Question of the day, would you rather have:
Goodwin, Lewis, John or Verge, Eastern, Tilmon
Goodwin, Lewis, John or Verge, Eastern, Tilmon
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (April-June 2016)
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BlindLoyalty
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Illinoisloyalty fans said Groce can't recruit Rakocevic because of his character/problems. Now they want Verge. Lol. Verge makes Rakocevic look like a choirboy. Verge won't be attending UIUC.
One of the biggest fallacies on this site is the belief that there is one voice on here. The people who didn't want Rako probably don't want Verge however there are plenty of others who weren't concerned.
I believe Verge has a chance to be an Illini
First group. I think Goodwin is one of those core guys that wins games for programs. Plus, I really like Lewis.
I take any team with Goodwin on it. Also, I like Lewis as well
what he said. lol
That can mean a lot of things, underage drinking, petty theft, staying out past curfew, etc. I am not denying that he had some trouble, but it seems like people keep repeating the same vague info when it could have been something minor early on in his high school career. Either way, there hasn't been word of any recent maturity or off the court issues. He's elevated his game this summer and unless someone can give any evidence of any recent issues, I'm going to assume that a 17 year old kid has indeed grown up.
More serious.
robertgoulet
IL Board Resident Crooner
- Austin, TX
Or it can be a case of there being a sliding scale of how much trouble a single player is worth based on their talent level and those people that like Verge just didn't rate Raco.
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I'm in the group that didn't want Rako, but would be good with Verge if he can keep away from negative influences/actions. I've seen both play a lot, and imo the difference is a lot of Rako's issues were on-court with teammates and caused chemistry problems. I thought he could/would be a problem in the locker room if he wasn't getting the ball, whether we were winning or not.
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And that ppg is still second on the team and ahead of Eastern (who's shooting 25 % from 3)and Gilyard (also 21.4%). Bowen is shooting 22% from 3. DaMonte is shooting 26% from 3. Goodwin has only made 6 3's all spring so I'm imagining his percentage is right around 21-22%. AZ has outscored Bowen 3 of 4 games this weekend with one game to go while still running the offense and making unbelievable passes. People also forget that unlike everybody he's playing with and against he hadn't played competitively since January while everyone else had been playing right up until two weeks before the first event of the spring at Swish n Dish in Milwaukee. He had some rust to shake off.
His assist to to ratio which is only 2.3 to 2.1 would be more like 2.3 to 0.9 if you throw out one early game where he had 7 to's. And higher still if guys were always ready for his no-looks. Even Bowen has kicked a few of those out of bounds (he's had 4 to's in every game this weekend and a number of those - in the 2 MS games I saw were because he reacted too late to a Verge pass.)
Stats, you can really make them say whatever you want.
I realize he's had problems off the court. The difference between Rako and Verge is Rako was a jerk on the court and within the team, and he seemed to get that straightened out his senior year. For whatever people have said about Verge off the court, nobody has said he was a disruptive influence on the court or on a team. When he's on the bench he's up and cheering the entire time. Which is why I think bringing in him and letting Dee mentor and teach him would be very beneficial to the Illini.
I also realize he may not qualify, which would be out of our hands. AZ's not a choirboy but I also hope that's not what we're making kids act like before we accept them or we'll be the best behaved lousy team in d1. I had a high school career that was infinitely worse than anything I've heard about Verge and I got it eventually. I think he could too.
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btw - MS will be playing their final game of the weekend on court 2 (MIF is on court 1) in about 10 minutes. Verge is number 11 in white (Eastern is 21 and Bowen is 30). Of course after all this hype, 'Zo will probably stink the gym up but hopefully he'll keep playing like he has lately. The main thing I forgot to add to my long post in his favor is, he's just a blast to watch.
http://www.nikeeyb.com/live-stream/
http://www.nikeeyb.com/live-stream/
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.
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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[FONT="]D1 Circuit @D1Circuit 14m14 minutes ago [/FONT]
[FONT="]17U NIKE EYBL: Georgia Stars (84) at Mac Irvin Fire (IL) (50) - FINAL http://goo.gl/3SCW5o
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[FONT="]Dosunmu 25 pts, 6 rbs; DaMonte 0 pts, 5 rbs 1 ast; Justin Smith 0 pts, 0 rbs; Negron 4 pts, 5 rbs[/FONT]
[FONT="]17U NIKE EYBL: Georgia Stars (84) at Mac Irvin Fire (IL) (50) - FINAL http://goo.gl/3SCW5o
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Dosunmu 25 pts, 6 rbs; DaMonte 0 pts, 5 rbs 1 ast; Justin Smith 0 pts, 0 rbs; Negron 4 pts, 5 rbs[/FONT]
Wow. Dosunmu is quickly starting to look like a kid who might be a MCAA type of player in 2018. I wonder if he'll challenge Tim Finke for the top spot in the state rankings. If Da'Monte doesn't show more consistency in July, I'm beginning to feel like he may slip in the rankings quite a bit - maybe down to the 70-90 range. His lofty status to this point has been based on physical ability and glimpses of skill, but at a certain point it has to turn into production.
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http://www.d1circuit.com/game/show/13280493
And as usual, you talk a player up and he goes out and has a meh game. MS wins though and Bowen, Livers and Gilyard lead the way. Verge with 6 points.
