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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Dec 18, 2018 7:44:03 GMT -5
There is no doubt that facilities in sports make a difference to recruits. Huff Gym does have supports in the upper deck that creates obstructed views for fans. I don't think that has much impact on recruits. If you talk to Illinois players, I have never heard one complain about playing in Huff. They actually are very fond of playing at Huff. I know Hambly always "talked up" playing at Huff and I believe Coach Tamas is doing the same. The fans are very close to the playing courts, giving the feeling to opposing players that the fans are right on top of them. I know Illinois AD Whitman, asked Coach Tamas what he would like done with the area where the players meet and get instruction, and Whitman made the changes that Tamas wanted.
Other B1G playing areas are worse than Illinois', Michigan's volleyball court is 3 sided built over an old swimming pool I believe. Michigan State plays in an old fieldhouse that shows its age. Iowa plays in Carver arena that is where the men's basketball team plays and is a nice arena. However, I am not sure any team enjoys playing there including the Iowa team. I understand that the locker room and meeting rooms are nice. I am sure, there are other volleyball facilities where successful teams play that leave something to be desired. The most important thing that a recruit should be considering is how comfortable they feel with the team culture and the quality of the coaching staff as shown by the coaches qualifications and successes! No amount of shiny facilities should compensate for deficiencies in that area!
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Dec 18, 2018 7:50:30 GMT -5
For those fans still talking about the phantom touch call that helped decide the 5th set loss to Nebraska, Tamas cleared up the controversy during his radio interview at a Champaign tavern last night. In response to a fan question. Tamas said there is no controversy...Illinois did touch the ball on the block! It's nice to clear that up. Otherwise, certain Illinois fans would be arguing this point forever.
Tamas did add jokingly that during the regular season the B1G did not have the quality of equipment that was available for the challenges at the Final Four. Adding that during a regular B1G match, perhaps the touch by the Illinois blocker would not have been detected. Again, Coach Tamas added this point very light-heartedly, and drew laughs from the Illinois fans in attendance.
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Post by Wiswell on Dec 18, 2018 9:42:57 GMT -5
Tell that to Texas, that facilities don't matter. However, I agree, that the players don't care if the fan experience isn't that great, just as long as there are fans in there. So I've definitely seen a movement to improving the players' facilities and less on the fans' resources. I also think that players can get caught up in the "facilities" experience and not take a look at the bigger picture, which is how they fit in with the team culture, etc.
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Post by Pasquale on Dec 18, 2018 12:05:41 GMT -5
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Post by illinoisportsfan on Dec 18, 2018 13:01:37 GMT -5
Good to hear. It's hard to sell University of Illinois to great players when U of I is in the middle of cornfields and most athletics are not too successful. But I think the culture of this program has changed. That final four match hurts because we looked like a team that was coached by Hambly. This new Tamas era players are much more stronger mentally. Do you think the athletic facilities are a drawback? I don't know about the support facilities, like strength and conditioning, student-athlete support facilities, etc, but Huff Hall, while definitely an awesome atmosphere, is kind of challenging overall. OTOH, the players can be superstars since the rest of Illinois sports are generally average. I don't think the "cornfields" are that much of a drawback. Chambana is a nice college town and I enjoy coming down there. It annoys me that people keep pushing this narrative that Illinois' overall athletics program is not good, because it's simply not true. Men's Baseball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Tennis & Wrestling have all been nationally-ranked over the last several years. Golf and Gymnastics have been top-5 programs in the nation over the last ten years, with national championships and 2nd place finishes. Tennis is consistently top-20 and made the elite-8 last year (in addition to their national championship and national runners-up in 2003 and 2007). Baseball is one of the best programs in the Big 10. While the women's programs haven't been as successful as the men's, Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer, Softball, Tennis & Volleyball have all been good and consistently competitive in the B1G, usually finishing in the upper half of the conference. Illinois' Directors Cup Finishes: 2017-18 (36), 2016-17 (38), 2015-16 (54), 2014-15 (31), 2013-14 (46), 2012-13 (31), 2011-12 (21), 2010-11 (23), 2009-10 (35), 2008-09 (20) That is an average finish of 33.5 *in the nation* over the last ten years. That is very respectable, overall. And this is during an historically-bad decade for Illinois football, and men's & women's basketball. Imagine if they had just been average in those sports? For comparison, here is Wisconsin's Directors Cup finishes over the last decade: 22, 16, 27, 18, 18, 29, 26, 26, 21, 41 = 24.4 average finish (nine places higher than Illinois). And that is during an historically great decade for Wisconsin football and basketball.
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Post by huskerjen on Dec 18, 2018 13:30:26 GMT -5
Recruiting won't be a problem for Tamas. He's a dogged recruiter. He was great at Cal Poly and Nebraska. He has a lot of good talent already in the fold and I expect it to be even better in the long term. The fact that he's also a great trainer and strategist, he's really the complete package.
