Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (March 2017)

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#901      
TylerK311
kuhl84 said:
You realize that most years 3rd-4th in the B1G is Top 20.

Not saying that I agree we will be there, just that it is essentially the same thing.
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I don't think it will be next year but I suppose that is debatable. More so than us being a top 20 team.
 
#903      
Illinoy
CAHALL15 said:
In my opinion, there is an excuse. I'm tired of all the Chicago politics and if Groce could get Chicago kids and pre Kansas Self was able to land some, then Underwood can, too, without bending to their every whim. He needs to get an assistant coach HE wants whether or not they are from Chicago and if the Irvins or whoever else don't want their players to come here then that's fine. I want Illinois to win ball games so ultimately, I don't care where the players come from.
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I hear ya....kinda but why tick off the best recruiting pot in the country that's in your backyard. I'm from Chicago and still live in the city and I think it's perfectly acceptable to demand a Chicago-comfortable tie within the program. My thing is, you better make that your benchmark for every other program you promote to your kids and don't hold Illinois to a higher standard.
 
#904      
Roundball Shaman
Adnarel said:
Let's be fair. Part of our joy at landing Tilmon was being able to stick it to UNC. A lot of the reactions on the UNC board were similar to our reaction to SLU landing Goodwin. "What does he see in that program? Have fun losing for a bad coach," etc.
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You just identified one of the things I really dislike about the so-called Blue Bloods. That Sickening Sense of Entitlement that only they are God's gift to the world and only they can prosper and get all the top recruits. I want the Illini to be the equals of these Blue Bloods on the court, but I hope our fans will be classier when we joint those ranks instead of that foul smell that wafts out of some of these places.
 
#905      
Roundball Shaman
chief9 said:
Cusamano has changed drastically over the years into a cranky old man looking for attention.... He hasn't handled other guys passing him up in the Stl Sports radio scene very well
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And maybe he has Bristol envy. A few years ago ESPN grabbed a different member of the St. Louis sports media to go East with them.
 
#906      
Noday
Whitmans Sampler said:
So uh Brad needs to find an assistant with good Chicago ties
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He made perfect sense to me. Walker is the go to guy for the St. Louis area. And that is a good thing! Irving wants a go to guy for the Chicago area. The truth is the truth and connections are very important. Ask Tilmon, his family and the St. Louis area High school coaches. Is it all politics, really?
 
#907      
Roundball Shaman
CAHALL15 said:
I'm tired of all the Chicago politics and if Groce could get Chicago kids and pre Kansas Self was able to land some, then Underwood can, too, without bending to their every whim. He needs to get an assistant coach HE wants whether or not they are from Chicago and if the Irvins or whoever else don't want their players to come here then that's fine.
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If he isn't already, Underwood will quickly become familiar with The Chicago Way. The Chicago Way has many tentacles, from sports to building permits to parking meters. Don't know if they have a version of that in Stillwater.
 
#908      
Calvin
mdonsbach said:
Man sometimes if feels like a blessing and curse to have Chicago in our back yard. Some days I just want to see us go all in with kids up there and others I just want to not be involved in the politics of it all.
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It's messy, and it is what it is. If you aren't willing to play that game, you're going to waste time and effort trying. I think that's part of where the distaste comes from --it's not just an area where there's a lot of influence to be navigated, it's a place where if you're not on the invite list, you will be played. Fact is, for the elite recruits, they and their influencers wield the power. You don't like that, stay home.

Your comment about being all-in is a lot easier said than done, I think. I'm not sure we have what it takes as a program to get a fair shake in those circles, let alone finish the job. Despite how tricky those situations are, a good coach will be able to pick his battles, cast a wide enough net, and get guys that fit. Hopefully he gets elite guys when he's lucky enough to have a winnable battle. Assistants are so key to recruiting --you really have to have guys who can set the table. I do expect BU has enough experience to manage recruiting here. And it's possible that he gets off to a hot start and gets some momentum once people see what he can do on the court.

Really hoping this is the start of a turn-around. We've had mediocrity for too long.
 
#911      
Deleted member 10676
Roundball Shaman said:
You just identified one of the things I really dislike about the so-called Blue Bloods. That Sickening Sense of Entitlement that only they are God's gift to the world and only they can prosper and get all the top recruits. I want the Illini to be the equals of these Blue Bloods on the court, but I hope our fans will be classier when we join those ranks
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good luck with that.
 
#914      
Captain Bubbles
hooraybeer said:
how is it that the most outspokenly loyal pro-UI recruit we've had in a long time is from Florida?
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You know what, a lot of recruits can learn a lot from Trent. I wouldn’t be complaining about it. I am loving it. Can’t wait for him to get here.
 
#918      
IlliniFin86
Burt Toast said:
http://www.uicflames.com/coaches.aspx?rc=660&path=mbball

Ron "chin" Coleman is already employed by UIC if BU wants to go down this path. Chicago insider who helped Irvin's build their AAU program and a successful former coach in CPL??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I will be very surprised if this happens. Coleman's time at Bradley was an absolute disaster. His Chicago guys didn't work out at all, Mike Shaw included.
 
#919      
combes
Roundball Shaman said:
If he isn't already, Underwood will quickly become familiar with The Chicago Way. The Chicago Way has many tentacles, from sports to building permits to parking meters. Don't know if they have a version of that in Stillwater.
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Since he spent 11 years as an assistant in Illinois, I'm sure he knows.
 
#922      
Bailey
PNWIllini said:
Why is it Illinois has to kiss these Chicago Public League coaches butts, but the rest of the NCAA's top teams do not?
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Not necessarily true. I want to say after the Cliff (maybe Brunson? Okafor? He missed on a bunch of Chi guys in a row) recruitment, Izzo wrote off recruiting Chicago. Was tired of the political aspect of it.
 
#924      
jrichisamazing
Justin Smith didn't want to come here because of the arrests? Ok that's reasonable. So he goes to IU instead? The same IU that had just as many, if not more, problems under Crean? That makes me laugh.
 
#925      
Obelix
PNWIllini said:
Why is it Illinois has to kiss these Chicago Public League coaches butts, but the rest of the NCAA's top teams do not?
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The better question is why would these top recruits commit to Illinois, which has been irrelevant for 12 years, and not to these top teams. We are not an NCAA top team.
 
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