Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (July-August 2017)

[Joel Goodson]

I'd guess Underwood will respectfully push for a commitment, letting him know Conditt will be in soon and they will only take 1 of the 2.

I also don't think we take both. Both will need some time to mature physically. With Okoro and Liddell in the next class why oversign with a project big?

Castleton is arguably not a project big. Or at least far less of a project than Conditt.

But I think your other points are spot on. We will have 2 weeks to change Castleton's mind and get him to commit.

 

[TCTORNADO]

Castleton is arguably not a project big. Or at least far less of a project than Conditt.

But I think your other points are spot on. We will have 2 weeks to change Castleton's mind and get him to commit.

Castleton is clearly a project big or Florida would not have asked him to go the " 5th yr prep school" route. It is basically the same as redshirt w/o burning a ship. Conditt totally dominated Castleton in a head-head basis earlier this summer. Of course, I've been a Sow advocate all along. He's ready now!! Has a B1G body and defensively is a rim protector. Runs the floor extreme.y well.
Haha, watch all this go out the window and OA pull off DeSousa.

 

[illiniguy24]

Castleton is clearly a project big or Florida would not have asked him to go the " 5th yr prep school" route. It is basically the same as redshirt w/o burning a ship. Conditt totally dominated Castleton in a head-head basis earlier this summer. Of course, I've been a Sow advocate all along. He's ready now!! Has a B1G body and defensively is a rim protector. Runs the floor extreme.y well.
Haha, watch all this go out the window and OA pull off DeSousa.

As long as we get one of the 4 nobody will care!


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[ChiefIllini]

Given that we will have both Ebo and Matic as Juniors by the time any "project" big we are recruiting for next year will need to actually put in quality minutes, I wouldn't be too worried about getting guys who are ready to play 20+ mins (which is hardly ever true for bigs). If Antigua is as good as he's labelled at developing bigs, I think the 4/5 is the least concerning position on this team, regardless of the label placed on recruits.

I agree with others that our wing options seem to be dropping left and right. Of course, there's still plenty of fish in the sea, but I'm starting to look closer at whos dropping us. However, if we don't end up with a true wing next year, I think this roster has capable players that will be here mutliple years, therefore we dont need one.

 

[Illiniguy13]

Castleton is clearly a project big or Florida would not have asked him to go the " 5th yr prep school" route. It is basically the same as redshirt w/o burning a ship. Conditt totally dominated Castleton in a head-head basis earlier this summer. Of course, I've been a Sow advocate all along. He's ready now!! Has a B1G body and defensively is a rim protector. Runs the floor extreme.y well.
Haha, watch all this go out the window and OA pull off DeSousa.

Sow is ranked #234 on Scout.

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

Sow is ranked #234 on Scout.

BU has said many times that rankings do not mean anything to him, all about how the player fits in the system.

Not all about the rank. Sow is a heck of a player.

 

[FC Illiniman]

Given that we will have both Ebo and Matic as Juniors by the time any "project" big we are recruiting for next year will need to actually put in quality minutes, I wouldn't be too worried about getting guys who are ready to play 20+ mins (which is hardly ever true for bigs). If Antigua is as good as he's labelled at developing bigs, I think the 4/5 is the least concerning position on this team, regardless of the label placed on recruits.

I agree with others that our wing options seem to be dropping left and right. Of course, there's still plenty of fish in the sea, but I'm starting to look closer at whos dropping us. However, if we don't end up with a true wing next year, I think this roster has capable players that will be here mutliple years, therefore we dont need one.

Believe all true, Ayo is number one target all others we can pickup as we chose. IMO seems 1 big is going to have to be chosen, although I think Castleton is farther along in development, seems Condition is ready and willing to do the work and join us now. Can't see us going for both, so someone is going to be out.

Next month is proofing to be interesting, and believe b4 Conditt goes home from visiting, we will have a big. Like the fact that Ayo, seems to have decided he will commit sooner than later. This would open the door for us to make other choices , whether or not Ayo choses us. By signing date having 2 commits, Ayo and either big, would be a good thing. After that we could wait for other commits, picking who we chose, instead waiting.

 

[bobbob]

Were these announced today? Hoping Illinois gets the last visit.

Meh. Ayo can get to Champaign pretty cheap. I don't blame him if he burns his OVs on places he has to fly to. We can give him all the same treatment on campus during an unoffiical as an official.

 

[TCTORNADO]

BU has said many times that rankings do not mean anything to him, all about how the player fits in the system.

Not all about the rank. Sow is a heck of a player.

