49r Posted June 12, 2014 Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 Sounds like a Creighton lean right now: http://go4report.com/post-eybl-dinkytown-dirt-eybl-recap/ - I’m sensing Alex Illikainen is maybe leaning towards Creighton. He’s already taken several unofficial visits there. He loves the Gophers, too. It’s tough to say. It will come down to whether or not he likes a small campus like Creighton or a big one like the U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurDecay Posted June 12, 2014 Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 Sounds like a Creighton lean right now: http://go4report.com/post-eybl-dinkytown-dirt-eybl-recap/ - I’m sensing Alex Illikainen is maybe leaning towards Creighton. He’s already taken several unofficial visits there. He loves the Gophers, too. It’s tough to say. It will come down to whether or not he likes a small campus like Creighton or a big one like the U. Interesting comment farther down that page too: "Ed Morrow is hearing a lot from Nebraska and Minnesota. Ed grew up in Nebraska and around the Cornhuskers’ campus, and his parents were student-athletes there. Morrow likes the Gophers’ coaching staff and style of play. He watched the Gophers win the NIT. In my opinion, Ed is similar to Rodney Williams. He has athleticism oozing out of him. He’s not a back-to-the-basket guy and never will be, but I think he’s better suited for the 4 right now than the 3. He’s a defensive presence down low that blocks a lot of shots. On offense, Morrow scores a lot of points near the rim. He had five dunks against Wings Elite." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49r Posted June 13, 2014 Report Share Posted June 13, 2014 Visiting Creighton this weekend as well. Shocker. Not really. They take a shotgun approach to recruiting and offer pretty much anybody in the top 150 whether they have a legit shot at him or not, so chances are whoever we have in for a visit, they've already offered that person too. It makes sense that if a guy is coming to Lincoln to visit he might as well swing by Creighton while he's in the area. Gotta say it's worked pretty well for them so far, but one questions how well McDermott can get his random pieces to fit together. I like our approach better. It seems that Miles is more concerned about team chemistry than player rankings. Having all that said, I was surprised to see us get him in for a visit. Hopefully he'll come away happy with what he sees. Not that I'm a huge fan of quoting themselves, but I thought it was worth mentioning, this approach is reflected in Coach Harriman's interview posted in the Official Media thread: http://board.huskerhoopscentral.com/topic/2492-the-official-media-thread/?p=81661 AuroranHusker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49r Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Has anybody heard anything about how his visit went? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanigan123 Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Not a peep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred1212 Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Heading east for prep school. He must be looking for more offers. http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/sports/illikainen-headed-east-to-finish-career/article_4178d778-f660-11e3-a493-001a4bcf887a.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKamdyMan Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Heading east for prep school. He must be looking for more offers. http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/sports/illikainen-headed-east-to-finish-career/article_4178d778-f660-11e3-a493-001a4bcf887a.html I dont see it as more offers but better competition. He isn't going up against 4 star talent on a nightly basis in Grand Rapids like he would playing at Brewster. hhcmatt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanigan123 Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Don't get this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imnothipp Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Seems awful odd that he may have been a Creighton lean, yet Creighton takes Patton. I wonder if Creighton cooled on him? Creighton certainly was not in a desperate position at all. I think he would be a great get, but something is not adding up. Especially the fact he does not seem to want to do interviews. However, he has been busy switching high schools and I am sure that was a very difficult decision and has taken a lot of his energy. Timing of that seems a little weird too, coming off the 2 visits. I could be reading way too much into this. I guess we will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKamdyMan Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Don't get this... I dont know why its hard to get. There's hundreds of kids that transfer every year in high school basketball to improve their visibility or level of talent pool they play in. He will probably play against 50-60 kids in the next year in the Rivals 150 for the next couple classes. One thing to take into consideration in this transfer is the fact that Kenya Hunter is extremely close to the head coach at Brewster. This could very well be a great thing for NU. AuroranHusker, hhcmatt, throwback