Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (January-February 2018)

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#1,801      

AnticipatedSerendipity

A
AnticipatedSerendipity
sacraig said:
Maybe you weren't arguing it, but look back over the last umpteen pages of posts. Shoot, look back at the last several months worth of post. There are countless posters who repeatedly say they think Smith is a bust and will be gone and other such nonsense.

These kids are largely freshmen and sophomores in the first season under a new head coach with a new system. Of course they are going to struggle a bit. However, that hasn't stopped many on here from basically declaring everyone a bust, all of these high-caliber-but-raw players as likely transfers, and the next season or two already lost causes.

It's just plain silly. We are a young team with a new coach. Growing pains were inevitable. Given our personnel and culture, we had a pretty wide range of possible outcomes this year ranging from what we actually got to (probably) barely making the tournament, and it just sucks that we ended up on the low end of that and everybody is justifiably disappointed. That doesn't mean suddenly the whole team is going to be Creaned or jump ship on their own.
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I agree with everything you said about our team and players. I feel as if there have been maybe 3-5 posters who continue to say Smith should transfer or won't cut it. I could be wrong, I could be tuning the rest out. The Kipper talk i feel is more of discussion but no hate or wishing he was gone.

It will be exciting to see the leaps that each freshmen and sophomore makes. I do have concern about shooting, do you think Williams, Smith, or Lucas will be able to improve their shooting?
 
#1,802      

Illinoise

Illinoise
Illinoise
AnticipatedSerendipity said:
I agree with everything you said about our team and players. I feel as if there have been maybe 3-5 posters who continue to say Smith should transfer or won't cut it. I could be wrong, I could be tuning the rest out. The Kipper talk i feel is more of discussion but no hate or wishing he was gone.

It will be exciting to see the leaps that each freshmen and sophomore makes. I do have concern about shooting, do you think Williams, Smith, or Lucas will be able to improve their shooting?
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The young players certainly have potential and will get better. If you think we have all the pieces here to get back the top echelon of the BiG 10 I think you are wrong. This team needs a talent infusion.
 
#1,803      

pruman91

pruman91
Paducah, Ky
pruman91
AnticipatedSerendipity said:
I agree with everything you said about our team and players. I feel as if there have been maybe 3-5 posters who continue to say Smith should transfer or won't cut it. I could be wrong, I could be tuning the rest out. The Kipper talk i feel is more of discussion but no hate or wishing he was gone.

It will be exciting to see the leaps that each freshmen and sophomore makes. I do have concern about shooting, do you think Williams, Smith, or Lucas will be able to improve their shooting?
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Williams and Smith, yes I do....DW coming off his lost season due to injury has a good looking shot but should make significant positive progress during the off season...

Smith , I really think has been blindsided by the improved competition and will make the biggest jump of all the players on the Illini...he has a great looking shot and only needs to gain confidence in his ability to becoming a force for us..

Lucas is and always will be a driver, slasher type and if he can develop his shot , especially on fts, he will take a giant leap forward....

this year has been a season of ups and downs ....lost games we should have won....games we went thru scoring droughts that changed the outcome....hopefully ALL the players dedicate themselves to getting better and learn the lesson's this season has taught them.

I'm very optimistic that this season will be only a distant memory when we are back to worrying about seeding # instead of sweating out as a bubble team
 
#1,804      

jrichisamazing

J
jrichisamazing
AnticipatedSerendipity said:
First of all, and not saying its you, but whenever discussion of a certain matter takes place, there are several posters who must act like because a discussion is taken place then everybody in the conversation is an absolute moron.

For the most part of the Kipper discussion has been this. Pretty talented, Bad motor, is he a BU guy (does he like playing for BU). None of this has been hate, but give me a break if it isn't news worthy.

To go to your points, yes at this moment it does mean everyone besides Black and Frazier... Thats why we are in last place.
Kipper doesn't have the highest ceiling (I would argue) however he does have untapped potential.
And I never thought it would be BU to push him out, however more of Kipper wanting out.
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I agree with this, but my point is why pick Kipper out of anyone? He makes the least sense. Everyone on this team plays inconsistently except for Frazier and Black, and anyone can leave if they want out. You think Kipper would want to skip his Junior season to only play 1 year on a different team, and only play 2 1/2 years of college ball total? Even if he does want to leave, I think it's much more likely that BU convinces him to stay and turn into a star....because BU really needs him.
 
#1,805      

AnticipatedSerendipity

A
AnticipatedSerendipity
jrichisamazing said:
I agree with this, but my point is why pick Kipper out of anyone? He makes the least sense. Everyone on this team plays inconsistently except for Frazier and Black, and anyone can leave if they want out. You think Kipper would want to skip his Junior season to only play 1 year on a different team, and only play 2 1/2 years of college ball total? Even if he does want to leave, I think it's much more likely that BU convinces him to stay and turn into a star.
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My biggest reason is that from all of our players Kipper seems to have a different demeanor and preferred style. He is laid back, and he looks uncomfortable and doesn't always react well to Underwood. It is not necessarily due to basketball skills at all, rather more has to do with personal qualities. I do believe that Williams, Lucas, Smith, Frazier, Ebo, Black, Jordan all react will to someone challenging them. Vesel, Nichols, and Finke seem to be players who need hugs, and atta boy's

I honestly don't think either way is wrong, unless you and the coach differ
 
#1,806      

Renegade19

R
Renegade19
jrichisamazing said:
Well if that's your reasoning then isn't everyone gone except Frazier and Black? Kipper drives BU crazy because he knows how good Kipper can be. He has the highest ceiling on the team. BU isn't going to push that out the door. The only way Kipper leaves is if Kipper wants to leave. Considering that he would have to waste a year, that seems extremely unlikely. Certain guys just need to be chewed out all the time. Doesn't mean the coach dislikes them.

