And we have the reason now...Piper just said he thinks Ebo left because of "how he's being coached." He couched it as speculation, but he knows.
Illini Basketball 2018-2019
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And we have the reason now...Piper just said he thinks Ebo left because of "how he's being coached." He couched it as speculation, but he knows.
sacraig
- The desert
If he actually knew, he would either have held it for a premium article and/or not specifically labeled it speculation. He likely has information beyond what we have, but he doesn't generally flat out lie and say something is speculation if it is not.
I'm not accusing him of lying - he's just hedging a bit. He gives away premium info on the radio all the time. All the time. So does Werner.
In any case the big picture here is that Underwood is churning through players because of his coaching style. That shouldn't even be up for debate.
Exactly
Losing Black hurt our team much more than losing EBO. I wish him the best but he is very limited offensively. I dont understand why people think there is some huge gap in talent between our recruits or someone we still could sign and those of Ebo. Ebo seems like a good guy and was a serviceable 5. We may have one as good or better already and certainly can find another.
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sacraig
- The desert
He does, but he doesn't hedge it like that. If he knows, he says it. If he is speculating based on real but incomplete or inconclusive info, he hedges.
I swear, this forum really needs one of these:
Deleted member 3875
D
Guest
Listened to his interview with WCIA. He wants to be happy and be able to relate to those around him. Sounds like GWU, St. John’s. Fordham, American U., or LIU might be potential landing spots.
illini80
- Forgottonia
I certainly don't want his head, but anyone who claims this is no big deal is delusional. We need a big no matter his skill or talent at this point or Kipper will be playing the 5 at times, because we will have no other choice. To expect 20 minutes per game from Kane and GB is not realistic.
AEX
- Danger Zone
No way. We don’t all assume he’s getting recruited over. Frankly, why would anyone assume that at this point. And if he thought he was inevitably going to get recruited over, why come in the first place. Plenty of guys go to schools and compete for spots all four years, why should it be any different with Ebo? Why would he have ever imagined a different scenario?
I don't think losing average to below-average role players is any cause for concern. Our overall talent has increased, depth is overrated and I have no doubt we will win more games. The future is bright, better hop on the Brad bandwagon!
illini80
- Forgottonia
Depth is over rated. Write that on your bathroom mirror and remember it this coming season.
The problem is not that we lost an average at best player. The problem is we have tried over and over to recruit a big and have so far failed. Now we lost the only one we had. We have two incoming bigs that are not ready to play.
Maybe the stars will align, a player or two will fall in our lap and everything will be fine. Or more likely, we will get abused badly on the inside again this year and we will have wasted a year of Ayo, Trent, and Kipper.
What’s puzzling to me is that Orlando Antigua was touted as one of the top big men coaches / gurus, both for recruiting and player development.
So far his tenure has seen our highest ranked big de-commit (Tilmon), two veteran bigs bail on their fifth year of eligibility (Black, Finke), and two newly recruited bigs leave after Year One (Vesel, Ebo).
Add in a bunch of prospective bigs we courted hard who passed (one from 45 miles away and another who preferred even to take a walk-on spot) and something just doesn’t add up...
Not saying all is lost or anything, just genuinely confounded.
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So far his tenure has seen our highest ranked big de-commit (Tilmon), two veteran bigs bail on their fifth year of eligibility (Black, Finke), and two newly recruited bigs leave after Year One (Vesel, Ebo).
Add in a bunch of prospective bigs we courted hard who passed (one from 45 miles away and another who preferred even to take a walk-on spot) and something just doesn’t add up...
Not saying all is lost or anything, just genuinely confounded.
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IlliniinNJ
- Cherry Hill, NJ
This type of turnover is going to make potential recruits think real hard before agreeing to become an Illini.
mattcoldagelli
- The Transfer Portal with Do Not Contact Tag
Literally no one has said this.
illini80
- Forgottonia
You can bet it is being used against us.
Listen, I am well aware that I have richly earned a reputation for pessimism around here. And I probably fight a bit too hard against the Loyalty hivemind's gobsmacking combination of never, ever EVER having any expectations whatsoever for performance in games combined with brainless certainty that the 5-star pretty girls are going to all ask us to the dance just around the corner (see? I'm doing it again
). Fair play on both counts.But the facts are that I am more pro-Lovie than most of our fanbase, I was pro-Groce for longer than most of our fanbase, I am more pro-Whitman than loud elements of our fanbase (not here, but check twitter), I was way more pro-Mike Thomas than most of our fanbase, I was more Cubit-curious than most of our fanbase and to my continued great shame I was supportive of Tim Beckman longer than pretty much anybody outside his immediate family. I do not accept and it would be a mistake to assign me some convenient label as Mr. Hate-The-Coach.
What I am is someone who refuses to not call a spade a spade. Brad Underwood is in over his head in this job. This is not a rebuild, this is not a culture change, this is a chicken with its head cut off.
To be clear, neither am I.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
Ryllini
- Lombard
While I think Underwood can and has coached circles around Cuonzo, I wonder what shape we might be in had Cuonzo came here to be our coach. I think Cuonzo may have a better feel how to run a big time program. I think I am with S&C in that BU just might be in over his head here. I don’t think Ebo leaving is a BU issue, but losing most of his recruits from a year ago, granted some were a late in the game hail mary, is cause for concern.
I do believe our talent level has been seriously upgraded coming into this season, but this isn’t a fab 5 situation. I hope we win more than last, but how will they handle the turmoil of losing if this is what it turns in to?
I do believe our talent level has been seriously upgraded coming into this season, but this isn’t a fab 5 situation. I hope we win more than last, but how will they handle the turmoil of losing if this is what it turns in to?
Almost exactly one year. It was May 25th, 2017 that JCL announced his transfer.
I'm so with you...
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