Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#1,626      

IlliniKat91

IlliniKat91
Chicago, IL
IlliniKat91
alexander58 said:
Most of us have trouble processing what passes for opinion on social media. I can’t imagine how a 20 year old could deal with it.
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Absolutely. The majority of us here also grew up in a time where we could go home and ignore what had been said to/about us in school. If we grew up with any social media, we could curate our MySpace Top 8 and AIM to only have our close friends. These kids are open to the world and with the NIL now in affect are likely encouraged to keep things as open as possible to generate cash. They'd catch garbage for trying to block anyone, even if it would be beneficial for them to do so. It sucks.
 
#1,627      

Navy_illini

N
Navy_illini
I don’t think the coaches have sat down with the players one on one. I think it is a good thing that a player has not entered the transfer portal until those talks happen
As I read through the pages whatever our team looks like next year the players need to understand through role. I think DMW sometimes to a fault understood he was in for defense and rebounds. It is hard to convince an 18 year old to understand the bigger picture. The good programs get kids who mesh well with what the coach wants. Whoever we get needs to fit BU vision.
 
#1,628      

idoc13

I
idoc13
The Miller situation seems strange. He left searching for something that our program wasn’t giving him. (Despite being a freshman in the starting lineup on a top 5 team in the country.) Now, there’s chatter of him returning to the same program that didn’t provide what he was looking for in the first place?

He would be a good addition to next year’s roster, but color me confused. It’s been said that maybe it wasn’t all his choice, and you gotta keep mama happy. But, what does mama want?
 
#1,629      

Baskins Tiger

Baskins Tiger
Baskins Tiger
*after I wrote all this I, I realize it probably belongs in the Illinois basketball thread sorry.

I really hope moving forward the coaching staff, is more involved than "We let the medical staff male the decisions on whether players can play."

I understand there is a baseline concussion test done, but that is in fairness a joke and not a complete picture of an athlete's ability to perform.

After Ayo's triumphant return, he still struggled and never was full Ayo. He was great for a sport, but then stress and pressure (physical and mental) put his brain into "low power mode" to protect itself. The same can be said for Andre.

These situations cannot be replicated in a at the north Lincoln Carle Rehab annex. The coaches should have more of a say more than just benching the kid, they are the ones that truly see it all.

I understand there is crazy pressure to win, but these head injuries only ever get worse. Sometimes you gotta protect the kids from themselves.
 
#1,630      

Dbell1981

D
Decatur, IL
Dbell1981
IlliniKat91 said:
Absolutely. The majority of us here also grew up in a time where we could go home and ignore what had been said to/about us in school. If we grew up with any social media, we could curate our MySpace Top 8 and AIM to only have our close friends. These kids are open to the world and with the NIL now in affect are likely encouraged to keep things as open as possible to generate cash. They'd catch garbage for trying to block anyone, even if it would be beneficial for them to do so. It sucks.
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Social media is a choice. They are not forced to read it.
 
#1,632      

sacraig

sacraig
The desert
sacraig
idoc13 said:
The Miller situation seems strange. He left searching for something that our program wasn’t giving him. (Despite being a freshman in the starting lineup on a top 5 team in the country.) Now, there’s chatter of him returning to the same program that didn’t provide what he was looking for in the first place?

He would be a good addition to next year’s roster, but color me confused. It’s been said that maybe it wasn’t all his choice, and you gotta keep mama happy. But, what does mama want?
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It's strange because I'm not sure anyone has transferred away from a school and then back to it. But that's not why he left us in the first place. I'm not sure what has changed since then that would make mama happy (new staff? Miller stopped listening?) but I guess I don't so much care. If he wants to be back and can contribute, then welcome!
 
#1,634      

blife

B
blife
FrankNitty30 said:
1. Then that is sad. It is sad that the bar is set at “Fans of Illinois, and other places I don’t care about, are asses on Social Media to players. Since everyone is asses, it is now ok. Talk about garbage.

2. Our garbage. The fans of the University of Illinois and OUR garbage, possibly ran off one of the most gifted basketball players in the country. Hiding behind an screen and Social media to say stuff is pathetic and cowardly.

We (fans) made him a polarizing figure. We (fans) we’re so bad that Mike La Tulip had to break down tape to show everyone how truly special he was. We (fans) we’re so bad that he was asked about how FANS perceive him at a press conference at the NCAA Tournament. Pathetic.

Should he be tougher? Maybe. He had flaws. But the fan base let that young man down.
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If you think some "fans" caused, or will cause Belo not to come back to the UI , I will disagree strongly. Why is it today, that whenever something that happens in an individuals' life, that is perceived by others to be negative(Belo transferring via portal), automatically it has to be the fault of a third party. It's not. It the person looking at Belo in the mirror everyday. If, and that is still a big if, Belo does decide to go into the portal it is not a fans fault, it's the players choice. The fact that he is considering the portal is pretty commonplace in today's college BB world. Fan's not liking the way someone plays has happened since time began. The fans have always voiced their opinions on poor play, good play and just play in general. Hell, newspapers have built fortunes and empires while printing negative and vitriol articles about players, and millions of people read those publication, along with the player, if they so chose. It comes with the territory when you are a big time athlete. You want the praise and admiration of everyone, but can't take the other side of the coin when you play poorly. Really? That unfortunately is not how the world works. It's not the fans fault kids have to be on social media 24/7. It's not the fans "fault" and will have NO influence on what Belo and the staff decide is best for Belo. That is Belo's decision and his alone. Whatever he deicides I hope the best for him, in life and in basketball. I thank him for all he has done, and hopefully, will continue to do for the UI basketball.
 