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Post by HuskerPower1 on Dec 18, 2018 15:18:01 GMT -5
Just like the 2011 team helped get us the #1 class, this 2018 team making the final four will help us get recruits. Kids want to go to schools who win. Combine this with our amazing coaching staff - we are going to be landing great recruits for years to come. Your 2012 recruiting class was ranked #1?
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Post by illinoisportsfan on Dec 18, 2018 15:25:21 GMT -5
Just like the 2011 team helped get us the #1 class, this 2018 team making the final four will help us get recruits. Kids want to go to schools who win. Combine this with our amazing coaching staff - we are going to be landing great recruits for years to come. Your 2012 recruiting class was ranked #1? He's talking about the 2015 class of Poulter, Prince and Bastianelli. As you know, volleyball recruiting is done years in advance. By the time that 2011 season was over, most of the top players for 2012 and 2013 had probably already committed. So, yes, that 2015 class was a direct result of the 2011 runner-up team. fightingillini.com/news/2015/6/2/WVB_0602153624.aspx
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Post by oldmanvb on Dec 18, 2018 19:54:48 GMT -5
BTN revenues are driving recent facilities wars in the BIG.
With volleyball commitments being made by 14 and 15 year olds, is there any history of vacated commitments in volleyball? Men's basketball and football are littered with vacated commitments. While I don't want Tamas to raid other programs, I've got to believe that 16 and 17 year olds will at least want to think about those commitments after the last two seasons.
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Post by illinoisportsfan on Dec 18, 2018 23:54:41 GMT -5
BTN revenues are driving recent facilities wars in the BIG. With volleyball commitments being made by 14 and 15 year olds, is there any history of vacated commitments in volleyball? Men's basketball and football are littered with vacated commitments. While I don't want Tamas to raid other programs, I've got to believe that 16 and 17 year olds will at least want to think about those commitments after the last two seasons. It's very rare in volleyball. I don't believe that Illinois has ever had a recruit back out of a verbal commitment since I've been following them. That being said, one of their recent signees was formerly committed to Bradley University before switching to Illinois. "In the spring, Collins switched her commitment. After deciding last fall to play for Bradley, Collins had a change of heart in April.
"Two months later, she switched her allegiance and committed to Illinois. Collins said she had already bought numerous Bradley T-shirts, sweatshirts and other items.
"She said the allure of playing in the Big Ten, however, was too hard to pass up.
"'It was really hard to (decommit) because I don’t like to let people down and hurt someone’s feelings,' Collins said. 'I wanted to cry. I had so much clothing from Bradley. I had to give some to my cousin.
“'Illinois, like Bradley, was close to home. I wanted to still stay close. The opportunity to play at the highest level of competition was special. I also felt Illinois was the school for me.'”www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/sports/ct-lns-spt-girls-volleyball-zion-benton-kennedy-collins-st-0825-story.html
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Post by ilalum92 on Dec 19, 2018 2:07:33 GMT -5
Raina Terry was previously committed to Indiana .
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Post by vballfreak808 on Dec 19, 2018 2:12:51 GMT -5
Libero and DSMorgan O'Brien, 5'8", L (Illinois) Taylor Kuper, 5'8", DS, (Kansas) Caroline Welsh, 5'8, DS (Georgia) Alyssa Eske, 5’3” DS (Wisconsin) Lexie Smith, 5'8, DS (Texas) Emmaline Walters, 5'7", DS (California) Illinois also has a commit from Madison Chi out of Southern California. She plays for A4 Volley. www.a4volley.com/page/show/3497853-2019-commitmentsNot much info on her
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Post by illinoisportsfan on Dec 19, 2018 2:21:33 GMT -5
Libero and DSMorgan O'Brien, 5'8", L (Illinois) Taylor Kuper, 5'8", DS, (Kansas) Caroline Welsh, 5'8, DS (Georgia) Alyssa Eske, 5’3” DS (Wisconsin) Lexie Smith, 5'8, DS (Texas) Emmaline Walters, 5'7", DS (California) Illinois also has a commit from Madison Chi out of Southern California. She plays for A4 Volley. www.a4volley.com/page/show/3497853-2019-commitmentsNot much info on her I think Illinois fans are really going to love Alyssa Eske
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Post by alt on Dec 19, 2018 2:45:22 GMT -5
I think Illinois fans are really going to love Alyssa Eske as a player on the court or as a person
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Post by illinoisportsfan on Dec 19, 2018 2:54:43 GMT -5
I think Illinois fans are really going to love Alyssa Eske as a player on the court or as a person Both! She's really good and plays with a lot of passion. I predict she's going to be a fan favorite. Alyssa EskeAlso, after watching some highlights of Madison Chi just now, it looks like she is an excellent passer (as is Eske).
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