Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
#327      
ejam21
jamarvelous31 said:
I wouldn't say Iowa is a top team but regardless it's telling that IL was 2-4 in the games you listed.
Click to expand...
Yeah its telling that some of our other really good players had off games

MSU: Keaton/mirk comined for 7-29, while stoj was 8-14
alabma :keaton/mirk 6-22 while stoj was 11-16
Wisconsin, keaton/mirk/tomi 4-18 from 3 and no starter had more than 5 boards, in fact ben/z/andrej had as many boards as the whole starting lineup in much less mins
 
#328      
From the cheap seats
I understand how shooting comes and goes, with perhaps not understanding what has happened to Tomi’s shot (hesitation now to take an open three might be a clue).
But I don’t understand what’s happened lately to the rebounding, especially against teams that statistically are not strong at rebounding. For example, we are still 7th in rebound margin; Wisconsin was 182 yet we had no edge. Penn is like 209. NC is 79, but that includes the games Wilson played in. If we are to advance deep into this tourney, we have to get back to hitting the glass.
 
#329      
jamarvelous31
ejam21 said:
Yeah its telling that some of our other really good players had off games

MSU: Keaton/mirk comined for 7-29, while stoj was 8-14
alabma :keaton/mirk 6-22 while stoj was 11-16
Wisconsin, keaton/mirk/tomi 4-18 from 3 and no starter had more than 5 boards, in fact ben/z/andrej had as many boards as the whole starting lineup in much less mins
Click to expand...
The whole it's not Stoj's fault, other people were underperforming thing is exhausting.

Your highest paid player should reasonably fit your offense and make those around them better. He doesn't on either count and it ignores any ownership in other players struggling because defenses LOVE the shots that Stoj takes.

I'm done with the conversation and hope he has a memorable 6 last games with Illinois and makes me look like an !!!.
 
#330      
AirTran
Ironically, exactly what my post was trying to. This was in regards to say the original post saying "Andrej is bad against good teams, and it's telling we're 2-4 when he scores well".

we 100% win together and lose together - i have very little interest in playing ROI compared to team ROI and Keaton Wagler is flippin' awesome. My point was instead of complaining about andrej going 8-14 against MSU and saying that's a reason we lost, how about we look at the much broader team picture.
Click to expand...
But what is with back and forth with game by game "hyper analysis?" BTW (and I know this is not coming from you but to keep in one post) where did all the people on this board gain knowledge that Andrej is the highest paid Illini? First, there is no publicly available information to confirm this. Second, of the publicly avaialable information, Andrej isn't the highest paid Illini.

In either event, I am hoping that enough people have had enought "insight" at this point and can just settle down and show support for this group. I have enjoyed this year very much not withstanding the recent losses. This is a very good team.
 
#331      
EmeraldCityIllini
jamarvelous31 said:
The whole it's not Stoj's fault, other people were underperforming thing is exhausting.

Your highest paid player should reasonably fit your offense and make those around them better. He doesn't on either count and it ignores any ownership in other players struggling because defenses LOVE the shots that Stoj takes.

I'm done with the conversation and hope he has a memorable 6 last games with Illinois and makes me look like an !!!.
Click to expand...

Agree to disagree on some of this.

Broader point in the context of recruiting thread. I think 90% of the fanbase agrees, we can't afford to spend the same amount of money on Andrej next year if the offense remains the same - id argue the 3 point attempts/rate can stay the same, but pace would need to pick up. Which to be fair to Andrej as well, when Kylan and Petro were the plans at point guard, I'm sure he envisioned and was sold on pace too. I find it no coincidence in our fastest pace game of the year against Alabama, he was excellent.

Brad is elite at adjusting based on personnel. But i'd like a little more consistency around style of play year to year. Ironically, I think his biggest weakness as a coach is adjusting too much, and that can make an already difficult task in thriving in the portal, even more difficult when you don't know for sure what style of play you're fully committing too.
 
Last edited:
#340      
HouTexIllini
EmeraldCityIllini said:
Houston just put $75 million into their hoops stadium. They had a top 3 recruiting class. brought back a preseason all american and another one in Sharp who was the 3rd leading returning scorer in the big12, and Uzan.

I imagine Sampson is just playing the game of always for more, and truthfully, I respect that game. That's part of it.
Click to expand...
Uh yeah, no. That was in 2019 (7 years ago) and it wasn’t quite 75 million more like 55-60. Plus, a good 20 million was donated by Tillman Fertita.

Compared to Illinois’ reported 170 million for State Farm and then another 30-40 million for Ubben upgrades.

Despite the disdain here for Sampson and I understand why, but he has a real culture and system in the program that has produced two recent final four appearances and 12 straight conference tournament championships that might help get some discounts.
 
#342      
HouTexIllini
Indy Illini Fan said:
We had the funds … We just had already allocated them and Brad wanted AS …

Had the funds for guys like Ryan Conwell, Rodney Rice (yes I know he’s hurt), Dailyn Swain, AJ Storr, Tyon Grant Foster … Just to name a few …

We had the funds for Ace Miller … Brad went with Petro … Which cost us even more …

Part of the reason I think this whole Euro model was the way Brad went was because we don’t have the relationships with the key people like we used to …
Click to expand...
Wait a minute, so we had the funds for a lot of impactful and athletic players? So, that means wrong/bad decisions were made to lose some of those types of guys from the previous year’s roster and not adequately replace them.