#1,635      

joekam

joekam
joekam
TooHot4Tots said:
How has Miller’s rehab gone?
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I was actually wondering if Ace hadn't announced his transfer immediately because it would allow him to continue to rehab using LSU facilities. If he announced I would imagine he wouldn't have access?
 
#1,636      

spillini

spillini
spillini
Baskins Tiger said:
No it is not, Social Media is the basis of most of these kids NIL presence. So moving forward companies who are paying the big NIL $$, that actually want a ROI are going to need these kids engaged.
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In addition, actual social lives outside of sports are heavily centered around social media nowadays. It’s a social equivalent of not having cable TV or video games growing up. You can certainly live without it (and it would likely be healthier) but you will miss out on a lot of socialization around it. Social media is here to stay despite its negative effects.
 
#1,637      

jumpingjack

J
jumpingjack
The fact that we have abusive aholes in our fanbase is somehow the fault of our student athletes... What a crock of 💩.
Unlike newspapers, radios, tv journalism, social media is generally unfettered. It is also, whether older generations like it or not, ubiquitous. That's not an opinion, it's a fact.
They are, unlike traditional media, open to any idiot with an opinion and yes, an athlete who wants any of that NIL money is going to have to have a presence/exposure on there.
It's clearly a devil's bargain but it doesn't magically absolve the jerks who use social media as an attack vector against kids they claim to be rooting for.
I don't understand anyone who's excusing that behavior.
 
#1,638      

jumpingjack

J
jumpingjack
"they just don't need the NIL money", "they should be tougher" "just stay off social media" "play better and the fans won't be mean" "he didn't apologize for his play"...
Some of the horrendously ignorant takes on this that have appeared here in the last 24 hours. Extrapolate that by six months, add in no effective moderation on most platforms, a much larger absolute number of trolls, and you start to see why college athletes have started to push back on fan treatment, inside or outside the competitive bounds.
 
#1,639      

jrichisamazing

J
jrichisamazing
sacraig said:
It's strange because I'm not sure anyone has transferred away from a school and then back to it. But that's not why he left us in the first place. I'm not sure what has changed since then that would make mama happy (new staff? Miller stopped listening?) but I guess I don't so much care. If he wants to be back and can contribute, then welcome!
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0440 also said BU has talked to him on a weekly basis throughout this season. So he knows what he's getting. He knows where AM is mentally and what his attitude is like. Some posters are acting like BU just randomly picked up the phone and said "hey, long time no see, wanna come back?"

And on a side note, that is one thing I am completely confident in BU. He is not going to waste his time with someone who isn't all in. That is the culture he has established here.
 
#1,642      

pruman91

pruman91
Paducah, Ky
pruman91
170px-David_Carradine_as_Caine_from_Kung_Fu_-_c._1972–1975.jpg


Mr. Curbelo is at an important stage in his life path and hopefully he decides what is best for him ..........

Is this decision based on.................................

How he feels about himself ??..............................
How he feels about the Illini ??
How he feels about not playing in the second half of the UH game ??
How he feels about his role on this squad ??
How he feels about social media and his treatment there ??
How he feels about NIL and could he make more somewhere else ??

The questions this young man is probably pondering right now seems a little overwhelming to many , but it brings back memories to me of my life at his age and if I made the right decisions then .........LOL........Well , no I didn't make the BEST decision but sometimes the best decisions to make are not available at that certain time in life ............................

What I worry about more than his staying or leaving is ..................Is he mature enough to make the correct decision for him ........??...................

I have stated in earlier posts about my excitement regarding the new makeup of the Illini team next year .........I truly am anticipating a refreshingly different cast of players and view it as a new springtime look as to new flowers sprouting and it's our duty to nurture them and make sure they nurture
us so the connection is mutually beneficial to both.......

The new scene now in college sports is really confusingly different for me being as old as I am , so sometimes I get it , then sometimes I wonder if I woke up in a parallel universe where all the things growing up with NIL were violations . to now a wild wild west approach and being one of the major factors in making a college destination decision........

Belo needs a major dose of maturity , IMHO ...................................Was he allowed to much rope in his time here so far ?.....Has it gotten to the point where he
isn't repairable ??.................................Has it been explained why he missed the team meeting or is it as it sounds like he's gone ??