From what we know (which is almost nothing), Frazier and Nichols are the 2 who are least likely to transfer.
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This! Man, you're making too much sense. Better watch out or the masses will turn on you! Great post.
 
#1,808      

Welchelracing21c

W
Welchelracing21c
If Underwood is slow playing Trice and loses him then adds nobody else he will have failed big time. I don't think he is slow playing him at all more Trice just taking his time and making absolute sure this is the situation he wants. I think he commits in the next couple weeks
 
#1,809      

EthanM

E
EthanM
AnticipatedSerendipity said:
My biggest reason is that from all of our players Kipper seems to have a different demeanor and preferred style. He is laid back, and he looks uncomfortable and doesn't always react well to Underwood. It is not necessarily due to basketball skills at all, rather more has to do with personal qualities. I do believe that Williams, Lucas, Smith, Frazier, Ebo, Black, Jordan all react will to someone challenging them. Vesel, Nichols, and Finke seem to be players who need hugs, and atta boy's



I honestly don't think either way is wrong, unless you and the coach differ
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This is how I feel. My speculation on Kipper transferring isn’t about talent. It’s about culture. I don’t doubt that Vesel and Finke are putting in work to get better, they’re just limited athletically. I haven’t seen them getting railed on and unable to look BU in the eye. I see them taking the coaching. Kipper, I just don’t know. I see him walk away from BU, and I wonder if BU lost him at some point this season. If they butt heads that much, it’s possible that Kipper would rather lose a yearly eligibility than play for BU for two more. Underwood is constantly talking about how our culture sucks. Is Kipper part of the problem? I truly don’t know. I’d love to see him get it together and make up with BU and start lighting it up for 15 a night. Will it happen? Beats me. Again, all baseless speculation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#1,813      

Ubermensch

Ubermensch
BOOM! Feed my ego.
Ubermensch
coryfor3 said:
Nah- the head coach of the basketball team has probably not thought through his recruiting strategy.
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He probably doesn’t even know how many scholarships he has available. One of us should call the basketball office.
 
#1,814      

Ga65

G
Ga65
Is my memory wrong or wasn't everyone saying last year that Kipper was a high motor guy? He was also considered the defensive specialist. I don't these things changed but he is playing out of position and is having more trouble adapting to BU's defensive system than some. Once again our problem with size more than our problem with overall talent.
 
#1,815      

Deleted member 654622

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Guest
Deleted member 654622
I heard a great Navy Seals quote on the JW show yesterday from the Men's Gymnastics coach, adapted from Archilochus. Something like, "Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training". My automatic thought went right to the gif on the home page of Kipper effn up that dunk.....
 
#1,817      

yeahyeahyeah

Y
yeahyeahyeah
AnticipatedSerendipity said:
I agree with everything you said about our team and players. I feel as if there have been maybe 3-5 posters who continue to say Smith should transfer or won't cut it. I could be wrong, I could be tuning the rest out. The Kipper talk i feel is more of discussion but no hate or wishing he was gone.

It will be exciting to see the leaps that each freshmen and sophomore makes. I do have concern about shooting, do you think Williams, Smith, or Lucas will be able to improve their shooting?
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those posters are squeaky wheels, perhaps we're laying down too much grease for them
 
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#1,818      

ChiefIllini

C
ChiefIllini
Can we afford to slow play guys? My guess is no. Personally think we have one transfer out (my money is on Finke, just given his struggles and his brother playing at GCU), so 3 more schollys available. We need to add two big guys. Seems like Jacobs is as good as ours. Trice seems like a good option (he'll be here for two years correct?) Hoping for a grad transfer big as well. Maybe another guy transfers out and we can grab a guy like Brangers.
 
#1,820      

yeahyeahyeah

Y
yeahyeahyeah
AnticipatedSerendipity said:
It will be exciting to see the leaps that each freshmen and sophomore makes. I do have concern about shooting, do you think Williams, Smith, or Lucas will be able to improve their shooting?
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the history for players is yes, they improve their shooting... I think Smith and Williams will... not everyone does... look at Lucas, last year his 3PT % was at 38% though according to some posters he did not call "backboard", so it's really not as high as that. :D He is making more shots on drives. FT's are the same. I'd settle for his old 3 PT % for sure.
 
#1,821      

Illinimobile

Illinimobile
Illinimobile
ChiefIllini said:
Can we afford to slow play guys? My guess is no. Personally think we have one transfer out (my money is on Finke, just given his struggles and his brother playing at GCU), so 3 more schollys available. We need to add two big guys. Seems like Jacobs is as good as ours. Trice seems like a good option (he'll be here for two years correct?) Hoping for a grad transfer big as well. Maybe another guy transfers out and we can grab a guy like Brangers.
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I just read this article. Since GCU was mentioned I thought this would be a good place to post it: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22437323/grand-canyon-only-profit-team-division-is-building-monster-desert
 
#1,825      

FC Illiniman

F
FC Illiniman
For those who have been keeping track, guys visiting or dropping by, is a good thing, but I sure wouldn't count on hearing anything from staff. Trice showing a constant interest ATM bodes well for us. Till he lands all can speculate till cows come home. Would be nice to have him, wonder if we could do better?:confused:;)
 
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