I'm still working to provide a response in the other thread, for now here's today's new thread. Go Illini!
You famously cannot yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater.
Live video of Dan @ the old thread
Maybe someone should have yelled fire sooner
I think it's always been the case that some of these kids will post that they've had an offer when really it's just the coaches showing interest in getting tape or talking to them more and seeing how they develop. "We could see you at Illinois if you do such and such, and keep developing like this...."So here's a recruiting related question for the insiders, Underwood clearly uses the shotgun approach for recruiting. We just recently offered a dozen kids from 2025 and 2026. These guys are all over the place. So do we actually have a connection to any of these guys or is it simply, hey kid saw you play, you looked great, here's an offer?
No. It's me today.Not Paul?
I really enjoyed the insight provided.What was lost in the last thread before all of the whining was @FrankNitty30's insightful, behind the curtains, how the sausage is made, first team All Valley post on NIL. And then we proved yet again why we can't have nice things.
There's a subtle message in that GIF: always aim directly at the base of the fire, or it's not particularly effective. The U of I FD actually taught me that when it staged a "practice using a fire extinguisher" demo on the quad just outside the Union. Nearly 40 years later I vividly remember wielding that thing like a bad a$$ after proper instruction.
Live video of Dan @ the old thread
Maybe someone should have yelled fire sooner
Illinois kids no longer stay home. ESPN and internet changed everything. We have to recruit nationwide to get talent.So here's a recruiting related question for the insiders, Underwood clearly uses the shotgun approach for recruiting. We just recently offered a dozen kids from 2025 and 2026. These guys are all over the place. So do we actually have a connection to any of these guys or is it simply, hey kid saw you play, you looked great, here's an offer?
I've been a little frustrated, whereas in the past we'd bring up the list of top instate players and that would comprise the majority of our wishlist, now the kids are all over. Where did all the Illinois talent go? I know the talent is dispersing to prep schools, but that ties into the question above, are some of these kids we offered in California actually Illinois guys that moved like Boswell, or Illinois guys that went to a prep school?
We've either missed or passed on a lot of local players. 2023 could be an interesting class to watch. We basically told Fears no thanks, we didn't really pursue Dai Dai Ames, it would certainly be nice to have one of them coming to help at PG. Felt like there was maybe not the warm and fuzzies with the Christie's and Illinois, but then you've also got Macaleab Rich, Brock Harding, Owen Freeman, and Asa Thomas none of which we really pursued that hard all going to P6 schools. Then in 2024 we missed or passed on all but Morez. In 2025 and 2026 haven't even seen many local offers.
There's a subtle message in that GIF: always aim directly at the base of the fire, or it's not particularly effective. The U of I FD actually taught me that when it staged a "practice using a fire extinguisher" demo on the quad just outside the Union. Nearly 40 years later I vividly remember wielding that thing like a bad a$$ after proper instruction.
Basketball was not involved at any time. Sorry.
[BTW, I detoxed from the Hoops Recruiting thread for several days. Just caught up on yesterday's exchanges. Wow.]