I love how effective we are in the portal and love to reload… but I do miss the day of the local Illinois kid who was a diamond in the rough or a relative dark horse small school kid getting recruited by the Illini or other Big time D1. That is especially hits home when you know a kid that might have gotten some of attention back in the day. ….and ask me about his growth plates….
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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His brother, Kayden, is a 2025 commit to Penn State, and is their highest ranked commit ever at #41 (24-7.) Dylan Mingo is #13, but I didn't see that PSU was recruiting him.
is this the game?
pruman91
- interviewing new NL's daily....I really really am
Silky Smooth
Starting with Cole Hawk as your template for this type of player is pretty mind-boggling. As imperfect as he can be, his entire game is motivated by doing what he thinks will give his team the best chance to win. And yes that includes some wild shots and face planting turnovers but he's been doing that for 5 years now. He's also averaging the most assists per game of his career by a mile.
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I agree that Coleman Hawkins is as finished of a product as he will be as a college player. I’m happy that he got paid after being a great piece for Illinois the past four years. My point is more from a coaching/recruiting perspective. Kansas State was clearly not one player away from having a national championship contending team. So instead of trying to go pay a guy some ungodly amount of money to have him come to KState, those resources could have been used differently in my opinion. And I’m sure Hawkins would even admit that he was looking at places that were offering him the most money and not only looking for a spot that he could contend for a conference/national title with. That’s why he left Illinois.
mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
It's gross how every player or coach who leaves here immediately gets dumped on forever. I get the pain as a fan, but everyone has to make the best choice for them. You can question the overall strategy but the personal attacks and coded messaging on here tearing down those folks is nasty business.
To get on my own soapbox: I'm still puzzled that people that really attacked Chester Frazier on here. Guy gave everything for this program as a player, he was the heart-and-soul of that '09 team, came back and was an important coach the past two years, and people didn't give a !!!! because he left. I can't imagine the hours that Chester poured into the program in his lifetime. We have folks openly defending criminal investigations from people like Chris Beard and Todd Golden on here, saying they are good people, while performing character assassination on folks like Chester Frazier. Just wild stuff.
Both things can be true about Chester.....He worked hard and was a competitor when he was here....and for people in the know he was also a D during the end of the season/off season before he left
Bigtex
- DFW
Don't think I was anti-Frazier as a coach. Good for him to move closer to "home" and get exposure with another program, and I am glad he took Hansberry and Harris along for the ride. For me, was also glad Hawkins was able to get a good payday from KSU but didn't cry over spilled milk or cottage cheese. Hard to believe I am saying it now because I never believed Goode would be a dead eye shooter (guessing the staff had a similar opinion) but Goode would have been a great fit on this team.
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That's fair. It's usually not black or white.
I think the problem I have is the knee-jerk reaction to vilify players or coaches who leave.
Hawkins is one example. What really has he done wrong? Another I find interesting is there was quite a bit of shade thrown at Gentry when he left. I remember accusations that he a major reason Chin and OA had left. Now that people are talking about him coming back if Few retires, I haven't seen those criticisms resurface.
Two things can be true at the same time, but it seems that depending on whether someone is coming or going we ignore one thing and amplify the other.
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mhuml32
Gesture of Northern Aggression
But it's convenient that the second he leaves the only components being shared on here are the second part. There have been plenty of people involved in Illinois athletics that have been a dick, both behind the scenes and in public, and nothing is made of it until they leave.
I'd go as far as saying the second part isn't noteworthy. Lots of coaches are permanently a jerk and treat people poorly. Heck, Bret Bielema can be a dick too. In fact he has multiple instances and plenty of backstories and being a dick on social media and on camera. It's the choice to continuously bring it up when folks mention his name that makes us look ungrateful.
And last point, if we don't see the difference between Chester potentially being a dick in certain instances and actions from Beard and Golden, I don't know what else to say.
I get it. Coleman hasn't done anything wrong, there was never a world where he was coming back so he went and got paid like Brad told him to. I like Coleman and appreciate what he did here more than most. I also put to bed the Gentry rumors a few weeks ago. In no world is he coming back. Nothing against him either he just isn't everyone's cup of tea.
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
I love Coleman and understood him leaving. Sometimes your time somewhere is just over and he played a full 4 year career here. Having said that he'd be pretty good at the 4 in Ben's spot playing next to Tomi.
That's what I tell my bartender.
I feel like you've answered your own point. The board isn't black and white either. There are many posters (I count myself among them) that give players and coaches the benefit of the doubt* and see their contribution as what they should be remembered for. But there are often cases of posters defending the program by lashing out.
*Full disclosure, I've been down on the team and their post-season chances. Earlier I said to expect inconsistency, but the run up to the Duke disaster took it out of me, and that game...ugh.
I'm not comparing him to any other coaches or what they have done, I am just pointing out why he is no longer here. Brad and Josh easily could have fired him,, but Brad let him find another job and that was that. I don't need to justify his exit from here by pointing out all he's done here in the past as a player or coach.
Orangetool
Give me back my Afta, heh heh
Give me Sarr and Suigo and I'm good.
Anyone know if Illini are already looking at 2028 PG Darrius Hawkins Jr from Homewood Flossmoor?
Saw him play last year in the 8th grade state tournament when he was with Markham Prairie-Hills and he was very impressive.
Looked up his stats for HF this season and he seems to be doing very well for a freshman on a senior heavy team that has advanced to tonight's 4A sectional final.
Saw him play last year in the 8th grade state tournament when he was with Markham Prairie-Hills and he was very impressive.
Looked up his stats for HF this season and he seems to be doing very well for a freshman on a senior heavy team that has advanced to tonight's 4A sectional final.
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