Sencire Harris to take redshirt year

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#151      

CoalCity

St Paul, MN
Fully agree. If he didn’t decide to redshirt I have no doubt that if around game 15 he was playing the same or fewer (which I think was very possible) minutes than last year, people on here would be whispering and worrying about Sencire transferring next year. And he would have killed a year. That all this is on the table and seemingly he, family and team are all on board is a good thing. Sure he could end up transferring anyway, but I think the likelihood of that is reduced not increased by this move. I think it is hard to argue with the fact this is the best thing for him and his career, and isn’t that what fans often say they want — what’s best for the kid. Hopefully he ends up staying and given that he was mature enough to make this decision instead of getting all butt hurt and transferring immediately, and that he’s not the kind of kid to shy from a challenge, I think he’ll be back bigger, stronger and better. And speculating otherwise serves no purpose and seems disrespectful to Sencire.
Amen
 
#152      

splitter

and not Nebraska
Podz could have done this but chose a different path. Worked out great for him. Hope this decision by Sencire works out as great. Oh, the portal era.
 
#155      
It's really just 1-2 guards that would need to be ahead of him. He couldn't overcome 2 underclassmen PGs who will still be on the roster and Goode at the 2/3. We're presumably bringing in a replacement 2/3 with TSJ's NIL and (hopefully) Fears...so that could be it.

The fact that he's a bit older than your average Soph hurts him. I love having him as a situational defensive beast, but if he's not bringing shooting or handling at this point it's hard to see that developing ahead of his younger teammates' growth. I'm not rooting against a player who has won us games and has been a great Illini, I'm just being realistic.
What 2 underclassman PGs are you speaking of? Fears (hopefully) and who? Jase Butler? Maybe, but that is far from a foregone conclusion, as he will still be a freshman who has never played in our system. As a redshirt sophomore, I would give him the edge over Butler for playing time at this point, assuming that he continues to improve his handles and outside shot and gets bigger. All these things are reportedly what he is working on this year. I also don't understand how being older than your average sophomore hurts him? It isn't like at 21 years old he will be past his prime. Also, while I agree that he needs to become a better shooter from outside, Buck scored over 1,600 points in HS at St. Vincent-St. Mary second only to LeBron. So, it isn't like he isn't wired to score. Dude could be an absolutely vital piece of a successful team. Motor, defensive tenacity, and length is there already.
 
#156      
Fully agree. If he didn’t decide to redshirt I have no doubt that if around game 15 he was playing the same or fewer (which I think was very possible) minutes than last year, people on here would be whispering and worrying about Sencire transferring next year. And he would have killed a year. That all this is on the table and seemingly he, family and team are all on board is a good thing. Sure he could end up transferring anyway, but I think the likelihood of that is reduced not increased by this move. I think it is hard to argue with the fact this is the best thing for him and his career, and isn’t that what fans often say they want — what’s best for the kid. Hopefully he ends up staying and given that he was mature enough to make this decision instead of getting all butt hurt and transferring immediately, and that he’s not the kind of kid to shy from a challenge, I think he’ll be back bigger, stronger and better. And speculating otherwise serves no purpose and seems disrespectful to Sencire.
My initial feeling was that this was setting up the transfer, but this is beautifully stated. Thanks. And thanks too to the insiders for walking me off the ledge.
 
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#159      
He didn't say that Dra was going to be a star this year, or that he is going to play 25-30 minutes per game this year. The comp to Brad's guys like Ayo, Trent, and DMFW is likely based on work ethic in practice and the ability to take coaching and learn things faster than expected.

Dra had a good game. We should expect some good games going forward and we should expect some struggles early against good teams and BIG teams until he adjusts. And if he is truly one of "Brad's guys", he is going to adjust and learn from the struggles because of his effort in practice and ability to take coaching.

Couldn't have said it better myself ...
 
#161      

Joel Goodson

ties will be resolved
Everyone I’ve talked to says Buck isn’t transferring and this was a calculated decision between him/his family/Brad and Chester

Harris is clearly playing the long game, and it's a very wise decision, IMO. He's got the D game to play professionally, but his O needs work. Plus, he's in a log jam this season. Put in a stuff ton of work and set yourself up for a big season next year.
 
#164      
I wish Harmon was a better on ball defender. One thing I love about this team is how Swiss Army knifey it is and how we can match up just about any way we want, size, shooting, offense, defense, etc. IMO this decision removes a pretty important tool from our Swiss Army knife, namely a wreak havoc defender who can flip a game. Think Sencire could be particularly important against Purdue, Maryland or other teams we may see in the tourney that have smaller, quicker guards that can fill it up.

Hopefully the coaches can get both Harmon and DGL up to speed by March.
 
#165      
I wish Harmon was a better on ball defender. One thing I love about this team is how Swiss Army knifey it is and how we can match up just about any way we want, size, shooting, offense, defense, etc. IMO this decision removes a pretty important tool from our Swiss Army knife, namely a wreak havoc defender who can flip a game. Think Sencire could be particularly important against Purdue, Maryland or other teams we may see in the tourney that have smaller, quicker guards that can fill it up.

