Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (January 2021)

[IlliniBrave75]

For some of you who may not know, the below twitter has always been a great follow, but the folks at Illiniboard have been doing a great job since taking over... all three articles above were tweeted by them.

UIHoopsRecruits@UIHoopsRecruit ·Jan 8

Announcement: We're handing this account off to the folks at Illiniboard. They'll be good stewards and may do some cool stuff down the road. This account won’t change - it will remain 100% Illini basketball recruiting.

 

[Homecoming 2019]

For some of you who may not know, the below twitter has always been a great follow, but the folks at Illiniboard have been doing a great job since taking over... all three articles above were tweeted by them.
UIHoopsRecruits@UIHoopsRecruit ·Jan 8

Announcement: We're handing this account off to the folks at Illiniboard. They'll be good stewards and may do some cool stuff down the road. This account won’t change - it will remain 100% Illini basketball recruiting.

Seconded this, they don't miss out on anything that even has the most minute reference to the Illini recruiting. That being said, has there been any recent developments in AJ Casey's recruitment? He's obviously a high priority of ours and I'd love to know where we stand.

 

[kyillinifan]

Has there been any news on Casey’s recruiting?

 

[sharpshot16]

Has there been any news on Casey’s recruiting?

Have a lot of ground to cover in that one - trailing really hard right now.

 

[GloryDays]

Have a lot of ground to cover in that one - trailing really hard right now.

I think that relationship with Simeon is pretty broke. Of course they never really sent us their top guys anyway.

 

[Kofiisforclosing]

I think that relationship with Simeon is pretty broke. Of course they never really sent us their top guys anyway.

I believe he transferred from Simeon. I was always low on our probability to get one of these 5* kids from Chicago that has NBA scouts/handlers in his ear already.

 

[GloryDays]

I believe he transferred from Simeon. I was always low on our probability to get one of these 5* kids from Chicago that has NBA scouts/handlers in his ear already.

Ah he's at Whitney young now. They've never been particularly friendly to us.

 

[Joel Goodson]

Has there been any news on Casey’s recruiting?

I think the kid from Gary may be better. No idea where we stand with him though. FWLIW on Casey: I was told awhile ago that he's not buying what we're selling.

 

[Homecoming 2019]

I believe he transferred from Simeon. I was always low on our probability to get one of these 5* kids from Chicago that has NBA scouts/handlers in his ear already.

Well lucky for him he has a year or two to see how the careers of Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd, Daishen Nix, & Kai Sotto pan out with the straight to G-League approach.

 

[logjam]

Ah he's at Whitney young now. They've never been particularly friendly to us.

Can we get him over to Morgan Park?

 

[TCTORNADO]

Can we get him over to Morgan Park?

MPHS is going to be much, much different now that Nick is gone. The new "go to" school is Kenwood and Mike Irvin.

 

[Soulberries]

Have a lot of ground to cover in that one - trailing really hard right now.

Trailing who?

 

[OldYeller]

Well lucky for him he has a year or two to see how the careers of Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd, Daishen Nix, & Kai Sotto pan out with the straight to G-League approach.

I love A.J. Casey but he is not at that level. Not even close.

 

[illinitiger]

I think that relationship with Simeon is pretty broke. Of course they never really sent us their top guys anyway.

...""never..." maybe exageration... perhaps trend in last 30 years. Lou and Jimmy Collins got most Simeon top guys. I consider Nunn a recent exception.

 

[GloryDays]

...""never..." maybe exageration... perhaps trend in last 30 years. Lou and Jimmy Collins got most Simeon top guys. I consider Nunn a recent exception.

If you have to go back 30 years and 4 coaches ago, never might as well apply.

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

FWLIW on Casey: I was told awhile ago that he's not buying what we're selling.

You weren't told wrong.

 

[AnnoyedWithGarza]

You weren't told wrong.

Can you say what our pitch to him is that he just isn't buying?

 

[armo859]

Great names from the past!!

Jim Spanarkel -- star of the first Duke team I can personally recall. Beaten in the 1978 NCAA finals by Jack Givens and Kentucky. I actually liked Duke back then because they were a fresh name that came out of nowhere. That was the first "bad decision" of my life.

(BTW, Jay Shidler from Lawrenceville, IL played on that '78 KY team). March Madness was just on the verge of becoming what it is today. Bird and Magic in '79 helped its popularity grow geometrically.