But for Wisconsin Dells Player of the week, AZ is one of the five contestants -- all either committed or recruited by Illinois. Remember when AJ was up for this a few times his senior year.
http://www.prephoops.com/2016/05/wisconsin-dells-player-week-6/
And as usual, you talk a player up and he goes out and has a meh game. MS wins though and Bowen, Livers and Gilyard lead the way. Verge with 6 points.
But for Wisconsin Dells Player of the week, AZ is one of the five contestants -- all either committed or recruited by Illinois. Remember when AJ was up for this a few times his senior year.
http://www.prephoops.com/2016/05/wisconsin-dells-player-week-6/
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[FONT="]Scott Burgess @scottybscout 4m4 minutes ago[/FONT]
[FONT="]BREAKING: Elite 2019 SF Kahlil Whitney @KahlilWhitney tells me he is transferring to Roselle Catholic (NJ)[/FONT]
[FONT="]I thought sure this kid would end up at Simeon or Whitney Young.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]BREAKING: Elite 2019 SF Kahlil Whitney @KahlilWhitney tells me he is transferring to Roselle Catholic (NJ)[/FONT]
[FONT="]I thought sure this kid would end up at Simeon or Whitney Young.
[/FONT]
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
Am thinking good competition, maturation, Dee in his ear, etc. will temper Verge's wildness. The kid doesn't want to sit. Groce holds the ultimate cudgel: playing time.
Frazier or Verge? Steady deadeye vs. electric wildman?
Frazier for me all day. I'd rather get neither and end up with any two of Jordan Goodwin, Paul Scruggs, Terrence Lewis, Charles Matthews, and Nojel Eastern. My current gut feeling is that we end up with a class of Da'Monte, Pickett, Trent Frazier, one of Eastern/Goodwin/Matthews/Lewis, one of Tilmon/John/Culver and either Negron or a 3-star not yet on the radar. I wouldn't be upset about that in the slightest. Could be totally wrong, but I don't see Verge coming here.
And for the record, while I have concerns about Verge both on and off the court, I'd be excited if he committed. High ceiling, for sure. I'd rather have Frazier and think he's a good bet to commit soon-ish. If he does, I don't think they take another combo guard (unless you count Goodwin or Eastern as combos). That's the main reason I don't see Verge coming: I don't think Groce would take him now and I think we ultimately get Frazier. No inside info whatsoever, so I'm probably wrong about everything 
EAGLES SCORE BIG WIN
Just before the Stars and Stampede took the court, the St. Louis Eagles and MoKan matched up in a game between teams where there is no shortage of bad blood. MoKan has been one of the best teams in the Nike EYBL, but the Eagles found a way to shut down MoKan’s pair of five-star prospects and cruised to a double-digit victory.
It was a pair of 2018 prospects leading the way for the Eagles. Darius Garland, the 36th ranked prospect in the 2018 Rivals150, chipped in 11 points, but it was his passing that helped keep MoKan off balance. Tim Finke, a 6-foot-6 small forward in the 2018 class, was the recipient of a few Garland’s best passes, including an impressive alley-oop in transition.
Before going out with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for the rest of the weekend, Jordan Goodwin used his strength and athleticism to keep Michael Porter Jr. relatively in check. Goodwin also pumped in 14 points for the Eagles on a combination of jump shots and finishes at the rim. He has the potential to be similar to Butler’s Roosevelt Jones at the next level with the way he competes, his combination of strength and athleticism, and his versatility.
https://basketballrecruiting.n.rivals.com/news/sexton-steals-the-show-at-atlanta-eybl
Just before the Stars and Stampede took the court, the St. Louis Eagles and MoKan matched up in a game between teams where there is no shortage of bad blood. MoKan has been one of the best teams in the Nike EYBL, but the Eagles found a way to shut down MoKan’s pair of five-star prospects and cruised to a double-digit victory.
It was a pair of 2018 prospects leading the way for the Eagles. Darius Garland, the 36th ranked prospect in the 2018 Rivals150, chipped in 11 points, but it was his passing that helped keep MoKan off balance. Tim Finke, a 6-foot-6 small forward in the 2018 class, was the recipient of a few Garland’s best passes, including an impressive alley-oop in transition.
Before going out with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for the rest of the weekend, Jordan Goodwin used his strength and athleticism to keep Michael Porter Jr. relatively in check. Goodwin also pumped in 14 points for the Eagles on a combination of jump shots and finishes at the rim. He has the potential to be similar to Butler’s Roosevelt Jones at the next level with the way he competes, his combination of strength and athleticism, and his versatility.
https://basketballrecruiting.n.rivals.com/news/sexton-steals-the-show-at-atlanta-eybl
I really like Frazier's game. A smooth athletic lefty w/ a pretty shot is easy to appreciate. Like his court vision as well. Seems like he thrives in transition, constantly running the floor thinking a play or two ahead. Definitely seems like he could slide over to the 2 and play with another pg on the floor as well.
Mac Irvin Fire highlights from yesterday, including Da'Monte's game winner with a second left last night. Finished with 24 points and MIF won by 2. (Also some Mike Irvin philosophy at the very end for those who are interested in Mike Irvin's philosophy.
[YOUTUBE]TjFPSU6NfhQ[/YOUTUBE]
Who is the white point guard?
I was wondering that as well. Showed some skill in that video.
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