What indication is there of that? Podz was an outlier not the norm. Petro hasn’t shown anything and he gets chances to every day in practice.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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That’s why I said Podz, the same things were being said about him when he was here. I think, with consistent playing time with players 1-7 he would show better than what we see when he’s on the court with players 7-15. I say consistent time not spot time. The guy has talent, we saw that when he was playing men in Europe. If you want to say the guys ahead of him are better, I’m fine with that, I just don’t think he deserves a beat down.
The thing is though, we have seen him be very good in the pick and roll...he CAN turn the corner on guys, great speed and quickness. He has shown all of that, albeit in very short glimpses.
If he were to go down a level, and play for a coach who didn't care about his mistakes...I think he could put up 14 and 9 on a team that goes .500 for the year.
Big Jack
- Decatur
I wouldn't say he was an outlier. And it has been proven what happens in practice once the season starts means nothing with our rotation. Pods was so far back in the rotation list when he arrived he wasn't going to jump ahead of all of the othe guards on that team. I will agree Petro has shown nothing but again had he gotten here early not been injured maybe he would have etched out a role.
Well, 14 & 9 is unlikely, as there’s only one player in college basketball averaging 9 assists (Fears).
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Petro isn’t going down a level. He’ll go back overseas and play professionally before he’ll take mid-major level NIL money.
Illinois' offensive system does not really require a typical point guard like Petrovic is. Does anyone believe Fears or Smith would be anywhere near as good playing here as they are at their present schools? Petrovic is a pro typical European point guard but he probably but he will never be a fit for the Illini style of offense.
I do think Petro’s turnover rate is keeping him on the bench as much as his defense. It’s really really hard to outmath us this year because we shoot a high volume of 3’s on a pretty good percentage, offensive rebound like crazy, get to the free throw line and convert at almost 80% as a team, and we take care of the ball. Notwithstanding he’s a net negative defensively, he doesn’t add enough value in any other offensive category to offset the turnover issues.
That said I would take him back next year at the right price. I do think he can be a difference making college basketball player, but he just isn’t a fit for this roster and Keaton and Kylan are too good to take off the floor.
That said I would take him back next year at the right price. I do think he can be a difference making college basketball player, but he just isn’t a fit for this roster and Keaton and Kylan are too good to take off the floor.
There are probably a few reasons Petrovic isn’t getting playing time. One of them might be that his fast-paced style may not be a good fit for an offense that is most efficient when it’s patient enough to find the gold shot or the matchup it is seeking.
Don’t think he’s a bad player. Just maybe a bad fit for how this offense has evolved.
Don’t think he’s a bad player. Just maybe a bad fit for how this offense has evolved.
If KW had gone to Minnesota or anywhere else, MP would have been the Illinois PG, and I think he would have been a good one. I see him as “good” Curbello. A pure PG. Don’t get me wrong, KW is a far better PG, just saying if he wasn’t here, MP would be starting. He is far from unplayable. Sure, he has had some rough minutes, but I think that has more to do with just not getting enough practice time with the team and not getting enough minutes on the court in actual games. It seems people forget a couple or few games where he played really well that people, even sports writers via twitter, got excited. For instance, after the UTRGV game (I think, it’s been a while):
Dariush Takhtehchian, M.D
@takhtehchianmd
22-year-old Mihailo Petrovic. As advertised. Already has 12 pts, 3 dimes, 2 boards in 12 minutes
Someone here posted, "I need more Mihailo."
And another: I'll go out on a limb here and say we got a good one in Petrovic.
Really good, really quick.
And there were a few other similar posts.
And if I remember correctly, he played well against Southern U. It wasn’t just at garbage time. I think it was in the first half. MP took over the PG duties, and KW played wing. Worked pretty well, but then, Southern was not much competition. The point is, he has played well when he gets significant minutes. So I would not call him unplayable. I think if he had been the starter after a few non-conference. games, he would have figured it out. I mean, were all the reports of how good he was in whatever Euro League he was in and the Illinois staff evaluations, tape, etc., all lies or obfuscation for some reason?
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This is the key. If we had the luxury of giving him lots of playing time a game, he might get in the groove and start playing better. There's definitely talent there.
