Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[RabidDawgClassic]

Dain was really good last year when you consider he was essentially a freshman. How many freshmen big men have as smooth of an offensive game as Dain showed last season. His big issues were defense and conditioning, and it sounds like he’s working on those in the offseason, especially the latter.

By comparison, Zach Edey was a non-factor his freshman year, showed promise while splitting time as a sophomore and blossomed as a junior. Each player is different, of course, but by those metrics, Dain is way ahead of schedule.

 

[21ChampaignSt]

I'm pretty bullish on Dain as well. Averaged 10 and 6 on 64% shooting in 21 mpg in his first real year playing cbb.

I'm also not sure people appreciate how much better Dain can be if he has a legitimate point guard to feed him the ball.

I could be wrong. There were definitely some effort issues at times last year. But if he gets that figured out, I see All B1G potential.

 

[Bigtex]

I'm pretty bullish on Dain as well. Averaged 10 and 6 on 64% shooting in 21 mpg in his first real year playing cbb.

I'm also not sure people appreciate how much better Dain can be if he has a legitimate point guard to feed him the ball.

I could be wrong. There were definitely some effort issues at times last year. But if he gets that figured out, I see All B1G potential.

Late in the year they doubled Dain and he wasn't effective passing it back out. Room for improvement for 23/24

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

Late in the year they doubled Dain and he wasn't effective passing it back out. Room for improvement for 23/24

When he started playing real comp … His numbers went …

 

[Joel Goodson]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1667215556531896330

 

[pruman91]

Late in the year they doubled Dain and he wasn't effective passing it back out. Room for improvement for 23/24

At times last year Dain looked like a ballet dancer in and around the paint , and at other times he looked like he was wearing roller skates.........

as far as Ty being a PG , I think he can handle it ok , but we would really miss his production close to the rim as far as rebounding and scoring...............................

JMHO ............................................

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

You'd rather have Sissoko and Key over Dain? Seems happy hour started early today.

I wouldn’t take Sissoko but I’d take Booker … I’d also take Key, Crowl, Julian Reese, and Derrick Walker …

But that’s just my opinion …

 

[Joel Goodson]

elite edit:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1667213952973979656

 

[Future Insider]

When he started playing real comp … His numbers went …

I expect him to take a jump like Meyers Leonard did his Soph year. Not comparing him to Leonard but comparing the improvement.

 

[Sedino]

I wouldn’t take Sissoko but I’d take Booker … I’d also take Key, Crowl, Julian Reese, and Derrick Walker …

But that’s just my opinion …

So would you prefer Coleman at the 5 with Dain coming off the bench to make space for someone else in the starting 5?

 

[Flight33]

I can’t be the only one who thinks Mulcahy to Illinois has a 0% chance of ever happening.

It's already higher than zero. He's in the portal.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

When he started playing real comp … His numbers went …

While true overall, I seem to remember being really impressed with him in Vegas (against arguably our best competition all year).

 

[PepeSilvia]

outside of those two the B1G isn’t exactly the best conference in terms of centers… I would take Ware over Dain off the top of my head — and also Coleman, who IMO should be our starting 5.

Coleman really should be the starting 5. The lineup can just be so much more dynamic with him in there.

For example, you could start. PG tbd, Shannon, Domask, Rodgers, Hawkins which is likely the most talented group of 5 you can put together or you could put a ton of shooters on the court by swapping Goode in for Rodgers.

The last few years, the illini have had made it too easy on defenses by playing guys like Damonte that were complete zeroes on offense. I would love to see some lineups where every single player is threat to hit a 3 that could really open up the middle for Shannon to drive.

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

I expect him to take a jump like Meyers Leonard did his Soph year. Not comparing him to Leonard but comparing the improvement.

Oh I do as well … I wasn’t trying to say he wouldn’t improve because I think he will … But I don’t expect an All Big Ten type year …

But he’s got to show me … Against real comp … For extended minutes … That he can be serviceable and he needs to stay on the program with Fletch throughout the year and not slack off when he’s playing good …

When his offense wasn’t flowing last year … He was bad on defense … That can’t continue this year …

 

[Flight33]

Mulcahy is good, but as close as you can get to Pickett? I think we’re getting carried away… 8 PPG guy with plenty of opportunity on a meh Rutgers team vs a Big 10 superstar.

