Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (March 2021)

[CurbeloYourEnthusiasm]

We gotta beat Mizzou next year:

"The expectation within the program has been that all five players who participated in senior day ceremonies March 6 (Dru Smith, Mark Smith, Jeremiah Tilmon, Mitchell Smith and Drew Buggs) won't return to the program."

Senior guard Mark Smith says goodbye to Mizzou, enters transfer portal

After three years with Missouri men's basketball, senior shooting guard Mark Smith entered the transfer portal over the weekend.

www.columbiatribune.com

 

[LvilleILL]

And there's always the chance we land a really really good power forward.

if that happens, watch out

 

[Whitewaterr]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1376882352392175621

 

[Kofiisforclosing]

I'm listening

All I'm going to say is if Kofi is willing to come back and get the hell beat out of him again there's a few options incredibly interested in playing next to him.

 

[JudsonFTS]

Adam Miller was a 3 and D guy this year. Hope I’m wrong, but I’m not sure I see him making this big leap to elite scorer/shot creator that some are predicting. He sort of reminds me a bit of Rich McBride if we go back some. Just a little stiff, and not super fluid like most of the elite wing scorers are.

I think he held back some AND I hope fletch adds a few inches of vertical. I think there is a lot of upside. We got spoiled with Ayo.

 

[mhuml32]

I don't think Watts wants to play PG. He's a scorer, not a facilitator. I actually quite like him as a scorer. Can get a bucket from all three levels.

I am guilty of this as well but I think the perception of Rocket Watts vastly outweighs his actual performance. He torched Illinois in early 2020 and he finished that season strong in the handful of games before COVID hit. That said, let's compare his FG% to a guy who's been (unfortunately) kicked around here lately in our weekly reminiscing....

Ahmad Starks
Career FG%: 37.5%
Career 3PG%: 35.7%
Career FGA/game: 9.1

Rocket Watts
Career FG%: 36.3%
Career 3PG%: 26.9%
Career FGA/game: 8.7

You would have to really really believe in that month stretch at the end of his freshman year (he also shot poorly during half of that stretch) to think he would be a worthwhile addition to a team like Illinois that has top-25 expectations.

 

[Deleted member 747671]

All I'm going to say is if Kofi is willing to come back and get the hell beat out of him again there's a few options incredibly interested in playing next to him.

Definitely points to someone who has been "forced" to play 5 but sees themselves more as a stretch 4 or perimeter player.

 

[thedrunkreferee]

Not sure if this is the right thread but Mark “Charmin Soft” Smith is heading to Kansas State.

 

[Deleted member 747903]

I am guilty of this as well but I think the perception of Rocket Watts vastly outweighs his actual performance. He torched Illinois in early 2020 and he finished that season strong in the handful of games before COVID hit. That said, let's compare his FG% to a guy who's been (unfortunately) kicked around here lately in our weekly reminiscing....

Ahmad Starks
Career FG%: 37.5%
Career 3PG%: 35.7%
Career FGA/game: 9.1

Rocket Watts
Career FG%: 36.3%
Career 3PG%: 26.9%
Career FGA/game: 8.7

You would have to really really believe in that month stretch at the end of his freshman year (he also shot poorly during half of that stretch) to think he would be a worthwhile addition to a team like Illinois that has top-25 expectations.

You can't only look at this from a statistics angle. Watts looked like he was playing on eggshells because Izzo was ready to pounce on him and get in his face for every little mistake. Sure, he was allowed to play through mistakes most of the time but that takes a toll on a player.

Compare that to how BU has treated Curbelo and AM. He gets in their face at times but for the most part let them play at the end of the season. Izzo looked like he was going to blow up on Watts every single game down the stretch (to be fair he did that to every player on that roster).

That said, we can do better than Watts for our squad but I think he does better with a fresh start.

 

[TheFameProtector]

All I'm going to say is if Kofi is willing to come back and get the hell beat out of him again there's a few options incredibly interested in playing next to him.

Well when you put it like that I don't see how he could not come back

 

[Chieeeeffffff]

Not sure if this is the right thread but Mark “Charmin Soft” Smith is heading to Kansas State.

