Solid gold! Looks right to me. We can’t settle for a top 1-2 finish in offensive efficiency….have to evolve and continuously improve.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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I hate Louisville lol. Literally buying the top guys. I’M NOT SAYING they’ll be that good, but it’s frustrating to see so many names just flock to a school purely off of $$ play.
Their success has been pretty underwhelming, but the $$$ are absolutely crazy.
Their success has been pretty underwhelming, but the $$$ are absolutely crazy.
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Vaaks + Blackwell > KW + Bam ?
blackdog
- Champaign
Latulips breakdown also really showed how different the floor spacing was. At Providence always had a roller only and otherwise the big guys were often planted in the paint. Some of those clips it was actually painful seeing how poorly spaced the guys were, like a dude who should have been in the corner in instead for some reason in the middle of floor and coming to screen with a player already on that wing and a big on block? Makes me appreciate Tyler's offense even more and it provides so much opportunities for guys to excell.
Would be (green) egg on his face if he said he wants to win a natty and goes to louisville
tell me who did vaaks have to pass to on Providence vs who kj and wagler could pass to?
the fact that he can play in pick in roll, is tall, and can shoot.... and now it's playing with shooters all around that the defense can sag off while change that assist rate.
also he shot 35% 3s even with his highlight real shots from deep and being the focal point of the defense gives me hope that could be the floor. granted we have seen the transfer in drop in shooting % in the first year so even if he just replicates that is good enough
I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying elite. We'll be a top 10 team without him.
However, with him, he gives you a three level scorer, who you can lean on to take big shots and make free throws late. That's the piece that would put us in the top 5 and one of the favorites to win it. Losing both Boswell and Keaton....that's a lot of production, a lot of experience and a lot of leadership walking out the door.
Definitely not the end of the world if Blackwell goes elsewhere. If he truly wants to compete at a high level at a big time program for his last year, and its between Louisville and us...I mean cmon. Regardless, every time we have 'missed' on our 1A, 1B turns out to be pretty darn good.
How much colonoscopy and Bruce Weber talk are you seeing on their forum? Any mention of a guy in a black shirt or insiders selling hot dogs? Those should all be key indicatorsNot a confirmation but being reported on a Duke forum thread also. Of course, they may be getting their news here
Transfer Portal - Page 46 - Forums
Reviving this thread as it seems names are coming out for the portal. Not really interested in anyone other than us having to find a big. I've seen that big dude Diop from Arizona State as a possibility depending if we get a big from Europewww.on3.com
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Ron Guenther was the senior team captain of the (4-6, fwiw) Illini football team that got blown up due to the slush fund scandal. He came to power in the DIA during the fallout of Neale Stoner and Satan and Deon Thomas and all that jazz.
He crafted out of this a narrative that Illinois Athletics was a juggernaut pre-slush fund, that scandal permanently destroyed the athletic program, and somehow instituted a baked-in endless campaign against the University of Illinois at the NCAA, in which we would be permanently subject to a different set of rules than everyone else, and that to surrender to and obey this evil mandate was somehow the mark of athletic excellence.
RG's attitude toward main campus and the academic and political aspects of working at a state flagship institution took on a similar conspiratorial bent.
RG, like Tate (the two are close friends to this day), is a charismatic guy whose passion for the program was eaten up in the room with his inner circle of donors. But his aforementioned worldview about his job was, to put a fine point on it, total nonsense. Factually wrong, and pointing in the opposite direction of what the DIA needed. He was completely out of his depth leading a brand (a word he would have never conceived of) in big-time modern college sports, and his galaxy-brained constellation of self-serving excuses for failure choked the life out of his two revenue sports.
ELITE leadership for the last decade has fixed these problems. But those old fantasy narratives infected the house for a long time and are still scurrying around under the floorboards, gotta make sure to kill it whenever you see one.
Lateral with a Final Four team when everyone else at the top is losing much more is where #1 preseason rankings come from.
An honor, we will be wise to remember if it happens, that is worth precisely zero once the season tips off.
It seems pretty clear that Glynn Blackwell and John Blackwell have slightly different perspectives on the situation, and Glynn Blackwell is not the decider.
Which makes Louisville potentially an issue. They are trying to spend like Michigan last year.
I do not know the answer to this equation, but it's not the only factor.
Assuming #TheRetention, you would expect growth from Mirk, Andrej, T+Z, Jake, etc both figuratively and fletcherally.
Coleman + Morillo >> Petro + Lee is not a stretch either
Really think the Wagler blowup masked the kind of year Mirk had. Even with Vaaks and Blackwell (if), he's the odds on favorite to be the best player on the team IMO. There's a chance he winds up first or second team all-american.
The defensive concern is legit IMO, but you'd hope this defensive version of Andrej is here to stay. But i gotta tell ya, for all the love Andrej got defensively that was deserved, I thought Mirk in that postseason run was just terrific defensively. The UCONN game in particular had some "wow" moments, and there were wall off plays against Houston and Iowa too, as well as not getting lost in pick n roll.
The defensive concern is legit IMO, but you'd hope this defensive version of Andrej is here to stay. But i gotta tell ya, for all the love Andrej got defensively that was deserved, I thought Mirk in that postseason run was just terrific defensively. The UCONN game in particular had some "wow" moments, and there were wall off plays against Houston and Iowa too, as well as not getting lost in pick n roll.
I think I'd take Blackwell/Vaaks over Wagler/Bam personally.
ginabackes00
CrazedUIFan
Agree. I think we are in a great position to add a top tier player outside of Blackwell with our retention.
Totally fine losing out on Blackwell if he goes to Louisville.
Hypothetically… who would we hope the pivot options are?
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hooraybeer
- Peoria, IL
losing the final piece to a potential championship team over money coming off a final four run would be … telling
edit: to be clear, i’m thrilled with where we’re at as a program/BU. but we have a rare chance to do what michigan did this year.. their top donors came through, i hope ours do too
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Time to head back to the store to see what’s left on the shelves?
If Blackwell goes elsewhere, curious if we would get involved with Mingo.
Personally, I'm a big fan of McNeil.
Personally, I'm a big fan of McNeil.
Wagler >> Vaaks though.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- Batavia
Add in the factor players retained know the system and we could have the entire squad together practicing earlier than last year. Both Mirk and Vaaks get the soph jump! Vaaks fits our system much better than where he was last year. A lot of things funnel into positives from where I am standing!
IMO, I would not mind us paying a little extra for Blackwell. Brad and Co. really believe he is the last piece to a championship caliber team and they have not indicated whatsoever that they are pivoting away from trying to get him.
However, what I would like to see is them not balk at whatever price his agent has set as of now.
However, what I would like to see is them not balk at whatever price his agent has set as of now.
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