RichardKeenesCousin
Richard Keene's Cousin
Normally, I'm not a fan of a picture with a bunch of dudes with their shirts off, but I like this one.
Illini Basketball 2026-2027
That's stupid. (not saying that to you).
Our ceiling is just "Final Four" and Michigan and Michigan St's ceiling is National Championship. We are the best Big Ten team this year and our ceiling is winning the national championship.
I know I'm a homer fan, but come on
I'm not sure what they actually think our ceiling is given this:
"Plus, David Mirkovic, who was ready for a starring role this season, underwent surgery on his foot this week. If he can return to 100% early enough, this team's ceiling is raised significantly."
Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but seems at the end they mention that is based on Mirks injury, and if we get a full 100% Mirk back this year that will raise our ceiling and floor?
Since a Final Four is our Ceiling without him, I imagine us getting a 100% Mirk (which we likely will) catapults us above Michigan and MSU.
Either way, !!!!’em. Locker room material
Zens and Williams already look jacked.
And Lincoln’s shoulder width measurement looks huge.
It hurts seeing David in that boot. Get well soon, bud
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
Joel Goodson
- it's all ball bearings, nowadays
LadyLoyalty
- Indian Wells, CA
Where’s Z?
Between Jakstys and Davis
He's in LA at the Nike showcase. Andrej did it last year, great honor to be invited. Bunch of high level college guys there.
Summer workouts over. Guys have about three or so weeks off then they will get going again.
Expectation is Mirk will be out about the first month of practice starting late August, then will slowly be re integrated after about a month.
Freshman continue to flash. Brown and Morillo started to pop at the end of workouts. Williams is going to be a great in transition/defensively.
Expectation is Mirk will be out about the first month of practice starting late August, then will slowly be re integrated after about a month.
Freshman continue to flash. Brown and Morillo started to pop at the end of workouts. Williams is going to be a great in transition/defensively.
ESPN top 100 transfer rankings:
“Transferring from Providence to Illinois
Pre-commitment analysis: A surprise freshman star, Vaaks is a versatile perimeter weapon who has great positional size and can make an impact as a playmaker or a scorer. The Estonia native averaged nearly 16 points per game to go with 3.2 assists and scored 20-plus points against St. John's (twice), Villanova (twice) and UConn.
Outlook with new team: More European flair in Champaign! Brad Underwood lost his starting backcourt from last season with Keaton Wagler going to the NBA and Kylan Boswell out of eligibility, so Vaaks will step in immediately as a primary playmaker for the Illini. He has the requisite size Underwood has come to value, too.”
“Transferring from Providence to Illinois
Pre-commitment analysis: A surprise freshman star, Vaaks is a versatile perimeter weapon who has great positional size and can make an impact as a playmaker or a scorer. The Estonia native averaged nearly 16 points per game to go with 3.2 assists and scored 20-plus points against St. John's (twice), Villanova (twice) and UConn.
Outlook with new team: More European flair in Champaign! Brad Underwood lost his starting backcourt from last season with Keaton Wagler going to the NBA and Kylan Boswell out of eligibility, so Vaaks will step in immediately as a primary playmaker for the Illini. He has the requisite size Underwood has come to value, too.”
I'm honestly kind of curious of the entire picture from left to right?
Stojakovic, staffer?, Jake Davis, Fagbemi, Tomi, Fletch, Williams, Is that Vaaks or Zens?, Landon Davis, Z, Jakstys, ???, Brown, Morillo, Mirk.
I think Vaaks is dead center and the ??? Is Zens if I had to make my guess. Fagbemi is gonna have a second career as Mr. Universe
Illini Newcomers
Lincoln Williams
Zavier Zens
Lucas Morillo
Ethan Brown
Lincoln Williams
Zavier Zens
Lucas Morillo
Ethan Brown
Quentin Coleman
Landon Davis
Stefan Vaaks
Landon Davis
Stefan Vaaks
This looks like a fun team to follow and root for.
For a fun exercise, here are some player comps for our newcomers--trying to find a previous Illini to compare to. Some of these might seem like hot takes--we have the next less athletic Larry Bird on our roster, etc. If they seem too far-fetched, maybe add the phrase "has a ceiling of a poor man's _______" to make it seem more reasonable. Some of them I don't really have a good idea of a similar player. I would love to hear other people's comparisons. Again, this is trying to find a similarity to a previous Illini basketball player.
Lincoln Williams: Will Riley
Ok ok. Maybe it's too much. Maybe it's Brad hyperbole--we have the next Jason Kidd, etc. I personally would be glad to have the next Will Riley on our roster. Maybe his ceiling right now is freshman year Riley, who still had a good deal of development to do over the course of that season.