Hopefully the coaches can get both Harmon and DGL up to speed by March.
I think this would be too big of an ask for DGL. He's definitely going to need another offseason of strength and conditioning. For Harmon, Maybe? He hasn't yet shown the first step needed to keep up with speedy guards but has shown good recovery and hands. I'm not sure that necessarily improves as the season goes on as first step instinct is hard to teach, but it may be possible.

Overall, we might just need to accept that we won't have a shutdown defender this year outside of CoHawk in some games. Might just need to rely on shooting ourselves back into games.
 
#166      
They are going to miss his defense against certain opponents this year. I think this hurts the team.
Sure, you'd rather have the depth in case stuff happens, but redshirting is clearly better for Sincere. I wouldn't want to burn up all of my eligibility watching from the bench and waiting for specific circumstances in which my skills might be of use. His time will come, but it was never going to be this year.
Would you rather average 5 minutes a game this year, or potentially be the leader of the team in your 5th year?
There is downside for the current season, especially if there is a rash of injuries, but long-term it's what is best for him.

(It will also give him additional time to ensure he graduates before his eligibility runs out.)
 
#167      

ILLINIShox24

Orange Krush '04 & '05
This is a bit of an Explain it Like I'm 5, but how is it that sitting out a year will allow Sencire to make significant improvement to his weight, shooting, and other areas of improvement differently than being on the active roster? I understand he has gotten passed up and he might as well not burn a year of eligibility for limited minutes, but the whole redshirt to work on your skills idea is a bit confusing. Unless it's really just the playing time issue. Why isn't getting Fletched as a redshirt the same as if you were on the active roster?
 
#169      
This is a bit of an Explain it Like I'm 5, but how is it that sitting out a year will allow Sencire to make significant improvement to his weight, shooting, and other areas of improvement differently than being on the active roster? I understand he has gotten passed up and he might as well not burn a year of eligibility for limited minutes, but the whole redshirt to work on your skills idea is a bit confusing. Unless it's really just the playing time issue. Why isn't getting Fletched as a redshirt the same as if you were on the active roster?
The idea is that year 5 Sincere will be better than year 2 Sincere. He needs the physical development that will come with age.
 
#170      
Having absolutely no facts would have guessed more of an academic decision first and playing time issue second. Seemed like he competed well on the boards and was the bullier rather than the bullee in terms of strength. If he can improve his shooting it is a great decision for him and the team. My favorite player and want him to have success as an Illini.
 
#172      
This is a bit of an Explain it Like I'm 5, but how is it that sitting out a year will allow Sencire to make significant improvement to his weight, shooting, and other areas of improvement differently than being on the active roster? I understand he has gotten passed up and he might as well not burn a year of eligibility for limited minutes, but the whole redshirt to work on your skills idea is a bit confusing. Unless it's really just the playing time issue. Why isn't getting Fletched as a redshirt the same as if you were on the active roster?
I will preface this by saying that I am not a collegiate level strength and conditioning coach, however based in my knowledge of training and human physiology, I will explain as I see it:

By taking the "working for playing time" out of the equation he can work on individual skills more without worrying about how it will affect him in the rotation. Also, lifting to add mass and strength is different off-season than it is when you need to be playing the next day. One can be much more aggressive training when there is less pressure for a quick recovery. Basically, you can do things differently off-season than you can when you are in the midst of actually playing games.
 
#173      

The Galloping Ghost

Washington, DC
This is a bit of an Explain it Like I'm 5, but how is it that sitting out a year will allow Sencire to make significant improvement to his weight, shooting, and other areas of improvement differently than being on the active roster? I understand he has gotten passed up and he might as well not burn a year of eligibility for limited minutes, but the whole redshirt to work on your skills idea is a bit confusing. Unless it's really just the playing time issue. Why isn't getting Fletched as a redshirt the same as if you were on the active roster?
There's a pretty major difference between in-season and out-of-season training. In-season, you're mostly just looking to maintain what you got. You need to take significantly more rest to be fresher for each game, especially towards the end of the season. You're not going to see any player get noticeably bigger during the season, which is what he needs. Out-of-season is where you make gains, get bigger, and push harder. He's not going to be on the floor, competing, so he can leave it all in the weight room and practice gym.
 
#174      
There's a pretty major difference between in-season and out-of-season training. In-season, you're mostly just looking to maintain what you got. You need to take significantly more rest to be fresher for each game, especially towards the end of the season. You're not going to see any player get noticeably bigger during the season, which is what he needs. Out-of-season is where you make gains, get bigger, and push harder. He's not going to be on the floor, competing, so he can leave it all in the weight room and practice gym.
Yeah....What he said! LOL
 
#175      

The Galloping Ghost

Washington, DC
Case in point, look at how Dain's and Ty's bodies have changed in the off-season. There's a reason it happened then and not like February. The riggers of competing in season are working against any significant body changes a player is trying to make.

Edit: And some players need more time than others. Sencire seems to be one of those. Dain was one of those, too. He needed that half-a-season off with Fletch to get his weight down to a more optimal level. Now Fletch will use that time with Sencire to get him bigger and stronger.
 
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