MadtownIllin
- Madison, WI
Is there a reason that Mirk has reportedly not signed yet?
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Shirley, you can't be serious?
Not really, no. Players have committed without signing for decades… nothing new and only reason it ever is mentioned is to drum up negativity imo
I always tell people I don't care if you respect me but respect the money and the opportunity I'm giving you!!
I agree. I wrote a thesis titled "should college athletes be paid" over 10 years ago. This is not what I had in mind. Every college basketball player is on a one year contract. Not alot of continuity. Players don't have to sit out a year anymore. This really stinks. I enjoy college basketball more than the NBA, but if this continues I might have to rethink my preference.
You should perhaps consider the possibility that it's not talked about because many top schools lose contested recruitments. How many blue chip recruits have Duke and Kansas in their top 5? One of those schools has to lose. Does that mean the loser is doing something wrong? When a school is really good at evaluating players, that means you're going to be recruiting a lot of players who are sought after by other good programs. And you're going to lose most of the time. That is just a part of this business.
There's really not some big discussion to be had when the opponents are all blue bloods anyway. The pull is obvious: they have national championships and we don't. They put the most players into the NBA and we get one in every ten years or so - though that hit rate is increasing rapidly. They have the fans (and therefore the donors) to NIL up money worthy of a top player. We will have to continue to do this if we want to join those schools in many, many more recruitments of this type.
We pull our offer the other offers will go down... Instead we are doing what we did with Dix saying we will match or exceed other offers.... That is crazy talk and leads to the waiting game...
Coach calls the kid or the kids Dad, donors are getting nervous going to pull 1.5 out of kitty if it doesn't get done by tomorrow at noon... This ain't my fault kiddo I got bosses too I'm just the messenger but when your talking about 3000000.00 dollars in this world strings are always attached... So ya announce tomorrow and shut it down
Pivot needs to be 2026 reclass guys. There’s not much remaining in the portal that would fit at Illinois for what we need.
Right now, 2025-26 if we stay status quo looks like Iowa under Fran. Some skilled offensive players, limited athleticism, no defense. We’ve been trending towards the Iowa model the last few years but had pros to mask it (KJ, Riley, TSJ). Without the pros, we’re Iowa
Right now, 2025-26 if we stay status quo looks like Iowa under Fran. Some skilled offensive players, limited athleticism, no defense. We’ve been trending towards the Iowa model the last few years but had pros to mask it (KJ, Riley, TSJ). Without the pros, we’re Iowa
They are a far more entitled fan base. They are used to being Lucy and we’re used to being Charlie Brown.
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Call your local representative. Once the courts got involved that was the end of it. The toothpaste is out of the tube. To fix something, both sides have to agree that there's a problem. Why would the players want to fix anything, especially when a group of schools continue to up the ante. The schools/conferences/boards/NCAA have absolutely zero leverage unless they can find a way to get some concessions and wins in Congress and in the courts. Good luck with that.
Is there a way that the institutions can drive costs down without getting drilled for collusion? Doubt it. If you're Duke, Kentucky, UNC, anybody in the SEC, etc....why push for a change?
You have:
1)Ths haves
2)The teams that can compete, but aren't really a threat(us)
3)The have nots.
We're not a program that are clean either. While we're extremely average to believe average in the portal, it seems like we've opened a can of worms with international players. It's our cheaper way to compete and I think that ultimately will be rules on limiting or at VERY least, once the parameters there are set, all of the majors will be tapping those resources.
Let me reiterate, once the courts got involved, good luck limiting what was given or alter the rules to cap compensation.
Pivot needs to be 2026 reclass guys. There’s not much remaining in the portal that would fit at Illinois for what we need.
Right now, 2025-26 if we stay status quo looks like Iowa under Fran. Some skilled offensive players, limited athleticism, no defense. We’ve been trending towards the Iowa model the last few years but had pros to mask it (KJ, Riley, TSJ). Without the pros, we’re Iowa
Take away all of our good players and we’re not nearly as good
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
I’m sure this is true, but… it’s much easier to secretly take $80k under the table than it is $3 million.
I think it's hard to have a conversation beyond money when the only player that might've taken less money to not be here that I'm aware of is Josh Dix. Instead I flip it around, why does there have to be any reason beyond money? Occam's Razor says it's the simplest answer.
I'd also bet (and this is me not really knowing) that at least some of our players coming/staying could have gotten more money elsewhere.
PizzaHutParkingLot
- Vodice, Croatia
Gotta mean a decision soon...
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
Indeed, Bionic Hippo. Indeed.
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