who attracted guys who wanted to play for a 'nice guy'. BU is a tad different in approach and will attract a different type of player. That is what we're going through right now.

 

[SescIllini]

I'm one of the most optimistic people on this board, but looking at in-state talent the Illini really blew it. 2017 class is probably a top 5-8 class ever at Illinois. We didn't land Justin Smith, J Goodwin, or the kid out of Evanston (Purdue commit). It looks like we have lost J Tilmon and M Smith.

In 1998, we landed Frank Williams, Lucas Johnson, and Krupalja in-state. But missed out on Q Richardson, C Magette, Lance Thomas, B Simmons.

This was a terrible year to have a bad season and fire the coach (well deserved firing). I'm hoping for better things, which may not occur until the product on the court becomes better. There are some recruits we are just not going to get due to backdoor deals. But even with those loses we should be able to get the Justin and Mark Smith type players.

This class can be salvaged with some rabbits out of the hat by BU and Antigua.

 

[PapaKvells]

Sorry Pizza, I was referring to Bowen, not Smith. Izzo offered him for his 2nd communion gift.

Ohhhhhhh. Thanks!

 

[PapaKvells]

I'm one of the most optimistic people on this board, but looking at in-state talent the Illini really blew it. 2017 class is probably a top 5-8 class ever at Illinois. We didn't land Justin Smith, J Goodwin, or the kid out of Evanston (Purdue commit). It looks like we have lost J Tilmon and M Smith.

In 1998, we landed Frank Williams, Lucas Johnson, and Krupalja in-state. But missed out on Q Richardson, C Magette, Lance Thomas, B Simmons.

This was a terrible year to have a bad season and fire the coach (well deserved firing). I'm hoping for better things, which may not occur until the product on the court becomes better. There are some recruits we are just not going to get due to backdoor deals. But even with those loses we should be able to get the Justin and Mark Smith type players.

This class can be salvaged with some rabbits out of the hat by BU and Antigua.

Winning cures all (despite Weber's post-2006 recruiting). When we become a winning program again, we'll become attractive to in-state recruits again. There is an inherent advantage to having state high school championships on our floor and Chicago in our backyard. But we haven't had the winning brand to pull it all together.

 

[IlliniMed]

Imagine the luxury of being able to just walk into a recruitment at the 12th hour and the kid will say yes to you. Can't wrap my head around it

 

[mattcoldagelli]

This was a terrible year to have a bad season and fire the coach (well deserved firing). I'm hoping for better things, which may not occur until the product on the court becomes better. There are some recruits we are just not going to get due to backdoor deals. But even with those loses we should be able to get the Justin and Mark Smith type players.

This class can be salvaged with some rabbits out of the hat by BU and Antigua.

It's not just this year. We've missed the tournament four years running and have, frankly, sucked for 10 years. That's why those kids aren't coming here, not because we switched coaches.

 

[Goldtop]

I was hoping we'd keep the class together and add Smith and get this thing turned around in two years. But now it's looking like it will have to be a longer slow rebuild.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

And just think, a week ago it felt like that. What a roller coaster ride it always feels like being an Illini fan.

However, we always knew that this was a possibility when we let Groce go. That is why some on here were not high on firing Groce. It was a gamble that we lost, and now we have to live with it and move on. There are always other players. Hopefully Coach Underwood can make the Illini fun to watch and play for again. Then it shouldn't be so hard to keep players at home. Da'Monte Williams and Trent Frazier are still one hell of a class.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

It's not just this year. We've missed the tournament four years running and have, frankly, sucked for 10 years. That's why those kids aren't coming here, not because we switched coaches.

I mean, it's not like we didn't get some good recruits to come here during those 10 years of sucking, so there's reason to believe a coaching change might be of some relevance.

 

[IllinistuckinGopherland]

And just think, a week ago it felt like that. What a roller coaster ride it always feels like being an Illini fan.

However, we always knew that this was a possibility when we let Groce go. That is why some on here were not high on firing Groce. It was a gamble that we lost, and now we have to live with it and move on. There are always other players. Hopefully Coach Underwood can make the Illini fun to watch and play for again. Then it shouldn't be so hard to keep players at home. Da'Monte Williams and Trent Frazier are still one hell of a class.

After graduating five seniors, three of whom played big minutes, that is not a hell of a class. Nothing against those two individually, but it's not.

 

[BLloyd2311]

I'm one of the most optimistic people on this board, but looking at in-state talent the Illini really blew it. 2017 class is probably a top 5-8 class ever at Illinois. We didn't land Justin Smith, J Goodwin, or the kid out of Evanston (Purdue commit). It looks like we have lost J Tilmon and M Smith.

In 1998, we landed Frank Williams, Lucas Johnson, and Krupalja in-state. But missed out on Q Richardson, C Magette, Lance Thomas, B Simmons.

This was a terrible year to have a bad season and fire the coach (well deserved firing). I'm hoping for better things, which may not occur until the product on the court becomes better. There are some recruits we are just not going to get due to backdoor deals. But even with those loses we should be able to get the Justin and Mark Smith type players.

This class can be salvaged with some rabbits out of the hat by BU and Antigua.

Frank Williams/ Corey Magette backcourt .....

 

[bombayIllini]

And just think, a week ago it felt like that. What a roller coaster ride it always feels like being an Illini fan.

However, we always knew that this was a possibility when we let Groce go. That is why some on here were not high on firing Groce. It was a gamble that we lost, and now we have to live with it and move on. There are always other players. Hopefully Coach Underwood can make the Illini fun to watch and play for again. Then it shouldn't be so hard to keep players at home. Da'Monte Williams and Trent Frazier are still one hell of a class.

We traded Tilmon for Underwood.

AND, Josh paid a cool $6 mil, for next year, for that trade.

I will take it.

I have no idea what is this "loss".

 

[miggytorres]

I'll be excited to see BU's Illini take the court this fall. It's been since '05 that we saw a high-powered offense. Even in '06, Dee/Augustine's final year, the offense stalled and the offense didn't get a great shot. The Illini have some pieces that can function in a high-powered offense: Lucas, Coleman-Lands and Finke.

If the Illini put a a good product on the court this year, I think the resurgence of Illini basketball will shift to the 2017-18 season. Recruiting will follow.

Groce was enthusiastic, great human being, great guy. Underwood is a bit more understated in his approach but has the x's and o's to backup his sales pitch. As does Antigua. Gonna be a force