Anyway, I feel there are some similarities because Lincoln is lanky like Will with good hops, floats around the floor like a deer, likes to slash to the hoop at times and seems to like shooting the three. Whether or not he can develop into the same level of player as Will remains to be seen. In the video shared above, about halfway through Williams splits an opening through two defenders and takes it to the bucket. Seeing and taking that opening takes a certain level of talent. Toward the end of the video, he soars from quite a distance to slam dunk, then has the strength to hold onto the rim afterward and stay up there as his momentum catches up with him. He also occasionally hits a nice accurate swish from three. I don't think this is a case like some highlight videos where a player does not really have the three in his repertoire, but makes a few in a highlight reel. You have to have a better grasp on 3 point shooting to show the selection, accuracy, and frequency that Lincoln takes them with. I'm not sure how far along Lincoln is in his development overall, but I think the Illini may have gotten another steal in Lincoln Williams.
Zavier Zens: Marcus Domask/ Kipper Nichols
Again, Zens isn't really at the level of Domask. In terms of playing style, Zens might like to shoot the three a bit more, and may not have the booty ball in his game that Domask had. As of now, Zavier seems comfortable shooting the three, and not afraid to mix it up inside close to the basket with his strong frame. Who knows how good he can be? Domask had all the tools of skill and strength to be a dominant player at the college level.
Another similarity that might be there is Kipper Nichols--with less athleticism, but could be a more reliable shot. Could you imagine if Kipper Nichols had shot consistently at Illinois? He had a couple of streaky games where he went off from 3. That, coupled with his athleticism and ability to play down low, would have made him a more dominant player. Zens might not have the athleticism of Nichols, but he has shown the ability to break away and get all the way up for a jam. He also seems comfortable shooting the 3. He may be a freshman newcomer, but I like the potential ceiling for Zavier Zens.
Lucas Morillo: Kasparas Jakucionis
This is probably a bad comp. I'm not sure of a good former player to compare Morillo with.
As of now, he doesn't seem to have the shooting prowess of KJ. Some similarities may simply be in what Morillo will likely be asked to do overall--facilitate, take the three when available, and slash to the basket in the open court or half-court opportunities--all of which he has shown the ability to do in highlight tapes. Morillo likes to drive around a defender when possible and also shows a midrange game.
Ethan Brown: KJ Jakucionis/ Luke Goode
Again, I don't really have a good comp that I know of. But like KJ, Ethan shows the ability to drive all the way from the top of the key to the hoop against a defender, can facilitate, and likes to stop and pop from anywhere on the court all the way out to the three point line. Luke Goode is probably not a fair comp, as Goode while a great shooter, was not a facilitator and could not take anyone off the dribble. The only reason I tried making the comparison is that, from limited highlight reels, Brown looks like he might be a very good shooter. On all his highlight makes from 3, he seems very skilled. As a freshman, he seems to need to add strength to adjust to the college level.
Quentin Coleman: Will Riley
Again, this will probably be considered a ridiculous take. But maybe there are some similarities between Coleman and freshman year Riley. Quentin is not afraid to slash to the hoop with the ball, likes to launch a 3 any chance he gets, and gives good effort moving while being long and lanky.
Landon Davis: Giorgi Bezhanishvili
From what little highlights I've seen of Landon, he seems to have the good footwork and skill for a big man that reminded me of Giorgi. While he mostly plays down low, he can stop at the three point line and hit. This was something Giorgi worked on during his time with the Illini, and Landon could possibly develop a reliable three point shot as well. Again Landon seems to have good footwork, and not afraid to mix it up inside. Also shows good explosiveness to dunk on a breakaway. From the highlights, he may be more explosive than Giorgi and may be able to develop a good or better handle.
I'm not even sure how to try this last one, but here's an attempt anyway.
Stefan Vaaks: Alfonso Plummer/ Keaton Wagler
Ok, maybe "a ceiling of a very poor man's Keaton Wagler." Again, it's probably not a good or fair comp. But maybe he's a little bit of a cross between Jake Plummer and a poor man's Keaton Wagler.
Like Wagler, Vaaks has at times been asked to facilitate at the top while being able to drain the long distance three. He also has positional size for someone at the point guard position. Vaaks highlights do not show him doing it all quite like Wagler, who could also drive all the way to the hoop, or stop in the midrange after getting the defender off balance. Or able to take over a game like at Purdue as the primary decision maker, passing and scoring threat. Wagler was a pro already while at Illinois.
But combine the facilitating responsibility Vaaks has shown, with the scoring threat of Alfonso Plummer. Defenses had to be aware of Plummer's location on the court at all times.
Anyway, I really like this edition of the Illini team.
For a fun exercise, here are some player comps for our newcomers--trying to find a previous Illini to compare to. Some of these might seem like hot takes--we have the next less athletic Larry Bird on our roster, etc. If they seem too far-fetched, maybe add the phrase "has a ceiling of a poor man's _______" to make it seem more reasonable. Some of them I don't really have a good idea of a similar player. I would love to hear other people's comparisons. Again, this is trying to find a similarity to a previous Illini basketball player.
Lincoln Williams: Will Riley
Ok ok. Maybe it's too much. Maybe it's Brad hyperbole--we have the next Jason Kidd, etc. I personally would be glad to have the next Will Riley on our roster. Maybe his ceiling right now is freshman year Riley, who still had a good deal of development to do over the course of that season.
