There are other threads to get into recent specifics or to debate Underwood's performance, but I was curious if your expectations for the program have changed now that we're in the era of NIL and the portal.

For example, it used to be fair to say that you throw out a coach's first two years because he's using someone else's players and building a culture. Now there is so much more roster turnover that it's very hard to build an enduring culture and you don't keep another coach's players very long. [On the football side, nobody is giving Deion Sanders a pass on this year's performance. Basketball rosters are even easier to turn over so you could get a job in March and have a brand new roster by June.] That's really just the portal effect there.

NIL also is a game-changer in recruiting expectations. First of all, the AD and boosters are driving the NIL totals so there is going to be greater accountability if the coach can't close the deal or if a highly paid player goes bust. Some of the roster management authority and power has been outsourced to the collective. I think that's a net negative in terms of the coach having control of the program and the locker room, which he's going to need to have elite success.

On the other hand, there are no more excuses when it comes to recruiting. If you are a Top 25 NIL $ school you should have a Top 25 recruiting class. You can't say "Kansas paid my recruit $200K under the table" or "everyone else is cheating and I'm doing it by the book." It's all out in the open market now.

There's also much less of a need to recruit in your neighborhood. How much is it really going to matter anymore that a player is in-state? These guys don't even stay in-state during high school these days. It matters very little. No more "must get" recruits in your backyard.

Finally, there's the need to re-recruit your own players. Can you develop guys long-term? Will they even stick around?

So it's a very different ballgame. (I didn't even mention conference realignment and TV money.) Do you think (independent of the coach) that the Illinois bball program is in a better position to compete now than before? Does that raise the bar for what you consider acceptable performance? Or is it going to be harder to compete at the very highest levels because we don't have a history of NCAA Tournament success and the blue bloods just have their advantages baked in even more? Are we locked into a certain tier? Does the coach even matter as much as he used to or can you just plug and play anyone into the NIL $ machine?

Thoughts?

Illinois has offered 2024 power forward Dillon Battie.

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Illinois No. 20.

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Doug

Is Jalen Rucker, the point guard from Army, who just entered the portal a day ago an option for the Illini?

He is only a junior and averaged 16.6 points a game, shot 83% from the line and 30% from three (made 50)

He's from Baltimore so I thought Chester might know him

The Athletic has him as the 9th best player available in the portal and had this to say about him:

Rucker was a three-year starter at Army and an All-Patriot League performer as a junior, averaging 16.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. He put up huge numbers in the Patriot League tournament, averaging 29 points per game in those two contests. He’s got a slick handle and excels getting into the paint and finishing. He shot 60.8 percent at the rim, which is a solid number for a player his size. He made 2.7 3s per game on 36.8 percent shooting from deep as a sophomore and his shooting numbers dipped this last season to 1.5 makes and 30.1 percent shooting from distance. He was better from the mid-range. He has a lot of lift on his jumper and one reason for lower percentages is he takes some tough, guarded shots. He’s had solid assist numbers but is also turnover prone. His size hurts him there, but he has the speed, strength and handle to play at a higher level.

Expected by the end of the week.

Illinois is in a dogfight with Baylor.

Utah people I've talked to seem to think they are out.

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A couple of months of speculation finally ends today, the deadline for withdrawing from the NBA Draft.

I think Dennis = Illini, Shannon =Illini, Hawkins gone. I think we will know today.

The deadline is tomorrow (Wed).

I'll post names that Illinois may have interest in.

Any thoughts on FUBO Or other alternatives?

Starting a new thread on this to consolidate things.

The NBA Combine is over and TJ Shannon and Coleman Hawkins have decisions to make. I don't think much has changed with either one, except maybe Hawkins is a little more open to returning now.

Shannon will go where the guaranteed money is. Mock drafts won't determine that. It will be based on the feedback he's getting from individual franchises. There's plenty of NIL money for him if he decides to return to Illinois.

Hawkins wants to go pro, but could settle for returning if the situation is right. While some mock drafts have him going mid-second round, I think he probably fell to late 2nd round or not drafted.

I'm not sure on the specific timeline, but the deadline is May 31. I expect a decision sooner than that, though.

