Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[Dan]

Welcome to the Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

IL Returnees
1) Ty Rodgers
2) Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn

IL Signees
1) Morez Johnson (2024 PF) committed on November 4th, 2021.
2) Jason Jakstys (2024 F) committed on July 23rd, 2023.
3) Jake Davis (Mercer guard) committed on April 1st.
4) Tre White (Louisville wing) committed on April 9th.
5) Kylan Boswell (Arizona guard) committed on April 14th.
6) Carey Booth (Notre Dame forward) committed on April 16th.
7) Ben Humrichous (Evansville forward) committed on April 30th.
8) Tomislav Ivisic (Croatian center) committed on May 6th.


Unofficial IllinoisLoyalty List of Illinois Basketball Potential Targets by soupy17


IL players in transfer portal
1) Niccolo Moretti entered transfer portal on April 29th.
2) Coleman Hawkins entered transfer portal on May 1st.


Transfers/decommits from the program
1) Dain Dainja entered transfer portal on April 1st, committed to Memphis on April 5th.
2) Jase Butler decommitted on April 8th, committed to Washington on April 23rd.
3) Sencire Harris entered transfer portal on April 15th, committed to West Virginia on April 21st.
4) Amani Hansberry entered transfer portal on April 16th, committed to West Virginia on April 21st.
5) Luke Goode entered transfer portal on April 22nd, committed to Indiana on April 26th.


2025 Recruiting
1) Jeremiah Fears (2025 PG) committed on January 22nd, 2024.

 

[stlrunner]

 

[drsmitty74]

 

[Scoregasm]

 

[theNewGuy]

 

[stlrunner]

I’ve been crazy busy and haven’t kept up for about a week. Where do we stand with…anyone?

 

[Kramerica Industries]

 

[soupy17]

I’ve been crazy busy and haven’t kept up for about a week. Where do we stand with…anyone?

Top names to watch in the portal right now are Jamir Watkins from FSU, Miles Kelly from Georgia Tech, and Jordan Lathon from Morehead St. Also involved with Kasparas Jakucionis, a 17 year old Lithuanian guard who is currently playing with FC Barcelona.

 

[Captain Bubbles]

 

[jamarvelous31]

Top names to watch in the portal right now are Jamir Watkins from FSU, Miles Kelly from Georgia Tech, and Jordan Lathon from Morehead St. Also involved with Kasparas Jakucionis, a 17 year old Lithuanian guard who is currently playing with FC Barcelona.

I just don't get Kelly as a target. 12.7 FGA for 13.9 pts. 1.8:2 (-) ATO ratio. <1 dWS. 45% eFG.

His stats look like Matt Mayer's with less D. Out of Watkins, Kelly, Kasparas & Lathon I'm hoping he's plan C or D...

 

[stlrunner]

Top names to watch in the portal right now are Jamir Watkins from FSU, Miles Kelly from Georgia Tech, and Jordan Lathon from Morehead St. Also involved with Kasparas Jakucionis, a 17 year old Lithuanian guard who is currently playing with FC Barcelona.

Appreciate the update! Thanks.

 

[rtbritt]

@Indy Illini Fan have you heard anything about Nico? Is he talking with specific schools or anything (that you know of?)

 

[RichardKeenesCousin]

@Indy Illini Fan have you heard anything about Nico? Is he talking with specific schools or anything (that you know of?)

 

[doowink]

With Watkins having a good performance in the combine yesterday along with CH....what are the odds of him moving up in the draft and not going through the portal?

 

[soupy17]

I just don't get Kelly as a target. 12.7 FGA for 13.9 pts. 1.8:2 (-) ATO ratio. <1 dWS. 45% eFG.

His stats look like Matt Mayer's with less D. Out of Watkins, Kelly, Kasparas & Lathon I'm hoping he's plan C or D...

I don't have much by the way of info outside of what's shared on this board, but it seems like Watkins is the top priority of the bunch, and there's been some smoke for Kasparas lately. Lathon is a more recent add to that bunch, seemingly once admissions concerns for Wells arose.

For what it's worth for Kelly, his shooting numbers were a bit better the previous season. 38% vs. 32% from three on similar volume. I don't have any insight into context but he's definitely a capable shooter.

Bottom line is we need someone who is starter quality for the 2 and Kelly is probably more ready to contribute as a 21/22 year old senior vs. a 17/18 year old Kasparas IMO.

 

[HensonHall71]

Top names to watch in the portal right now are Jamir Watkins from FSU, Miles Kelly from Georgia Tech, and Jordan Lathon from Morehead St. Also involved with Kasparas Jakucionis, a 17 year old Lithuanian guard who is currently playing with FC Barcelona.

Now that Wells is out, and the inherit complications of bringing Kasparas over from FC Barcelona, and the fact that everyone will be after Jamir Watkins if he drops out of the draft - I think it's time to continue the conversation on who we'd rather have between Lathon and Kelly.

I prefer Lathon by a pretty good distance, I know it's projecting his game up to the power conference level, but his game really translates with the eye test - he's a more complete all around player with rebounding, defense and just a more efficient scorer than Kelly. We saw it in the first round this year and if I recall correctly, TSJ was on him for a good portion of the game. Here's the per 100 possession comparison from last year:

FG

FGA

FG%

2P

2PA

2P%

3P

3PA

3P%

FT

FTA

FT%

TRB

AST

STL

BLK

TOV

PF

PTS

ORtg

DRtg

Lathon

11.3​

25.8​

0.437​

7.1​

14.9​

0.477​

4.2​

10.9​

0.384​

3.9​

5.2​

0.756​

11.9​

4.6​

2​

0.6​

3.7​

3.9​

30.7​

112.8​

96.4​

Kelly

8.6​

23.4​

0.369​

4.7​

11​

0.424​

4​

12.4​

0.321​

4.4​

6​

0.733​

10.1​

3.4​

1.4​

0.5​

3.6​

4.5​

25.7​

100.5​

110​

I don't know why we haven't discussed Lathon more until now - I assume given this is his 7th year to play 5 - he needed to be granted a 7th year by the NCAA and maybe it's just now the teams are finding out there is a good chance he gets it granted/or he got it granted - he entered the portal late, but he doesn't show up in many of the portal rankings even now

 

[RichardKeenesCousin]

Is HandlebarMustache a guy who can play the 2 for limited minutes? Seems like he has the skillset for it.

 

[Oldskoolkoach]

1st time we've ever had top 4 comments being correct!

I'm so dang proud of this board today it brings a tear to my eye!

 

[Illini4Christ]

Riley Kugel de-committed from Kansas this week. 6’5” guard who I believe started as a freshman and sophomore. Could he be an active perimeter threat?

 

[BalloonsTheElephant]

 

[Tre11]

Riley Kugel de-committed from Kansas this week. 6’5” guard who I believe started as a freshman and sophomore. Could he be an active perimeter threat?

There have been rumors that he stopped going to classes this spring and couldn't get into Kansas because of his grades. If that is true he wouldn't be able to get into Illinois.

 

[BashCtIllini]

Riley Kugel de-committed from Kansas this week. 6’5” guard who I believe started as a freshman and sophomore. Could he be an active perimeter threat?

because his name is kinda similar

 

[wettsten]

There have been rumors that he stopped going to classes this spring and couldn't get into Kansas because of his grades. If that is true he wouldn't be able to get into Illinois.

sounds like UNC is the place for him

 

[sitka]

sounds like UNC is the place for him

Why has it taken so long to get our wing..we’ve been waiting for two months now…

 

[blackdog]

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