Illini Basketball 2019-2020

Status
Not open for further replies.
#376      
Illiniguy90
jmilt7 said:
There has been a lot of talk about Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk's potential. I was just wondering if anyone knew if he is 100 per cent healthy yet. Has he been cleared for practice? Is the leg injury healed? Is he practicing with the rest of the team? Thanks in advance

As I was doing a search for answers to my questions so I wouldn't have to waste anyone's time here, in vain, I ran across this (the most recent article on his injury that I could find) which has probably already been cited here but I thought some remarks from the article were interesting:

"He spent the bulk of his last two weeks before the Italy trip working with strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher since he couldn’t practice. Still, Bosmans-Verdonk found some time to get on the floor.

“He’s a gym rat,” Underwood said. “He works on ball handling. He sits in a chair and shoots. He’s shooting between 500 and 1,000 free throws a day. He’s still finding a way to stay in the gym.”

And this was from a News Gazette article by Scott Richey:

The promise of Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk
Click to expand...

Can't find a source for this now so I may just be mis-remembering, but I was pretty sure it was a confirmed as shin splints. Depending on the severity that can take from a few weeks to 3-6 months to heal. Based on his workout video in Italy it looks like he's been doing a lot of bike/elliptical cardio which seems to jive with the shin splint diagnosis. If he tries to get up and run on the court too soon it could be a season long issue for him so I really hope he's taking the correct measures to heal and get better.
 
#377      
logjam
Illiniguy90 said:
Can't find a source for this now so I may just be mis-remembering, but I was pretty sure it was a confirmed as shin splints. Depending on the severity that can take from a few weeks to 3-6 months to heal. Based on his workout video in Italy it looks like he's been doing a lot of bike/elliptical cardio which seems to jive with the shin splint diagnosis. If he tries to get up and run on the court too soon it could be a season long issue for him so I really hope he's taking the correct measures to heal and get better.
Click to expand...
3-6 months would be a severe case, let's hope it was caught early.
 
#378      
brillinian
PlayAZ said:
You didn't need to defend Mizzou, well his defense was suspect as well...so maybe he needed your help afterall. No sour grapes, I thought he was over-rated the entire time he was recruited and eventually came here.

Big kid at a small school, who had a tremendous year and parlayed that into what will be a marginal or slightly better college career. Nothing more nothing less....he will not play PRO ball imo anywhere due to limitations is all. Not sure he has the motivation for anything more than the career he will have at Mizzouri.

I don't have ill will against the kid, just observations on a forum board. That all said, I think Illinois is better without him in long run, and Counzo won't enhance his god given talent in any way shape or form. Good for us!
Click to expand...

How many kids does a school have to have for you to NOT consider them small??? Outside of the Chicago area Edwardsville is one of the biggest schools in the state.
 
#379      
BWilson25
3-6 months for shin splints? Fight the pain! I've sat in front of the tube many a night icing the shins.
 
#380      
adogster
62 years ago I got shin splints from running on the Armory's cinder track in baseball spikes. They were pretty painful, but i don't remember them lasting anywhere near that long. But at my age... well, you know memories fail.
 
#381      
KevinC
sacraig said:
This is pure sour grapes. He had a bad first season with us. Lots of freshman do. He had a pretty good season last year and clearly belongs at a high major program playing lots of minutes.

Who cares about his build? An atypical build is not a problem necessarily. It didn't stop Tyler Ulis. If Smith has the motivation to get it done, he's got the tools.

I say all this as a Metro East Illini die hard. Do you know how painful this is to be forced to actually defend Mizzou like this?
Click to expand...
IMO, I believe that his problems stemmed from his inability to be a sharer of the ball. He had come to the U of I allowed to shoot anytime he desired in high school and that was no longer being allowed. It may have disrupted his confidence a great deal and left him doubting if and when to take shots. I am positive that his family and friends were in his ear about just the opposite. I think that he will work out fine at Mizzou. He seems to have found his comfort level over what is and isn't acceptable. I can't tell you how many bb players at U of I that only knew to jack it when they first got on campus. It is a learning experience.
 