5ish assists per game. 41% shooter. Has already played in the Big. Obviously a pass-first point guard. So, yeah, I'll take that. No question.

 

[Calvin]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1667213952973979656

First time I watched him I thought of Lucas Johnson. Guy you love on your team, and hate when he's on the opposition. Definitely plays with a chip on his shoulder. His stats are actually better than I remember. Shot 37% from 3, but not a chucker --less than 2 attempts per game. Great A/T.

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

While true overall, I seem to remember being really impressed with him in Vegas (against arguably our best competition all year).

Virginia would’ve been mid to bottom half of the big ten last year …

UCLA was a good team but let’s just be real here … TJ won that game by himself … UCLA ran 4 guards and Jaime most of that game and they put that 18 year old Bona on Dain … Bona hadn’t played anyone half as good as Dain yet … But Dain played very well …

 

[PepeSilvia]

No. I expect him to start at the 1 if we don't land another pg.
They are going to go for Paul, but I think the staff really really wants Reeves as well. They are super high on Ty as a pg. And yes it's a risk if they end up with Reeves or someone else over Paul.
I know Reeves really likes Illinois and would love to be here

While lacking a true PG. Being able to run a lineup of Shannon, Reeves, Goode, Domask, and Hawkins would be incredible.

5 guys capable of hitting 3s(3 that are very good shooters). Very good length and I think there is enough ball handling/passing ability for it to be expected since all of Shannon, Reeves, Domask, and Hawkins have proven to be able to handle the ball a bit.

 

[Flight33]

Even picking up mulcahy we are worse off there than with Epps.

Not in any stretch of the imagination is this true for next year.

 

[SkyysNotFalling]

Last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. And the year before...

But also never.

The difference this year? It’s guys who have played (and have been really good) vs guys who “can” play….

 

[SkyysNotFalling]

Virginia would’ve been mid to bottom half of the big ten last year …

UCLA was a good team but let’s just be real here … TJ won that game by himself … UCLA ran 4 guards and Jaime most of that game and they put that 18 year old Bona on Dain … Bona hadn’t played anyone half as good as Dain yet … But Dain played very well …

Dain probably wasn’t on a scouting report until December too. He’s a serviceable big, can block shots, has an ok jumper from 10 feet, some decent post moves, can dribble. For a freshman big he was about as good as you could’ve asked. Hoping for more consistency this coming year.

 

[Flight33]

What you should take is that positional balance is hard to bake into a statistical model. It's a dramatically better team with a shooter/facilitator true PG.

Still, Paul Mulcahy should not play at Illinois. That's not what college sports is about. Same as Dickinson or Boo Buie. This is bad for the league.

What??? This is about winning. I know it's not win at ALL cost, but Mulcahy is not that guy. He gets under opponents' skin, but I don't really care about that. If putting up with some theatrics takes us past the first weekend then I'll take it.

 

[Flippy]

Excellent point. He's a good Catholic boy, too.

Our advantage over ND has to be "our extremely better odds of getting to the Final Four."

But Illinois has Newman Hall. I knew someone who lived there. On Sunday mornings they would open their window to hear the choir while in bed and claimed it fulfilled their obligation of keeping the Sabbath holy. Plus they were more rested.

 

[PepeSilvia]

The name on the degree seems to matter less and less tbh.
Unless you’re talking an Ivy League Law degree or an MIT engineering degree.
A comms degree from ND or Duke is hardly different from IL

As a hiring manager for a non technical field. The degree is really just a check box. As long as it's from a legitimate university and not University of Phoenix I don't really care. Work experience, how you communicate during the interview, and if you seem like you would be pleasant to work with are the big 3.

Of course I'm mostly hiring mid career candidates, so maybe some of the more name brand degree might open some doors to you early in your career.

 

[Flight33]

I thought that shot was designed for Mayer and Epps just took it?

Probably. Figures.