Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (November 2020)

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#476      
As long as the Cubs bullpen is pitching, we have a chance....
But the Cubs bullpen was good this season...
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#477      

sacraig

The desert
In 3 seasons, BU has managed to construct a proper team with in-state, foreign-born, and others from each coast. This season's team may change things, but I see a future in which we will be legitimate players for Top-25 - 50 talent on whom we will close at a clip of ~2 / yr; we are not going to become a one-and-done program. Aside from the high 4* and 5* stars that will come, the rest of our recruits will be largely be composed of the Goodes / Schutts of the prep world and the talent from outside the top-75 that the staff has been very good at identifying - this includes players coming from abroad (is Deiman Reyes still a thing?). In this vein, I can see many rosters being built like Mark Few has with Gonzaga. Winning darn sure helps attract top talent, both of which Few has done, but he has built a winning program with classes that have ranked outside the top-50. His '20 and '21 classes are the result of the grind to national relevance. This is a roadmap, blueprint, path or whatever is something that is quite possible with this program.

The last point, while tenable, is a big "?" and open to criticism; it is also predicated on OA staying and Gentry continuing to be a rockstar. The transfer portal will factor heavily into the calculus, but Few's model seems realistic enough and consistent with where the program is, where it could be after this season, and what it should look like in several years.

If this is our destiny, I am all for it. I don't want to be a one-and-done program. Get one here and there, sure, but I want to get to know our guys over a few years. It's more fun to follow that way. If we get ~2 guys ranked 25-50 every year we will be in the AP Top 15 with deep tourney runs every year in all likelihood. I am happy with that with the occasional shot at the title. I don't want to be Duke. I would rather be Michigan State.
 
#478      

illini80

Forgottonia
If this is our destiny, I am all for it. I don't want to be a one-and-done program. Get one here and there, sure, but I want to get to know our guys over a few years. It's more fun to follow that way. If we get ~2 guys ranked 25-50 every year we will be in the AP Top 15 with deep tourney runs every year in all likelihood. I am happy with that with the occasional shot at the title. I don't want to be Duke. I would rather be Michigan State.
Did the NBA make a decision on the one and done rule? I thought this was to be the last year for it.
 
#479      

sacraig

The desert
Did the NBA make a decision on the one and done rule? I thought this was to be the last year for it.

I thought they had but I have no idea what is going on with it post-COVID. That story got lost in the noise.
 
#481      
Personally I don't feel as though Miami is that much of a threat.. Playing away from home didn't seem to bother him had he came to Illinois and his family stayed in New Hampshire.. I don't think he was interested in staying close..a relationship is everything with these kids and I think he's built one with our staff..miami has nothing that's really appealing..i think I read somewhere that he wanted to play with a great guard.. I think Curbelo fits that bill👏🔥💯👍
 
#482      
Did the NBA make a decision on the one and done rule? I thought this was to be the last year for it.
Covid has messed a lot of stuff up. It might be in effect that players go directly to the league after the class of 22(Emoni Bates class). If not it will be the class of 23'(Dajuan Wagner Jr & Mikey Williams' class).
 
#484      
Just convince Kofi he needs a third year. Problem solved. :)

He’s in a tough spot when it comes to the NBA. His style of play just isn’t what the NBA wants anymore. He needs to show a midrange game at the very least. Old school back to the basket centers like Kofi are rare anymore in the NBA. The reality is he will need another year but i doubt he will want to do that.

Kordell Charles is very intriguing from the limited video I’ve seen. I will always take a gamble on an athletic 6’7 kid that can handle the ball. His ranking has appeared to slide on each update on Rivals, I’m curious why??
 
#485      
Personally I don't feel as though Miami is that much of a threat.. Playing away from home didn't seem to bother him had he came to Illinois and his family stayed in New Hampshire.. I don't think he was interested in staying close..a relationship is everything with these kids and I think he's built one with our staff..miami has nothing that's really appealing..i think I read somewhere that he wanted to play with a great guard.. I think Curbelo fits that bill👏🔥💯👍
Ahhh but, have you seen the winters and the women...
 
#491      
This!! Not one person on this board, including myself, ever thought Ayo would be here 3 years.
Me either. Trust me. Unforeseen circumstances. He was going to the league after last season, but he got robbed of the chance to shine during the 2020 Big Ten Tournament, couldn't shine during the 2020 NCAA Tournament, and didnt get a first round guarantee during the preliminary interviews. So he is back to try to add a National Championship and improve that three point percentage.
 
#492      
I know Kofi doesn't fit the mold of NBA bigs anymore, but does anyone think that could be good for him? The current long, lean athletic bigs can't handle him? They have to adjust to him? I know it's a long shot but the game changes. Who thought Steph would be an mvp? Plus everything old is new again, right?
 
#493      
I know Kofi doesn't fit the mold of NBA bigs anymore, but does anyone think that could be good for him? The current long, lean athletic bigs can't handle him? They have to adjust to him? I know it's a long shot but the game changes. Who thought Steph would be an mvp? Plus everything old is new again, right?
Depends on how dominant he is this year. If he looks like he's gonna be Shaq, definitely. If he's Caleb Swannigan or Isaac Haas, probably not.
 
#494      
Depends on how dominant he is this year. If he looks like he's gonna be Shaq, definitely. If he's Caleb Swannigan or Isaac Haas, probably not.

I don't think this will happen but best case scenario for Kofi is if Azubuike shows out in the NBA this upcoming season, or Kofi somehow shows up like Joel with more wiggle, passing, and a 3 point shot.
 
#495      
This!! Not one person on this board, including myself, ever thought Ayo would be here 3 years.
Ehh...I'm not going to claim I "thought" he would be, but I never thought he was definitely an NBA player. I honestly wouldn't have been surprised had he been a 4-year guy.

I bet there was someone on here that posted that at some point.

There are the obvious questions about Ayo being an NBA guy. He has never shown plus playmaking, passing, athleticism, or shooting. I DO think he is going to be a pro because of his hard work and his size, but there are definitely legit questions that have always been there.

This is NOT me saying that I called him being here 3 years!
 
#496      
The toothbrush must have been invented there. If invented anywhere else, it would have been called a teethbrush. Sorry- my first off focus post
No Kentucky was home to the invention of the toothbrush ....the original was one bristle only....as the idea caught on more bristles were added for efficiency
 
#497      
I know Kofi doesn't fit the mold of NBA bigs anymore, but does anyone think that could be good for him? The current long, lean athletic bigs can't handle him? They have to adjust to him? I know it's a long shot but the game changes. Who thought Steph would be an mvp? Plus everything old is new again, right?
I think we're going to see Kofi come out this year looking more like the current mold of NBA bigs. I expect him to have a little better shooting touch and to be working on extending out to the 3 pt line. But what I'm most excited for is his hopefully increased athleticism. It looks like he's continued to lean out a bit and I'd love to see him as a premier rim runner. Starting the break with a block at one end serving as an outlet pass and then finishing the play at the other end with a slam off an Ayo lob
 
#498      

sacraig

The desert
I think we're going to see Kofi come out this year looking more like the current mold of NBA bigs. I expect him to have a little better shooting touch and to be working on extending out to the 3 pt line. But what I'm most excited for is his hopefully increased athleticism. It looks like he's continued to lean out a bit and I'd love to see him as a premier rim runner. Starting the break with a block at one end serving as an outlet pass and then finishing the play at the other end with a slam off an Ayo lob

TL;DR

It would be nice if Kofi turned into an NBA All-Star this year.
 
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