Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[theNewGuy]

Does Illinois need any? Honest question. Roster is full and only two guys will leave.

Mayer is out of eligibility and Shannon, CoHawk have decent 2023 draft aspirations. RJ and Clark are tricky. If they have phenomenal seasons they will be lottery picks. If they have a great season we could see them back.
But that's just players getting drafted.
You have to think about the transfer portal because odds are someone will not be happy with their playing time.
There will probably be more than 2 guys gone from this roster.
But to answer your question, no, because of the transfer portal.
BRYCE HOPKINS BABY (with unlimited transfer rule)

 

[Hambone61]

How good is Amani Hansberry???

His class of 2023 rankings are:

Nothing but Net Rank 9
Future 150 Rank 32
Prep Hoops Rank 68
On 3 com Rank 86
2047 Rank 139

What a world of difference among selectors! Take your pick!!!!!

 

[doowink]

Does Illinois need any? Honest question. Roster is full and only two guys will leave. IMHO, BU needs to be looking for guys at the level of Shannon and Mayer....or better if he is going to improve his roster. He can afford to be discerning. And that pick would be perfect in my mind if it were AH....love his game from what I see and read. BU loaded up this past year with very talented underclassmen so no rush to fill roster spots. There is only one ball and they all want it. Slow play is good play right now....get the right guy.

Do you have any doubts about BU or his staff that makes you think he (they) aren't doing this???

 

[ChiefGritty]

Around here this makes you a hater.

Mayer, Shannon, Melendez, Hawkins, Clark at a minimum are gone.

Lol, the boards version of it is that every player on our team is gonna be a lottery pick.

The reality version is when was the last season in which we didn't unexpectedly lose somebody we were counting on via transfer, or fig leaf no NBA hope "going pro"?

And that's not just us by any means. That's the new reality of college basketball.

There are gonna be scholarships available in ways we don't currently see. But there will also be opportunities to fill those scholarships in ways we don't currently see.

The days of lovingly crafting scholarship grids and team building through multi-year windswept social media romances with in-state 16 year olds are over. Thankfully, Brad Underwood's Illinois is much better equipped for this new world than Groce or Weber's Illinois was for the old one.

All of that said this Hansberry seems promising and we'll be in a lot more favorable shape if we can lock that down.

 

[Mobi]

Does Illinois need any? Honest question. Roster is full and only two guys will leave. IMHO, BU needs to be looking for guys at the level of Shannon and Mayer....or better if he is going to improve his roster. He can afford to be discerning. And that pick would be perfect in my mind if it were AH....love his game from what I see and read. BU loaded up this past year with very talented underclassmen so no rush to fill roster spots. There is only one ball and they all want it. Slow play is good play right now....get the right guy.

With Mayer gone and ColeHawk most likely, too, we clearly have front court needs. Can always wait for portal but why not fill it now when you see a stud interested in us?

 

[GoodePodzMelendez]

With Mayer gone and ColeHawk most likely, too, we clearly have front court needs. Can always wait for portal but why not fill it now when you see a stud interested in us?

That one ride that BU is holding will be a front court guy used by 2nd semester. There will be transfer opportunities after 1st semester that we could grab a guy and have him sit until the start of the 23-24 season. This coming season will open up lots of intertest by players wanting to come here.

 

[trtl]

I’d put the over/ under at 3.5 on that group.

Mayer is gone.
Hawkins goes pro or transfers.
Two of the other three leaving wouldn’t surprise me at all.

You win for first “Hawkins is gonna transfer in 2023” post. Congrats.

 

[BretMyBeachHouse]

Lol, the boards version of it is that every player on our team is gonna be a lottery pick.

The reality version is when was the last season in which we didn't unexpectedly lose somebody we were counting on via transfer, or fig leaf no NBA hope "going pro"?

And that's not just us by any means. That's the new reality of college basketball.

There are gonna be scholarships available in ways we don't currently see. But there will also be opportunities to fill those scholarships in ways we don't currently see.

The days of lovingly crafting scholarship grids and team building through multi-year windswept social media romances with in-state 16 year olds are over. Thankfully, Brad Underwood's Illinois is much better equipped for this new world than Groce or Weber's Illinois was for the old one.

All of that said this Hansberry seems promising and we'll be in a lot more favorable shape if we can lock that down.

I kinda feel bad for leaving Dainja off my list.

 

[Joel Goodson]

You win for first “Hawkins is gonna transfer in 2023” post. Congrats.

Been in a coma?

 

[ChiefIllinois]

Current state of cbb probably dictates 2 or 3 guys leave via attrition on top of grads (I know Shannon’s got another year, but I think it’s extremely unlikely his on the team this time next year).

That means we’ve got a solid 4 spots to fill. We took a relatively large freshman class this past year, I could see two HS kids coming in and a couple transfers to fill stop gap roles.

If we can’t find two HSers we like triple/quadruple dipping into the portal doesn’t sound far fetched to me. Such is cbb now. BU seems aware of this and willing unlike our angry elf friend in green and white up north. I have zero question marks about this coaching staffs ability to put together talent on a roster.

 

[Emerson Bigguns]

With Mayer gone and ColeHawk most likely, too, we clearly have front court needs. Can always wait for portal but why not fill it now when you see a stud interested in us?

Morez will be here. We are still very much in the mix for Brown. Perrin should be ready for his closeup by next season. Dain will likely still be here. Ty will be able to play the 4, especially next year.
I'm sure they are still shopping, but we should be fine. I'm not convinced CoHawk will be gone either...

 

[Joel Goodson]

Morez will be here. We are still very much in the mix for Brown. Perrin should be ready for his closeup by next season. Dain will likely still be here. Ty will be able to play the 4, especially next year.
I'm sure they are still shopping, but we should be fine. I'm not convinced CoHawk will be gone either...

