Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (September 2018)

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#1,651      

ChiefIllini

C
ChiefIllini
I refuse to start worrying about this class until the end of the early signing period.

However, if we have zero signees, I get a feeling this class is gonna feature more people ranked in the 250+ range than 150.

TCTORNADO said:
Only B1G team w/o a 2019 commit. Magic # to sigining day is 44 and counting.
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Well since Rizzo just went yard, 44 might be our lucky number today (well that is if youre a cubs/illini basketball fan). Also don't read too much into that, I know nothing.
 
#1,652      

TCTORNADO

TCTORNADO
TCTORNADO
Calvin said:
Certainly doesn't look good if we keep our sites on top guys and come away empty. I thought the usual process was to have a mix of guys, and if you can get leverage on timing, use it to take an early domino. If you have 3 schollies, you'd think we'd get at least one guy to drop in October.

I'm not looking to blame anyone. We have a good class coming in, and some pieces to work with. I want to see the product on the court be a lot better this year, even if it means we're bubble material while this huge but young class matures. We should have enough buy-in to be decent. Don't know what to say about recruiting other than I will continue to reserve judgement until we have a class.
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A class of Jitoboh, Chris Payton and Marquis Walker will take care of everything.
 
#1,653      

WARDFORTHREE

WARDFORTHREE
WARDFORTHREE
My favorite thing about being an Illini fan is seeing the new names pop up when they are around Freshman-Sophomores and getting all the rumors that they are Illini locks only to see them slowly peel away. I think my favorite more recent ones was locking up Rose and Gordon, or maybe Parker and Okafor.

If there were a bronze or silver medal awarded for recruiting, Illini have to be the best in the country. It isn't even close either.

Oh well, we have winners this season...that should beat talent. belch.

Since we missed on EJ, maybe we can get a bench player on a state championship team late in the game.

Sorry, ole ward is grumpy today. Momma isn't feeling well and her chores went to me. So that makes my 80 year old bones ache...

The good news is there will be a new batch of hopefuls popping up soon. Maybe walker can get to know some 4th graders and get in earlier...maybe that's the problem?
 
#1,655      

Second and Chalmers

S
Second and Chalmers
ChiefIllini said:
I refuse to start worrying about this class until the end of the early signing period.

However, if we have zero signees, I get a feeling this class is gonna feature more people ranked in the 250+ range than 150.


Well since Rizzo just went yard, 44 might be our lucky number today (well that is if youre a cubs/illini basketball fan). Also don't read too much into that, I know nothing.
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And given the specificity of our style of play and the *ahem* uniqueness of the way our guys are coached, I see guys who we have seen earlier and been on longer and developed more of a relationship with as inherently better gets than those that are pulled out from under the couch cushions at the last minute.

Not that they're necessarily more talented, but that they're a better fit for what we do and more likely to last and develop over time, which is every bit as important.
 
#1,658      

the national

the national
the Front Range
the national
Loren Tate said something this morning about it being 50-50 OSU-ILL according to his sources. That was a surprise. He also mentioned that our staff had not been contacted either way. I dont think we get EJL but its interesting to see what he is hearing.
 
#1,659      

NB2D

N
NB2D
TCTORNADO said:
A class of Jitoboh, Chris Payton and Marquis Walker will take care of everything.
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Are we even on Chris Payton's radar? I was impressed when I saw him play against Okoro. I thought he looked like the better fit with our system. Has good size and moves well with and without the ball.
 
#1,661      

skyIdub

skyIdub
Winged Warrior
skyIdub
foby said:
If it's 50-50, I think we have a 10% chance.
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Edit: Apologies, I'm a little gif happy today, but any day I get to use the Pablo Sandoval cake gif......I get a little gif giddy. Like a kid when the ice cream truck rolls up the street, or you know, when Pablo Sandoval sees a slice of cake.
 
