* Hansberry is very much a Brad Underwood / Chester Frazier type of player. I don't think he'll be a big scorer at Illinois, though he can score in a variety of ways and the points do tend to quietly add up. He's going to be a junk yard dog type of kid for the Illini.
* He's a natural rebounder - anticipates, clears out space, and snatches the ball with two hands. If you have watched his film, you know he's not a high riser. He changes directions pretty well, though, and he just has a knack for being around the basketball. He gests the 50/50 loose balls, rebounds on both ends and particuarly on the offensive glass.
* Hansberry will need to fix his jumper. It goes in more than you would think and he can be streaky, but he's not a guy who will stretch the floor. His shooting form gets away from him the further he gets from the basket. Slow release, too much arch. The release is okay though, so there's something to build on.
* One of the things that Underwood liked most about him was his passing. He has a natural feel for the flow, sees the entire court, and seems to always make the right pass. A lot of the passes come on the secondary break. He finds the cutters and spot up shooters.
* Hansberry has some limitations defensively. He's 6-8 and has decent length, but he's not explosive off the floor so he doesn't get a lot of blocks or change a lot of shots. He'll need to continue to work on conditioning (he's come a long way already) to improve his lateral movement and perimeter defense. His strength and hustle are his best assets defensively right now.
* Even with the addition of Hansberry, the rebounding / size would still be something I'd want to address further if I'm Underwood. They will have Hawkins, Dainja, and Lieb as true front court players. Goode and Melendez can play the 4 in a pinch and should be decent rebounders. But I'd want another big guy - maybe from the Portal? There's usually some unexpected attrition. I'm not buying the NBA buzz on Hawkins yet, though. He needs to show he can make perimeter shots and that he's matured from an emotional standpoint. Edit: They'll have Zach Perrin too, so Underwood could be set on big men for now.
* Underwood still wants to add shooting to the 2023-24 roster. He's weighing whether to push hard for a kid now, or wait it out for the spring and see what's available from the high school ranks and the transfer Portal. If they don't get something out of Lieb this year - and I don't think they will - that could be a scholarship that opens up.
* This was a big get for Chester Frazier. He's working some of the toughest recruiting territories for Illinois - places they haven't typically had a ton of success. Getting a kid from his home turf in Baltimore, east coast kid with ACC offers, and from Team Durant is impressive.
What questions do you have?
* He's a natural rebounder - anticipates, clears out space, and snatches the ball with two hands. If you have watched his film, you know he's not a high riser. He changes directions pretty well, though, and he just has a knack for being around the basketball. He gests the 50/50 loose balls, rebounds on both ends and particuarly on the offensive glass.
* Hansberry will need to fix his jumper. It goes in more than you would think and he can be streaky, but he's not a guy who will stretch the floor. His shooting form gets away from him the further he gets from the basket. Slow release, too much arch. The release is okay though, so there's something to build on.
* One of the things that Underwood liked most about him was his passing. He has a natural feel for the flow, sees the entire court, and seems to always make the right pass. A lot of the passes come on the secondary break. He finds the cutters and spot up shooters.
* Hansberry has some limitations defensively. He's 6-8 and has decent length, but he's not explosive off the floor so he doesn't get a lot of blocks or change a lot of shots. He'll need to continue to work on conditioning (he's come a long way already) to improve his lateral movement and perimeter defense. His strength and hustle are his best assets defensively right now.
* Even with the addition of Hansberry, the rebounding / size would still be something I'd want to address further if I'm Underwood. They will have Hawkins, Dainja, and Lieb as true front court players. Goode and Melendez can play the 4 in a pinch and should be decent rebounders. But I'd want another big guy - maybe from the Portal? There's usually some unexpected attrition. I'm not buying the NBA buzz on Hawkins yet, though. He needs to show he can make perimeter shots and that he's matured from an emotional standpoint. Edit: They'll have Zach Perrin too, so Underwood could be set on big men for now.
* Underwood still wants to add shooting to the 2023-24 roster. He's weighing whether to push hard for a kid now, or wait it out for the spring and see what's available from the high school ranks and the transfer Portal. If they don't get something out of Lieb this year - and I don't think they will - that could be a scholarship that opens up.
* This was a big get for Chester Frazier. He's working some of the toughest recruiting territories for Illinois - places they haven't typically had a ton of success. Getting a kid from his home turf in Baltimore, east coast kid with ACC offers, and from Team Durant is impressive.
What questions do you have?
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