Do you really expect people to trust someone who flies WN?I am getting my bags here at baggage claim at Love field in Dallas. I do not see Rayj, but there is at least one AAU EYBL team getting their bags. There are some tall dudes.
Do you really expect people to trust someone who flies WN?I am getting my bags here at baggage claim at Love field in Dallas. I do not see Rayj, but there is at least one AAU EYBL team getting their bags. There are some tall dudes.
I'm torn right now over whether I want Hawkins and Shannon back. In favor, I say let's run it back and try to do it better. I love both players' demeanors. I firmly believe they are committed to the team, willing to run through a wall, and improving day to day. I want them to succeed so bad.
On the other hand, part of me is ready to move on from Hawkins following up a game-changing play with a technical foul, a pass out of bounds, and step-back 25-foot jumper as the shot clock expires... and from Shannon driving to the hoop and dribbling off his knee or picking up his dribble into a 2-defender trap on the block with no clear outlet in sight.
After putting three kids through college I am shocked I have gas money to go to work some days the way inflation has been. Number three graduates with her masters next weekend, we are driving to Knoxville for that.Do you really expect people to trust someone who flies WN?
Here's the thing... There is virtually no chance we get better players than TSJ or Coleman to replace them should they stay in the draft. Guys who are clearly better than them will stay in as well.I'm going to end up being excited and engaged by whatever final roster and team narrative we have going into next season, but...
I'm torn right now over whether I want Hawkins and Shannon back. In favor, I say let's run it back and try to do it better. I love both players' demeanors. I firmly believe they are committed to the team, willing to run through a wall, and improving day to day. I want them to succeed so bad.
On the other hand, part of me is ready to move on from Hawkins following up a game-changing play with a technical foul, a pass out of bounds, and step-back 25-foot jumper as the shot clock expires... and from Shannon driving to the hoop and dribbling off his knee or picking up his dribble into a 2-defender trap on the block with no clear outlet in sight.
I really missed Ayo's big moment competence last year when we were squandering momentum and coming up just short in games that would have advanced us in the tournaments, given us a better seeding, or solidified a ranking. Maybe the transfer shooters WILL fix some problems. Hawkins staying in the draft, though, and an additional transfer center like Udeh or Cisse to split minutes with Dainja at the 5 would be kinda fun, in the way a new toy is. Would we win more games without Hawkins? I'm not sure.
I hope to see both Hawkins and Shannon playing in the NBA before too long, whether or not they're Illini next year.
I'd love both back - not sure who would be harder to replace. That said, the most important of the 3 is RayJ (or some other quality PG).It'll be hard to find a replacement for what TSJ does in the transfer portal. There are a lot more options for a stretch 4/big. That's why we should all want Shannon, Jr. back next season more than Hawkins (and I'd like to see him back, as well).
I'd be very happy with that scenario. I'd love Coleman back too, but two out of three would be great.
Rn if I had to guess:
RayJ commits in the next week or so to Illinois
Coleman stays in the draft
Shannon comes back
We add another big in the portal once Coleman makes his final choice
I like CH and he does a lot of things well for his size. This idea that he is lock down defender of anyone on the floor is a myth. We had multiple guys have career games against us this year.Don’t really see this. 6’10” shot blocker who can guard anyone is the unicorn. So much talk about his turnovers and he had 81 vs TJ’s 80. Offensive efficiency 50.7 vs 51.1. If TJ could go to his right and hit the mid range jumper it would be a different story but he turns the ball over on offensive fouls by forcing it to the left and he doesn’t handle it well enough to play the point. Want TJ back but if only 1 it would be Hawk with my vote.
It means if we win 2 games, there are 2 weekends in the Dance. If we win 4 games, there are 3. I hope that clears up any ambiguity.As always, thanks for the input/s.
However, would be curious to find out what this could/would mean in terms of weekends in The Dance.
I agree. He's certainly a quality versatile defender, but probably not "lockdown" at defending any specific position.I like CH and he does a lot of things well for his size. This idea that he is lock down defender of anyone on the floor is a myth. We had multiple guys have career games against us this year.
Don’t really see this. 6’10” shot blocker who can guard anyone is the unicorn. So much talk about his turnovers and he had 81 vs TJ’s 80. Offensive efficiency 50.7 vs 51.1. If TJ could go to his right and hit the mid range jumper it would be a different story but he turns the ball over on offensive fouls by forcing it to the left and he doesn’t handle it well enough to play the point. Want TJ back but if only 1 it would be Hawk with my vote.
Neither Shannon nor Hawkins is the clutch star that Ayo was. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't help us next year. Looking at who we have, they would absolutely be two of our five best players. So you want them back.I'm torn right now over whether I want Hawkins and Shannon back. In favor, I say let's run it back and try to do it better. I love both players' demeanors. I firmly believe they are committed to the team, willing to run through a wall, and improving day to day. I want them to succeed so bad.
On the other hand, part of me is ready to move on from Hawkins following up a game-changing play with a technical foul, a pass out of bounds, and step-back 25-foot jumper as the shot clock expires... and from Shannon driving to the hoop and dribbling off his knee or picking up his dribble into a 2-defender trap on the block with no clear outlet in sight.
I really missed Ayo's big moment competence last year when we were squandering momentum and coming up just short in games that would have advanced us in the tournaments, given us a better seeding, or solidified a ranking. Maybe the transfer shooters WILL fix some problems. Hawkins staying in the draft, though, and an additional transfer center like Udeh or Cisse to split minutes with Dainja at the 5 would be kinda fun, in the way a new toy is. Would we win more games without Hawkins? I'm not sure.
You mean the show where he pretty much bombed, spent a lot of time interacting with a heckler and only really got laughs when he did his old classic material? I was there. It was kind of a trainwreck, sadly. I was so pumped for the show. Also it was at the Congress.I was trying to find a Hedberg-donut-receipt joke gif but I guess it doesn't exist. Nice job posting the video though haha that guy was amazing. I saw him at the Chicago Theatre about a month before he passed.
You mean the show where he pretty much bombed, spent a lot of time interacting with a heckler and only really got laughs when he did his old classic material? I was there. It was kind of a trainwreck, sadly. I was so pumped for the show. Also it was at the Congress.
Well I don't know the identities of the insiders, but I can guarantee you that they are not time travelers or psychics.As always, thanks for the input/s.
However, would be curious to find out what this could/would mean in terms of weekends in The Dance.
“No one knows what it means but it’s provocative! Gets the people going!”
Spot on. The people who are concerned about his turnovers and tough shot selection need to realize that a large portion of those issues were because we didn’t have a true point guard.Here's the thing... There is virtually no chance we get better players than TSJ or Coleman to replace them should they stay in the draft. Guys who are clearly better than them will stay in as well.
The best-case scenario for next year's team is that they return.
Would we win more games with someone other than Hawkins? Almost certainly not. He knows the scheme, knows the coaches, knows the players, and does a thousand little things during games that help the team win.
Well, I'm ready for November now.