Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#76      
I'd be more willing to believe that the phony account is being run by a Michigan fan taking shots than an Illinois kid couldn't get in. Particularly since he didn't need to finish classes before he could transfer (what held up TSJ).

My money is that someone is just trying to come up with a reason why Morez leaves if Yaxel actually ends up playing for Michigan
My guess is that earlier speculation here is correct: that site scrolls message boards for content then posts the scuttlebutt as its own. Yesterday one person mentioned that he wondered if it was admissions related and suddenly that’s what this particular Twitter account is running with.
 
#77      
I'm still a little torn on Mirkovic. His clips show skills, but he looks like he has an old man game (lots of fading away and a lack of explosive athleticism) and that doesn't seem to fit with what high level teams use.

We need to get more athletic on the front line still in my view, hoping the mystery "not in the portal" guys fit that bill.
My O&B-tinted glasses are showing me a 6’9” Marcus Domask, albeit a younger version.

(I agree with you on hoping to see more athleticism with the remaining adds)

Edit: I’m really hoping he can get on campus much earlier than Tomi did.

there's a lot to like, but he definitely is far from a finished product. Fletch should help a lot (same with Z). it's gonna be interesting to see how he adjusts. I think he can be a booty ball weapon.
 
#78      
Yes. Mirkovic will likely start. He is averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds on the same team Tomi averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds the previous year. David does play a bit more. Their per minute production is pretty similar. This is a very good basketball player.

It's a top 10 professional league. Most guys are too old for college. (Has a teammate who is 36) He isn't the only teenager on the squad, but he is the only one who plays regularly, and he plays starter minutes.

Yeah I don't disagree that he's a good basketball player, but we're zagging from athleticism around the rim. Just taking a look at the final 4 teams from this year that seems to be a bad decision.

I really think we're going to regret not having a rim running, athletic big. JMO
 
#80      
I'm still a little torn on Mirkovic. His clips show skills, but he looks like he has an old man game (lots of fading away and a lack of explosive athleticism) and that doesn't seem to fit with what high level teams use.

We need to get more athletic on the front line still in my view, hoping the mystery "not in the portal" guys fit that bill.
I agree, but Domask looked a lot like that too. It all depends on what he learns to do with it. If he is a multi-year guy, he may end up paying big dividends later.
 
#81      
I think most people need to shift their perspective of what Mirkovic is and will be for this team.

If he’s anything more than a third option, we’re in deep trouble. This team needs to add someone else on Boswell/Tomi’s level and that would push him and the other down a rung of importance—which makes him a solid 4th option and IMO that’s more than enough to be excited about the addition.

I think if he can provide 80% of the impact Tomi did last year, we’re should all be very very excited for this. I’d imagine he does even more than that given almost identical per minute stats on the same team.
 
#82      
Eh, NCAA basketball is also full of grown men these days.

The Big Ten is probably a step up in competition from the ABA. If you look at ABA rosters, yes there are more experienced players, but not a lot of guys who have the talent/athleticism of a high-major starter. It's certainly a higher level of competition than high school level in the US - probably more akin to a low major. At the same time, guys like the Ivisic's and Mirkovic are young, developing, improving players. So I think it's really hard to project out what ABA stats will translate to in NCAA/Big Ten play.

Tomi's 3pt% went down from 42% in ABA to 36% in NCAA, as a point of reference. Probably at least in part because of better defenders. On the other hand, Big Z's went up. Probably because he's a young player who is improving.
Tomi’s 3pt% may have also dropped due to injury/illnesses.
 
#83      
Yeah I don't disagree that he's a good basketball player, but we're zagging from athleticism around the rim. Just taking a look at the final 4 teams from this year that seems to be a bad decision.

I really think we're going to regret not having a rim running, athletic big. JMO
It's certainly possible.

We might know more after this weekend when we get a chance to see Mirk on the floor with guys like AJ Dybantsa and Nate Ament. Hopefully he gets a decent amount of playing time - I think he was a late addition?

Also will be interesting to see Dame Sarr given the controversy around him even being there.
 
#84      
I think most people need to shift their perspective of what Mirkovic is and will be for this team.

If he’s anything more than a third option, we’re in deep trouble. This team needs to add someone else on Boswell/Tomi’s level and that would push him and the other down a rung of importance—which makes him a solid 4th option and IMO that’s more than enough to be excited about the addition.

I think if he can provide 80% of the impact Tomi did last year, we’re should all be very very excited for this. I’d imagine he does even more than that given almost identical per minute stats on the same team.
Hmm I'm not under the impression that anyone is seeing him as a primary option next year. You mentioned Boswell and Tomi, and then the expectation as of now is that we will get a high-impact SG/wing transfer, and also possibly Sarr, or maybe even Riley? (Still unlikely). Even if you only get 1 of those and start Ty on the wing, that would put Mirk as the "4th option", as you say - with Ty being the 5th in that scenario, I guess.

