Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (November-December 2016)

[Dan]

rbachhuber's Scholarship Grid: (updated 12/10/2016) [link]


Signed NLI with Illinois
Javon Pickett (2017 G, committed January 16, 2016)
Da'Monte Williams (2017 G, committed February 28, 2016)
Jeremiah Tilmon (2017 C, committed July 11, 2016)
Trent Frazier (2017 PG, committed August 21, 2016)

 

[frozenrope9190]

What's the biggest need at this point? Still a big man to complement JT?

And why does Lindy's list JT in the 70's in their Top 100 for '17? I've never seen him ranked that low in any publication, anywhere. Not even close. What are they not seeing that everyone else is?

 

[Cubby Blue]

What's the biggest need at this point? Still a big man to complement JT?

And why does Lindy's list JT in the 70's in their Top 100 for '17? I've never seen him ranked that low in any publication, anywhere. Not even close. What are they not seeing that everyone else is?

when you don't play in the summer, people pass you by. I don't think it is a case where people are disliking his game or anything, it's just a remnant of the injury while other kids are progressing. Hopefully JT comes back with a vengeance. Looking forward to seeing him play again.

 

[spillini]

just so fresh and clean

 

[Illiniguy13]

What's the biggest need at this point? Still a big man to complement JT?

And why does Lindy's list JT in the 70's in their Top 100 for '17? I've never seen him ranked that low in any publication, anywhere. Not even close. What are they not seeing that everyone else is?

It's from not playing during the summer. But don't let it fool you, Tilmon is a top 20 player. Players his size with that kind of mobility, athleticism, hands & footwork don't grow on trees :thumb:

 

[CAHALL15]

What's the biggest need at this point? Still a big man to complement JT?

And why does Lindy's list JT in the 70's in their Top 100 for '17? I've never seen him ranked that low in any publication, anywhere. Not even close. What are they not seeing that everyone else is?

Yeah, I'd say that's the biggest need. There are some guys still in play, but I'm just getting the feeling that the commitment will come from a guy we don't know right now or a 5th year.

 

[Obelix]

Wilkes was a long shot to begin with, but losing Mayan Kiir will sting more.

 

[combes]

Wilkes was a long shot to begin with, but losing Mayan Kiir will sting more.

I wish the kid was willing to compete for a job at a BT school instead of wanting a school with a wide open spot available. He wants the immediate time. He could definitely earn that here with his athleticism and shot-blocking abilities, but with Finke and Black at the position, I can see his hesitation. He obviously could get time at the five, too, but he seems to think of himself as a four.

I would try to sell him on the idea that with not getting Wilkes, we may have to move Black or Finke to the three some.

 

[pekin26]

I wish the kid was willing to compete for a job at a BT school instead of wanting a school with a wide open spot available. He wants the immediate time. He could definitely earn that here with his athleticism and shot-blocking abilities, but with Finke and Black at the position, I can see his hesitation. He obviously could get time at the five, too, but he seems to think of himself as a four.

I would try to sell him on the idea that with not getting Wilkes, we may have to move Black or Finke to the three some.

I believe VCU is recruiting him as a Center. That is their need. They might be telling him different but I believe they have already signed two 4's for 2017.

Sean Mobley(VC)

Marcus Santos-Silva(VC)

http://www.verbalcommits.com/schools/vcu

 

[rtbritt]

I wish the kid was willing to compete for a job at a BT school instead of wanting a school with a wide open spot available. He wants the immediate time. He could definitely earn that here with his athleticism and shot-blocking abilities, but with Finke and Black at the position, I can see his hesitation. He obviously could get time at the five, too, but he seems to think of himself as a four.

I would try to sell him on the idea that with not getting Wilkes, we may have to move Black or Finke to the three some.

Haha, you'd have to be a heck of a salesman!

 

[combes]

Haha, you'd have to be a heck of a salesman!

I know, right? lol. I just know coaches do that sort of thing. Digger convinced Laphonso Ellis that he would play the four and not the five. When Ellis arrived on campus, Digger told him that things had changed and that he needed to play the five for the good of the team.

But, yes, either of those two guys to the three would be a stretch.

 

[Greensboro]

What's the biggest need at this point? Still a big man to complement JT?

Yeah, I'd say that's the biggest need. There are some guys still in play, but I'm just getting the feeling that the commitment will come from a guy we don't know right now or a 5th year.

2 bigs please, after the debacle last season where we started with 5 bigs and ended up with 2 I don't really think 4 should be the plan. I would love to have 2 bigs ready to contribute in 2017, but if we end up taking a big that needs some time to develop, the sooner the better. On paper, we would have all 3 bigs back in 2018, but there is no guarantee, both Black/Finke could decide to go elsewhere for there 5th yr, Finke decides to play with his brother at Northwestern, Black decides the 3 is his path to the NBA, & Tilmon decides he is a 1 n done. Tilmon hopefully is ready to play as a freshman, but when was the last big ready to play as a true freshman, Egwu wasn't, Leonard wasn't, maybe Augustine. We need to get a couple in the system sooner rather than later.

I think 5th yr may be tough if your penciled in as back up 5 with no room at 4. Doesn't mean you don't try. Just means it shouldn't be the main plan.

 

[Greensboro]

I know, right? lol. I just know coaches do that sort of thing. Digger convinced Laphonso Ellis that he would play the four and not the five. When Ellis arrived on campus, Digger told him that things had changed and that he needed to play the five for the good of the team.

But, yes, either of those two guys to the three would be a stretch.

We aren't as open as VCU, but I don't think it is that hard to imagine Kiir getting some minutes at the 4. He likely gives you something defensively at the 4 that Black & Finke can't. Hard to see a lot of minutes there, but add that to 10 - 20 backing up the 5 and it may not be insignificant.

