Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#152      
RimPressure
FI_8905 said:
No, meaning there will be spots open and you can't fill all of them with high priced players.

And you need a backup plan.
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It certainly wouldn’t shock me if Z wanted to go be a starter somewhere with his final year of eligibility. (Of course I hope he stays)
 
#153      
NarrowJ
Don’t want this to come of as a good riddance, because I definitely rooted for him to succeed here. But, opening up starter-level $ while losing next to zero production is already a positive portal development for Illinois.
 
#155      
GrayGhost77
Rebounding Dog said:
ZZ!
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Zz Top Fun GIF
 
#157      
AirTran
As of April 11, 2026, there is quiet but consistent buzz that Illinois is "very involved" with Stefan Vaaks
a guard out of Providence who originally came from the Europe.
 
#158      
ChiefGritty
sulli said:
I don't think that the Montenegro pro league is a higher level than the Big Ten. There are 3 NBA lottery picks playing in the Big Ten this year with another 2-3 first round draft picks. Sure, they are older, but the Montenegro league doesn't have athletes like Lendenborg and Morez Johnson.
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It's the pan-Balkan league, not just Montenegro (which also has one team in Dubai for some reason?)

There's a sharp differential in terms of the top teams vs the bottom teams (Petro's team was in the middle and SC Derby where our big 3 played is lower tier) but the better teams are loaded with ex-NBA guys in their mid-to-late 20's. Age is a big deal, they very much DO have great athletes in that league.

Jabari Parker, Devonte Graham, Semi Ojeleye, Jared Butler, Yogi Ferrell, Isaiah Caanan some names that jump out plus a who's who of funky Euro tweeners who didn't make it long term in the league. The best teams in that league would dogwalk college basketball.

It's just a really different style of play and there was a mismatch between what Petro was accustomed to doing and what BU wanted and needed from day 1 here.

If Michigan got to play Partizan Belgrade, which set of rules and refs were used would make a huge difference.
 
#160      
DeeIL89
Take with a grain of salt because it came from Sleepers Media and I really don't hold much validity when it comes to their "sources" but in their recap of UConn-Illinois Final Four game, Greg Waddell said he heard from an Illini source that Z is all in on entering the NBA draft. My hope is that Illinois retains as much of the important core as can be and go from there filling in the rest of the pieces to get back to the Final Four next year.
 
#175      
wncillini
DeeIL89 said:
Take with a grain of salt because it came from Sleepers Media and I really don't hold much validity when it comes to their "sources" but in their recap of UConn-Illinois Final Four game, Greg Waddell said he heard from an Illini source that Z is all in on entering the NBA draft. My hope is that Illinois retains as much of the important core as can be and go from there filling in the rest of the pieces to get back to the Final Four next year.
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Hope someone can give him good advice. Maybe with his previous years of shooting well an NBA team will say they can fix that shot.

If he leaves we are really going to miss him, bam, and ben. Our D at times was frustratingly bad and we area going to miss that blocking ability. The championship teams all have a top offense and defense. Losing 3 of the 4 best we had on d is going to hurt.
 
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