Anyway, I feel there are some similarities because Lincoln is lanky like Will with good hops, floats around the floor like a deer, likes to slash to the hoop at times and seems to like shooting the three. Whether or not he can develop into the same level of player as Will remains to be seen. In the video shared above, about halfway through Williams splits an opening through two defenders and takes it to the bucket. Seeing and taking that opening takes a certain level of talent. Toward the end of the video, he soars from quite a distance to slam dunk, then has the strength to hold onto the rim afterward and stay up there as his momentum catches up with him. He also occasionally hits a nice accurate swish from three. I don't think this is a case like some highlight videos where a player does not really have the three in his repertoire, but makes a few in a highlight reel. You have to have a better grasp on 3 point shooting to show the selection, accuracy, and frequency that Lincoln takes them with. I'm not sure how far along Lincoln is in his development overall, but I think the Illini may have gotten another steal in Lincoln Williams.
Zavier Zens: Marcus Domask/ Kipper Nichols
Again, Zens isn't really at the level of Domask. In terms of playing style, Zens might like to shoot the three a bit more, and may not have the booty ball in his game that Domask had. As of now, Zavier seems comfortable shooting the three, and not afraid to mix it up inside close to the basket with his strong frame. Who knows how good he can be? Domask had all the tools of skill and strength to be a dominant player at the college level.
Another similarity that might be there is Kipper Nichols--with less athleticism, but could be a more reliable shot. Could you imagine if Kipper Nichols had shot consistently at Illinois? He had a couple of streaky games where he went off from 3. That, coupled with his athleticism and ability to play down low, would have made him a more dominant player. Zens might not have the athleticism of Nichols, but he has shown the ability to break away and get all the way up for a jam. He also seems comfortable shooting the 3. He may be a freshman newcomer, but I like the potential ceiling for Zavier Zens.
Lucas Morillo: Kasparas Jakucionis
This is probably a bad comp. I'm not sure of a good former player to compare Morillo with.
As of now, he doesn't seem to have the shooting prowess of KJ. Some similarities may simply be in what Morillo will likely be asked to do overall--facilitate, take the three when available, and slash to the basket in the open court or half-court opportunities--all of which he has shown the ability to do in highlight tapes. Morillo likes to drive around a defender when possible and also shows a midrange game.
Ethan Brown: KJ Jakucionis/ Luke Goode
Again, I don't really have a good comp that I know of. But like KJ, Ethan shows the ability to drive all the way from the top of the key to the hoop against a defender, can facilitate, and likes to stop and pop from anywhere on the court all the way out to the three point line. Luke Goode is probably not a fair comp, as Goode while a great shooter, was not a facilitator and could not take anyone off the dribble. The only reason I tried making the comparison is that, from limited highlight reels, Brown looks like he might be a very good shooter. On all his highlight makes from 3, he seems very skilled. As a freshman, he seems to need to add strength to adjust to the college level.
Quentin Coleman: Will Riley
Again, this will probably be considered a ridiculous take. But maybe there are some similarities between Coleman and freshman year Riley. Quentin is not afraid to slash to the hoop with the ball, likes to launch a 3 any chance he gets, and gives good effort moving while being long and lanky.
Landon Davis: Giorgi Bezhanishvili
From what little highlights I've seen of Landon, he seems to have the good footwork and skill for a big man that reminded me of Giorgi. While he mostly plays down low, he can stop at the three point line and hit. This was something Giorgi worked on during his time with the Illini, and Landon could possibly develop a reliable three point shot as well. Again Landon seems to have good footwork, and not afraid to mix it up inside. Also shows good explosiveness to dunk on a breakaway. From the highlights, he may be more explosive than Giorgi and may be able to develop a good or better handle.
I'm not even sure how to try this last one, but here's an attempt anyway.
Stefan Vaaks: Alfonso Plummer/ Keaton Wagler
Ok, maybe "a ceiling of a very poor man's Keaton Wagler." Again, it's probably not a good or fair comp. But maybe he's a little bit of a cross between Jake Plummer and a poor man's Keaton Wagler.
Like Wagler, Vaaks has at times been asked to facilitate at the top while being able to drain the long distance three. He also has positional size for someone at the point guard position. Vaaks highlights do not show him doing it all quite like Wagler, who could also drive all the way to the hoop, or stop in the midrange after getting the defender off balance. Or able to take over a game like at Purdue as the primary decision maker, passing and scoring threat. Wagler was a pro already while at Illinois.
But combine the facilitating responsibility Vaaks has shown, with the scoring threat of Alfonso Plummer. Defenses had to be aware of Plummer's location on the court at all times.
Anyway, I really like this edition of the Illini team.
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blackdog
- Champaign
First question is former walk-on/bench mob Keaton Kutcher who is now assistant strength coach (and is looking the part with those arms)
2nd question is Vaaks
3rd is Zens
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
How I hope they don't rush him back. Foot problems can linger, especially for someone 6'9 250 lbs.