Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April-June 2016)

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#2,604      

Deleted member 3875

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I'd take a flyer on Verge. Need some more athleticism on this team. Mentor and coach him up and we might have something here. Reminds me of Zac Irvin who was a bit out of control in HS but became a heck of a player.
 
#2,605      

midastouch11

midastouch11
New York, New York
midastouch11
carmelillini said:
I'd take a flyer on Verge. Need some more athleticism on this team. Mentor and coach him up and we might have something here. Reminds me of Zac Irvin who was a bit out of control in HS but became a heck of a player.
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Michigan's Zac Irvin?
 
#2,607      

t7nich

t7nich
Central IL
t7nich
dweebs19 said:
I may be wrong, but from everything I've read and seen, Da'monte seems like a player who is inconsistent. He brings it one game and may not bring it another. I like players to be consistent

I really want Goodwin, who you know will bring it every day. This kid will be really good in college and I want him to do this at Illinois.

The players I really want to add on the Illini team are: Goodwin, Lewis, and Alonzo Verge. I haven't checked or followed up with the number of scholarships available or if this would be something that is even remotely at all possible to do with the scholarships situation, but wow...I think that team would be fun to watch.
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I've seen Damonte a couple times, so I'll chime in based on what I know/have seen, most of which has probably been posted here in the past. He's very athletic and has all the tools to be successful at the next level, hence why he's rated so highly. When I saw him he had a ton of energy and was all over the place and scored mostly around the rim, played good D, rebounded, and had some nice assists. When he's ON he does a lot of different things to help the team win. If you're worried about his 0 point performance yesterday, don't be. He didn't play a ton of minutes. And when he was out there I believe the other team was playing a zone D, Damonte played in the middle and didn't get fed the ball by his teammates. Not a lot of scoring opportunities for him.

The hope is that a light bulb goes on when (or before) he gets on campus next year and he can play consistently at a high level. I believe that once he gets here and starts practicing with college players he'll elevate his game some. Having a high motor guy like Goodwin or Lewis around wouldn't hurt either.:D
 
#2,608      

OldGreg

O
OldGreg
FatGreg said:
Verge is super fun to watch. He can absolutely dominate for stretches and I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be a decent scorer at the college level. That said, he's an inefficient player: streaky shooter with a funky release (i.e. will always be streaky imo), major turnover issues (sloppy/flashy dribbler and passer).

He's a gifted passer--sees angles other players don't and is a more than willing distributor--but too often he takes contested shots instead of making the smart/easy pass. Shot selection overall has to improve.

Regardless of off court issues, I'm on the fence about Verge. I'll totally agree with Mike that he's a blast to watch. The kid loves playing basketball and it's obvious when you see him play. He plays with a lot of joy. I'm just afraid he'll end up as a 1:1 TO/AST guy who shoots a .38/.29/.68 line.
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Agree with all of this. I don't even care about the off the court stuff, I don't think he'll be that good in college. He's really not that great of an athlete and super skinny. Everything he does dribbling wise is labor intensive, he doesn't really blow by people and thus takes very contested floaters and layups. That will be amplified at the college level and he will struggle against stronger, quicker guys and I could see him getting frustrated and impatient and leaving the program after a year. I'd take Frazier a hundred times over him. Shoot, I'd probably take Gilyard over Verge. That kid is tough, quick, can play D, can be Groce type lead scoring guard and will turn into a real solid college player as an uperclassmen.
 
#2,609      

BillyBob1

BillyBob1
Champaign
BillyBob1
Didn't see this posted.

TheMacIrvinFire Mac Irvin Fire
Congrats to DaMonte Williams on being invite to the NBPA top 100 camp. #MacIrvinFire
 
#2,610      

BillyBob1

BillyBob1
Champaign
BillyBob1
This one too.

TheMacIrvinFire Mac Irvin Fire
Congrats to 6'7 Super Athletic Justin Smith for being invited to NBPA top 100 camp #MacIrvinFire
 
#2,611      

icengineer

I
Southern Illinois
icengineer
BillyBob1 said:
Didn't see this posted.

TheMacIrvinFire Mac Irvin Fire
Congrats to DaMonte Williams on being invite to the NBPA top 100 camp. #MacIrvinFire
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BillyBob1 said:
This one too.

TheMacIrvinFire Mac Irvin Fire
Congrats to 6'7 Super Athletic Justin Smith for being invited to NBPA top 100 camp #MacIrvinFire
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I think someone posted the Smith news, The DMWilliams I haven't seen. That's great!
 
#2,615      

illinitiger

I
illinitiger
FatGreg said:
Verge is super fun to watch. He can absolutely dominate for stretches and I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be a decent scorer at the college level. That said, he's an inefficient player: streaky shooter with a funky release (i.e. will always be streaky imo), major turnover issues (sloppy/flashy dribbler and passer).

