Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[jmwillini]

Are player meetings complete? Any ideas how many may transfer?

 

[BashCtIllini]

That makes sense. I suppose that if you are willing to make an offer on a kid, that means that anyone you offer you are prepared to have on your team. It's an incredibly complex puzzle and I appreciate the skills our recruiters are exhibiting.

I think recruiting actually got easier because of the insane transfer portal. You can miss on all of your recruits, literally every single one of them, and still end up with the best group of incoming players if you nail the transfer portal.

Ok that may be an exaggeration, but you get the point. It is an easy way to supplement any recruiting misses with the incoming class.

 

[Poe's Law]

Does anyone have any thoughts about Coleman Hawkins?

 

[hooraybeer]

Also, the Skyy looks REALLY nice today

 

[DAM1298]

Reminder, folks: Ronaldo Segu is not an option!

This confuses me, because in 2018 the NCAA changed the rule, allowing players to hire agents and still come back to college.

 

[IlliniwekKDR]

maybe we can have 10 page discussion on the pro's/con's of Hawkins game

I am getting hints that I should be glad I took a day off from the recruiting thread yesterday...

 

[derrick6]

I think recruiting actually got easier because of the insane transfer portal. You can miss on all of your recruits, literally every single one of them, and still end up with the best group of incoming players if you nail the transfer portal.

Ok that may be an exaggeration, but you get the point. It is an easy way to supplement any recruiting misses with the incoming class.

Lovie-esque but didn’t turn out so well in the end. Iowa State made a living on 2nd chance transfers under Hoiberg.

I sorta like it. As a 2nd chance one and done concept similar to UK.

 

[the juiceman cometh]

I think recruiting actually got easier because of the insane transfer portal. You can miss on all of your recruits, literally every single one of them, and still end up with the best group of incoming players if you nail the transfer portal.

Ok that may be an exaggeration, but you get the point. It is an easy way to supplement any recruiting misses with the incoming class.

Certainly changes the strategy a little. Maybe makes more sense to swing for the fences with prep recruits, and not settle for 2nd or 3rd choices, knowing you can fill gaps with the portal. Kind of like drafting best available instead of drafting positions of need, to use pro sports as an analogy. In such a world you don't take the Matic Vesel type guys. Of course you also probably pass on guys like Giorgi, which is a bit of a shame.

 

[illinihawk16]

This confuses me, because in 2018 the NCAA changed the rule, allowing players to hire agents and still come back to college.

Has to be an NCAA eligible agent in order to be able to come back. If he's indicating that he's forgoing his remaining eligibility, I would assume he's hiring a non-eligible agent.

 

[IllinoisReg]

seems like the type of guy we could find a home for, but I basically view him as redundant to Murray and Shannon. I don't think we have a good chance at Murray, would we take both Shannon and Hopkins?

I think you lean Hopkins because he gives you more years, but Shannon is a proven talent. Will be interesting.

You 100% want Shannon over Hopkins. Not even close.

 

[Keisersose]

 

[IllinoisReg]

Khalil Whitney, declared for the draft after a disappointing freshman season, now in the G League.

Didn’t even wait for the season to finish he was gone in December lol

 

[the national]

Get ready to fly high in the Skyy. Will today be launch day?

 

[ElGran]

I think they're all 2/3/4s in the style we want to play. That said, I think you are right Hopkins probably doesn't have the quickness to have the 2 on his card and would be more of a 3/4.

We can't let the fact that he didn't get much time at Kentucky erase the fact that he averaged 24.4 and 12.5 as a high school Sr, was a top 50 recruit, and someone we all really wanted 12 months ago. The roster has changed in those 12 months, and we've got new guys coming in, but Hopkins was rated pretty significantly higher than both Murray and Shannon as a prospect. That is not absolute, of course, but it shows you he is certainly viewed as a very talented player. There are plenty of guys that left a blue blood because they couldn't get on the court in front of the constant parade of one and done guys to become stars at their next school.

He's a talented player - I would never argue that he isn't. But he's not remotely quick enough to guard a 2 or TBH virtually all 3s. The vast majority of college coaches are going to play him as a 4.

Shannon/Murray have completely different skill sets. They are 2s (though both could certainly play the 3 in a three-guard lineup).

 

[Chukwuwumba]

Has does BU coaching style compare to Calipari???

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1512068537711353871

 

[TheFameProtector]

With Bryce leaving, is this back-to-back Illinois guys to go there and kinda wash out? I’ve already forgot the other guy’s name, but he was another SF we heavily recruited.

After Anthony Davis and Tyler Ulis, been a downhill trend for Illinois HS players' experiences at Kentucky: Charles Matthews, Khalil Whitney, now Bryce Hopkins. Don't wish ill for the players but I can't say I'm terribly upset.

 

[TheFameProtector]

Has does BU coaching style compare to Calipari???

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1512068537711353871

More meetings in Pizza Hut parking lots, less Brylcreem.

 

[Heisenbobble]

Back to my predictions:
- Clark
- TSJ

That's it. That's my new prediction. As Metallica says, "Nothing else matters".

 

[GallopingGhost]

Can you imagine we watch Skyy pick another school? After all this? I think some of us would need therapy for PTSD

 

[PlayDeeBrownNote]

Does anyone have any thoughts about Coleman Hawkins?

Anyone who wears Prince tshirts is ok in my book.

 

[Brosky]

Get ready to fly high in the Skyy. Will today be launch day?

Do we have anything new and/or encouraging about Clark? I really want this guy. I wouldn't flinch a bit about starting a freshman at the point, esp. if he's this good and has some swagger. I'll always remember when Derek Harper started at the 1 on day one. He was fearless and aggressive the moment he stepped on the court.

 

[sacraig]

Does anyone have any thoughts about Coleman Hawkins?

Wonderful musician.

 

[Emerson Bigguns]

I think they're all 2/3/4s in the style we want to play. That said, I think you are right Hopkins probably doesn't have the quickness to have the 2 on his card and would be more of a 3/4.

We can't let the fact that he didn't get much time at Kentucky erase the fact that he averaged 24.4 and 12.5 as a high school Sr, was a top 50 recruit, and someone we all really wanted 12 months ago. The roster has changed in those 12 months, and we've got new guys coming in, but Hopkins was rated pretty significantly higher than both Murray and Shannon as a prospect. That is not absolute, of course, but it shows you he is certainly viewed as a very talented player. There are plenty of guys that left a blue blood because they couldn't get on the court in front of the constant parade of one and done guys to become stars at their next school.

Johnny Juzang is a UK washout... He's had a decent post Wildcat career...

 

[IllinoisReg]

Do we have anything new and/or encouraging about Clark? I really want this guy. I wouldn't flinch a bit about starting a freshman at the point, esp. if he's this good and has some swagger. I'll always remember when Derek Harper started at the 1 on day one. He was fearless and aggressive the moment he stepped on the court.

He’s not a day 1 starter on a good team

 

[sacraig]

Also, the Skyy looks REALLY nice today

Question for our insiders: is it today yet?