Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[jmm]

How do they feel about how many minutes Blackwell will get for the Illini next season? Asking for... reasons.

 

[LvilleILL1]

It is a good team. Not a stand out team.

They are literally getting preseason number one shouts on social media by national writers.

A lot of people in here are overestimating what the talent landscape in college basketball looks like next year. Look at other rosters and the lack of tons of high level players left.

 

[wncillini]

Kid shot 65%fg/50%3/90%FT last season, won the state championship & was Mr.Basketball in MO, and people are like, are we sure he’s good?

Its more like relying on freshman to win you a national championship has often been a fools errand.

 

[RichardKeene’sHair]

There are a lot of posts that I like, however I do not have a like button.

Just know I like the pro- guard/roster posts for next season.

 

[fatboyslim]

It is a good team. Not a stand out team. Relying on some luck with help and a lot of faith in Freshman. I get 1 but counting on 2, 3 or even 4 is a tall task. Hopefully they pick up a vet because Brandon looked unplayable last year. At the end of the day do I wish we went for the jugular sure, but Brad has earned my wait and see approach.

Yeah we'll barely get to 20 wins and into the tournament with any luck

 

[JJE]

With Blackwell- National title favorite

Without Blackwell- National title contender

 

[Emerson Bigguns]

I think that this freshman class is VERY special. The are the foundation for a great team in years to come if they stick together. Add a big or two next year and they may be world beaters.

But they're FRESHMEN. Counting on them to carry the team like Keaton did is asking a lot. Acquiring Blackwell as the second guard would mean that we wouldn't have to count on any freshmen. We'd have 7 players who are proven performers at every position with 5 freshmen being initiated into Illini basketball by years end. talent? yes! experience? no....

Love this team....but we're short one scorer at guard.

I. E. we're not quite done...

P.S. In my 70 years of watching Illini basketball, we've NEVER had a freshman before like Keaton Wagler. Should we count on that two years in a row??

Wait…aren’t we bringing back 5 of our top 8 players from last year?

We will not be relying on any freshman to “carry the team.” We have 4 seniors and one of the best returning sophomores in the country to do that. The freshmen just need to do their jobs.

 

[fatboyslim]

They are literally getting preseason number one shouts on social media by national writers.

A lot of people in here are overestimating what the talent landscape in college basketball looks like next year. Look at other rosters and the lack of tons of high level players left.

Our fanbase has some truly weird fans. We got basically everything we wanted this offseason and people still not happy.

 

[Miles Leonard]

Team will be good but definitely not final four good with out Blackwell

We were literally Final Four good last year without Blackwell.

 

[ThePortalMadeMeDoIt]

They are literally getting preseason number one shouts on social media by national writers.

A lot of people in here are overestimating what the talent landscape in college basketball looks like next year. Look at other rosters and the lack of tons of high level players left.

Exactly why you Portal Kombat them get Blackwell and finish them

 

[WhereDoWeStandWithStorr?]

Crazy that people are assuming Vaaks/Coleman going to average over 30 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists combined. Crazy. I’ll wager ANY amount that doesn’t happen.

You could have posted this exact sentence a year ago about Wagler and Bam.

I guess the point is that it’s unlikely.

For anything in life - you’re always going to be able to point to an exception and say it happened. Keaton was an exception. Generational exception.

Those statistics between Vaaks and Coleman - it’s unlikely. That’s all.

 

[CentralILLini]

I think that this freshman class is VERY special. The are the foundation for a great team in years to come if they stick together. Add a big or two next year and they may be world beaters.

But they're FRESHMEN. Counting on them to carry the team like Keaton did is asking a lot. Acquiring Blackwell as the second guard would mean that we wouldn't have to count on any freshmen. We'd have 7 players who are proven performers at every position with 5 freshmen being initiated into Illini basketball by years end. talent? yes! experience? no....

Love this team....but we're short one scorer at guard.

I. E. we're not quite done...

P.S. In my 70 years of watching Illini basketball, we've NEVER had a freshman before like Keaton Wagler. Should we count on that two years in a row??

Who the hell is asking Coleman and Lucas to “carry the team”?

Man, im logging off for the night. Some of you guys must be trippin’ off your sleepy time tea or something.

