Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[Fly Illini Fly!]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2042070714031743437

I’ll take a somewhat pessimistic viewpoint for once. I question (not setting anything in stone) where’d he’d fit into our offense. He’s not a good shooter and is limited athletically.

Over the last few seasons, the only two players who have succeeded in our offense with true shooting limitations are Ty and Andrej. Both of whom are clearly plus athletes however.

Maybe Morillo develops that outside shot. I did not think Mirkovic would be as good shooting the ball as he was. Just think as a freshman a lot is TBD.

 

[joeybcrazy13]

 

[WyattEarp]

But how will he attend classes? /s

Virtual Learning, duh! /s

 

[Tophe]

I will have you know that 6"1" is a perfectly cromulent height.

Yes, but even better if they're embiggened

 

[PleaseMakeABowlGame]

I’ll take a somewhat pessimistic viewpoint for once. I question (not setting anything in stone) where’d he’d fit into our offense. He’s not a good shooter and is limited athletically.

Over the last few seasons, the only two players who have succeeded in our offense with true shooting limitations are Ty and Andrej. Both of whom are clearly plus athletes however.

Maybe Morillo develops that outside shot. I did not think Mirkovic would be as good shooting the ball as he was. Just think as a freshman a lot is TBD.

He should be reserved for a similar role as DGL on the ‘24 team. Ninth man, averaged 2 points per game - but got SOME playing time in every game (despite limited minutes). Played hard, defended, didn’t cause problems.

 

[RollChief]

I’ll take a somewhat pessimistic viewpoint for once. I question (not setting anything in stone) where’d he’d fit into our offense. He’s not a good shooter and is limited athletically.

Where'd you get this info from? According to MaxPreps he was 56/40/71 last season of high school, and averaged 8.9 rebounds per game. On paper that reads like a good athletic shooter but I may be missing something

Lucas Morillo's Newman AAA High School Basketball Stats

Check out Lucas Morillo's high school sports stats, including updates while playing basketball at Newman AAA High School (Boston, MA).

www.maxpreps.com

 

[ChiefGritty]

Generally speaking, players drafted in the top 7 of the draft generally get pretty good opportunities early in their career to get good playing time.

A rather significant understatement. Half the league is currently inventing fake injuries in order to lose on purpose to increase their chances at the 7th pick.

 

[OB positive]

They looked at Sandfort as a Ben role type of a guy …

I guess everyone but Nebraska missed on that one.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

Where'd you get this info from? According to MaxPreps he was 63/40/71 last season of high school, and averaged 8.9 rebounds per game. On paper that reads like a good athletic shooter but I may be missing something

Lucas Morillo's Newman AAA High School Basketball Stats

Check out Lucas Morillo's high school sports stats, including updates while playing basketball at Newman AAA High School (Boston, MA).

www.maxpreps.com

This was the scout listed on his 247 page:

“At 6-foot-7, Morillo combines perimeter size with toughness and a very high basketball IQ. He's multi-positional, able to initiate like a big guard, and make plays for himself and others with physicality and passing acumen. He seeks out and absorbs contact off the dribble, draws a lot of fouls in the process, but is simultaneously crafty enough to read the floor while doing it. He has the versatility to play both on and off the ball, and can even take smaller defenders into the post, but his feel for the game is a constant.

His competitive streak also extends to the defensive end of the floor, where's he's often under-rated. He's not the type of defender who is going to pick-up and turn opposing ball-handlers for the length of the floor, but when he's not over-extended, he's able to get into their bodies, pressure the ball with his physicality, and keep them in front. He's also switchable up the line-up onto bigger players and a tremendous perimeter rebounder who loves to take the ball off the glass and start the break himself.

The two most glaring limitations in Morillo's game are a lack of dynamic explosiveness and consistent three-point shooting. He made just 20% of his three-point attempts in EYBL play, even while being very selective with his attempts (just 1.5 of his 13.3 field goal attempts were from three), and was 60% from the free-throw line. He's capable of making mid-range pull-ups, but his release gets more elongated with a noticeable hitch as he gets deeper. Athletically, he lacks overwhelming natural burst and has somewhat shorter arms.”

Lucas Morillo, The Newman School , Shooting Guard

Lucas Morillo is a 6-7, 180-pound guard from New Rochelle, NY.

247sports.com

 

[FrankNitty30]

I REALLY like Avdalas from VaTech

 

[Noblesville Illini]

Most recruiting sites still list him at 180 pounds, so that's great he's already up to 210 - Fletch will turn him into a monster next year

Just for reference, he’s got 18 lbs on Keaton

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

This was the scout listed on his 247 page:

“At 6-foot-7, Morillo combines perimeter size with toughness and a very high basketball IQ. He's multi-positional, able to initiate like a big guard, and make plays for himself and others with physicality and passing acumen. He seeks out and absorbs contact off the dribble, draws a lot of fouls in the process, but is simultaneously crafty enough to read the floor while doing it. He has the versatility to play both on and off the ball, and can even take smaller defenders into the post, but his feel for the game is a constant.

