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Jeremiah Tilmon requests release of LOI from Illinois

rwhitney014

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Dec 5, 2007
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Big, big news. Could have an effect on Mark Smith's recruitment as well.

 
This is a very interesting development. No way he comes to NU as I don't think we've ever been in consideration for him. But, JT was a big draw for Smith to UoI. If JT is the lynchpin of that class, may others follow him and request release?

Will be interesting to see where JT lands. I'd be watching Missouri with Porter on board.
 
This is a very interesting development. No way he comes to NU as I don't think we've ever been in consideration for him. But, JT was a big draw for Smith to UoI. If JT is the lynchpin of that class, may others follow him and request release?

Will be interesting to see where JT lands. I'd be watching Missouri with Porter on board.

QFT here, folks.
 
Agree, scru. Also watch out for St. Louis, our long-lost friend, Jordan Goodwin and their former AAU coach, a St. Louis assistant.
 
Agree, scru. Also watch out for St. Louis, our long-lost friend, Jordan Goodwin and their former AAU coach, a St. Louis assistant.
Do you agree that NU doesn't have a chance getting Smith? Kind of thought that NU wasn't one of his favorites but thought they were still in the mix. My bet Missouri will be the landing spot for Tilmon but as you say St. Louis could be the dark horse.
 
Do you agree that NU doesn't have a chance getting Smith? Kind of thought that NU wasn't one of his favorites but thought they were still in the mix. My bet Missouri will be the landing spot for Tilmon but as you say St. Louis could be the dark horse.

I'm not saying we have no chance with Smith... we have no chance with JT. From what I've found, CCC is still all in on Smith and doing everything possible to land him. Up against stiff competition. I believe Calipari is visiting him tomorrow and Smith will visit MSU this weekend. The best thing we have going for us now is the length of the relationship with Smith.

Will be very interesting to see how CCC finishes up this recruiting cycle.
 
I agree 100% with scru. NU is the one "major" team besides Kansas St. that can say they have been "with" Smith for the long haul of the recruiting process. That has to carry some value.

On the other side, it's tough to go against Michigan State, Butler and Kentucky. I can't believe there's a ton of value in Ohio State and Indiana jumping in with a new coach. I'd also be interested to see how many schollies remain if Tilmon chooses Missouri.
 
This is a very interesting development. No way he comes to NU as I don't think we've ever been in consideration for him. But, JT was a big draw for Smith to UoI. If JT is the lynchpin of that class, may others follow him and request release?

Will be interesting to see where JT lands. I'd be watching Missouri with Porter on board.
And with Martin being an East St. Louis native.
 
Underwood probably a good coach but must be a dud. Seems like one to me. Glad he is at U oi I.
 
From what I've heard, Tilmon likely wouldn't be a fit with NU admissions.
None of the strong private academic schools are in his list...not even ND or Duke, which presumably are the most "flexible" when it comes to athletic admiss.
This suggests strongly that his academic profile isn't very strong...or that he has zero interest in the academically strong private univs. In either case, he wouldn't be a fit with NU.
 
None of the strong private academic schools are in his list...not even ND or Duke, which presumably are the most "flexible" when it comes to athletic admiss.
This suggests strongly that his academic profile isn't very strong...or that he has zero interest in the academically strong private univs. In either case, he wouldn't be a fit with NU.

There was already some chatter on Illini boards that he might not be a qualifier. That's... not good.
 
Tillmon will end up at Mizzou it seems like to me- or could he actually follow Groce to Akron? Smith could end up anywhere. Quite literally, as long as it isn't the Illini, I couldn't care less where he winds up. Smith just doesn't have that "love in his eye" when he mentions NU. I think we have a better chance with several of the one or two year transfers that Felisy has piqued our interest in with his threads. Tillmon/Smith have real chances to be a one and done anyhow. We would be better off with a seasoned transfer IMHO. Take that for what it is worth. Just my opinion.
 
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Tillmon will end up at Mizzou it seems like to me- or could he actually follow Groce to Akron?

Quite a come down for a Big 10 coach to land at Akron. As a Rubber City native, it pains me to say I feel sorry for him. He'll play in an arena even smaller than the urban renewal project that is WRA. On the bright side, perhaps he'll be able to recruit LeBron's son to play for the Zips.....
 
Underwood probably a good coach but must be a dud. Seems like one to me. Glad he is at U oi I.

So one kid he didn't recruit decommits and he's a dud? I don't know much about the guy, but he seems to have done pretty well wherever he's gone so I think I'll reserve judgment for a year or two.
 
