Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (October 2017)

[Deleted member 631370]

In this case, if he chooses to go somewhere else, that's fine. We never had him to be able to lose him.


Everything for the last two days has been complete speculation. We have fans spewing BS on message boards, we had media spewing BS on pod casts, we had coaches having to go to Twitter to refute things....


Honestly, your college career and your college decision should be fun! I can't imagine that under any circumstances, the reaction has been fun for THT. If I were his parents, I'd tell my kid to steer clear of all of the crap. Go to Iowa State, leave all this nonsense behind and don't get caught up in having to answer questions about being able to play with Ayo for the next two years.


The drama that people have created over these last few days has been ridiculous. If he did tell BU that he was coming to Illinois, if it has changed, it's purely based on not wanting to deal with all of the nonsense.


I'm not basing this on fact, just common sense.

I'm pretty sure THT didn't change his mind because he didn't want to deal with fans spewing BS about him on message boards.

The MIF-THT friction is a real thing, and has been a real thing for anybody who bothered to look. We were all hoping it would be smoothed over, but apparently it wasn't. That's not a particularly controversial statement at this point.

 

[Deleted member 236589]

I am a bigger THT fan than I was yesterday. Good luck to him

If he and his family give everybody involved the middle finger, more power to him.


If people would have just let him make his decision and move on....then there is no "fogginess".


The sad thing is that if he picks Iowa State/Xavier, he'll get questioned by the media if it was because of Ayo. If he picks Illinois, he'll be questioned by the media if he has a problem with Ayo. That's sad and pathetic for all of the adults involved.

 

[Calvin]

Meh, quite a shame if all this is happening at the last minute, for obvious reasons, but imagine if we had a chemistry issue on the team. Even if BU was dealt a crappy hand today, I'm sure he'll have his eye on the prize. These guys don't give up just because something's hard.

 

[redwingillini11]

If Tht, commits, we go with it and don't look back. BU has said he's not begging anyone to play here. If you have integrity, you stand by your word. No one should dictate policy to BU. All should just wait and see what happens. Remaining calm, and think about the situation. Something doesn't seem right. I hope that we can trust our staff to handle best they can.

If by some miracle THT picks Illinois tonight, we shouldn't feel comfortable until both players are enrolled and on campus. Until then, no matter what happens our expected number of the two guys that will play for us should be E[x]=1.

 

[TCTORNADO]

The only thing that is 100% is that I am staying Home.. no Thursday night trip to Vincennes for me.

Sad isn't it, but you understand the reality of this whole thing.

 

[Deleted member 236589]

I'm pretty sure THT didn't change his mind because he didn't want to deal with fans spewing BS about him on message boards.

The MIF-THT friction is a real thing, and has been a real thing for anybody who bothered to look. We were all hoping it would be smoothed over, but apparently it wasn't. That's not a particularly controversial statement at this point.

Here's the issue and it's the same issue that we all have during recruiting time. As much as we say we don't follow the "crystal balls", we do. When there was a run of 8(or whatever) in a row for Illinois, the assumption begins and hope arises. Then, when it goes the other direction and hope is dashed.


We don't know anything about anything. Did he ever tell UI that he was on board? If he didn't, then there's no issue.


Do I think the animosity is there? I agree with you. There is obviously a rift. Now, how this all affected the recruitment and how it's playing out....who knows.

 

[Deleted member 2050]

lol @ this entire recruitment :wave:

 

[BMo79]

If by some miracle THT picks Illinois tonight, we shouldn't feel comfortable until both players are enrolled and on campus. Until then, no matter what happens our expected number of the two guys that will play for us should be E[x]=1.

as Illini fans we should feel like that about all our recruits

 

[DB11Headband]

It makes you wonder if how this has played out will hurt our reputation with other players.

My thoughts exactly. IF this is all true, we're basically putting all of our eggs in the MIF basket for the foreseeable future. Recruits from other AAU teams across the state will take notice of this, and they will see that the rug was basically pulled out from a highly regarded recruit by our staff at the last minute.

Again, I trust our staff and I'm sure Ayo is going to do great things for us. I just hope this is all worth it in the end.

 

[alaskaillini]

The fact that we rolled out the red carper for THT after Ayo committed, and the fact that Chin is so close with Ayo's family and would have know of an issue there, tells me that this is not Ayo's doing but the MIF side. The pressure is on Ayo about his relationship with the Irvins and with UI about future recruits. If this is really happening, and if MIF camp is only now making this known (which I have to believe as we wouldn't have gone so hard after THT), then I think BU has to make it clear that he stands by his word and the THT offer is still on the table. I think his word to recruits is more important to this program going forward than the Irvins or Ayo. If someone tries to force me to go back on my word, I just do not do it. I ask the Irvins to understand that if they have an issue with a recruit, they have to make that known to me before I put my character on the line. And also make clear that they can expect me to stand by my word to them in the future.

