Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#276      
This needs to be a separate thread :p but I will weigh in.

To me the biggest thing is the lost opportunities for the HS kids that flame out or don't get drafted where they expected. They lose out on the chance for NIL, an education, the college experience, and being able to raise their draft stock in college. For those reasons (except NIL), I was all in on the one and done rule when it came about. I also wanted to have more talented kids come in through college, as I haven't watched an NBA game in probably 25 years. I see now where, at least I feel, it hurts the college game as more stars of the game leave after 1 year. So I'm all for them changing it back, but I like the suggestions I've seen where it looks more like the baseball or hockey model and the students have a chance to go to college if they don't like where they end up.
The G-League was not a thing in 2005 when they eliminated Prep players from draft eligibility. The fact that it exists mitigates a lot of the potential risk of declaring too early. If you don't get drafted, you can still practice and play with other athletes who are knocking on the door. Loss of NIL opportunities will likely scare off players who's draft status is in question.

I think it will be important to give top prep players the opportunity to go to NBA camps, get feedback, and maintain college eligibility. (Basically what Kofi and Ayo did after their sophomore years)

*(There is so little going on in our recruiting efforts at the moment, we have to talk about something. I see prep eligibility/draft concerns as at least tangentially related to recruiting.)
 
#277      
This needs to be a separate thread :p but I will weigh in.

To me the biggest thing is the lost opportunities for the HS kids that flame out or don't get drafted where they expected. They lose out on the chance for NIL, an education, the college experience, and being able to raise their draft stock in college. For those reasons (except NIL), I was all in on the one and done rule when it came about. I also wanted to have more talented kids come in through college, as I haven't watched an NBA game in probably 25 years. I see now where, at least I feel, it hurts the college game as more stars of the game leave after 1 year. So I'm all for them changing it back, but I like the suggestions I've seen where it looks more like the baseball or hockey model and the students have a chance to go to college if they don't like where they end up.

One player's loss is another's gain in the sense that there are plenty of players who want that shot at the league, and if someone higher up the food chain flames out, it gives someone else a shot.

I'm with you on the college game, which is the one I follow. I think a more open draft helps out programs in the second tier though. The blue bloods/top half dozen programs don't get to keep those top hs players, which creates opportunities for programs like Illinois that still have highly talented players, but may often take another year or two to develop. If Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, North Car have to turn over the best part of their roster every year, that's good for parity IMO. The landscape is still pretty top heavy, but I think it helps a bit.
 
#278      
Bust - I would have guessed Leon Smith and Sebastian Telfair.

Since lot of these guys had long NBA careers (+5 years) like Darius Miles Kwame Brwon I would say disappointment not bust.

 
#279      

theNewGuy

Dallas, TX
One player's loss is another's gain in the sense that there are plenty of players who want that shot at the league, and if someone higher up the food chain flames out, it gives someone else a shot.

I'm with you on the college game, which is the one I follow. I think a more open draft helps out programs in the second tier though. The blue bloods/top half dozen programs don't get to keep those top hs players, which creates opportunities for programs like Illinois that still have highly talented players, but may often take another year or two to develop. If Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, North Car have to turn over the best part of their roster every year, that's good for parity IMO. The landscape is still pretty top heavy, but I think it helps a bit.
In the short run, yes. In the long run there has to be some sort of way to be drafted and maintain college eligibility like hockey which would then give blue bloods the best talent
 
#281      
That list is exactly what I looked at, and the question isn't whether every HS player lived up to their draft hype, it's whether they were better on average than college draftees (or international players), and it's not even close.

And to the narrative of unready teenagers getting chewed up and spat out by the league, even someone like Kwame Brown played 600+ games over a 12 year career. There are surprisingly few true Robert Swift-style flameouts. Whereas four year college guys do that every year.

2004 saw 8 HS guys go in the first round, the most ever. Swift was the only one to have less than a 10-year career. Whereas college seniors Luke Jackson and Rafael Araujo, both taken in the top 10, were out of the league in 4 years, as were two other college guys, Swift, and a couple of Euros from that first round.

