Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[Second place is 1st loser]

Losing to Loyola, not making it to the second weekend with a 1 seed? One and done this year? Flirting with other jobs this April? Failing (thus far) to fill a gaping need for a point guard this off-season?

At the very least, there’s a strike 1 in there.

I like the guy, but the results haven’t lived up to the hype for awhile now.

I know, I know, most wins in the B1G over the past four years… At some point, it’s gonna take more than that.

One would say the being a #1 seed to begin with, after where this program came from....would eliminate any strikes there(though disappointing).

Flirting with other jobs just means that he's coveted by other programs and given what's going on with NIL and the portal.....you'd be nuts to give anybody and outright no.

The PG situation, I am, to this point, disappointed. Like I said, if they finish 7th and go to the NIT because of an inability to land a PG, he gets a strike. If we go to the Final Four, he gets unlimited strikes and a lifetime extension.

You're pushing off having the most wins in the conference like it's some forgone conclusion that we should be better than the rest of the teams in the conference. What you've whittled this to is that you don't care if we're one of the "last four in" as long as we win one more game in the tournament.

 

[Tevo]

I'm a HUGE BU fan. I'm thankful that he got the program out of the disaster that it was in. We're nationally relevant again. That said, the PG position, last year, was the undoing of that team. Our top two returners were banking on a veteran PG to be put in place to navigate this season. It world be INCREDIBLY disheartening if we going into this season worse off than we were last season at the point. That seemed unfathomable, yet here we are.

The lack of any sort of team play or cohesion was the undoing of the team. And it made the lack of an individual playmaker more glaring. But adding a good passing point guard to last year's team would not have suddenly solved all the problems. It's nice to imagine that a PG solves everything and a lack of one means complete failure, but the other 4 guys on the floor, and the guys on the bench, as especially the grown up calling plays and hopefully developing the team chemistry, have a lot more to do with the team's success than the single starting PG.

 

[Illiniam1984]

View attachment 26422Much like the RayJ situation there’s conflicting reports on Illini’s involvement with Reeves/Mulcahy which means people are being told different things from those camps. Never a good sign.

Delete

 

[The-chiefs-chief88]

I believe mulcahy will wind up taking his talent to UK- wherever he goes he will be a great addition- leaning Kentucky-

 

[socalini]

What you've whittled this to is that you don't care if we're one of the "last four in" as long as we win one more game in the tournament.

You're somewhat correct, although "one more game" is definitely not what I'm looking for. We've played at a really high level many times in my life, but I want what everyone else does - An Illini National Championship. If UConn can do it 4 times in the last couple of decades, we've got at least 1 in us. If we're not moving toward that, then we're moving away from it. It felt like we were getting close recently, but I'm not sure I feel that way at this point going into next season.

 

[LvilleILL]

So no Mulcahy, possibly won’t have Harmon, Reeves may go elsewhere, and it’s pg by committee for next year. I’ll support the team regardless but Underwood’s seat is warming up if this doesn’t work.

If Harmon leaves they will add someone, whether it's Reeves or not

 

[Ramrod2010]

Skyy, too, until he quit on us. It was a double whammy

 

[Illiniam1984]

 

[illini0440]

So if it’s not Mulcahy, what other players currently in the portal or who could be in the portal liked what BU “said in the handshake line?”

Tyger?

That tweet was just a joke

 

[BWA]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1667543295705137153

He looks like he’s improved a ton since he committed

 

[tenaciousD]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1667708121089728515

Anyone else find it odd to see DGL on this list from Ant?

 

[FrankNitty30]

Sergio, at PG, was not "a much better version of Rodgers"

I know right!?!?!?!?

 

[illiniguy24]

They did kick the tires. It was not as well received as they originally thought it would be. Don't think he's staying in conference

May be the one time I can say “told ya” lol just couldn’t see him stay in conf. Anything is poss. now though

 

[skyIdub]

Long time listener.....1 millionth call....So....no RayJ....no Paul...an injured transfer...and instead of crashing the boards for 7 RPG, we are going to depend on Ty to find 4 APG and at least the threat of a shot from 15+ feet?

I'll hang up and start drinking.

 

[illini0440]

Long time listener.....1 millionth call....So....no RayJ....no Paul...an injured transfer...and instead of crashing the boards for 7 RPG, we are going to depend on Ty to find 4 APG and at least the threat of a shot from 15+ feet?

I'll hang up and start drinking.

Ty can still crash the boards….

 

[Kendall Gill’s Uncle]

Imo terrible move by staff to not go after Paul. Fits what we need way more than Reeves.

What are you hearing about why they’re doing that?

 

[illiniguy24]

Ty can still crash the boards….

Is the staff confident everyone can switch on defense? Ty crashing the O glass could create mismatches, pick and roll against him could as well. Staff has to be confident in that or at least convincing themselves they are

 

[RabidDawgClassic]

Sergio, at PG, was not "a much better version of Rodgers"

Anyone who honestly remembers the disaster that was the 1998-99 season remembers that Sergio at point was abysmal. It’s why walk on Nate Mast took over the role as the season progressed

 

[skyIdub]

Ty can still crash the boards….

Oh agreed...and I'm tired and full of brisket and cornbread so I may be a little cranky...but I could easily see Ty at 7 rpg OR 4 apg as a Soph.....but if he averages both of those...and 8ish ppg.....he's approaching All B1G land.

And I'll just say this....we likely aren't winning the B1G...or going past the 2nd weekend without the PG position averaging 8ppg and 4apg.
That is a lot to expect from the group it seems we will be depending on.

 

[illini0440]

Is the staff confident everyone can switch on defense? Ty crashing the O glass could create mismatches, pick and roll against him could as well. Staff has to be confident in that or at least convincing themselves they are

They can switch when Coleman plays the 5. Ty also won’t guard the other teams 1 or 2. Will probably guard their 3 or 4

 

[illini0440]

What are you hearing about why they’re doing that?

Go to my next post after the one you quoted

 

[Mojoman]

Anyone who honestly remembers the disaster that was the 1998-99 season remembers that Sergio at point was abysmal. It’s why walk on Nate Mast took over the role as the season progressed

Mast played 9 minutes a game.

My point is Sergio was a lot better player overall than Rodgers and it didn't work. It's not likely going to work with Rodgers. He is a 3. Nice guy off the bench.
Staff can't go from PG is our biggest need to a week later we now have it covered.

That said we are still better than last year which was torture to watch.
Upper half of BT, 6/7 seed.
Might make it out of first weekend.

 

[BryceHopkins]

There's always a place for more three-point shooting, especially in a spread-motion attack that is specifically designed to produce open looks from three.

Illinois has some decent shooters, but no knock-down 3-point shooters.

Can I love your well informed takes but also hate your stinging truths simultaneously?

 

[BryceHopkins]

Sergio, at PG, was not "a much better version of Rodgers"

I LOVED Sergio as a player, but Sergio at PG was a freaking disaster

 

[OneTime3]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1667708121089728515

Anyone else find it odd to see DGL on this list from Ant?

I said it in one of the other threads - I feel like the last few seasons we've had a guy or two that we were convinced were going to be amazing in the upcoming season, all hyped up, and they just didn't deliver (or didn't even play). So it only makes sense to me, that DGL, the one everyone has been like, "Yeah he'll be on the bench all year, probably transfer after that," is going to be great as our starting PG all year.