Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
Coleman is legit!
Mirk 31 minutes
Tomi 27 minutes
Z 22 minutes
Why would that not work? Plus, Morillo can play a couple minutes at the 4. Plus, you can play 4 guards/wings a few minutes.
No quality 4 is going to come here for 5 minutes a game. And it wouldn’t be money well spent.
The kid wants to play, has nothing to do with fan support. Don't blame him one bit.
He was a great teammate and representative of our program. Nothing but the best wishes for him.
Agree. I’m not a fan of praising scUM in any way, but one of the things I thought Dusty May did well was managing minutes on an incredibly deep team.
Hoping Bradislav might do something similar with all the depth we’ll have. Keeps our guys:
1. more fresh
2. less injury prone…. and dare I say it…
3. more likely to hit end-of-game FT’s
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To rank those three on a pie chart importance scale:
Andrej: 50%
Blackwell: 49.9%
ZZ: 0.1%
So, I only choose to lose sleep over the first two.
Morillo will play 4 according to one of the insiders
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
It's the age-old conundrum of college basketball that you don't want to play a rotation as deep as the number of sure thing rotation-quality players you need in order to be sure you have enough. You're wrong either way.
Morillo and Coleman are true freshmen, and Lee is inexperienced.
Feels like we need one more, which has like a 65% chance of pushing one of Lee or Morillo out of the rotation, while simultaneously knowing that there's a 65% chance we will be calling upon that guy at some point in the season to play a significant role.
If we don't get one more, there's a coin flip chance we wind up relying on Jakstys or another freshman to play more than they're capable of.
The athletic PF has become the basketball thread version of the football thread DT.
100%, i think the plan is to play Mirk 35 minutes, just outscore them, and pray no one gets hurt. If that happens go small ball or maybe Jason can get from 235 to 250 plus, be serviceable, play without turning it over or screw up much. I will say while he has played very little, he hasnt screwed up when he played. Thats one think about Jake and Ben, when they played they didnt screw up. Not that i expect that from Jason but he will still be a freshman after a redshirt n medical redshirt. He is inexpensive, knows the system and for someone very deep thats needed for insurance at the four.
I do think it's important to note that the 9th man usually isn't COMPLETELY out of the rotation. Petrovic this year was an exception.
Last year (2025), Jake Davis was what you'd call the 9th guy. He appeared in 32 games, averaged 3 points per game in 9.5 minutes.
DGL was the 9th guy on the 2024 team. He appeared in 28 games, averaged 2.4 points in 7.1 minutes.
I know this sounds like a weird post, as those are by no means gauty numbers.... but the 9th man usually is good enough to appear in games and make a contribution (albeit small).
So, if we get Blackwell, I still think Morillo (or whoever winds up 9th) will have a chance to get out there.
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Are we sure JJ will even be cleared to play?
it’s time for JJ to transfer down & play
he’s not gonna play much , if at all , for us
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
And like, Petro wasn't PLANNED to be the 9th man, he was supposed to be core with Wagler or Jake soaking up bench minutes. (Or even Lee ahead of Wagler)
Jake wasn't PLANNED to be the 9th man the year earlier, he wasn't going to play at all and Carey Booth was supposed to be in the rotation.
You need too many options in order to have enough options, it has always been a paradox of college basketball and is why there were transfers even before the portal.
It’s been answered a few times already.
Morillo is 6’7 he will get minutes at the 4 as well
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I'm almost certain he had his chest opened and a 13th rib attached to spine removed. Preventing future blood clots and death. Thats what thoracic outlet syndrome is. Son had it, took 18 months recovery and strength training to get back on field in college Station. It is painful and a major surgery. I hope he hangs, long road and he's a large human.
Foul trouble and/or injury is the concern.
Don't bring it if you won't share with the rest of the class.
Getting Mirk back is the key, and Brad is surrounding him with top talent and outstanding role players. Ten little known facts regarding Mirk:
1. Superman wears pajamas with Mirk's likeness on them.
2. Mirk once calmed a wild charging grizzly by bear hugging him.
3. Mirk doesn't get blisters, but his shoes do.
4. When he became a teenager, the circus ran away to join Mirk.
5. Mirk only brings a knife to a gun fight, to try and even the odds.
6. When shaving, Mirk vigorously rubs his hands on his face. The only thing that can cut Mirk, is Mirk.
7. When Mirk once got pulled over for speeding, the cop ended up apologizing and wrote himself a ticket.
8. Mirk is not allowed in bowling lanes near campus. Apparently, bowling overhand is now banned.
9. The ten gallon hat Mirk bought in Houston now holds twenty gallons.
10. Mirk once finished first in the tour de France by 6 hours, after teaching himself to ride a unicycle.
1. Superman wears pajamas with Mirk's likeness on them.
2. Mirk once calmed a wild charging grizzly by bear hugging him.
3. Mirk doesn't get blisters, but his shoes do.
4. When he became a teenager, the circus ran away to join Mirk.
5. Mirk only brings a knife to a gun fight, to try and even the odds.
6. When shaving, Mirk vigorously rubs his hands on his face. The only thing that can cut Mirk, is Mirk.
7. When Mirk once got pulled over for speeding, the cop ended up apologizing and wrote himself a ticket.
8. Mirk is not allowed in bowling lanes near campus. Apparently, bowling overhand is now banned.
9. The ten gallon hat Mirk bought in Houston now holds twenty gallons.
10. Mirk once finished first in the tour de France by 6 hours, after teaching himself to ride a unicycle.
Yup. Most coaches want an 8-man rotation. But they want to start the season with more than 8 guys that are capable of being in that rotation. Some won't be as good as hoped and 1-2 might get hurt and thus the rotation solves itself.
madillini4
Ozamataz Buckshank
- Millywaukee
I feel very confident about Blackwell. Dad is an alum, he is a perfect fit for us, we have the money, and we have a winning program with great vibes at the moment.
I think, and hope, it is similar to the Yaxel decision last spring where he turned down significantly more money from UK to go to Michigan to win and be developed.
And I don’t think it’s a multi million dollar difference like it was for Yaxel last year
I think, and hope, it is similar to the Yaxel decision last spring where he turned down significantly more money from UK to go to Michigan to win and be developed.
And I don’t think it’s a multi million dollar difference like it was for Yaxel last year
