Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread
- Status
Brad > Lou when it comes to recruiting. Lou had 2 great classes - the Winters/Douglass class and the Anderson/Gill class, with more or less average classes in between. Brad is knocking down top talent year in/year out.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
I have a hard time agreeing with Brad being better than Lou in recruiting. I know that the McD AA game has lost some luster, but it still has some merit. Lots of them on Lou's teams. Also, we had some players in the 80's that were ranked #1 in the country at times in their HS career. On a related point, Chicagoland was loaded with talent in the 80's.
What impresses me most with Brad is that he seems to be recruiting with a purpose. He hunts for specific pieces to the puzzle that he believes that he can maximize, especially in the portal. I am very happy with Brad's recruiting, but I don't want to discount Lou's prowess in that area.
If you want to ask who the better coach is, well, that's another day's query.
Plus Lou got mostly in state kids and illinois high school basketball was very good back in 80s. Alot tougher to go nation wide
Purdue and Peter Vinkman might both disagree, for different reasons.Will Riley is the best thing to come out of Canada since this:
Trying to compare recruiting in the 1980-mid 1990's with today is pretty unfair...back in Lou's day if you could lock down some of the best recruits in state and pick up a few decent from out of state you'd done pretty well...today with the portal, plus nation wide recruits (partly because kids playing in 2-3 different schools during their HS career) not to mention the relative ease of recruiting overseas, the talent pool is much larger....there were foreign exchange (HS) students in Lou's era that made their way onto DI schools roster, but nothing like we're seeing today...not saying that recruiting is easier or harder today than in the 80-90's....but it's a totally different animal.....I think I'd say that both Lou and Brad have been really good....but one could argue that Self was better
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
Fair, different animals, both results very good.
Just came across an AZ podcast where the 2 guys constantly ranted for the first 10 minutes of the vid about how...
ILL has no place in CBB, their program is way better than ours, and that they have...in their minds...still a great chance at landing Riley.
And then came across a poster who claimed we're getting Riley because we're "desperate." (Might be the same thing Brosky was talking about
)
So amusing...I gotta say...
ILL has no place in CBB, their program is way better than ours, and that they have...in their minds...still a great chance at landing Riley.
And then came across a poster who claimed we're getting Riley because we're "desperate." (Might be the same thing Brosky was talking about
) So amusing...I gotta say...
Last edited:
Average? Seriously do a bit of research and come back.
I do not think it is tougher to go nationwide now than it was to build a roster using primarily Illinois kids during Lou's time. I think it is the same degree of difficulty building a top-notch team, then and now.
Remember, an amazing number of GREAT Illinois HS basketball players went to Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Iowa, Wisconsin and many other schools in the 6os, 70s and 80s. And getting many kids to come to Illinois, decades ago, was not likely at all.
And now? Kids in California are as likely to go to school in North Carolina as anywhere else. Internet, cable TV, travel teams and so on have expanded the horizons for every kid and their video is readily available to any coach in the country.
So it balances out.
I don't mean to be a huge Lou apologist here, but I suspect we tend to forget some of the guys Lou brought in. For example, Derek Harper from West Palm Beach, Florida. Eleventh pick in the NBA draft and had a long career in the NBA. He was really good.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
1. I’m freaking ready …
Top 4 for Jasper … Illinois, UK, Baylor, Bama …
Arkansas is out … They’ve pretty much zeroed in on Acuff … But I think Acuff goes elsewhere … But even then, Jasper is more connected with O than Cal … They’d be 5th at best …
The level of recruiting and the talent that we're in on right now...on all fornts - HS, International, Portal...
This is truly special...
So now I guess the dream starting five for 25-26 would be: Kylan, KJ, Jasper, Riley, Ivisic/Morez?
And if Riley goes one and done: Kylan, KJ, Jasper, Ty/Tre, Ivisic/Morez?
As I've said before, we've had three guard starting fives before and done pretty good with them. This would be FANTASTIC.
Also, I don't really see a problem with Fears not starting his freshman year...same with DGL. Just because you're a top 50 recruit doesn't automatically mean you have to start your freshman year. I mean...Morez likely won't this year...and you always have the choice to earn it.
With that starting five, and if we can keep/build a quality bench unit, that team truly would have a chance to be really good!
Last edited:
Loyalillini10
- Urbana, IL
It is highly, highly likely Fears will be starting his freshman year.
The level of recruiting and the talent that we're in on right now...on all fornts - HS, International, Portal...
This is truly special...
So now I guess the dream starting five for 25-26 would be: Kylan, KJ, Jasper, Riley, Ivisic/Morez?
And if Riley goes one and done: Kylan, KJ, Jasper, Ty/Tre, Ivisic/Morez?
As I've said before, we've had three guard starting fives before and done pretty good with them. This would be FANTASTIC.
Also, I don't really see a problem with Fears not starting his freshman year...same with DGL. Just because you're a top 50 recruit doesn't automatically mean you have to start your freshman year. I mean...Morez likely won't this year...and you always have the choice to earn it.
With that starting five, and if we can keep/build a quality bench unit, that team truly would have a chance to be really good!
Harper, Efrem Winters, Bruce Douglas, Lowell Hamilton, Stephen Bardo, Marcus Liberty, Kenny Battle, Larry Smith (ranked #13 in the nation according to S&S, ) Kenny Norman, ...the Henson list goes on and on...
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
It's really quite strange the way Mike White is a more sainted, untouchable figure among Illini fans than Lou Henson.
Now, my natural inclination is to engage in an overcomplicated (but correct) conspiracy theory about why this is Ron Guenther's fault, but instead let me just say that Lou Henson was great!
Harper--all things considered, I still consider him the best pg I've ever seen in the BIG.
The thought process is roughly the same for every fan base in the country. Fans typically overrate their program and say they lose out on recruit X because program Y is cheating, is desperate, is paying more, is easier to get into academically. And don't forget "we didn't want him anyway."Just came across an AZ podcast where the 2 guys constantly ranted for the first 10 minutes of the vid about how...
ILL has no place in CBB, their program is way better than ours, and that they have...in their minds...still a great chance at landing Riley.
And then came across a poster who claimed we're getting Riley because we're "desperate." (Might be the same thing Brosky was talking about
Coach they got is good, and a good recruiter. Real issue at play here is the guys like Coach K, Saban's of the world and their schools is NIL. Once they didn't have the advantage in paying people and getting away with it, once the playing field was even, they run. Once they are coaching the same level player the others are, you'll see they ain't that special. Not saying they aren't good coaches, just saying they aren't head and shoulders above everyone else like you've been lead to believe
He ain't coming here to sit the bench ...
But ... If Boswell is a multi year guy, KJ is a multi year guy, Riley is a 2 and done ... And we land one of these 5 stars we are after ... Because those are your 4 starters right there plus a big ...
And then you've still got Ty, Tre, CB, DGL, Rez ... That's a lot of mouths to feed ...
Honestly, I don't see Ty giving up his starting spot this year ... Not right away ... Brad trusts that kid ... And as senior ? Doubt he losing it that year either ... It's gonna be a BATTLE ...
Something about that #20 jersey and dependability ... DMFW ...
I just don't see a path to Fears starting in that scenario ...
Last edited:
Nope, Connor BedardWill Riley is the best thing to come out of Canada since this:
- Status