Big Jack
- Decatur
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
No one deserves to have that comparison/burden placed on them, just because they’re ranked outside the top 100 and committed to Illinois.
Unfortunately, it’s what will be said about every under recruited kid who comes here.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
We’re all gonna be so shocked when it turns out that Blake Fagbemi is the next Illini All-American.
DReq
Always Illini
- Central Illinois
Does the AA team have a designated 9th man? I mean, they can't all be starters, can they?We’re all gonna be so shocked when it turns out that Blake Fagbemi is the next Illini All-American.
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
We’re all gonna be so shocked when it turns out that Blake Fagbemi is the next Illini All-American.
Blake is 100% gonna throw down a hammer dunk on someone this year… and why will it be Indinia?
I didn't say he was going to be another Wagler. Just pointing out there was some similarities to their background. Ease off on the attack already. Some people on here are just looking for something to jump on.
OPRF class of '77. We went downstate in '76 and lost to Levi Cobb in the semis. That team had Chuck Dahms (Oral Roberts/Wake Forest) and was coached by Tommy Meyer, Ray's other son. He eventually went on to coach UIC (DIII at the time).
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Zens went to a private basketball factory high school where he played first with Kon Knueppel and then with his similarly highly rated younger brothers (don't Google their first names, save yourselves) which has been playing big-ticket out of state games and ranked among the top in the country.
And then on the AAU circuit Zens has played for the most prominent shoe-company sponsored team in the state, Wisconsin Playground, on the Under Armour circuit.
He has of course shined in these settings, been widely scouted and offered, and holds an impressive four-star prospect rating.
Which of course makes him the COMPLETE AND TOTAL ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DEGREE OPPOSITE of Keaton Wagler's basketball background.
But it will feel cuddly and good-fan-ish to invoke that comparison with every fundamentally-sound-coded player we recruit for the next several decades, so we are sentenced to suffer through these flights of fancy on this board for many coming years.
Here’s CHATGPT’s input:
“MaxPreps All-America is not the same thing as recruiting rankings.
MaxPreps explicitly states that its All-America teams are selected based on:
- Team success
- Individual production (stats)
- Local, regional, and state honors
In fact, MaxPreps has said for years that they evaluate what the player accomplished that season, not who projects as the best college or NBA prospect. “
In regards to Zens:
“Zavier Zens is actually a good example of the difference between "best prospect" and "best high school player."
As a recruit, he was generally viewed as a 3-star prospect and was ranked well outside the national Top 100 by the major recruiting services. At one point, fans discussing his recruitment cited him around #237 nationally.
But his senior season was hard to ignore:
- Led Wisconsin Lutheran to a 30–0 record
- Won a third consecutive state championship
- Averaged 23.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists
- Shot 61.8% from the field and 41.7% from three
- Won Wisconsin Player of the Year and Wisconsin Mr. Basketball honors
So if you're comparing him to five-star McDonald's All-Americans, the MaxPreps voters were basically saying:
"We know some of those guys have higher NBA ceilings, but Zens had one of the best high-school seasons in America."
Thanks for the info. I was just going on that they were both not top 100 rated yet won state titles. I know there will never be another keaton Wagler in my lifetime. Thats like expecting to hit the powerball twice.
Even though our team from last year is losing Keaton, Kylan and Ben i honestly feel confident that while Keaton and Kylan who were very good and Kylan was a very good defender will be tough to replace i think that offensively and on the glass that Vaaks and Coleman as a pair will be on that level. Vaaks is great on offense, has NBA type skills and Coleman appears to be a great all round player. I think the one we havent replaced is Ben. As long as no one gets hurt or in foul trouble or if Jason can be serviceable in the glass and D if it does then we will be ok. I do hope we find a Euro just to fill in to try to fill Bens role. I think what Ben did is on our squad yet. I havent given up hope that Jason cant do it. He doesnt need to score to make me feel ok. If he can rebound and defend as needed. Brad talked a out being ready to play him last year "a lot" and ge had his blood clot. I think if Brad doesnt add a big then he feels Jason will be fine rebounding and on D if needed.
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Pretty unsure of what we’re doing in 2027. Davion Thompson looks very good for Team USA, yet we didn’t recruit him. Same for Jaxson Davis.
It’s no guarantee Coleman and/or Vaaks won’t be gone next year. Important to build up guard depth.
It’s no guarantee Coleman and/or Vaaks won’t be gone next year. Important to build up guard depth.
Zens is closer to what Ben brought than Jakstys.
If Jakstys is playing legitimate minutes, it likely means our freshmen were very underwhelming (which would be unideal).
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Not in what this team needs. No way. Zens wont rebound or defend the post at the 4. Zens is a small forward. Ben was versitile, could play the 3 or 4 had length and was decent at defending the 4. Jason is not a 3 at all. He has grown and developed physically which is exactly what Zens needs to be a 4 maybe one day. Zens may play some at the 3 but is likely buried there behind Coleman. DRE, Jake and Lucas. Jason has been guarding our 4s and 5s in practice like Mirk, Z, Tomi and others for the last 2 years, goyten stronger and grown. Zens wont be asked to guard guys like Tomi, Z. Mirk or even Jason. If he is then he will be abused. We dont have a single freshman to defend big guys like Z, Tomi, Mirk or even Jason can. Or close to Ben. Our freshman are not 4s or 5s. Its foolish to think some 6'7" 215 lb kid would stop guys top teams have. It was tough for a sr 6'9" Ben to do most nights. Zens may be able to be a 2/3 but is not a 4. At least not for a few years to grow.
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Zens has been listed as both a PF and SF. He can help upfront if necessary. Not every 4 is 6'9 260 lbs.
I also still hold out hope that JJ can contribute.
If you think he will play next season at the 4 or was recruited to do so at Illinois i highly disagree. If Z, T or Mirk get hurt it will be Jason to rebound and play D or Dre. We will miss Ben if Jason cant do those 2 things. BU said in the podcast Jason was going to play "a lot" but the clot happenned. I dont know about a lot but i think he can. I doubt our program ever recruits a 6'7" 210lb freshman to be expected to be play significant minutes at the power forward given where our program is today. I hope and feel most will be as long and more physical than Ben much less Zens at a program like ours going forward. We are not most programs and those that are playing for us wont be 6'7" 210 to 215 lbs. Zens isnt a PF for us and wont be. If so then we will not be elite. We wouldnt beat teams like Houston, MSU , or top teams if thats what you see playing the 4 for us.
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People are still questioning Underwood recruiting? The Illini found Wagler and Coleman. Thompson price was too high and Davis was deemed to small. Illinois will have misses like they took Boswell over Fears. They will be fine in the long run.
Are you concerned Brad doesn’t know what he’s doing?
? A year ago very few, if any, on here knew who Coleman or Vaaks were.
It's been hinted on here who the top 27 target is in terms of high school kids. Next year will be more euro and portal based.
I said he can help at the 4 if necessary, not that he was "recruited to play there." That doesn't mean that's his only position or even his main position.
I'd like to think JJ will be recovered and capable of helping up front. But it seems far from certain that he'll be 100%.
DrunkWastedHammeredIllini
- Where everybody wants to rule the world