Incidentally, I talked to Brad Underwood at a campus event and WDWS radio appearance on Saturday. He said he's getting some good feedback from NBA scouts on Matthew Mayer. They obviously like his size and his ability to get his own shot.

Expecting a decision this week from RayJ Dennis. I'd guess Tuesday / Wednesday. Illinois is considered the favorite but it's not a slam dunk. Illinois, Baylor, Michigan, or Utah. Backup plans are starting to trickle out in case it falls through. They would pursue some grad transfers.

QUICK FACTS - ILLINI AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS​

• NCAA National Championship Appearances: 29 (28 since NCAA era began in 1939)
• NCAA Championship Appearances since 2001 (Mike Small Era): 16 (14 of last 15 since 2008)
• NCAA Top-5 Finishes: 10 (7 times since 2011)
• Most Recent Finish: T-5th (Match Play Quarterfinals - 2021)
• NCAA Individual Champions: 2 (2010, Scott Langley; 2012, Thomas Pieters)
• NCAA Match Play Appearances: 7 (T2nd nationally since format began in 2009)

STROKE PLAY SCHEDULE - MAY 26-29, 2023 - 72 HOLES​

• Friday: Round 1 (18 holes) - 8:10 a.m. CT / 6:10 a.m. PT
• Saturday: Round 2 (18 holes) - 8:10 a.m. CT / 6:10 a.m. PT
• Sunday: Round 3 (18 holes) - 8:10 a.m. CT / 6:10 a.m. PT
  • Top 15 Teams and 9 Individuals Advance to Stroke Play Final
• Monday: Round 4 (18 holes) - 12 p.m. CT / 10 a.m. PT
  • Top 8 Teams Advance to Match Play
  • Live Coverage: Golf Channel - 4-8 p.m. CT / 2-6 p.m. PT

MATCH PLAY SCHEDULE - MAY 30-31, 2023 - 3 ROUNDS​

• Tuesday: Quarterfinals - 8:20 a.m. CT / 6:20 a.m. PT
  • Live Coverage: Golf Channel - 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. CT / 9-11:30 a.m. PT
• Tuesday: Semifinals - 2:45 p.m. CT / 12:45 p.m. PT
  • Live Coverage: Golf Channel - 4-8 p.m. CT / 2-6 p.m. PT
• Wednesday: Championship - 3:35 p.m. CT / 1:35 p.m. PT
  • Live Coverage: Golf Channel - 4-8 p.m. CT / 2-6 p.m. PT

THE ROAD TO NATIONALS
The Fighting Illini men's golf team - ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the latest Golfweek and GolfStat team rankings, respectively - continues its postseason run, May 26-31 at the 2023 NCAA Championship.

Illinois, the overall No. 3 seed in the tournament, is coming off of a second-place finish at the NCAA Regional at Eagle Eye Golf Club in Bath, Mich., where the team secured the 29th NCAA Championship appearance in program history. Under head coach Mike Small, the Illini have now earned 16 NCAA Championship bids, including in 14 of the last 15 dating back to 2008.

THE SETTING
The 2023 NCAA Championship is hosted by Arizona State at Grayhawk Golf Club's Raptor Course in Scottsdale, Ariz. The course, designed by Tom Fazio, is considered to be one of the finest golf courses in Scottsdale and is listed among the best public golf courses in Arizona by Golfweek and Golf Magazine. It is one of only two Scottsdale golf courses, along with TPC Scottsdale, to have hosted a PGA TOUR event: the Frys.com Open (2007-09). The course features a Par-70, 7,289-yard layout for the men's tournament.

