Some snippets from the article on ESPN.
"John Groce is keeping the pipeline from Simeon to Illinois alive and well."
"Tate had previously received offers only from mid-major programs and had been on an official visit to Ohio last weekend, but his stock has risen since coaches began watching him in Simeon's open gyms last month. Georgetown had also recently expressed interest in him. "
"As far as coach Groce's style, he likes to have multiple ballhandlers on the court. They said they're done looking at point guards in 2013 and 2014. That means a lot to me since it's my state school."
It looks like Groce will be using that line a lot.
"With even more Simeon talent on the way, including highly touted freshman Ben Coupet and sophomore D.J. Williams, Illinois could put itself in a good position to land future players from the program."
"Illinois will now await Huntington Prep (W.V.) senior shooting guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes' decision. Rathan-Mayes, who is ranked No. 24, will choose between Connecticut, Florida State and Illinois on Oct. 13. "
The link: http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/colleges/post/_/id/7047/illinois-lands-simeon-guard-tate (http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/colleges/post/_/id/7047/illinois-lands-simeon-guard-tate)
I think that Illinois really fell into something good with that Groce hire.
I have no idea how he will do as UILL coach. But getting Tate when he did not have any other HM offer's at this point was a pretty easy get. When we were looking at Tate, I was not that high on Him.
Quote from: kmwtrucks on October 05, 2012, 01:05:43 PM
I have no idea how he will do as UILL coach. But getting Tate when he did not have any other HM offer's at this point was a pretty easy get. When we were looking at Tate, I was not that high on Him.
Let's not get too excited. See how Groce does when he's battling against Kentucky, UNC and Duke for recruits. If he still gets those elite players, then I'll applaud.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on October 05, 2012, 12:49:05 PM
I think that Illinois really fell into something good with that Groce hire.
You have to wait 5 years to make that assessment.
In all honesty, though, they do need to prove it on the court first. Weber was recruiting more talent to Illinois than Groce has. Guys like McCamey, Richardson, Paul, Richmond, Leonard, and Egwu were all top talents, and that's only about half the top-100 guys he brought in. Nunn was a great get, but he'll need to get about 2 guys a year of that caliber to match the recruiting work Weber did.
Quote from: brewcity77 on October 05, 2012, 01:15:28 PM
You have to wait 5 years to make that assessment.
Not sure why you put that in teal.
Had you made an assessment about Weber in his first few years at Illinois, you'd have guessed he was a future hall-of-famer. In hindsight, it became clear that he was successful early because of talent left over from Self.
Illinois under Weber is a classic case of why you can't make judgements too soon.
Bookmark this thread: someone will transfer - Nunn or Tate - from IL before all is said and done.
nm
Quote from: 77ncaachamps on October 05, 2012, 07:41:54 PM
Bookmark this thread: someone will transfer - Nunn or Tate - from IL before all is said and done.
But will they come here? If not, I don't care.