I hope this is just making drama for an announcement but I doubt it because it is not a good look for the Irvins. In fact, if I am BU, I think I make it clear to the Irvins that their role will be well known if Ayo decommits. Do they want to be questioned by the press about their willingness to hurt one of their former kid's playing careers over their own petty BS. It is questionable when they take shots at a kid on social media, it crosses the line when they try to use their clout to keep a kid from playing for the college of his choice. Maybe this plays OK in Chicago but it shouldn't.

 

[robjilla]

Sad isn't it, but you understand the reality of this whole thing.

Not really.. went to the movies & didn't take my phone. I come out & all hell has broken loose. I'm getting updated as we speak.

 

[KnoxIllini2]

Went to lunch all things were fine. Came back from lunch and all hell has broken loose. I think we've now set Iowa St. up for a great 30 for 30. Gesh.

 

[robjilla]

Sad isn't it, but you understand the reality of this whole thing.

Seems like families & aau programs are trying to run college basketball programs.

 

[NunnBetter]

Seems like families & aau programs are trying to run college basketball programs.

Don't forget the shoe companies!

 

[Combo]

Looks like it's over, folks. Illinois cursed again :frustrated:

Not really. Every program deals with this kind of stuff. It's the state of college basketball these days.

 

[Deleted member 10676]

Meh, quite a shame if all this is happening at the last minute, for obvious reasons, but imagine if we had a chemistry issue on the team. Even if BU was dealt a crappy hand today, I'm sure he'll have his eye on the prize. These guys don't give up just because something's hard.

you think we aren't going to have that now?

 

[Deleted member 236589]

Went to lunch all things were fine. Came back from lunch and all hell has broken loose. I think we've now set Iowa St. up for a great 30 for 30. Gesh.

I HIGHLY doubt the any scholarship offer was pulled five hours before his announcement. I too went to lunch with all being well, then returned to chaos.


My assumption is that there was no chaos needed. Something came out early in the week that everybody sprinting in one direction, now something came out today to the contrary.


There is no way a kid gets his offer pulled while he's at school, hours before cameras go on.

 

[BWilson25]

I'm with Alaska but it sounds like a done deal. I feel like Ayo has little to do with this. Chin isn't looking like such a great strategist here. Why is all of this happening now? If it's such a big deal why did we reach this point?

 

[robjilla]

Went to lunch all things were fine. Came back from lunch and all hell has broken loose. I think we've now set Iowa St. up for a great 30 for 30. Gesh.

Same thing I said. Can't be an illini fan & have a side life

 

[helppitch]

Here's the issue and it's the same issue that we all have during recruiting time. As much as we say we don't follow the "crystal balls", we do. When there was a run of 8(or whatever) in a row for Illinois, the assumption begins and hope arises. Then, when it goes the other direction and hope is dashed.


We don't know anything about anything. Did he ever tell UI that he was on board? If he didn't, then there's no issue.


Do I think the animosity is there? I agree with you. There is obviously a rift. Now, how this all affected the recruitment and how it's playing out....who knows.

"We don't know anything about anything," Truer words have never been spoken. Most of the opinions on this board turn out to be a bunch of malarkey. Interesting speculation at times, but, more often than not based on nothing better than someone's totally uninformed guess.

 

[Deleted member 631370]

i'm watching the commitment tonight just in the hopes THT picks NW now

THT is a serious player and will make somebody very happy. Why in the world would you want that happy winner to be Northwestern?

At least we don't play -- nor have any connection to -- Xavier or Iowa State.

 

[TheGMan]

I feel bad for THT if he genuinely wants to go to Illinois. That would suck to know where you want to go and get your heart set on that and then have a rug pulled out from under you. Just MO, but those that say this isn't a big deal are wrong. There's no way to spin this as anything less than a huge blow.

Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

 

[Goldtop]

None of us know what is going on, but it doesn't sound good. I will say that I can't imagine Underwood or Whitman being pushed around by a puppet master. High school coaches dictating to the state school who they will and won't recruit? Ridiculous. This is a presidence that can not be set. If it has, I have lost respect for the program.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

Wow, that happened fast, LOL...

 

[Deleted member 3875]

Chicago hoops showing it’s true colors once again. Surprised? Nah.