Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[Da88]

We were a top ten team last year and have everyone coming back with two incredible freshman guards and one incredible transfer? Vaaks can literally play PG and so can Mirk. Theres only one ball everyone

We need another stud scorer and ball handler. You can never have too many. We were one player hitting their shots v. UConn away from advancing.
We have a fantastic roster, but you need great guard play in March to advance.
Blackwell is another in a long line of big name guards that we hear are near locks, only for it to drag out before they go somewhere else.

 

[wncillini]

There's so many things that are wrong here, not sure where to start.

1) Look around the country. There are not going to be five teams with a better roster than Illinois. There are blue bloods with three to five players total on their roster as we stand with not much runway to add.

2) A lot of people in here said the team before the season started last year was not going to be very good or was super flawed. Illinois just returned 3 guys would would have been TOP FIVE portal players. They also just added a five star level freshman and maybe the best possible (top 15 transfer) portal guard fit for their system.

Quentin Coleman does not need to be as good or better than Wagler to have a better team than last year. Tomi (knock on wood) will be healthier. Mirk DID NOT EVEN GET AN OFFSEASON last year. Imagine what he is going to look like with another seven months working with Fletch. Andrej is likely to make a leap in year two.

Also, Lucas Morillo is getting massively overlooked here. They think Ethan Brown can contribute as well as a depth add. Depending on if Lee sticks around or they add a veteran guard to replace him, that's more depth than you had there this past season.

QC, Vaaks, Drej, Mirkovic, Tomislav, Jake, Big Z, Morillo, Lee (add if he goes), Brown.

That is one of the best rosters in the country next season and can win a title.

Some of yall are very optimistic that we will be better without our best player without major changes. I hope youre right. I just hope we aren't expecting to win because everyone else will be worse. We should at least attempting to construct a team able to beat the best teams from last year. I think with the consolidation of power and money at the top the trend will be upwards with quality of championship teams, not down. Maybe that won't be the case.

 

[mysterio2525]

This is a good question. Illinois has already spent around 15 million this offseason, which is easily top 10 in the country. If you saw what type of numbers teams were willing to pay Mirkovic, Tomi, and Drej, you would be floored. Illinois can afford Blackwell, but they are also confident in the incoming freshman/Vaaks (they spent a ton of Vaaks, Coleman, and Morillo) to fit in really well with your three to five. There's also very high optimism that Ethan Brown will make a impact right away.

Certain people in Blackwells camp did not want him to take the risk of going to Illinois, when Vaaks/Coleman/Drej are all potential breakout pieces and he would have been a secondary option.

fair enough. one thing you have to trust is the staff's ability to evaluate talent. they are crushing that.

I get it if blackwell wants to be the guy then maybe Illinois isn't the best fit. lot of mouths to feed and already studs everywhere

 

[PepeSilvia]

There is no Yaxel-like piece in the portal this year. There is a reason ‘26 Michigan and ‘24 UConn are often quotes. They’re rare.

Duke’s teams the last couple years were Natty teams that couldn’t get it done. Duke even beat Michigan this year.

I think we’re ahead of where Florida 2025, Baylor 2021, and Virginia 2019 were in the buildups to their season. That said, we’ve seen what preseason #1 did to Purdue.

There is no dominant team this upcoming year. It’ll be a roller coaster of a season. And we have to hope we peak at the right time like a Florida 2025 or UVA 2019.

Nobody expected 24 UConn or 26 Michigan to be that dominant preseason.

UConn was coming off a title but they were preseason #6 and had lost 3 of their top 6 in Sanogo, Hawkins, and Jackson.

Michigan was preseason #7 and had mostly all new guys.

The Cooper Flagg team was definitely a championship caliber team that just couldn't get over the line against Houston but I don't think this years team was champion caliber by March(they barely squeaked by Siena and St Johns before blowing a huge lead to UConn). I think Michigan would have wiped the floor with them in the championship(if Illinois didn't beat them first) with how they were playing in March, even if they beat Michigan in February.

Add Blackwell and I don't see any reason this Illini team can't be the team to beat. You would have there proven veteran perimeter players in Blackwell, Stojakovic, and Vaaks. One of the best frontcourts in the country(Florida has a good one too), a wing shooter in David, and two high upside freshman in Morillo and Coleman.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

Just curious: can we not even get Blackwell on a visit to shoot your shot? Sell winning, legacy, vision, etc.

