Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#601      

Mobi

M
Mobi
IllinoisssssssVarsity said:
I imagine they had to speak about it at some point right? Like how could you not reach out to somebody you know at a school you’re considering?

Does he have to be IN Waco for these classes or are they online?
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In the interview, sounds like he is or will be in Waco to finish class until July.
 
#605      

HailtotheChief

H
HailtotheChief
Mitch Hennessey said:
Hey folks,

Full-time Baylor fan, part-time IllinoisLoyalty lurker. You may remember I posted back in November when Dain Dainja committed and I poured a little cold water on the party that was in full swing. I will do no such thing this time.

Matt Mayer is awesome. Great player who got better every year he played for Baylor, great teammate, great hair. I'll break down his game below and why I think he left Baylor ultimately, but congratulations and please, please, treat him well.

Matt Mayer's progression over 4 years at Baylor:

Freshman year - Averaged 12 mpg, 4.6 ppg, shot 31% from 3. Complete loose cannon. Never met a shot he didn't like, and was just as likely to come in the game as the 7th-8th guy in the rotation and jack up a shot from the logo as he was to even pass to a teammate. He would come in the game and then frequently get benched immediately. You could tell the potential for him to be a big-time player was there, though.

Sophomore year - Averaged 12 mpg, 4.8 ppg, shot 38% from 3. Steady improvement. You could tell that the light was starting to come on. When Mayer entered the game, you knew what kind of night he was going to have within the first minute. He would either make smart passes, take shots in the flow of the offense, play solid defense, and eventually score double digit points, or he would jack up an out of rhythm 3 in transition, brick it, lose his man on defense and give up a layup, and then dribble the ball off his foot and get benched for the rest of the game. It was one or the other, no real in-between games. The difference was, when he was on, Baylor was unbeatable.

Junior year - 16 mpg, 8.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, shot 40% from 3. Mayer was the ideal 6th man on the best team in the country. He knew that his role was to be instant offense when he came in the game, and he delivered. Spectacular dunks, timely defense in the passing lanes leading to run-outs, fantastic three point shooting, and creative driving and passing. He declared for the draft after the season, but got sick in the predraft process and didn't perform as well. Got a 2nd round grade and came back for his senior year.

Senior year - 23 mpg, 9.8 ppg, 5.0 reb, shot 32% from 3. Last year was a weird year for Matt. He started the year in a horrible shooting slump (he was shooting something like 17% from 3 through the first 10-12 games of the year), yet Baylor was rolling over everyone they played, and other guys were starting to step up and fill the alpha role it was assumed would be Mayer's. He eventually came around and got his shooting numbers back up to average, but he seemed to be forcing things too much. He would have games where he scored 0 points the entire game and then scored 9 in the final two minutes to seal a victory on the road. He would take out of rhythm shots or play iso ball to try and get himself into the flow of the game. He rarely got benched, but for foul trouble, yet only played the 6th most minutes on the team. Despite all of that, he improved in every other aspect of the game (on ball defense, passing, playmaking, off-ball rotations, etc.). He took good shots, for the most part, yet they didn't seem to want to go in. You could tell he was frustrated in many games. Declared for the draft, saying there was a 2% chance he was coming back to college, and entered the transfer portal the final day it was open. He got a tooth knocked out early in the season, then got the same tooth knocked out in a home game against Texas Tech that would end up being Baylor's first loss last year, and I wonder if that wasn't bothering him the whole season. Oral pain is a real b-tch.

Strengths - shooting, playmaking, passing, defense, rebounding. Never, ever lacks for confidence. A great presence in the locker room and on the practice court. I never heard a bad word about his work ethic or attitude.

Weaknesses - tries to do too much at times. Not as good off the dribble as he seems to think he is, which can result in silly turnovers from time to time. Before the Villanova game this past year, he admitted to Kris Budden (I think she was the sideline reporter for that game?) that he gets incredibly nervous before big games and gets in his own head. It was a strange thing to say publicly, but once he said it, you could kind of notice it in his game. He would play great against teams Baylor was supposed to wax, but would seem off in tight games, or in games against top tier opponents. He commits silly fouls and gets himself out of games due to foul trouble too often.


Why I think he left - only Matt and his family can say why he truly left, but my best conjecture is as follows: four years is a long time to stay in a college program, especially when you have the potential to be playing at the next level. I think Matt came into last season thinking he'd be "the man," with a chance to show pro scouts that he deserved to be in the Association, but it didn't work out like that.

Baylor had a really balanced team until injuries kneecapped the season, and there wasn't the need for an alpha to take over until the regular season ended, and by that point Mayer was kind of in the third-scorer role he had occupied all season and wasn't able to break out of it (although he balled out in the tournament).

To compound matters, Baylor basically gave away his scholarship. That's not to say that the player who fills it next year will be a better player than Mayer; on the contrary, there won't be many better players than him on the Baylor roster, period, much less newcomers. But I think the relationship had run its course, and both parties had some interest in moving on.

