Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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Good Morning, Illini Nation: Illinois all in on Darius Wabbington
Five-star center got up close look at program this past weekend
He’s going to Arizona next weekend I believe. Doubt he waits that long for the UT visit.
Commitment probably coming soon. Crystal ball would have to be Arizona at the moment. He’s from Phoenix. Arizona has had some great big men recently like Koa Peat and Krivas. Program also has the $$$ (see Caleb Holt, Burries, Peat, etc.).
Honestly I don't even think Boozer was enough to get it done in March.
Flagg could have got it done but I think it was because he was paired with two other fantastic freshman and they all complimented each other extremely well. Knueppel was obviously a stud but people sleep on how good Malauch was that year especially defensively/rim protection.
I would expect us to be hard to beat similarly for Brady Pettigrew.
Boozer alone no, but he had a sophomore Center, sophomore SG, junior PG. That Duke team stifled Michigan. It wasn't built to make a dominant run, but had enough to win it all. It was put in a tough, tough region. If they stayed healthy, was right there with Michigan.
I argue both teams were one top notch portal PG away from winning it.
I understood Betts was an unofficial, maybe they decided to make it a paid visit
Boozer had a better season than Flagg (yes, both were very good).
I don't see AZ becoming a blue blood. Its nothing but hot there and nothing else really going on. I know a lot of people are going to say but its a dry heat, that doesn't matter. I've been there and when its 100 degrees or more its the same as any where else. Which they average 111 days a year. After 10 steps out in it you are going to start sweating your !!! off no matter what shape you are in. Now if Lloyd ever took a job at UCLA or USC watch out.
I'm so grateful that the angry garden gnome and MUSCLEman will stunt theose programs for the forseeable future. Just be good enough to make the tourney but not good enough to be a true contender.
I imagine a lot of social media is just driving clout for one another. But it's great to see Darius and Brady interacting on some level.
Complicated game of networking, selling the role, and NIL, etc.
Credit to Indiana. Seems their followers lot more active on the basketball socials.
ptgrd23
- orange county CA
Some kids want to go away to school. He will get excellent $NIL anywhere. Phoenix to Tuscon is like Chicago to Champaign. (OK maybe a little closer). The Chicago connections has not done anything for us since the Flying Illini. See Derek Rose, Jon Scheyer, Anthony Davis, Okafor, Jabari Parker, Antoine Walker, Kevin Garnett, Cliff Alexander, Sherron Collins Julian Wright.
I think we have a decent chance. Every game is on TV everywhere. He played with Quentin Coleman at FIBA U18. I am sure Quentin was in his ear.
What an awesome weekend getting these 5-star guys on campus together. The football stadium looks sick with the massive scoreboard. And as Ayo said during his HoF induction weekend vlog we have some of the best basketball facilities in the country.
I think coinciding Wabbington, Kamissoko, Betts, and Lusakueno was a genius move to create some groundswell. Outside of Duke and UConn (in alignment with the Sleeper boys power rankings), no other program is riding this much financial and notoriety momentum at the moment.
Dybantsa's "aaat Purdue," Keaton's lotto selection and the orange takeover in Indy were the moments that caught national attention. But it's clear 6'10+ guys are realizing the importance of playing like a Wemby or Chet to make a bag in the NBA. And the spacing with which the Illini play lends itself to that pro style of ball that the Celtics and more recently the Thunder perfected. You'll still have guys like Morez and Mara with limited outside game get drafted high purely on their insane physical measureables. But for a guy like Wabbington lacking plus athleticism, the fit and development at Illinois is superior to Arizona (based on Peat, Awaka, and Krivas' development as pro prospects).
Anyway exciting times having all these guys come through. This might be the most important season in Brad's tenure given the preseason expectations and insane program momentum. NIL is only going to escalate year by year. We need fans and donors to be all-in on the program. We need the sellouts in Chicago and Nashville. We need the TV ratings. This hopefully continues to open the floodgates on $$$ flying into the program.
(I'd love to see another trip to at least the Elite 8 and a lottery pick in Quentin Coleman.)
You gotta be a BALLER to wear #11 here!!! Would love another AA wearing 11 in Orange and Blue!
It is pretty cool seeing Brad have the program firmly on the 5* road map. I wonder what these guys are thinking when they come in surrounded by euros, lol.
I believe Moussa is going to UConn next, where the word is they have so many trophies there they use them as doorstops. I haven't heard a thing on where he's leaning, but On3 just released their new rankings and he's #7.
Brady Pettigrew commenting on Bentley Lusakueno socials.
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