2014 Recruiting Thread

[gopher_guy]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Sounds more and more like Reid Travis will commit to Minnesota.

[IlliniM1ke]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Soundling like Kansas has really turned down their pursuit of Cliff Alexander, makes me think they must know they have Okafor in the bag otherwise I would think they'd be turning up the heat.

[PhantomPain]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Soundling like Kansas has really turned down their pursuit of Cliff Alexander, makes me think they must know they have Okafor in the bag otherwise I would think they'd be turning up the heat.

Some rumors floating around lately that he was truly down to DePaul and Illinois. Wonder if those turned out to be true and Kansas is focusing their attention elsewhere.

[IlliniM1ke]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Some rumors floating around lately that he was truly down to DePaul and Illinois. Wonder if those turned out to be true and Kansas is focusing their attention elsewhere.

Yeah that could be the case, just seems odd how things have played out the last weekend or so (well this recruitment has been all over the place the entire time). But Cliff went to Lawrence this weekend to visit his girlfriend (who plays on KU's womens team) and when he got home Kansas was supposed to have an in home visit with him, then he got home and he cancelled the in home.

Now like you said rumors are saying its Illinois and DePaul.

As an Illinois fan I'd like to believe Cliff will be coming, Groce has been an amazing recruiter, but my history as an Illinois fan tells me to expect the worst. I anticipate Cliff doesn't come, I can't see any logical reason he would pick DePaul but you never know, every so often they seem to get the help bring this program back from the dead kick going and land some nice players (Eddy Curry even though he never played there, Quentin Richardson, etc).

I don't see any logical reason Illinois shouldn't win out between those two but recruiting isn't logical many times.

I'm prepared for the nut punch to come if Cliff picks Kansas, DePaul, or Memphis but even being as pessimistic as I am with Coach Groce leading the charge I somehow still feel really good about this.

I guess what my rambling is getting to in summation would be Illinois has lost out on pretty much every high profile recruitment I have followed so I just expect that to be the case, if Groce can break through and land a high profile elite recruit then I think he's capable of anything and the sky is the limit for him here, I just hope we pay him whatever he wants because he has brought the excitement back to Illinois basketball.

[jake44np]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Nabbing Booker and now Lyles, this is starting to look more then formidable now, Keep riding that recruiting hot streak Cal, doing work as usual.

I wouldnt call it a hot streak.
When you have been doing it for as long as Cal has been it is no longer a hot streak.
Still dont think you can win consistantly recruiting one and dones every year but we shall see.

[Titans4lyfe]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

All I want to know is what effect Cliff Alexander has on Jahlil Okafor? Does Okafor want to play with Alexander, meaning a commitment to Kansas benefits Okafor to Kansas? Or does Okafor not think he'll mesh well with Alexander, meaning a commitment outside of Kansas will benefit Kansas for Okafor?

I've just been sitting on pins and needles these last couple of weeks. Duke can't miss out on all these recruits, right........RIGHT?!?!!?

[PhantomPain]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

I wouldnt call it a hot streak.
When you have been doing it for as long as Cal has been it is no longer a hot streak.
Still dont think you can win consistantly recruiting one and dones every year but we shall see.

I actually agree with you about the consistency remark. Last year proved it. With that said, take a look at what Cal is doing. He isn't getting just one and done's every year. We had Poythress and Cauley-Stein come back from last year. This year we will lose a ton of players but will likely have Poythress, Johnson, Lee and Willis come back. Next year we have only signed one true OAD in Lyles although Towns will likely be good enough to leave. But we have Ulis (4 year player) and Booker (2-3 year player). Plus we may get Johnson but it will be hard and he is definitely an OAD. If not Stanley Johnson, Cal will get someone that is good but not OAD if there are any left. After next year we will have likely an influx of OAD's again, but again, we will still have good players returning.

I don't think Cal is wanting to start over year after year anymore than college fans want to see him do it. He is slowly but surely developing a team that will always have good role players to mesh with the OAD's. No different than any other team although there will be years he may get more than most college's would.

Edit: Cal also thought he would have Teague back last year but that didn't work out.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

All I want to know is what effect Cliff Alexander has on Jahlil Okafor? Does Okafor want to play with Alexander, meaning a commitment to Kansas benefits Okafor to Kansas? Or does Okafor not think he'll mesh well with Alexander, meaning a commitment outside of Kansas will benefit Kansas for Okafor?

I've just been sitting on pins and needles these last couple of weeks. Duke can't miss out on all these recruits, right........RIGHT?!?!!?

We want Alexander to commit to KU, let's just put it that way.