His competitive streak also extends to the defensive end of the floor, where's he's often under-rated. He's not the type of defender who is going to pick-up and turn opposing ball-handlers for the length of the floor, but when he's not over-extended, he's able to get into their bodies, pressure the ball with his physicality, and keep them in front. He's also switchable up the line-up onto bigger players and a tremendous perimeter rebounder who loves to take the ball off the glass and start the break himself.

The two most glaring limitations in Morillo's game are a lack of dynamic explosiveness and consistent three-point shooting. He made just 20% of his three-point attempts in EYBL play, even while being very selective with his attempts (just 1.5 of his 13.3 field goal attempts were from three), and was 60% from the free-throw line. He's capable of making mid-range pull-ups, but his release gets more elongated with a noticeable hitch as he gets deeper. Athletically, he lacks overwhelming natural burst and has somewhat shorter arms.”

Lucas Morillo, The Newman School , Shooting Guard

Lucas Morillo is a 6-7, 180-pound guard from New Rochelle, NY.

247sports.com

Also, this was Quentin Coleman’s:

“Coleman is a skilled and smooth guard who can really shoot the basketball. He has a virtually pure release that is ultra-fluid with good loft and rotation. He made 39% of his threes during the EYBL season and showed versatility in his shot-making profile. He has obvious gravity spotting up, really understands how to space the floor, and has a complementing one dribble pull-up. With his high school team though, we get to see more dynamic shot-making. He flies off different types of screening action, creates space with his step-backs, and shows deep range.

While Coleman played almost exclusively off the ball in the EYBL season, and was very efficient in that role, he gets to do more with the ball in the winter. He's a comfortable handler who can make plays with the ball and rarely gets sped up. He's not necessarily a flashy passer, but reliable, with an almost 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in EYBL play, and untapped upside as he continues to develop his ability to make reads on the move and adds more layers to his passing skills.

Physically, Coleman has solid positional size at 6-foot-3, and is now starting to fill-out a previously undeveloped frame. He's starting to sprint the floor and move with more pace as his body evolves. He's also a good perimeter rebounder who isn't afraid to stick his nose into traffic. While he shows some tough lay-up making ability when he has space to navigate the lane, he can struggle through contact in the paint when the game slows down. As he continues to fill-out his frame, that could evolve, and take his playmaking potency to new levels.”

Quentin Coleman, The Principia School , Shooting Guard

Quentin Coleman is a 6-4, 180-pound Shooting Guard from Saint Louis, MO.

247sports.com

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

After a business trip earlier in the week, I got some updates in to the spreadsheet with some of the latest names and some CB's with the date received.

Link to the Portal Tracker Sheet

 

[blackdog]

This was the scout listed on his 247 page:

“At 6-foot-7, Morillo combines perimeter size with toughness and a very high basketball IQ. He's multi-positional, able to initiate like a big guard, and make plays for himself and others with physicality and passing acumen. He seeks out and absorbs contact off the dribble, draws a lot of fouls in the process, but is simultaneously crafty enough to read the floor while doing it. He has the versatility to play both on and off the ball, and can even take smaller defenders into the post, but his feel for the game is a constant.

His competitive streak also extends to the defensive end of the floor, where's he's often under-rated. He's not the type of defender who is going to pick-up and turn opposing ball-handlers for the length of the floor, but when he's not over-extended, he's able to get into their bodies, pressure the ball with his physicality, and keep them in front. He's also switchable up the line-up onto bigger players and a tremendous perimeter rebounder who loves to take the ball off the glass and start the break himself.

The two most glaring limitations in Morillo's game are a lack of dynamic explosiveness and consistent three-point shooting. He made just 20% of his three-point attempts in EYBL play, even while being very selective with his attempts (just 1.5 of his 13.3 field goal attempts were from three), and was 60% from the free-throw line. He's capable of making mid-range pull-ups, but his release gets more elongated with a noticeable hitch as he gets deeper. Athletically, he lacks overwhelming natural burst and has somewhat shorter arms.”

Lucas Morillo, The Newman School , Shooting Guard

Lucas Morillo is a 6-7, 180-pound guard from New Rochelle, NY.

247sports.com

Shooting definitely can be a concern but we literally just had a big lead guard who was able to get to the rim with skill, craftiness, and physicality despite not being an explosive athlete.

 

[Battle89]

There’s no way you can have Blackwell and Pryce while retaining the guys we want to. It’s either or here. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. We can lust about both of them but it’s no more realistic than Sydney Sweeney becoming the second incarnation of the F$&@ Yeah girl.