:thumb: i've watched dozens of tapes of all 3 plus some live coverage and Sow standouts, particularly defensively which is the way a Freshman will see the floor fastest. Sow is at Prolific Prep which has one thing in mind and that's to get guys ready for college. Sow making honorable mention All Peach Jam was huge. When you look at Sow's body and motor , it's easy to see why he's ready.
I'll take Conditt second and Castleton 3rd, but for the ranking freaks Castleton wins hands down if rankings are your bag. Speaking of rankings, Spicey G is #515 on 247 composite.

 

[ole 99]

Why. Florida is where he wants to go. He's just going to hang around there and wait for an offer. We're hoping it doesn't come.

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Because Florida can only host a finite (24?) athletes over a 2 year period. Seems odd to use one of those visits on a guy you haven't offered. My point, I guess, is if he takes an official to Florida it will be because they offer. If that happens we have a good idea of where he goes.

 

[IlliniJim20]

I'd like to put in a formal request to start a new thread as soon as we get our first commit.

All in favor, say I?


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Ay (o)

 

[rtbritt]

Ay (o)

Good one, but I think someone used that yesterday in response to this post.

:thumb:

 

[FC Illiniman]

Because Florida can only host a finite (24?) athletes over a 2 year period. Seems odd to use one of those visits on a guy you haven't offered. My point, I guess, is if he takes an official to Florida it will be because they offer. If that happens we have a good idea of where he goes.

This is other thing that is troubling about Castleton, his desire to go Florida. Should he decide to join us, will we have to look over our shoulder, wondering if we would lose him.

Transfer rate is going up, and until NCAA makes new rules it always out there. BU has said that he wants players that want to be here. Should Castleton decide to come to , we should hope he wants to be here, and is going to be here for the long haul. Just throwing it out there.

 

[Greensboro]

However, Castleton could lose control of his future. He said he wouldn't make a commitment until after all of his visits. Good luck on that. This isn't a closed system. By the end of October he could lose a lot of options, including Florida. Conditt could well be our first recruit. I've never seriously considered that we might get both Conditt and Castleton, but considering the nature of BU's system, why not? Mizz got three bigs in the same class. It could happen.

If his heart is set on Florida, he already doesn't have control of that if he doesn't have an offer. Doors will open & close throughout the process. He is big enough & good enough he will find a decent home, so unless he finds a perfect fit that he can't live without I don't think waiting is bad, come spring there will be a whole new list of potential suitors.

I could definitely see us taking 2 bigs in 2017, we enter 2018 with 4 bigs on the roster, but 2 are 5th yr seniors that could leave in 2018. We have Kipper & are recruiting some bigger wings that take the edge off the need for a big, but having 2 more in the pipeline wouldn't be all bad.

 

[Tevo]

... If Antigua is as good as he's labelled at developing bigs, I think the 4/5 is the least concerning position on this team, regardless of the label placed on recruits...

I know OA has coached a lot of bigs who have been drafted and played in the NBA, but haven't most of those guys arrived as 5-star prospects? Do we have data on how well he's done with 3 or low 4-star rated guys? Do we really know he develops them, or just that he has been involved with recruiting and coaching highly regarded guys? And not all of those Kentucky 5-star bigs would be considered huge college and professional success stories, would they?

And this is NOT to say I don't want OA on our staff, or anything silly, just a question about his history developing "project" or raw players into stars or high-quality players.

 

[TALKTOCHUCK]

:thumb: i've watched dozens of tapes of all 3 plus some live coverage and Sow standouts, particularly defensively which is the way a Freshman will see the floor fastest. Sow is at Prolific Prep which has one thing in mind and that's to get guys ready for college. Sow making honorable mention All Peach Jam was huge. When you look at Sow's body and motor , it's easy to see why he's ready.
I'll take Conditt second and Castleton 3rd, but for the ranking freaks Castleton wins hands down if rankings are your bag. Speaking of rankings, Spicey G is #515 on 247 composite.

And who knows that Spicey G will be able to compete against B1G opponents? I know, I know... if BU wants him so does everyone else but now is not the time to think you have anything over professional ranking services and to use an unknown, unplayed FR as you example .

 

[ChiefIllini]

I know OA has coached a lot of bigs who have been drafted and played in the NBA, but haven't most of those guys arrived as 5-star prospects? Do we have data on how well he's done with 3 or low 4-star rated guys? Do we really know he develops them, or just that he has been involved with recruiting and coaching highly regarded guys? And not all of those Kentucky 5-star bigs would be considered huge college and professional success stories, would they?

