Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (October 2017)
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sacraig
- The desert
Coach Underwood has done a solid job on the recruiting front before even coaching a single game. If the players adapt to Underwood's style and have what they call the 7 sec. offense, i'm sure other recruits in the near future can buy into that. Hopefully THT has an Illini polo on at 6:30 pm CST.
Deleted member 631370
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Let's call a spade a spade.
If Underwood manages to land Mr. Basketball Mark Smith, (likely) Mr. Basketball Ayo Dosunmu, and emerging star THT before coaching a single game, then that goes down as one of the most impressive recruiting accomplishments I've ever seen at Illinois.
That is the sort of foundational trio that you can build a program on.
Funny... and so true
Don't forget about Alstork. He could be the difference between a tourney team and NIT team this year.
Rocking my Illinois shirt under my scrubs today. Let’s make Thursday the new Wednesday. ILL
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Fair and accurate point. I think even Mark, Mark and Ayo is already really impressive. Adding/keeping Damonte etc gives an extra high five.
If the staff lands THT too then let's hope we have limited trolli of the initial recruiting of Underwood and staff. Because the truth is it off the charts considering he didn't coach and where we have been
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Oh, I am. But then, I'm always worried about these situations.
I was less worried about Ayo because we were the perceived leader all along. This one is different -- I feel like the recent shift in vibes is setting us up for a nutpunch extraordinaire. But man, I hope I'm wrong.
(and I probably will be wrong, based on everything that's out there)
Nobody is forgetting about them. But this is the recruiting thread, where we talk about incoming players as saviors 
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Deleted member 631370
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To clarify, I mentioned Mark Smith, Ayo, and (potentially) THT because they are highly-ranked HS recruits that Underwood landed before he ever coached a game. And, secondarily, they'll probably be the three most touted guys on our roster in a year or two.
I love Alstork, but there's a bit of a different dynamic recruiting a 5th year guy than there is recruiting a highly-ranked HS recruit. And as much as I love Damonte, TJL, Trent Frazier, and others, they weren't Underwood recruits.
I'm merely commenting on Underwood's ability to recruit the sort of trio that you can build a really strong team on -- and he did it before coaching a single game.
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
Two more crystal balls for Illinois last night. Cautiously optimistic now.
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
Sheesh!
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
+1
The "Underwood is a great coach, but can't recruit" meme is about to die. The hand wringing was way overblown. The powder keg is lit.
Exactly we can't forget what gave us our past success, which was Illinois talent. We can occasionally put a talented out of state player but it has happened rarely in the past (Deron, Harper, lesser extent Coleman-Lands).
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FeelTheLovie
- Louisville, KY
Underwood may have gotten the 3 best players available in this state since he took the job. Groce would’ve been a savior if he did that in year 3 or 4
I went back and re-read a good portion of this thread and had to smile reading all the "BU can't close," "other first-year coaches have big recruits already," "look at all the guys turning us down" comments. It was apparent early on that BU had made Ayo and THT his top priorities and during all the hand wringing neither of those players had signed elsewhere. Sure Nolley or CC would have been a good get, but when you're recruiting good players you're going to have misses. So far BU and staff have hit on one of their priorities and, hopefully, tonight they'll on the second one. They'll be more misses in the future (hopefully not tonight), but BU and staff will get the players needed.
And as to the THT recruitment and all the he said, she said, dueling experts, comments attributed to this person or that -- it really is ridiculous. Let the kids and their families make the decisions they think are best for them -- and for whatever reasons they deem important. As much as I like to read about recruits, which ones are good and which ones we might get, all these "experts" on twitter and different sites that think they have to say something in order to justify their existence has gotten out of hand. Whew, now I feel better.
And as to the THT recruitment and all the he said, she said, dueling experts, comments attributed to this person or that -- it really is ridiculous. Let the kids and their families make the decisions they think are best for them -- and for whatever reasons they deem important. As much as I like to read about recruits, which ones are good and which ones we might get, all these "experts" on twitter and different sites that think they have to say something in order to justify their existence has gotten out of hand. Whew, now I feel better.
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Frankly, if we recruit the state as well as Underwood is currently recruiting it, then we'll be just fine if our out-of-state success is within the recent norm.
Oddly enough, Groce did quite well out-of-state -- JCL, Leron Black, Tejon Lucas, Trent Frazier, etc. It was the in-state whiffs that killed us. If Underwood can pull in the equivalent of JCL, Black, TJL, and Frazier over the next few years, I think we'll be in great shape.
Matic ane Greg E. are a good early indication.
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