Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (July-August 2017)

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#601      
IlliniJim20
foby said:
Really wanted him, but that is a good fit for him. Better there than NU anyway.
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100% agree. MSU will always be competitive under izzo, so one more player is not a tipping point. NU otoh, I can see THT being a pain in our arse for four years.

I can handle that pain if at sparty, not so much the kitties.
 
#602      
Smacko
IbleedOandB2014 said:
Pearson or Conditt? Don't they have a very similar game and size?
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No on Pearson unless it is the only way to get Ayo. Conditt has offers from other high major programs. Pearson does not. Pearson plays for a more high profile AAU team, so he has had more exposure and still has no real high major offers.

Right now I think the staff sees Castleton as a higher priority than Conditt. Castleton has all of the skills to really excel playing out of that pinch post position.
 
#603      
Joel Goodson
Ga65 said:
Xavier next best to Ill.
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Definitely, but I don't think he's going that far. MSU, OTOH, is just a little farther than Evanston is, lol (Charlie Moore redux).
 
#604      
Whitman2020
Indy Illini Fan said:
It's insurance for a bigger fish. The Irvins have really hyped this kid up, even going as far as to say he is the #2 player in the state. If the staff can give this kid an offer, and hype up his status then the Irvins will pleased with that.

What I have heard is that Ayo is really good friends with Pearson, and they may want to play together. If so, we take Pearson because we can get Ayo, but also because I think the staff believes they can develop him.

The whole staff has watched the Fire at every single stop throughout the evaluation periods, they wouldn't put that offer out there if they didn't at least see some potential for this kid, besides the possibility of it helping land Ayo.
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I just don't want to play the offer Kid-B and hope Kid-A comes along game.
 
#605      
IlliniDent
Whitman2020 said:
I just don't want to play the offer Kid-B and hope Kid-A comes along game.
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I don't think this kid is a "B" option, more like a 4th or 5th option. And it's not as if kid A is a top 10 kid and Kid B is top 100. Most of our A options are around top 150- we should be able to land one
 
#606      
KrushCow31
Whitman2020 said:
I just don't want to play the offer Kid-B and hope Kid-A comes along game.
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Last time I saw this play out was Djax to Notre Dame and they offered Austin Torres as well, a 2 star teammate of Djax. I don't think ND regrets their decision. DJax was amazing and went to the NBA, and Torres in his senior year this year was first big man off the bench, played in every single game, started against UNC and is coming back for a 5th year (redshirted freshman year). I remember how hardcore we ripped into ND for offering "Kid-B" to get "Kid-A", and I think that situation worked out perfectly for them. Sometimes those "Kid-B" players can turn out to be a contributor by their senior year.

Source: I go to ND and watched most games this season. Plus Torres played against me in pick-up games at the gym this summer for whatever reason.
 
#607      
Calvin
Whitman2020 said:
I just don't want to play the offer Kid-B and hope Kid-A comes along game.
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I read posts like this and it reminds me how the faithful have been scarred from the Groce years.

There's a new sheriff in town. While I can't vouch for Underwood, my opinion* is:

He's not going to place losing bets (i.e. if you're expecting stupidity, I think you're going to be happily disappointed).
He gets how recruiting works. Can't emphasize enough how he's dialed into the process, calendar, fit with his system, etc..
Don't judge him early. Let things play out, and let him work his relationships. Even after we have our guys, they'll be developed. I don't want to compare him to Bo Ryan, but Underwood has a much stronger sense of basketball identity and system, and I believe that he's going to do more with what he has than we've seen in quite a while.
This is a good staff. They will find more good options, which takes some of the pressure off.


*my opinion also comes with my amazing money-back guarantee. If you're not satisfied, you get a full refund.
 
