Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (October 2017)

[KrushCow31]

His name is Adam. And we will take him.

Whoops. Literally was looking at his name too. Dunno how I messed that up. But you say that now in 2017. What if DJ Steward is the better fit? What if he explodes, and ends around #20 and Miller ends at #30. Do we cave still? It's a slippery slope. Right now it is easy because it's a 5 star vs a mid 50s recruit, but it won't always be that case.

 

[CubIllini]

What makes it a big deal is we hosted him for an OV after we already had Ayo committed. If they would have pulled the scholly after Ayo committed that's fine. But we rolled out the red carpet acting like we wanted him and then when it became a real possibility of THT coming Ayo's camp freaks out and we pull the scholly the day of the announcement. The timing of everything makes it a big deal in my opinion...

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THIS

 

[whovous]

Does this mean we've just chosen Nick Irvin over Robert Smith? If yes, is Robert Smith likely to forget this?

 

[Deleted member 631370]

What makes it a big deal is we hosted him for an OV after we already had Ayo committed. If they would have pulled the scholly after Ayo committed that's fine. But we rolled out the red carpet acting like we wanted him and then when it became a real possibility of THT coming Ayo's camp freaks out and we pull the scholly the day of the announcement. The timing of everything makes it a big deal in my opinion...

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Agreed.

It makes us look beholden to the Irvins. That's the problem. THT apparently wants to come here, and we refuse him because the Irvins have a freak-out.

If that's what happened -- or is happening -- then that's embarrassing. We just got owned by a power broker in Chicago. Even if that power broker promises to push Miller and Okoro and Whitney our way.......we told a Simeon kid "sorry kid, no room for you after all" because the friggin Irvins flipped out.

Really hope that's not how this goes down.

 

[TheGMan]

Whoops. Literally was looking at his name too. Dunno how I messed that up. But you say that now in 2017. What if DJ Steward is the better fit? What if he explodes, and ends around #20 and Miller falls to #30. Do we cave still? It's a slippery slope. Right now it is easy because it's a 5 star vs a mid 50s recruit, but it won't always be that case.

Again, then we will take Steward. I agree that the timing of this all makes it less than ideal, but I really don't think this is nearly as big of a deal as everyone is making it out to be. Sure it would have been better had we pulled the offer immediately after Ayo committed. But I still think this kind of thing happens all the time.

 

[sacraig]

If this all plays out like rumored, it's rather unfortunate, but... I am kind of okay with it going this way.

Ayo is the more important recruit, IMO. We've been complaining for years that our program's relationship with the Irvins has been cool at best, and that connection to MIF and MP through Ayo is likely to be much more fruitful than losing out on a single player.

I mean, I wish we could get both, but if we can't have both, I think Ayo is the more import recruit to keep (and his camp is more important to keep happy).

 

[IlliniOllie]

Does this mean we've just chosen Nick Irvin over Robert Smith? If yes, is Robert Smith likely to forget this?

Does it really matter? Do we still owe Simeon something for getting Deon Thomas and Nick Anderson 30-ish years ago?

 

[coryfor3]

As Werner said on his podcast: NBA players don't get to pick their teammates. They aren't always friends with their teammates. They just have to get along well enough to win games.

That kind of naivete has no place in recruiting and roster construction.

Correct. College is a different game. You have to set aside differences in the NBA because you don't always get to choose your team. And those guys get paid to set aside differences and have the option of going their separate ways a lot more than guys in college.

 

[Deleted member 631370]

Did BU know what he was getting into recruiting Chicago?

Some of us took a deep breath the moment we hired Chin Coleman. For this reason.

I don't blame Chin for this. Not at all. But this truly is the dark side of Chicago recruiting. The power brokers want to dictate terms, and in this case it appears as if they're hanging the sword over our head.

 

[TheGMan]

If this all plays out like rumored, it's rather unfortunate, but... I am kind of okay with it going this way.

Ayo is the more important recruit, IMO. We've been complaining for years that our program's relationship with the Irvins has been cool at best, and that connection to MIF and MP through Ayo is likely to be much more fruitful than losing out on a single player.

I mean, I wish we could get both, but if we can't have both, I think Ayo is the more import recruit to keep (and his camp is more important to keep happy).

Thank you! I was worried I was the only one who felt this way haha

 

[NBB1979]

File under weird predictions: we finish either first or third for THT.