 

[bbpeoria]

Kid shot 65%fg/50%3/90%FT last season, won the state championship & was Mr.Basketball in MO, and people are like, are we sure he’s good?

Is anybody questioning he is good? I penciled him in for at least 20mpg even if Blackwell were to come. The kid is fantastic and I love Vaaks game too but this team has a chance to be generationally good and is not missing much. Backcourt depth may now be an issue as it was last season. And I'm in the camp that Vaaks/Coleman could easily be as good as WaglerBoswell.

 

[Combo]

I see two things being true:

1. We can be a very good team next year and even great if our returners make jumps.

2. None of that matters without great guard play and our guard play is a major question. Vaaks is not a PG and Coleman isn’t either. Needing both to be very good next year is likely what will give this team a ceiling that is short of a title.

Bonus: The way I see this team becoming a true title contender is if Andrej becomes a true dude at the end of games, which is possible.

Vaaks is way closer to being a PG than Blackwell.

You also wonder if Andrej and/or Coleman would be here next year if we were getting Blackwell (I'm not saying that's the case, but it seems like a possibility)

I still think Cox would be a great pickup.

 

[Illinisnake]

Sometimes Illini fans are crazy, I love our fan base but we literally have a top 5 team. People believed that Petro was going to be our number 1 guard option this year and then Keaton broke out and Petro couldn’t even get minutes. We have zero clue what’s going to happen this year but our core group came back, we should be very happy. We are in the mix for the top spot at #1 already. Keaton was incredible but man, without Mirk we aren’t even close to the same team.

 

[PapaDelsMadeMeFat]

It is a good team. Not a stand out team.

I guess pre-season top 5 at minimum doesn’t stand out?

I’m with @LvilleILL1… y’all crazy to throw this kind of shade after the $15 mil spend, huge retention, great success in the portal with Vaaks, and really good freshman coming in.

 

[IlliniShelt]

I get this may not be popular on an Illini message board but

 

[Altuve27]

I will say Coleman will make an impact from day 1. He can score from all levels, and he can light it up from deep. He will be a factor. No doubt in my mind.

 

[illiniguy24]

Can't do this an entire offseason (again) after we just spent 15+ million on this roster.

I can understand some posters frustration going from “money is no object” and trying to sign arguably the best player in the portal to our current roster to being told we might not add anyone else except a backup guard

I still think we are a top 5 team regardless, and people are going to be dramatic, but I see both sides

 

[goillini30]

They are literally getting preseason number one shouts on social media by national writers.

A lot of people in here are overestimating what the talent landscape in college basketball looks like next year. Look at other rosters and the lack of tons of high level players left.

It's almost like there's a reason people are saying next year's draft is going to be weak

 

[WhereDoWeStandWithStorr?]

Cooould even argue Sophomore Vaaks > Frosh Wagler in overall productivity. (Wagler will have a much better pro career but just in terms of their college impact for one season)

I’ll believe it when I see it.

Until then - absolutely no way, especially thinking that going into the season.

 

[RimPressure]

A lot of people in here are overestimating what the talent landscape in college basketball looks like next year. Look at other rosters and the lack of tons of high level players left.

This is a good point. Fewer and fewer 5th year plus guys left. Things are more diluted now as the covid year glut continues to filter out. It does feel like NIL has made redshirts a lot more popular though too?

 

[pruman91]

I almost want him even more now to spite them for thinking Drej takes us out of the running

check out the author's pic and bio........lol , clickbait elite...................it really really is.............

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

They are literally getting preseason number one shouts on social media by national writers.

A lot of people in here are overestimating what the talent landscape in college basketball looks like next year. Look at other rosters and the lack of tons of high level players left.

Don't bother with some of these clowns. No matter what the staff does, it's not good enough. Could you imagine complaining after an Elite 8, two years later a Final Four, followed by being a favorite to win it all the following season.

To not develop ANY freshmen would be program malpractice. Coleman is going to be a star and one hell of an option with wherever Brad wants to implement him.

Superstar roster with national title aspirations and we have complaints. Smh

 

[DICKnaggie]

They are literally getting preseason number one shouts on social media by national writers.

A lot of people in here are overestimating what the talent landscape in college basketball looks like next year. Look at other rosters and the lack of tons of high level players left.

Look at what it would mean to keep the same level of performance and continue to develop top guards for the league?!?