Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April 2018)

[Illwinsagain]

I guess you could say NIU is a Junior College.

We don't have any very recent experience with JuCos. Here is a fairly complete list:

• Mike Washington 1974
• Nate Williams 1974
• Reno Gray 1977
• Craig Tucker 1980
• Ken Norman 1983
• P.J. Bowman 1988
• Rodney Jones 1989
• Andy Kpedi 1989
• Shelly Clark 1993
• Halim Abdullah 1996
• Arias Davis 1997
• Fess Hawkins 1998
• Cleotis Brown 1998
• Marcus Griffin 1999
• Blandon Ferguson 2001
• Rodney Alexander 2007
• Dominique Keller 2008

I loved Shelly Clark, really thought he could have been a great tight end in the NFL.

 

[Normalman]

With this being my first post I realize that I have zero credibility on this board. With that being said, Okoro to Purdue is legit. I first heard this about 3 weeks ago. He plans on reclassifying. Last I heard was it was down to Purdue and Oregon. I’ve been to every normal west basketball game the last two years because I have family on the team so I hear things from time to time. Purdue has had a heavy presence throughout last summer and this past season recruiting him. He is a good kid. I wish him well no matter where he goes. Trust me, when I heard the news I was very disappointed.

 

[rockillini]

Any news about their official visits?

They both participated in a scrimmage today. Each was on different team and they both had their moments.

I will report that Matic Vessel is still on the team and practiced well today. The "General" seemed to be really guiding him in the scrimmage and hit him on some nice passes (The General and Kipper also seemed to bond both on and off the court). Frazier looked awesome today.

The crowd was about two deep and the picture from Werner was taken early on before some of the crowd arrived.

 

[Tacomallini]

With this being my first post I realize that I have zero credibility on this board. With that being said, Okoro to Purdue is legit. I first heard this about 3 weeks ago. He plans on reclassifying. Last I heard was it was down to Purdue and Oregon. I’ve been to every normal west basketball game the last two years because I have family on the team so I hear things from time to time. Purdue has had a heavy presence throughout last summer and this past season recruiting him. He is a good kid. I wish him well no matter where he goes. Trust me, when I heard the news I was very disappointed.

100% of Normalman's posts depress me.

 

[TheFameProtector]

40% from three is better than good.

Yeah...I was thinking the same thing. $0% isn't the line for good, it's the line for great if not elite.

I'd say 35 or 36% is the line for a good 3 pt shooter.

 

[Normalman]

I would really like to be wrong on this one. From the outside looking in, Okoro has handled his recruitment almost professionally. He’s played this very close to the vest. Been tons of college coaches at games and summer workouts but no information ever got out. Never heard a whisper of a front runner in his recruitment until a few weeks ago.

 

[Ga65]

With this being my first post I realize that I have zero credibility on this board. With that being said, Okoro to Purdue is legit. I first heard this about 3 weeks ago. He plans on reclassifying. Last I heard was it was down to Purdue and Oregon. I’ve been to every normal west basketball game the last two years because I have family on the team so I hear things from time to time. Purdue has had a heavy presence throughout last summer and this past season recruiting him. He is a good kid. I wish him well no matter where he goes. Trust me, when I heard the news I was very disappointed.

Does he fit BU's system?

 

[rockillini]

I would really like to be wrong on this one. From the outside looking in, Okoro has handled his recruitment almost professionally. He’s played this very close to the vest. Been tons of college coaches at games and summer workouts but no information ever got out. Never heard a whisper of a front runner in his recruitment until a few weeks ago.

Still got time to make something happen here. I would not count us out yet.

 

[illini80]

Still got time to make something happen here. I would not count us out yet.

Maybe not, but I just have not heard any buzz ever regarding us in this recruitment.

 

[Normalman]

Does he fit BU's system?

Illini coaches must think so. I’ve seen antiqua and Walker at games. Okoro is so incredibly athletic, but he is very raw on the offensive side of the ball. Needs to develop that 15 ft jumper. Defensively he is a beast. Not sure how much he would contribute year one, but once he figures it all out, good lord look out.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

Okoro has worried me since he doesn't seem to have a true emotional attachment to the area.