Now if he can be here multiple years...
 
#85      
The Most Valuable Team in College Basketball Is…

"The numbers are the product of a regular study conducted by Brewer, who begins his research with a simple question: What would these teams be worth if they could be bought and sold like a pro sports team?

He answers it by studying revenues and cash flows while making financial projections about the team’s sustainability. In a way, it’s not different than it would be if he were analyzing the value of any other business. "

View attachment 41358
That's good to see and there have been other similar rankings that show we're a top 10 revenue bball program and we run a surplus of $14M per year - but I also think we don't seem to have nearly the same budget as the others in the top 10 (with the possible exception of Syracuse) when it comes to NIL money. That may be a function of the top donors at other schools are more aggressive than our donors (which is likely the case) and the school itself can't use it's own revenue to contribute to NIL so the revenue to your program has nothing to do with NIL unfortunately so we're punching under our weight in that regard. In fact with the new revenue sharing that will be capped to the same amount per school, which will hurt us and help the big east schools
 
#87      
Tomi’s 3pt% may have also dropped due to injury/illnesses.
If you go from the beginning of the season through the first MSU game (last game before he went out due to mono) his 3pt% was 35.4%. This includes all the cupcake opponents at the beginning of the season. If you want to be extra generous and take out the MSU game, assuming he was playing through illness, then its 37%.
 
#88      
My O&B-tinted glasses are showing me a 6’9” Marcus Domask, albeit a younger version.

(I agree with you on hoping to see more athleticism with the remaining adds)

Edit: I’m really hoping he can get on campus much earlier than Tomi did.
As someone who saw most of Domask's games during his entire collegiate career, this comparison strikes me as closer than almost all of the others I've seen regarding potential recruits. That's mainly because of that step-back shot inside 10 feet, his passing ability and his ability to shoot from the arc. That step-back is almost impossible to block, but it's also a tough shot. I understand I am looking at select video cuts where he never missed, but his form looks pretty consistent. Ben got into the paint a lot more the final few weeks of the season...but had a hard time converting that shot. If what I'm seeing is valid regarding the step-back and his passing, I'm buying the Domask comp on the offensive side of the ball. And that would be good.
 
#89      
We are slowly turning into the old Wisconsin teams. We will be one of, if not the slowest team in the Big 10 next year.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Of the #1 seeds in this year's tourney, only Florida was top 100 in tempo*, at #57, and Houston clocked in near the bottom at #359. What's interesting is BU hasn't been very consistent in tempo in his tenure. This year we were #17 in tempo, which is by far the fastest pace he's had the team play at. In 2019-2020 we were #288. In a lot of other years we've been in the 50-100 range.

* tempo based on AdjT from Kenpom
 
#90      
They are hoping to add a DGL replacement guard this week. Ian Jackson interest is real, competition is very strong. OA will give us a chance there. The next two adds are likely the depth guard along with the starting shooting guard, unless Sarr wants to commit early. They are still waiting on two guys to enter, one guy specifically. Keep an eye on the portal, you will probably know who they are when they enter.
You forgot to mention Will Riley’s glorious return.
 
#91      
Hmm I'm not under the impression that anyone is seeing him as a primary option next year. You mentioned Boswell and Tomi, and then the expectation as of now is that we will get a high-impact SG/wing transfer, and also possibly Sarr, or maybe even Riley? (Still unlikely). Even if you only get 1 of those and start Ty on the wing, that would put Mirk as the "4th option", as you say - with Ty being the 5th in that scenario, I guess.

Now if he can be here multiple years...
I think he is almost certainly a multi-year player. He's not tall or athletic enough to be an NBA lottery type. He is only 18. I suspect he may get the "Tomi" treatment from NCAA, due to his playing in the ABA and come in as a sophomore, but in this day and age 3 years of eligibility is like an eternity.

For reference (and dreaming), here is a scouting report form a few years ago about an big guy who had very similar production at the same age in the ABA....

