Chet Walker
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Chet Walker
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Ayo wasn't a PG (in the NBA's eyes) and there were legit questions about his shooting prowess.
To be a 1AD, Skyy needs to have an excellent season, no doubt. But to say he has to make "a more substantial contribution than Ayo as a junior" is straight BS.
The folks in Bloomington should be happy that their program is back to regional power status after the dark days of Crean and Miller
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I can't decide which one of these statements is more ridiculous.
And the funny irony is Ayo was listed as a 6'4" PG with a 247 grade of 0.9888 and a national composite rank of 32, whereas Skyy is listed as a 6'3" PG with a 247 grade of 0.9880 and a national composite rank of 33. It's the exact same status of prospect.
A lot of you guys don't know the first thing about the NBA, and to a lot of your credit you usually admit it.
theNewGuy
- Dallas, TX
This would probably mean that top top players out of high school won't commit to college until either they don't get drafted or get drafted but are told to go to college (or G league). I would assume NBA teams would want their drafted players under their own control so G league would probably be the preferred spot and the salaries of those players would have to reflect what they could make in NIL. Am I going down a rabbit hole here?
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Above all else what Skyy has to be in order to be a one-and-done is healthy and explosive at the rim the way he was when he rose to recruiting prominence in the first place.
Back in the day they were almost as good as Manual.
I think the Skyy to the NBA talk is based on pre-injury evaluations which is why your numbers are being ignored by those people. But I'd also add that those pre-injury numbers are related to the college game and not the NBA. There's little doubt that at his height he could be a top 10 college talent but not a top ten NBA draft talent. I'm not sure exactly what he has to show to close that gap, but his height will be an issue.
Well, they have made a Sweet 16 more recently than Illinois.
2006 -
First Round - Beat #4 Seed Kansas 77-73
Second Round - Beat #5 Seed Pitt 72-66
Lost in Sweet 16 - #1 Seed Memphis 64-80
Very true. I'd say a close second would be his projected ability to defend 1-2 at the next level. Ain't no way he's gone after this year if there are any questions about his defense.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
Lmao.....So hold on..... you want him to "quit trying to compare and downplay this young man's gifts".......right after you compare and downplay Ayo's gifts (talent)?
Which...by the way....were arguably top 20 NBA draft gifts.
PG's being one and done are rare - and it usually requires a very high athleticism, jump out of the gym, kind of talent, or a lights out shooter like Trae Young. I think Skyy can be a great player, but he's not a jump out of they gym guy. His vert was 33" before he got hurt, which is not bad, but not the explosiveness the NBA analytics guy drool over these days. He doesn't appear to be a lights out shooter with Trae Young range either.
There's almost zero chance a 6 foot guard makes it to the NBA. Edit, I was thinking you were referring to the 2023 recruit and not Skyy, disregard.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
Not So Hot...Luke Warm Take: If Skyy ends up as a first round pick after this year.....we will be B1G Champs...again...and a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
If he ends up as a Lottery Pick......book your tickets to Houston now. Wait......that doesn't work.
If we end up in Houston....Skyy will be a lottery pick. Book your tickets now?
If you book your tickets to Houston now, Skyy will be a lottery pick?
Ok wait.....if you book your tickets to Houston now...you will be in Houston. There....that works.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Dub , I'm so confused..............................I really really am........
Is this Houston ??..........................
What's funny to me is that he is getting ready to commit and they didn't even list the school about to secure the commitment LOL ...
I was going to say this but wasn’t sure if this was a skin tone match as much as player comp but it came to mind, for sure.
Ayo was not really looked at as a pro PG prospect which I think held his draft status back. He has proven in his rookie year that that doesn't really matter he is just a good basketball player.
Skyy pre-injury is more of the prototypical PG prospect for the NBA. Big body, high level athleticism, and a good jumper. The big question is will he still have the athleticism after recovery.
The Sprouting Divot
Invisible and Bulletproof
- Miracle Mile
No doubt we're on the upswing, but this is demoralizing.
He is 6’3”… that’s the typical size of NBA point guards. His height is the furthest thing from being an issue.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I mean he's plenty tall and long for an NBA PG. Not elite but not deficient.
His distribution and ability to defend small, clever guards (hello Tyger Campbell) needs to be up to snuff. And then he needs to show what he had pre-injury which was elite off the dribble ability to break guys down 1 on 1 and get to the rim to go along with deep range that pulls those defenders out further than they want to be.
Ayo looked bad in half-court offense against NBA-type athleticism and length his entire college career. He got swallowed up in traffic and wasn't able to finish the way he could against smaller guys (B1G guards that lacked length got absolutely destroyed by Ayo for three straight years). That's why he wasn't a first rounder.
A healthy Clark's problems would be more likely to be a lack of creativity and distribution, particularly in pick and rolls which is something NBA scouts will always zoom in on, as well as his defense. But the building blocks of an NBA player are there, no doubt.
Davion Mitchell was the 9th overall pick last year. Darius Garland was an All-Star. Trae Young is one of the best players on the planet. This is not true.
Chicago state... They are starting a rivalry with Gonzaga if you haven't heard
IU has played below .500 in conference play since Knight left.
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