I expect the winning will be before the late "80s like" in-state recruiting momentum returns. We have Damonte and Ayo...they are the loyal in-state contributors so far. I do believe they will someday come back and be recognized as leaders of the basketball resurgence at UofI. EJ may or may not choose to be a part of this. Regardless, I wish all Illinois HSers the best.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (September 2018)
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I don't think the problem is the assistants.
The assistants' job is to get guys interested, build the relationship and get the guys on campus for visits.
That is happening.
Its the HC who has to close and that is not happening.
Chin recruited Kane. The rest were Orlando. They were, uh, not very highly sought after recruits though. Even Illinois can always fill our roster with those type of recruits. He needs to recruit better.
Deleted member 29907
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Are these the same people who said TS was ours last week? There is no one style fits all and BU is not a big touchy feely guy, so he'll have to win over recruits by demonstrating his way wins and gets kids to the next level. Although our win/loss record was not stellar last year, I'd suggest we over-achieved given 1) we didn't have great strength at all positions and 2) the kids were learning a completely new system. Time will tell, but if he can improve on that with time and getting recruits that fit, he can get to wins.
I get the frustration, but as I recall I don't think EJ was ever ours to lose, and I don't think turning on the staff in frustration is the way to go this early in the process.
You are probably not wrong but it's easier to replace assistants. And I dont see much harm in doing so at this point. We still have another season to get through though
Ryllini
- Lombard
You can’t just throw this out there and not expand.
You can replace the assistants, but the problem remains....
If we lose out on all 3 B1G we have been recruiting TS, EJ, OT...then I still think a class of AW, QG, MJ or another big we have offered other than JJ, would be an outstanding class. Not the 4-5* class that we were looking for, but a solid, talented class that can help us get back to where we would need to be to get that 4-5* class we all want.
Ryllini
- Lombard
Also, why is anyone protecting Mark Smith? If he can go around and spread whatever feelings he has about Illinois that affect our recruting, then the inside story of his departure should come out? What is the statute of limitations of how long the real story must be buried?
One new tOSU CB this afternoon.
Coach K is one of the most foul mouth bad natured guys out there, a complete !!! but he wins Point
Our chances of landing Walker and/or QG are pretty low. I couldn’t figure out the guys you were talking about though.
Deleted member 643761
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LOL
Most gossip along these lines reflects poorly on the coaches.
All indications are that BU is a tough task master. Some number of the departures are going to be tough because of that.
We've got to have some success on the court for a guy like BU to get recruiting going at a top level.
I'm still very optimistic
Sounds like Finke.
Much like his mentor.
Being that, or being sensitive to that are learned conditions. So, who gives a flying .....
+1.
I know BU has said they “group recruit” but it seems to me that the assistant who is paid the least is carrying the group. Brought in Ayo, Jones, Kane. What some would call our 3 biggest signings.
It sucks we (likely) lost EJ, but ultimately this all comes down to who we end up with. Let’s see how it shakes out and who we eventually land in this class.
Deleted member 746094
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First post. Couple of thoughts.
BU’s in your face style is no different than the HOF coaches still walking up and down the sidelines for Duke, MSU, KU, WVU and there are a lot more probably to add to the list. Give him a chance to win on the court and this topic will disappear from the forum. A lot of these kids thrive under this type of discipline and environment because they have never been pushed in their lives. From grade school, to high school and into their communities they have only ever been told how they are the best. Reality is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of these kids.
I have been a UofI fan since the late 90’s as I grew up playing against Frank, Marcus and Serg and battled them all through high school. When they decided on Champaign I was an immediate Illini fan. That being said, those times have passed. So has the Flyin Illini as far as relevancy. If BU is selling the late 80’s we are in trouble because this current generation of recruits doesn’t care. Okoro is a perfect example. He was the perfect example of a recruit that was shown what a major college athletic program should look like and he jumped on the first flight out of Central IL. Makes his decision easy. If you don’t get my point, Google Oregon’s facilities. These kids want what they see the pros have and a lot of the Top 50 schools damn near offer that in regards to facilities and athletic amenities. I have only visited campus a few times in the past few years, but UofI is playing catch up to say the least.
If you’re EJ (or any other Top 50) and you go to a tOSU football game with 2 other Top 50 recruits and witness that atmosphere. You then come to a Friday night game against a B10 power in PSU in front of a measly 35K people with two recruits that probably tell you Champaign isn’t their top choice. Do you think his decision is hard? Basketball is important, but these are still 17 to 18 year old kids. They want to whole experience.
BU has a vision. He and his staff have worked hard and put out a ton of offers because they know they are building a program from the ground up. Rebuilds are for programs that have been down for a couple years. We have been irrelevant for over a decade now. To have any Top 100 kids even considering UofI is an accomplishment in itself. BU takes the big swings hoping to land one, but with the understanding wins need to come on the court before the EJ Liddell’s of the world commit to him.
It’s going to take more time than any of us want to allow, but that’s just the reality of the situation.
BU’s in your face style is no different than the HOF coaches still walking up and down the sidelines for Duke, MSU, KU, WVU and there are a lot more probably to add to the list. Give him a chance to win on the court and this topic will disappear from the forum. A lot of these kids thrive under this type of discipline and environment because they have never been pushed in their lives. From grade school, to high school and into their communities they have only ever been told how they are the best. Reality is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of these kids.
I have been a UofI fan since the late 90’s as I grew up playing against Frank, Marcus and Serg and battled them all through high school. When they decided on Champaign I was an immediate Illini fan. That being said, those times have passed. So has the Flyin Illini as far as relevancy. If BU is selling the late 80’s we are in trouble because this current generation of recruits doesn’t care. Okoro is a perfect example. He was the perfect example of a recruit that was shown what a major college athletic program should look like and he jumped on the first flight out of Central IL. Makes his decision easy. If you don’t get my point, Google Oregon’s facilities. These kids want what they see the pros have and a lot of the Top 50 schools damn near offer that in regards to facilities and athletic amenities. I have only visited campus a few times in the past few years, but UofI is playing catch up to say the least.
If you’re EJ (or any other Top 50) and you go to a tOSU football game with 2 other Top 50 recruits and witness that atmosphere. You then come to a Friday night game against a B10 power in PSU in front of a measly 35K people with two recruits that probably tell you Champaign isn’t their top choice. Do you think his decision is hard? Basketball is important, but these are still 17 to 18 year old kids. They want to whole experience.
BU has a vision. He and his staff have worked hard and put out a ton of offers because they know they are building a program from the ground up. Rebuilds are for programs that have been down for a couple years. We have been irrelevant for over a decade now. To have any Top 100 kids even considering UofI is an accomplishment in itself. BU takes the big swings hoping to land one, but with the understanding wins need to come on the court before the EJ Liddell’s of the world commit to him.
It’s going to take more time than any of us want to allow, but that’s just the reality of the situation.
Is that sarcasm? I've seen Izzo, Calipari and Coach K absolutely tear into their players on the bench during games. Self can get out of control on ocassion too.
ChazzReinhold
Mom! The Meatloaf!
I seem to remember BU talking about giving Kipper a hug last year and him responding positively.
Honestly if Griffin never makes a bucket but his brother comes then OA hit is out of the park.
Indiana does just fine
As does Kansas, Duke, North Carolina, Villanova.
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