Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (February 2021)

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#576      
hutch has said he's coming back to campus already when he's healthy. would be surprised to see him leave.
 
#578      

Deleted member 746963

D
Guest
I think Southern Utah is about the best environment for him to succeed as there possibly could be. I mean, it's probably kinda hard to score the ganj in rural, middle of nowhere Mormon country.
Only a 1 hour drive to the Nevada border . Plenty of legal weed to buy in Mesquite , Nevada right across the boarder : )
 
#579      

Atgers

Birmingham, AL
hutch has said he's coming back to campus already when he's healthy. would be surprised to see him leave.
Underwood has also called him the best athlete and shooter on the team.
 
#580      

altenberger22

South Carolina
It just continues to amaze me how anyone on here can continue to dismiss DMFW. A guard with a 7' wing span and a bulldog on defense.

With Trent and DMFW back next year, even if Kofi and Ayo are gone....Trent, DMFW, Miller, Curbelo/ CoHawk, and Giorgi....we are a top 25 team and competing for another B1G title, guaranteed.

If they both leave, and it's 2nd year Curbelo, Miller, CoHawk, (insert your favorite transfer/current player projection), and Sr. Giorgi....plenty of potential, but all bets are off.
I'm not sold. If both Ayo and Kofi depart, it won't be nearly as fun in 2021-22. Ayo is leaving. However, we need Kofi as a 1-year bridge to the next crop of superstar talent. Kofi is the ultimate rim protector across the entirety of the NCAA.

We want/need sustainability.
 
#581      
My reaction when people start suspecting Curbelo or Hawkins will transfer..
foxtv GIF by The Resident on FOX
 
#582      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
I'm not sold. If both Ayo and Kofi depart, it won't be nearly as fun in 2021-22. Ayo is leaving. However, we need Kofi as a 1-year bridge to the next crop of superstar talent. Kofi is the ultimate rim protector across the entirety of the NCAA.

We want/need sustainability.

Well of course. That wasn't really the gist of my post. It was more directed at the dismissing of DMFW and Trent's role's and the potential of the team without them. (assuming Ayo and Kofi are gone)

The trend of this team is outstanding right now. Ayo opened a gateway and they are establishing an identity and culture that the staff is utilizing VERY well in recruiting.

We may never see another Kofi in an Illini uniform. He is a generational specimen. Much like LSU has never seen another Shaq. Miller can absolutely rise to Ayo's level, maybe higher.
The program is in a fantastic place, but subtracting Trent and DMFW from next years team means that team will be tasked with a huge defensive hill to climb. I'm not suggesting they can't get there....but it will be a monumental task.
 
#584      
Out of curiousity, with all the cheating that Drew is accused of, how come he can't get better recruits?
They've had a couple of very serious scandals at that school, including a suspicious death in basketball and tolerated gang rapes in football. I'm surprised highly rated players, who can play anywhere they choose, would want to play at a corrupt institution like Baylor.
 
#585      

sacraig

The desert
I'm not sold. If both Ayo and Kofi depart, it won't be nearly as fun in 2021-22. Ayo is leaving. However, we need Kofi as a 1-year bridge to the next crop of superstar talent. Kofi is the ultimate rim protector across the entirety of the NCAA.

We want/need sustainability.

I think ultimately sustainability is in large part a function of coaching ability. A great coach can adapt to the personnel they have at the time (within reason). If Kofi is gone, we will need to change up the game plan to account for that. I agree we won't likely be as electrifying, but we still have the pieces to be really good.
 
#586      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Miller can absolutely rise to Ayo's level, maybe higher.
Calm down.

The program is in a fantastic place, but subtracting Trent and DMFW from next years team means that team will be tasked with a huge defensive hill to climb. I'm not suggesting they can't get there....but it will be a monumental task.

Yeah I mean let's be honest, if we lose Ayo, Kofi, DMW and Trent, we could potentially be right back into the Big Ten cellar next year. Just losing Ayo is going to be a colossal challenge, it is difficult to overstate how much he has meant to this team in his three years here.
 
