Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[RabidDawgClassic]

UConn is at the United Center this year

UConn is to Illinois what the Pistons were to the Jordan Bulls. Once we get past them we’ll soar to new heights.

 

[sharpshot16]

All those guys staying?

Ty / Jake / Lee / Jakstys / Fabgemi.

I will be blown away unless something drastic happens if Ty and Jake aren't here next year. We have told them we want them and given them NIL numbers which were received well.

Then again...I thought Tre White would have been on last year's team based on the coaches conversations so take it with a grain of salt...

Lee and Jakstys have the most interesting decisions.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

I will be blown away unless something drastic happens if Ty and Jake aren't here next year. We have told them we want them and given them NIL numbers which were received well.

Then again...I thought Tre White would have been on last year's team based on the coaches conversations so take it with a grain of salt...

Lee and Jakstys have the most interesting decisions.

Great insight!

Very nice to know we’re prioritizing retention ON TOP of the big fish like Blackwell and Vaaks.

 

[RollChief]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2043795832076431383

This tracks with KenPom's "who is most popular", which effectively is a list of where KenPom paid users are "committed" to following (each user can commit to one team). UConn is the outlier here it seems.

 

[Carter Waller]

An Illinois MUST GET in my humble opinion.

Definitely add more flying to the Illini.

 

[illiniguy24]

Marketing image is going to be elite - can't wait for it to drop.

Me trying not to tell all my friends (of which none are Illini fans) about all the retention and portal awesomeness going on

 

[WhereDoWeStandWithStorr?]

Blackwell
Vaaks
Andrej
Mirk
Tomi

Bench:
Q Coleman
Z
Ty
Jake
Morillo

Deep Bench:
B Lee
Jakstys
Ethan Brown
Landon Davis (redshirt)
Fagbemi

Preseason #1

 

[ChiefGritty]

Can Weber be faulted for Brian Randle punching the wall and breaking his hand? Or Kendrick Nunn? Or Darius Paul? Or Jamar Smith leaving Brian Carlwell for dead? Jereme Richmond legal issues? or Cliff not signing? Leron Black stabbing a guy at canopy club? Or whatever jalyon tate did to get suspended? Eric Gordon shoe bribes?

I think revisionist history give Bruce a bad wrap. Imo if Randle didn't break his hand and disappear we would have won a Natty in 05.

Given how many of the quoted incidents were post-Weber I am going to hold out hope that post is parody.

 

[bavanga3]

ayo averaged 13.8 as a freshman on a team that went 12-21. was he not a winning player?

edit: camo beat me to it

If you're a 6'10" starter in the WCC and can only average 2.7 rebounds per game, I'd say he was part of the problem. He was their 6th leading rebounder, thats not a winning player.

 

[chief]

Brandon Lee is staying? I don't see why a top 100 recruit would choose to be in the Deep Bench for 2 years

Because he wants to win a Natty and is a team first, every day guy biding his time - one or two injuries and he becomes critical to our title run. I think he has game, just needs some time on the floor.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

Blackwell
Vaaks
Andrej
Mirk
Tomi

Bench:
Q Coleman
Z
Ty
Jake
Morillo

Deep Bench:
B Lee
Jakstys
Ethan Brown
Landon Davis (redshirt)
Fagbemi

Preseason #1

Yep, team would be a UNIT.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Can Weber be faulted for Brian Randle punching the wall and breaking his hand? Or Kendrick Nunn? Or Darius Paul? Or Jamar Smith leaving Brian Carlwell for dead? Jereme Richmond legal issues? or Cliff not signing? Leron Black stabbing a guy at canopy club? Or whatever jalyon tate did to get suspended? Eric Gordon shoe bribes?

I think revisionist history give Bruce a bad wrap. Imo if Randle didn't break his hand and disappear we would have won a Natty in 05.

you can make a big list of excuses for any team in a single season. look at this year: ty rodgers injures himself and misses the season, stojakovic comes into the season injured, boswell breaks his hand, tomi is injured or sick for the entire offseason, stojakovic twists his ankle, the whole team gets the flu, we play a 6-man rotation at one point.

Underwood isn't a big excuses guy which is why he's so refreshing. Maybe he can lift the illinois fans into a post-gripe era.

 

[EmeraldCityIllini]

If Lee, Ty, and Jake all stay. Legends in my book.

Especially Jake. It would be very easy to maintain you deserve to still start. And tons of P4 teams would line up to plug him into the 2 or 3 spot because he’s such a great fit everywhere.

 

[PleaseMakeABowlGame]

Misko loves him some Illini

Misko loves the Big Ten.

 

[RollChief]

Me trying not to tell all my friends (of which none are Illini fans) about all the retention and portal awesomeness going on

**Me telling all my friends (of which some are Illini fans), plus my wife, in-laws, family and boss about all the retention and portal awesomeness going on

 

[DeeIL89]

Sorry if this was posted somewhere else and I missed it. Find it fairly interesting to hear his comments.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2043777765434954240

Never in my life would I think that the agent of freaking Nikola Jokic would bring up Mayor Feinen in whatever discussion it is. Lol. Illini Men basketball is back baby! Lol.

 

[RimPressure]

Sorry if this was posted somewhere else and I missed it. Find it fairly interesting to hear his comments.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2043777765434954240

lol it's literally in the post right above mine. I must have been behind or something when I posted and now it's too late to edit. Sorry Heisenbobble

 

[PleaseMakeABowlGame]

Hopefully they land Paulis and don’t make a run at Blackwell:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2043785209196228833

 

[illiniguy24]

**Me telling all my friends (of which some are Illini fans), plus my wife, in-laws, family and boss about all the retention and portal awesomeness going on

View attachment 49663

*sent to my friends*

 

[PleaseMakeABowlGame]

I will be blown away unless something drastic happens if Ty and Jake aren't here next year. We have told them we want them and given them NIL numbers which were received well.

Then again...I thought Tre White would have been on last year's team based on the coaches conversations so take it with a grain of salt...

Lee and Jakstys have the most interesting decisions.

Doesn’t make much sense for Lee to take a end of bench role for two years, IMHO.

Good to know about Ty and Jake.

 

[MurphysBurger]

you can make a big list of excuses for any team in a single season. look at this year: ty rodgers injures himself and misses the season, stojakovic comes into the season injured, boswell breaks his hand, tomi is injured or sick for the entire offseason, stojakovic twists his ankle, the whole team gets the flu, we play a 6-man rotation at one point.

Underwood isn't a big excuses guy which is why he's so refreshing. Maybe he can lift the illinois fans into a post-gripe era.

Underwood isn't an excuse guy? Have you watched his post game pressers after losses? He rarely if ever takes responsibility for his poor in game coaching decisions. I agree he hasn't gotten a fair shake from the Refs but he likes to bring up how many plays he'll submit to the league for review.

Injury & sickness are one thing. Off the court issues are different.

Also Randle was the missing key to 05 and is always brought up as a guy with a lot of hype that never really worked out.

 

[Scoregasm]

I love the idea if someone is going nuclear on us to put Ty in and say sick'em.

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

Personally j would like this guy to replace one of the players on the bench

Good Morning, Illini Nation: Get to know Zavier Zens

Wisconsin Mr. Basketball taking official visit to Illinois

www.news-gazette.com

He’s not Big Ten ready … Not even close …

 

[Joel Goodson]

Yep, team would be a UNIT.

a wagon unit or a unit wagon?

 

[IL309]

He’s not Big Ten ready … Not even close …

Glad we got him on an OV as a head start for when he decides to leave Utah State