Kipper Nichols (2016 F) joins Illini Basketball

Cubby Blue · Dec 29, 2015

westcoastillini said:
2016

PG. Abrams/Tate/Lucas

SG Nunn/JCL/Jordan

SF Hill/DJW/Kipper

PF. Finke/Black/Kipper

C. Thorne/Black/Finke

That would be cool.

Just my opinion, but that team right there doesn't need a new coach. It just needs continuity and health. My goodness the 2 and 4 and 5 spots look great and our best player is at the 3. No doubt about it, the 1 spot is the question mark.

Oh, and you forgot Mav at the 5.

Cubby Blue · Dec 29, 2015

TCTORNADO said:
Adam Fletcher, strength and conditioning coach.

He is a large man. Hope he does his best and is around for a long time.

TCTORNADO · Dec 29, 2015

Cubby Blue said:
He is a large man. Hope he does his best and is around for a long time.

Played @ Miami (OH) and was listed @ 6'9" and 241#'s.

jasonu · Dec 29, 2015

westcoastillini said:
2016

PG. Abrams/Tate/Lucas

SG Nunn/JCL/Jordan

SF Hill/DJW/Kipper

PF. Finke/Black/Kipper

C. Thorne/Black/Finke

That would be cool.

You need to assign some random injuries before finalizing that list

FeelYourPaign · Dec 29, 2015

jasonu said:
You need to assign some random injuries before finalizing that list

lol
Just please don't pick on Tracy any further. Poor guy has already given.

Larry Rose · Dec 29, 2015

westcoastillini said:
2016

PG. Abrams/Tate/Lucas

SG Nunn/JCL/Jordan

SF Hill/DJW/Kipper

PF. Finke/Black/Kipper

C. Thorne/Black/Finke

That would be cool.

If this happens, would be the deepest team we've had in a long time.

TCTORNADO · Dec 29, 2015

jasonu said:
You need to assign some random injuries before finalizing that list

+ Groce can count. Every year we've had transfers. No reason to believe next year won't have one or two. Plus the chances of Abrams, Black, & Thorne all coming back successfully from injuries is probably pretty slim.

Calvin · Dec 29, 2015

He looks very impressive physically. Not sure if he can shoot though. If he can give us toughness and rebounding, we should have a solid frontcourt

Cubby Blue · Dec 29, 2015

Larry Rose said:
If this happens, would be the deepest team we've had in a long time.

And doesn't have Mav or Austin listed...

Combo · Dec 29, 2015

Larry Rose said:
If this happens, would be the deepest team we've had in a long time.

It won't happen. First of all, I'm skeptical that Thorne will be granted a 6th
year (though I admit I have no idea).

Second, someone will probably transfer (when was the last time someone didn't?).

Third, there will probably be an injury (though nothing like this year which is an outlier).

But yes it looks like a strong unit on paper if one of the PGs is serviceable (which is a big if).

IlliniDent · Dec 29, 2015

Combo said:
It won't happen. First of all, I'm skeptical that Thorne will be granted a 6th
year (though I admit I have no idea).

Second, someone will probably transfer (when was the last time someone didn't?).

Third, there will probably be an injury (though nothing like this year which is an outlier).

But yes it looks like a strong unit on paper if one of the PGs is serviceable (which is a big if).

Honestly though right now there doesn't look to be any people that stand out as a clear transfer choice for next year

TCTORNADO · Dec 29, 2015

IlliniDent said:
Honestly though right now there doesn't look to be any people that stand out as a clear transfer choice for next year

A year ago nobody thought Cosby and Colbert would transfer. Furthermore, who would have thought Paul would have fallen off the wagon a second time in August. Three sort of surprise transfers to a certain extent.

DeeBrownComeBack · Dec 29, 2015

TCTORNADO said:
A year ago nobody thought Cosby and Colbert would transfer. Furthermore, who would have thought Paul would have fallen off the wagon a second time in August. Three sort of surprise transfers to a certain extent.

Anybody that was on campus, honestly.

Smultronstallet · Dec 29, 2015

TCTORNADO said:
A year ago nobody thought Cosby and Colbert would transfer. Furthermore, who would have thought Paul would have fallen off the wagon a second time in August. Three sort of surprise transfers to a certain extent.

I didn't find the Paul thing remotely surprising, unfortunately.

IlliniDent · Dec 29, 2015

TCTORNADO said:
A year ago nobody thought Cosby and Colbert would transfer. Furthermore, who would have thought Paul would have fallen off the wagon a second time in August. Three sort of surprise transfers to a certain extent.

I mean I agree but one of Colbert/Mav was always on transfer watch for me and Paul was wait and see. Cosby was the one I didn't expect.