and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swan88 Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Don't get this... I dont know why its hard to get. There's hundreds of kids that transfer every year in high school basketball to improve their visibility or level of talent pool they play in. He will probably play against 50-60 kids in the next year in the Rivals 150 for the next couple classes. One thing to take into consideration in this transfer is the fact that Kenya Hunter is extremely close to the head coach at Brewster. This could very well be a great thing for NU. Thanks, Kamdy, for making the Kenya Hunter / Brewster connection. A most-interesting development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortDust Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Robin did confirm that he was here for the visit, but still unable to reach for an interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanigan123 Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 That still doesn't explain it, Kamdy. Unless he is chasing a certain offer. He has lots of good offers that are committable. He didn't commit and get placed. I only think it makes sense if he wants like a duke offer and they tell him they want to see him versus better competition. Had he committed to us, I could see he placement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt Lincoln Osiris Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 That still doesn't explain it, Kamdy. Unless he is chasing a certain offer. He has lots of good offers that are committable. He didn't commit and get placed. I only think it makes sense if he wants like a duke offer and they tell him they want to see him versus better competition. Had he committed to us, I could see he placement. Tarin Smith and Jacob Hammond both switched high schools. Hell, maybe a few schools told him they want to see him against better competition. Doesn't mean he is leaning a particular way or chasing anything specific. I see it as a good thing for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huskerpapa Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 There is no question he will see much better competition with this switch. It is also naive to ignore the probablility that he will be much more visible at the prep school. There also will be a greater focus on basketball. He has a basket full of good offers now. Yet, there is a chance he is also looking for that special offer that he may be dreaming of each night. So unless anyone has specifically asked him the question, or is in his inner circle, there are perhaps numerous reasons why he made this move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huskerpapa Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 These articles may provide a glimpse as to why Illikainen is transferring. http://friarbasketball.com/2014/06/19/alex-illikainen-brewster-means-pc/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alex-illikainen-brewster-means-pc Gopher Hole: Are you still open to new schools? Alex Illikainen: Absolutely. Absolutely. I am definitely not denying any schools because I want to make sure I pick the right school at the end of the day. http://www.chatsports.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/a/QA-Alex-Illikainen-Talks-Recruiting-Plans-on-Playing-Small-Forward-in-College-2-9987260 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanigan123 Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I think he is waiting for a specific offer. I could see Nebraska placing him if he committed and didn't want to take all the flak and pressure from minny fans and coaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49r Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Q&A: Alex Illikainen Says He Loves Minnesota, Leaving for Prep School Doesn't Hurt Gophers Chances http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boards/showthread.php?54611-Q-amp-A-Illikainen-Says-He-Loves-Minnesota-Prep-School-Doesn-t-Hurt-Gophers-Chances Gopher Hole: Any new offers?Alex Illikainen: No new offers.Gopher Hole: You decided that you are going to transfer since the last time I interviewed you. How tough of a decision was that?Alex Illikainen: It was tough just because you are leaving your hometown. Somewhere where you grew up your whole life with friends and family that were there, but on the basketball note, just looking at my future, my future in basketball. I feel that it was the best decision for me. I am playing the best competition. I am playing with great guys who have that same goal. That same work ethic. I am definitely excited for it and I don't regret my decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huskerpapa Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Sounds as if we are no longer on his "list" 2015 PF ALEX ILLIKAINEN BREAKS DOWN HIS FINAL FOUR Evan Flood — Contributing Editor - NY2LASPORTS.COM Email NY2LASPORTS.COM Grand Rapids (Minn.) Brewster Academy Power Forward Alex Illikainen is getting closer to a decision. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound senior is down to Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, and Wisconsin and only has three of his allotted five official visits remaining... