Kofi Commits to Illinois

[JMick]

I'm sorry, this made me laugh. So Kofi is gonna go B1G because of AAC.....but not because of NBE?? Come on man.

I just wish we could come to a consensus on this and stop talking about it. The AAC hurts but it doesn't hurt nearly as much as some people think and the NBE, while an upgrade, is a marginal upgrade that won't change the minds of kids and handlers who want a "Power 5" school.

 

[intlzncster]

It's way better than our conference. Also disagree on nobody caring about the Big East, this hasn't been my experience at all. People I talk to still love Big East basketball, nobody seems to have even heard of our conference.

What does the NBE TV contract look like? That tells you how much people truly care about the NBE.

Oh sure, there's some hold outs among fans. But the brand itself isn't that great sans Villanova.

Recruits aren't dying to play in the NBE super. If Kofi was choosing between NBE and B1G, where do you think he would go?

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm sorry, this made me laugh. So Kofi is gonna go B1G because of AAC.....but not because of NBE?? Come on man.

It's like people have never experienced this. Look, some kids, even basketball players, want to be at a big school with huge on campus football stadium and all that. Illinois has been mostly putrid of late, but they are definitely still that. While UConn is not really that either, FBS football aside, no team in the Big East provides anything close to that environment.

One reason I went to KU over Maryland was that I wanted that experience (Maryland L school is in Baltimore).

 

[intlzncster]

Except for all the publicity the G'Town-SJU game received this weekend. I don't remember any game ever in the AAC getting that much attention.

Then why doesn't the conference get more ratings? Or more money?

 

[Illinigoat]

Maybe if Illinois reaches the absolute zenith of college athletics, attaining damn near blue blood status, only to watch its conference fall apart, damning it to some Frankenstein conference of misfits. Otherwise, life is peachy for the Illini.

P.S. Does Illinois’s have any extra money lying around? We probably could use it.

When bill self left illinois' for Kansas, ESPN called it a lateral move. Today, it would not be.

 

[Waquoit]

Then why doesn't the conference get more ratings? Or more money?

Not sure I understand. The Big East gets more attention and money than the AAC. Don't know about ratings.

 

[HooperScooper]

This idea of "leading" in recruiting is ridiculous. As if the 18 year old kids are keeping active tallies of pro/con lists and somehow Illinois just just pulled ahead.

Eh, I understand it. Think about your son/daughter looking at colleges. They formulate an initial list based on their academic profile. They usually have some idea of which ones they like the best. They start doing tours. After one of the tours they say that one is their favorite. But that could definitely change over time based on a lot of factors and ultimately they could end up at another school (even assuming they are accepted at all the schools they apply to).

Recruiting is similar so why can't one school lead at some point in time but that changes and they ultimately commit to another school?

 

[Mooch82]

Ok, but who's minutes is he taking? He's not a 4. I am fairly sure that part of the reason he bolted was that Ollie was not planning on using him as an outside-in small forward, just as he didn't with Larrier (and we currently don't with Polley). The position Vance would insist on playing is currently being manned by Vital and Sid as backup.

It's a roster construction issue again. I am sure he would help, no question, but he wouldn't help nearly as much as somebody who could (and wanted to) play the 4-5.

He's no less of a 4 than Polley is....he basically would do what Polley does except shoot and rebound better.

 

[HuskyHawk]

He's no less of a 4 than Polley is....he basically would do what Polley does except shoot and rebound better.

You miss the point. He is unwilling to. He doesn't want to play the 4. Polley will take minutes where he gets them. I agree Vance would be a better version of Polley, if he was interested in being that.

 

[yukonfan4]

Not sure I understand. The Big East gets more attention and money than the AAC. Don't know about ratings.

point of order but if you don't know about ratings then how do you know for a fact the big east gets more attention?

but either way the NBE won't get more money for long. NBE teams get paid just over $4 mill/year from the FOX tv deal whereas the new AAC deal is expected to pay around $8 mill per school per year.

 

[husky99]

Recruiting is like a one night stand. When she walks out it is over. But if she stays for breakfast, then it it is a party...

 

[superjohn]

What does the NBE TV contract look like? That tells you how much people truly care about the NBE.

Oh sure, there's some hold outs among fans. But the brand itself isn't that great sans Villanova.

Recruits aren't dying to play in the NBE super. If Kofi was choosing between NBE and B1G, where do you think he would go?

Agree with most of your posts but completely disagree on this one.

Big East is still known as a basketball conference. Nobody knows what our league is or who is in it, most people have no clue UConn is in the AAC.