Right, he's kind of the worst of both worlds, he's new enough that he doesn't really have any deep ties to the area or the idea of the Illini as the state flagship, but he's been in Central Illinois long enough to fully appreciate what a mess our program has become.

 

[nichi]

I don't agree at all. Based on projections Ayo = MS, Griffin= TF, Jones> DW, Kane > Ebo, and GBez> Matic. We don't know actual until end of the year but I don't think it is close. Ceiling is huge for this class IMO because it covers all the positions and believe rating are much higher.

I'd say: Ayo > MS, Jones = TF, DW > Griffin, Kane > Ebo, GBez > Matic.

That is based solely on current consensus recruiting rankings, not my opinion, not how well the 2017 kids did on the court.

 

[Ole Viking]

I'm not very impressed with the videos I've watched of Feliz. Hope I'm wrong but I don't think he's a Big Ten caliber pg. For me it's Ramey or nothing.

 

[rockillini]

Trice just committed to Bruce.

 

[jrod1286]

Not getting some of these big in state recruits sucks. I believe we will in the future. I can't blame guys like Okoro for picking Purdue over Illinois in its current state. I'm getting sick of hearing "it's a process" but it's the truth.

 

[sacraig]

I'm not very impressed with the videos I've watched of Feliz. Hope I'm wrong but I don't think he's a Big Ten caliber pg. For me it's Ramey or nothing.

Because open spots on the bench are such an excellent way to field a basketball team. :doh:

 

[Deleted member 631370]

Trice just committed to Bruce.

So much for that April 11th commitment for his grandma's birthday.

Good get for Bruce.

 

[TCTORNADO]

in terms of instant playing time, Purdue just does not make much sense considering they have Haarms and Evan Bordeaux to man the 4/5 positions the next few seasons at least.

Add to Purdue's front court next year, 2 top 150 recruits. 6'9" 270# Trevion Williams and 6'10" Emanuel Dowouna.

 

[Tacomallini]

Trice just committed to Bruce.

Thought he was waiting until 4/11 to announce on his grandpa's birthday (unless I've got him confused w/ another recruit). Wonder if Bruce forced a play with a now or never commitment threat.

 

[imdball]

When Leron went pro it was the end of the world and things looked bleak. Our class was 97th. Now we're arguing over JUCO "stars" and have a top 25 [Rivals] class. Don't be greedy and hope for the best. Life is good.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

We go through this with players all the time. hoping they'll develop skills that they don't show early.

Player development is a bread and butter every year thing basically everywhere but here. Our lack of it in the past decade plus has been nothing short of astonishing.

And getting to competence in jump shooting for a guard with non-terrible mechanics and solid underlying hand-eye coordination is about as "teachable" of a skill as there is in basketball.

 

[Deleted member 29907]

They both participated in a scrimmage today. Each was on different team and they both had their moments.

I will report that Matic Vessel is still on the team and practiced well today. The "General" seemed to be really guiding him in the scrimmage and hit him on some nice passes (The General and Kipper also seemed to bond both on and off the court). Frazier looked awesome today.

The crowd was about two deep and the picture from Werner was taken early on before some of the crowd arrived.

I am hoping the light bulb goes off for Matic. He needs a LOT more of an aggressive/assertive mindset. He seems to have a high BB IQ - just too timid.

 

[Newman]

Add to Purdue's front court next year, 2 top 150 recruits. 6'9" 270# Trevion Williams and 6'10" Emanuel Dowouna.

And do you think any of those guys would worry Okoro about playing time? Not one bit.

 

[nichi]

And do you think any of those guys would worry Okoro about playing time? Not one bit.

Of course, competition for playing time is only a concern at Illinois.

If Okoro goes there, maybe Trevion Williams and Emanuel Dowouna should worry?

Jacquil Taylor will be a senior.
Matt Haarms will be a sophomore.
Evan Boudreaux will be a junior.
Aaron Wheeler will be a rs freshman.

 

[LBZ]

Oregon wants Okoro for a back up to their incoming 5 star potentially one & done center Bol Bol? http://www.oregonlive.com/recruiting/index.ssf/2018/04/francis_okoro_2019_4-star_cent.html