Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#126      
That is correct.

But for guys that want to get minutes during games, a coach saying "I don't know that I can get you minutes next season" can motivate a player to move on to a new team. I am NOT saying that this is the case for Lieb, as he may indeed wish to stay anyway. I have no idea, nor is it my business.

What I am saying is that, as an example, guys with dreams of professional play, particularly the NBA (however realistic or not that may appear to us), hearing in April that playing time may not be available next season may decide that their best move is to transfer.
Understood. Most players will leave if told they won't play. My impression is that Lieb is a very bright kid who does not expect a professional career. An Illinois degree might have real value for him.
 
#128      
It's over
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#130      
Just to be clear, Henry and Shaw were both rated better than they turned out to be. That class was still very deep based on rankings, not so much by results.
Henry ended up spending some time in the NBA (played ~400 min with Memphis in 2018). Don't think you can say his rating was off b/c anybody that even sniffs the NBA would tend to warrant at least a top 50ish retroactive class rating (he was able to do what guys like Wayne Blackshear didn't do after all, even if only for a short time on a tanking team), but he ended up being more like Kendrick Nunn -- a good player, just not particularly beneficial for us. Shaw on the other hand was simply overrated.
 
#131      
Honestly don’t get the Lieb speculation. Everyone including Lieb knew he wasn’t going to see the court until he was an upper classman if then. He has 3 more years if he took a redshirt. 99.9% of us have no clue if has shown anything in practice. I suppose if he’s shown zero improvement in 2 years he could be asked to leave, but that seems unlikely. Now if he wants to leave that’s a different story. As happy as he was to get here, that seems unlikely too but I certainly don’t know the kid.
I offered him a job for the summer but he said he will be too busy putting in work at Ubben.
 
#132      
There seems to be an assumption that if Coach wants Lieb gone, then Lieb must leave. Not so. The scholarship commitment was for four years. If Lieb wants to stay and get an Illinois degree, he can do it on an athletic scholarship, whether he plays or not.
I thought scholarships had to be renewed every year? It's not a four year contract. I could be wrong about that.
 
#136      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
Yes, Big Ten requires scholarship athletes who are coming from high school to be provided four-year guarantees on their financial aid. After four years the program can tell them their scholarship will not be renewed. This applies for junior college or four-year transfers but it only extends to the end of their original four years of eligibility. For example, if a high school bball players goes to Texas, redshirts as a freshman, plays as a sophomore before transferring to Illinois, then they only need to "guarantee" their scholarship for two years even though they have three years of eligibility remaining. It used to be a non-factor but now that (a) student-athletes can transfer without sitting out and (b) COVID has given countless athletes another year of eligibility, it's become more of a tool for schools looking to nudge athletes along.
 
#137      
Last I heard for the Big Ten, it was a four year contract. That's what got Chris Collins in trouble at NU a few years ago with Johnnie Vassar.

Did Northwestern Basketball Run Off Johnnie Vassar?
And in August 2018, Johnnie dropped the lawsuit. He had transferred to TN Tech. The lawsuit contained more than just the 4 year contract.

 
#138      

IlliniKat91

Chicago, IL
And in August 2018, Johnnie dropped the lawsuit. He had transferred to TN Tech. The lawsuit contained more than just the 4 year contract.

Did the Big Ten rule change with it? I'm honestly asking since I just wanted the article for that particular piece of information.

I'm not so worried about if players are encouraged to transfer, as long as it's done in as upright a manner possible. It's one of those things you just charge to the game at this level.
 
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#140      
Honestly don’t get the Lieb speculation. Everyone including Lieb knew he wasn’t going to see the court until he was an upper classman if then. He has 3 more years if he took a redshirt. 99.9% of us have no clue if has shown anything in practice. I suppose if he’s shown zero improvement in 2 years he could be asked to leave, but that seems unlikely. Now if he wants to leave that’s a different story. As happy as he was to get here, that seems unlikely too but I certainly don’t know the kid.
I really think Lieb could contribute in 1-2 years. He most definitely would have redshirted last year if it wasn't a free COVID year so we really need to look at him like this was his freshman year as a little known 2 star. I don't expect him to ever be a star, but I think he could come in and change up some things since he can shoot. I hope he sticks around. He seems to me that he's a guy that is a team player and will do anything for the TEAM to succeed. You need a couple of those guys on your team. Can't have 13 super stars.
 
