Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[TampaToo]

Brad right now

I think you have him confused with JOE. We’ve been told several time Brad’s been cookin’.

 

[turnaround3]

There's obviously still a ways down the portal hole to go but as currently constituted, what do we think the top 3-4 teams in the B1G are next year based purely on raw talent level right now?

Alphabetically: Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Rutgers? Sparty in there? Someone else?

 

[The Galloping Ghost]

Not sure of the right place to post this. I’ve been thinking about where the sport is and how/if this all ends. I mean what is happening is sort of the only way it can go given the (lack of) rules. Once you are on the portal merry go round you have an abnormal number of open slots each year, more that would be wise to fill with HS recruits. So you go shopping the portal. Of course you’re going to go after the best players you can find and when you have 5 slots open, you’re going to recruit nearly every position every time. When you are an elite program those are going to be as good or better than most of your younger players. So some of them leave including players not even on campus yet. What are you to do but go back to the portal? That means you’ll likely have even more open spots the next year and hit the portal even harder.. eventually you get to near 100% turnover. How do you break the cycle?!

I appreciate Chester and respect that he took a stand for the promises he made to his recruits. I just don’t see how this goes any other way unless you are willing to eat an underperforming year starting a lot of young talent.. that’s an unlikely path for elite programs. Anyone see it any other way?

The thing is, you can give freshmen starting roles and they will still leave, including during the middle of the season. BU is pragmatic. He's gonna do what he needs to do to win. He's going to adapt to the system presented to him. It's somewhat ruthless, but frankly, that ruthlessness is working both ways.

 

[I-L-L 1318]

Goodman just said on Twitter Ballo's asking price was rumored to be 1.2 mill

 

[FrankNitty30]

Agree. If I was being put on blast for two straight days, I'd take a hiatus too. Prior to Sunday, I never used the ignore feature. Since Sunday, four times.

Worst feature on this board.

 

[turnaround3]

I'm not going to edit it again but Illinois should've been before Indiana alphabetically. L, in fact, comes before N in the alphabet.

Carry on.

 

[Trueblue777]

Wasn’t Marcus Domask ranked 84th last year? Point I’m trying to make is rankings don’t mean much this time of year.

 

[BBlock24]

still on campus. will likely know more later tonight

Thanks for the update!

 

[OB positive]

We got a good one in Boswell at the point gaurd but the waiting is killing me. We still need a top 2, 4 and 5 in the portal. If we don't get a big 5 we will get punished this year in the Big. I know things are in the works and we are supposed to be patient but it's starting to feel like Ray Jay all over again.

 

[soupy17]

Indiana getting the #1 player in the portal along with the #1 PG in the portal and we’re sitting here waiting on the 93rd ranked player Dante Maddox

Last year Indiana got a big who was the #2 player in 247's portal while we got a guard who was 84th ranked. Worked out ok for us.

 

[BradUnderwoodLover]

Don’t forget we are going to get beat out by Xavier for him.

Lol the sad part is it wouldn’t even be that big of a loss

 

[AirNeazy]

Worst feature on this board.

You seem awfully mad that people can choose to filter what they see and don't want to see on a message board.

 

[Los5000]

So ,who cares what other teams do ,brad and staff have did enough for me to trust the process

Indiana getting the #1 player in the portal along with the #1 PG in the portal and we’re sitting here waiting on the 93rd ranked player Dante Madd

 

[FGCUIllini]

"Eh, it's probably another Bluey."

My favorite episode.

My two girls, and if I am being honest, me as well, LOVE BLUEY!! They do a great job of dropping adult humor into each episode, which goes straight over my girls heads, but that I find hilarious.

 

[BradUnderwoodLover]

Last year Indiana got a big who was the #2 player in 247's portal while we got a guard who was 84th ranked. Worked out ok for us.

I mean yeah I agree but Ware worked out pretty well for them too

 

[ChiefGritty]

The thing is, you can give freshmen starting roles and they will still leave

Not if you give them the top NIL billing that they haven't played enough to "earn" yet.

Is that the best way to build a program? Very possibly not. There might be different right answers for different programs. We're fighting our way through the unknown for now the best way BU knows how, and are doing tremendously well so far.

But it's not rocket science. You will get the roster stability you pay for.

 

[Oldskoolkoach]

Someone tell me brads cooking even if he isn’t I just need to feel something

Saw him flipping ribeye's and pork burgers at the corner of E and Very Day Guy Streets this afternoon.

 

[pruman91]

I promise this isn’t sour grapes, but I really don’t understand how Ballo is the top rated transfer. I think he’s really good, but to me he is a really poor man’s Kofi. The times I’ve watched him his hands have been suspect and he just seems a little clumsy and uncoordinated, and also doesn’t process things quickly and isn’t a great passer. And he clogs up driving lanes. The LaTulip film room on Boswell (if you aren’t a premium subscriber on 247, highly recommend) just reinforced that to me…Ballo just really limits the style that you can play in, much Kofi. Now Kofi was so efficient and physically dominant it was worth playing that 4 out O/ drop D style. But even if Ballo is 75% of Kofi (and I doubt that), not sure the juice is worth the squeeze.

But if you are completely opposed to spacing, 3 pointers and pretty much the entire modern basketball ecosystem, probably a great fit.

I think ballo and re-new will find it hard to co-exist in the paint......but that's my hope and JMHO.....

 

[BackThatPassUp]

Indiana getting the #1 player in the portal along with the #1 PG in the portal and we’re sitting here waiting on the 93rd ranked player Dante Maddox

Transfer rankings are terrible. I wouldn't put much stock in them. What's most important is how players are fitting within the overall roster and ability to provide an immediate contribution unlike prep recruits.

 

[HailtotheChief]

Indiana getting the #1 player in the portal along with the #1 PG in the portal and we’re sitting here waiting on the 93rd ranked player Dante Maddox

I don't care about those rankings? What was Domask ranked? Indiana has had high rankings before and we beat em.

 

[oskeewowwowboomtime]

We got a good one in Boswell at the point gaurd but the waiting is killing me. We still need a top 2, 4 and 5 in the portal. If we don't get a big 5 we will get punished this year in the Big. I know things are in the works and we are supposed to be patient but it's starting to feel like Ray Jay all over again.

 

[hodgesonfire]

I keep wondering which center we are working to get. Haven’t heard anything about that position at all.

 

[DAM1298]

Curious why we didn't go after Ballo since he played with Kylan at Arizona and we have a need at the 5?

Because he was asking for $1.2 million?

 

[pruman91]

This portal crap has aged me a little.......It really really has................

 

[The Galloping Ghost]

Not if you give them the top NIL billing that they haven't played enough to "earn" yet.

Is that the best way to build a program? Very possibly not. There might be different right answers for different programs. We're fighting our way through the unknown for now the best way BU knows how, and are doing tremendously well so far.

But it's not rocket science. You will get the roster stability you pay for.

Count me on the side of not overpaying simply for stability.

But I would argue that it's an oversimplification that players like Epps and Skyy left simply due to money. There were pretty clearly other issues there.