Good research! What a different world that was. Even if we count that as two top 20 picks, we're still looking at nearly 70 years since that occurrence. Pretty crazy. I know folks rightly lamented the lack of athleticism on this year's team, but the potential to do something in the draft that we have essentially never done before puts into perspective that we didn't lack for top tier talent; we were just too young.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Govoner Vaugn Fan
- New Orleans
Mom entered the Mom portal and was picked up by another player.
MDchicago
- Lake Norman NC
I would just like for him to go to a team that’s a good fit.
I don't think that's the case but it's more like giving your daughter the credit card. It's not thier money so spend whatever!
Definitely understand we need some continuity, but as long as we have the money and get a difference-maker offensively, I don't think most people would complain to go with Boz/Tomi. However, we are not going very far if don't get that Ian Jackson/Josh Dix/Riley type scorer/playmaker. I think Sarr will be good but raw. I think Tomi/Boz are very good 2nd/3rd team all big 10 types, but not the alphas you need. I'm sure IL is pursuing those scorers.
Zorak
- Naperville
I was just wondering this. Maybe they've both learned the grass isn't always greener.
I don't think people are forgetting that it cost money to retain players. This board and other places just continue to tell us that ILL has top tier NIL $$ (15-20ish in the country). As we currently stand, this roster is not a top 15-20 roster in the country.
Obviously not how it will shake out. The portal is just wild times and everyone wants good news immediately.
From a fan's perspective, the cool thing about this upcoming roster so far, considering Ty returning and the potential for Adam Miller to come back, is the intangible familiarity that the roster will have.
On paper last year, it was difficult to traditionally measure the roster's overall experience because you had guys coming from overseas who were transferring in after already playing against professionals. On paper we had one of the lowest levels of D-1 experience (especially in P5) but that did not factor in other high-level experience.
This year the intangible stat has become retention, where you have the obvious returners in Bam, Davis, Tomi, Jakstys, and AJ Redd - but if you look down another layer, you have Ty and Ace (potentially), who have at least some level of familiarity with the coaches and system - if you look a level further, you've got Big Z who played for one of our coaches and shared a womb with one of our key contributors. Most of the top of our contributors have at least some real familiarity with the program. This is tough to measure but seems like it'll be meaningful with player comfort and buy-in.
On paper, our continuity stats will probably be slightly above average, but I would think this will certainly deserve an asterisk or two in the favorable direction.
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Good news is we don’t have to pay Will
that money is now free to get us to fill out the rest of the roster. Does anyone have a true idea of what a starting 5 in the big ten will cost? Genuinely curious
Okay, for kicks and grins, let's say Illinois is running out of money to give to transfers and can only add Adam Miller and Dame Sarr to next year's roster. This is the team:
Boswell
Miller
Sarr
Mirkovic
Tomi
---
Ty
Z
Jake
Wagler
Lee
Jakstys
Is that a B1G title contender? I'd say definitely not.
Is it a top-25 team? No.
So what does the staff do to improve the roster if there's no money to be had? Or do they roll the dice and hope they can coach them up? I've seen that movie before, and it doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies. Undy must think his seat is ice cold heading into next season.
I just want Miller to give us one more crunch time “Come Get Some” floor slap before a big defensive stand
I don't think that anybody forgets that, but part of that retention didn't involve our top 3 players. Two are in the NBA and one is at Michigan, so that can't be an excuse. If we retained all three, that's a valid rationale.
What people see is the need for bonafide, athletic scorers and playmakers at the 2 and 3 positions. As we sit here, a month after the season ended......they still see the same need.
They've also been fed that we're a top 10 NIL destination. That being the case, we should be comfortable retaining our players AND replacing those leaving with the same or better quality.
Going into 2025-2026, our prep recruiting has been average and pending what expectations of the program are, people can come to different conclusions.
TO DATE, being CLEAR with that, our portal additions have been below average based on needs.
So, to summarize the off-season TO DATE:
1)We've lost our top 3 players
2)The portal has been below average
3)Prep recruiting was.....ok.
If we are truly a "player".....we should have PLENTY of room for two huge additions and one solid one(Miller).
What people see is the need for bonafide, athletic scorers and playmakers at the 2 and 3 positions. As we sit here, a month after the season ended......they still see the same need.
They've also been fed that we're a top 10 NIL destination. That being the case, we should be comfortable retaining our players AND replacing those leaving with the same or better quality.
Going into 2025-2026, our prep recruiting has been average and pending what expectations of the program are, people can come to different conclusions.
TO DATE, being CLEAR with that, our portal additions have been below average based on needs.
So, to summarize the off-season TO DATE:
1)We've lost our top 3 players
2)The portal has been below average
3)Prep recruiting was.....ok.
If we are truly a "player".....we should have PLENTY of room for two huge additions and one solid one(Miller).
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
If I could wave a magic wand both our staff and our fans would have 25% more optimism in the year-to-year evolution and growth of our existing players. That would make the analysis more accurate.
And yeah, financially speaking it's very obvious that every returnee is getting more than they got last year. They played well and are now a year older and more experienced, they deserve more! Their market value is clearly higher!
(Not you, Ben)
That’s every team though. That’s just not an Illini problem.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Some have used the word redemption here, and it really does feel like that. Can you imagine in some optimistic world where he does drastically improve his numbers, the story that allows Brad to tell recruits, portal-ers, etc.? Would once again allow us to differentiate ourselves from the pack as a developmental school.
Floor slapping leads to bad karma.
Genuine question.
Your analysis was right on the money for the first two paragraphs. Good stuff in there.
That said, why the dig? What was the point of the cheap shot?
Your analysis was right on the money for the first two paragraphs. Good stuff in there.
That said, why the dig? What was the point of the cheap shot?
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Roster is really missing one more star
I would be skeptical if Miller is playing major minutes at the 2 guard as B1G title contender (mostly because Purdue is awesome), even though I'm a big fan of the addition. But I'm not so sure I agree that team wouldn't be Top 25.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Sarr is being ludicrously underrated by this board.
That's not a mistake Jon Scheyer will be making, I'll bet.
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