He won a natty and became a top 10 pick. Definitely worked out for him.Illinois: 4 first round picks in 3 years (including #5 overall pick this year)
Morez: "Just didn't feel comfortable with my future at Illinois"
Illini in the Pros (Basketball)
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Ya, that makes zero sense. He was used the exact same way at Michigan lol.Illinois: 4 first round picks in 3 years (including #5 overall pick this year)
Morez: "Just didn't feel comfortable with my future at Illinois"
And did Dusty May use him differently than Illinois would have?
If he developed an outside shot, Underwood would have allowed him to attempt his 1 three a game.
I know it was said here that the Morez camp was not happy with his usage during his freshman year. Just seems some bridges were burned early that could not be rebuilt.
Bridges were burned late, not early
Everyone was apparently happy, because he had resigned with us in late February
Didn't like being yanked in the Kentucky game for putting up a wild mid-range shot and getting burned repeatedly on defense (this sequence is actually hilarious... he bounces into the lane and shoots a floating leaner from the elbow, then trots back on defense and immediately gets scored on in transition)
Well.... money, that... and money (Michigan doubled what he signed here for)
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Yeah… but Dusty was nice to him!
Illinois: 4 first round picks in 3 years (including #5 overall pick this year)
Morez: "Just didn't feel comfortable with my future at Illinois"
Did Brad Underwood or someone on the coaching staff like, inappropriately touch Morez during his time here or something?
I obviously kid, but it's sounding almost irrational the way Morez describes what his future woulda been at Illinois had he stayed. It almost comes sounding as if he was abused here in some form or another.
I dunno. It's just, strange.
But what do I know?
Does Rez become the 9th pick if he stays? Probably not…
Is Illinois better if he stays? Probably not bc that would mean no Mirk.
I think this is a rare case of win-win for both parties.
Is Illinois better if he stays? Probably not bc that would mean no Mirk.
I think this is a rare case of win-win for both parties.
Big Jack
- Decatur
Sorry but that is wrong and not even close. He was on the floor as the 5 better than 60% of his time here, as a back to the basket rebounder. Dusty spaced the floor out better for his game and given him the freedom to be on the perimeter. Yes he backed up Mara some but not nearly as much as he did here. I think he was correct in leaving if he had stayed here he would not have been the 9th pick plain and simple. Nothing wrong with BU's plans for him but just a fact
Well good for him. He doubles his money and gets a Natty.
From his perspective, difficult to say he made a bad choice.
100%
But the point was the reason he gave in the interview was complete horsesh1t
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
games played 51, 75, 36, 22, 47, 72 - Charlotte sold high
Only 24 years old. turns 25 in August.
Minnesota might get lucky and win a championship if he stays healthy. Only was healthy 2 of 6 seasons.
I don't understand signing Ayo if they were planning to do this. $22M/year for 6th man 2G,
Who is going to rebound and play post defense besides Rudy.
Naz Reid 6'9" 264 gone
Julius Randle 6'9" 250 gone
I think Minnesota has to make some more trades to get size. They have too many SG SF
Eh, a little misleading because a few of Morez’s biggest minutes games were when Tomi was out and he had to play the 5.
Underwood talked a ton about how much he enjoyed playing those 2 together, which he did and was, until Tomi got sick/hurt.
None of us were in the room, but seeing as how we wanted Tomi back and had agreement in place for Morez back - the plan was absolutely Morez to play the 4.
You’re right had he stayed at illinois he wouldn’t be the 9th pick because underwood wouldn’t have taken the Mavs job lol
Edit: I should also point out, in this era, I think we lose sight of development a bit. It’s quite possible not all of this is about x and o strategy, and a player simply getting better one year to the next - I doubt Morez suddenly upped his ft% due to underwood using him differently than May
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He's not the 9th pick in the draft had he stayed at Illinois. Plain and simple.Illinois: 4 first round picks in 3 years (including #5 overall pick this year)
Morez: "Just didn't feel comfortable with my future at Illinois"
Plus he’s forever adored by all 15 Michigan basketball fans.
Was he? I don’t have access to his shot charts past two years, but in the times I watched Michigan he took far more midrange jumpers at UM than he did at Illinois. I really don’t remember him taking hardly any at all with Illini. And we know he didn’t take any 3s, and he did take some at UM.
As to the number of first round picks of late from Illinois, they were all guards/wings. The Illini offense is well suited to those players, so not exactly apples to apples. Was it all about money? I’m sure it was a factor. But none of us are privy to the plan laid out for him at Illinois. And though I’m not sure if Big Z had officially come on before Morez hit the portal (don’t think he had), it wasn’t exactly a secret he was coming. So him, Ben and Tomi spending a fair amount of time on the perimeter — not a huge jump to think BU saw a large majority of Rez’s time in the low post. Morez wanted to expand his game. And it worked out for him. I really don’t think he would have been drafted nearly as high in this draft if he had played at Illinois. It worked out for Illinois too with Mirk coming on.
Former Illinois Star Kylan Boswell Finds Ideal NBA Landing Spot with Charlotte Hornets
Kylan Boswell will have a prime opportunity to make an NBA Roster with the Charlotte Hornets.
armchairillini.com
hoop-explorer.com has shot charts
at Illinois: 80% at rim, 20% mid-range, 0% threes
at Michigan: 67% at rim, 21% mid-range, 12% threes
Is he more efficient at the rim, or from three point range? Well, his 3 point percentage was in the 'below average' territory while his rim % was like 99th percentile
He got a tiny wee bit more freedom to shoot threes (he shot 35 total in 40 games at Michigan), but does that showcase what he's good at and what he will do in the NBA?
Doesn't really matter because he went 9th in the draft and got a NC, but this thought process that it happened because he shot a bunch of mid-range and 3s and was taking guys off the bounce and playmaking all year long is just wrong.
Haha, I remember yelling at the TV "Get his !!! outta there!" after that sequence
Why is it "horsesh1t"?
You're mad at his comment because he said Illinois wasn't the best spot for his future (your reasoning being we've produced X number of draft picks; none of whom are bigs btw).
However, as it pretains to his individual situation -- in the event that he had stayed, he wouldn't have won the natty, nor would he have been a top 10 pick. At Michigan, he achieved those things. So absolutely he's right that their situation was better for his development (hindsight proves it).
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Yeah for sure but trashing a former team on your way out and then again over a year later is bush league. Nobody else did that, not even guys that get a lot more flack on here than Morez. Not Adam Miller. Not Skyy Clark. Not Carey Booth.
Good for him, but no reason for us to continue to support him. Dude and his dad have told us many times by now how little regard they have for our program and its fans and for some reason, some of us still treat this dude like any old former Illini. First and only guy who transferred out I will actively root against, because he's actively trying to damage our program.
Also "Dusty reached out to me when I was in the portal" is such a bald faced lie. Everyone knows Dusty reached out and then dude went into the portal. C'mon.
How do you know that? We made a final four without him, you can say definitively we wouldn’t have won a natty with him?
The second part, probably true. Mostly cuz I think the biggest reason he went top ten was his nba coach being Dusty may, which I highly doubt was part of his grand plan last summer, but if it was, I tip my cap.
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Because of the reason(s) I already listed, no need to rehash
Nobody knows that
Yea probably true that if he stays here Dusty May does not influence his new team to draft an Illinois player #9.
But I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that when Rez decided to transfer he did not know Dusty was going to take a job coaching the team with the #9 draft pick and that his decision was primarily about $$$.
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