#587      
If he's able to resume basketball activities by overcoming this back injury, I don't see him leaving. He's not gonna be scared off by a couple of Freshmen coming into the program. If Kofi leaves, we'll need all the bodies we have to replace what he brought to the table, and definitely so if Trent and/or DWill decide not to return. I have a feeling Trent may decide to go pro and play overseas. He knows he's not an NBA player and will be ready to make some cash in Europe or elsewhere. JMO.
I think the DWill train has left the station.
 
#588      
Underwood has also called him the best athlete and shooter on the team.
I don't think that there's a player on our roster that BU hasn't tagged "elite" or "best in the country" to some portion of their game. This usually happens when we win.

When we lose, practice and body language was horrible.

He should be part of the game and post game threads here.
 
#589      

Atgers

Birmingham, AL
I don't think that there's a player on our roster that BU hasn't tagged "elite" or "best in the country" to some portion of their game. This usually happens when we win.

When we lose, practice and body language was horrible.

He should be part of the game and post game threads here.
I agree. But, Mark Smith may have been comparable to Jason Kidd. However, was he the best Jason Kidd on the team?
 
#590      
I think Southern Utah is about the best environment for him to succeed as there possibly could be. I mean, it's probably kinda hard to score the ganj in rural, middle of nowhere Mormon country.
It is actually not hard to score. Legal states all around and gang is not scarce. Anywhere.
 
#591      

Illwinsagain

Cary, IL
Calm down.



Yeah I mean let's be honest, if we lose Ayo, Kofi, DMW and Trent, we could potentially be right back into the Big Ten cellar next year. Just losing Ayo is going to be a colossal challenge, it is difficult to overstate how much he has meant to this team in his three years here.
The end of the IU game showed that the team can survive without Ayo. Right now, the team lets him finish games, because he is really good at finishing games. If he is not the one, someone or some people will have to step up. With a year older, a year of regular Summer practice/training/strength, I look forward to see who will step up.
 
#592      
I would mind all but Hamlin. Lieb in particular seems like the classic case of just needing some time. Hopefully he recognizes that and sees future opportunity. And Hutch just hasn't been able to get himself on the court. Not sure if another school helps him at all. I could see BBV leaving, I just hope he doesn't. If Kofi leaves, we're gonna need big bodies.
My point is just that we haven’t seen anything from BBV/Hutcherson/Hamlin/Lieb at this point. It seems like sunk cost fallacy to cling to them in the hopes they will produce. If any of them leave, I’m not convinced we really lost anything. Hutcherson I still really hope recovers and sticks with us and of course I hope Lieb develops, but if we recruited over them and they leave knowing we have other players who will start over them, so be it.
 
#594      

I Bomb

Stylin' and Profilin'
Out of curiousity, with all the cheating that Drew is accused of, how come he can't get better recruits?
I thought they had 2 top 25 guys committed for next year, unless I'm thinking of another school.
 
#596      
If Kofi leaves it would not surprise me if Underwood goes back to his pressure defense, which means more players seeing the floor.
 
#597      
Out of curiousity, with all the cheating that Drew is accused of, how come he can't get better recruits?
These recruits seem pretty good! Those guys with all the stars at Kentucky and Duke aren’t doing so well.
 
#599      
Not to change the subject, but who are we still in on (besides Burnett)?

Cardet? Podz? Any big man names?
I mean this is the recruiting thread, so perhaps we should talk about recruiting...

This thread would be 3-4 pages if we actually talked about recruiting instead of the possible transfers in this thread.

Transfer thread is almost empty.
 
#600      

IlliniwekKDR

Colorado Springs, CO
So with RJ committed, who is our next biggest target or a guy who is leaning Illini? Sorry, I’ve been much too focused on this season to pay much attention to recruiting
We pay attention to recruiting with the hopes of seeing seasons like this one, so I'd say you are doing the right thing!
 
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