Illini Zip

I'm as lost as anybody, but K-lac was capable of fouling out of the game by the first TV time out. I do agree with your larger point however.

It's almost as if Groce is adopting the NFL camp roster concept and will cut the team down to his 13 scholarship players right before the season. As to the lack of bigs, I wonder if he's striking out with his type of recruits. Quality bigs are hard to land anyway, but bigs who can run like deer and can shoot away from the basket are even less available. We might have to start winning big games with smaller than ideal line ups just to attract these recruits.

Zips pick up Bryan Trimble Jr.

University of Illinois football is no different than Ohio State in this respect. They are too scared to play and possibly lose to "little brother". I did notice that Illinois football starts the season off against Akron. I didn't bring it up earlier because I am not at all invested in college football. But I think Akron has a great chance of going into Champaign and winning. It wouldn't surprise me at all. So Illinois is willing to play and possibly lose to other MAC schools, but they won't play NIU for nothing.

We all cringed last year when ever the ball was shot from beyond the arc. Let's hope that Tre Edwards can continue hitting them around 40.3%.

Correction: I don't want to be guilty of spreading fake news. Even though Edwards is graduating high school from a place called Link Year Prep in Branson, Missouri which does have a gap year program, he is still only 18 years old. So I am now thinking he is your standard high school Senior at this point. My bad.

So why did Greg Tribble choose Akron? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD0noJRO_9w&feature=youtu.be Here are some game highlights of 2018-2019 Huntington Prep. Tribble is #3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9qpOvccD1c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiDzqttIzJI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhLO1-8HAu8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHo4Lyf8B6E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYZgfU4NUlc (Full Game - video is a bit fuzzy)

We were recruiting him. Now he is putting off his decision until next year. We are likely done now as well. I'm sure we will continue to track his progress and we will have 4 more scholarships open up in the Fall. Someone should tell him there is a good prep school in Huntington, West Virginia.

It seems like except for Riak and LCJ everyone else is 6'-6".

Zips pick up Tre Edwards.

It's not often that I'm accused of too much thinking. You and NWAkron might be right that it's a Canadian thing. But I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with customs.

That's an interesting idea. I didn't think of that. But that would mean his Senior year he would be limited to just the non-conference schedule, right? I don't know if I like that too much.

Here is a short article. http://northpolehoops.com/2019/05/21/akron-locks-commitment-from-tre-edwards/ Also, I'm puzzled to how this is going to play out with Tre Edwards. According to this schedule the signing period for the 2019-20 season was over on May 15th. (Note that athletes sign during two periods Fall & Spring which are identified by the little black triangles in the corners) https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/eligibility/recruiting/calendars/2018-19DIMBB_RecruitingCalendar.pdf Edwards has already had his gap year and is listed as a 2019 recruit. Why did he not sign with someone by May 15th? Maybe there is an exemption I am not aware of? I imagine he could enroll in class at Akron for 2019-20 because he is qualified academically and then plan to sign onto the team in the Fall. The problem with that is the Fall signing period is right around the kick off of the 2019-20 basketball season. He would likely be allowed to play right away, but he will have had no official practice time with the team. So I guess that makes him a redshirt candidate. That would be a shame because he looks like he could add some instant offense coming off the bench. Also, he probably could practice his skill work during the Summer and even play pick-up games with his new teammates, but he will not be able to even be in the gym during practices until he officially signs. What am I missing guys?

In case you missed it, Akron has added a brand new Joey as well. Congratulations to Channel Banks!! (scroll down) https://twitter.com/rfulford?lang=en

Nope he is a full commit, a high school player who played in prep school for a year. Toles and Dawson went similar routes.

Fulford is flying a Canadian flag on his twitter. It looks like we beat out Buffalo, New Mexico, Nevada and Missouri for him too. And a three point shooter named Tre. Seriously? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spqqayYHhE8 https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11978841/5c38b8ee0c53620904110ed8

I agree with you completely, in hindsight. Landing Dos Anjos and Tribble was the better outcome. And too many short-term fixes are not good either. The problem is we have so little information to go on. I think it's possible that if the order in which these players decided to commit was flip-flopped around we might have had a different result. Maishe will bring maturity and experience for that one season, but I think he was recruited as an insurance policy at point guard more than anything. Now that we have secured Tribble, Maishe might be moved over to the 2 or 3 spot. I wish after all the dust settles on the recruiting process Groce would share some of the strategy and play by play action. Maybe someone will ask him.

I am disappointed, but on the scale of d@*# moves this doesn't even register. Now what Cliff Alexander did to Illini fans was brutal. Everyone watched him reach for the Illinois hat first and then put it down for the Kansas hat. A total jackknife of emotions in a split-second. It went down like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ9MkfFtp6E Illini Nation's reaction went something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qCYErpJTF8 So you want to be a Division 1 basketball coach? Illini fans later felt we got the last laugh because Alexander should have gone on to a stellar NBA career after 2 years in college. Instead he was benched the last 8 games of his freshman season when an NCAA investigation was launched (Not surprising). A knee injury then kept him undrafted and though he has signed with some NBA squads he has just been bouncing around ever since. I lay all of this drama at the feet of his parents. Total waste of talent.

Jonathon Dos Anjos will commit to either Akron or Loyola Marymount tomorrow.

Kreed5120 mentioned thunderous dunks. I found a few here on this video. Dunk contest starts just after the 3:00 minute mark (gray shirt, blue shorts). He's got hops. Also, he is interviewed at the very end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgmK46MnwjM

I think you could be right. Watching that whole highlight video Tribble does have the ability to distribute. And he might play all three guard spots before he is done at Akron. Basketball practice at Akron keeps getting more competitive. Very exciting. Go Zips!!

This is a true statement, but not in a mean way. I had higher expectations for him coming in. Granted he came around a bit towards the end of the season. And I have always said that maybe he is showing more in practice than what I am seeing in games. If not, then I would go ahead and cut my losses now.

Zips pick up Greg Tribble.

My guess is that Groce and company just recruited over Jeremy Roscoe at SG and Jonathon Dos Anjos is still in play. At least I hope so.

The addition of Maishe Dailey has me rethinking the point guard position. This offense can stall out bad, I mean really bad, if you don't have dynamic point guards who can "stir the drink" and force defenses to rotate. So being able to break down their defender and drive is vitally important. You can do this a number of different ways; being quick, shifty or strong. For that reason, I think Groce is going with a thunder and lightning approach like you often see with running backs. LCJ is the current lightning and 6'-6" Cheese is the thunder. I am going to say the ideal quick point guard is 6'-0" (range between 5'-10" and 6'-2"). LCJ is on the small side. And I predict there will be a new quick point guard added in the 2020 class this Fall. Maishe Dailey has played plenty of point guard for Iowa. I see him at 6'-6" taking over for Cheese for one season. Then either we pick up a new large point guard in 2021 class or maybe Mikal Dawson moves over from the shooting guard spot. Or maybe both. The ideal large guard would then be 6'-4" (range between 6'-2" and 6'-6").