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#1,663      

sully

sully
sully
as long as he doesn't pull some BS hat trick I 'll respect his decision haha . But seriously , hope we get EJ (not giving up yet)
 
#1,664      

LouAlcinder

L
LouAlcinder
NB2D said:
Are we even on Chris Payton's radar? I was impressed when I saw him play against Okoro. I thought he looked like the better fit with our system. Has good size and moves well with and without the ball.
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Not really, but you may hear his name if we biff on TSJ and QG
 
#1,665      

Mike

Mike
C-U Townie
Mike
foby said:
If it's 50-50, I think we have a 10% chance.
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Guessing we have a 50%-50% chance of getting him, but there's only a 10% chance of that...
 
#1,666      

TCTORNADO

TCTORNADO
TCTORNADO
NB2D said:
Are we even on Chris Payton's radar? I was impressed when I saw him play against Okoro. I thought he looked like the better fit with our system. Has good size and moves well with and without the ball.
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Payton=#320 247 composite
 
#1,669      

Dbell1981

D
Decatur, IL
Dbell1981
Second and Chalmers said:
And Duke gets many fall commits all the time. And the elite caliber of players they recruit have (wisely) begun to wait until the spring to choose more often.

Something is seriously, seriously wrong if the only fall signee we have in two entire years under a new coach is a player who was essentially a direct purchase through an assistant coaching hire.

I don't think that will be prove to be the case in the end. But no one should be talking about that like it's a no big deal outcome. That would be an outcome which would show a need for radical changes in approach and frankly staff personnel going forward.
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Whitman disagrees. For the 1000th time let the kids play before rushing to judgement. I hope this 18 class makes you eat crow till you puke.
 
#1,671      

Dbell1981

D
Decatur, IL
Dbell1981
Second and Chalmers said:
It shouldn't be Whitman's decision, it should be Underwood's.

Just reading the room here, I suspect I'm going to find myself in the majority by this evening in saying Jamall Walker's utility has expired.
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I can agree with that. We need a bigtime national recruiter and we need to show that kids can develop and excel in this system. The 2nd part is just gonna take time. A great year by D. Williams could go a long way on selling recruits on the development side and the upgrades to Ubben should help us get on par with other teams. The facilities is a HUGE pull these days. Sorry if I get a little jacked and offend you guys. I know we are all big fans and just want the team to win. Otherwise we wouldn't be on here all day everyday.
 
#1,672      

illiniCA

illiniCA
DC Area
illiniCA
Second and Chalmers said:
It shouldn't be Whitman's decision, it should be Underwood's.

Just reading the room here, I suspect I'm going to find myself in the majority by this evening in saying Jamall Walker's utility has expired.
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This could be true and I would not disagree. However, I think even fantastic recruiters are going to struggle with top 50 players until the two lines in you avatar start to converge
 
#1,673      

NBB1979

NBB1979
UIUCFAN1
Springfield, IL
NBB1979
sully said:
as long as he doesn't pull some BS hat trick I 'll respect his decision haha . But seriously , hope we get EJ (not giving up yet)
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No press conference, announcing on Twitter - so I seriously doubt it's a hat trick - probably one of those edited cartoons or a video.
 
#1,674      

foby

foby
Bonnaroo Land
foby
NBB1979 said:
No press conference, announcing on Twitter - so I seriously doubt it's a hat trick - probably one of those edited cartoons or a video.
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As long as it isn't a video where he douses his Illini gear in lighter fluid, and rises like a tOSU Phoenix out of the ashes, I will be ok with it.
 
#1,675      

ChiefIllini

C
ChiefIllini
Second and Chalmers said:
It shouldn't be Whitman's decision, it should be Underwood's.

Just reading the room here, I suspect I'm going to find myself in the majority by this evening in saying Jamall Walker's utility has expired.
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Who has he actually delivered? Drawing a blank.

Kinda sick of making excuses for coaching misses. Sure Tilmon/Pickett left. We can blame Groce till the cows come home, fact is Walker was supposed to be the linchpin of the Tilmon recruitment. So now you're down to Mark Smith. Say what you will, he was not good last year. And now he's gone. I'll give him credit for landing him, but you gotta deduct some points for him leaving after one season. No info on 247, but was DMW a Walker recruit? If so, as far as I know, he is the only recruit that Walker can truly claim. And he was a legacy...

Sorry but if Liddell passes, there isn't a way to spin the retention of Walker as a positive thing.
 
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