Another day in the life of an Illini fanatic........................................I LOVE IT !!!!..............................better than any soap opera or tv sitcom ........We are invested in the characters , and get to voice our opinions on a forum of other Illini fanatics..........................Yep , I LOVE IT

Carry on fellow fanatics ...............................peace....................................

psyc2.gif


Cheese and Chong vape-ing improves ones quality of life ......it really really does ............................................Gummy Bears Too..........................................
 
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#1,643      

PlayDeeBrownNote

PlayDeeBrownNote
PlayDeeBrownNote
Dbell1981 said:
It is still a choice. Money is a choice. No one is forcing these kids to spend time reading and responding to social media. Someone else noted that they are encouraged to stay off of social media and some just can't do it.
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Lol, what? Money is a choice? I suppose you think all these kids are doing this just for the love of the game too. Glad you’re not in charge of recruiting.
 
#1,644      

FrankNitty30

F
FrankNitty30
blife said:
If you think some "fans" caused, or will cause Belo not to come back to the UI , I will disagree strongly. Why is it today, that whenever something that happens in an individuals' life, that is perceived by others to be negative(Belo transferring via portal), automatically it has to be the fault of a third party. It's not. It the person looking at Belo in the mirror everyday. If, and that is still a big if, Belo does decide to go into the portal it is not a fans fault, it's the players choice. The fact that he is considering the portal is pretty commonplace in today's college BB world. Fan's not liking the way someone plays has happened since time began. The fans have always voiced their opinions on poor play, good play and just play in general. Hell, newspapers have built fortunes and empires while printing negative and vitriol articles about players, and millions of people read those publication, along with the player, if they so chose. It comes with the territory when you are a big time athlete. You want the praise and admiration of everyone, but can't take the other side of the coin when you play poorly. Really? That unfortunately is not how the world works. It's not the fans fault kids have to be on social media 24/7. It's not the fans "fault" and will have NO influence on what Belo and the staff decide is best for Belo. That is Belo's decision and his alone. Whatever he deicides I hope the best for him, in life and in basketball. I thank him for all he has done, and hopefully, will continue to do for the UI basketball.
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I don’t disagree with alot of this. A person especially an athlete does have to deal with the adulation and the criticism. In a vacuum that is great and even accurate.

However, Belo’s case has to be judged on the facts as pertaining to Curbelo. Fans who criticize him have completely brushed aside his serious physical, and psychological issues he has had to battle through. Mostly so they can “vent” because they think he should “handle it.”

He became a lightning rod of criticism for being a show off. I don’t think he is. I think he just sees a completely different game than most. Which also means he needs to hone that talent and mature in it. He is not a show off.

He was unfortunately saddled with this ridiculous comparison of the record when he played vs the record when he didn’t. Once again, in a vacuum that might seem fair. But it does not take into account who they were playing. Where they were playing. Who else was out? Which is ok me of the other players had bad games, etc.

It was all garbage arguments and commentary. It also reached levels in which the media picked up on it. So at the end of the day the fans most definitely had a hand in where we are now.

You are right, Belo and Belo alone gets to choose how he wants to progress. The sad thing is that one of his factors he has to weigh is the ridiculous behavior of our fans.

You can choose to dismiss because “all fans do this.” Or, “he needs to deal with it better.”

I choose to be better than that lazy level of fandom that lashes out because the team I root for lost games.
 
#1,648      

Joel Goodson

Joel Goodson
ties will be resolved
Joel Goodson
jrichisamazing said:
0440 also said BU has talked to him on a weekly basis throughout this season. So he knows what he's getting. He knows where AM is mentally and what his attitude is like. Some posters are acting like BU just randomly picked up the phone and said "hey, long time no see, wanna come back?"

And on a side note, that is one thing I am completely confident in BU. He is not going to waste his time with someone who isn't all in. That is the culture he has established here.
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Credit for using some.

I'm sure it'll be unicorns and rainbows if Miller's getting 25+ minutes per game. What I'm concerned about is what happens if/when that changes.
 
#1,649      

the juiceman cometh

T
the juiceman cometh
If the Belo transfer rumors are true, there's a lot we don't know, but here is what I think we can surmise:

An extremely talented player, a season removed from conference All-Freshman and 6th-Man of the Year honors, is going to transfer away. Reportedly a big reason appears to be that he believes he needs a fresh start. Seems like the coaching staff may agree with that sentiment. I think it's a reasonable assumption that doesn't happen if he feels adequately supported here. He's also been a lightning rod for criticism, even his Freshman year when he was amazing. I think only DMW faced more criticism on this team. The fan criticism may or may not have factored into into this rumored transfer.

Amongst the many successes of this program over the last few years, I think there's value in recognizing the failures too. And without assigning any blame, because I think that's impossible without more than rumors and assumptions, if this transfer is happening it is a failure.
 
#1,650      

Redbull

R
Redbull
Kendall Gill’s Uncle said:
Wo

Would TA be better for him to meet with?
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If BU has been talking to him as suggested all season...I don't think this time around they are going to coddle him. He either wants to be all in or he doesn't. Who talks to him shouldn't make a difference.
 
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