Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Nope.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (January 2021)
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I ran into a guard from a park district team that was really good. I asked how his team was that year. He said he didn't have a team. I asked if he wanted to play on my team, we had Todd Anderson from Bradley, a juco pt guard and a div 3 point guard along with my bevy of HS "chuckers". A good Park district squad. He replied sure can my roomate Anthony Welch play. Well duh.... That is how I learned Anthony Welch was called Ice. They had an internal game of closest to the pin...3 pointer closest to the Half court line to win. Pretty much cakewalk in league...except this one game...had a really excellent player and great team...Ice and their star pretty much iso'ed most of the game. We won and Anthony showed some moves, defense and shooting that was fun to watch . Anthony was 1 cut from NBA...it was between him and Jim Spanarkel on Houston I believed and Anthony was cut. A train works...Artis Gilmore is A train to me so I consider that heady company. I...L...L...
The last exhibition game Welch played, he was defending Larry Bird. Bird scored something like 13 points in a minute and a half, which pretty much ended Welch's NBA dreams
B-ILL
- Working From Home
Huh?
altenberger22
- South Carolina
Great names from the past!!
Jim Spanarkel -- star of the first Duke team I can personally recall. Beaten in the 1978 NCAA finals by Jack Givens and Kentucky. I actually liked Duke back then because they were a fresh name that came out of nowhere. That was the first "bad decision" of my life.
(BTW, Jay Shidler from Lawrenceville, IL played on that '78 KY team). March Madness was just on the verge of becoming what it is today. Bird and Magic in '79 helped its popularity grow geometrically.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
To be fair, not many NBA players could come close to handling Larry's level of athleticism.
I don't think the staff is after him that hard. They might be if they didn't feel like they lead for Nimari.
I think Nimari just needs to see Ayo go to the draft to know the minutes are there to be had and he is ours.
Well he might as well gone head and commit. Ayo stayed last year only due to the pandemic, canceled big ten tournament, ncaa tournament and abnormal draft process. That wont happen again.
I think he's exercising an abundance of caution after the Mcclung transfer thing. Heck even if Damonte/Trent weren't getting that extra year I think he'd already be a verbal.
Piper mentioned on a podcast Burnett was planning to take spring semester at TT. Maybe waiting until after spring semester when more scholarships open up/ more schools available versus less schools have scholarship room mid season.
He loves the staff. We have got a real good shot. Believe he is contemplating a re-class as well.
Bingo. Makes sense to just wait it out and get a sense of the landscape. Coaches leaving, transfers, etc.
Nimari is in no rush, but I like where we sit. He likes us a lot.
Wow...seems like that came out of nowhere
Pretty recent offer. Believe it was not long before Christmas.
Also very underrated - has offers from Texas, Kansas and Michigan State among other top programs.
ESPN has him at 6"8 and 247 has him at 6"9. Growth plates working overtime!
IlliniwekKDR
- Colorado Springs, CO
I was noticing the same thing. Must be a late bloomer? 3 star prospect rated barely in the top 150, but has a great offer list
Yeah I think I saw one of the sites had him listed as the 116 top recruit
Looks like an elite athlete for his size, not sure how skilled. Didn't see too many shots outside of 1 ft in his highlight videos.
Even if unskilled, looks to have the chops to give us at least something next year, with the potential for more as he develops. Would be a nice consolation for missing on Mac.
Five-star sophomore KJ Evans discusses early recruitment
Major upside prospect who can score at all levels, very fluid shooter, but the area I’m most impressed with him is probably his skill with the ball and his ability to run the floor and be around the perimeter at his size. He’s still growing and he could hit 6-foot-9 which is more of a difference than people actually believe it is.
Five-star sophomore KJ Evans discusses early recruitment
Arguably one of the nation's top-rated sophomore prospects in KJ Evans
Pro Insight Q&A Series - Mady Traore
At nearly 7-feet tall, with a 7’3 wingspan and massive 9’5 standing reach, Traore started off playing in his home country of France before joining the basketball program at Bishop Walsh (MD). He has been a standout at a number of events, including the HoopSeen West Preview Camp powered by Pro Insight. Equipped with the ability to handle the ball adeptly in transition, with shooting touch and a great deal of potential to shoot off of motion, Traore can also get to points with a running start that have him in rare company.He has the potential to be a mismatch on both sides of the court once he gets to college, with three-level scoring ability, lateral agility and rim protection. He has a high release point on his jump shot along with advanced footwork, combined with a functional ball skills at 6’11+. Traore recently listed his top-eight schools: Auburn, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Oregon, Pittsburgh, USC and Virginia Tech.
Mady Traore Q&A
For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A series, we present 2022 French prospect Mady Traore
www.prospectiveinsight.com
JAYLEN BLAKES TALKS DEVELOPMENT & UPDATES RECRUITMENT
Blakes is extremely hard-nosed on both ends of the floor and shows clear signals of being able to play both backcourt spots. At 6-2 and 190 pounds, he has a polished scoring package with a go-to pull up game from beyond the arc and in the mid-range. Blakes attacks the basket with the power and aggression, but uses a swarm of acrobatic finishes to score over bigger defenders. He has elite level change of pace, which in combination with a flourishing offensive IQ, makes him one of the more deadly PnR ball handlers in the nation. An extremely functional and mechanically sound jump shot from three has seen massive improvement and should be seen as a go-to spot up scorer. There is massive potential as an off ball scorer if Blakes continues to improve his tendency to attack closeouts and find space in the mid-range. As one of the fastest prospects in the country from end to end, controlling tempo and combining elite touch with the ability to change speeds is the formula for success moving forward. The aspect of his game that excites me the most? A 6-8 wingspan. He is an active defender with quick hands and sturdy build, which he uses consistently to beat drivers to their spot and excels in PnR coverages. He carries physical tools and a phenomenal IQ that bigh major coaches seek in upperclassmen guards. He is a longterm collegiate prospect but has an outlook as an All-Conference performer wherever he lands. Jaylen Blakes is a day one contributor at the next level.
Jaylen Blakes Talks Development & Updates Recruitment
By Max Feldman Jaylen Blakes, a consensus top 100 player, is the top overall uncommitted point guard and the 10th ranked uncommitted prospect in the nation. The Blairstown, New Jersey native has se…
frontofficegurus.com
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