Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (August 2020)

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#205      
Mmmm....I'm not so sure. He has dribbles and quickness, I'll give you that. Seems to be able to penetrate at will and keeps the ball on a string. But major deficiencies I see are his ability to finish at the basket (I only watched half the video and I think I counted 8 missed layups/floaters...some with contact, but a good number should have been made to warrant a major steal status), his shooting (passed up on 3 pointers regularly and 17 footers/floaters were missed badly), and his "scorer" mentality (regularly drove into traffic with 3 opponents surrounding him at the paint and would still try to put the shot up...passing just didn't seem like an option for him.

I think these are all fixable, but will take a lot of work....they'll have to break him down to the fundamental building blocks and build him back up again. If he's willing to endure at least a couple, maybe even a few years of hard work...I think there's something there as a good back-up.
In terms of his ability to finish, I noticed the same thing. Normally you don’t see those plays in highlight videos. His shooting was close to 50% in total so not an issue. Finishing at the rim is not uncommon at his age and physical development. Kemba Walker (UConn) looked the same way in his freshman year but took them to a National Championship in his senior year. Ayo had trouble finishing in his freshman year. Think it is easier to tone down the aggression than it is to teach the ball handling skills and ability to beat his man at will. He may be a backup his freshman year but not after that IMO.
 
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#206      
In terms of his ability to finish, I noticed the same thing. Normally you don’t see those plays in highlight videos. His shooting was close to 50% in total so not an issue. Finishing at the rim is not uncommon at his age and physical development. Kemba Walker (UConn) looked the same way in his freshman year but took them to a National Championship in his senior year. Ayo had trouble finishing in his freshman year. Think it is easier to tone down the aggression than it is to teach the ball handling skills and ability to beat his man at will. He may be a backup his freshman year but not after that IMO.
Plus the chemistry is already there with our 4 year point guard. Watching highlights of them playing together makes Pinzon seem like a 4 star recruit.
 
#207      
In terms of his ability to finish, I noticed the same thing. Normally you don’t see those plays in highlight videos. His shooting was close to 50% in total so not an issue. Finishing at the rim is not uncommon at his age and physical development. Kemba Walker (UConn) looked the same way in his freshman year but took them to a National Championship in his senior year. Ayo had trouble finishing in his freshman year. Think it is easier to tone down the aggression than it is to teach the ball handling skills and ability to beat his man at will. He may be a backup his freshman year but not after that IMO.
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Clearly stated as your opinion, but honestly, how many recruits do we ever get or go after that anyone ever says "I think he'll be a career backup"? He could definitely be a starter after his freshman year, but that is pretty darn hard to project unless you're a really highly rated recruit.
 
#208      
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Clearly stated as your opinion, but honestly, how many recruits do we ever get or go after that anyone ever says "I think he'll be a career backup"? He could definitely be a starter after his freshman year, but that is pretty darn hard to project unless you're a really highly rated recruit.

Not saying he will be a starter but assumed career backup implied <5 mins playing time similar to Jermaine rather than Alan.
 
#209      
Not saying he will be a starter but assumed career backup implied <5 mins playing time similar to Jermaine rather than Alan.
Good deal. I concur. I am sure you were waiting on that affirmation from me.
 
#214      
Happy with a class of Goode, Jones, Etienne and Pinzon. Pretty good restocking IMO.
 
#215      
Pinzon's highlights were nice --a gazelle in the open, decent length, good handles, and several shots where he got it off quickly (and many where he has that typical hesitation). Definitely some things to work on, and still pretty slight of frame. 247 has him ranked 129th, so not a huge reach if you believe in rankings.

I trust this staff. Thus far, they've done a great job identifying talent throughout a difficult transition of rebuilding, and they seem to have a much better sense of a player's strengths when they recruit. Doesn't mean they find flawless gems, just that they seem to have a plan for how a player develops and fits. Like a lot of fans, I wish there wasn't as much turnover, transfers, etc., but that ship sailed a long time ago. I completely respect the athletes for making their decision, and at the same time, guys who don't buy-in probably need a new situation. I'm VERY impressed with the talent level of the team, and while I realize we've had some good breaks, there's a ton of persistence and culture that went into it. These guys want to win.
 
#216      
Haha, Bryce Hopkins lands an offer from DePud.
Looks like DePaul was waiting for Kentucky to offer before they extended theirs.. Im joking but Depaul has a good class so far. They Bynum kid from Simeon is Will Bynum's nephew. The hops run in the family I see.
 
#220      
Has Depaul ever not liked their chances on landing a recruit?
They are always in the running (according to them). There were so many players that committed, but never made it on campus. Tyger Campbell comes to mind. Id be interested to see a list of verbal commits that reopened their recruitments and never signed on the dotted line.
 
#222      

sacraig

The desert
They are always in the running (according to them). There were so many players that committed, but never made it on campus. Tyger Campbell comes to mind. Id be interested to see a list of verbal commits that reopened their recruitments and never signed on the dotted line.

We, as Illini fans, know that "always in the running" doesn't mean much. See: Groce, John
 
#223      
We, as Illini fans, know that "always in the running" doesn't mean much. See: Groce, John
I know it. I had to make sure to put "according to them" in there. During those Groce years, the illini had to have the record for final 3s with no commitments.
 
#225      
Looks like DePaul was waiting for Kentucky to offer before they extended theirs.. Im joking but Depaul has a good class so far. They Bynum kid from Simeon is Will Bynum's nephew. The hops run in the family I see.

DePaul just named a new AD, DeWayne Peevey, and he spent 12 years at Kentucky as their deputy AD and worked closely with Calipari.. Look for him to make a huge splash. Long term he will want to hire his own BB coach. That's when things could get real interesting.
 
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