Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[ChiefGritty]

Jalen Shelley, Link Academy , Small Forward

Jalen Shelley is a 6-8, 175-pound Small Forward from Frisco, TX.

247sports.com

Was going to ask whether another HS recruit was a possibility with all this churn everywhere.

 

[illini0440]

Would a sports psychologist help? I'm being serious. Many professional golfers now employ one.

I think if he was a good shooter previously and fell off then maybe. But he’s never been a good shooter

 

[ChiefGritty]

I think if he was a good shooter previously and fell off then maybe. But he’s never been a good shooter

There is a guy who developed a credible 3 point shot and thereby became a dramatically more valuable player on our very coaching staff for Ty to talk to!

 

[illiniwil]

You could say that for 348 Div basketball schools. There is only one Edey and one Clingan which is why they are both All Americans,

Absolutely, that's why a 5 who can run the court, block shots and be a decent 3 point shooter to
pull the other big man away from the basket is what we need and findable. We might have
one of that kid already on the team. i wish he was 2-3 inches taller. That's why Coleman was so
valuable, too bad he didn't have a little post game.

 

[Bbuck21]

Hope things work out great with bigs for next year but I for one think we missed it with Dain. In my opinion he was the most skilled big man on the court in most of the games he played in. He made an immediate impact often and was dominant at times. He has incredible post moves for his size. I didn't observe him being a problem defensively. Actually, it seemed he was our best post up defender who had the strength to body up against other bigs. I wish him well!

Really?

 

[DReq]

Shelley looks like a guy who truly needs to retain the law firm of Fletcher & Sanderson and spend a year in the weight room. I worry about the comments that he is sometimes reluctant to play with a high motor. That can be just a HS kid who doesn't have to work too hard to be a star. That changes for him next year.

 

[TampaToo]

There is a guy who developed a credible 3 point shot and thereby became a dramatically more valuable player on our very coaching staff for Ty to talk to!

So you’re saying Ty might be able offer some offense by his senior year?

 

[illiniwil]

What does this mean?

there's pretty player at Okla St in the portal?

 

[Ryllini]

Love Ty but his inability to shoot is a big problem in him seeing the floor in the future

Absolutely agree. Before he can shoot, I hope he works on finishing around the rim and give me a floater.

 

[aaeismacgychel]

If everything plays out like they want I have a hard time seeing Ty starting next year

Sigh... Welp, I guess bye Ty, bye Amani, bye Sencire... I don't know why high school recruits would want to put up with this unless it's solely to train and use the facilities to be a more effective transfer to another program. In the portal the grass is always greener I guess. I just don't know how sustainable this approach will be- when you're averaging 4 new starters every single year, I just think at some point it's going to affect continuity, chemistry, and leadership. Brand new world, I know, but recruiting over every homegrown talent year after year just doesn't sit all that great with me.

 

[illini0440]

Sigh... Welp, I guess bye Ty, bye Amani, bye Sencire... I don't know why high school recruits would want to put up with this unless it's solely to train and use the facilities to be a more effective transfer to another program. In the portal the grass is always greener I guess. I just don't know how sustainable this approach will be- when you're averaging 4 new starters every single year, I just think at some point it's going to affect continuity, chemistry, and leadership. Brand new world, I know, but recruiting over every homegrown talent year after year just doesn't sit all that great with me.

Ty and Amani are leaving?

The staffs job is to put together the best possible roster every year. Doesn’t matter where those players come from.

 

[IllinialuminAZ]

Sigh... Welp, I guess bye Ty, bye Amani, bye Sencire... I don't know why high school recruits would want to put up with this unless it's solely to train and use the facilities to be a more effective transfer to another program. In the portal the grass is always greener I guess. I just don't know how sustainable this approach will be- when you're averaging 4 new starters every single year, I just think at some point it's going to affect continuity, chemistry, and leadership. Brand new world, I know, but recruiting over every homegrown talent year after year just doesn't sit all that great with me.

 

[ChiefGritty]

Ty did start and play major minutes this season as a nominal point guard for the #2 offense in the country without attempting a single three pointer.

He makes things difficult for us and has zero NBA future if he's a total non-shooter, but let's not entirely lose a sense of perspective here. We want and will get a lot of Ty Rodgers next year.

 

[illiniwil]

Dude can hoop, but I feel like he would just be a sideshow at UI. He should stay in the MVC or a similar conference.

No disrespect intended.

he's a great watch but Seton Hall showed what a higher level can do to him.

 

[DReq]

Sigh... Welp, I guess bye Ty, bye Amani, bye Sencire... I don't know why high school recruits would want to put up with this unless it's solely to train and use the facilities to be a more effective transfer to another program. In the portal the grass is always greener I guess. I just don't know how sustainable this approach will be- when you're averaging 4 new starters every single year, I just think at some point it's going to affect continuity, chemistry, and leadership. Brand new world, I know, but recruiting over every homegrown talent year after year just doesn't sit all that great with me.

