Illini Basketball 2024-2025

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#226      
lstewart53x3
PepeSilvia said:
I don't see the Illini as the type of program that loses a starter to the portal. At least a starter in good standing, not a Jayden Epps/Skyy Clark situation.

I know some other schools have deeper pockets but its not like you see other schools plundering Baylor or Creighton.
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Over the past 4 years, we’ve lost 8 players to the portal who played more than 20 minutes per game; Ace, Belo, RJ, Skyy, Epps, Dain, Goode, and Hawkins. So I’m just playing the odds. In fact, based on recent history, we’re more likely to have two starter level players transfer out than zero.

Do I think it’s possible someone like Riley has a good, not great year, and a team like Alabama offers him $2m to stay in college and instead of match, Brad decides to grab 2 players for the same price? Absolutely.
 
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#227      
PepeSilvia
lstewart53x3 said:
Over the past 4 years, we’ve lost 8 players to the portal who played more than 20 minutes per game; Ace, Belo, RJ, Skyy, Epps, Dain, Goode, and Hawkins. So I’m just playing the odds. In fact, based on recent history, we’re more likely to have two starter level players transfer out than zero.

Do I think it’s possible someone like Riley has a good, not great year, and a team like Alabama offers him $2m to stay in college and instead of match, Brad decides to grab 2 players for the same price? Absolutely.
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I don't really think any of those guys that left Illinois wanted to keep outside of maybe Hawkins.

RJ was bad and got recruited over, Skyy was bad and quit, Epps was bad then demanded more money wand was told to take a hike, Dain hardly played for most of the year and wasn't going to be more than a backup, Goode got recruited over, and Hawkins wanted to stay in the draft so the Illini moved on and filled their roster.

I guess it's technically possible but I don't see a guy leaving that Illinois really wants to keep and in an integral piece.
 
#228      
alaskaillini
MDchicago said:
Take the larger point, but Henson didn't make the NCAA tournament in any of his first 5 years. He got his co-Big 10 title and E8 run in his 9th season and a F4 run in his 14th season with the Illini.
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Yeah, IIRC Groce and Henson's first 5 years were pretty similar. Groce nay have had the edge. Henson turned it around in year six.
Now ducking.
 
#229      
GatorMcKlusky
MDchicago said:
Take the larger point, but Henson didn't make the NCAA tournament in any of his first 5 years. He got his co-Big 10 title and E8 run in his 9th season and a F4 run in his 14th season with the Illini.
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Henson's first recruit to Illinois was Tom Gerhardt, a De La Salle Meteor. After 4 years of sitting on the bench, Tom became an asst coach at Parkland, and also was coached by me on my intramural basketball team (we killed everyone except Utrows, a perennial IM power who's center was a NAIA All-American/psych TA). Let that sink in.
 
#230      
texillwek
Illini4Christ said:
This next year‘s team very well could be the best team in Illini history.

There is not a weak spot in the first 10 players. All of them are great shooters, except one who is one of the most hardest and most respected teammate, and now we have a 7’1” center to defend the rim. Coleman Hawkins is 6’8 1/2 inches tall and was trying to guard a 7’2”and 7’4” centers just wasn’t fair to him or the Illini.

How many future pro players are on this roster? That is the question. There could be many, many players who will get paid to play after their illustrious college careers are gone.

By the way, we have a special and true point guard, a caliber of PG that we haven’t had since the Dee Brown and Darren Williams days and look how good the 2005 team was. This will be visual by everyone right off the bat.

This team is scary good and the B1G coaches are on notice.
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ChiefGritty said:
This just kinda feels like an unhelpful expectation to be setting for a bunch of teenagers who are going to be embarking on a brutally difficult non-conference schedule in the first exposure to high-major basketball for virtually the entire team.

There's a decent chance there are some real lumps to be taken here. What this team does have though, and what we need to maintain sight of through any such growing pains, is loads of talent and bright future.
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It's ok to let people daydream.
 
#231      
So ILL
More3s said:
No obviously he can’t assume that. That’s something he might have to deal with - honestly it’s likely just for the sake of depth.

But unlike other positions, Booth would at least already have a year of experience and a head start in building trust with Brad and the staff, compared to a new transfer or recruit. I think that’s clearly worth a fair bit. I doubt any player ever expects to have literally no competition for their spot - especially in good programs. But Booth is in a position to have no real entrenched competition, and nobody else on the team is really in that same position as far as I can see.
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Let’s not overlook the Fletch effect in that Booth needs to put on weight. Maybe he took that into consideration when choosing Illinois even tho they continued to go after bigger fish? Spend a year getting Fletched and coming off the bench and grab a starting spot the 2nd year.
 
