SLUDrew Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 The good news: According to a Rivals article dated yesterday we are in his final four along with Ill, Butler, and Tennessee, and he is looking for an opportunity to play right away. It would seem that if playing time becomes his top priority we would shoot to the top of his list The bad news : This is a quote he gave which was part of a Rivals article from yesterday: "I like Tennessee, the coaches seem cool and they play my style of ball," Alexander said. "I like to play in a fast system, and pressing suits my style." I am not worried so much that he likes Tennessee but that he likes a fast system in which a team presses. Soderberg has apparently never heard of a press. On a related note, you regularly read about kids who want to play up-tempo, but you never read about a kid who can't wait to get to the next level and play a motion offense and pack D. Should that be an indicator to anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 I'm more concerned about those three competitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basketbill Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 he says minutes will be a significant factor in his decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACE Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 I think if we added an athletic front court player, we would have the players to press more and play more uptempo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Pressing more does not equate in better basketball. The key is how your team plays together against the other team both defensively and offensively. The motion offense does not preclude an uptempo game. If you are running there is no need to go to your motion offense in the half court game. The key here is can we rebound so the quick outlet pass can be made - that will make us a more uptempo style. We have to be able to control the boards without our guards having to do all the rebounding also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westy03 Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Guess we will find out how good of a recruiter Brad is. This is the position that needs to be filled the most and from the sound of it he would be a perfect fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUDrew Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 I was not saying that from a basketball theory standpoint that pressing is inherently superior to not pressing. My point was that 90% of the top flight players want to get out and run. Though promised by Brad early on, we have been much close to Princeton than to anything resembling an up-tempo attack during his tenure. You can say it is due to lack of depth, and I would say then don't recruit players (like Knollmeyer and Maguire) that you have no intention of playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidlee Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 If you go to the Illini message board, they think this guy is their's. Time will tell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westy03 Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Well if he wants to go to an up-tempo stlye of play UofI isnt the place to go. Their games are brutally slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 that breaks Weber's back at Illinois...... Not that I hate BW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 >Well if he wants to go to an up-tempo stlye of play UofI >isnt the place to go. Their games are brutally slow. That wasnt the case when he had Brown, Williams and head. Weber gameplans around his players strengths not just running a base offense or defense like the pack. Its called knowing your personnel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westy03 Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Since Weber got there he has recruited players that defend and run the MOTION offense. The players you mentioned were Bill Self recruits. Weber is well know throughout the basketball ranks to use that motion offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 That doesnt make anything I said wrong. I said he coaches to the strengths of his players. Yes, those guys werent his recruits, but he ran a system different than the current one to play to their strengths. You're actually proving my point while trying to correct me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 no one actually has to say anything to make what you say wrong. It's usually self-evident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westy03 Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 My point is when Weber has the chance to recruit his own players, like Alexander, he has the tendancy to force them to play a slow motion offense type game. He did this at SIUC when he had his recruits and is doing the same thing at U of I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Drew - clearly you have not seen Princeton style bb. If you had you would never say that what the Bills run is a Princeton style. Princeton plays much much slower than we - just look at the scores Princeton games end up and we consistently score more than they do. My point was that what a kid thinks is uptempo might simply be helter skelter playground ball which most coaches would never play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUDrew Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 I have seen plenty of Princeton games and I didn't say we play a Princeton style offense. My point was that 5 years after claiming that his preferred style is up-tempo SLU is nowhere near an up-tempo team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidlee Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Rodney's trip to Tennessee was cancelled. One comment on this board stated the Illini could use Rodney so he can play 12-16 minutes per game for them next year. I wonder if Rodney hopes he only gets 12-16 mpg? WARNING: This information came from a message board so one does not know how accurate it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUDrew Posted April 13, 2007 Author Share Posted April 13, 2007 One less BCS program to deal with. If that is true then we have Butler with a new coach and Illinois where he might not get all the minutes that he would here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 The virtues of patience can appear anytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moytoy12 Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 From the Illinois message board (posted 4.12.2007 at 5:57 p.m.): "By this time next week, Illinois might have filled its last available scholarship. Six-foot-7, 225-pound Rodney Alexander, the leading scorer on the nation’s No. 2 junior-college team, told Sturdy he plans to choose between Illinois, Tennessee and Saint Louis on Tuesday or Wednesday. Alexander averaged 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for Redlands (Okla.) Community College, which finished 30-2 and ranked No. 2 in the final NJCAA regular-season poll. The Benton Harbor, Mich., native shot 59 percent from the field, 76 percent from the line and 35 percent from 3-point range. “He’ll remind a lot of people of Roger Powell,†Sturdy said. “He’s obviously not as physically imposing as Roger was at the end of his career, but he can score inside and out. He can take guys off the dribble.†Per Daily Herald. Family is from Illinois Father went to ISU... That should play a factor int he young man choosing Illinois of UT.. It's closer to friends and family... Hopefully that plays a huge role.." Edit: Here's the link to the story: http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/story.asp?id=300746 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westy03 Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Since he cancelled his trip to UT, it sounds like Soderberg and Weber are going to be battling for this kid. Lets see what Brad can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 It would lead me to believe that it is now between the Illini and the Bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 We've been on this kid for a long time. Hopefully that means something. The starting 4 position is basically his to lose at this point. This would be a great get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 It was said that he was ready to commit to SLU months ago and then his uncle got involved. Maybe he will decide he made the right choice then. He would make this class a lot better by himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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