I mean… if UCLA can get him on campus then why can’t we?

 

[Da88]

This is a good question. Illinois has already spent around 15 million this offseason, which is easily top 10 in the country. If you saw what type of numbers teams were willing to pay Mirkovic, Tomi, and Drej, you would be floored. Illinois can afford Blackwell, but they are also confident in the incoming freshman/Vaaks (they spent a ton of Vaaks, Coleman, and Morillo) to fit in really well with your three to five. There's also very high optimism that Ethan Brown will make a impact right away.

Certain people in Blackwells camp did not want him to take the risk of going to Illinois, when Vaaks/Coleman/Drej are all potential breakout pieces and he would have been a secondary option.

If Blackwell's people were worried about him getting tick, then they are underestimating him, not looking out for him.
But watch, he will go somewhere that also equally stacked.

 

[I lost Kofi's blue binder]

While I agree that this is a national title contender without any more additions, that is contingent on multiple players taking jumps. That wasn’t necessarily the case if one more high-level add were to happen. If your checklist of advantages gets smaller, so does your margin for error. That’s why the Blackwell thing was so exciting—adding a first-team all B1G level player to a roster already somewhere around #4 or #5? Wow.

Immediately pivoting to “ah, but the freshmen are going to be so good” is spin. It’s somewhat compelling spin (and could end up correct!). But it is spin nonetheless, and I’d rather be counting on a fully-developed sure thing to take this team over the top.

Still an absolutely excellent roster and an A-grade offseason. But for a moment there, we were dreaming even bigger.

 

[OneTime3]

Impossible to say the team is worse/better at this point.

Before the tournament, everyone thought we were choking down the stretch and were going to flame out in the second round.

 

[RichardKeene’sHair]

If Blackwell's people were worried about him getting tick, then they are underestimating him, not looking out for him.
But watch, he will go somewhere that also equally stacked.

Not about tick. He would be a role player at Illinois.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

Vaaks/Coleman is at least = to Boz/Wagler. Much better 3pt shooting on paper.

Obviously anything can happen; that is a hard bet to take however.

Wagler was one of the best players in program history.

Boswell, especially pre injury, had a major impact on this team. On BOTH ends.

I don’t dislike the current roster, but I also have a lot of respect for what those guys accomplished.

 

[LvilleILL1]

If Blackwell's people were worried about him getting tick, then they are underestimating him, not looking out for him.
But watch, he will go somewhere that also equally stacked.

He would play a ton at Illinois, that's not the issue. The issue is there are only so many mouths to feed. Illinois already has several high usage players.

Look at Louisville, Shelstad kind of is what he is at this point. Flory is great but he's not high usage offensively. UCLA has some high floor guys, but he will get more overall touches there. With Vaaks, there's a pretty clear path to a major jump. Coleman has a chance to be really good quickly. Andrej year two, not to mention Mirkovic/Tomislav will have the ball a ton. Morillo has a chance to be better than people think too.

Illinois is still interested in adding at some point, but it just got clearer the last few days that the role and usage may not be what he wanted. Andrej coming back may not happen if Blackwell is in the fold. Which stinks because he said he wants to win a title.

 

[Umit9]

Welcome to the Illini Zavier. Hoping to watch him work himself into a role as an Illini for years.

Go Illini

 

[STLini25]

Vaaks/Coleman is at least = to Boz/Wagler. Much better 3pt shooting on paper.

Not even close. Boz/Wagler WAY better

 

[Ga65]

I trust Brad and Cam emphatically. But, who on this team guards a 3rd or 4th year, quick PG? That is literally my only concern.

Coleman has the athletic ability to make a PG feel very uncomfortable. The rest is mindset and coaching. The best PGs will get around their man no matter who he is. The defensive players/system must protect the rim and we have those hopefully.

 

[BoiseBaller]

This is a good question. Illinois has already spent around 15 million this offseason, which is easily top 10 in the country. If you saw what type of numbers teams were willing to pay Mirkovic, Tomi, and Drej, you would be floored. Illinois can afford Blackwell, but they are also confident in the incoming freshman/Vaaks (they spent a ton of Vaaks, Coleman, and Morillo) to fit in really well with your three to five. There's also very high optimism that Ethan Brown will make a impact right away.

Certain people in Blackwells camp did not want him to take the risk of going to Illinois, when Vaaks/Coleman/Drej are all potential breakout pieces and he would have been a secondary option (if those guys breakout).

