Skyy Clark signs with Illinois

[Birdus]

It's like re-overloading because, if/when Kofi returns, we have more top to bottom talent, albeit very young talent, than we had last year. At least potential talent.

There's no doubt.

 

[Dee_4_Three_83]

This is awesome! He may need to talk to RJ about what happens @ 10:30 in this video. Also, when it's all said and done, I hope they talk about Illinois like they did UK in this video as the place to go if you want to go to the next level.

 

[Goillinikobd]

I know it’s based on a 2:20 minute interview, but I sense that Skyy has the character and attitude of Ayo. Looking forward to Ayo 2.0.

Great kid, great win for the staff.

 

[WyattEarp]

They got...Epps, Harris, Rogers...AND Dainja...AND Clark...all this past year.

That is unreal.

For me, the celebrations are warranted. The staff has done outstanding and SHOULD be celebrated.

Also it's all of their first years on staff after the entire staff was poached last off-season. Absolutely unreal.

Yeah seriously…after all of the uncertainty over losing Orlando & Chin…do we actually have a better recruiting staff now than we did before??

Maybe it’s premature to make that call.
BUT like you guys say…when you consider
what these guys did in just a year after hitting the ground running it’s just a phenomenal job.

At least right now, by the numbers…they’re
straight up better too. Amirite?

 

[Orangetool]

I'm not sure I have ever heard a top recruit commit say that a strength coach was key to his decision, continuing evidence that Adam Fletcher is the best s/c coach in the country.

I'm sure JW heard that and hoping he will raise / extend Fletch's agreement to keep him.
Fletch will (probably has been) be getting interest from other programs.

 

[hooraybeer]

Yeah seriously…after all of the uncertainty over losing Orlando & Chin…do we actually have a better a recruiting staff now than we did before??

Maybe it’s premature to make that call.
BUT like you guys say…when you consider
what these guys did in just a year after hitting the ground running it’s a just a phenomenal job.

At least right now, by the numbers…they’re
straight up better too. Amirite?

subjectively, yes it seems that way. also objectively yes. we haven't had a top 10 ranked recruiting class in as long as I can remember

 

[orange100]

I forgot to check this board last night because I was watching the Braves game on ESPN2 but then I noticed the repeating chyron "5 Star Guard Skyy Clark commits to Illinois." It repeated several times throughout the game. Very cool to see- good shot for the program.

 

[illini0440]

Wow, this feels like a day to mark in time. We’ve been good over the last three yrs but I think we have now hit a new paved road.

Underwood is very good at his job.

And yet we question who he plays after every game....

 

[Orangetool]

And yet we question who he plays after every game....

Maybe not so many questions now that Damonte and Curbelo are gone.

 

[sacraig]

Maybe not so many questions now that Damonte and Curbelo are gone.

You don't seriously believe this...

 

[Emerson Bigguns]

Maybe not so many questions now that Damonte and Curbelo are gone.

 

[Emerson Bigguns]

Yep. We have 6-7 players can play 1-3. Especially the SG position is very crowded now. I don't want to jinx but I start to doubt how long we can keep all these great guards on roster. Definitely a good problem to have.

We've lost talented guards to transfer in the recent future. If you win, other talented guards will gladly take their place. If they are leaving, it usually because they aren't playing or aren't fitting in. That's okay. The program is selling itself right now. Illinois basketball is becoming a destination.

 

[illini0440]

Maybe not so many questions now that Damonte and Curbelo are gone.

there is a reason they played.....there's a reason these coaches get paid like they do to make those decisions. They watch the game through a different lens than the fans. Who missed more assignments, who is more tuned into the scouting report, etc.

 

[BMoreIllini]

there is a reason they played.....there's a reason these coaches get paid like they do to make those decisions. They watch the game through a different lens than the fans. Who missed more assignments, who is more tuned into the scouting report, etc.

It's an unreal to me that some fans (across all fan bases) seem to think they know more about basketball than the coaches that do it for a living and that they can make better decisions on playing time. It's a bold assumption to make while knowing less about how the player has been in practice, having an idea of how much each player studies the scouting report, and strengths/weaknesses based on individual matchups.

 

[madcrazeeballa]

Yeah seriously…after all of the uncertainty over losing Orlando & Chin…do we actually have a better recruiting staff now than we did before??

Maybe it’s premature to make that call.
BUT like you guys say…when you consider
what these guys did in just a year after hitting the ground running it’s just a phenomenal job.

At least right now, by the numbers…they’re
straight up better too. Amirite?

I would say it definitely is. I mean this class used to be AJ Storr and Reggie Bass. No knock on those guys, but I'd take every single one of the currently committed guys over them.

 

[BBIQ]

there is a reason they played.....there's a reason these coaches get paid like they do to make those decisions. They watch the game through a different lens than the fans. Who missed more assignments, who is more tuned into the scouting report, etc.

They also see them everyday in practice, we don't.

 

[skyIdub]

Spicy 0440 is the best 0440.

 

[illini0440]

Spicy 0440 is the best 0440.

 

[pruman91]

 

[Longtimelurker]

I would say it definitely is. I mean this class used to be AJ Storr and Reggie Bass. No knock on those guys, but I'd take every single one of the currently committed guys over them.

Yeah, and now St Johns is just swimming in our wake. First Storr and now Curbelo.

 

[Orangetool]

there is a reason they played.....there's a reason these coaches get paid like they do to make those decisions. They watch the game through a different lens than the fans. Who missed more assignments, who is more tuned into the scouting report, etc.

You misunderstood my post.
I was not criticizing these players but rather pointing out that their playing time seemed to garner a lot of discussion here.

 

[Orangetool]

You don't seriously believe this...

Again, misreading my post.
I'm not criticizing these two players but pointing out that their playing time was sometimes polarizing and created discussions here.

 

[sacraig]

Again, misreading my post.
I'm not criticizing these two players but pointing out that their playing time was sometimes polarizing and created discussions here.

No, you are misreading my post. You can't seriously believe people won't find other players they think should/shouldn't be playing.

 

[Orangetool]

No, you are misreading my post. You can't seriously believe people won't find other players they think should/shouldn't be playing.

Ha, ok I see what you are saying. Yup, that will never die here.

 

[MannyBianco]

there is a reason they played.....there's a reason these coaches get paid like they do to make those decisions. They watch the game through a different lens than the fans. Who missed more assignments, who is more tuned into the scouting report, etc.

Every fan base in every sport everywhere in the world second-guesses the coach. It's like suggesting we shouldn't talk about the games. This program has improved incredibly during Underwood's time, but there have been some head scratching decisions. We're pretty mild here, really.