Pssshh find me Andy Katz.
Illini Basketball 2022-2023
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Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Epsilon
M tipping over
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How many make the final roster?
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
USA Basketball Training Camp: Who made the first cut?
Houston, TX – The USA Basketball settings are my favorite ones to evaluate in, especially when they’re centered around preparing for an international
247sports.com
"Illinois combo-forward Ty Rodgers is another powerfully built combo-forward, who is best known for his physical tools, but also stood out with his intellect for the game this week."
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
my take: kenwood is loaded with talent, but #20 in purple was easily the best basketball in the video below. His B1G body, hands, lateral agility, tight handle, passing skill, quickness off the floor, rebounding, ability to finish at the rim through contact ... not much he can't do. Best in white: #4 (Dai Dai Ames), #3 (Nevada commit Terry Pettigrew), and #1 (Davius Loury)
I concur that Ty Rodgers is the best basketball.
I'm trying to think back here. When was the last time we were in a legitimate title race with IU? Seems like there have been very few years where we are both top 10-15 teams.
Shannon is an alpha with this group, has to be! Mayer as well. I think we see 3 guys that show that alpha characteristic on different occasions, Sky, Mayer and Shannon.
sacraig
- The desert
The complete misunderstanding of time zones and DST in this series of tweets is... something.
DB11Headband
- Chicago Burbs
I am going to bring up RJ until I’m blue in the face at this point
Go right ahead. Lots of people are going to get blue in the face if they're going to try to convince people of the relative merits of their particular favorites. We've all seen what you've seen,
The bottom line on this team is that Shannon and Mayer are the only two proven players on the squad. Put another way, those are the only two guys whose stats this year could be the same as last year and we'd be pretty happy. Everyone else is going to have to perform well above what they did the previous year. I certainly expect that for a number of these guys. But I'm expecting a few surprises based on my expectations.
But it really is unknowable because of factors that none of us can even know right now. Heck, I pretty much had Hawkins at the 4 until this week and all the chatter here. The ramifications for his game will be real if he moves more to the 5. Remember how that incredible freshman season from Giorgi never really got repeated in his sophomore and junior years.
I'm not sure I remember a team where I felt like the fight for minutes was so open.
Love (and hate) questions like this as it makes me realize how old I am. But the 80s were obviously something else with the battles with IU, kicking their butt right at the end of '87 only to see them go on to win the national title while we became a national Dick Vitale joke losing to Austin Peay in the first round of the tournament. And with a team of some of my favorite Illini Wysinger, Norman and Altenberger....not sure I'm over that loss yet 35 years later....
Then of course we get Bobby Knight piling on with crap during the whole NCAA stuff in the late 80s because he was pissed losing Lowell Hamilton and others, then Bobby Knight mad again in '89 when Illinois got the No. 1 seed in Indy and made it to the Final Four even though IU had won the Big Ten that year (and got sent out west where it lost in sweet 16 I believe)....and not much else I can remember as a direct battle between IU and the Illini at the top of the Big Ten besides Cory Bradford hitting a last-second 3 in the late 90s to I think give Bobby Knight his final loss in the Big Ten Tournament.
At any rate, a race between us and IU would be something else next winter.
He is great. I recall double digit turnovers and down the stretch that almost cost the game. Fixable stuff but we fans will need to be patient.
My starting lineup for next year (at least in the early going). Clark, Goode, Melendez, Mayer and Dainja. Goode and RJ both have length and talent. I expect a breakout soph year for one or both. Goode thinks and speaks like a coach. His b-ball IQ is off the charts, so he brings leadership skills. You're not going to see a bunch of turnovers with this group, which was a problem at times for last year's team. And with 7 new players (at least) I want two guys out there who have actually PLAYED for Illinois. Major minutes off the bench: Shannon, Hawkins, Epps, and Rodgers. I have high hopes for Harris too, but there's only so deep you can go with in-game rotations.
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I don’t see any situation where TSJ or Hawk come off the bench.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Grandison withdrew from the draft: https://247sports.com/college/illin...son-2022-NBA-Draft-transfer-portal-188104826/
As the article states, he's almost sure to get a waiver, so stay tuned.
As the article states, he's almost sure to get a waiver, so stay tuned.
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If Grandy comes back, Torvik rank improves from 12 to 6. May be just enough to get us up to 34 in Rothstein's top 45. /S
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
correction: Grandison doesn't need a waiver, as he'd be a grad transfer.
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