Morez will be here in '24. (I think) Mobi's concern is '23. I think Hansberry is going to commit by early fall. That will shore up the front court. Also, the open ride should pay big dividends. If we have the season I think we'll have, VVG players will come a knockin.' And remember, we're the ones who knock.

 

[IlliniShelt]

My thoughts exactly. Especially with how much more demanding the college basketball world has become. Unless he just recruits out of this world each year I see him MAYBE lasting another year or two before throwing in the towel.

Does anyone else enjoy the fact that izzo is currently stuck on a satanic 666 career wins?

 

[DB11Headband]

How good is Amani Hansberry???

His class of 2023 rankings are:

Nothing but Net Rank 9
Future 150 Rank 32
Prep Hoops Rank 68
On 3 com Rank 86
2047 Rank 139

What a world of difference among selectors! Take your pick!!!!!

 

[skyIdub]

I don't care what his ranking is....just as long as his new area code is 217....

 

[Emerson Bigguns]

How good is Amani Hansberry???

His class of 2023 rankings are:

Nothing but Net Rank 9
Future 150 Rank 32
Prep Hoops Rank 68
On 3 com Rank 86
2047 Rank 139

What a world of difference among selectors! Take your pick!!!!!

I think the variance is due to a few factors.

Some sites do a better job at keeping up with recruits and updating rankings frequently based on recent performance.

Rankings are painfully subjective.

Some sites are projecting a player's potential more than their current ability.

I also feel some sites give higher rankings to guys who project more as NBA players than guys who will be good at the NCAA level. (Think about Kofi- dominant NCAA player, but not an ideal NBA prospect) I feel Hansberry may be a victim of that to some extent. He is undersized for a guy who operates primarily in the low block. He can bully guys to get rebounds, and utilize his array of post moves to score. He should be a very good NCAA player, but you have to wonder if his game, as it stands now, will translate tot he NBA. He is going to need to develop a reliable outside game to be a great NBA prospect.

 

[Eternal Optimist]

How good is Amani Hansberry???

His class of 2023 rankings are:

Nothing but Net Rank 9
Future 150 Rank 32
Prep Hoops Rank 68
On 3 com Rank 86
2047 Rank 139

What a world of difference among selectors! Take your pick!!!!!

Loyalty: Nothing but Net if he chooses Illinois.

Also Loyalty: For sure 2047 ranking if he doesn’t choose Illinois. We have better options and cooled on him a while back. His camp was messy. Demanded too much playing time.

 

[Homecoming 2019]

How good is Amani Hansberry???

His class of 2023 rankings are:

Nothing but Net Rank 9
Future 150 Rank 32
Prep Hoops Rank 68
On 3 com Rank 86
2047 Rank 139

What a world of difference among selectors! Take your pick!!!!!

247 just had a ratings update yesterday and he's still at 127, kind of surprised considering all the articles mentioning him as someone who will be moving up.

 

[Bacon Butkus Swanson]

Lol, the boards version of it is that every player on our team is gonna be a lottery pick.

The reality version is when was the last season in which we didn't unexpectedly lose somebody we were counting on via transfer, or fig leaf no NBA hope "going pro"?

And that's not just us by any means. That's the new reality of college basketball.

There are gonna be scholarships available in ways we don't currently see. But there will also be opportunities to fill those scholarships in ways we don't currently see.

The days of lovingly crafting scholarship grids and team building through multi-year windswept social media romances with in-state 16 year olds are over. Thankfully, Brad Underwood's Illinois is much better equipped for this new world than Groce or Weber's Illinois was for the old one.

All of that said this Hansberry seems promising and we'll be in a lot more favorable shape if we can lock that down.

Gritty,

Quotes like yours above are why you will always be in my Loyalty hot take HOF..... You're on fire my friend!!

Is it November yet??

 

[theNewGuy]

Loyalty: Nothing but Net if he chooses Illinois.

Also Loyalty: For sure 2047 ranking if he doesn’t choose Illinois. We have better options and cooled on him a while back. His camp was messy. Demanded too much playing time.

If you have to point out you're funny, are you really funny then

 

[ChiefGritty]

Gritty,

Quotes like yours above are why you will always be in my Loyalty hot take HOF..... You're on fire my friend!!

Man, when you're a grizzled, scarred veteran of the Weber Wars like I am, who gets a sudden flashback to "Shumpert to Georgia Tech" every time the oven beeps, it is truly something to be thankful for that recruiting isn't like that anymore, and you'll have to forgive me if I get a bit cranky when people start to re-fit that frame on things.

 

[texillwek]

Man, when you're a grizzled, scarred veteran of the Weber Wars like I am, who gets a sudden flashback to "Shumpert to Georgia Tech" every time the oven beeps, it is truly something to be thankful for that recruiting isn't like that anymore, and you'll have to forgive me if I get a bit cranky when people start to re-fit that frame on things.

 

[robjilla]

Anyone know any good breakfast or dinner spots in Champaign? Ill be there for a week beginning Sunday and I have some money to spend. Whats the breakfast spot that the staff takes recruits in to close the deal?

 

[skyIdub]

Anyone know any good breakfast or dinner spots in Champaign? Ill be there for a week beginning Sunday and I have some money to spend. Whats the breakfast spot that the staff takes recruits in to close the deal?

The Original Pancake House of Champaign – Enjoy the finest pancakes in America at The Original Pancake House of Champaign. Our brand new, family orientated breakfast restaurant features fresh ingredients and diverse breakfast recipes from around the

www.ophchampaign.com

 

[IlliniwekKDR]

I don't care what his ranking is....just as long as his new area code is 217....

So you're thinking Eastern is the team to beat for this one?