#608      
Illini Parent14
KrushCow31 said:
Last time I saw this play out was Djax to Notre Dame and they offered Austin Torres as well, a 2 star teammate of Djax. I don't think ND regrets their decision. DJax was amazing and went to the NBA, and Torres in his senior year this year was first big man off the bench, played in every single game, started against UNC and is coming back for a 5th year (redshirted freshman year). I remember how hardcore we ripped into ND for offering "Kid-B" to get "Kid-A", and I think that situation worked out perfectly for them. Sometimes those "Kid-B" players can turn out to be a contributor by their senior year.

Source: I go to ND and watched most games this season. Plus Torres played against me in pick-up games at the gym this summer for whatever reason.
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How about the Bryant Notree (Kid-A) and Kevin Turner (Kid-B) situation? That ended up being a total flip-flop. Kevin Turner was a very nice player.
 
#611      
NJILLINI
Illini Parent14 said:
How about the Bryant Notree (Kid-A) and Kevin Turner (Kid-B) situation? That ended up being a total flip-flop. Kevin Turner was a very nice player.
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Or Cletis Hubbard and James Griffin from Fort Worth Dunbar. Oh, wait...that isn't quite the same scenario... :)
 
#612      
IlliniDent
Illini Parent14 said:
TCTORNADO, I know that others have responded to your post, but could you explain, in plain English, what "Our offer...is non-commitable" means ?
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I'm sure TC will respond as well but offers aren't first come first serve. This offer could easily be one to add to the hype of the player to help out the Fire rather than because we actually want the player.
It could also be one where if the player tried to commit we would tell him we need to wait to hear from some of our other recruits first before we would be willing to take him. This can be done by either saying it straight out, or by saying you want him to visit the campus and that they still want to see how his summer and fall continue to develop.

Offer's go both ways- players have to commit but the teams have to accept that commitment as well.
 
#614      
Illini Parent14
miketherevelator said:
[FONT=&quot] Catholic League losing their best players to public league. So far, Pinson, Chase Adams, Maurice Commander, Marquise Walker and one more whose name escapes me, it being too early in the AM for my memory to work properly. [/FONT]

BREAKING: St Patricks 2018 PG Xavier Pinson is transferring to Simeon for senior season.
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Just a small nit-pick here: St. Pat's is in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, not the Catholic League.
 
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#615      
TownieMatt
Illini Parent14 said:
TCTORNADO, I know that others have responded to your post, but could you explain, in plain English, what "Our offer...is non-commitable" means ?
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It means that if the kid called Underwood today and said "I want to commit", the staff would slow-play it. They might say "Great! But why don't we have you down for a visit first to make sure this is the right place for you." I've also seen recruits talk about how a staff really likes them, but there isn't an open scholarship for them yet, even when there are clearly spots open in the class. The staff is basically telling the kid that there isn't a spot unless other options fall through (without directly saying that of course).

This is a delicate game played by coaches. You want to "offer" a kid and make him feel wanted, but at the same time you don't want to take a recruit that is a plan C or D while your plan A is still on the board.

I'd also point out that this is much less black and white than people like to make out on this board and elsewhere. It's not like the staff is going to offer a kid, but tell him the offer is "non-committable". If that kid tells the staff that he wants to commit, the staff then has a decision to make based on where they are with other targets.
 
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#616      
Kathy
Indy Illini Fan said:
Saw that. I think that it is pretty clear that THT does not want to play with Ayo. He gone.
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Not a dig at you Indy, but I absolutely hate it when people say, "He Gone." It might very well be true, I've just always hated it.
 
#618      
ILL in IA
Kathy said:
Not a dig at you Indy, but I absolutely hate it when people say, "He Gone." It might very well be true, I've just always hated it.
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I will assume you are not a White Sox fan. Or if you are, you prefer the radio broadcast.
 
#620      
aluma
Anyone know why THT doesn't want to play with Ayo?
 
#621      
foby
 
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#625      
FeelTheLovie
Clete1 said:
Seems likely that THT will be off the board before Ayo blows us off. Neither is probably the best bet.
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Can we skip the annual "Wow Illinois sucks and we can't recruit with anyone" complaints that'll surely follow this saga?
 
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