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49r Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Sounds as if we are no longer on his "list" 2015 PF ALEX ILLIKAINEN BREAKS DOWN HIS FINAL FOUR Evan Flood — Contributing Editor - NY2LASPORTS.COM Email NY2LASPORTS.COM Grand Rapids (Minn.) Brewster Academy Power Forward Alex Illikainen is getting closer to a decision. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound senior is down to Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, and Wisconsin and only has three of his allotted five official visits remaining... hhcmatt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc1394 Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Shoot. Really liked this guy. Rebounding numbers were really, really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Peterson Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Here's a very recent highlight vid (March 30, 2013) of Illikainen at a showcase tourney of some sort. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unLfkJ_zmRE He has nice touch around the bucket but it looks like he has positively no ups at all. He's 6'9". A couple of those inside lobs should have resulted in thunder dunks. But he gathers himself and jumps and lays it up rather than pounding it home. Who was the kid a few weeks ago we were talking about wondering if he'd decommit from one of those off-brand Florida schools after their coach got fired? Now, that kid had impressive video for a 6'9" dude. Or that Alec Brennan kid from the 2014 class. He has good film. This highlight video, at least, was just sort of meh. But, coaches, get the hell on that Alec Brennan kid. He's considering offers from ISU and Kansas State on top of Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue, Northwestern, Temple, Seton Hall and some others. One of those should be Nebraska! Well, so that no one accuses me of sour grapes, let me just say I'd always kinda hoped for ... different. Which the above post from April 2013 shows. He doesn't overwhelm you athletically. (And with a highlight vid, you'd think he'd show off the most athletic side of him he possibly could.) Good skills, yeah, but nothing that says wow. I'd like to get an athlete like D'Jery Baptiste and turn him into a glass-cleaning rim protector. Honestly, was just never that in to Illikainen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKamdyMan Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Here's a very recent highlight vid (March 30, 2013) of Illikainen at a showcase tourney of some sort. He has nice touch around the bucket but it looks like he has positively no ups at all. He's 6'9". A couple of those inside lobs should have resulted in thunder dunks. But he gathers himself and jumps and lays it up rather than pounding it home. Who was the kid a few weeks ago we were talking about wondering if he'd decommit from one of those off-brand Florida schools after their coach got fired? Now, that kid had impressive video for a 6'9" dude. Or that Alec Brennan kid from the 2014 class. He has good film. This highlight video, at least, was just sort of meh. But, coaches, get the hell on that Alec Brennan kid. He's considering offers from ISU and Kansas State on top of Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue, Northwestern, Temple, Seton Hall and some others. One of those should be Nebraska! Well, so that no one accuses me of sour grapes, let me just say I'd always kinda hoped for ... different. Which the above post from April 2013 shows. He doesn't overwhelm you athletically. (And with a highlight vid, you'd think he'd show off the most athletic side of him he possibly could.) Good skills, yeah, but nothing that says wow. I'd like to get an athlete like D'Jery Baptiste and turn him into a glass-cleaning rim protector. Honestly, was just never that in to Illikainen. Looking at your original post Brennan ended up at Princeton. I completely forgot about that guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Peterson Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Sounds like a Creighton lean right now: http://go4report.com/post-eybl-dinkytown-dirt-eybl-recap/ - I’m sensing Alex Illikainen is maybe leaning towards Creighton. He’s already taken several unofficial visits there. He loves the Gophers, too. It’s tough to say. It will come down to whether or not he likes a small campus like Creighton or a big one like the U. Nope, apparently not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Peterson Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Good update, Kamdy. Brennan had better basketball options but apparently took academics as his top priority. But the Illikainen video is above. Here's the Brennan video below. And I realize that coaches have a lot more info and get to evaluate in person over a longer period of time (entire games rather than highlight videos with snippets of a kid's best plays.) But look at the Brennan video below compared with the Illikainen video above, and someone please tell me what Illikainen has that Brennan lacked? From what I can see, if I was picking teams for open gym, I'd take the kid who went to Princeton. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqUZeldh84Y Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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