Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

#454      
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#456      
I think we know why, just discussing how it doesn't make any sense

The level of cognitive dissonance it takes to go "Yeah Brad really hasn't accomplished much here, we need to bring in a Mussel-man/Wade/Beard" is both interesting and hilarious
Well if it descends to into that after reaching the final four last year. This place is nutzo.

Thought of another way: Musselman is a loon. Wade is a scruple-less dirtbag. And Beard is more than likely a creep. Our guy doesn’t even have a carry on. Those 3 have enough baggage to fill an airport. It’s preposterous to suggest any of the 3 would or would have been better than Brad.

I appreciate Musselman and Beard’s tactical minds but if they can’t get out of their own way without imploding…what good is it? And, if I read tomorrow that Nate Oats threw a computer monitor out 5 story building…I wouldn’t be too surprised.

Wade isn’t even worth taking about…and that’s saying a lot because one of the other guys likely assaulted his girlfriend.

I definitely appreciate the pure coaching chops of some of these guys. Because I am College Baskeyball Fan. If that makes me a Stan…so be it.
 
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#459      
My vague recollection is that Iguodala shot up the rankings later in his HS career, was overshadowed by McBride before that. I want to say (very vague memory) Self didn't recruit him right away because of questions about his offensive skill. Definitely more in the spotlight by his senior year than Lincoln Williams for sure, but it's not like Williams didn't have big time offers ... and would have had more/bigger offers and better ranking but for his shaky academics.

And sorry for my geographic shorthand ... to us Chicago area folks, anything south of I-80 and north of St. Louis is central Illinois.
Sorry, it's just a silly comparison based on the dudes both playing in IL and being athletic.

Iggy was a highly regarded top 70 player from his Soph year on, playing AAU with Quentin Richardson, Jimmy Butler & Jon Scheyer while winning a AAU national championship and committing to Arkansas his Jr year...then Zona once Richardson was fired. Ranking wise he went from 70ish to 25ish his Jr summer.

Otherwise they're 170 spots in the rankings, 25 years, 160 miles and multiple NBA championships apart.
 
#461      
It tickles me when fans think the purpose of of a sport is for their entertainment value.
It is. Without the fans funding the sport given the entertainment value....all of the ancillary stuff is moot. Without the fans, there's no NIL, no TV money, no jersey sales, no concessions....nada.

The players benefit from the entertainment they provide. No more, no less.
 
#465      
By "we" I mean college basketball fans.

I trust BU to get good players via whatever methods are available to him, and I want him to do whatever it takes for Illinois to win. But the whole sport is better off if the focus is on high school recruits developing and having their careers at one program as the general national standard.
But we're on a Illinois basketball forum, so 'we' is much narrower; where the current state of college affairs has contributed to the best run of success in decades for Illinois basketball.

Also, do you really think Michigan is less satisfied with their championship because it was fueled by transfers? Florida the year before?

I don't think the whole sport is better off and most importantly 'we' are better off in the current environment.
 
#470      
I know it's just one guy, but I'm surprised we didn't even get to a single game removed from a Final Four run before getting posts unfavorably comparing BU to a coach with an objectively worse track record. Don't get me wrong, I knew it was going to happen...I just expected some basketball to happen first.
I may not have read all the comments, but I took it just as giving Musselman (and some others) the benefit of the doubt for now. I didn't see anything negative about BU
 
#471      
Another kid who’s just completely fallen from where he once was … Bounced around 3 different prep schools …

I’m not even sure what HMs are recruiting him anymore … He’s not a top end HM prospect in my eyes …
Hey kids, maybe stop bouncing around from school to school, learn a system you can excel in. Maybe have a life outside of basketball.
 
#473      
I know it's just one guy, but I'm surprised we didn't even get to a single game removed from a Final Four run before getting posts unfavorably comparing BU to a coach with an objectively worse track record. Don't get me wrong, I knew it was going to happen...I just expected some basketball to happen first.
Musselman has twice as many 2nd weekend appearances in less years, a better winning percentage, never had any of his seasons vacated, and at his 3rd school has started out better in his first two years at a football school than Underwood did at a basketball school. Don't get me wrong, I'll take Underwood as my coach, but Underwood is not objectively better. That's your opinion and maybe your as guilty of being prisoner of the moment as the people who insist on being critical.
 
#474      
Musselman has

Lets see what he actually has since you didn't even bother to look any of this up, apparently:

twice as many 2nd weekend appearances

Underwood: 2 E8, 1 F4
Musselman: 2 E8, 2 S16

Underwood F4 in 2026, Musselman hasn't even made the tournament the last 3 seasons

better winning percentage

Underwood: .688
Musselman: .672

Again, something that's trending in opposite directions

never had any of his seasons vacated

Oh, now we suddenly care about stuff like this, since Chris Beard and Will Wade apparently are no longer available...

has started out better in his first two years

Yes, he's really setting the world on fire at USC

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I know it's just one guy, but I'm surprised we didn't even get to a single game removed from a Final Four run before getting posts unfavorably comparing BU to a coach with an objectively worse track record. Don't get me wrong, I knew it was going to happen...I just expected some basketball to happen first.
I may not have read all the comments, but I took it just as giving Musselman (and some others) the benefit of the doubt for now. I didn't see anything negative about BU

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I see @bavanga3 is no stranger to these types of discussions, though:

 
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#475      
Correction: Brad 1 E8... maybe he was right about the 2nd weekends... wherever we need to set the goal posts to disparage BU, I guess

prisoner of the moment

Underwood has elevated the Illinois program to a higher competitive tier. I hardly think placing value on recency is being "prisoner of the moment", unless you actually think Brad's a poor D1 basketball coach (only way a comment like that makes any sense).

Would you still take Beard over Underwood?
 
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