Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#252      
The dream scenario this offseason is if you can retain these six: Ben (in a bench role), Kylan, Morez, Ivisic, Tre, Jake....land Dame Sarr (since it looks we're so close with him), as well as two big time transfers. Like 2 of Watkins, McNeely, Martenelli, Constanza, etc (of course don't have all the names at this point).
Dream, indeed
 
#254      
After we complete this season, over the next three weeks or so, I would like to see a team built to win. Next year or the year after or the year after. One-year charms are not the goal. Who thinks that? Underwood: championships.
How do you build that with NIL the way it is? No way your going to know who's staying for 3 years. If a player is so good that he goes to the NBA early, that was a good recruit. We shouldn't be passing those up so we can win in maybe 2 or 3 years IF no one transfers, no one gets injured, etc.
 
#256      
How do you build that with NIL the way it is? No way your going to know who's staying for 3 years. If a player is so good that he goes to the NBA early, that was a good recruit. We shouldn't be passing those up so we can win in maybe 2 or 3 years IF no one transfers, no one gets injured, etc.
I don't think the key in the NIL era is to retain everyone. I think the key is to retain enough of a core that you're not rebuilding an entire culture every year, and then use the portal and high quality freshmen to fill in gaps. Look at last year's team. That team had 5 returning players that were key contributors, and supplemented it with a few transfers, and a couple freshmen that got some tick. That was a successful recipe, even though the prior year's team had been a bit of a bust.
 
#257      
After we complete this season, over the next three weeks or so, I would like to see a team built to win. Next year or the year after or the year after. One-year charms are not the goal. Who thinks that? Underwood: championships.
Virtually impossible these days.
 
#258      

And for those that like to do the deep dive … Check the hometown … And check what HS he played for … Check and check … ✅✅

Why is that significant you might ask …

View attachment 40360
I remember browsing the web when I was growing up and people calling my parents house and getting knocked off the Moe Odum.
 
#259      
#260      
Brad's teams' defense tend to fluctuate from month to month, year to year.
 
#262      
“…and a staff member,” is crazy disrespectful for our associate head coaches
…and the rest.

IMG_0927.jpeg
 
#263      
#265      
How do you build that with NIL the way it is? No way your going to know who's staying for 3 years. If a player is so good that he goes to the NBA early, that was a good recruit. We shouldn't be passing those up so we can win in maybe 2 or 3 years IF no one transfers, no one gets injured, etc.
First: I think we a bit more retention from one season to the next, as compared to the amount we had from last season to the present one. Building team culture anew every year and getting the players to fit every year is low probability -- it happens, of course, but it is low probability.

Second: it is tricky to build a team where all the stars (2-3 guys) are new every year. I just think it is unlikely that important role players can be routinely retained when ~3 new stars are brought in each year. By important role players I mean guys like Morez or Kylan on this year's team.

Third: to your point that in the NIL/portal era it is difficult to know who is going to stay for 3 years, I definitely agree and it is a huge challenge to keep guys. But some guys stay, at some programs (I'm thinking of Purdue and MSU as examples). I think retaining some key guys (a star, say, or 3 key role players) is very important. And yet, as you note, hard to accomplish.

Fourth: "If a player is so good that he goes to the NBA early, that was a good recruit." That is true, at base. I also think a team can't lose too much of what makes it work --- character, culture, leadership -- every year. So losing a
 
#266      
Virtually impossible these days.
I must have misunderstood something here: I meant to say that I think it is best to try to build championship-type teams using a "fair number" (say, 3-6) of multi-season contributors (and almost certainly, some one-season guys too --- Markus Domasks or KJs). I suspect you didn't mean this is impossible to do these days, since both teams in last year's national championship game relied heavily on multi-season guys (some via portal, others taken from HS and retained).

That's what I'm hoping for: more reliance on multi-season guys. I would put TSJ in the "returner" group -- they don't need to be guys we brought in from HS, nor do they need to be here 3+ years (like Coleman). Some one-season guys are terrific: say Markus Domask last year, or KJ this year. We need to recruit from the one-and-done (HS or portal transfers) group, too. In the coming seasons, with Underwood operating at his highest level, I hope not to see again a roster with nearly complete turnover one year to the next.
 
#267      

And for those that like to do the deep dive … Check the hometown … And check what HS he played for … Check and check … ✅✅

Why is that significant you might ask …

View attachment 40360
If we can keep Tre, Bam, Rez, and Tomi…that’s a heckuva portal sell to a PG looking to join a team for a deep run next year.
 
#269      
Was going through a thought experiment today…

I was reading about a new NIL company called FanStake where you can put up stakes on players that (I believe?) effectively acts as a commitment where your stake goes into escrow and if a player returns/transfers to your school, the cumulative pot goes to that player (I may be explaining this incorrectly but this is what I gathered from minimal research)

So I said hey, as a dedicated Illini fan, how much would I throw up to try and keep some players? Probably $1000. With my $1000, I would spread it out as follows, assuming you Will Riley and KJ are not coming back for any amount of money:

Tomi: $200
Morez: $200
Kylan: $150
Tre: $150
Jake: $100
Ty: $100 (contingent on jumper development)
DGL: $50
Ben: $50
Booth: $0
 
#271      
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