Oh my Gosh. I forgot Perrin. Double wow!
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Who'd trade Hansberry for James Brown? The answer graph is radically different than it was a few months ago.
Yeah, it helps a lot that we already have 6' 9" (or taller) guys in the fold. But still.
Yeah, it helps a lot that we already have 6' 9" (or taller) guys in the fold. But still.
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Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
When kids like this are on the table (not saying he's a lock or anything close), it's easy to understand why we cooled on Nojus.
My reaction as well --that's a combo? Can't recall the last time I saw a highlight of someone labeled a combo that could show off handles like that.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Labels are labels, right? lol
Epps was labeled a CG and he's morphing into a scoring PG very nicely. That clip on Swartz is long enough to see that he could handle a primary ball handler role, at least part time. Versatility is a huge factor and he's bringing it.
As Indy said, D is the big question.
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Patrick School, yep he's a great fit.
Instead of 5 out, we will be running "4 in," can you imagine the mismatches that will cause! The one guard on the floor better have good escapability
Imagine the amount of threes the other team would shoot...
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
I like the chip, the edge & the joy and passion:
Dra and his camp know Underwood isn't gonna brook BS. I legit think he's gonna compete his rear off and not be a problem. The Nico - Dra battle will be interesting.
Dra and his camp know Underwood isn't gonna brook BS. I legit think he's gonna compete his rear off and not be a problem. The Nico - Dra battle will be interesting.
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Perrin, hansberry, and MJ have some athleticism. They can guard the perimeter and change many a shot
I love seeing athleticism. But, I prefer players with "game" (I think thats the phrase). Players that see and play the game of BB. Players with BB skills. Having both is the best. There is no good reason for me to post this, and I hope it doesn't offend anbody, but IMHO I always think of Myers Leonard. I thought, "What an athletic specimen but he's not a BB player"
...suspiciously low release point on that jump shot.
I think a good word is "moxie." Epps certainly has it. Not a run-jump athletic marvel, but just finds a way to get it done. In the videos I've seen of Hansberry, he also seems to fit that profile. Doesn't jump out of the gym, but is very skilled.
Morez Johnson might have both high-level athleticism and BB skills.
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
Middle name has to be just an "A."#3 has an interesting name…
I’d like to ‘meet’ him!
This kid is a double double machine,he might be in contention to be selected as a burger boy next year.
DB11Headband
- Chicago Burbs
Imagine thinking JB is the best prospect on that team
Epps has that intangible "it factor". I've been thinking that Andre Feliz is a good comparable for him. He's a better 3-point shooter, but Feliz was a wizard getting to the rim for the and-1. With luck we can watch Epps and Harris develop over the next few years into a great tandem.
Felix knew how to go up into the body of a bigger defender and bounce off to get space for his shot, and often and and-1 call.. He was an artist.
billybaroo
- Pebble Beach, CA
There is a sense among college coaches and athletes that the game needs to be played fast and furious. But few, if any, are able to play without myriad blunders at frenetic pace. As a grade school kid, I use to watch games snowy broadcasts from Indianapolis that covered Crispus Attucks High School and their boy wonder....Oscar ( if you need a last name, you truly are not a basketball fan). Then when he got to Cincinnati, I was able to see him in action occasionally on national TV. Subsequently, I marveled as he matured as a pro for the Royals. Oscar never played at a frenetic pace....but he ALWAYS played under control and knew what to do and executed in EVERY situation. Though he did not move like a hunted rabbit as many of today's players remind me, he could blow past just about anyone when he needed to do so, seldom took a shot that was not on balance and did not hit mostly inside the cylinder, and was never defended by a player who knew if he was going to shoot, drive, or pass.
The point is, knowing what and when the best reaction should be is a skill learned by smart guys playing the game and smart coaches communicating the game. And players do not need to move so fast that they cannot control their body or the ball. Having seen what both Felix and Curbelo could do inside 10 ft. should be proof that being under control and ready to react to opportunity is the key.
We have a group of freshmen (and I personally include DD) that show they have intrinsic knowledge of and comfort with the game not commonly seen in college freshmen. They have grown before our eyes and have all contributed to victories. Next year we will see a team that may have only one sr. and another group of frosh we will be eager to see. Let's hope they bring an understanding of the game much like "The Big O" and can maybe play more under control and with purpose and confidence with which this frosh class has been blessed...and let's hope they can double the FT% of the current frosh!!!
His athleticism is readily apparent and it's awesome to see. The one thing I worry about in seeing his recent highlights is that if you replaced the kids with traffic cones in most of the clips you'd see about the same level of defense. Glad to see him finish through contact in the second half of those highlights, but I do have to wonder if there's any concern from Brad's team that the quality level of the defense he's facing isn't going to remotely prepare him for ball at the college level. Generally freshman have a tough time adapting as it is to college defense and offense, but this seems like a much larger gap than what I've seen from our other recruits highlights.
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