#141      
I really think Lieb could contribute in 1-2 years. He most definitely would have redshirted last year if it wasn't a free COVID year so we really need to look at him like this was his freshman year as a little known 2 star. I don't expect him to ever be a star, but I think he could come in and change up some things since he can shoot. I hope he sticks around. He seems to me that he's a guy that is a team player and will do anything for the TEAM to succeed. You need a couple of those guys on your team. Can't have 13 super stars.
Can I ask why you think he will be a contributor?
 
#143      
I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking this but I find the speculation and the talk about who we want to transfer to clear space to be kind of cringy. These guys have worked really hard for this team we all cheer for. It wasn't that long ago that we were excited about these guys joining the team, and now there are a lot of posts excitedly speculating about who will go so we can bring on the next guy to be excited about. I get that this is how the sausage is made, but let's not forget these players are 19 and 20 year-old young men who came here with the highest of hopes and may be feeling any number of ways about how their time here ends. The staff is probably going to have (or has already had) honest conversations with some, or all, of the players and at the end some of those players are probably going to choose to leave the team. That's all well and good. Maybe until we know who those players are we can refrain from throwing around names? Just a suggestion, take it or leave it.

/end rant
 
#144      

sacraig

The desert
I really think Lieb could contribute in 1-2 years. He most definitely would have redshirted last year if it wasn't a free COVID year so we really need to look at him like this was his freshman year as a little known 2 star. I don't expect him to ever be a star, but I think he could come in and change up some things since he can shoot. I hope he sticks around. He seems to me that he's a guy that is a team player and will do anything for the TEAM to succeed. You need a couple of those guys on your team. Can't have 13 super stars.
Personally, I would love a team with 13 superstars. I've got nothing against Lieb, but there is nothing that indicates he will ever be a contributor. Given, we fans don't get to see practice, but he didn't even get tick when both Kofi and Omar were in foul trouble. That doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence.
 
#147      
Can I ask why you think he will be a contributor?
I had the same question. Outside of being tall, I don't see any evidence, at all, that he'll crack the rotation. That's not a knock on the kid, it's more a byproduct of what the talent on the roster is projected to be.

Now, he could LOVE the school and is ok being in his current role. That's entirely possible and that's great. However, if playing time is a key consideration, some soul searching may need to be done.
 
#149      
I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking this but I find the speculation and the talk about who we want to transfer to clear space to be kind of cringy. These guys have worked really hard for this team we all cheer for. It wasn't that long ago that we were excited about these guys joining the team, and now there are a lot of posts excitedly speculating about who will go so we can bring on the next guy to be excited about. I get that this is how the sausage is made, but let's not forget these players are 19 and 20 year-old young men who came here with the highest of hopes and may be feeling any number of ways about how their time here ends. The staff is probably going to have (or has already had) honest conversations with some, or all, of the players and at the end some of those players are probably going to choose to leave the team. That's all well and good. Maybe until we know who those players are we can refrain from throwing around names? Just a suggestion, take it or leave it.

/end rant
While I agree with your overall sentiment, this is the monster that the NCAA has created. They wanted the kids to have choices to come and go without sitting a year. That, combined with NIL, have made every off-season the NCAA version of free agency. Most of these college coaches have no clue what their roster is going to look like from year to year between recruiting and transfers. A year ago, who would have thought Miller would have transferred and we would have been graced with Plummer? This is the monster that was created. Can't blame fans for getting caught up in the excitement of what their roster will be come November. This is the new NCAA and every time there's a big name in the portal, discussion will ensue and part of that discussion will always be how they would/could fit on the roster. On one hand, it's fun and exciting for the fans, but on the other hand (to your point), names get thrown around flippantly, forgetting these are still kids.
 
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