Former Illini in College Hoops

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#127      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
That’s why I still don’t get why he left.
Kinda frustrating that we have a hole in the team for a knock-down shooter that can stretch defenses, have recruited very well for that spot in recent years, but Alan Griffin is playing pro ball in Canada after declaring early and not sniffing the draft, Adam Miller is at LSU for no apparent reason, Podz is crushing it at Santa Clara and Luke Goode is on crutches.
 
#129      
Kinda frustrating that we have a hole in the team for a knock-down shooter that can stretch defenses, have recruited very well for that spot in recent years, but Alan Griffin is playing pro ball in Canada after declaring early and not sniffing the draft, Adam Miller is at LSU for no apparent reason, Podz is crushing it at Santa Clara and Luke Goode is on crutches.
Miller not here due to family issues. It’s not because of “no apparent reason “.
 
#132      
That's crazy, considering all the studs Gonzaga has had over the past decade.

FYI, Santa Clara has already jumped 15 spots on torvik. From 124 to 109. Maybe Podz can lead them to a special season...that would be awesome. They are underdogs in their next 4 games, hopefully Podz can keep it up!
Put some of those great Gonzaga players on a team where they are the primary option and it might have happened before. On Gonzaga, they have so much talent they have to share the ball.

Brandin isn’t getting some of those looks in the Big Ten. Good for him for taking advantage of his opportunity at a lower level.
 
#133      
Kinda frustrating that we have a hole in the team for a knock-down shooter that can stretch defenses, have recruited very well for that spot in recent years, but Alan Griffin is playing pro ball in Canada after declaring early and not sniffing the draft, Adam Miller is at LSU for a parent reason, Podz is crushing it at Santa Clara and Luke Goode is on crutches.
FIFY
 
#135      
Although a small sample...it appears St. Johns got the "good" Curbelo. 10 points on 4-7 shooting, 6 assists and 1 turnover in latest game.

I'm excited to watch some of their games this year. They have a chance to make the tournament, but the Big East is tough. Even if they struggle to stack wins, they will at least be an entertaining watch. Currently ranked 1st in tempo on Torvik, and that style fits perfectly for Belo. No time to think or make things more complicated than it needs to be. Just get out and run.
 
#137      
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

After only two games at Santa Clara, Brandon Podziemski is clearly their star player. He is averaging 32 points
and10 rebounds and is hitting threes at at a rate of over 50%. Maybe a bit more playing time as a Freshman
would have revealed some of these star qualities while at Illinois! He may truly be 'the one that got away!
 
#138      

Ransom Stoddard

Ordained Dudeist Priest
Bloomington, IL
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

After only two games at Santa Clara, Brandon Podziemski is clearly their star player. He is averaging 32 points
and10 rebounds and is hitting threes at at a rate of over 50%. Maybe a bit more playing time as a Freshman
would have revealed some of these star qualities while at Illinois! He may truly be 'the one that got away!
Or he may be performing well against poor competition. Either way, 2 games is too small of a sample size to make any kind of determination.
 
#139      
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

After only two games at Santa Clara, Brandon Podziemski is clearly their star player. He is averaging 32 points
and10 rebounds and is hitting threes at at a rate of over 50%. Maybe a bit more playing time as a Freshman
would have revealed some of these star qualities while at Illinois! He may truly be 'the one that got away!
May just have not been the optimal fit. Podz may be the type of player who thrives as his team's 1st, 2nd and 3rd scoring option. That's what he was in HS. That's what it looks like he is at Santa Clara. There was no way he was going to be that here. I don't think BU wants anyone to be that. Looks like this has been a great move for Podz and I'm rooting for him to keep it up.

no regrets GIF
 
#140      
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

After only two games at Santa Clara, Brandon Podziemski is clearly their star player. He is averaging 32 points
and10 rebounds and is hitting threes at at a rate of over 50%. Maybe a bit more playing time as a Freshman
would have revealed some of these star qualities while at Illinois! He may truly be 'the one that got away!
There's a good chance Podz would've shown us some of these qualities had he been given more playing time.

There is an equally good if not greater chance that we would not have raised a banner on Friday night had he been given more playing time.
 