#232      
Elite 8 - 2024
Steven Bardo said if you are an Illini Fan, this is the Golden Age of Illini Basketball. As Loren Tate said, if you keep knocking on the door, it will eventually open. We are getting closer to that being a reality.
 
#233      
doowink
I predict We Will Win.....
Feeling It Fighting Illini GIF by NCAA March Madness
 
#234      
Sedino
Fly Illini Fly! said:
Like the "positionless" idea about it here...

and def. think this could work great in certain situations...

but Ben coming off the bench is just...I just don't see it. Right now looking at it, he'll most likely be the leading scorer and might be just as much a lock to start as Kylan tbh...
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As much as I’m looking forward to having a sharp shooter on the team, I really think people are over hyping Ben. A guy who didn’t even make the third team of a really bad conference is going to jump up to a P4 school and be the leading scorer?

Before someone says “bUt MaRcUs dOmAsK,” Marcus played D1 basketball for 4 years, Ben has played one. They played in the same conference and Marcus won Freshman of the Year, 2x second team All-MVC, and one first team All-MVC the year before he transferred to Illinois. He would have been All-MVC all four years if it weren’t for his injury. They are not the same.
 
#235      
AttentionDeficit
PepeSilvia said:
I don't really think any of those guys that left Illinois wanted to keep outside of maybe Hawkins.

RJ was bad and got recruited over, Skyy was bad and quit, Epps was bad then demanded more money wand was told to take a hike, Dain hardly played for most of the year and wasn't going to be more than a backup, Goode got recruited over, and Hawkins wanted to stay in the draft so the Illini moved on and filled their roster.

I guess it's technically possible but I don't see a guy leaving that Illinois really wants to keep and in an integral piece.
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I don't really disagree with anything you are saying here, but there is a new reason that teams will let people go that you haven't factored in: NIL value. This may have already happened with Hawkins depending on who you listen to.

If we offer a returnee $X money to stay, but they think they can get $2X on the open market, their return is far from a sure thing. If we think the $2X will serve us better spent on a different player, or different players, we will let that returnee go. Continuity, like everything else, will have a value assigned, and sometimes that value won't be enough to keep a player who has crazy suitors elsewhere because the whole market is crazy.
 
#236      
HensonHall71
Sedino said:
As much as I’m looking forward to having a sharp shooter on the team, I really think people are over hyping Ben. A guy who didn’t even make the third team of a really bad conference is going to jump up to a P4 school and be the leading scorer?

Before someone says “bUt MaRcUs dOmAsK,” Marcus played D1 basketball for 4 years, Ben has played one. They played in the same conference and Marcus won Freshman of the Year, 2x second team All-MVC, and one first team All-MVC the year before he transferred to Illinois. He would have been All-MVC all four years if it weren’t for his injury. They are not the same.
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I agree he’s not Marcus. But I think most people- including me - hope he is the good version of Guerrier. He’s going to stand in the corner waiting for a kickout, can put it on the floor if someone runs at him and if he’s guarded by a smaller guy, he can back him down and score, I think that is all we are looking for from him along with doing his part on the boards

Now that we have Riley, KJ and Tre White is looking like the slasher/scorer we need- Ben’s role can be as a good role player- we don’t need him to lead us in scoring- just do his job - which I think he’ll be very good at
 
#237      
TheDukeUIUC
PepeSilvia said:
I don't really think any of those guys that left Illinois wanted to keep outside of maybe Hawkins.

RJ was bad and got recruited over, Skyy was bad and quit, Epps was bad then demanded more money wand was told to take a hike, Dain hardly played for most of the year and wasn't going to be more than a backup, Goode got recruited over, and Hawkins wanted to stay in the draft so the Illini moved on and filled their roster.

I guess it's technically possible but I don't see a guy leaving that Illinois really wants to keep and in an integral piece.
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It's some revisionist history to suggest we didn't want to keep Adam Miller after all he contributed his freshman season.
 
