Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#102      
ptgrd23
Trust in Brad. The man can recruit / his coaching team can recruit.

TSJ, MM, Dain, Ty Skyy
Quincy, Marcus, Justin, Amani
KJ, Will, Tomas, Tre, KB, Morez
Big Z, tbd
 
#103      
HailtotheChief
Combo said:
I tend to agree. If you're guaranteed to be a 1st round pick, it's better to go. If there is a legitimate risk of falling to the 2nd round, stay in college.
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I think it needs to be early enough in the first to be a guaranteed $$ first round pick. Wasn't that a reason why TSJ came back for a second season? It worked out for Shannon. I mean if KJ goes at 10 or so and gets a guaranteed contract and money then how much more is that than if Riley goes in the late 20s or second round and his deal isnt guaranteed? If Will waited a year and could get similar to what KJ is by waitibg in 2026 plus make 2 million or more in college on top of the that then certainly is something for Will to ponder.
 
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#104      
Combo
EyeoftheIllini said:
I think he’s a better fit with the twins than Morez would have been. I don’t see Big Z, Tomi and Mirkovic all playing together much if at all, but the versatility of their games would seem to allow it when wanted.
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I doubt you'd ever see all three on the court at the same time. Just not enough quickness. That said, I really like the recent videos of Mirkovic. Not very athletic from a run-jump POV, but he's much more solidly built than I expected with pretty long arms. He actually looks pretty physically tough (though certainly not Houston-level toughness).

Z, Tomi, and Mirkovic would be a decent 3-man rotation at PF/C with Ty getting a few minutes at the 4 also.

That said, we really need a dynamic SF/G. Or two.
 
#105      
RockfordIllini
BTM33 said:
Having gotten to watch some now...

Mirkovic is really skilled. And it's about all levels, good on the block, good footwork...can take you out to 15 feet to hit a jumper and has range to the 3 point line.

He reminds me of Domantas Sabonis... not nimble of foot, but he can get you in other ways.

He will not be great on defense and I would even question the fit with the Twins but I see why the staff might love the offensive upside.
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How about this for a comp…a very rich man’s Max Bielfeldt?
 
#106      
PepeSilvia
You white, you Domask.

Mirkovic seems like he would be a solid bench big and stretch 4 type though. Looks like he knows how to play and move off ball, has a smooth shot, and appears to be a able to put the ball on the floor enough to attack closeouts.

Doesn't look like a super explosive athlete it looks pretty solidly build and should be able to bang even as a freshman in the Big10. Seems like he would be a solid 7th/8th guy in the rotation.
 
#109      
HailtotheChief
RockfordIllini said:
How about this for a comp…a very rich man’s Max Bielfeldt?
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He is better than that. He is invited to the Nike Summit. He seems more able to play on all three levels and at only 19 and 6'9" 250lbs and skilled too. He may end up more like Nick Martenelli but 2 inches taller and 30lbs heavier. I could see him being post banger on both ends, good handles, a booty ball back to the basket guy that can also shoot it. I know he is not Derek Queen but he as large and is skilled but that's about how big this kid is at 6'9" 250 already with a big frame to grow.
 
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#110      
Emerson Bigguns
RockfordIllini said:
So I have a question for those more in the know than me on the NBA vs. college decision. Assume the money is the same. I’m wondering what is better from a developmental perspective. In the NBA, obviously no classes and there are no caps on the amount of work you can do. But it’s also my understanding that the NBA schedule is so condensed that teams just don’t practice all that much. So I think that mainly leaves one on one skill work for those so inclined. And obviously college comes with classes and restrictions on activity, but college teams typically practice a fair bit relative to game time.

So I guess which is better from a developmental perspective, the opportunity of unlimited skill work or the team practices?

I know there are other factors too…you want to get to your second contract as soon as possible and obviously in the NBA you are playing against way better players, which would push towards going. But I could see an argument that the structure of college is better suited for development. But I don’t know.
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The better the players you practice against, the quicker you are going to improve. There is no simulations NBA game speed. If a guy isn’t ready to contribute, or even if they simply aren’t in the rotation, like TJ, the team can send you to the G- League to get playing time. G-League competition is still head and shoulders above NCAA. If you are a 1st round pick the team has invested a lot of guaranteed money in you. You won’t be on your own to figure it out. There will be a well defined plan & world class coaching and resources.
 