AI…paging AI…please see @1m4tr in the design studio…

 

[BWA]

He should be reserved for a similar role as DGL on the ‘24 team. Ninth man, averaged 2 points per game - but got SOME playing time in every game (despite limited minutes). Played hard, defended, didn’t cause problems.

We said the same thing about Wagler this time last year…

Gotta let the kids earn it

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2042278825174729073

 

[gary?]

AI…paging AI…please see 1m4tr in the design studio…

yeah, let's not do this.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2042279054406029724

 

[WxIllini]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2042278825174729073

Glynn Blackwell better be there as well

 

[Metal Bat]

Pre knee injury Steve Kerr was also absolutely ridiculous. One of the best shooters I've ever seen and far more explosive a player than the post knee injury Steve Kerr we saw in the NBA. A high volume 50%+ 3pt shooter who could also drain the midrange? If only he had kids like that...

Yeah idk how commentating his nick would go

 

[ChiefGritty]

This was the scout listed on his 247 page:

“At 6-foot-7, Morillo combines perimeter size with toughness and a very high basketball IQ. He's multi-positional, able to initiate like a big guard, and make plays for himself and others with physicality and passing acumen. He seeks out and absorbs contact off the dribble, draws a lot of fouls in the process, but is simultaneously crafty enough to read the floor while doing it. He has the versatility to play both on and off the ball, and can even take smaller defenders into the post, but his feel for the game is a constant.

His competitive streak also extends to the defensive end of the floor, where's he's often under-rated. He's not the type of defender who is going to pick-up and turn opposing ball-handlers for the length of the floor, but when he's not over-extended, he's able to get into their bodies, pressure the ball with his physicality, and keep them in front. He's also switchable up the line-up onto bigger players and a tremendous perimeter rebounder who loves to take the ball off the glass and start the break himself.

The two most glaring limitations in Morillo's game are a lack of dynamic explosiveness and consistent three-point shooting. He made just 20% of his three-point attempts in EYBL play, even while being very selective with his attempts (just 1.5 of his 13.3 field goal attempts were from three), and was 60% from the free-throw line. He's capable of making mid-range pull-ups, but his release gets more elongated with a noticeable hitch as he gets deeper. Athletically, he lacks overwhelming natural burst and has somewhat shorter arms.”

Lucas Morillo, The Newman School , Shooting Guard

Lucas Morillo is a 6-7, 180-pound guard from New Rochelle, NY.

247sports.com

A bit of Andrej, a bit of Ty, a bit of Domask. Our staff loves these guys.

One way to coach smart basketball is to teach it to players, another way is to scout in a way that identifies players that already play smart basketball naturally.

 

[the juiceman cometh]

This was the scout listed on his 247 page:

“At 6-foot-7, Morillo combines perimeter size with toughness and a very high basketball IQ. He's multi-positional, able to initiate like a big guard, and make plays for himself and others with physicality and passing acumen. He seeks out and absorbs contact off the dribble, draws a lot of fouls in the process, but is simultaneously crafty enough to read the floor while doing it. He has the versatility to play both on and off the ball, and can even take smaller defenders into the post, but his feel for the game is a constant.

His competitive streak also extends to the defensive end of the floor, where's he's often under-rated. He's not the type of defender who is going to pick-up and turn opposing ball-handlers for the length of the floor, but when he's not over-extended, he's able to get into their bodies, pressure the ball with his physicality, and keep them in front. He's also switchable up the line-up onto bigger players and a tremendous perimeter rebounder who loves to take the ball off the glass and start the break himself.

The two most glaring limitations in Morillo's game are a lack of dynamic explosiveness and consistent three-point shooting. He made just 20% of his three-point attempts in EYBL play, even while being very selective with his attempts (just 1.5 of his 13.3 field goal attempts were from three), and was 60% from the free-throw line. He's capable of making mid-range pull-ups, but his release gets more elongated with a noticeable hitch as he gets deeper. Athletically, he lacks overwhelming natural burst and has somewhat shorter arms.”

Lucas Morillo, The Newman School , Shooting Guard

Lucas Morillo is a 6-7, 180-pound guard from New Rochelle, NY.

247sports.com

Yeah, but note that this assessment is based purely on his EBYL play. That's an incredibly small sample size. Yes, that's a higher competition level than his high school, but a similar analogy is drawing conclusions from Mirk's 26% 3pt shooting in NextGen Euroleague play.

The truth is probably somewhere in between his EBYL and HS performance.

 

[Calvin]

Most recruiting sites still list him at 180 pounds, so that's great he's already up to 210 - Fletch will turn him into a monster next year

I would expect him to have an adjustment for the size and speed of college, but his highlights show him with a lot of skill, an attackers mentality, and college ready body. Love guys who can get to the rim and finish. Puts a lot more stress on the defense and gets you to the line. Looking forward to seeing what he can do.

 

[Username]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2042278825174729073

Wine is for closers.