I guess by homegrown talent you mean Sencire (Ohio), Amani (Maryland) and Ty (Michigan)? It seems you are mixing your complaint in a way that doesn't work. We could return to the days of going only for local players and waiting for them to develop but while we are developing them, they are slipping out the portal elsewhere. BU is working with the system as it has to be in the current set of rules. I see that you don't like the system but it is how the game is played. Like (apparently) the stationary screen the old way is gone. Survive and advance.

 

[illini0440]

Ty did start and play major minutes this season as a nominal point guard for the #2 offense in the country without attempting a single three pointer.

He makes things difficult for us and has zero NBA future if he's a total non-shooter, but let's not entirely lose a sense of perspective here. We want and will get a lot of Ty Rodgers next year.

Domask was the PG for 3/4s of the season. Domask and a transfer would assume that role again next year. If he gets a waiver

 

[Actually...]

There is a guy who developed a credible 3 point shot and thereby became a dramatically more valuable player on our very coaching staff for Ty to talk to!

Whoa whoa whoa, our coaches haven't talked to Ty about shooting yet ?? No wonder he can't shoot !

 

[illiniwil]

i want

CLIFF OMORUYI.​

do we have a shot?

 

[Wrightandjohnstreet]

would've helped against Uconn haha. Maybe we don't want to live in the midrange, but having a competent midrange game is very much an important piece of being able to win in multiple ways.

 

[ChiefGritty]

Domask was the PG for 3/4s of the season. Domask and a transfer would assume that role again next year. If he gets a waiver

True that Domask was the real and increasingly orthodox PG as the season went along, but Rodgers was a perimeter player in most of the lineups he was in nonetheless, and we were not just good enough but elite offensively. And then you get into all of the rebounding/defense he brings.

He desperately needs to add a jump shot. But there's a major role for him in college even if he doesn't.

(I really hope the staff isn't wasting their time worrying about the lineup/scholarship implications of the Domask waiver)

 

[Battle89]

This is an example of today’s portaling chaos definitely saying without saying it’s not about the academics for these guys. I know, I know, old fashioned, but I raised my kids that academics come first, sports second. That is now gone, it appears. Now it’s a business. Just sad in a way, but I get it.

Was thinking similarly this morning. I know the student / athlete connection to academics gets more tenuous every year, but does anyone care about the degree anymore? (Outside of Luke who has been discussed here.) Not everyone is going to make a career playing basketball, though NIL now allows the very good to grab some decent money early in their work life.

I suppose it's a good thing that Illinois basketball has evolved to to the point that just about everyone on the roster thinks they WILL make a lot of money playing basketball, mostly overseas and with the occasional (or more?) NBA player. And if it's a grad transfer I feel better, happy that some do get a quality degree from Illinois. But these jump-every-year guys are pure mercenaries.

 

[azillini1]

Not sure where to place this, but there sure is some talent in the Monte Verde vs Paul VI high school championship. Some of these players look like they are in college, especially Monte Verde. Duke and UCONN getting a few of these top players.

 

[illiniwil]

as a beat up illini fan, i get the feeling Domask would get that waiver if we were a blue blood.

 

[CleverHandle1]

I think Ty can be very valuable for next year's team. I think he can take his guy one-on-one, and score that pivot layup or baby hook. He'd be more effective if he could develop the center-lane turnaround shot or fade away from the low-post block.

When BU gets a PG, obviously, there will be less pressure on Ty on handling the ball, so he can focus on rebounds, hustle plays, defending, screens and rolling to the basket for a layup. However, if a team presses, we know Ty can handle the ball effectively, as proven this year.

If he's not starting, then to me, BU and staff have assembled a Top 15 team. In the end, whether he's starting or not, if he can contribute like I mentioned above, I'd be happy with that. He does still need to finish around the rim better.

This is assuming he'll not develop an effective three-point shot. Just imagine, though, when he's left alone beyond that arc, he can average 2-3 three-pointers' a game--a tall task, indeed.

 

[IlliniShelt]

Sigh... Welp, I guess bye Ty, bye Amani, bye Sencire... I don't know why high school recruits would want to put up with this unless it's solely to train and use the facilities to be a more effective transfer to another program. In the portal the grass is always greener I guess. I just don't know how sustainable this approach will be- when you're averaging 4 new starters every single year, I just think at some point it's going to affect continuity, chemistry, and leadership. Brand new world, I know, but recruiting over every homegrown talent year after year just doesn't sit all that great with me.

You realize every other team is trying to upgrade talent too, right?