Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

[IndyIllini2]

4 top 51 kids in our freshman haul & we aren’t in the top 10??

European players count as not rated, so we are well below where we should be in the rankings. Goes back to the conversation from a while back about how Canadian players are rated, but the sites have not extended out to European players yet.

Rivals has Illinois ranked as the #11 class, but has Ivisic and KJ as 0-star recruits. With the tides changing, this will have to be updated sooner rather than later. I see now that 247 actually has started doing it, but it will likely be very unreliable for a year or two.

 

[Joel Goodson]

more on new offer Andre Taylor (2026), 6' 5" CG, Simeon/Meanstreets:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820669689250357359

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820527126862541163

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820128646734266760

https://twitter.com/x/status/1819967340756303968

https://twitter.com/x/status/1819923885720056181

https://x.com/JusSayinShit1/status/1819927148653629908

sounds like he's pretty good

 

[ChiTown]

more on new offer Andre Taylor (2026), 6' 5" CG, Simeon/Meanstreets:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820669689250357359

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820527126862541163

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820128646734266760

https://twitter.com/x/status/1819967340756303968

https://twitter.com/x/status/1819923885720056181

https://x.com/JusSayinShit1/status/1819927148653629908

sounds like he's pretty good

Still don’t understand how a team comprising of Rez,BJ,Nojus and Tyler couldn’t contend in the state while playing at Rita.

 

[FairWeatherDieHard]

4 top 51 kids in our freshman haul & we aren’t in the top 10??

247 updated the player rankings but the team rankings don't reflect that update yet. If and when they do, I expect we'll be #3 recruit class, behind d00k and rotguts, and #5 overall, slipping behind bama and hogs due to their transfer classes.

 

[SkyysNotFalling]

247 updated the player rankings but the team rankings don't reflect that update yet. If and when they do, I expect we'll be #3 recruit class, behind d00k and rotguts, and #5 overall, slipping behind bama and hogs due to their transfer classes.

Didn’t catch that the team rankings haven’t been updated! Looking forward to it.

 

[Boskydell]

So, are our top two in-state targets for '26 Tyler and Sularsky, or am I missing someone? And are they both takes at this point?

 

[DB11Headband]

So, are our top two in-state targets for '26 Tyler and Sularsky, or am I missing someone? And are they both takes at this point?

Sularski recruitment going to go like Nojus's. Early interest that is going to wane. Don't think he's the player many thought he would be early on.

 

[jamarvelous31]

Exactly. There is NO difference.

And just fascinating that in the first year or so of NIL that Kansas and Kentucky are struggling compared to what they did historically.

Not to nitpick but I don't think putting Kansas & Kentucky in the same bucket is fitting here. UK decided to run off a successful coach for a questionable replacement and torpedoed their recruiting this year...

KU is currently 2nd in championship odds & brought in monster transfer classes (1st/3rd) with the 8th/9th overall classes the last two years.

 

[PepeSilvia]

It’s certainly subjective; and you’re obviously entitled to your opinion. But I would have a hard time saying Oats and Otz are a tier above Musselman…and I think Brad is prolly on par with at least Otz.
Shaka is gonna have to do a little more of tap dance before I’d put him that high…after the way he fizzled out in Texas. JMO
1.Oates 2.Oats

View attachment 35959View attachment 35960

Tier 1: is Hurley

Tier 2: is Oats and Self

Tier 3: Drew, Brad, Painter, Few, Shaka, Barnes, Cal

 

[Joel Goodson]

Not to nitpick but I don't think putting Kansas & Kentucky in the same bucket is fitting here. UK decided to run off a successful coach for a questionable replacement and torpedoed their recruiting this year...

KU is currently 2nd in championship odds & brought in monster transfer classes (1st/3rd) with the 8th/9th overall classes the last two years.

I think a lot of UK fans had their fill of Cal. funny thing is, be careful what you wish for

 

[NarrowJ]

I think a lot of UK fans had their fill of Cal. funny thing is, be careful what you wish for

No mortal, not even the Pope, can forgive sins

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

Tier 1: is Hurley

Tier 2: is Oats and Self

Tier 3: Drew, Brad, Painter, Few, Shaka, Barnes, Cal

One guy isn't like the others here. Until.Brad gets his team into a Final Four, I don't see how he fits here. There are some on this board who had him on the hot seat after 2023, then had him in the...."Sweet 16 or else" camp going into this year. There was a lot of Sean Miller calls on here being made.

Can't see how you(plural) can go from that to being on a list tiered with Final Four participants.