Strange Conditt/Goodwin feel for me. Signs indicate we win, and of course I hope so, but I have a nagging feeling if we don't, he'll place us behind Xavier

Does anyone care what place we finish in if not first?

If we aren't first, we're last - just like everyone else that didn't finish first!

 

[Illini Beer 4 All]

Where did this crap come from again?

I wish my workday was busier so I wouldn't have time to read this garbage.

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[Peoria Pipeline]

What if THT and Ayo are really close and they have just been playing everyone...

 

[CAHALL15]

I'm more concerned about the downstream effects of allowing MIF to dictate who we can and cannot sign. What if we decide we like DJ Steward over Adam Miller in 2020 at PG? Is Irvin gonna threaten us to take Miller since he is Fire and Steward is Meanstreets? I'd bet yes. Do we fold then too? Idk.

Ha! I’d love to be “threatened” into taking Miller.

As for THT, I’m choosing to put way too much stock in social media, therefore, I can confirm that THT is coming to Illinois because he favorited two Illini tweets today and no others where another school is mentioned.

 

[sacraig]

I'm more concerned about the downstream effects of allowing MIF to dictate who we can and cannot sign. What if we decide we like DJ Steward over Adam Miller in 2020 at PG? Is Irvin gonna threaten us to take Miller since he is Fire and Steward is Meanstreets? I'd bet yes. Do we fold then too? Idk.

If we are at the point where we are choosing between Steward and Miller, I don't really care which we get.

 

[OurMottoisOskeeWowWow]

 

[Bailey]

Agrred. Really don't like it. The inmates are running the asylum with Chicago recruitment. What a mess.

I was referring to a vocal faction of the fan base attacking a 5 star commits' family, but I know that's far too much to ask of us.

 

[Deleted member 631370]

If there's friction and 2 kids aren't really keen on playing together, I take the 5 star, first one to commit every time.

But here's the thing. This isnt' about Ayo and THT not getting along.

It's about THT dumping MIF, and now the Irvins are demanding payback.

That's a critical difference. Let's not blame Ayo for this.

 

[Bailey]

I'm sorry, but if it were true that Ayo camp gave Underwood that sort of ultimatum, I say thanks but no thanks. I don't want someone like that on the team, that screams cancer. But what's hard for me to reconcile is that type of behavior doesn't seem so mesh with how Ayo & his family have carried themselves during their recruitment.

*Throws cinder block through glass table*
"This is why we can't have nice things!"

 

[Dirtbags32]

When will the Illini ever be the beneficiary of one of these? "He was all set to go to Duke, but since X committed and they didn't get along, his fallback was Illinois." LOL

 

[LubbockIlliniFan]

But here's the thing. This isnt' about Ayo and THT not getting along.



It's about THT dumping MIF, and now the Irvins are demanding payback.



That's a critical difference. Let's not blame Ayo for this.

Yes x10000


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[KrushCow31]

Ha! I’d love to be “threatened” into taking Miller.

As for THT, I’m choosing to put way too much stock in social media, therefore, I can confirm that THT is coming to Illinois because he favorited two Illini tweets today and no others where another school is mentioned.

Like I said, it looks good right now in 2017 but we don't know how each player will land by 2020. It's also just an example. I'd love either player, but I want the players that are the best fit for our program, not the players a CPS coach tells us to pick.

 

[TCTORNADO]

Does this mean Nolley is back in play??

 

[sacraig]

Trying to piece all of this together, since no one will bleeping say what happened:

To me Illinois seems to get the worse press this way. If Ayo leaves because his family is bottom hurt about THT, that seems to be their problem, not ours. But now we're giving the big middle finger to Simeon, which just seems wrong to me. I hope all of you are right, and that Ayo will be great and the MIF will send their best our way, but I think we just killed our future with the best basketball school in the state.

That would be true if this had nothing to do with recruiting relationships and future recruits, but it does.

Also, I certainly want to keep the Simeon relationship on the positive side of things, but it's not like that relationship has netted us any burger boys or anything lately. Having them as our sole pipeline hasn't led to a national championship. It's a wonderful relationship, but it isn't indispensable.

 

[WhiteRhino]

When will the Illini ever be the beneficiary of one of these? "He was all set to go to Duke, but since X committed and they didn't get along, his fallback was Illinois." LOL

Illinois did benefit from North Carolina and Maryland choosing other point guards over Deron Williams. Of course, both of those teams got great point guards, too.