Darn. I saw those colors before reading and got excited.
Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
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He’s a very good rebounder and defender. More of a SF, but could play SG, especially if outside shot continues to improve.
illiniCA
- DC Area
NIL has sure changed things…. This guy belongs at Purdue but it looks like they don’t have the money to make it happen
Very good points...he is heavy usage player so far....could be because of his team...stats don't jump out...wonder where 24/7 has him ranked as a transfer...
Illini92and96
- Austin, TX
This is just gross. In 5 years recruiting will be like a bid fantasy football draft. They can do it all online.
I'd rather have AM.
I get why you compared his shooting to Plummer’s because they averaged almost the same ppg, but it is a silly comparison. Plummer is known as a shooter and was arguably the best shooter on the team.
I watched a fair amount of DePaul games this year, and have always been impressed by Jones. He’s very active on the boards and on D. To be honest, him shooting too much never seemed like a problem. Have to remember that DePaul was really bad and other than JFL, they really had no one else on offense. I think Brandon Johnson was their 3rd leading scorer and his shooting was worse than Jones and JFL.
I think you put Jones on a good team like Illinois where he doesn’t have to do everything and has help, and you’ll see his numbers improve. But he’s never going to put up Plummer shooting numbers. The key question is does he want to be The Man, or part of a team. As for position, I think he’s a 3/4 — with the 3 being optimum.
You’re probably right that he could play SG. Optimum is definitely SF. For some reason I thought he was a little bigger and could play the 4 — probably because of his rebounding ability. But heck, who knows once Fletch gets hold of him.
coaches will bench their big NIL guy just like they bench their five star. whenever it helps them win games. it's changed the process for getting recruits, but I don't think it's going to really change playing time decisions.
As to prudence, it's just like with scholarships. there's a limited number and you better make good use of them.
Closet DPU fan here. Jones is an absolute stud. Bull in a China shop player on both ends. He would instantly be the best slasher/penetrator Illinois has had in a while. Comparable to Rice and Hill on that front. He's a good distance shooter, % suffered a bit because he shot a lot off the dribble, or in transition, rather than off ball movement and wide open looks.
Sure, he took some I'll advised shots, and penetrated in traffic to much, but it was him or JFL that had to force offense.
I don't think he comes to the beloved, but that's only due to nut punch protection, no insider here.
I would LOVE it if he came, but my gut tells me he's going to SJU to play with AC. Hope I'm wrong.
Sure, he took some I'll advised shots, and penetrated in traffic to much, but it was him or JFL that had to force offense.
I don't think he comes to the beloved, but that's only due to nut punch protection, no insider here.
I would LOVE it if he came, but my gut tells me he's going to SJU to play with AC. Hope I'm wrong.
I think you are partially right but these NIL guys will probably have longer leash. Don't you think coaches/AD have to go to boosters to convince them for NIL money? Bench them means you are wrong about the player and willl make it harder to go back to the same booster. Now thinking about all these I understand why Wright would retire.
Thought NLI wasn’t supposed to be pay to play. Also very interested in how foreign players are getting paid on student visas. I guess it’s nice to at least see it out in the open
I’m pretty sure the statement was that we will have a better idea what the roster will look like by the end of the week. We have that knowing that Kofi won’t be a part of it. If you thought the entire roster was going to be settled by the end of the week, thats on you because it’s not realistic in the current state of college basketball.
Just share your opinion of where TSJ will land, then sit back and crack a beer/pop a gummy.Are we gonna let something like no new information stop this thread...not me!! Board buds and insider crew it's time to punch in...2nd shift is on....
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yeah, I’ve been on the AM Reunion Train forever … I’d take him back right now and consider it a good portal season. Kid was primed for a great sophomore year, IMO.
and putting up thousands of dollars for losses doesn't sit well with donors either.
it's definitely going to add an element to how coaches are evaluated. did you take the cash you were given and invest it in the right talent.
guys putting up money for talent are going to not be happy if the guy is benched, or he plays and the team loses.
and no doubt, any coach who has succeeded in the past decades in the old system won't really care for the new one.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Not a DePaul fan by any true stretch, but I am a relatively recent DePaul MBA alum! Cheers!
Not directed at you but..everyone mostly forgets that they have to clear admissions before announcing...
He gone jmo...already there ...lol
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Thank you for that table. As an algebra teacher I love a good table for the visual.
52% on 8-9 2 pt fg att per game is tremendous for a guard/wing. Even more so when you know he can’t really shoot 3s, and he’s 1 of only 2 threats to score. Basically, looking at those numbers, the scouting report would be to play off him to give up 3s, and don’t let him get to his comfort zone to score 2s, but the defense still couldn’t do that. And they didn’t really have to try to guard 3 other guys so they could help and rotate however they wanted to.
Now, from a raw numbers standpoint, his 3pt fg% does need to increase. I’d be interested in watching every 3 point shot he took this year, to see how efficient he was on good 3s. There’s a good chance he had to take some bad ones this year, but you wanna know if it’s enough to drop his percentage from like 33 percent or higher, or if he’s shooting around 30% on open ones too.
illini80
- Forgottonia
These things almost always take longer to play out than we think they will. The Clark brothers were an exception.
I don't understand why this went so quiet.
illini80
- Forgottonia
I don’t pay for any premium info, so all I’m ever relaying is free to all info. Ked doesn’t provide near what we get from our insiders here, but without any input from them today, I was just sharing what was said. Certainly not ground breaking, but thought a few would be interested even if you weren’t.
I agree fully with this. The difference in the nba is your top players make more than your coach, so from the outset you know who is more important to your team.
Secondly, nba guy are usually locked in for many years if they’re your top dawg, so you’re gonna play them.
In college, if the player ain’t helping the team, you can not play him, and he can transfer immediately if he wants to. If he’s not playing a lot, he’s probably a piece you can survive losing to a transfer anyway. He’s the one who takes the risk walking away from NIL money if he’s pulling it in like that.
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