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Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
I've got another possible backup PF in the transfer portal: 6'9", 245-pound, junior PF David Fuchs (San Francisco). He averaged 12.7/7.8/1.4 in 24.0 mpg last season, while shooting 51.7/30.3/64.5 for the Dons.
I know, I know: Illinois doesn't have the money for this addition. That was all money meant for Blackwell only. And why would a rising senior player leave starter minutes at SF for 10-15 mpg as a backup somewhere else? Perhaps to be paid more money while playing for a championship team?
Don't shoot the messenger. I just think that Fuchs (born in Vienna, Austria) would be a really good backup at PF next season for the Illini, without breaking the bank (or collective). (And of course, I think Illinois can have a fine season without adding Fuchs!)
I know, I know: Illinois doesn't have the money for this addition. That was all money meant for Blackwell only. And why would a rising senior player leave starter minutes at SF for 10-15 mpg as a backup somewhere else? Perhaps to be paid more money while playing for a championship team?
Don't shoot the messenger. I just think that Fuchs (born in Vienna, Austria) would be a really good backup at PF next season for the Illini, without breaking the bank (or collective). (And of course, I think Illinois can have a fine season without adding Fuchs!)
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Interesting comparison between EvanMiya.com ratings from this past year and projections for next year:
The good:
- As has been said before, he rates this as a #2-6 roster (though I'm not sure if the rankings would have changed since this was posted)
- Mirk is projected to improve a lot (and almost as valuable as Keaton was)
- Vaaks is also projected to improve a lot (3.55 last year, or #507 in the country)
- The #9 and 10 guys are projected to be a bit better (likely even more so with Zens added in), though not great
The bad:
- Stoj and Davis are projected to be worse (so is Z, but his rating this past year wasn't sensible)
- None of the freshman get much love
- The #3-8 guys are rated much lower than this past year
- Humrichous was a gem and it will be hard to replace that level of production for the seventh guy
Other:
- Interestingly, Morillo is ahead of Coleman
- We were #7 in EvanMiya this past year. These projections for next year look worse, yet he calls this a #2-6 roster. This could be due to some combination of NCAA talent being worse next year and/or the fact that often several of the best teams in any given year overperformed their pre-season projections and the projections of other top pre-season teams (this is like how the #2 MLB team in pre-season wins over/under is 90.5 this year despite many teams each year exceeding that- we just don't know which ones it will be).
Edit: I'm not putting this out as though it's my own opinion or anything. Just an interesting analysis to chew on.
The good:
- As has been said before, he rates this as a #2-6 roster (though I'm not sure if the rankings would have changed since this was posted)
- Mirk is projected to improve a lot (and almost as valuable as Keaton was)
- Vaaks is also projected to improve a lot (3.55 last year, or #507 in the country)
- The #9 and 10 guys are projected to be a bit better (likely even more so with Zens added in), though not great
The bad:
- Stoj and Davis are projected to be worse (so is Z, but his rating this past year wasn't sensible)
- None of the freshman get much love
- The #3-8 guys are rated much lower than this past year
- Humrichous was a gem and it will be hard to replace that level of production for the seventh guy
Other:
- Interestingly, Morillo is ahead of Coleman
- We were #7 in EvanMiya this past year. These projections for next year look worse, yet he calls this a #2-6 roster. This could be due to some combination of NCAA talent being worse next year and/or the fact that often several of the best teams in any given year overperformed their pre-season projections and the projections of other top pre-season teams (this is like how the #2 MLB team in pre-season wins over/under is 90.5 this year despite many teams each year exceeding that- we just don't know which ones it will be).
Edit: I'm not putting this out as though it's my own opinion or anything. Just an interesting analysis to chew on.
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As I tell my son, who is in your general neighborhood, Michigan is scUM. He's fallen for their cheap tricks. I will have to cut him out of the will and retrain his boys. They're young and still impressionable.
Maybe I need a signature like this
The team i've been most confused about getting preseason #1 buzz. Makes no sense.
I think they're clearly behind Duke and Virginia in the ACC. And between them, UNC, and Miami - take your pick.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
And while there is the official portal deadline at midnight, if Scheyer were to leave for the NBA (which seems highly possible now), that would give the players more time to consider their next moves.
HOW DARE YOU!!!
If you would have posted this at 7:01 yesterday morning I could have avoided skimming through the 34 pages of the thread. Dan could have then locked it. Of course that would ruin his board but what a time saver it would have been.
At least everyone would still be famILLy and friends.
Again, I think we all wished we had Blackwell, so the Illini would be be the preseason #1. It did not happen, so we have to trust BU and staff with their moves.
A very positive from this is the fact that BU will be playing Freshmen next year, and it's not a rebuilding year. It's a reloading year with promising Freshmen.
I would hope the Freshmen contribute to this potential Final Four team, grow, stay home and be a part of a great team in their second year.
A very positive from this is the fact that BU will be playing Freshmen next year, and it's not a rebuilding year. It's a reloading year with promising Freshmen.
I would hope the Freshmen contribute to this potential Final Four team, grow, stay home and be a part of a great team in their second year.
Waves and waves, that’s what this needs to look like.
Then why not transfer to Michigan? Florida? UConn? I don't think he will be content carrying Rippley's bags. And Duke has Isaiah Evans & Dame Sarr returning to play the big guard position.
Why would an NBA team want him? He was handpicked by Coach K for the Duke job and has mostly underachieved since he's been there.
Both reasons likely led to this result. Why does it have to be exclusively one or the other?
But the usage, man
In today's NIL world, the fact that Blackwell's Dad played for Illinois meant nothing. He was going to go for the most money and the best chance to win a Championship, with money being most important. He also looked at our roster and figured his minutes might be less than last year. At this point, I don't think we need him to be a great team and he might not have been good for the chemistry this team has. Let's be happy with the the guys we have and not be wishing for guys that didn't want to be here. Go Illini!
Illinifan533
- Normal, Illinois
A veteran guard is available! 
Snoozing on Duke. I don’t think John Blackwell is a plug and play superstar. He can be an efficient scorer as long as he and one other guy are getting all the shots.
Think he could get lost in the Duke shuffle and have a down year.
Think he could get lost in the Duke shuffle and have a down year.
When I was a kid, I can remember my grandma talking about the weather and she would always say “Well, Mr. Roberts said…” or if there was a storm or some kind of bad weather, she would tell my grandpa he better turn on Mr. Roberts!How many people here were living in town watching these two when they were on WCIA together? Show of hands.
The way she referred to him by name, for a long time I thought he was like a personal friend
A veteran guard is available!
I think Duke qualifies as a winner.