[IlliniM1ke]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

All I want to know is what effect Cliff Alexander has on Jahlil Okafor? Does Okafor want to play with Alexander, meaning a commitment to Kansas benefits Okafor to Kansas? Or does Okafor not think he'll mesh well with Alexander, meaning a commitment outside of Kansas will benefit Kansas for Okafor?

I've just been sitting on pins and needles these last couple of weeks. Duke can't miss out on all these recruits, right........RIGHT?!?!!?

We want Alexander to commit to KU, let's just put it that way.

Okafor doesn't care where Cliff goes, he's going to go where's best for him and if they both pick KU Cliff would be the one losing minutes not Okafor.

Reading the tea leaves of his recruitment Cliff doesn't want to play with Okafor, seems like hes grown tired of being in his shadow all season long being the second best big in Chicago and wants to be top dog, he has taken notice that Okafor seems to be the main guy for Kansas (and understandably so) but it doesn't seem like he's been pleased with the fact KU has been to Chicago to see Okafor on some occasions and while they're there they didn't bother stopping in to see him. Meanwhile Illinois has sold him the entire time on you're our top choice (obviously in large part because of Okafor having no serious interest) but nonetheless.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Okafor doesn't care where Cliff goes, he's going to go where's best for him and if they both pick KU Cliff would be the one losing minutes not Okafor.

Reading the tea leaves of his recruitment Cliff doesn't want to play with Okafor, seems like hes grown tired of being in his shadow all season long being the second best big in Chicago and wants to be top dog, he has taken notice that Okafor seems to be the main guy for Kansas (and understandably so) but it doesn't seem like he's been pleased with the fact KU has been to Chicago to see Okafor on some occasions and while they're there they didn't bother stopping in to see him. Meanwhile Illinois has sold him the entire time on you're our top choice (obviously in large part because of Okafor having no serious interest) but nonetheless.

The only thing I keep clinging onto is that K pretty much never misses out on Illinois recruits. I can't think of the last one that he's whiffed on, unless you count Shaun Livingston who decided to go pro, but still committed to Duke.

[gopher_guy]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Bah... Reid Travis commits to Stanford.

I'm not a basketball mind at all, but from what I heard it would have been a very nice get for Minnesota.

[DamnYanks2]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

I wouldnt call it a hot streak.
When you have been doing it for as long as Cal has been it is no longer a hot streak.
Still dont think you can win consistantly recruiting one and dones every year but we shall see.

Well, yes we all know what Cal is capable of. Don't make too much of it, I'm just saying the only big commit we had till that point was Towns. It's starting to look better now.

I actually agree with you about the consistency remark. Last year proved it. With that said, take a look at what Cal is doing. He isn't getting just one and done's every year. We had Poythress and Cauley-Stein come back from last year. This year we will lose a ton of players but will likely have Poythress, Johnson, Lee and Willis come back. Next year we have only signed one true OAD in Lyles although Towns will likely be good enough to leave. But we have Ulis (4 year player) and Booker (2-3 year player). Plus we may get Johnson but it will be hard and he is definitely an OAD. If not Stanley Johnson, Cal will get someone that is good but not OAD if there are any left. After next year we will have likely an influx of OAD's again, but again, we will still have good players returning.

I don't think Cal is wanting to start over year after year anymore than college fans want to see him do it. He is slowly but surely developing a team that will always have good role players to mesh with the OAD's. No different than any other team although there will be years he may get more than most college's would.

Edit: Cal also thought he would have Teague back last year but that didn't work out.

Last year was an anomaly, That Kentucky squad was a top 25 team with Nerlens, I didn't expect that much from them anyway, that was the weakest of any of the recruiting classes we had. Yes, Teague would have made a huge difference, thanks to our weakness at pg, and it was glaring.

I think the proof is in the pudding. Elite Eight, Final Four, Championship, and one year failing to reach the field, without our best player.

The One and done is working. But it's not just one and done. None of those teams were one and done's.

We always had some experience somewhere.

O9-10 It was Miller and Patterson
10-11 Liggins and Harrelson
11-12 Lamb and Jones.
12-13 was really the only year that you can say we went with all freshman.

[redsrule]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Cliff Alexander, Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor all announcing Friday...

I'm hoping Jones and Okafor pick Duke and Alexander Illinois, but it wouldn't surprise me if Self somehow got all 3.

[Titans4lyfe]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Between tomorrow night's game and Jahlil/Tyus announcement, this week may just be the most stressful/important/exciting week I can remember as a Duke fan.

Man, I'm so nervous.

[Mo]

Re: 2014 Recruiting Thread

Dammit Bill Self, dont do this.