I mean, I guess this is possible. But I don’t know why a potential pre-season AA would worry about losing minutes to incoming freshman.

Blackwell seemed like the piece that could make us serious title contenders. Not saying that we still can’t be that or that it won’t happen but that path seemed a lot more clear and probable.

 

[RichardKeene’sHair]

As of today, would not bet that.

Wagler was one of the best players in program history.

Boswell, especially pre injury, had a major impact on this team. On BOTH ends.

Wagler had one of the best “stretches” in program history. There were certainly ups and downs. He was a great player, but people are going to over value his production based on his draft status.

I love him, and he is a great ambassador for the progrum, but my guy Boz in all reality wasn’t a tremendous fit for the Underwood’s offense. Vaaks and Coleman are both better fits.

Pound for pound I’d take Vaaks/Coleman. Vaaks is an NBA prospect off of 16ppg as a Freshman. Let’s not forget that part.

 

[illiniguy24]

He would play a ton at Illinois, that's not the issue. The issue is there are only so many mouths to feed. Illinois already has several high usage players.

Look at Louisville, Shelstad kind of is what he is at this point. Flory is great but he's not high usage offensively. UCLA has some high floor guys, but he will get more overall touches there. With Vaaks, there's a pretty clear path to a major jump. Coleman has a chance to be really good quickly. Andrej year two, not to mention Mirkovic will have the ball a ton.

Illinois is still interested in adding at some point, but it just got clearer the last few days that the role and usage may not be what he wanted. Which stinks because he said he wants to win a title.

I would hate to see him at UCLA. And I can’t imagine his camp looks at Louisville as a place to win a title under Pat Kelsey.

It’s a huge bummer knowing we would fork up the money to pay him. We need more quickness at guard as others have alluded to imo, even if it’s a backup guard

 

[IlliniInKnoxville]

If anybody is looking for something fun to do on a friday night, go watch vaaks highlights on youtube. Next season is going to be a fun one.

 

[pruman91]

What do we do the rest of the summer...?

 

[fatboyslim]

What I am saying is that we were lacking a piece last year to jump into that top tier. We were in the next year down from the top teams.

For next year we have lost our best player. So to lose our top piece and replace with someone not as good, but then expect us to jump into the top tier this year anyway is......let's say optimistic. Im hopeful some players can make some positive strides. Expecting everyone to do so isnt realistic. Odds are some players due to injury and other circumstances will take steps back as well.

We have a once in a lifetime chance right now for this upcoming season, and barring another top 5 pick freshman and accross the board sizeable improvements, I feel like we are still short.

Ill cheer. Ill hope. However without another major piece my expectations will be a top 10 team at the end of the year, not a championship contender.

Hope I'm wrong.

And what I'm saying is those teams you mentioned are losing a more than we are. In some cases a lot more and have to fill those missing pieces. Every season is different, just because a team loses it's best player one year doesn't mean they won't be as good the next season. Like many have said in here is that players grown and get better with more experience and chemistry. This team has a chance to do both.

 

[FloorGeneral]

Let's get a quick guard or more athletic. While I love the retention, a little more athleticism would not hurt this roster.

 

[RichardKeene’sHair]

Not even close. Boz/Wagler WAY better

You do realize Vaaks is an NBA prospect off of 16ppg as a freshman correct? And Coleman is a 4/5 star top 20?

Boz was a liability at the 3pt line. He got a lot of gritty points, Coleman will be a better offensive college player by March.

Boz best attribute was his leadership. They will miss that more than anything.

 

[ILLfan94]

This has already been an A- or A offseason so far. Add a veteran guard to bolster their backcourt depth in the next few months and this is an A+ offseason.

 

[Illinisnake]

Brandon Lee will probably get some tick.

 

[STLini25]

If the staff doesn’t add a veteran guard, they are taking a huge risk. Talking about a national championship but having a freshman point guard. Literally has only happened once in modern basketball (and that player was a top 5 one and done stud). Add to that the other guard is a sophomore unproven at this level.

I’ll put it here first, if we rely on unproven players to be a top team and those players don’t perform highly then it’s on the coaching staff. It is an unnecessary and foreseeable risk. (This is coming from someone who has seen QC play in person 5 times in the last 3 months).

Might work out. Might not. Not worth the risk when we have this vetaran talent.