#113      
HailtotheChief
Emerson Bigguns said:
The better the players you practice against, the quicker you are going to improve. There is no simulations NBA game speed. If a guy isn’t ready to contribute, or even if they simply aren’t in the rotation, like TJ, the team can send you to the G- League to get playing time. G-League competition is still head and shoulders above NCAA. If you are a 1st round pick the team has invested a lot of guaranteed money in you. You won’t be on your own to figure it out. There will be a well defined plan & world class coaching and resources.
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Well, I heard Piper say that when TSJ came back and saw the team he told Will that he was glad he came back. You can get paid and have fun in college. That the G League isn't nearly as enjoyable and he was glad he returned to Illinois and was t in the G League long. At least not like he likely would've been.
 
#114      
DeonThomas
Deacon05 said:
Who is Sleeve Nash and why should I care about what he says?
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1743970293494.jpeg


Sleeve Nash:
- attended Parkland College for 3 weeks in the late 1970's
- renowned for inventing pizza by the slice at Ernie's Pizzaria and Oil Lube in Pekin, IL (later popularized by the Flying Tomato Brothers in Champaign-Urbana)
- worked briefly at Superb Autos of Chicagoland (pictured above)
- decided this past winter to change course --- and started analyzing international basketball talent from the comfort of his former wife's basement in Bayonne, NJ
 
#116      
IlliniFan42
HailtotheChief said:
I think it needs to be early enough in the first to be a guaranteed $$ first round pick. Wasn't that a reason why TSJ came back for a second season? It worked out for Shannon. I mean if KJ goes at 10 or so and gets a guaranteed contract and money then how much more is that than if Riley goes in the late 20s or second round and his deal isnt guaranteed? If Will waited a year and could get similar to what KJ is by waitibg in 2026 plus make 2 million or more in college on top of the that then certainly is something for Will to ponder.
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Incorrect. All first round contracts are guaranteed.
 
#118      
americanoutlaw11
LvilleILL1 said:
I think we might see a couple of commits somewhat soon....then the last two spots will be for the biggest targets.
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Since we haven’t heard of any new visitors, I’ll just assume

1. Kid won’t come to campus before committing (Mirkovich)
2. The other one has been there before and doesn’t need to (Storr)

However I feel like these are each pretty big targets, so what do I know
 
#119      
HailtotheChief
I see i was wrong. I looked at last years money and the 10th around double if what 25th did and 25th made about what Will could in college. He certainly has a lot to think about and either way he will be well off! I'm happy for him
 
#121      
BTM33
EyeoftheIllini said:
I think he’s a better fit with the twins than Morez would have been. I don’t see Big Z, Tomi and Mirkovic all playing together much if at all, but the versatility of their games would seem to allow it when wanted.
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None of of Mirkovic, Tomi or Z are very athletic from a run/jump perspective or from a perimeter defense perspective. Both the twins make up for it by being 7'2...and Mirkovic by having a strong base and being 250 lbs.

I would argue you need someone exactly like Morez to offset that.

Mirkovic and the Twins can all shoot and play the perimeter. To offset that, I'd want a guy who is more of a high end athlete, can move laterally to keep up with guards better and wants to stay more toward the block on offense for offensive rebounding purposes.

This is one of my main concerns about the twins...neither of them are bangers inside, neither are super physical and they both really want to shoot 3's. I love a stretch 5. But we have got to get a rim running, high end athlete at the 4 and they are not easy to find.
 
#122      
RabidDawgClassic
BTM33 said:
Mirkovic and the Twins can all shoot and play the perimeter. To offset that, I'd want a guy who is more of a high end athlete, can move laterally to keep up with guards better and wants to stay more toward the block on offense for offensive rebounding purposes.

This is one of my main concerns about the twins...neither of them are bangers inside, neither are super physical and they both really want to shoot 3's. I love a stretch 5. But we have got to get a rim running, high end athlete at the 4 and they are not easy to find.
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Ty Rodgers says hello.
 
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