 

[ucawn]

If Gonzaga and Nevada can make it happen in their conference, Hurley can make it work in the AAC. Just give it time. It literally hasn’t even been a year and we’re trashing him for possibly getting us more wins than last year. Like come on he wasn’t handed a team where top players are saying, yup let me go there with a first year coach and hope it goes well. I don’t understand why Kofi chose Illinois a 4-11 and he wants championships? I get that he said conference was a factor but he was recruited by other power 5 conferences.

 

[krinklecut]

I haven't read through this whole thread yet but this is how it goes. You don't get all of your targets and there's just nothing you can do about that. Those of you acting like one player was make or break for our program are so dramatic.

 

[Paesano]

Anyone that thinks this decision was about anything other than bag money is delusional.

I hope Kofi realizes that, if he accepted money, he is as guilty as the guy who gave it to him.

 

[intlzncster]

Anyone that thinks this decision was about anything other than bag money is delusional.

I hope Kofi realizes that, if he accepted money, he is as guilty as the guy who gave it to him.

Guilty of what? Making money off his own talents and hard work? It's the system that sucks (from the athletes perspective).

 

[BY06518]

I know basketball is in its third season of significantly under performing. The half empty arenas are a clear sign that the fan base has lost interest. Now we are losing recruits to Illinois, of all places? It's time the administration realizes that and cuts our losses so that Men's basketball stops drawing off resources from football. We need to drop basketball now!

Do football fans even remember what its like to win a game or actually have expectations for the team outside of: "I sure hope we don't get blown out this game". Drop Football Now!

 

[Stainmaster]

Guilty of what? Making money off his own talents and hard work? It's the system that sucks (from the athletes perspective).

Paesano would do well to realize that people would take his claims more seriously if he didn’t accuse every recruit who goes elsewhere of being on the take.

Seriously, do these people really think bribery is the only thing that could keep a kid from committing to UConn?

 

[Stainmaster]

Do football fans even remember what its like to win a game or actually have expectations for the team outside of: "I sure hope we don't get blown out this game". Drop Football Now!

Why are you on the Boneyard if you want to destroy UConn basketball?

 

[8893]

I just wish we could come to a consensus on this and stop talking about it. The AAC hurts but it doesn't hurt nearly as much as some people think and the NBE, while an upgrade, is a marginal upgrade that won't change the minds of kids and handlers who want a "Power 5" school.

The thing about the AAC “hurt” factor that many people also fail to appreciate is that it hurts UConn more than any other AAC school. We are the square peg geographically and culturally in this conference; i.e., it’s a worse fit for us than it is for any other member. It’s been a clear step down for us and we’ve yet to even come close to dominating it, whereas it’s been a clear step up for others, many of which have improved their stature and standing since joining. And the travel is a killer for our kids—again worse than for any other member, which also makes it harder. And this year’s team has only played one road game so far this season. As delicate as they are, things could get worse soon.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Anyone that thinks this decision was about anything other than bag money is delusional.

I hope Kofi realizes that, if he accepted money, he is as guilty as the guy who gave it to him.

Turn on ESPN on any Saturday this season and you'll watch kids who've been directly implicated in accepting cash.

 

[UConnStats]

A lot of wasted breath in here. Onto the next options

 

[intlzncster]

Paesano would do well to realize that people would take his claims more seriously if he didn’t accuse every recruit who goes elsewhere of being on the take.

Seriously, do these people really think bribery is the only thing that could keep a kid from committing to UConn?

Sure it's not remotely the only reason. But it certainly plausible one, as we've seen recently in MCBB. What we saw was probably less than 3% of what's out there too.

I've no idea if Kofi took money. I personally don't care one way or another. But it's fair to raise the question. The sport did this to itself unfortunately.

Anybody getting self righteous or bumhurt about it should probably stop watching college sports tho.

 

[Northbound]

When bill self left illinois' for Kansas, ESPN called it a lateral move. Today, it would not be.

Just because someone says something doesn't mean it's true - if any Illini fans thought that Illinois was on par with Kansas in basketball when Self made that move they need are so irrational that it's not worth talking to them.

 

[BY06518]

Why are you on the Boneyard if you want to destroy UConn basketball?

I want to save UConn basketball by going back to a conference that helps us recruit basketball players regardless of your belief that Football is the only thing that matters, if you cared about UConn basketball you would admit that the Football program is hindering us hardcore.

Any recruit if given a choice between playing their conference tournament at MSG or in Orlando where are they going to pick?Conference games against Georgetown Seton Hall St Johns Villanova Providence Marquette or ECU Tulsa SMU USF UCF or Wichita State?

You always talk about a P5 split that is never going to come you are just hyperbolic.