Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[21ChampaignSt]

unless you know what his ask was (or ballpark, minimally), you're in the speculation zone

It's just as speculative to assume that Brad saw red flags and booted him from the program, no? Like you said earlier (I think it was your post) we'll never know what actually went down.. so all we're left to do is speculate.

As for my speculation, I'm sure money was a big factor (isn't it always) but I doubt it was the root cause. I could picture a scenario where Jayden was just flat out not happy here so in order to stay somewhere he didn't want to be, he required to be paid above what last year's production may have warranted. And that's where the breakdown happened.

 

[Joel Goodson]

I'd pay Epps more than Shannon to play for us next year.

That's not what the marketplace currently says, I know. The marketplace also once said you should be paying tens of thousands of dollars for pictures of cartoon apes.

there's the S&C we know and love!

 

[LvilleILL]

I'd pay Epps more than Shannon to play for us next year.

 

[PIT_ILL]

Appreciate the ambition but seems a bit far off. I do get that you never want the coach or players to have a goal less than winning it all. Right now I would put it at top 4 B1G and second weekend as a W.

 

[LvilleILL]

The team will look really good when we are done with the roster construction. I promise y'all that

 

[altgeld88]

Northwestern home game - he sat on bench pouting while rest of the team stood up and cheered their teammates on... he lost respect then.

I went to bed instead of watching the second half. D'oh!!

 

[ChiefGritty]

I'm not sure what you can do to prioritize that and winning. I think moving forward, protecting and maintaining the brand of Illini basketball will take us farther than worrying about the long-term stability of the roster.
Guys want to play for a winner. Losing doesn't generate loyalty, even when guys get big minutes.
Winning attracts good players. As long as you have good players, you have a chance.

I'm sympathetic to this perspective.

BU also made the point in a recent interview about how Covid has expanded the age spread between the oldest players and true freshmen.

Domask, Tyger, RayJ, we're talking about guys who have played four full seasons of college basketball and will be 23 years old.

Those guys will be all over the place this offseason, then next offseason as well, and then they're gone forever.

So maybe this moment where there is an unprecedented and one-time availability for these older and more experienced players than have or ever will be in college basketball calls for a specialized team-building strategy that may not apply in the future. I do think some version of that is in BU's head.

All of that said, if our top 6 players are one-and-done NIL mercenaries who have never played for BU next year, I don't think any part of that story is going to be happy for us.

 

[MoCoMdIllini]

View attachment 25047

Gene Keady?

 

[Joel Goodson]

Yes I think it is going to be harder keeping Domask out of the starting lineup more than most people think. If we have someone who keeps him out of the starting lineup that would really bode well for us.

exactly the type of problem we want

 

[Oldskoolkoach]

And he was the majority of the reason they lost to a 16 seed … Young and inexperienced guard play doesn’t win big games in March …

So why would Brad run a freshman out there again when his veterans said if you do that then we’re not coming back ?

This isn’t hard guys … We’re bringing in a VETERAN PG … DGL will ride the freaking pine if he can’t guard … Brad does not care whether the kid stays or goes … He will replace him if he leaves and will coach him if he stays but next year Brad’s focus will not be on DGL …

Yes, sir! Wanna stay and be coached, stay. Wanna leave because you are a freshman in a man's game and think the grass will be greener and easier else well...next man up!

 

[The Galloping Ghost]

Projected lineups when we have 2 to 4 key contributors in flux never cease to crack me up.

 

[ChiefGritty]

The one thing we know for sure is that Shannon's value in 2024-25 and beyond is zero.

That variable is being under-weighted in these calculations, IMO.

 

[One Man Fast Break]

The team will look really good when we are done with the roster construction. I promise y'all that

Based on what? Even with Coleman back, we're heavily reliant on mid-major super seniors for offense.

 

[BretMyBeachHouse]

The team will look really good when we are done with the roster construction. I promise y'all that

No doubt.

Play good? Only time tells.

 

[Illini231]

Any chance DGL redshirts? I don't see a path to mins for him if you bring back TSJ and get a vet PG, as well as Harmon/Harris.

 

[Mobi]

If he bolts, he bolts. Who knows, maybe he'll see the value of a development year. Hope so.

I don't mind getting a player with upside but might bolt after 1st year. Cuz, if our roster constructs like the insiders suggest, always gonna be guys leaving. I am just curious how much these freshmen cost in terms of NIL if they are not top 30. I hope it's on the cheaper side.

 

[redwingillini11]

The team will look really good when we are done with the roster construction. I promise y'all that

 

[illini0440]

I'd pay Epps more than Shannon to play for us next year.

That's not what the marketplace currently says, I know. The marketplace also once said you should be paying tens of thousands of dollars for pictures of cartoon apes.

JFC

 

[jjniner]

I keep seeing here that DGL can’t play defense. If that is the case, then why did we recruit him?

 

[BretMyBeachHouse]

As to DGL.

There's a Grand Canyon of distance between not starting but getting some minutes and redshirting which involves working your !!! off in practice with no chance to play.

I went back and looked at the recruiting thread when committed. No hint of redshirt.

 

[NarrowJ]

The one thing we know for sure is that Shannon's value in 2024-25 and beyond is zero.

That variable is being under-weighted in these calculations, IMO.

Good thing we're only paying him for 23-24 (maybe) and not 24-25 then?

 

[Future Insider]

Can you imagine the teams Lou and Jimmy could have assembled if they add NIL back in the 80s.

 

[CoalCity]

And he was the majority of the reason they lost to a 16 seed … Young and inexperienced guard play doesn’t win big games in March …

So why would Brad run a freshman out there again when his veterans said if you do that then we’re not coming back ?

This isn’t hard guys … We’re bringing in a VETERAN PG … DGL will ride the freaking pine if he can’t guard … Brad does not care whether the kid stays or goes … He will replace him if he leaves and will coach him if he stays but next year Brad’s focus will not be on DGL …

Amazing that this is so difficult for people to comprehend especially when you explain it like they're 5. Repeatedly.

 

[CoalCity]

So what’s Brad’s focus for this year then?

Winning

 

[ChiefGritty]

As to DGL.

There's a Grand Canyon of distance between not starting but getting some minutes and redshirting which involves working your !!! off in practice with no chance to play.

I went back and looked at the recruiting thread when committed. No hint of redshirt.

One way in which the "only one free transfer" rule plays into this.

If free transfers were unlimited, and DGL wanted to bail after sitting on the bench for a year at Illinois, a pretty smart move would be to drop down to a mid major, produce some big numbers, and then trampoline back to a major conference school in a year or two for major NIL bucks.

If the second transfer comes with a sit-out year attached, that's a much trickier prospect.

With the marketplace as it's developing, a high school player really ought to be thinking about where they can immediately put up significant numbers above all else, just from a financial perspective.