Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Stevegarbs
- Mokena, IL
Here.
Seis
PizzaHutParkingLot
- Vodice, Croatia
Board man gets paid (automatic +1 anytime I see Fun Guy
)
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Stuff to update, yay
F Ivan Juric (Wichita, KS) commits to Penn State
C Aleksas Bieliauskas (Lithuania) commits to Wisconsin
docs.google.com
F Ivan Juric (Wichita, KS) commits to Penn State
C Aleksas Bieliauskas (Lithuania) commits to Wisconsin
B1G Roster Tracker
1m4tr
Cliffmas
Wiscy is being such a copycat.Stuff to update, yay
F Ivan Juric (Wichita, KS) commits to Penn State
C Aleksas Bieliauskas (Lithuania) commits to Wisconsin
B1G Roster Tracker
Stuff to update, yay
F Ivan Juric (Wichita, KS) commits to Penn State
C Aleksas Bieliauskas (Lithuania) commits to Wisconsin
B1G Roster Tracker
I really don't understand the alleged Illinois "interest" in a possible transfer from 6'8" 210-pound senior SF/SG Puff Johnson of Penn State. Johnson, who will turn 25 years old on 10/11/25, has played 5 years of college basketball, 3 years at North Carolina, and then the last 2 years at Penn State. There's probably a Covid year in there. And I'm assuming that he may have qualified for a RS-injury year in there somehow. (Via a petition for an NCAA waiver?) Johnson averaged 10.2 points/game last season (in only 17 games), which was his highest ppg in his career. But Johnson shot only 30.2% on 3-pointers this past season, which was still the second highest percentage of his career. (33.7% in 23-24 for PSU.) One, I've been reading/hearing that Illinois was keeping one scholarship open for a possible longshot Will Riley return. Two, I didn't think that Illinois needed another player that is not good at shooting 3-pointers.
Maybe Puff Johnson is a great defender? Maybe he's willing to take very little money for a transfer to Illinois? Maybe he'd be happy to be only a role player for Illinois, and not play a lot of minutes? The best thing Puff has going for him is that his brother, Cameron Johnson, is a very good player for the Brooklyn Nets! But if Puff hasn't realized that same type of potential in FIVE years of college basketball, I have my doubts that he would do so coming off the Illini bench in the 25-26 season.
Maybe Puff Johnson is a great defender? Maybe he's willing to take very little money for a transfer to Illinois? Maybe he'd be happy to be only a role player for Illinois, and not play a lot of minutes? The best thing Puff has going for him is that his brother, Cameron Johnson, is a very good player for the Brooklyn Nets! But if Puff hasn't realized that same type of potential in FIVE years of college basketball, I have my doubts that he would do so coming off the Illini bench in the 25-26 season.
But heck, if Brad Underwood and the staff think that Puff Johnson would be the right transfer to take that 15th scholarship, then they have my full support. 
He might be athletic enough to play good defense and to rebound the team's many missed 3-pointers. Maybe coaches and the team can somehow unlock/free up Puff's offensive game. He's an older, experienced player. And I assume that the staff feels like Puff is a good young man, one that would be willing to come to Illinois and work hard... every day. For the right price, with the right attitude.
He might be athletic enough to play good defense and to rebound the team's many missed 3-pointers. Maybe coaches and the team can somehow unlock/free up Puff's offensive game. He's an older, experienced player. And I assume that the staff feels like Puff is a good young man, one that would be willing to come to Illinois and work hard... every day. For the right price, with the right attitude.
To be fair, if any program has consistently gone to battle with a bunch of tall white guys sporting crew cuts over the last couple decades, it's Wisconsin.
There’s slow…and there’s this
Not sure if this was posted anywhere. Sounds like a new lead for Dame Sarr.
People talking about Wisconsin being copycats, but Ivan JurIC to Penn State?Stuff to update, yay
F Ivan Juric (Wichita, KS) commits to Penn State
C Aleksas Bieliauskas (Lithuania) commits to Wisconsin
B1G Roster Tracker
What’s up with that bro
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