Could roster and coaching turnover have attributed to the loss of previous relationships with said key people?
 
#343      
EmeraldCityIllini
HouTexIllini said:
Uh yeah, no. That was in 2019 (7 years ago) and it wasn’t quite 75 million more like 55-60. Plus, a good 20 million was donated by Tillman Fertita.

Compared to Illinois’ reported 170 million for State Farm and then another 30-40 million for Ubben upgrades.

Despite the disdain here for Sampson and I understand why, but he has a real culture and system in the program that has produced two recent final four appearances and 12 straight conference tournament championships that might help get some discounts.
Click to expand...

I have no real disdain for Sampson honestly. That was a sinking ship with or without Ej, and he more than paid his price and we lucked out - he’d be a nightmare at IU in the long run.

We can quibble over stadium price and upgrade - a “significant investment” let’s call it that?

You’re right it’s easier to go to donors and ask for more for guys to come back once you’ve been in the final four with those same guys. But the roster ain’t remotely close to cheap - neither of us know, but I’d be stunned if Houston’s isn’t more or right with us. Plus they’re eating the tax on being forced to hire his son as the next head coach

Note: on Sampson. Isn’t it funny how different we look on certain things in hindsight? Ej being stolen back then, most the fanbase despises Sampson to this day. Morez gets stolen now (and he actually suited up!) RayJ Dennis robbed at the last minute - and we clown Brad for it. Different times
 
Last edited:
#344      
HouTexIllini
jamarvelous31 said:
The whole it's not Stoj's fault, other people were underperforming thing is exhausting.

Your highest paid player should reasonably fit your offense and make those around them better. He doesn't on either count and it ignores any ownership in other players struggling because defenses LOVE the shots that Stoj takes.

I'm done with the conversation and hope he has a memorable 6 last games with Illinois and makes me look like an !!!.
Click to expand...
I feel you and I feel what the others are saying as well.

I agree with you that It is unacceptable that our highest paid guy neither our best nor most consistent guy.

My question, is who’s fault is it? I don’t think it is AS’ fault or at least criticism for him isn’t all warranted?

He is a driver and middie kind of player. He is in an offfense that wants 3s and close range 2s, which we rarely create for our 7’1 and 7’2 guys. All of our opponents know he doesn’t shoot 3s well and they can sit back and make his drives tough. Oh and the part that is on him is that he isn’t passing much.

There are no plays for him to help him get to the rim w/o being MJ or a magician. Plenty of teams set screens in the paint for drivers or those coming off PnR. Not Illinois. No help for AS at all.

He came to the wrong offense and we got the wrong guy for our offense and don’t make any progressive opportunities for him.
 
#346      
RickBB
NarrowJ said:
This guys highlight reel is unreal, very unique player

Click to expand...
Video reel is nice. Unfortunately first thing I see though is a ton of off ball screens and people moving without the ball. Would he be as effective in the version of offense we currently run.
 
#347      
PepeSilvia
1m4tr said:
Dude is a classic kid that couldn’t make it in two big time program stops and is now excelling at his proper level. Don’t get me wrong he is a very good player but would you want him to take a ton of money to come and give us half of what he does at Penn? I’d rather have Cade Tyson tbh.
Click to expand...
Kind of wild that he was a top 20 recruit.

I know I just watched the best game of his career but I do think he has the tools to be successful at the power conference level(Im not saying I want him at Illinois). He's big, he's pretty fluid, and he can put the ball on the floor pretty well. Like he's not just a traditional pick and pop 4, he can legitimately attack off the dribble and can catch and shoot off the move/screens.

I genuinely wonder how much better he would be if he wasn't so hyped as a recruit and started at the mid major level. If he got two years of actually playing and developing some confidence instead of being stuck on the bench for 2 years(he also really should have been redshirted at Duke).
 
#349      
illiniguy24
From the cheap seats said:
I understand how shooting comes and goes, with perhaps not understanding what has happened to Tomi’s shot (hesitation now to take an open three might be a clue).
But I don’t understand what’s happened lately to the rebounding, especially against teams that statistically are not strong at rebounding. For example, we are still 7th in rebound margin; Wisconsin was 182 yet we had no edge. Penn is like 209. NC is 79, but that includes the games Wilson played in. If we are to advance deep into this tourney, we have to get back to hitting the glass.
Click to expand...
Tomi has always had a very flat shot. I’m not surprised he’s hit this lull. Especially if his confidence is as down as people suggest. A flat shot with no confidence does not equal success. His rebounding effort has always fed off his offense imo
 
#350      
skyIdub
I have an Inside Edition insider question?!!!

Is Tomi in heavy with a girl at Illinois?

Mirk gonna get serous raise.
Andrej, Tomi, Z, and Bam money can get us better toys next year I think.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back