Illinijose · Dec 29, 2015

Kipper I hear will not be playing second fiddle next year, I think a non-PG line up will develop. Expect to see a line-up of JCL, Nunn, Kipper, Hill, and Finke. I'm not sure if Abrams can physically come back and I think Tate has peaked. I don't see Thorne coming back next year, if he is healthy he needs to play pro somewhere even if given a 5th year by NCAA.

Jreed322 · Dec 29, 2015

TCTORNADO said:
+ Groce can count. Every year we've had transfers. No reason to believe next year won't have one or two. Plus the chances of Abrams, Black, & Thorne all coming back successfully from injuries is probably pretty slim.

Black and thornes injuries shouldn't provide any long-term issues. Meniscal repairs are healed well before 12 months so there shouldn't be much issue there. Abrams is a little different especially with the Achilles. To me that's more worrisome than the ACL. The only "good thing" is that it happened at a point where, by the time next season starts, he'll have had about 14 months of rehab/recovery which is a major plus.

217sports · Dec 29, 2015

DeeBrownComeBack said:
Anybody that was on campus, honestly.

Haha sad but so true

UofIChE06 · Dec 29, 2015

Jreed322 said:
Black and thornes injuries shouldn't provide any long-term issues. Meniscal repairs are healed well before 12 months so there shouldn't be much issue there. Abrams is a little different especially with the Achilles. To me that's more worrisome than the ACL. The only "good thing" is that it happened at a point where, by the time next season starts, he'll have had about 14 months of rehab/recovery which is a major plus.

Anyone think the past year or so have been as much about prepping Tracy to coach as recovery. I honestly don't know if I think it is more likely he is back as a player or grad assistant. He has gone on record that he would like to get into coaching after his playing career, which probably will extend no longer than next year with the injury concerns.

lstewart53x3 · Dec 29, 2015

UofIChE06 said:
Anyone think the past year or so have been as much about prepping Tracy to coach as recovery. I honestly don't know if I think it is more likely he is back as a player or grad assistant. He has gone on record that he would like to get into coaching after his playing career, which probably will extend no longer than next year with the injury concerns.

I don't personally have any inside info, but there's a poster on this board who appears to know TA pretty well and he seems to think that if he is granted a 6th year and if he's fully healthy, he'll be playing. (Obviously a few 'ifs' there)

TCTORNADO · Dec 29, 2015

lstewart53x3 said:
I don't personally have any inside info, but there's a poster on this board who appears to know TA pretty well and he seems to think that if he is granted a 6th year and if he's fully healthy, he'll be playing. (Obviously a few 'ifs' there)

That would certainly be the company line if a $30,000/yr ship is on the line. Bottom line is odds are TA not making it back medically. Torn achilles, preceded by ACL surgery are not good. Staff will look at the de-commit and 5th year list closely.

WesterveltVictoryCigar · Dec 29, 2015

whovous said:
Getting back to Kipper, I thought it a little surprising that HCJG said that the Missouri game next year would be the absolute latest Kipper would be available. He said Kipper attended classes for a few days, but acted like that might somehow not matter.

OTOH, I cannot say he sounded very confident about that theory.

Why is that surprising? They are appealing in the hopes he might be eligible from the start of the season, but the end of the first semester is when it would happen if that appeal is denied.

TCTORNADO · Dec 29, 2015

whovous said:
Getting back to Kipper, I thought it a little surprising that HCJG said that the Missouri game next year would be the absolute latest Kipper would be available. He said Kipper attended classes for a few days, but acted like that might somehow not matter.

OTOH, I cannot say he sounded very confident about that theory.

As has been discussed before, they were summer school classes and NCAA doesn't recognize them. He left Tulane in June and never enrolled nor attended Fall classes.

whovous · Dec 29, 2015

I was part of that discussion, and I think your gloss of it is a bit off.

You are correct that the NCAA does not recognize summer classes. They only recognize fall and spring (or winter, if you prefer to call it that). But that only means that the NCAA will treat those summer classes as fall classes. And once he takes a day of fall classes, he has to sit out a whole 'nother semester.

He took summer classes. Summer classes are fall classes. Case closed.

illini8507 · Jan 11, 2016

Anybody heard anything about how kipper has looked in practice? Best player on the team I'm sure, but just curious if anyone has actually heard anything.

On a side note, I was watching an interview he did on youtube right after his highschool team advanced to the Ohio final 4 last spring, they beat Lima senior, which is xavier Simpson's school. Thought that was kinda interesting, now they will be squaring off in the B1G. I hope Kipper keeps the upper hand, lol.