2018 Off Season Thread
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A different system, and the issue isn't as much fit as DaMonte and Tevian likely being better players than Feliz. Plus Kipper if we can find enough cover in the frontcourt to move him to his more natural spot.
Trent Frazier is the best player on the team and should be on all-you-can-eat minutes, but if we could trot out Ayo, Tevian, Kipper, Real Big Guy (Ebo? Bryce Golden?), Kane in certain situations, that would be a whole other animal from a defensive perspective than any lineup we played last year. Length for days.
Don't think you are necessarily going to see the best five players starting. It will be based on the best combination which allows for rotating players. BU appeared to save some shooting firepower off the bench. Chemistry might be a huge part of it. Hopefully it won't be a lineup that gets us 20 pts in the hole immediately.
and Edwards scored something like 780 point against us.
I have been away from this board for awhile so I have been catching up. Reading a lot in a short amount of time. One thing I noticed is that it seems like just about everyone is saying that Vesel is gone. That it is just a matter of time. Could be. But I see it this way. This coming year is the one year that he has the opportunity to show that he can do something. Maybe not become a starter but a key player off the bench perhaps. Kane and Giorgi are going to be this past year's Ebo. That is, they are freshman and as such will probably play as much as Ebo did. They will get minutes but not at first. Probably gradually earning more as the season progresses. So this is the opportunity for Vesel to come off the bench and be the player that a lot of people say he is in practice. And although he did not play a whole lot, he does now have a year of college ball under his belt. He at least practiced with college athletes unlike Kane and Giorgi. And even when he was in those few games for those few minutes he was getting a little experience and I thought sometimes he looked pretty good albeit a bit lost.
One other thing. I was reminded by someone here that Vesel was not a starter on his last team. So this staff must have seen something in him otherwise why would they go with someone who didn't even start?
Also, Vesel mentioned somewhere that he was going to be spending a lot of time in the weight room with Fletch this summer. So maybe he isn't going anywhere just yet. It might depend on whether we add a 5th year grad transfer. I could see that inducing him to transfer as he would probably not get the aforementioned opportunity to show us what's he got. And next year when the incoming freshman become sophomores and we add others he might see the writing on the wall but this coming year…
(Watch, tomorrow he will announce he is transferring)
One other thing. I was reminded by someone here that Vesel was not a starter on his last team. So this staff must have seen something in him otherwise why would they go with someone who didn't even start?
Also, Vesel mentioned somewhere that he was going to be spending a lot of time in the weight room with Fletch this summer. So maybe he isn't going anywhere just yet. It might depend on whether we add a 5th year grad transfer. I could see that inducing him to transfer as he would probably not get the aforementioned opportunity to show us what's he got. And next year when the incoming freshman become sophomores and we add others he might see the writing on the wall but this coming year…
(Watch, tomorrow he will announce he is transferring)
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Does anyone know why Alstork wasn’t at the banquet the other night?
Pretty widely known that Alstork was not happy with his year at Illinois.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Neither was I....
Illini_1979
- Oregon
While his year wasn't what we were expecting (and probably not what he was expecting), I admire him for not complaining (at least not publicly). I wish him all the best in the future.
haasi
- New York
Good for him for not complaining publicly during season, but I wonder - was he unhappy because he underperformed? Because he didn’t fit system? Was he unhappy with his use and thought he deserved more? Genuinely curious. From my vantage point, he was given opportunities and just couldn’t create.
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He's got plenty of company.
Turns out he was dead on accurate. I expected a couple of openings, but not a bloodletting. Back to square one.
Sources tell me that he was actually quite happy until he started reading this forum.
Highly unlikely.
I didn’t feel we needed a major shakeup to rebuild, but that changed with the departures of Black and Smith.
Or alternately, what they don't see in Trent and Ayo.
Don't overthink this gang. The returning players and the five star kid are going to be the key guys and get the lion's share of the minutes.
There’s 3 for sure starters. Ayo, Trent, and Kipper (gotta have someone at least 6’6 up front). Outside of that, who knows, unless I’m forgetting someone.
Tevo
- Wilmette, IL
I think he took a shot at getting there, but didn't make it.
Tevo
- Wilmette, IL
Yeah, I don't see any way that Trent isn't starting, and I don't think it makes sense to have him and Feliz starting together, because I think their skill sets are more similar than either is to Ayo or Damonte. I'd guess you'll have one of Trent/Feliz and one of Ayo/Damonte, and then they will sub for each other. Sure there will be some mixing and matching, but you'll want one of either Trent or Feliz in at all times because of quickness, defense, facilitation, experience/maturity, etc. And pairing them with the size/strength of an Ayo/Damonte makes a lot of sense.
Given certain situations, maybe three of those four play together for stretches, but doubt that will be a regular thing, especially with what we all hope/expect to get out of our suddenly legitimate bigger wings -- Tevian, Griffin, AJ and at times, Kipper.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
lulz!
Agree. Assuming Ayo is a starter (which I do but you never know with freshmen), Feliz’s competition for a starting spot is De’Monte, Jordan, Jones and Griffin. I haven’t seen any of the newcomers in that group other than highlights, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that a 20-year old Feliz who by all accounts carries himself with a winning demeanor would come out on top in that competition.
I will be really surprised if T Jones is not starting by the first conference game. We haven't an athlete like him in my memory (not a high standard).
Also most saying GBez is a project but he has skills and looks like he can compete physically now unlike the other bigs. Needs to learn defense but is not alone. Seems perfect for the pinch/post as he has been complemented on his passing and he can shot from there. Would like to see him developed as Kipper's sub. In the first videos of him I didn't understand why we would want him but impressed by the last one. See him as Mav equivalent in 2015.
Also most saying GBez is a project but he has skills and looks like he can compete physically now unlike the other bigs. Needs to learn defense but is not alone. Seems perfect for the pinch/post as he has been complemented on his passing and he can shot from there. Would like to see him developed as Kipper's sub. In the first videos of him I didn't understand why we would want him but impressed by the last one. See him as Mav equivalent in 2015.
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