Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#76      

Mobi

M
Mobi
BretMyBeachHouse said:
Podz seems like a great guy. My guess is that the vast majority of the guys in the portal are good and just looking for a better fit.

Now the number that have the talent to contribute here won't be the vast majority. But still a good number if I was guessing.
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I am sure a lot of transfers are motivated by new/better opportunities. However, Podz is not really a highly rated transfer. The question is why would those highly rated players transfer? I think it is a combination of all the reasons stated above. Take TSJ for example. Maybe he is a head case but I am sure he is driven by looking for opportunities since his previous coach left. Overall, I do agree that we need to somewhat selective. Finding a transfer on Plummer's level might not be super hard but getting an elite one could be tricky especially considering the NIL game these days.
 
#78      

Longtimelurker

L
Longtimelurker
Mobi said:
I am sure a lot of transfers are motivated by new/better opportunities. However, Podz is not really a highly rated transfer. The question is why would those highly rated players transfer? I think it is a combination of all the reasons stated above. Take TSJ for example. Maybe he is a head case but I am sure he is driven by looking for opportunities since his previous coach left. Overall, I do agree that we need to somewhat selective. Finding a transfer on Plummer's level might not be super hard but getting an elite one could be tricky especially considering the NIL game these days.
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If we bring on a transfer that ends up 3rd team all big ten, I will be ecstatic.
 
#79      

Bigtex

Bigtex
DFW
Bigtex
Mobi said:
I am sure a lot of transfers are motivated by new/better opportunities. However, Podz is not really a highly rated transfer. The question is why would those highly rated players transfer? I think it is a combination of all the reasons stated above. Take TSJ for example. Maybe he is a head case but I am sure he is driven by looking for opportunities since his previous coach left. Overall, I do agree that we need to somewhat selective. Finding a transfer on Plummer's level might not be super hard but getting an elite one could be tricky especially considering the NIL game these days.
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seems like the opening conversations for some recruits is regarding NIL amount and as previously reported that is a non-starter for Coach and staff.
 
#80      

GoodePodzMelendez

G
GoodePodzMelendez
BashCtIllini said:
Not so sure about all of that, but he's my favorite guy I've seen in the portal so far. Even if he drop 5% in his 3 pt shooting moving to a bigger conference, anyone that can shoot over 40% from 3 is a weapon. He looks like a guy opponents hate, very punchable face, but if he's your punchable face, you love him.

My only concern is his defense, is he quick enough? That and of course we have no known connection to him so we are just one of a hundred schools he could go to. Seems like he'd be a good fit with bringing some distribution and shooting skills. He has one of the better A:TO ratios of anyone in the portal.
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I was wondering about his D as well but at 6-6 and having other guys around that height or taller in the lineup, I believe we can overcome whatever defensive faults he has for 12-15 points a game. We will be so balanced on offense that teams will not be able to double team so I am not as worried.
 
#81      

TheFameProtector

TheFameProtector
Champaign
TheFameProtector
Mobi said:
I am sure a lot of transfers are motivated by new/better opportunities. However, Podz is not really a highly rated transfer. The question is why would those highly rated players transfer? I think it is a combination of all the reasons stated above. Take TSJ for example. Maybe he is a head case but I am sure he is driven by looking for opportunities since his previous coach left. Overall, I do agree that we need to somewhat selective. Finding a transfer on Plummer's level might not be super hard but getting an elite one could be tricky especially considering the NIL game these days.
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Are you saying highly rated now, as in highly rated in the transfer portal rankings? B/c if going just off their recruiting rank, Podz and TSJ are very similar.
 
#82      

IlliniCaboose

IlliniCaboose
IlliniCaboose
I wasn't trying to besmirch any specific recruit or call anyone out. Just seems like the same type of story this off season with every transfer we've been linked with. This one would be a locker room disruption, that one has an overly involved parent who wants to run the show, this other one was MIF or some other HS or AAU program we don't have a good relationship with.
I have no idea what the real story is with any player, I have less than zero insight into how any recruiting works, high school or transfers. I have no doubt we'll fill the open scholarships with players far above the talent level of Groce or the early BU years but just frustrating to see all these names of potential targets come and go so quickly for one reason or another.
Maybe the staff knows about 2 or 3 guys who aren't publicly "available" yet and that's why there hasn't been more smoke around some of these guys that seem like they might be fits. We can be far more selective now then any time in the last 15 years so that probably means passing up on guys we would have taken previously. This whole new transfer game is nerve wracking and feels like a game of musical chairs and the music is going to stop soon and we've got holes yet to be filled. Being a lifelong Illini fan makes pessimists of the best of us.
 
#88      

KBLEE

KBLEE
Montgomery, IL
KBLEE
partial popliteus said:
That's a feature, not a bug
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Tennessee Titans GIF by Nickelodeon at Super Bowl
 
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#93      

joekam

joekam
joekam
jjv0004 said:
If I leave my number, can someone text me when someone from the transfer portal actual signs with Illinois? I've got to stop wasting so much time.
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Only if you write it on the bathroom stall of The Original Pancake House in Champaign with "for a fun time..."
 
#94      

DeonThomas

DeonThomas
South Carolina
DeonThomas
MDchicago said:
Derek and Doc were both 1st team Parade All-Americans (i.e., top 10) in 1980. Link Lou and Jimmy really had it going in the 80's.

Illini who were in the top 10 based on Parade All-American status (first or second team Parade AA prior to 1971; first team from 1972, when they expanded to a 10 person first team, until discontinued) include:
1958: Doug Mills
1964: Rich Jones (ruled permanently ineligible by B10 in midst of junior year for accepting $35/month allowance from the "slush fund")
1974: Audie Matthews
1980: Derek Harper
1982: Efrem Winters
1985: Lowell Hamilton
1987: Marcus Liberty
1989: Deon Thomas
1994: Bryant Notree (transferred to UIC after junior year to play for Jimmy Collins)
1995: Ryan Blackwell (transferred to Syracuse after freshman year)

Illini who were in the 11-20 grouping based on Parade All-American status (3rd and 4th team prior to 1971; second team from 1972 until discontinued) include:
1961: Skip Thoren
1969: Nick Weatherspoon
1970: Bill Morris
1976: Derek Holcomb (transferred from Indiana after freshman year)
1977: Eddie Johnson
1982: Bruce Douglas
1986: Nick Anderson
1990: Jamie Brandon (committed and attended summer bridge program at Illinois, but never played there; LSU)
1992: Richard Keene
1997: Marcus Griffin
1998: Frank Williams
1999: Brian Cook

There may be others, but those were names that I recognized as Illini.

Parade became increasingly less relevant as more/better services came to be, but still give a rough sense of ranking.
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Excellent work here MD!!!
 
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