Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#201      
And you would of had another NBA draft success story to show recruits!!!
It’s not like we missed out on a lottery pick where Brad would have been all over tv. And let’s say we get him and Ayo leaves then after a year, you want that trade off? Or you just pretending it would have worked?
 
#202      
These are four good major college players. They didn’t love their time here, they still all have had good careers at D1 schools and we’ve still been successful. This is a weird stance to take.
Fears will likely be a good major college player. That doesn't mean UI is the best fit for him.

I remember when they took a commitment from a kid who had almost no chance of qualifying. I can't even recall his name.
 
#203      

sacraig

The desert
And you would of had another NBA draft success story to show recruits!!!
Given that there was seemingly no way they were both coming here, we would have had one NBA draft pick either way. With Ayo, we got 3 years and a family that have been major cheerleaders and are now mentors/coaches to several big name prospects coming up now that Ayo's dad coaches at Kenwood. I think we came out ahead in that whole situation.
 
#205      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
Happy to read these stories with direct quotes from THT's mother if you have them. Otherwise, again, no proof.
Guess we're going down this wormhole, again. THT was 100% going to commit to the beloved (massive coup by Underwood). The OP is correct, THT's offer was pulled at the 11:59th hour. Underwood thought he could finesse a tricky situation. He couldn't. He had to choose. He made the right choice, hands down.
 
#207      

The Galloping Ghost

Washington, DC
Ayo's banner is in the rafters and yet we're still relitigating the Ayo vs. THT situation.
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#208      
Fears will likely be a good major college player. That doesn't mean UI is the best fit for him.

I remember when they took a commitment from a kid who had almost no chance of qualifying. I can't even recall his name.
Was his last name a month of the year? We really needed guys who were taller than Brad at that point.

Regardless of who we might have taken then, the program is in a much different place now. We were beggars, now we are choosers.
 
#209      
Happy to read these stories with direct quotes from THT's mother if you have them. Otherwise, again, no proof.
Once the smoke cleared; Talen Horton-Tucker, Shirley Horton, Jerrel Oliver, and Robert Smith all publicly said UI did not pull the offer. According to them, THT picked Iowa State over us in a close call. Xavier was his third choice.
 
#211      
I didn't know he had a son. Very sad. Thanks for the info.
If you haven't seen the ESPN 30 for 30 called "Benji" it's highly recommended. Very good documentary on the life and death of Ben Wilson.

Anytime I think of him I'm always immediately reminded of what could have been with the Illini basketball program had he not been murdered and had committed here. It has always long been urban legend per Chicago insiders and Nick Anderson, his high school teammate that he was coming here. The talent and skill this young man possessed in high school were the stuff of legends. He was definitely a prodigy, a sure-fire can't miss prospect.

Very sad life story. 😞
 
#212      
He will be. But, the staff has earned the right to make this call. This isn’t Groce struggling to field teams.
Then we appear to agree. That was my point. The staff can now afford to be a little more selective.
 
#213      
Fears will likely be a good major college player. That doesn't mean UI is the best fit for him.

I remember when they took a commitment from a kid who had almost no chance of qualifying. I can't even recall his name.
Jack Krapp? Probably January or Kouma.
 
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#215      
You are crazy as hell!!! I love Ayo,but THT has more skills than Ayo and he will make more money and have a longer career in the NBA
Yes but doesn’t mean he was better for our program. He played one year at Iowa state and left. Ayo had the attitude to stay, help build and raise banners. He was what we needed at that point in time.
 
#216      

sacraig

The desert
You are crazy as hell!!! I love Ayo,but THT has more skills than Ayo and he will make more money and have a longer career in the NBA
I honestly don't care who makes more money. I am more interested in who makes a bigger impact on their respective programs. I think it's already reasonably clear that Ayo made a bigger impact on ours than THT did on ISU's.
 
#221      
These are four good major college players. They didn’t love their time here, they still all have had good careers at D1 schools and we’ve still been successful. This is a weird stance to take.
My “stance” was directed solely at the post suggesting that our coach is uniquely qualified among others to identify and steer clear of players with difficult meddling parents or off court issues. Not that any of these players are not talented. I wish they were all still here. Every one of them. What I dislike is the only our coach or only our fan base or only our players arguments.
 
#223      
This is correct. He committed to Illinois 11/30/2018. Eventually he did end up at New Mexico. He was a Chin special.
How was his performance at UNM?

I always wondered whatever happened to ole Antwan?
 
#224      
Ayo didn't have the attitude to stay and help the program, he stayed because he was not going to be drafted!!! But a 17 year old kid got drafted by the Lakers
I got drafted at the age of 19.
My dad said, "Son, the Army will be good for you!"

Hummm? Well... I don't think so!
 
#225      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
Pick your two very favorite foods. They are both delicious. You can have one for one year. You can have one for 3 years. You cannot have both.
When their time is up, you can never have either one again.

Now choose.
 
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