#382      
Deleted member 29907
sacraig said:
This is pure sour grapes. He had a bad first season with us. Lots of freshman do. He had a pretty good season last year and clearly belongs at a high major program playing lots of minutes.

Who cares about his build? An atypical build is not a problem necessarily. It didn't stop Tyler Ulis. If Smith has the motivation to get it done, he's got the tools.

I say all this as a Metro East Illini die hard. Do you know how painful this is to be forced to actually defend Mizzou like this?
Click to expand...
Mark's game is pretty much spot up 3 point shooting and he did well - 45% last year in that regard. 109 of his 165 shots were threes. Not arguing any points - other than, as we witnessed, one tool he has not used (if he has it) is the ability to take other guards off the dribble. He rebounds well also.
 
#383      
illinitiger
TCTORNADO said:
And their top 3 potential contributors weren't Smith, Tilmon and Pickett.
Click to expand...
I still regret not getting Pickett....he is the prototype Guard/Wing for BU system and I'm really impressed by his college game....and no one on this board was enamoured. Don't understand what happened...almost like we dropped him or pushed him away before he headed prep route.
 
#384      
illinitiger
BWilson25 said:
3-6 months for shin splints? Fight the pain! I've sat in front of the tube many a night icing the shins.
Click to expand...
I'm no doctor but I have had no shin splints or knee pain since I started taking chondroitin glucosamine about 10 yrs ago...and I run and stay active. Maybe coincidence but I doubt it...
 
#385      
Greensboro
Illiniguy90 said:
Can't find a source for this now so I may just be mis-remembering, but I was pretty sure it was a confirmed as shin splints. Depending on the severity that can take from a few weeks to 3-6 months to heal. Based on his workout video in Italy it looks like he's been doing a lot of bike/elliptical cardio which seems to jive with the shin splint diagnosis. If he tries to get up and run on the court too soon it could be a season long issue for him so I really hope he's taking the correct measures to heal and get better.
Click to expand...
On Tay and Piper, Aug 28 I think, look for podcast talking about B-ball coach shuffle. Trevor (?) was at b-ball event and sat with Verdonk. Verdonk said he was going for an MRI and if all was well he would be cleared.
 
#388      
Chief lives on
I see that Kouma is still listed on the official U of I BB team roster. Does anyone know for sure if he is indeed enrolled and on campus and taking classes?
 
#390      
Chief lives on
TCTORNADO said:
Still has Walker as an Assistant Coach, too. I think the guy that is in charge of updating that site is the same one that took care of Kofi's and Andres' visas for the trip to Italy.
Click to expand...
Actually they have Walker listed as an assistant to the head coach/ defensive coordinator. Alexander is also a assistant to the head coach. Gentry, Coleman, and Antigua are listed as the assistant coaches. So Walker’s demotion is accurate on the official site
 
#395      
sacraig
It would help if we (a) had a good team and (b) had a good opponent. In principle, I think a UC game during Christmas Break when students are not on campus is a good idea, but only if the team and match-up are good enough to be a draw.
 
#398      
1970 John
Single game tickets not on sale yet, and Braggin' Rights tix. Does anyone know how to (try to?) get those?
 
#399      
illinitiger
1970 John said:
Single game tickets not on sale yet, and Braggin' Rights tix. Does anyone know how to (try to?) get those?
Click to expand...
On bragging rights....tix didn't open up until Nov last year. Expect that is routine. BR 2018....Was a fun game until the last ~7 minutes.
 
#400      
jmilt7
Is it too early to ask about the secret scrimmage? First, whether there will be one followed by, of course, when and what team? I happened to see an article that related that Marquette is playing Indiana in a secret scrimmage in October.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back