Early in the season you could do that but he was injured then and not ready. We don't have that luxury at this point. This is the time of year where coaches want their 7-8 man rotation to be cohesive and running smoothly so those 7-8 guys are going to be on the floor as much as possible.
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
I'm definitely on the fence (or over it) WRT to having a short guard. but Davis warrants an exception (he good, lol). if he wants in (and the ask is reasonable), he's a take. kid's a winner, where winning is paramount. those are the type of kids we want
Someone has to lead the scout team!!! Better scout team better practices
How has it been proven that what happens in practice means nothing once games start? Wagler wowed them in practice and started from day one.
Don’t take rumors about practice seriously. We’ve seen many times and with many coaches where rumors from practice don’t play out in games. How many lights out shooting in practice rumors have we heard over the years that never show up in actual games? Many.
Illinicpa14
- Chicago
This!
While we run different sets, The 7-8 guys we play are very interchangeable.
The minute petro steps on we have to shift everything we do on offense for a ball dominant PG and on defense I think every time he’s been on we’ve had to play zone.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
Nobody should ever pass on a Dee Brown just cause he's short (not saying Davis = Dee exactly, but just trying to make a point).
Brad says he practices hard and busts his !!!. The league he was in proved he can play at this level. That league he was a star and our other Euros were not. They were role players. The issue is that Kylan, Keaton and Andre are just better. Not that Mihailo sucks or anything like that. Our starting back court is as good as any in the nation. Minutes are just few and far between. I do think that a minute or two of Mihailo when Keaton sat vs the Badgers with Kylan out wouldve been a better optoin. Especailly with Mirk struggling vs the speed they had that game.
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Have you watched Petro play when he's gotten tick for us? He had one sequence when he played well. Every other time he's turned it over, been a defensive turnstile, and basically looked like he doesn't belong at this level. I was convinced based upon what I saw from his European games too, but we've seen it with other players. Success in Europe doesn't necessarily mean that a player's makeup will translate to NCAA ball.
theNewGuy
- Dallas, TX
This is exactly right. If we were shooting as poor as last year, Petro would be out there rocking the house throwing it down to Big T or Z. That’s just not optimal for how well we’re shooting. With how slow the pace of play is, those turnovers and defensive lapses hurt just that much more.
He seems like a very good player but our scheme makes him slightly more of a liability than an asset right now
Lol he has played 40 minutes total all season in 27 games. 18 minutes in 1 game.. He hasnt had much of a chance. Quick guards like him that are exactly the kind that give us problems. Kylan, Andre and Keaton are just better. Mihailo is still capable and can play
I concur with what he said, I can see the potential in that young.Seems like we’re quick to call a player unplayable….
DB11Headband
- Chicago Burbs
Agreed
If I am a PG who can get to the rim and a shooting guard who can hit 3’s, Illinois is the place. I see us being a player in the portal again with finding a solid back court. We have put 3 players in the pros in thye lastt two years with a possibility of putting 2 more guys in the league. Let’s keep reloading with talent.
I don't really even think he needs to transfer down a level. He just isn't a fit for what Brad and co want to do on the floor this year.
He doesn't have positional size, isn't a knockdown spot up shooter, and they want to put the ball in Wagler or Mirkovic's hands and hunt matchups.
Petrovic just didn't really play like an off ball guard but I think he would probably be fine playing at the power conference level for a team running a more traditional offense or simply one that doesn't have Wagler, Mirkovic, Boswell, and Stojakovic.
He would probably be a good get for a team like Minnesota or something in the portal.
Big Jack
- Decatur
Go back and look at the roster when Podz came in as a freshman compare it to this season when Wagler got here there is no comparison. Pods was not passing Trent, DMFW, Granderson, Curbelo, Luke and Melendez. He was buried and getting hammered in practice. Wagner basically had no one to beat out. These are facts and not rumors. Brad has his lineups pretty well defined by time they play the first games. If your not in the 7-8 top players you will garbage minutes period unless its EIU then DGL can have a career game.
Podz was a better then average shooter but honestly lacked at ball skills when here. Not sure if he stays that improves much but he blossomed elsewhere. Did Brad wiff probably not. But go look at our rosters since Brad got here and show me who suddenly emerged from the top 7-8 after summer practices
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