That said, though Smart was in a Final Four, he doesn't impress me. He took the unlikely VCU run with him to Texas, where he failed fairly miserably. He's done a decent job with Marquette, not top 10 though.

 

[PepeSilvia]

One guy isn't like the others here. Until.Brad gets his team into a Final Four, I don't see how he fits here. There are some on this board who had him on the hot seat after 2023, then had him in the...."Sweet 16 or else" camp going into this year. There was a lot of Sean Miller calls on here being made.

Can't see how you(plural) can go from that to being on a list tiered with Final Four participants.

That said, though Smart was in a Final Four, he doesn't impress me. He took the unlikely VCU run with him to Texas, where he failed fairly miserably. He's done a decent job with Marquette, not top 10 though.

Honestly I'd probably include several other in the tier 3 like Barnes, Altman, and McDermott but I just got tired of listing names.

My main point I guess I that I think there is a very clear top tier with Hurley followed by Self and Oats but after that I think it's a pretty open list with a bunch of good coaches(could argue Drew deserves to be in the higher tier).

Also, I think saying Brad needs a final four is a bit of a moot point because they were absolutely a final four team that just drew a historically dominant team(nobody was beating that team).

 

[ChiTown]

Relationship builder…..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820838390545174531

 

[WyattEarp]

Honestly I'd probably include several other in the tier 3 like Barnes, Altman, and McDermott but I just got tired of listing names.

My main point I guess I that I think there is a very clear top tier with Hurley followed by Self and Oats but after that I think it's a pretty open list with a bunch of good coaches(could argue Drew deserves to be in the higher tier).

Also, I think saying Brad needs a final four is a bit of a moot point because they were absolutely a final four team that just drew a historically dominant team(nobody was beating that team).

But no Muss? Not even in your 3rd tier?
He’s got some baggage and I’m not a big fan of some of the diva-stuff. But that’s a bit of a snub. He’s got a better overall pedigree than Oats.

The rest of it I think is spot-on.

 

[PepeSilvia]

But no Muss? Not even in your 3rd tier?
He’s got some baggage and I’m not a big fan of some of the diva-stuff. But that’s a bit of a snub. He’s got a better overall pedigree than Oats.

The rest of it I think is spot-on.

I like Muss and id consider myself onboard the muss bus. I was a pretty big fan of his Nevada teams with the Martin twins and Jordan Caroline.

I think he's got a fun a personality (though seemingly burnt out quick at Arkansas) and he recruits very very well.

However all of that being said I don't actually think Muss is a great X's and O's guy and I've thought his Arkansas teams played extremely undisciplined at times even when they had success. Watching those back to back elite 8 runs were just kind of sloppy games, but credit to him because they won them.

 

[Joel Goodson]

Relationship builder…..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820838390545174531

based solely on pedigree, Lee's a borderline 6 star

 

[blife]

Relationship builder…..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820838390545174531

Is Brand Underwood the evil twin of Brad Underwood our coach?

 

[WyattEarp]

I like Muss and id consider myself onboard the muss bus. I was a pretty big fan of his Nevada teams with the Martin twins and Jordan Caroline.

I think he's got a fun a personality (though seemingly burnt out quick at Arkansas) and he recruits very very well.

However all of that being said I don't actually think Muss is a great X's and O's guy and I've thought his Arkansas teams played extremely undisciplined at times even when they had success. Watching those back to back elite 8 runs were just kind of sloppy games, but credit to him because they won them.

Okay…I’ll give ya the undisciplined look at times. That’s fair.

 

[Indy Illini Fan]

Relationship builder…..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820838390545174531

Guess relationships just might still matter in the NIL era after all …

Ahrens … Lee …

O is cooking …

 

[Joel Goodson]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820818858678108548

"best performer of the weekend:"

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820135601112494121

 

[splitter]

Relationship builder…..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820838390545174531

Should read ... Antigua and head coach that Fire Brand Underwood

 

[illinifan1987]

Should read ... Antigua and head coach that Fire Brand Underwood

 

[Joel Goodson]

Obviously, we're killing it, recruiting wise. If we land Ahrens, which I expect, I sincerely hope that doesn't mean we're out on Gores (Ahrens re-classing will help). Both are development guys, but I think their games are more complementary than redundant (Ahrens in more of Coleman-esque role and Gores a PF in training). Gores has a VG physique, much better that Happ at this stage. Seems like exactly the type of kid to take in a development role,

 

[splitter]

What? The Illini coach's name is really Brand Underwood?