He's a gifted passer--sees angles other players don't and is a more than willing distributor--but too often he takes contested shots instead of making the smart/easy pass. Shot selection overall has to improve.

Regardless of off court issues, I'm on the fence about Verge. I'll totally agree with Mike that he's a blast to watch. The kid loves playing basketball and it's obvious when you see him play. He plays with a lot of joy. I'm just afraid he'll end up as a 1:1 TO/AST guy who shoots a .38/.29/.68 line.
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Jaylon Tate was .37/.18/.63 with 3 to 1 AT ratio last year....I would hope that Verge (or any future PG) play making abilities and Assist rates would be significant.

Curious if anyone has assessment on Verge and other PG recruits' defense potential.
 
#2,616      

LBIllini

L
LBIllini
So a lot is being said about Verge and his "off the court issues" I googled the kid and didn't see anything pop up (didn't dig too far) What are the issues? What has he done? I've seen him play a few games and have seen him pout on the bench when things didn't go his way but apparently there is more. Someone who knows please enlighten me.
Also agree with some assesments on Williams - have watched him since middle school and he can disappear in a game. When he turns it up he is truly a game changer. Curious to see if being a senior leader helps because half throttle won't be enough for Manual or Illinois. That being said - great kid - badly want to see him be successful.
 
#2,617      

Illiniguy13

Illiniguy13
Illiniguy13
LBIllini said:
So a lot is being said about Verge and his "off the court issues" I googled the kid and didn't see anything pop up (didn't dig too far) What are the issues? What has he done? I've seen him play a few games and have seen him pout on the bench when things didn't go his way but apparently there is more. Someone who knows please enlighten me.
Also agree with some assesments on Williams - have watched him since middle school and he can disappear in a game. When he turns it up he is truly a game changer. Curious to see if being a senior leader helps because half throttle won't be enough for Manual or Illinois. That being said - great kid - badly want to see him be successful.
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Don't know a ton about Verge, but as far as Williams goes-- the inconsistent motor is concerning. He's so dangerous when the light is on. His ability to put his fingerprints all over a game is special. Not sure where that all goes sometimes...my hope is that a fire is lit under his arse in the orange and blue. In his case, it's not just the name on the front of his jersey.
 
#2,618      

FatGreg

F
FatGreg
Illiniguy13 said:
Don't know a ton about Verge, but as far as Williams goes-- the inconsistent motor is concerning. He's so dangerous when the light is on. His ability to put his fingerprints all over a game is special. Not sure where that all goes sometimes...my hope is that a fire is lit under his arse in the orange and blue. In his case, it's not just the name on the front of his jersey.
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That's a great way to put it: "fingerprints all over a game." There just aren't many point guards with his length, athleticism, and diverse skill set. If he had a Dee Brown motor, he'd be a dominant player. When he's locked in and playing with intensity, he overwhelms high school competition on both ends of the floor. Physically, he reminds me a little of Gary Payton (not a playing style comparison or career projection, so please don't flame me with the inevitable "now we're comparing our recruits to NBA Hall of Famers" nonsense. Thanks!).
 
#2,619      

Illiniguy13

Illiniguy13
Illiniguy13
Question is, how do you coach a player like Damonte into keeping his motor up? I imagine he's had plenty of coaches in his ear telling him how fantastic he is when playing with focused intensity. Don't know if it's that simple...then again, I'm no coach
 
#2,620      

CAHALL15

C
Central Illinois
CAHALL15
Illiniguy13 said:
Question is, how do you coach a player like Damonte into keeping his motor up? I imagine he's had plenty of coaches in his ear telling him how fantastic he is when playing with focused intensity. Don't know if it's that simple...then again, I'm no coach
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Sitting on the bench helps.
 
#2,623      

bigruss22

B
bigruss22
CAHALL15 said:
Sitting on the bench helps.
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For certain players sure, but that can destroy some players too.

A good coach finds the motivating factor for their players and uses that, whether it's PT, fame, NBA, money, whatever.
 
#2,624      

FatGreg

F
FatGreg
Put him on a team with a couple of attack dogs like Jordan Goodwin and I'll bet he feeds off the energy.
 
#2,625      

CAHALL15

C
Central Illinois
CAHALL15
bigruss22 said:
For certain players sure, but that can destroy some players too.

A good coach finds the motivating factor for their players and uses that, whether it's PT, fame, NBA, money, whatever.
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It's like teaching a child a lesson. You tell them why they have x consequence(s), what you would like them to do, you still love them, and then give then praise them when they follow through with your instructions. I'm not saying DaMonte is a child, but asking young men to do the same thing isn't wildly different. Additionally, all of the things that you mentioned earlier are tied to playing time. It's hard to be famous, earn money, or go to the NBA draft if you don't play unless you have the all coveted NBA potential like Cheick Diallo. However, I'm sure you could use those statements when he gets ready to check back in by saying, "Show this crowd why you belong in the NBA. Use this opportunity as a stepping stone to set your family up for life."
 
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