Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[AirNeazy]

Yikes. I’d hate to see the file on me…

*Points to signature*

Lol all jokes aside we all have a #doomer lurking inside of us (Lord knows I do... my time at U of I was probably the worst 4-year stretch for our basketball program since the early 70s? so I'll always be a bit wary of getting too up or cocky), but I will always point out that its a new era this decade. We don't need to pine over losses of Dain, Grandison, RayJ, Goode (potentially) anymore (as sad as it is to see these guys leave).

Our staff will always continually look to reload and they're damn good at it, nothing I've seen the last couple years has swayed me from that assessment.

 

[BlueLeader]

Have some of y’all been drinking already???
Some of the takes in this thread…

I mean I am, but it’s opening day in milwaukee.

What else is there even to do in Milwaukee?

 

[OrangeBlue98]

I’ve always seen “Creaning” as basically firing someone. “We are revoking your scholarship so we can get someone better. Have a good life.” That’s a lot different than a coach having an honest discussion with a player about the coach’s perception about the player’s place in the program.

I’ve always felt that Creaning, while not illegal, is certainly disingenuous and treating the player like an asset only. The other example is a lot more acceptable. The player can decide to stay, but he goes in knowing what the coaches are expecting. He can then decide how to respond.

 

[splitter]

Lol...what in the Tuesday hell Loyalty?

The most reasonable thing I've read here is CoHawk playing football for Illinois next season.

Solid Loyalty-ing boys!

Bret gives him a scholarship and Brad has him walk on. Hawk gets more BIG10 championships, rings and a boat load of NIL money, boat included.

 

[80'sIllini]

I don't like this. I think we were lucky this year with the mix of returning players improving and the new players contributing, the team chemistry being the positive that it was. This is NOT a reliable method of team building to rely on year after year. Last year's team didn't gel as hoped. Bringing in 10 new players will always be a crapshoot. I sincerely hope it works. But possibly 9-10 NEW PLAYERS???? Wow, that's asking and expecting a lot. I have some reservations about such a severe turnover of personnel and I truly hope that we have more than 3 returnees. Continuity is a thing...

I think what contributed to the excellent team chemistry this year was the overseas trip. Next year's team not gonna have that experience.

 

[the national]

@Indy Illini Fan - from what I hear... we need a Denzel

 

[Big Jack]

Have some of y’all been drinking already???
Some of the takes in this thread…

I mean I am, but it’s opening day in milwaukee.

Well there is no game thread now so all of the lunnies have no where to spout useless thoughts and hunches.

 

[Frank]

Gritty did you get into pru’s strong stuff? Wtf are you on this morning

This cracked me up

 

[ChiefGritty]

As with anything else, there are multiple strategies that can work, and it's not so much picking one as executing it well.

 

[madillini4]

What else is there even to do in Milwaukee?

Tons. For one it’s a terrific sports town, beautiful summers. Wisconsin, the California of the Midwest.

 

[cavitt]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1774829534639972417

Davis = best hair since Curbelo.

 

[Joel Goodson]

I wouldn't encourage Jakstys to redshirt. A redshirt gives him an extra season in 28/29. Who thinks that he will still be here in 5 years? I would take whatever he can give us right now. It might only be in one or two games, but WTH? JMHO

if he follows a Kaminski/Happ-like path, even remotely, you're gonna want him playing for us in his 5th year

 

[BashCtIllini]

if he follows a Kaminski/Happ-like path, even remotely, you're gonna want him playing for us in his 5th year

very few kids will stay at any school 5 years until the current rules are changed.

 

[ChiefGritty]

if he follows a Kaminski/Happ-like path, even remotely, you're gonna want him playing for us in his 5th year

Kids who are smart and reading how the NIL marketplace is developing are going to start becoming much more eager to redshirt and won't have to be goaded into it by coaching staffs, that would be my prediction.

That 5th year has real concrete dollars-and-cents value now.

 

[IllinoisIntegrity]

I mean, we got April spouting nonsense already....

2 of our 3 leading insiders said we passed on AJ last year because of too much family drama. 1 year later, he’s our top target. I asked the same insiders if that family drama is no longer a problem. How is that nonsense?

 

[Joel Goodson]

very few kids will stay at any school 5 years until the current rules are changed.

Jakstys might be that guy (dream school, very realistic about early playing time, welcomes redshirting and getting Fletched). we'll see

 

[Illini_1105]

Ha wonder who had that super level-headed take about him making the team better even in the event that his measurable production were to dip, while also saying this:
View attachment 33116

You could have wrote this yesterday and I’d have believed you great assessment!

 

[Illini2010-11]

Tons. For one it’s a terrific sports town, beautiful summers. Wisconsin, the California of the Midwest.

 

[genxrex]

Calipari confirmed after his latest opening round loss that his method for going after premium high school players only isn't working anymore.

Prob sucks for him, saban, and the rest of these types of complaining coaches to have to play on a more level playing field now. Way easier to coach when they had a supreme talent advantage over other teams, however it was they achieved that.

 

[madillini4]

Yes

 

[LvilleILL]

You can contact guys just no in person for the dead period

 

[aaeismacgychel]

Not every transfer away was Brads doing either.....really only Skyy and Epps were.

That's intriguing with Epps. I had it on pretty good authority from an insider with another program that when Epps was shopping around he was saying he really wasn't enjoying his time here. And that was in December/January time frame. It sounded like there wasn't much of anything Brad would be able to do to retain him and it didn't sound like they had the best relationship anyways. Maybe it was a show just to try and get the most money or perhaps an exorbitant NIL bag would've swayed it, but it sounded like Epps had several issues with continuing playing here and that he had one foot out the door most of the time he was even in Champaign.

 

[MurphysBurger]

revisionist history and whataboutisms. Do you remember the hodgepodge explosion that was 2023 scabs? or Bardo gushing about Epps amazing downhill off the bounce lay up angles? Sincere should have played and Harmon should have never been here. true PG play was a weakness esp in the half court set. can't argue that. stop cherry picking facts to suit your argument. Epps next to TSJ could have definitely been a threat as much or more than iso ball with Domask. Sincere shoots just as well as Harmon and plays better defense.

 

[RabidDawgClassic]

very few kids will stay at any school 5 years until the current rules are changed.

Rules aren’t going to change. Schools have had an illegal stranglehold on “labor” for a century and the student-athletes have been winning court battle after court battle. This is the new landscape.

The only way things change is if the schools agree that student athletes are employees and pay them accordingly. Then and only then can they agree to contractual restrictions and length of terms. The schools benefit from the NIL structure because they still get the “labor” without having to pay for it directly. But because of that, the courts have determined, they can’t restrict the student athletes’ movement.

 

[IllinoisIntegrity]

Lmao Mans came with the receipts locked and loaded!

In all fairness to those I put on blast, I’ve shared some pretty regrettable posts myself. Easy for passionate fans to get finger diarrhea when triggered here. Worked on reeling that in this year.