#141      
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

After only two games at Santa Clara, Brandon Podziemski is clearly their star player. He is averaging 32 points
and10 rebounds and is hitting threes at at a rate of over 50%. Maybe a bit more playing time as a Freshman
would have revealed some of these star qualities while at Illinois! He may truly be 'the one that got away!
Coach wasn't playing to lose... He was playing the guys who he believed gave us the best opportunity to win on any given night. You can play the "what if "game all night long if you want...
The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores. Brandin likely wasn't as good then as he is now. He may also be a guy who doesn't like the pressure of competing for minutes. The freedom to make mistakes and miss shots can be freeing for some players. He's the alpha at Santa Clara. That's a luxury that would not have been afforded him at Illinois. The guys on this team have to compete their tails off for minutes. We will have good players watching the majority of the games this year too. One or two of them may leave because of it, and that's okay.
This is big boy basketball. If you don't have good players unhappy with their playing time, you either, lack depth or you lack competitiveness. Neither of those are good for the program.
I hope Brandin stays healthy and continues to light it up, but I won't worry about what might have been with us... He seems to be thriving, and so does Illinois basketball.
 
#142      
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

After only two games at Santa Clara, Brandon Podziemski is clearly their star player. He is averaging 32 points
and10 rebounds and is hitting threes at at a rate of over 50%. Maybe a bit more playing time as a Freshman
would have revealed some of these star qualities while at Illinois! He may truly be 'the one that got away!
Brad knew Podz was good so sent him to Santa Clara to get more ticks and experiences like a G-league. He will have him transfer back in no time!

Ok. I made this all up. :whistle:

As a matter of fact (or not,) coach asked Podz to stay and promised him a starter position when/if Goode gets hurt... Apparently Podz didn't listen to Brad so it's not his fault.
 
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#143      
I really liked Podz in the action he saw last year. He was playing with a ton of heart and effort and it looked like his defense was improving throughout the season. While his shot never quite got there last season, his high school career showed him as a prolific natural shooter. My thought was once he got a year of strength and conditioning and playing defense down, his shot would return. When he left, I was really sad to see him go as it seemed he did have a lot of promise, and it did have the feeling he was pushed out the door. That sad, he probably should have seen a bit more playing time in spots last season, there's no guarantee he'd be getting decent playing time this year either, and he gets to be a starter elsewhere, so I think this definitely worked out best for him, but we could certainly use a deadeye shooter who crashes the board and gets to the line this year. I really wouldn't be surprised if Podz has a heck of a college career, perhaps one he wouldn't have had here at Illinois. But my gut feeling is he's definitely going to feel like the one that got away.
 
#144      
Although a small sample...it appears St. Johns got the "good" Curbelo. 10 points on 4-7 shooting, 6 assists and 1 turnover in latest game.
Question remains what does he do against a quality opponent when he gets frustrated. His attitude is contiguous which is both a positive and negative
 
#146      
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!

After only two games at Santa Clara, Brandon Podziemski is clearly their star player. He is averaging 32 points
and10 rebounds and is hitting threes at at a rate of over 50%. Maybe a bit more playing time as a Freshman
would have revealed some of these star qualities while at Illinois! He may truly be 'the one that got away!
On the other hand, Foster Loyer is averaging 34 for a similar type small school. He played 3 years at Michigan State and his best year was 4.7.

Competition level factors in.
 
#147      

The Galloping Ghost

Washington, DC
The first two games of the season, Santa Clara played the 238th and 244th teams in Kenpom. Tonight, they played the 58th and got their doors blown off with Podz coming back down to earth. He still put up 12, but on 3-11 shooting. This is why you don't jump to conclusions after two games. He's a fine player. I think he would have gotten a few minutes a game here this season, but I think he probably made the right decision by transferring. I wish him nothing but the best.
 
#148      

Gunner23

Panama City, Florida
The first two games of the season, Santa Clara played the 238th and 244th teams in Kenpom. Tonight, they played the 58th and got their doors blown off with Podz coming back down to earth. He still put up 12, but on 3-11 shooting. This is why you don't jump to conclusions after two games. He's a fine player. I think he would have gotten a few minutes a game here this season, but I think he probably made the right decision by transferring. I wish him nothing but the best.
Exactly right. We should probably not jump to conclusions after our first three games. The next two will give us a better view of where we are starting out this season.
 
#149      
Podz was obviously not going to be the "go out and get 30 a game" guy here because Shannon Jr. is a thing, Coleman Hawkins is a thing, etc. Of course we'd love to have him all the same, but he is not here, he seems happy where he is. He will likely have a mix of great, good and subpar games depending on the night. Wish him the best.
 
#150      

adogster

Scottsdale, AZ
There's a good chance Podz would've shown us some of these qualities had he been given more playing time.

There is an equally good if not greater chance that we would not have raised a banner on Friday night had he been given more playing time.
Did Brandon get a ring?
 
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