Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
#1      

Dan

Admin
Welcome to the Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread :illinois:

2024 Illini Recruiting
Morez Johnson (2024 PF) committed on November 4th, 2021.
ZZ Clark (2024 G) committed on April 18th, 2022.
 
#3      

Dr Copejam

The Rock
So Fresh Pizza GIF by Fantastic3dcreation
 
#10      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
Yesterday, I learned people are surprisingly defensive about the academic standing of Butler and Villa Grove is a place a few of you call home. What do you have for me today, Loyalty?
As I'm at the office today and bereft of GIFs, all I can offer is a "lol" about the former observation. That raised my eyebrows yesterday, too. Let's just say that as a head coach Thad Matta traded down academically even moving from tOSU to Butler (IU aside, 'cause he wasn't HC there), and even from Xavier to Butler.
 
#11      
Front Court remains the biggest need.

Pete Nance is Priority A. Illinois has to wait around and see if he withdraws from the Draft or not. He'd be a great fit as a guy who can start at the 4 or the False 5, next to both Hawkins and Dainja, as well as be comfortable in smaller lineups.

If Illinois gets Nance, they are right back there to being a Big 10 contender right again. It's still a lot of new pieces but that would be ultra-talented team that gels well on paper.
 
#12      

BMoreIllini

Baltimore, MD
Doesn't seem like there's going to be much movement until closer to the NCAA early entry draft withdraw deadline, June 1st. I imagine as those who enter their name get feedback from NBA personnel they'll slowly start to withdraw from the draft and focus on finding a spot to transfer to.

Other related NBA Draft dates of significance:
NBA Combine: May 16th-22nd
NBA Draft Lottery: May 17th
NBA Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline: June 13th
NBA Draft: June 23rd
 
#13      
Front Court remains the biggest need.

Pete Nance is Priority A. Illinois has to wait around and see if he withdraws from the Draft or not. He'd be a great fit as a guy who can start at the 4 or the False 5, next to both Hawkins and Dainja, as well as be comfortable in smaller lineups.

If Illinois gets Nance, they are right back there to being a Big 10 contender right again. It's still a lot of new pieces but that would be ultra-talented team that gels well on paper.
larry nance retired player GIF by NBA
 
#14      
It's really more the 2022 guys. Someone called out that Adrame Diongue committed to Washington State, which seemed a bit strange for a guy ranked 43 by ESPN (ESPN is terrible), 111 by Rivals, and 132 by 247, unless of course he had some connection to Washington State, which seems unlikely.

Now granted his stock seems to have dropped, but in years past being the last to commit was often a good thing. Any team with an open scholarship would be interested, and a #75 guy could become the defacto #1 because they were the best left. We had to beat Kentucky and Michigan State for Mark Smith. That would be unlikely to happen if he committed in the summer. Just 3 classes ago Ibrahima Diallo, who was similar to Diongue, and a lowly rated guy ended up at Ohio State, 247 had him ranked around 370. He is now at San Jose State.

Those guys that used to be the best available so even really good teams were willing to take a shot, now are ranked behind 20 or more transfers. High School kids need to adjust by expediting their process and take offers much quicker. Once transfer season rolls around no coach will take a questionable 18 year old over a proven 21 year old.
 
#19      
My sister went to Butler and as very proud of it. However, my understanding of Butler’s academic “reputation” has more to do with the typical private school thing - you get a “better education” with the smaller classes and that, but that doesn’t mean it’s more selective with admissions or that it’s ranked anywhere near as high as a Big Ten public school.
 
#22      

altgeld88

Arlington, Virginia
My sister went to Butler and as very proud of it. However, my understanding of Butler’s academic “reputation” has more to do with the typical private school thing - you get a “better education” with the smaller classes and that, but that doesn’t mean it’s more selective with admissions or that it’s ranked anywhere near as high as a Big Ten public school.
OT again (shocking!) but you only get a better education in small classes if both the faculty and students, in terms of quality, are up to it. Plus, small colleges often (but not always) tend to have high-school-like social cliquishness. "Private=of high quality" is a fallacy. Sometimes it is. Often it isn't. On the other hand, if you lack initiative, discipline, and drive, a large comprehensive university (state-run or private) isn't the place for you. A small college is. Or maybe not college at all.

Having grown up in an academic household, spent way too much of my life in undergrad and grad programs, married a professor, and just run the admissions gauntlet with my only child, I wish I were much less familiar with this sausage factory of a topic than I am. Diminishing returns set in a long time ago for me.

In an attempt to make this relevant to the recruiting thread, I'll note that for athletes like Illini hoopsters, given the close-knit community the team and its staff forms, and the attention they get, the U of I is essentially an elite small college with all the benefits of the large-city offerings of a great university.
 
#24      
My sister went to Butler and as very proud of it. However, my understanding of Butler’s academic “reputation” has more to do with the typical private school thing - you get a “better education” with the smaller classes and that, but that doesn’t mean it’s more selective with admissions or that it’s ranked anywhere near as high as a Big Ten public school.
Butler University admissions has an acceptance rate of 76% Half the applicants admitted to Butler University have an SAT score between 1150 and 1320 or an ACT score of 25 and 30.

University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign admissions is more selective with an acceptance rate of 63%. Half the applicants admitted to University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign have an SAT score between 1210 and 1470 or an ACT score of 27 and 33.

Auburn University has an acceptance rate of 85%

Miami University admissions is not selective with an acceptance rate of 92%.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.