Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Exactly. He's the unicorn. He'll go down as the portal era's greatest signing of all time. I, personally, don't think we'll see anything remotely like it ever again.
It's a movie or a book just waiting to be written. "Overlooked to All American". Boom. There it is.
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Winning at all cost is something people get uncomfortable talking about.... But when there is money involved the bar silently move... a suggestion becomes expectation!!! Is Brad and Company ready to shoulder that burden.... I pray for my Coach!!!
ILL indoctrination works both ways sometimes!!!
Tacomallini
- Washington State
If I’m Jake Davis I’m staying at the school that has Jake Davis wig night.
"If he wants to develop" -- same as it ever was. It's not simple, it's not straightforward. Think it through, young man, and then pull the trigger -- stay or go, neither is right and neither is wrong. Depends on what you seek. Ignore the noise.
Would Blackwell be a preseason All American or is that too far?
He’ll likely be 2nd or 3rd in preseason B10 POY (Sandfort / Fears).
Clearly would be the major headliner if he were to commit here.
He’ll likely be 2nd or 3rd in preseason B10 POY (Sandfort / Fears).
Clearly would be the major headliner if he were to commit here.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Brother in what universe is Blackwell better than Mirkovic?
I'd think he'd be the highest paid in sport.
I'd take him many times over Floral Bumdonga in Louisville.
Maybe he likes that he can get away with donkey kick after donkey kick at MSU
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These arguments are going to be fun. We have at least 5 guys who are All-League caliber.
I’d say yes but as a 2nd or 3rd team All-American.
1st Team All-B1G is almost lockstep with making an All-American team nowadays as the conference has ascended.
His numbers/efficiency would have put him in All American contention last year on a 2/3 seed. You don’t always get the benefit of the doubt on a back end Top 25 team. Boyd should have been All B1G IMO, as well.
This past season, Blackwell was better and it’s not particularly close.
When it comes to preseason perception, that’s what most people will go off of…
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Germanboxers
- Fort Wayne, IN
Interesting…if Weber was a great recruiter and still lost so consistently, he must just be a bad coach, not a bad recruiter.Had a quick moment to do some research... Nunn, Leron and Darius were post Weber... but
Bruce has 2 of the top 5 recruiting classes and another in the top 10. Groce even has a couple. Revisionist history is a thing.
I like to remind people on here that Brad showed up with his gimmicky press and foul offense which almost got him run out of Champaign. Tyler had to show him the metrics and convince him to change.
The 10 highest-ranked Illini basketball recruiting classes of past 20 years
Breaking down the highest-ranked recruiting classes of the last two decades for Illinois247sports.com
I mean Blackwell was 3rd team all bigten this year…Mirk was honorable mention. Next year Blackwell could definitely be a 1st team all big ten guy. Mirk could certainly be as well, but I don’t think it’s a stretch.
In the world that they play two different positions and Blackwell can go on a heater and win a game by himself. Mirk is a very, very solid player. Blackwell can be a game wrecker. Believe me, I saw him do it to us live.
This could be Jake’s final year of getting paid to play basketball. I love the guy and hope he returns and fills whatever role he can to help the team, but I wouldn’t blame him one bit if he took offers from other schools.
Even KenPom hates duke! Lower case d
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Win shares, PER, Box Plus-Minus, unanimous in favor of Mirk
Blackwell was in a 3,000 way tie for dead last in "number of super-soaker fights in a cowboy hat on top of the lockers" so I really think you're wrong there too.
Unless it’s a quick guard….
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
So of this list from 2022 about the top 10 Illinois classes of the prior 20 years (so 2003-2022), Weber signed 1 of the top 9 (the 2003 guys all committed to Self, and he lost Charlie V from that group)Bruce has 2 of the top 5 recruiting classes and another in the top 10.
The 10 highest-ranked Illini basketball recruiting classes of past 20 years
Breaking down the highest-ranked recruiting classes of the last two decades for Illinois
And again, as soon as Jerrance Howard took over recruiting, the talent level immediately changed, though Bruce wasn't willing to work with those players so it all fell apart.
I just want to break this down into 5 year periods, using the old RSCI top 100's which you don't see so much anymore but allows for apples-to-apples comparisons.
1999-2003:
#19 Dee Brown
#20 Brian Cook
#28 Rich McBride
#48 Deron Williams
#53 Brian Randle
#62 Roger Powell
#77 Nick Smith
#78 James Augustine
#86 Aaron Spears
2004-2008:
#49 Brian Carlwell
#65 Demetri McCamey
#77 Shaun Pruitt
2009-2013:
#24 Jereme Richmond
#29 Meyers Leonard
#35 DJ Richardson
#49 Brandon Paul
#57 Kendrick Nunn
#65 Mike Shaw
#66 Myke Henry
#69 Tracy Abrams
#70 Malcolm Hill
#78 Nnanna Egwu
2014-2018:
#32 Ayo Dosunmu
#38 Jalen Coleman-Lands
#46 Leron Black
#78 DJ Williams
#90 Mark Smith
2019-2023:
#29 Adam Miller
#32 Skyy Clark
#43 Kofi Cockburn
#45 Andre Curbelo
#57 Ty Rodgers
#58 Amani Hansberry
#77 Jayden Epps
#79 Brandin Podziemski
#81 RJ Melendez
#86 Sencire Harris
#98 Luke Goode
Hmm, now in which of those periods were we #1 the whole year and went to the Final Four as the toast of the sport and a team people are still talking about today?
What? The pressure defense got left behind because the big10 calls those fouls way tighter than the Southland or the Big10.
Tyler was a sophomore in college so I don't think he was the one behind the change.
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