Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
#701      
Another One Mtv Emas GIF by 2020 MTV EMA
Would you be able to share the position? C or G?
 
#704      

DeonThomas

South Carolina
Harv really wanted Sikma, but he decided on a smaller school where he could develop with more guaranteed playing time. Doug Collins was a similar story, I believe.
Those two guys would have helped!
 
#705      
Different situation. See Darius "Pete" Cunningham. https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=DIL19611129.2.63
More on this. Pete Cunningham from Carver flunked out before playing a varsity game. Same thing happened to another CPL prospect from a previous class. The CPL ptb felt like UI did not take care of Cunningham and the other kid. Howie Braun, who did all the recruiting for Harry Combes, had no chance to land Cazzie Russel, who was also from Carver.
 
#706      
Harv really wanted Sikma, but he decided on a smaller school where he could develop with more guaranteed playing time. Doug Collins was a similar story, I believe.
Freshmen weren't allowed to play in Div. 1 in those days but they could play in NAIA which was a plus for Wesleyan.
 
#709      
Freshmen weren't allowed to play in Div. 1 in those days but they could play in NAIA which was a plus for Wesleyan.
[/QUOTECollins wanted to be an Illini Later Dawson transferred to Illinois.but Schmidt wanted Jeff Dawson. Collins didn't wait for Dawson to decide where he was going and committed to I S U. Dawson went to Duke.
 
#710      
Harv really wanted Sikma, but he decided on a smaller school where he could develop with more guaranteed playing time. Doug Collins was a similar story, I believe.
I know that was the excuse. Collins picked Illinois State in 1969. They also beat us for Roger Powell Sr. a few years later.
 
#714      

NEIlliniFan

No longer in New England
Harv really wanted Sikma, but he decided on a smaller school where he could develop with more guaranteed playing time. Doug Collins was a similar story, I believe.
Sikma played at a DIII school and would have been able to play with lots of gtd playing time at larger schools.

He went to IWU because of two main reasons: 1) His relationship with Dennie Bridges and 2)his comfort level with the school size - St. Anne is really tiny.

BTW, I was a freshman at IWU when he was a senior.
 
#715      
This isn't true. Iguodala said on more than one occasion that he had to get away and out of Illinois to get away from bad influences.
In his Soph yearbook, he stated his dream was "to play basketball at the U. of Illinois." Now maybe he did want to get away from same bad influences, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't have gotten him had we wanted him earlier.
 
#717      
Henson and Yates, Henson and Collins, overlooked a few too. I mentioned one. Didn't Self slow play Iggy?

That said, a lot of people were gushing over Van Vleet.

Weber consistently passed on or slow played prospects that planned out elsewhere, while chasing big name kids that weren't coming.

Things improved considerably with Snacks, we got some ranked in state talent, but evaluations and roster construction still weren't very good.
I’m young. What’s a “Snacks”?
 
#720      
Entertaining review of history on big fishes that got away. Had to make sure I was on recruiting thread...but it's all good.

VanVleet is a relative recent one and seems I read Shaun Livingston was one that got away too?....
On related note, glad we swung and missed on Cliff.
 
#721      

chiefini

Rockford, Illinois
I’m young. What’s a “Snacks”?
Snacks is the nickname for Jerrance Howard ‘04, who played for Illinois as a point guard and was a hustler in every way, including winning the Kenny Battle Award. He then coached for Weber and then followed Self to Kansas as an assistant coach. Great recruiter who talked a good game and often played in the “grey” area. He got the name because he snacked a lot/too much. Could have also had the nickname “munchies.”
 
#724      

Tacomallini

Washington State
Edit: thanks @chiefini

Why is he “snacks”? I assumed it reflects his change in physique from his playing days, but I could be wrong 🤔
 
Last edited:
#725      
I, too, had read that Snacks overslept on the day he was supposed to go meet Fred. Being a high school teacher and sports fan in Rockford, I knew about how good Fred was when he was a sophomore at Auburn. I also had heard that his parents and he were hoping he’d go to Illinois. We were at an event in Rockford at that time where Bruce spoke, and he was very well aware of Fred. Not naming names, Bruce said he had just come from an open gym at Auburn where he was looking at a recruit, but he left way more impressed with the sophomore player on that team. From that day on, I sent every Rockford Register Star article (almost weekly) on Fred down to the Illinois Basketball office. It was obvious to everyone in Rockford that Fred was going to be very, very good. I firmly believe Bruce just blew it.
Then Howard overslept twice because one for sure was a morning workout he missed with Frank Kaminsky when he overslept. Kaminsky then went to Wisconsin.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.