Considering the fact that he competes in the Adriatic league, where most players are older than he is, and also that he’s an average athlete, he uses his basketball IQ to succeed…
had shown some glimpses of outside shooting during his Adriatic League season, but he shot just 22 percent from behind the international line
shooting isn't necessarily what he's known for, it's not a liability in his game either. He can spot up from outside and bury a three when the situation calls for it, and he knows when to run the offense and when to pull up.
it really is hard to see him surviving on the interior in the NBA. Although he somehow weighed in at 253 lbs, he sure doesn’t look it. He is thin, but also has zero muscle definition and can’t jump at all.
Conditioning may also be a problem. Looks like he gets burnt pretty quickly during up-and-down games. Production drops
Perhaps this sounds harsh, but he is being talked up as an NBA prospect and it is hard to see how he gets there unless he can really improve his athleticism. Given how his body looks, that does not seem to be in the offing even if he does hit the weights.
An average athlete lacking great speed and leaping ability … Foot speed is a big liability. He may struggle to stay in front of NBA athletes at the center position
weaknesses revolve around his bottom-tier athleticism. While he moves his feet pretty well from point A to point B, he lacks the quickness and vertical agility that the rest of the league owns.
Not much of a rim protector. Struggles to elevate to contest shots and talented playmakers can blow by him. Must improve technique.


As you may have guessed, these are all scouting reports of fellow Adriatic League alumni, and arguably the best basketball player in the world, Nikola Jokic.

You never know...
 
#92      
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Of the #1 seeds in this year's tourney, only Florida was top 100 in tempo*, at #57, and Houston clocked in near the bottom at #359. What's interesting is BU hasn't been very consistent in tempo in his tenure. This year we were #17 in tempo, which is by far the fastest pace he's had the team play at. In 2019-2020 we were #288. In a lot of other years we've been in the 50-100 range.

* tempo based on AdjT from Kenpom
Sorry I should have clarified. I am more concerned about foot speed. We had no one that could blow by their defender 1 on 1 (Kylan on occasion)…and don’t get me started on our defense and staying in front of of our man.
 
#93      
We are slowly turning into the old Wisconsin teams. We will be one of, if not the slowest team in the Big 10 next year.
Still a long way to go to fill out the roster but I agree with you in that right now our roster seems similar to a Bo Ryan Wisconsin team. The good news is those teams were fairly successful and were a tough matchup. Based on our overall team speed, I wonder if we're going to be playing at a much slower pace than in previous years. Transition may be an issue for us
 
#95      
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Of the #1 seeds in this year's tourney, only Florida was top 100 in tempo*, at #57, and Houston clocked in near the bottom at #359. What's interesting is BU hasn't been very consistent in tempo in his tenure. This year we were #17 in tempo, which is by far the fastest pace he's had the team play at. In 2019-2020 we were #288. In a lot of other years we've been in the 50-100 range.

* tempo based on AdjT from Kenpom
I genuinely hope we slow our tempo down by a wide margin compared to the last few teams we have had.

Given our current roster and what we have seen from top teams that advanced in this tournament slowing down will benefit them.

Getting back on defense and making it more of a half court game is one of the defensive adjustments I hope we see.
 
#96      
Eh, NCAA basketball is also full of grown men these days.

The Big Ten is probably a step up in competition from the ABA. If you look at ABA rosters, yes there are more experienced players, but not a lot of guys who have the talent/athleticism of a high-major starter. It's certainly a higher level of competition than high school level in the US - probably more akin to a low major. At the same time, guys like the Ivisic's and Mirkovic are young, developing, improving players. So I think it's really hard to project out what ABA stats will translate to in NCAA/Big Ten play.

Tomi's 3pt% went down from 42% in ABA to 36% in NCAA, as a point of reference. Probably at least in part because of better defenders. On the other hand, Big Z's went up. Probably because he's a young player who is improving.
Thanks! I wouldnt be surprised to see Mirkovic around 35% then. I’ll take that from a PF that can pass and score in other ways. He may be the Humrichous we were all looking for.

Regardless, none of us will know until the games start being played. I’ll wait until that point to assess this move.
 
#97      
I'm still a little torn on Mirkovic. His clips show skills, but he looks like he has an old man game (lots of fading away and a lack of explosive athleticism) and that doesn't seem to fit with what high level teams use.

We need to get more athletic on the front line still in my view, hoping the mystery "not in the portal" guys fit that bill.
I’m not saying he is Jokic, but guys with “old man game” can still be successful. I kind of feel like Domask had a little old man game to what he did.
 
#98      
Every time someone decommits from Michigan they claim admissions issues. EVERY TIME. While it is sometimes true, it is more often than not a way for them to save face, because their fan base instantly believes it.
It also could be that the recruit doesn't like the credit situation when they transfer. It's not a question USUALLY of getting in, it's what credits can you bring with you. If there is any interest in academics that can be a big barrier. Again this could all be a rumor as well...
 
#99      
Yes. Mirkovic will likely start. He is averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds on the same team Tomi averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds the previous year. David does play a bit more. Their per minute production is pretty similar. This is a very good basketball player.

It's a top 10 professional league. Most guys are too old for college. (Has a teammate who is 36) He isn't the only teenager on the squad, but he is the only one who plays regularly, and he plays starter minutes.
Thank you!
 
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