It’s never the right thread to talk about Mark Smith.

 

[CtownILL]

Definitely points to someone who has been "forced" to play 5 but sees themselves more as a stretch 4 or perimeter player.

I talked to a dad of a BIG time player that fits that description a couple of weeks ago. We both were giddy of said player playing alongside Kofi and Belo if he had chosen the Orange and Blue.

 

[Chieeeeffffff]

All I'm going to say is if Kofi is willing to come back and get the hell beat out of him again there's a few options incredibly interested in playing next to him.

That’s a lot to ask of Kofi. I suppose the selling point from the staff has to be that he will be all-everything preseason (possibly preseason NPOY and certainly B10 POY) and has a chance to improve his draft stock even further (in the Ayo mold). Curbelo running point will also be a draw because he’ll get better/easier looks by sharing the court more with him. Frankly, this is why becoming more reliant on the three with better shooters/and Kofi learning to make reads out of a double is critical if he comes back. Beatings will decrease if he cannot be doubled because he’s passing out or our shooters are too good to leave alone.

 

[Deleted member 747671]

I talked to a dad of a BIG time player that fits that description a couple of weeks ago. We both were giddy of said player playing alongside Kofi and Belo if he had chosen the Orange and Blue.

Yeah I think we all know who that dream transfer would be, but I don't see why he would transfer.

 

[RedRocksIllini]

You can't only look at this from a statistics angle. Watts looked like he was playing on eggshells because Izzo was ready to pounce on him and get in his face for every little mistake. Sure, he was allowed to play through mistakes most of the time but that takes a toll on a player.

Compare that to how BU has treated Curbelo and AM. He gets in their face at times but for the most part let them play at the end of the season. Izzo looked like he was going to blow up on Watts every single game down the stretch (to be fair he did that to every player on that roster).

That said, we can do better than Watts for our squad but I think he does better with a fresh start.

In fairness, Izzo always looks like Mount Vesuvius.

 

[KnoxIllini2]

Yeah I think we all know who that dream transfer would be, but I don't see why he would transfer.

Does it rhyme with Schmiddle? SchmE. SchmJay. Schmiddle?

 

[IllinistuckinGopherland]

This is why I am leaning toward having TF and Monte move on. We need to look to the future and they would hinder recruiting if they stayed. We need to get longer and more athletic.

All due respect, I hate this take. While Trent and Damonte were not the two best players on the team, they were two key players in an eight man rotation that won the Big Ten and earned a one seed. We don’t need Trent or Damonte to get out of the way to make room for “upgrade” freshman. I doubt there are ten incoming freshmen in the country that could confidently be pegged as 2021 upgrades to these two. Ridiculous IMO.

 

[Illwinsagain]

We could use Lurch

Too Garzaee

 

[othawhitemeat]

All due respect, I hate this take. While Trent and Damonte were not the two best players on the team, they were two key players in an eight man rotation that won the Big Ten and earned a one seed. We don’t need Trent or Damonte to get out of the way to make room for “upgrade” freshman. I doubt there are ten incoming freshmen in the country that could confidently be pegged as 2021 upgrades to these two. Ridiculous IMO.

I agree too on what you just said.

 

[Nappy I_L_L]

I posted this just to get the thread closer to 100

 

[AirNeezy]

All I'm going to say is if Kofi is willing to come back and get the hell beat out of him again there's a few options incredibly interested in playing next to him.

By god...is that EJ Lidell's music I hear?!

 

[LvilleILL]

By god...is that EJ Lidell's music I hear?!

no but it may be Tre Mitchell's

 

[Kofiisforclosing]

no but it may be Tre Mitchell's

I'm sure we both are hearing a lot of things. I've heard both are possibilities.

 

[Joel Goodson]

I'm sure we both are hearing a lot of things. I've heard both are possibilities.

Works for me, lol.

After seeing Curbelo, who wouldn't want to play with him?

If Kofi is back, a key transfer puts us squarely in prime natty contender territory.

 

[WhiteHorseWings]

By god...is that EJ Lidell's music I hear?!

No silly, DJax is finally transferring