Seems like the ranking have more to do with NBA potential than college contribution. This has been particularly true with big men but not isolated. Think much has to do with the player to system match as well as the fit of the pieces to to each other. Is Davis a better player than Petrovic? Probably not but he fits the system and the system was adjusted to utilize Wagler. Adjusting the system to the players has been BU’s strength but he hasn’t always had all the pieces. Needs to adjust this year to the missing Ben piece. Think the piece missing for a national championship is the rim protector unless Z becomes that piece. Do love the balance of the incoming frosh. All the potential pieces except center.To add to this, do we really care if a guy has a 5 star recruiting ranking if he's all conference. Or better? The list of over-achieving Underwood players based on HS ranking is long and growing. My rule of thumb is having 2 NBA level guys on your roster to compete for a NC. The program is at a level where it's getting those kinds of guys and I think we'll keep knocking on the door. And realistically, there are several programs out there with a ton of $ so I think talent evaluation and value are key. Something we saw last season with a couple incredible freshman in Wagler and Mirk and could very well see again
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
How is Z already not that piece?
Again, he was FOURTH IN THE NATION in block rate:
…..
I feel like people who think Z isn’t a rim protector, are just of the casual fan mindset of go to the blocks per game and if the guy is under 2.0 or 2.5 = “not a rim protector.”
BLOCK RATE is what matters. It measures, by definition: the percentage of the opponent’s two-point shot attempts blocked by a player while they’re on the court.
He’s not that piece because he’s the backup and not the starter. In most cases he won’t even play half the game, which minimizes his “rim protector” value.
Our starter at the 5 is a very mediocre rim protector.
In an earlier post, you had pointed out that Aday Mara averaged only 23 minutes per game. Big Z will have the same huge impact this season as he did last, whether it be 17 minutes or 23 minutes.
You just love throwing cold water on this team every chance you get
I would've said the same thing about Big Z if we thought he'd play the same minutes Hines will at UCONN.
Hines is going to be starting for UCONN next year. Big Z won't be starting for illinois.
Hines playing 25 minutes is very likely. I have doubts Big Z even gets to 20 minutes.
Overall, both are good shot blockers, but Hines's impact will be significantly more because he'll play more.
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Illini in Indiana
- Indiana
Z is our energy piece. Strangly our 5 with his D and blocking brought the energy last year. I see him doing more this year!
Seems like the ranking have more to do with NBA potential than college contribution. This has been particularly true with big men but not isolated. Think much has to do with the player to system match as well as the fit of the pieces to to each other. Is Davis a better player than Petrovic? Probably not but he fits the system and the system was adjusted to utilize WaglerTo add to this, do we really care if a guy has a 5 star recruiting ranking if he's all conference. Or better? The list of over-achieving Underwood players based on HS ranking is long and growing. My rule of thumb is having 2 NBA level guys on your roster to compete for a NC. The program is at a level where it's getting those kinds of guys and I think we'll keep knocking on the door. And realistically, there are several programs out there with a ton of $ so I think talent evaluation and value are key. Something we saw last season with a couple incredible freshman in Wagler and Mirk and could very well see again
Joel Goodson
- it's all ball bearings, nowadays
Consensus top 10 player in his class and the top PF in the country according to the composite, we are not holding back!!
Kitt, Wabbington, pettigrew 
I'll allow itKitt, Wabbington, pettigrew
I may be wrong here. In fact I must be, because it's been hammered into this board all summer long that that it's a quality we don't have. But, this kind of sounds like....depth?
How many deep-threat 5's are also rim protectors? I'm not sure that anyone can ask for both a starting five who can all hit from deep (i.e., prevent the D from clogging the lane) and a rim protector in the starting 5.
I think you're sorta asking, which one do we go with this year?
"very mediocre" is definitely a stretch.
If you look at our 2P defense through 2P% and average 2PA distance the last two years, our defense was ranked 14th in 2P% and 11th in 2PA distance in 2025, and 39th in 2P% and 10th in 2PA distance in 2026. In 2026, teams opted to take 3's against us 37.3% of the time, which was 20th in the nation.
We weren't the best in the nation at clogging the lane but the stats would indicate that we were pretty good at it. I don't recall very many big men that we didn't have a good answer for, and most the time when our defense got torched, it was by guards, not 5's. I don't think this was just because of Mirk and Z.
The phrasing "very mediocre" just lends to the OP needing to find the most negative language possible to describe it. Could have just said average, but mediocre carries a disappointed or dismissive tone, and then adding 'very' acts as an intensifier. So instead of 'average' (who cares, really) he stresses himself to achieve the more utterly uninspiring and underwhelming framing instead.
If we find Tomi is an average rim protector, that is fine and nothing to be upset about. Illinois allowed 47% on 2s last year, which for reference the OP's favorite team to talk about (UConn, with the long athletic defenders that Illinois had no hope of scoring against) allowed 46% on 2s last year.
If we find Tomi is an average rim protector, that is fine and nothing to be upset about. Illinois allowed 47% on 2s last year, which for reference the OP's favorite team to talk about (UConn, with the long athletic defenders that Illinois had no hope of scoring against) allowed 46% on 2s last year.
It’s rare, but Z fits that criteria perfectly IF his shot gets back to normal.
(Assuming “deep threat 5” means stretch 5? Have never heard that term before)
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I mean, after Davis and Z our bench does get pretty thin.
Unproven, but not necessarily thin.
I would argue the youthful competition will allow the cream to rise and provide all the depth this team needs.