Mayer wanted someplace he would be playing 30 mpg, and that isn't Baylor next year. He's good enough, but that's not how Baylor's rosters are typically constructed on the wings.

Last thing I'll add: if you read any Baylor message boards, you may see a small number of fans disparaging him on the way out the door. Keep in mind that Baylor's fanbase is almost myopically focused on football, and many of them either don't pay attention to basketball until football season ends, or don't know how to observe the game. A lot of fans formed opinions of Mayer when he was a freshman/soph and never adjusted their opinions as he improved the last two years. They would only see the bad passes, occasional bad shots, and silly fouls and assume he was the same player that frustrated them years earlier.

Ignore those comments. Matt Mayer is great. He's probably not going to be an All-American, or even a first team All Conference player, but he's going to have a long career playing basketball, whether it's the NBA or overseas. Best of luck to him. He'll always be a Bear in my book, but you guys can borrow him for a year.
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Thank you for your feedback. As far as Dain goes I am anxious to see him on the court. One thing I will say is it's likely he is quite a bit different than when at Baylor. He doesn't look anything like when he arrived. He should be much quicker, improved stamina, and nimble than when he arrived. Whether that leads to success who knows but just looking at him you can see the differences in his build and that he is working his tail off. Now I just want to see it on the court. I've heard they are awesome before. Hopefully Dain new body will lead to him being successful on the court.
 
#606      

HailtotheChief

H
HailtotheChief
GoodePodzMelendez said:
Goode and RJ will still get significant minutes. Goode will back up TJ and Mayer. He could even back up RJ. 18-20 minutes a game. The good news is we will be so deep that no one will get to 30 minutes a game. We will be rested and ready for a deep run next year.
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I think in big close games our best player or or two will certainly see 30 minutes a game. They always have.
 
#607      

IllinoisssssssVarsity

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IllinoisssssssVarsity
Adam Maletich said:
Only problem with Payne was athleticism for days, but seemed lost on the court. I was hoping he'd work out. Kid certainly has potential with all his physical attributes.
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His game didn’t fit what we became last year. He is a much better fit for this team imo. We won’t be pounding the ball inside. We’ll be attacking and throwing lobs or dumping off for dunks which is what we he does (and then also kick out 3s). Defensively he can block shots and rebound, which gets us on the break, he’s athletic so he can run too, and he’s quick enough to guard smaller guys.

Whether he’s consistent enough to stay on the court is another argument. But with what it looks like this team could be doing, I think he could have been a good option.
 
#609      

FloridaMan

F
FloridaMan
Zorak said:
Good God, man, slow down. Just make the tournament every year for a while.
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As the saying goes, "Make hay when the sun shines." This much talent does not land in Champaign every year. I've been slowed down since '89, with a slight increase in pace from 2002-2006. It's time to speed this train up and make the most of the talent the staff has assembled. Now you and I both hope that Underwood can sustain what he has built here, but like I said, I've been around for a while and have seen how fleeting these opportunities can be.
 
#610      

GoodePodzMelendez

G
GoodePodzMelendez
HailtotheChief said:
I think in big close games our best player or or two will certainly see 30 minutes a game. They always have.
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You will see a few games like that but it wont be the norm. Trent played 34 minutes a game last year. Way too many. I think the most will be around 28-29. I have always been a proponent of a 10 man rotation. We had only 7 guys last year with double digit playing time. The league average was 10. I would think that Clark, RJ, TJ, Hawk, Mayer, Dain, Goode, Rogers, Grad 5, and Epps will see double digit minutes. This is the deepest team since 2001 for the Illini.
 
#617      

Combo

C
Combo
Mobi said:
Brad is selling Mayer playing more three. Sounds like we will have like 5 threes on our team! (And they are going to play 1-4.)
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Starting lineup likely has three 3s, a PG, and a PF. Out of our 11 scholarship players, five are natural 3s.
 
#618      

blife

B
blife
LvilleILL said:
going to likely add one more depth piece and call it good....unless Mr.Nance decides to come back
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He is training with TAs organization. IF and it is a big IF he withdraws his name
sanford and son GIF
 
#619      

Tacomallini

T
Washington State
Tacomallini
LvilleILL said:
going to likely add one more depth piece and call it good....unless Mr.Nance decides to come back
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you think staff is prioritizing a backup 5 or backup point guard or first decent fit (big or PG) joins the team and call it good?
EDIT: didn't see Axeman posted the same question.
 
#624      

pruman91

pruman91
Paducah, Ky
pruman91
altgeld88 said:
It was premeditated. I played hard-to-get with the recruiting thread and it clearly upped it's game to lure me back.
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So , you're a playa and got played ????????..................................lol , that will teach you to make sure you check the recruiting thread DAILY.........

NO , HOURLY ..............................................

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NO , minute by minute..................................................

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Damn , I'm high..............................Damn Damn , I really really am............................

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I think I'll give papi pru a call ..............I miss him , I really really do ......( NL # 5 , moved to Brazil a few months ago )..................................
 
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