Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#553      
Altuve27
At the beginning of the offseason there was discussion about changes being made to the coaching staff. Is that still in the plans?

They need it on multiple fronts.
 
#554      
HailtotheChief
illini011 said:
My only issue with him is that he’s a terrible 3 point shooter
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34 percent is ok from three when he was such a key figure. Hopefully, playing with the twins who i wouldn't be shocked if they shoot 40% or close to it and being good passers Watkins can improve as well. I will admit I didn't watch FSU or the ACC much being an Illini fan first and Miss St second but I trust you guys when you say Watkins is good. Because, I think Sarr is going to only get better and the best NBA talent we could nabb in a while and after last year's guys, TSJ and Ayo thats saying something. I think he is going to evolve into a stud. That doesn't mean Watkins can't be better in college though! Headed for those cold ones now! ILL!
 
#555      
Scoregasm
the juiceman cometh said:
One of my law school friends once told me that whenever she gets really stressed out she remembers that we are all going to die one day and in relation to that, none of what is stressing you out in that moment matters at all. Not even a little bit.

Disturbing and calming at the same time.
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No one will care in 100 years is my similar thought process.
 
#556      
BashCtIllini
dainjazoner said:
dame sarr is not worth 3million dollars.

I'll take jamir watkins whos playing his last year of college ball in his 5th year over a 1 and done.
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He is worth whatever the market says he is. And if we stick our noses up and tout how we've got the best value roster in the nation, that high priced talent is going to roll us.

At some point you have to bring home the bacon, no matter what it costs, or don't expect to compete for titles. If you want to avoid the massive payrolls, then you're going to have to retain your players and develop an actual program.
 
#558      
Fanview
If true that we're not pushing for Sarr, not sure why that sounds crazy to people.

He'd be a freshmen that we'd be betting on as our star

Did I want him? Yes. But if I’m the coaching staff exploring all options, I’d definitely be hesitant to bank on a freshman—especially one who might stay in the draft anyway.
 
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#559      
RabidDawgClassic
illiniguy24 said:
Not directed at you by any means…but this is such bs. Suddenly we’re just 100% out on Sarr? Partially because of us? Give me a break.

It sounds like this start is totally scrambling right now. Thanks god Tomi has a twin brother who is also good at basketball.
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If we are indeed 100% out on Sarr, I would assume it's because the price has risen too much since the Nike Hoops Summit. Funny how people here are applauding Tennesses for not just tossing money willy nilly at their star quarterback, but are also going into panic mode in Mid-April when BU and co are making similar purchasing decisions.
 
#560      
jsmoke2215
It all depends on the roster make up. Sarr is worth 3 million if you're a piece away from a final four and not relying on him to be the man.

If you try to make him the focal point of your offense, he's not going to be good enough for that as a freshman.
 
#561      
ChiefGritty
madillini4 said:
I’m just so tired of this
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Y'know it's funny, I find this roster-building quite engaging as an intellectual exercise, and of course I love Loyalty drama, but where it really wears on me is when the ball actually gets rolled out to play and it's a bunch of guys in orange jerseys that I have no relationship developed with and have to figure out an entirely new group, not to mention when we start playing Big Ten games and it's against OTHER all-new groups of unknowns, especially on the new fake B1G schools. It just doesn't inspire the same depth of passion.

I'm into the idea of the Illini Eras Tour with Ty and Adam Miller added to the returnees though. Here's hoping.

USAFILLINI said:
On the other hand, other insiders keep assuring us everything’s fine, but we barrel ahead knowing we are headed to the same result. It only reinforces my point: we’re recruiting in Europe not because it’s a hotbed of talent, but because there’s a cloud hanging over our program here.
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That feels a bit overwrought to me. If @FI_8905 wants to say more I'd be all ears, but we've got family members and former teammates being brought into the fold here, obviously there's some positive word of mouth somewhere.

Europe is an ocean of talent. We should be aggressively pursuing that market.
 
#562      
CoachHooleyHoo
Thanks, dude! I've been pretty consistent in my posts that I recognize it's still early, but we just whiffed on our TOP target. I'm sure they'll get another good player, but there's no way around it that this has the potential for an extremely disappointing offseason. Sorry this made you mad, dude!
 
#563      
Chief Stooge
Rejected Will Smith GIF

Illini fans during portal season
 
#565      
jacekpardol
What has Brad shown you that he can win with inferior talent? All his top teams have studs and pre-season AA types.
 
#566      
Illiniindian
PeoriaIllini03 said:
BenH discourse is truly the worst look for this board and Illinois fandom. I get the whole, "he's getting paid and therefore shouldn't be treated like a kid," but he truly is a kid. One who was most likely doing exactly what Brad was telling him to do.

Say your opinion on it once and move on. We need to get away from the straight up slandering of players on our team.
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Thank you. It’s pathetic. Ben should be Ben. It’s up to the coaches to give him playing time or limit his 3 point shooting.
 
#569      
RollChief
Is losing Dame Sarr a difference maker for our team in the wrong direction or an ego thing considering the reaction, if we can replace Dame Sarr with a guy like Jamir Watkins? Especially when we're talking macro expectations? What is the likelihood that a $2.5M Dame Sarr would have come in to Illinois and take us to a Final Four, and what is the likelihood he would have been very good but very streaky, like we saw this year?

My point is look at the Final Four, the Elite 8, the All-American first, second, and third teams. Are these teams made up of super star Freshman?

Just using the All-American list, 1 was a Freshman, and 10 were Seniors or older of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd teams. 2/3rds are Seniors or older.

So was Dame going to be a generational, Cooper Flagg talent that was going to lead us to a Final Four? Or is a team of very good role guys around a Senior/5th year All American going to lead us to a Final Four?
 
#570      
PizzaHutParkingLot
FI_8905 said:
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there's been a whisper campaign against Illinois basketball for a while now. Makes it tough to gain traction with top recruits and transfers. Not impossible, but harder than it should be. Donor fatigue also a factor. The landscape isn't what many fans want it to be or have been told that it is by the sycophants. That's just the truth.
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This Is Bad Uh Oh GIF by Amazon Prime Video
 
#571      
ColSLU69
I know I'm replying to my own post, but... Kylan Boswell, Kennard Davis Jr, and Jamir Watkins would be an awesome trio next year for the Illini at PG, SG, and SF. Their strength and athleticism would work so well with Tomi, Big Z, and Mirkovic manning the frontcourt.
 
#572      
dainjazoner
uh maybe every high level wing thats been in the portal cause they had to fork over 2-2.5 million just for sarr...
every insider has had the 3 spot penciled in for months...
 
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