#239      
BretMyBeachHouse
HensonHall71 said:
I agree he’s not Marcus. But I think most people- including me - hope he is the good version of Guerrier. He’s going to stand in the corner waiting for a kickout, can put it on the floor if someone runs at him and if he’s guarded by a smaller guy, he can back him down and score, I think that is all we are looking for from him along with doing his part on the boards

Now that we have Riley, KJ and Tre White is looking like the slasher/scorer we need- Ben’s role can be as a good role player- we don’t need him to lead us in scoring- just do his job - which I think he’ll be very good at
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Always hard to figure out the general consensus of the board. Plenty of people here suggesting that he'll lead us in scoring. Very few contending that idea.

If he leads us in scoring I think it likely means a lot of guys haven't met expectations.
 
#241      
Calvin
AttentionDeficit said:
I don't really disagree with anything you are saying here, but there is a new reason that teams will let people go that you haven't factored in: NIL value. This may have already happened with Hawkins depending on who you listen to.

If we offer a returnee $X money to stay, but they think they can get $2X on the open market, their return is far from a sure thing. If we think the $2X will serve us better spent on a different player, or different players, we will let that returnee go. Continuity, like everything else, will have a value assigned, and sometimes that value won't be enough to keep a player who has crazy suitors elsewhere because the whole market is crazy.
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Yup, Hawkins loved Illinois, was loyal, great fit, and a true program guy. And yet, he knew his window on making NIL money was limited and that he needed to go where he could be most valued. If a guy's true value is X, and another program thinks it's 1.5x, that gap is going to factor in even though you're paying the full value of his contribution. And with high level college athletes, that's too much money to ignore. IMHO, Storr is a great example of a guy that I personally had reservations because of the hype putting him higher than his worth. Great scorer, but had questions on the other side of the ball, and on his efficiency, etc. More power to him.

The staff will take a look after the season and figure it out
 
#242      
nichi
Fighter of the Nightman said:
With all that said, since Lou Henson arrived on campus over 4.5 decades ago, it seems incredibly clear that it's really not very hard to win at Illinois if you are a good coach.

- Henson took over a mess and had a Big Ten championship and Elite Eight within 5 years. Within a decade, he had a Final Four and had established a top 10 program.
-
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That is interesting math. :) Lou arrived in the spring of 1975. The Elite 8 was in 1983/84. We all know when he reached the FF.
 
#243      
Fan Since '70
Fly Illini Fly! said:
Like the "positionless" idea about it here...

and def. think this could work great in certain situations...

but Ben coming off the bench is just...I just don't see it. Right now looking at it, he'll most likely be the leading scorer and might be just as much a lock to start as Kylan tbh...
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I agree with other posters who see Humichous as a role player, like Goode was (a taller mostly Goode like spot up shooter, less of Bezhanishvili type). He will see fair amount of minutes, but not lead Illini in scoring overall although might in some games. Riley and Booth will take some of his minutes. Different players will lead Illini in scoring from game to game. There is an awful lot of offensive firepower on this team. Everyone can score and balanced scoring will be customary. I hope Underwood utilizes his deep bench and ramps up defensive intensity and offensive movement to wear down opponents. Who starts doesn't even matter much.
 
#244      
nichi
GatorMcKlusky said:
Henson's first recruit to Illinois was Tom Gerhardt, a De La Salle Meteor. After 4 years of sitting on the bench, Tom became an asst coach at Parkland, and also was coached by me on my intramural basketball team (we killed everyone except Utrows, a perennial IM power who's center was a NAIA All-American/psych TA). Let that sink in.
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GatorMcKlusky said:
Henson's first recruit to Illinois was Tom Gerhardt, a De La Salle Meteor.
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Without checking, pretty sure he was a Bartow / Yates recruit, class of 1974. That class included Audie Matthews, Rick Leighty, Rich Adams, and Gerhardt. Also Nate Williams and Mike Washington via JuCo. Not a great class, but an upgrade from Harv's last couple.

Lou inherited NCAA sanctions from a lengthy investigation that started when Harv was still here. Lou was limited to 6 rides his first 2 seasons. 1975 class was Ken Ferdinand and Larry Lubin. 1976: Levi Cobb, Neal Bresnahan, Rob Judson, and Steve Lanter.
 
#245      
Joel Goodson
BretMyBeachHouse said:
Always hard to figure out the general consensus of the board. Plenty of people here suggesting that he'll lead us in scoring. Very few contending that idea.

If he leads us in scoring I think it likely means a lot of guys haven't met expectations.
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could be. or he's significantly better than some/many think he is. it's happened before. last season, for example
 
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