And this is NOT to say I don't want OA on our staff, or anything silly, just a question about his history developing "project" or raw players into stars or high-quality players.

This is actually my exact thinking. I've got about as much knowledge as you've said in your post on the matter, but getting unknowns like Matic and Ebo make me slightly nervous. I will always try to hold off true judgement for a few years, especially when neither of these two have seen a single college game, but given how Antigua had gotten high 4/5 star guys in the past, put me in the "see it to believe it" camp until these guys actually produce.

I'm all for grooming 3 stars for 2/3 years until they become above replacement players (see Mav), and if its something we can do consistently, I think I'd prefer it to the rat race that is 5 star recruiting (in most situations).

 

[IlliniJim20]

Good one, but I think someone used that yesterday in response to this post.

:thumb:

Sorry, was off line for a few days and replied before reading all replies.

 

[IlliniJim20]

This is other thing that is troubling about Castleton, his desire to go Florida. Should he decide to join us, will we have to look over our shoulder, wondering if we would lose him.

Transfer rate is going up, and until NCAA makes new rules it always out there. BU has said that he wants players that want to be here. Should Castleton decide to come to , we should hope he wants to be here, and is going to be here for the long haul. Just throwing it out there.

IMHO we only have to worry about that until he signs the LOI.

 

[IlliniJim20]

I know OA has coached a lot of bigs who have been drafted and played in the NBA, but haven't most of those guys arrived as 5-star prospects? Do we have data on how well he's done with 3 or low 4-star rated guys? Do we really know he develops them, or just that he has been involved with recruiting and coaching highly regarded guys? And not all of those Kentucky 5-star bigs would be considered huge college and professional success stories, would they?

And this is NOT to say I don't want OA on our staff, or anything silly, just a question about his history developing "project" or raw players into stars or high-quality players.

Cmon now, when we recruit against KY or others we use the five stars are NBA guys anyway to our advantage.

When recruting FOR us, we point out how OA has put so many guys into the NBA you should want to play for him

Recruiting 101 :thumb:

 

[ballislife17]

Sow is ranked #234 on Scout.

This is the kind of hard hitting analysis we need more of on this board.

Seriously though, Sow is a beast. Pretty easy to see if you've watched him play.


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[7yearillini]

I know OA has coached a lot of bigs who have been drafted and played in the NBA, but haven't most of those guys arrived as 5-star prospects? Do we have data on how well he's done with 3 or low 4-star rated guys? Do we really know he develops them, or just that he has been involved with recruiting and coaching highly regarded guys? And not all of those Kentucky 5-star bigs would be considered huge college and professional success stories, would they?

And this is NOT to say I don't want OA on our staff, or anything silly, just a question about his history developing "project" or raw players into stars or high-quality players.

Sorry, but I'm afraid this argument only works when dismissing the coaching ability of non-Illini coaches.

 

[Illiniguy13]

This is the kind of hard hitting analysis we need more of on this board.

Seriously though, Sow is a beast. Pretty easy to see if you've watched him play.


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Lord, no need to read into it that much. There are holes in rankings but I'm just saying--Scout has him at #234, 247 has him at #231 and he's unranked on Rivals. These are just facts I'm pointing out. I'm certainly not the first here to throw ratings into the mix when discussing our targets. I've seen Sow play in person and I completely agree he is a beast physically & has upside, but he's raw offensively & for all he's being talked up, his offer list won't blow you away.

 

[blackdog]

I know OA has coached a lot of bigs who have been drafted and played in the NBA, but haven't most of those guys arrived as 5-star prospects? Do we have data on how well he's done with 3 or low 4-star rated guys? Do we really know he develops them, or just that he has been involved with recruiting and coaching highly regarded guys? And not all of those Kentucky 5-star bigs would be considered huge college and professional success stories, would they?

And this is NOT to say I don't want OA on our staff, or anything silly, just a question about his history developing "project" or raw players into stars or high-quality players.

Well Anthony Davis was incredibly raw coming in and I think he did a pretty solid job of developing him in one season.

 

[rtbritt]

Well Anthony Davis was incredibly raw coming in and I think he did a pretty solid job of developing him in one season.

Raw, sure, but he was the top or one of the top ranked recruits that year. 5 star guy.

I think OA is a good coach and should get credit for developing those 5 star bigs at UK, however, should he get blame on bigs that didn't develop there too? The guy who went to star at Gonzaga? Several of the bigs who just sat on the bench? Maybe they did develop, but were just stuck on the bench behind NBA guys.