Wow on Vaaks...expecting Coleman to impressed. He has been developing quickly, just continues to look better at each event.
See Vets being better and more confident
Illini Basketball 2026-2027
See Vets being better and more confident
Want to revisit the 'Vaaks is the best offensive player in the portal' hot take 8 months from now
Haggerty holds that honor at the moment, but will be interesting to see how the year plays out (you could maybe even argue Vaaks > Blackwell offensively now, given his size, versatility and playmaking)
Mark Smith was not a point guard
I mean, the odds aren't great, but Q is the highest rated recruit we've had since cell phones were a thing you used once, to call your dad or your lawyer.Let me guess. Q is going be better than Wagler and Lucas Morillo is going to be a borderline starter.
SURELY not good enough to rely on him playing the PG position! SURELY!!!!
Q Doesn't have to be better than Wagler...Vaaks upgrade from Boswell and returnees get better
You could also look at it as Vaaks --> Wagler and Q --> Boswell. Not necessarily in terms of their role, but in comparing "value". So if Vaaks is a step down from Wagler, then either Q or the returnees need to make up the difference (and then some if we want to be better).
I believe Anthony Welch played point for Lou in early 80s. He was 6'9".
Fan Since '70
- OBS, Florida
Watching a lot of Vaaks footage, I believe he will be a very able Wagler replacement. Coleman should provide better offense than Boswell, and hopefully can provide decent defense to boot. Z, Davis and Morillo I expect to be first guys off the bench. In early part of season, Zens, Brown and Williams will be given opportunity to show if they can earn a spot in rotation. IMO, Vaaks and Coleman make us slightly better than last season and bench is deeper. Barring injuries, I hope to see Illini back in Final Four and Illini have the experience and added power to go further.
In general would just like to see more of Tomi in the post.
He's capable of scoring in the low post and opening things up from the inside-out while being a good enough passer to punish teams that try to cheat in.
Maybe he was injured but I think he just spent too much time away from the basket this year.
Likewise with Mirk. If teams are going to play and guard him with basically wings then he should be punishing them inside. UConn will be a prime example likely playing Khamenia in the Karaban role. Khamenia does not have the weight to hang with Mirk in the paint.
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Welch never played PG.
I’m intrigued with Z’s potential improvement this off season. If he can add serious strength plus an additional 20+ pounds it could totally transform his game. Would not get pushed around as much and could be a low post threat with quickness and leaping ability. Not sure if he has the drive to make these changes, but I’d love to see it!