Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (May-June 2018)
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Next year at least I think they're playing different positions.
Wouldn't these visits likely be as boring as could be at this point? Given the jokes and reputation, I assume (maybe wrongly given the fact that boosters maybe inject themselves into the recruiting process whether coaches want them to or not) that these visits are really by the book at Louisville at least for now.
Okoro is a huge need since we've been missing a guy with this strengths for a while, but with BU, I would argue that Liddell is a better fit. He really does everything that BU is looking for in a big. Okoro is skilled as well but he's more raw than Liddell. Liddell has the biggest ceiling too.
I think Okoro plays purely post in Underwood's system while Liddell is someone who would play the wing. I don't know that their fit is better or worse as much as they just play different positions.
Okoro is 2" taller than Liddell and is more explosive. I think Okoro would be the most impressive "body" that I've seen on the Illini if he were to commit. We just haven't landed those uber-athletic kids even when we've landed some top players. Meyers Leonard was a freak too so maybe he's #1. The list after him doesn't have anyone even close though. You can go through our rosters going back to Deon Thomas and we had great players, and a few not so great players, that were athletes, strong, etc. but nobody that was 6'9", built like Adonis, and can put their elbow through the rim with ease.
I don't necessarily believe Okoro will be one of the best Illini ever or anything but a group that includes him, Tevian Jones, Kipper Nichols, Samba Kane, Ayo, Ebo, etc. LOOKS like a top B1G team that has professional length and athleticism. I think Okoro really helps put us over the top in that regard.
Maybe, but I'm not so sure. As far as ceiling goes Liddell is a real talent and undoubtedly has upside, but the boy's a tweener. He's an undersized PF at the next level and probably can't play the 3 in terms of projecting as a pro. Okoro has only played the game for a few years and is bigger, longer, and might even be more athletic. He has the tools to be a pro PF.
A few years back I would probably agree with you but the playing style in the NBA now gives Liddell the best chance as a 4. Okoro would be more challenged as undersized 5 than Liddell as an undersized 4. Both would immediately change the perception of our program though.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
This narrative that one prospect is the highest priority is false. Multiple players can be the highest priority. You don't limit a full court recruiting press to one guy. You just don't. Recruiting isn't a serial process.
And, yes, in a vacuum, Liddell is very likely the better player. But, for us, Okoro is a bigger need.
Nobody gave Underwood an ultimatum to hire Chin Coleman in the first place. Nor did anyone give him an ultimatum to go full bore into THT's recruitment. Those were free choices.
I tend to agree that the right choice was made once the ultimatum point was reached, but it didn't have to get there in the first place.
Underwood has constructed his program to get Ayo and Kahlil Whitney and Adam Miller. Gotta go do it, and if you can't, gotta rethink the construction.
I'm not sure how I feel about BU is recruiting. On one end, he is recruiting 2019 as if we will have to Crean at least 2 players to open up spots for Khalil or EJ and possibly a 3rd. This is great because we want to get better. However, I hope the right expectations were set-up with those potentially at risk like Georgi, Greg, or Samba that they may have to seek elsewhere if they don't pan out. This is assuming a final scholly is taken up by Okoro and that BU recruits a 5th year grad transfer for the final scholarship.
I believe this is what they call Big Boy Recruiting.
Transfers happen for reasons other than creaning. We'll never learn that we shouldn't worry about scholarship numbers.
Excellent analysis and true.
Yes.
The question is whether we still have any access to non-MIF players in Chicago, or worse, Chicagoland. And whether any such issues last beyond the Underwood administration.
A lot is unknown at this point.
But I would say, as good as MIF is, as a Power Five school, Illinois is only interested in their very best handful of players. Which is one reason getting deeply tied to a specific AAU program is generally more of a mid or low major thing.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
What? The idea that MIF is calling our shots (recruiting wise), is flat out wrong.
I agree. The THT-Ayo thing was an incredibly unique situation and it's more likely that we'll win the NCAA tournament the next three years than a situation like that coming up again.
What we did get out of the THT-Ayo thing was a pipeline with the MIF. What college basketball program wouldn't want a solid pipeline that produces elite talent? If it gets us Whitney, it'll be worth it. So what we didn't get THT, we got Griffin and Jones instead. They're completely capable.
After 2019, anything else on top is gravy. Maybe we get Adam Miller to come in to replace Ayo when he goes pro, great. Maybe we get some other elite PG. What I'm saying is that it doesn't hurt that we get two, three, four years of building a solid relationship with kids at MIF before they are college-bound.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Where is this idea that we are exclusively tied to the MIF coming from? Deep ties are a good thing. Exclusive ties? No way Underwood would agree to that. 'Course evidence helps and there isn't any thus far. Going to have to land a chitown kid who doesn't play for the Fire to satisfy the non-believers.
yeah theres no way we are 100% tied to MIF only in Chicago. I also prefer to just label this Occams razor and say THT picked ISU over us purely because he wanted to go there more than here. Maybe that also includes resentment towards Ayo, but I get a feeling MIF isn't going around telling BU who to and who not to sign.
:noidea:
I'm trying to keep my version of the take to a lukewarm temperature here, because we don't have all that much information yet.
But we traded something for something in hiring Chin Coleman. X for Y. We already know X includes Ayo Dosunmu, which is great! We also know THT was part of Y, which is unfortunate. We will find out more about the equation as we move on.
The real question is, did we burn a bridge at Simeon because of this. Pretty much our only pipeline thats lasted more than a few years, and produced some of our best players, not to mention tradition. Would severely hope we did not.
ivwilsoniv
- Aurora, IL
Tell me which of the best Simeon players attended Illinois vs. other schools in the last 15 years and convince me there was any kind of "pipeline."
Who's the best player, Okoro, Miller, or Liddell? KAHIL WHITNEY
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