I frankly don't see either Tilmon or Smith as one-and-done's. Good players, yes, but not NBA ready at this point in their careers. Which might actually make them more valuable to a collegiate program.
 
There was already some chatter on Illini boards that he might not be a qualifier. That's... not good.
Has that chatter just started now, right after he de-commits from Illinois. Sour grapes? Haven't heard from any of the whining illini, who have frequented here lately. Combes?
 
I'd bet on Mizzou. I doubt he'd be given a release to another B1G team.

Wait, a school can place restrictions on a release from their LoI? That seems odd. I would think once released, a recruit is free to go wherever. Any precedent for this, examples you can share?
 
They changed the rule and a player can transfer to another BiG school. I also believe he would have to sit out a year if he transfers to another B1G school.
 
They changed the rule and a player can transfer to another BiG school. I also believe he would have to sit out a year if he transfers to another B1G school.

I believe it is quite common for the NCAA to waive this in the event of a coaching change.
 
Underwood probably a good coach but must be a dud. Seems like one to me. Glad he is at U oi I.
I wouldn't judge him based on 1 recruit. I think his style of offense is going to be very attractive to a lot of high school kids.
 
I frankly don't see either Tilmon or Smith as one-and-done's. Good players, yes, but not NBA ready at this point in their careers. Which might actually make them more valuable to a collegiate program.
I would be shocked if Smith goes from not being recruited heavily for basketball to being one and done. He's only 6'4" and he's not an elite athlete (by NBA standards). If he goes to MSU, he may not even start.
 
Serious question....do you think he would start for NU?
I don't think so. I think he will contribute his freshman year given how strong he is and how complete his game seems to be. Given that he's not a freakish athlete, though, I don't anticipate he will be dominant as a freshman. I had envisioned him coming off the bench to spell Lindsey and Law and sometimes playing with them in a small lineup. It seems like every major program loves him, though, so maybe he's better than Lindsey and gets the majority of the minutes at the 2 and Lindsey spells Law and him? That would really surprise me since Lindsey will be a senior and made huge strides last year. That could really screw with team chemistry. And if he starts instead of Law, our defense probably gets a lot worse and we get much smaller at the wings.
 
I don't think so. I think he will contribute his freshman year given how strong he is and how complete his game seems to be. Given that he's not a freakish athlete, though, I don't anticipate he will be dominant as a freshman. I had envisioned him coming off the bench to spell Lindsey and Law and sometimes playing with them in a small lineup. It seems like every major program loves him, though, so maybe he's better than Lindsey and gets the majority of the minutes at the 2 and Lindsey spells Law and him? That would really surprise me since Lindsey will be a senior and made huge strides last year. That could really screw with team chemistry. And if he starts instead of Law, our defense probably gets a lot worse and we get much smaller at the wings.

He'd probably start at Illinois. Nairn and Winston would be ahead of him at MSU. Kentucky already have 2 PG's who have signed LOI's, so if playing time next season is key he won't get much there. Butler has a Junior starting PG. OSU has JaQuan Lyle. So none of the schools except Illinois have a spot for him from jump street.
 
So one kid he didn't recruit decommits and he's a dud? I don't know much about the guy, but he seems to have done pretty well wherever he's gone so I think I'll reserve judgment for a year or two.

Not getting Jaren Sina was an early sign Collins would never work here ...
 
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In other Illinois news, Underwood hired an assistant who has scumbag written all over him. Orlando Antigua is a former Calapari assistant who was fired from his head coaching gig at South Florida because the program was under investigation for academic fraud. At one point last year, one of the South Florida assistants was not allowed to go out on recruiting trips. The assistant? Antigua's brother.

So Illinois is all in. They found Jimmy Collins 2.0.

I love the soap opera of the Illini. All the supposed history. All the supposed foundational strength. Yet, so much obvious desperation.
 
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I believe it is quite common for the NCAA to waive this in the event of a coaching change.
Is he talking about BIG rules that might be different from NCAA rules? And if he gets released from his LOI is that really transferring or is it starting new?
 
He'd probably start at Illinois. Nairn and Winston would be ahead of him at MSU. Kentucky already have 2 PG's who have signed LOI's, so if playing time next season is key he won't get much there. Butler has a Junior starting PG. OSU has JaQuan Lyle. So none of the schools except Illinois have a spot for him from jump street.
I thought he was more of a SG than a PG. Did I miss something?
 
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