Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[EmeraldCityIllini]

I know this is a sound bite and there may be additional context, but continuing to complain about this is really lame IMO. Mick Cronin (and other coaches) is equally if not more accountable as a CBB recruiter and a coach as the "system" he is referring to is (in which he is a part of).

It feels like coaches you hear complaining about this year after year are the same coaches who underperform year after year. I don't recall Tier 1 coaches complaining about it, just recruiting around it (as they should).

It's like buying a luxury car that has very well-published mechanical issues, and then complaining about it after you buy it. The purchase is between two parties pal, and no one tricked you into buying the car. It says right there in JD Power that the Lexus won't fail you, yet you went with the Range Rover with well-documented crappy air suspension and electrical issues.

when you underachieve, it's a lot easier to blame the players. But be careful, you can't just blame YOUR players, because that implies it could be your fault for recruiting them in the first place. It's imperative you say ALL American players so you have no choice.

Throw in European players for good measure as examples of players you want, and hope everyone forgets you totally fudged up Mara and Buyuktuncel, and you got a great argument!

 

[Calvin]

BU said the other day that NIL is great. But the portal needs fixed. And I agree*. Coaches and professional athletes in every other league are bound by their contracts. Right now there is no device in place to regulate player movement and the result is unsustainable and chaotic.

*Actually, as a fan I kinda hate NIL but concede that it's probably the most ethical and just way forward for the sport.

Be curious what he has in mind. I think the calendar is pretty bad, but I get that coaches want those rosters in place quickly, and that pushes the pressure towards movement as early as possible. I don't see any way the sport stops the big dogs from poaching from the smaller conferences, all day and twice on Sunday.

 

[Illwinsagain]

Be curious what he has in mind. I think the calendar is pretty bad, but I get that coaches want those rosters in place quickly, and that pushes the pressure towards movement as early as possible. I don't see any way the sport stops the big dogs from poaching from the smaller conferences, all day and twice on Sunday.

The impression I got was the annual free for all of the portal. Go to something like 1 free move, or if your head coach leaves. Though, I think that the courts may overturn any type of restriction, as they have in the past.

 

[WeWillWhen]

Cronin's won nothing as a coach.

I agree that the guy is a pompous, angry gnome, but to say that he's won nothing isn't right. Only three losing seasons in a 23 year career. His teams have made the tournament 15 of the past 16 years. Three Sweet Sixteens and a Final Four. Four conference titles. Come on, now.

 

[Emerson Bigguns]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2062578968407023661

Prep recruiting is tough enough. I wouldn't want my coach criticizing the people who often have the most leverage is funneling players to particular programs. Especially, if my coach had only been to the Sweet 16, 4 times in 22 years...

If you are Self, Pitino, or the like, say whatever you want... Mick Cronin? He's stepping on toes he doesn't have big enough shoes to step on.

 

[RabidDawgClassic]

BU said the other day that NIL is great. But the portal needs fixed. And I agree*. Coaches and professional athletes in every other league are bound by their contracts. Right now there is no device in place to regulate player movement and the result is unsustainable and chaotic.

*Actually, as a fan I kinda hate NIL but concede that it's probably the most ethical and just way forward for the sport.

The most ethical way forward is making the players employees and having them form a collective bargaining unit. That would solve the transfer portal problem because it would get players into binding multi-year contracts. But as of right now, the universities would rather have donors foot the bill and accept the chaos that comes with it.

I doubt making them employees would solve the NIL problem, however. Players could still sign outside endorsement deals, whether legitimate or disguised as recruiting incentives.

 

[Hessel Blvd]

Cronin is mediocre coach and bad for college basketball. Don't know what's going on out there in UCLA, not sure how he has a job. I hope the UCLA basketball brand recovers from what he is doing to it someday.