Confusion in some cases yes. Playing time just seems to not matter to some kids, that confuses me. If Carlton Bragg/Cliff Alexander would of came here, they would of got 30+ mins. a game. Playing against great big men in the Big 10 is going to make you a better pro prospect than sitting the bench at Kansas. I would argue Kansas stunted the growth of Alexander's game.
Playing time is a factor, but just one of the many factors. The reason that blue bloods have an advantage is that they have name power that gets them maximum exposure, regularly contend for NCs, have HOF coaches, and regularly send players to the NBA. That is why you often see them get multiple top recruits in consecutive classes versus the rest of the schools.
People get enamored by top recruits for good reason, and in the case of UI, we are starving for the next McD AA. We have gone with 1 McD AA since 2002, which is the longest drought in Illini history. But the assertion that next top recruit will be an instant hit at UI and have the shortest path to the NBA holds little evidence to support that. Jereme Richmond was supposed to be the next prodigy. Did not work out. Leonard was a physical specimen, but it is not that he had a great freshman season. It took Cook 4 years to make it to the NBA.
I see people mention Tilmon as a guaranteed NBA instant player, no matter where he goes. I believe I have seen Tilmon play more times than the vast majority of posters on this board, and I really like him. But I do not think Tilmon is an instant one-and-done or even a guaranteed NBAer. Whether he goes to KU, UNC, MSU or UI.
As far as Cliff, I'd say the same thing that I said for Richmond. He was his own worst enemy, adding the lack of guidance (in the case of Cliff) from his family. It is not that if Cliff had gone to UI, he would have been a different person or model citizen. Yet, he still made it to the NBA, so Self can claim that even his failures get to the NBA.