Was too busy watching the Sox trying to give me a heart attack to see the Podz news. Wishing the kid all the best except if/when he faces us.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Conflicting insiders!
You use them to describe your cakes in detail?
That word is almost the same as "moist" for me
Just as troubling is that original post got a handful of likes.
I was the one who said it….
NOOOOOOOOOO! Dang it Man. This makes me very sad
.LOL! I didn't scroll back far enough clearly. Derp.
I think is in the way you read it...BT could be agreeing or disagreeing. Also you may be conflicted..lol.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Highly doubt Podz is transferring because of his playing time last year. I assume it’s more so about playing time next year. So I don’t think the super seniors being a part of the team last year has much to do with this decision.
Bigtex
- DFW
Wishing Podz luck. He seems like a good dude. This is the nature of college basketball these days I guess.
0440 so who wins when you are conflicting between yourself? Some of this stuff you just can’t make up. Haha
With NIL, portal, etc any coaching staff is compelled to recruit over what they have (which includes recruiting their own players). Else that staff will not survive.
I think players and their parents have adjusted to that reality.
The fans have yet to catch up. Got to get used to a turnover every year - some teams in the Dance had some 60% from the portal.
The one person I feel for is Fletch. His cycle now is a year - which is very difficult.
On Podz, wish him the best
Same. I remember thinking to myself in the moment what a massive shot it was.
Best of luck to Podz. Loved his attitude all year.
Go Illini
Two things I don’t get, why people keep thinking Podz was all world after his first season with very little time. And the narrative that Coach Underwood doesn’t play freshman. He’s played freshman a lot every year. Thanks for the info 0440,Lville, and Indy much appreciated.
Agree on BU of giving Freshmen chances,, but I do believe BU slow played RJ this year (i.e. he could have given him more tick earlier)
I’m not what is technically an insider, but no. Between last year’s playing time and the athletic guards coming in…
Any updates on TSJ? Seems like it's been too quiet on that front.
sacraig
- The desert
I probably very slightly agree but that point is debatable. It comes down to the value of points versus everything else, and I don't have all the stats/analytics to weigh that myself. It sure seemed based on the eye test that his other virtues were no longer clearly making up for his lack of points by the end of the season, but I don't think that's an open and shut case.
He plays less talented and possibly/probably less effective older players in lieu of younger players. You can spin it however you want. It’s not that he doesn’t play freshman, he just generally doesn’t trust them as much and errs on the side of playing someone like DMW over RJ despite DMW providing nothing down the stretch. I’m a massive Underwood fan and this fact is plain as the sky is blue to me.
I don’t think anyone believes Podz was “all world” but he’s a 6’5” scoring guard that can handle the ball and shoot the 3 that looked like he could compete at times. We return basically nothing at guard. Seems strange a kid like that didn’t see a future with significant playing time. Maybe the coaches told him he’d never start. IDK. But it’s a massive position of need for next year.
I think by the end of this year it was pretty black and white. End of last year and earlier parts of this year he was effective. But he didn’t shoot 50% this year and basically stopped taking open shots. Developed this drive and pivot and turn it over move that he couldn’t stop going to. Teams stopped guarding him and it bogged us down. Previous year he was canning dagger 3’s when they do that.
Wasn’t RJ hurt for a few weeks earlier in the season (Jan?), before the appendectomy? I think it was mentioned here and might have been why he didn’t get as much time.
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