You do know that Tatum picked Duke right?
Last edited:
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (January-March 2016)
- Status
You do know that Tatum picked Duke right?
Two words: injuries and transfers. We can't count on everyone being healthy or staying on the roster. Pickett could still grow.
From the videos I have seen, I see Nichols playing the four a lot. More of a 4/3 like a Roger Powell.
When the 2017 class arrives, this is what we will have (barring transfers)
C Finke
F Black, Nichols, Williams
G Jordan
G JCL
G Lucas
With 6 scholarships available, we can recruit all positions in the 2017 class.
1 point
1 combo
1 wing
2 bigs
1 best player available
My ideal class would be Williams, Pickett, Goodwin, Tilmon, Culver and a fifth year transfer for some experience with all the young kids coming in.
PaytonHighstep
- Downers Grove, IL
Is there a 2016 Juco big available that can fill the glaring gap at the center position? I mean, Illinois needs a body with a pulse at this point. It's a terrible situation.
OR
Illinois needs to go small and play 40 minutes of hell, pressing/trapping and play the old Razorback style of basketball.
OR
Illinois needs to go small and play 40 minutes of hell, pressing/trapping and play the old Razorback style of basketball.
1. A healthy Thorne is the answer for this year. Whether he will be healthy at any point is questionable. We definitely need an experienced big for next year. I think Finke will be bigger, stronger, and more experienced next year. Kid has talent.
2. We don't have the athletes for that style.
Foggy Notion
- San Francisco
I think that's a normal day in Louisville.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
Finke will get bigger and stronger, but he's just not a 5. After a redshirt season I see nothing that tells me he can rebound consistently, protect the rim or do anything in the post against other centers in the BIG10. I hope we see him at the 5 as little as possible after this year IMO
Finke will get bigger and stronger, but he's just not a 5. After a redshirt season I see nothing that tells me he can rebound consistently, protect the rim or do anything in the post against other centers in the BIG10. I hope we see him at the 5 as little as possible after this year IMO
We need to let Finke play his true position which is not a 5 or we are going to waste his talents, frustrate him and then loose any chance of getting his brother! Who wants to play out of position your whole college career because your coaches can't get a big! Play small ball but don't post him or make him get posterized by bigger, stronger athletes.
This unfortunately reminds me of Hill having to play the 4 and even the 1 way more than he should have to. Like, it really frustrates me our best player who is a pure 3 has had to play out of position so much.
ILLINIFAN2
- Des Moines, IA
Villanova has done the 4 guards numerous times over the last 15 years. I don't like it, for one reason you have to play 1-2 players out of position.
+1 to all. MF is an ideal 4 for us. He can stretch the D with the 3, is a good passer and screener and can score in the mid-range and occasionally down low, too. To force him to play the 5 next year would be a waste of his primary talents and force him to defend other 5s, which he's not suited for. Poor recruiting at the 5 is nearly as big of a problem for UI as the poor recruiting at the 1.
And MH is a trooper but it's obvious he doesn't enjoy playing the 4 yet again for the third straight season. He's a 3, and having him at the 4 hurts our rebounding, interior D and hurts him in terms of wearing him down as the season goes along. He looked spent the last 2-3 weeks of last season from having to bang down low against bigger guys. LB's injury is the culprit this year, so hopefully LB is fully healthy next year so MH can focus on the 3.
It's not a particularly "loaded" class, IMO. It's been blown out of proportion by Illini fans. What it does have is a decent amount of down state talent, so that's why people have been looking to it as crucial for Illinois, it's guys we should be able to get.
But even if you count Tilmon, it's probably not even as good some other recent classes such as 2007, 2009, 2011 or 2014.
Well, there is the dilemma. Finke is the 4 and Black is a 4. You need Finke's offense and Black's rebounding. Just how are you going to get both unless Finke plays the 5?
Another problem is LB so far hasn't shown any low-post moves or game, either. And MF is a poor low-post defender and rebounder. MF at the 5 would create a glaring hole in our D, as it has this season. Assuming JG will be searching for another fifth-year transfer C in the spring.
In the basketball program we want and expect, this is a decent class. But the fact is, it's better than half the classes we have had since 2005.
The thing about Groce is his recruiting is enough to give me pause. I just can't get myself to want him fired even though my brain knows I should.
Same way Groce tried for the little time this year that Finke, Black, Mav, and Thorne played together. Groce played Thorne/Mav at 5 and Finke/Black at 4. That's the way it should work in the future as well. Problem is that even Thorne, when he was totally healthy, could not average more than 22-23 mpg. So it left a big gap at backup C, even before his injury.
Without Thorne next year, we need to pick up a player who can play C/post. But even then, Black/Finke will have to share mins at 4 and also get some spillover mins at C. Post play will be a problem next year. It is not a matter of minutes. Finke may be listed as a 5 this year as well, and certainly gets minutes. Yet, he still plays stretch 4. The problem is not finding minutes, the problem is finding a player (or players) who can effectively play the C/post position.
I have to agree. Unless Williams moves up to a 5* , I don't see any at this time next year and that includes tilmon. After seeing him last year, I sure didn't see 5*. He needed serious development. I think playing with tatum hurt his development . Very few touches. Hopefully it is different this aau season.
If ui lands tilmon and the next top four from illinois, then it may be a top 10 class.
I agree, and much of the hope for a great Illini recruiting class depends on Tilmon. Unless Groce can pull in some of the Indiana stars we are actively recruiting or other out of staters who may emerge as prospects. The rest of the Illinois recruits are decent recruits but not ones who you would expect to make an immediate impact.
Drew Messmer with a CB for Froling to SMU this morning.
And so it begins...
Drew Messmer with a CB for Froling to SMU this morning.
As much as he looks like a good player, not getting him isn't a big loss, imo. He REALLY doesn't fit our needs for next year, especially with the last scholly. He is basically Michael Finke, with probably the same defensive deficiencies. To have any chance of being good next year (which given Groce's circumstances should be all that matters to him), we need to use that scholarship on a very-ready-to-play big with some athleticism and ability to protect the rim. I don't care if he ever scores a point. This obviously means a 5th year guy almost certainly.
- Status