Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

#152      
skyIdub
Just me hopping in to check out the 1984 recruiting thread….


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#156      
RollChief
Combo said:
Are Big Ten fans just more intense or what? Six of the top 10. Of those 6, 4 are traditional Big Ten.
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Campus Ink was founded in Champaign and has the most established customer base & presence there, and I believe B1G schools were where they expanded next (followed by other schools more broadly).
 
#158      
nichi
Calvin said:
Was Kendall Gill? He was an absolute stud that had a good NBA career.
Deron I believe was in the 50s. Also a stud.
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No. Gill was kind of a late bloomer.

Derek Harper was our first McDonald's AA in 1980. Followed by Bruce Douglas and Efrem Winters in 1982. Then Lowell Hamilton in 1985, Nick Anderson in 1986, Marcus Liberty in 1987, and Deon Thomas in 1989. Richard Keene was Lou's last one, I would have to look up the year.

Other McDAAs: Marcus Griffin, Frank Williams, and Brian Williams were Lon Kruger recruits in the late 1990s. Dee Brown was recruited by Self in 2002.

Some other highly ranked, top 50 recruits Eddie Johnson in 1977, Larry Smith 1986, kiwane Harris. Also, transfers Ken Norman and Kenny Battle in their high school classes. Of course, Deron Williams was top 50.

Going way back to the misty past before the McDonald's All American team; some candidates for a best ever recruits list would include Skip Thoren, Rich Jones, Nick Weatherspoon, Billy Morris, and a number of others.

The 247 best ever list appears to start with with the 2003 class?
 
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#159      
Det_Illini_fan
After reading through the posts from the past couple days, I’m suddenly craving a McDouble and Fries. Anyone know why?
 
#162      
RichAdams
nichi said:
No. Gill was kind of a late bloomer.

Derek Harper was our first McDonald's AA in 1980. Followed by Bruce Douglas and Efrem Winters in 1982. Then Lowell Hamilton in 1985, Nick Anderson in 1986, Marcus Liberty in 1987, and Deon Thomas in 1989. Richard Keene was Lou's last one, I would have to look up the year.

Other McDAAs: Marcus Griffin, Frank Williams, and Brian Williams were Lon Kruger recruits in the late 1990s. Dee Brown was recruited by Self in 2002.

Some other highly ranked, top 50 recruits Eddie Johnson in 1977, Larry Smith 1986, kiwane Harris. Also, transfers Ken Norman and Kenny Battle in their high school classes. Of course, Deron Williams was top 50.

Going way back to the misty past before the McDonald's All American team; some candidates for a best ever recruits list would include Skip Thoren, Rich Jones, Nick Weatherspoon, Billy Morris, and a number of others.

The 247 best ever list appears to start with with the 2003 class?
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Your reference to Brian Williams is throwing me off. Could you be thinking of Brian Cook? That is just off of the top of my head (and I can be wrong!)
 
#165      
hoopdog23
nichi said:
No. Gill was kind of a late bloomer.

Derek Harper was our first McDonald's AA in 1980. Followed by Bruce Douglas and Efrem Winters in 1982. Then Lowell Hamilton in 1985, Nick Anderson in 1986, Marcus Liberty in 1987, and Deon Thomas in 1989. Richard Keene was Lou's last one, I would have to look up the year.

Other McDAAs: Marcus Griffin, Frank Williams, and Brian Williams were Lon Kruger recruits in the late 1990s. Dee Brown was recruited by Self in 2002.

Some other highly ranked, top 50 recruits Eddie Johnson in 1977, Larry Smith 1986, kiwane Harris. Also, transfers Ken Norman and Kenny Battle in their high school classes. Of course, Deron Williams was top 50.

Going way back to the misty past before the McDonald's All American team; some candidates for a best ever recruits list would include Skip Thoren, Rich Jones, Nick Weatherspoon, Billy Morris, and a number of others.

The 247 best ever list appears to start with with the 2003 class?
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Kiwane Garris...but I knew what you meant..LOL
 
#166      
ImGonnaBeILL
It might not happen Year 1 at Illinois given the experience in front of him, but I'd wager a good amount of money that Zavier Zens is going to make a big impact in college basketball at some point. If he were to somehow happen to be pressed into action this season, I don't think he'd be overwhelmed as a role player.

Think he was REALLY slept on. Guy has 3 level scoring ability, the ability to play on and off ball, and an already very solid frame to build even more. JMO If he were a couple inches taller (which may still happen) he'd be a 4-5 star guy,

He's a dude you're going to be able to put out as a role player no matter who else you have on your team
 
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#169      
gary?
RichAdams said:
Your reference to Brian Williams is throwing me off. Could you be thinking of Brian Cook? That is just off of the top of my head (and I can be wrong!)
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pretty sure he means brian johnson
 
#170      
Combo
ImGonnaBeILL said:
It might not happen Year 1 at Illinois given the experience in front of him, but I'd wager a good amount of money that Zavier Zens is going to make a big impact in college basketball at some point. If he were to somehow happen to be pressed into action this season, I don't think he'd be overwhelmed as a role player.

Think he was REALLY slept on. Guy has 3 level scoring ability, the ability to play on and off ball, and an already very solid frame to build even more. JMO If he were a couple inches taller (which may still happen) he'd be a 4-5 star guy,

He's a dude you're going to be able to put out as a role player no matter who else you have on your team
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The video I've seen he's impressive.

That said, the bolded applies to every player you recruit. A couple inches more makes any prospect look more promising. And any 17/18 y.o. might grow a couple inches (though most don't).
 
#171      
hoopsfan47
Grandpa said:
My father-in-law said that The Whiz Kids were highly ranked in high school.
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Somebody of that bunch of "Whiz Kids" had to be pretty darned elite. They were the odds on favorite to win it all...but the war took their chance away...a familiar scenario to me.
 
#174      
hoopsfan47
ImGonnaBeILL said:
It might not happen Year 1 at Illinois given the experience in front of him, but I'd wager a good amount of money that Zavier Zens is going to make a big impact in college basketball at some point. If he were to somehow happen to be pressed into action this season, I don't think he'd be overwhelmed as a role player.

Think he was REALLY slept on. Guy has 3 level scoring ability, the ability to play on and off ball, and an already very solid frame to build even more. JMO If he were a couple inches taller (which may still happen) he'd be a 4-5 star guy,

He's a dude you're going to be able to put out as a role player no matter who else you have on your team
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Great post and insight. It sometimes amazes me how kids with talent that Brad likes for his system get quickly overlooked by our posters in spite of decades of history...and one lower ranked kid that is a one and done lottery pick. Zens intrigues me for several reasons.
1. Positional size...and likely future growth.
2. State POY but lowly regarded factor here. (Where have I seen this before?)
3. Three level scorer.

So much depends on what he has between the ears and in his heart...and only he knows. But he is a potentia gem who is on the roster and awaiting to get "Fletched". Can't wait to see what he can do...especially with a sophomore jump.
 
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