Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#626      
Rebounding and Carey Booth … In the same sentence …

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#627      
Morez in the old days would have developed into a decent jump shooter, and potentially a “good” set 3 point shooter. Problem is that takes about 3-4 years of competitive college level basketball. I don’t think him wanting to develop the skills he will need to be even able to make the NBA is wrong, but I do think it is a bogus excuse for leaving.

Morez (and his camp as they say these days) wanted to start and be allowed to work on his “deficiencies” in game situations. That just made no sense in helping us win. I absolutely loved his game as a future Kenny Battle type energy guy, but in the end he will get sold a story and given a bag and he will play the same role on another team as he did at Illinois.
If he was a 3 point shooter and could make 15 ft jumpers in high school than absolutely he should shoot them in college. I didn't know Division 1 basketball was where you go to learn to shoot.
 
#629      
The sad part here is that we have a ton of pining for Storr, who is worse statistically in almost every area than Ben.

That Kansas team desperately needed a third scorer and he wasn't even a good fifth option, was underwater on A/T ratio, and barely saw a rebound. Dude is hero ball incarnate and would be a net negative. Kansas fans are absolutely over him. If we take him, I assume it's because his value has dropped so low as to get desperate. I would then weep for this next season.

I think Ben had the ability to score in the midrange and never really got permission to do so. We saw a couple of games where he struggled and got in rhythm by just hitting a runner or pull-up in the lane. That's not really on him, and we relied on him to be one-dimensional.

Defensively, he struggles. No doubt. He also works his !!! off. So, it's hard to be upset with him. For fans, the grass always seems greener on the other rosters.
I do not look at Ben and Storr as playing the same role or position. Ben like Coleman was often asked to guard 5s when others were out of the game. That is not a reasonable expectation. Storr is an athletic wing that runs the floor and many feel would do better in a fast paced up and down system. AJ Storr was second team All B10 in 2024. I didn't watch KU much if at all but I do trust Piper, Wagner if they say that the system at KU focused around Dickenson wasn't a good fit for Storr. If the price is right I would go for it because we need more athletic wings that can get up and down. Last time Storr was in the B10 in that type of role he played at an all conference level. If the price is right as Indy mentioned and he can fit in the budget next to Bam, Tomi, Riley or Sarr and a big to go with Storr then that looks really interesting to me.
 
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#630      
@Indy Illini Fan - does this seam realistic?

Sounds like Tomi and Big Z will test NBA draft waters. Could we lock Tomi in so he doesn’t portal while doing that? Also, could we still pull off Big Z?

I like those 2 with Kylan and Sarr, assuming we can lock him down. Get a grizzled PG starter and some veteran high/mid-major guys to fill out the roster, all JR and SR guys.

From what I’ve heard … Both are likely to enter the draft to get feedback … Both are likely to enter the portal …

Again that’s subject to change but that’s based off what I’ve been told as of today …
 
#634      
Same advice I give to coworkers who are looking to leave as well- don't give the company anything to use against you in the future. I learned this through a coworker friend of mine early in his career. In his exit interview they asked him seemingly innocuous questions like what company he was leaving for and what positive trainings he thought the company provided him and other employees. Within 48 hours his new employer rescinded their offer to him over concern regarding a possible conflict of interest and threats of a lawsuit with his former company and the former company also tried enforcing a clause for him to pay back 25% of his salary for the "training expenses" incurred that he admitted to receiving. Just out of spite. It was shady shady stuff.

So when I left the company all I said in the interview was I enjoyed my time there. Gave no other info. Didn't tell them where I was going other than I was leaving the state, told them that all the skills for the job I brought in with me and they didn't provide me technical training (actually true, lol). They asked if I had any other feedback for them and if I had any insight into why retention might be low and I said, "nope. It was a pleasure working with you."

Now did I have actual constructive and nonconstructive feedback for them. Absolutely. But I knew better than to say anything. My advice to anyone leaving is still to just smile, say nice platitudes, and provide no actual useful or personal feedback. Just say you enjoyed your time there and get the heck out.
Feels like several of us here would have a lot fun with a hiring and HR-related side discussion. All the good advice can be summed up in one or two sentences: HR works to protect the company, not you. Smile and keep your mouth shut.

A lot of the rest has been undone by technology anyway. We just got poached this month, really good employee taken by someone else who left our Firm a couple years ago. She chose not to say where she was going (smart) but easy to check LinkedIn for the suspected hiring company and see that they had had an opening for her exact position that was closed the day she told us she was leaving.

Funny enough she did reach out to me personally to say goodbye. Not an exit interview at all (I am not HR), but I have a rep there as a pretty straight shooter and she (rightfully) could expect that I was not taking anything she said further than our call.
 
#636      
From what I’ve heard … Both are likely to enter the draft to get feedback … Both are likely to enter the portal …

Again that’s subject to change but that’s based off what I’ve been told as of today …
if this continues, we might be onto an Iowa type trajectory. And there's no real reason for it given the fairly adequate (but not unlimited) resources.
 
#641      
I don’t feel like we are as active as we need to be in the portal …

I think there’s a better chance Dix winds up at Indiana with DeVries or back to Iowa than coming here … But they do really want him …

Sandfort doesn’t move the needle …

We really aren’t that involved with any big fish …

I’ve heard from a couple different people that Brad seems somewhat “checked out” …
I don’t feel like we are as active as we need to be in the portal …

I think there’s a better chance Dix winds up at Indiana with DeVries or back to Iowa than coming here … But they do really want him …

Sandfort doesn’t move the needle …

We really aren’t that involved with any big fish …

I’ve heard from a couple different people that Brad seems somewhat “checked out” …
That's discouraging to hear. Any clues or conjecture on why?
 
#646      
Misleading/lowballing? I think his price tag was too high.

Paying Riley substantial money makes sense. He's an NBA high draft pick.

Yes, but the year before he was naive and was told he was getting "about what" TSJ was getting, so Coleman agreed and later found out it wasn't close to TSJ's. How that experience affected his trust and impacted his ask for this season, we'll never know. Feel like he was one of the last true Illini we'll see, in hoops
 
#648      
So much has changed so quickly! We're going to miss Ivisic's passing :(

I didn’t say he was gone … But I’ve talked to someone close to the brothers and came away with those thoughts …

It benefits them to enter the portal … See what else is out there … Even if it’s nothing but a leverage play to get Illinois to cough up more $$$ …

It’s smart business …

Many will remember Kofi did the exact same thing …
 
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