I would also suggest that although Finke/Black probably aren't likely 3's, I'm still surprised how much 3 Bill Cole played in his career, maybe play some zone as well to cover having Finke/Black at the 3 and you add a few minutes at the 4 that may be all the time a freshman big can handle with a 5 foul limit. It is still not the obvious path to starting he likely has at VCU, but if he really does see himself as a 4 long term, we sell that as well.

 

[Obelix]

I think 5th yr may be tough if your penciled in as back up 5 with no room at 4. Doesn't mean you don't try. Just means it shouldn't be the main plan.

Fifth-year should be an opportunistic play, i.e., a new coach, a player leaves/transfers, a player leaves for he NBA, etc. The fact that we are talking about 5th year transfers as a way of filling in major gaps every year, 5 years into Groce's tenure, means that our recruiting has not worked the way it was supposed to. JMO.

 

[TCTORNADO]

Fifth-year should be an opportunistic play, i.e., a new coach, a player leaves/transfers, a player leaves for he NBA, etc. The fact that we are talking about 5th year transfers as a way of filling in major gaps every year, 5 years into Groce's tenure, means that our recruiting has not worked the way it was supposed to. JMO.

A 29-43 B1G record confirms this.

 

[Cubby Blue]

Fifth-year should be an opportunistic play, i.e., a new coach, a player leaves/transfers, a player leaves for he NBA, etc. The fact that we are talking about 5th year transfers as a way of filling in major gaps every year, 5 years into Groce's tenure, means that our recruiting has not worked the way it was supposed to. JMO.

JMO, but mentioning a 5th year transfer for the backup 5 spot when you already have a 5 star recruit coming in for the primary 5 spot does not scream "major gap" to me. And, when almost every power 5 school in America looks at 5th year transfers anymore it means it is a sign of the times. Backup rolls are hard to sell.

Thing is, you either stop swinging for the fences with the Wilkes type of recruits and take 3 star or 4 stars early or you gamble knowing that the way the system works you can always get a 5th year grad student. All you need is winning one of those gambles and getting a Wilkes type of recruits to make the previous 5th year grad students all worth it. :thumb:

 

[Deleted member 11241]

I agree, but had Tracy and MT not been injured last year and had been able to play, those 2 scholarships most likely would have been filled by this year's freshmen class and we would not be having this discussion. Either way, we have a good recruiting class coming in next year

 

[Newman]

I believe VCU is recruiting him as a Center. That is their need. They might be telling him different but I believe they have already signed two 4's for 2017.

Sean Mobley(VC)

Marcus Santos-Silva(VC)

http://www.verbalcommits.com/schools/vcu

Marcus Santos-Silva is more of an undersized center. Mayan may end up at the 5 but he'll have plenty of playing time at either position. He would have decent playing time at either school but he'd be a starter right away at VCU.

 

[frozenrope9190]

Backup rolls are hard to sell.

I actually like backup rolls, usually with pot roast or a good rotisserie chicken. Backup biscuits are better with fried chicken, JMO.

 

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

Fifth-year should be an opportunistic play, i.e., a new coach, a player leaves/transfers, a player leaves for he NBA, etc. The fact that we are talking about 5th year transfers as a way of filling in major gaps every year, 5 years into Groce's tenure, means that our recruiting has not worked the way it was supposed to. JMO.

I think our best chance would be a mid/low major guy who wants a better chance at being on an NCAA team, i.e. Sam McLaurin.

 

[7yearillini]

I actually like backup rolls, usually with pot roast or a good rotisserie chicken. Backup biscuits are better with fried chicken, JMO.

Does pot roast still exist?

 

[Greensboro]

I agree, but had Tracy and MT not been injured last year and had been able to play, those 2 scholarships most likely would have been filled by this year's freshmen class and we would not be having this discussion. Either way, we have a good recruiting class coming in next year

I'm not sure of that, I think it more than likely would have worked the other way and we might be sitting on another open schollie. We were recruiting to fill those spots, certainly Thorne's spot & by the time he was known to be coming back we were sitting on Nunn's vacant schollie. If we had another good/acceptable option in 2016 he would be on the team at this point. Now maybe we would have reached farther down on our options sooner and filled another schollie, but if there had been a real good option out there we would have signed him anyway.

 

[Cubby Blue]

Does pot roast still exist?

It is legal now in some states. Beats a wiener roast.

 

[Greensboro]

Thing is, you either stop swinging for the fences with the Wilkes type of recruits and take 3 star or 4 stars early or you gamble knowing that the way the system works you can always get a 5th year grad student. All you need is winning one of those gambles and getting a Wilkes type of recruits to make the previous 5th year grad students all worth it. :thumb:

I get the point, but I don't think the strategy has to be all in either way. We have wing covered, so you swing for the fences on Wilkes.

At big our position is much worse, we need another big in the system, I think 2. Let's make sure we land one that we believe has a chance to be serviceable by 2019, on the second one you can be pickier. If you happen to land Kiir/Epperson or a good big with the first one better yet, then you have more room to swing for the fences on the second. Cover your bases first, then you can swing for the fences.

 

[Greensboro]

I think our best chance would be a mid/low major guy who wants a better chance at being on an NCAA team, i.e. Sam McLaurin.

I don't disagree, I think the key is the best chance & the underlying implication in that statement. Sam had starter or first off bench with starter minutes at Illinois (2nd or 3rd minutes of bigs). Next year we are likely selling a clear 4th in minutes at big. Our hole in the lineup to sell isn't as large in 2017, which is a good thing overall, but will make it harder to find another Sam McLaurin. Not that we shouldn't look or try, but think we need to try to find a freshman big first & not be counting on a 5th year