That was the draft where it was a big shock, and regarded by a mistake by many analysts at the time, that the Magic took Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor. The conventional wisdom was simply wrong, the HS kids were way, way better. Which shouldn't be that surprising, it was for the most part the tippy-top recruits, it was selecting from a stronger talent pool than college players in that era.
That’s what I get for hacking this out at 7 am before caffeine……my post should have said I would struggle to argue that HS players are MORE risky than overseas players, many of whom get drafted and never jump to the NBA.
 
#282      
In the short run, yes. In the long run there has to be some sort of way to be drafted and maintain college eligibility like hockey which would then give blue bloods the best talent
Interesting point here a la recruiting: It definitely adds a wrinkle to recruiting top talent if they can both go pro or go to college and the decision isn’t mutually exclusive. The blue bloods could potentially recruit a class of players that ends up taking their chance at the NBA and leaving the program they signed with flat footed. It would be too late at that point in the cycle for them to simply move to the next recruit and signing day would already be done so recruits couldn’t just back out.
 
#283      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Bust - I would have guessed Leon Smith and Sebastian Telfair.

Since lot of these guys had long NBA careers (+5 years) like Darius Miles Kwame Brwon I would say disappointment not bust.

Gotta take the draft class into account too.

DMiles wasn't good, but he came out of the worst draft of all time. The guys taken either side of him were Stromile Swift and Marcus Fizer.

Jonathan Bender on the other hand was the only guy in the top 10 of the 1999 draft who didn't become a legitimately great NBA player, the deepest top of a draft ever.
 
#285      
Pillarpost GIF by pillarandpostrealty

ILL
 
#286      
I am sure Skyy thinks he is NBA bound after 1 year. Its possible. He will be surrounded by great players.

It would be sweet to have Dra (4 star PG) signed for 2023 to replace him, and play with Jayden, Sencire, and Luke. Have to believe Brad will be looking at transfer portal as well.
 
#289      
This is cool to hear. Slater is usually super accurate.
"super accurate"?

You can probably cut and paste this comment about every visit by every recruit to every school. It's more a less an unprovable assertation unless we get that very very rare comment. "I didn't really like the visit."
 
#293      
I am sure Skyy thinks he is NBA bound after 1 year. Its possible. He will be surrounded by great players.

It would be sweet to have Dra (4 star PG) signed for 2023 to replace him, and play with Jayden, Sencire, and Luke. Have to believe Brad will be looking at transfer portal as well.
Thinks or dreams? A majority of Div.1 players actually dream of playing one year and then signing a 5 year/$50 of million contract with the Lakers.

But the reality is he will have to prove he can hit from 28 ft at about 40% accuracy and effectively defend guards most of whom will be UP TO 6 IN. taller.

We will all get a chance to see him and evaluate. To be a one and done, he needs to make a considerably more substantial contribution than Ayo as a junior....and that was a first team AA season.

I will be simply flabbergasted if that were to happen...but truly hope it does. Yet if I had to bet my life on his having that kind of season, I would be comfortable betting against it. Still hope it happens, but reality is about 99% against it.
 
#296      
Thinks or dreams? A majority of Div.1 players actually dream of playing one year and then signing a 5 year/$50 of million contract with the Lakers.

But the reality is he will have to prove he can hit from 28 ft at about 40% accuracy and effectively defend guards most of whom will be UP TO 6 IN. taller.

We will all get a chance to see him and evaluate. To be a one and done, he needs to make a considerably more substantial contribution than Ayo as a junior....and that was a first team AA season.

I will be simply flabbergasted if that were to happen...but truly hope it does. Yet if I had to bet my life on his having that kind of season, I would be comfortable betting against it. Still hope it happens, but reality is about 99% against it.
Like I said before I loved Ayo"s game and what he did and accomplished at the university but the fact of the matter is if he had half of Skyy's talent he would of been a lottery pick after his freshmen year. Skyy along with the rest of the Flying Illini this season is going to put on a show that we will never forget. Quit trying to compare and downplay this young man's gifts and enjoy the ride.
 
#297      
Illinois listed as one of the most involved with 2024 recruit Asa Newell, number 6 on Rivals and 247
Same article under Flory Bidunga:

“Expect all the bluebloods to get involved in addition to schools such as Bradley, Indiana and other regional powers.”

I’m confused as to what region (or decade) they are referring to
 
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