Oh man, Jay Shidler! That name brings back memories. I played on the University High B-ball team '74, '75, and '76 (Urbana - not the Bloomington/Normal team that was actually good :-0) and about the only perk was getting free tickets to the IHSA tournament at the Hall. Shidler put on quite a shooting clinic. I had to go back and find an article to confirm the numbers, and even after too much water under the bridge, I remembered correctly that he scored 48 in the semi's. My other favorite memory was watching a skinny Jack Sikma play for St. Anne. He was a one-man band, taking the rebounds and dribbling the length of the court to score.

"Jay Shidler became a rock star in 1976. The Lawrenceville senior scored a then record 157 points in four games to turn the Class A finals into a personal Woodstock. No one else on his team scored more than 28 points. On the final Saturday, he scored 48 in a semifinal loss to Oneida ROVA in the afternoon [note: out of a total of 70 points], then came back at night to score 45 in a consolation victory over Buda Western [out of a total of 65 points]. In a 29-2 season, Shidler averaged 32.7 points"

Did I hear that the state tournament is returning to its' rightful place in Champaign?

 

[Bucktown]

Oh man, Jay Shidler! That name brings back memories. I played on the University High B-ball team '74, '75, and '76 (Urbana - not the Bloomington/Normal team that was actually good :-0) and about the only perk was getting free tickets to the IHSA tournament at the Hall. Shidler put on quite a shooting clinic. I had to go back and find an article to confirm the numbers, and even after too much water under the bridge, I remembered correctly that he scored 48 in the semi's. My other favorite memory was watching a skinny Jack Sikma play for St. Anne. He was a one-man band, taking the rebounds and dribbling the length of the court to score.

"Jay Shidler became a rock star in 1976. The Lawrenceville senior scored a then record 157 points in four games to turn the Class A finals into a personal Woodstock. No one else on his team scored more than 28 points. On the final Saturday, he scored 48 in a semifinal loss to Oneida ROVA in the afternoon [note: out of a total of 70 points], then came back at night to score 45 in a consolation victory over Buda Western [out of a total of 65 points]. In a 29-2 season, Shidler averaged 32.7 points"

Did I hear that the state tournament is returning to its' rightful place in Champaign?

He would shoot from anywhere on the court. Imagine how much he would have scored with the 3-point shot!

 

[rtbritt]

Can you say what our pitch to him is that he just isn't buying?

Just a guess....he really wants to go to a blue blood, like most big-time recruits. It doesn't probably matter what we pitch...

 

[illini80]

Oh man, Jay Shidler! That name brings back memories. I played on the University High B-ball team '74, '75, and '76 (Urbana - not the Bloomington/Normal team that was actually good :-0) and about the only perk was getting free tickets to the IHSA tournament at the Hall. Shidler put on quite a shooting clinic. I had to go back and find an article to confirm the numbers, and even after too much water under the bridge, I remembered correctly that he scored 48 in the semi's. My other favorite memory was watching a skinny Jack Sikma play for St. Anne. He was a one-man band, taking the rebounds and dribbling the length of the court to score.

"Jay Shidler became a rock star in 1976. The Lawrenceville senior scored a then record 157 points in four games to turn the Class A finals into a personal Woodstock. No one else on his team scored more than 28 points. On the final Saturday, he scored 48 in a semifinal loss to Oneida ROVA in the afternoon [note: out of a total of 70 points], then came back at night to score 45 in a consolation victory over Buda Western [out of a total of 65 points]. In a 29-2 season, Shidler averaged 32.7 points"

Did I hear that the state tournament is returning to its' rightful place in Champaign?

Thanks for the memories! I was on that ROVA team. (Not on the court. Lol)

 

[Kofiisforclosing]

Just a guess....he really wants to go to a blue blood, like most big-time recruits. It doesn't probably matter what we pitch...

It never helps when a player is on Meanstreets either. They have an assistant head coach who talks crap about the illini program nonstop. It's fairly pathetic.

 

[BRucks]

Did I hear that the state tournament is returning to its' rightful place in Champaign?

Yes.

 

[Gregjacksonfan]

Oh yes the blonde bomber from Lawrenceville. Great memories. He was pulling up from 30 ft.

 

[alaskaillini]

Thanks for the memories! I was on that ROVA team. (Not on the court. Lol)

You two are the same vintage as I. Our team was never really competitive, so I don't have many vivid memories of the state tournaments except the 1973 Kaneland team (and Thornridge of course). Kaneland played the four corner offense and, since it was before the shot clock, most of their games were in the 40s. Was the most deliberate basketball I have ever seen, but it got them to the finals.