THE FIELD
The 30-team field for the 2023 NCAA Championship includes the top-five finishers from each of six regional sites contested May 15-17. The Fighting Illini enter play at the championship round ranked as the No. 3 overall seed after beginning their postseason run as the top seed in the Bath Regional where they finished second behind Georgia, the No. 21 overall seed, and ahead of No. 18 Oregon, No. 9 Florida, an No. 16 Texas. Vanderbilt, the top overall seed, finished second at the Auburn Regional behind host and 13th-seeded Auburn, and No. 2-seeded North Carolina finished third at the Salem Regional behind 11th-seeded Georgia Tech and No. 22 seed Arkansas. NCAA Championship host Arizona State, is seeded fourth; the Sun Devils won the Las Vegas Regional by two strokes over No. 6-seeded Stanford. Fifth-seeded Texas Tech advanced after a fourth-place finish at the Norman Regional behind No. 14 Alabama, host and 10th-seeded Oklahoma, and the 30th-overall seed Colorado. No. 7 Florida State and No. 8 Pepperdine finished third and fifth, respectively, in the Morgan Hill Regional won by No. 17 Mississippi State. A complete list of the 2023 NCAA Championship seeds for both teams and individual competitors is available on Page 2 of the tournament notes found here.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The 2023 NCAA Championship will be played over six days from Friday, May 26 through Wednesday, May 31. Friday through Monday will feature four rounds of stroke play - a cut to 15 teams will take place following Sunday's third round (54 holes) - to determine the individual national champion.

The top eight teams will advance to Tuesday morning's match play quarterfinals. Semifinals matches are scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, when the final four teams will compete for a place in the match play championship set for Wednesday afternoon.

FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
No. 1: Adrien Dumont de Chassart
No. 2: Tommy Kuhl
No. 3: Matthis Besard
No. 4: Piercen Hunt
No. 5: Jackson Buchanan
Alt: Ryan Voois

ILLINI HISTORY AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
The Fighting Illini have competed for the national title 29 times - 28 since the NCAA era officially began in 1939 - and have established the program as one of the top postseason performers in collegiate golf over the last 23 years under the guidance of head coach Mike Small.

Since Small took the reins of his alma mater prior to the 2000-01 season, the Orange and Blue have competed in 18 of 22 NCAA Regionals, and have advanced to the NCAA Championship round on 16 occasions. Put another way, nearly 89 percent of the Illini's postseason runs under Small have resulted in the team advancing to the NCAA Championship. Even more impressive, since 2008 the Illini have secured 14 out of 15 NCAA Championship berths.

Entering the 2023 NCAA Championship, and since the current Stroke Play/Match Play format was adopted in 2009, the Fighting Illini boast seven seasons - 2011, 2013, 2014, 2105, 2016, 2017 and 2021 - in which the team progressed to match play. Those seven match play appearances rank tied for the second-most nationally with Texas, two behind Oklahoma State. In those seven match play appearances, the program has amassed 12 total matches (tied for third nationally) and five victories (tied for sixth nationally).

Illinois' best team postseason finish came under Small in 2013 when the Illini finished as the national runner-up at the Capital City Club in Atlanta, Ga. In addition to that championship match appearance against Alabama, the Illini played in the quarterfinals in 2011, 2014 and 2021, and made three-consecutive semifinal appearances in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Under Small's guidance, the Fighting Illini have also produced a pair of individual NCAA champions. Scott Langley claimed the first national title for the Illini in 2010 at the Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. Two years later, Thomas Pieters captured medalist honors at the 2012 NCAA Championship at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Illinois and Oklahoma State are the only programs to produce two individual national champions since 2000-01 (Mike Small era).

LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for the NCAA Championship will be available on GolfStat.com for both the stroke play and match play. A recap and results will be posted on FightingIllini.com following each day of competition.

GOLF CHANNEL COVERAGE
The GOLF Channel will provide pre-tournament, live and post-round coverage of the NCAA Men's Golf Championships. Live coverage begins on May 29 (4-8 p.m. CT) when the individual national champion is crowned. Golf Channel's live coverage will also include all three rounds of the team match-play tournament on Tuesday, May 30 (11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. CT and 4-8 p.m. CT) and Wednesday, May 31 (4-8 p.m. CT).

Dylan Stephenson, he says. Date TBD but should all be public very soon, we're told.

Doug and friends…

What’s going to be the three deep at center this season? I was concerned last season, but it ended up OK…

I assume Kruetz starts. I’ve mentioned this before, but Barlev seems to have the body size, speed, and strength to be a good center. We have some Frosh talent…Thoughts?