Leatherneck Nation

Mark Smith, Illinois Mr. Basketball, who was kinda good at the beginning of the season for University of Illinois, then played tentatively and, frankly, like crap, is leaving after one year. Came from the same school as our guy, Covington at WIU, I think...Edwardsville. Our guy was better. So, I don't think it's a big talent loss, but kinda makes Illini look bad...again.
And in checking the leading scorers in the nation, you will notice that Kendrick Nunn, ex-Illini and now a senior at Oakland, is Number 2 in the nation in scoring at 26.2 points per game, right behind Trae Young.
The hell...Oakland? They were in the Summit just a few seasons back. Why can't WIU get someone like Nunn...even for one year?
Oh well, at least Loyola represents the state in the NCAA.
I think Western is the only D1 hoops program in Illinois to never make the dance.

Rocky Swishterson wrote: ↑Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:54 am Mark Smith, Illinois Mr. Basketball, who was kinda good at the beginning of the season for University of Illinois, then played tentatively and, frankly, like crap, is leaving after one year. Came from the same school as our guy, Covington at WIU, I think...Edwardsville. Our guy was better. So, I don't think it's a big talent loss, but kinda makes Illini look bad...again.
And in checking the leading scorers in the nation, you will notice that Kendrick Nunn, ex-Illini and now a senior at Oakland, is Number 2 in the nation in scoring at 26.2 points per game, right behind Trae Young.
The hell...Oakland? They were in the Summit just a few seasons back. Why can't WIU get someone like Nunn...even for one year?
Oh well, at least Loyola represents the state in the NCAA.
I think Western is the only D1 hoops program in Illinois to never make the dance.

Pretty sure SIUE has never made the dance Oakland always has someone who is pretty far up in the scoring column just part of the system usually the nation's leading scorer's are part of mid major programs last year the kid from central michigan was I believe the leading scorer.

You are right about SIUE, but they've only been a D1 mens hoops program for about a decade. And you are right, too, about the mid-major big scorer. But someone like Nunn...I mean, he's just sitting there.
But good points.

Rocky Swishterson wrote: ↑Wed Mar 07, 2018 7:29 am You are right about SIUE, but they've only been a D1 mens hoops program for about a decade. And you are right, too, about the mid-major big scorer. But someone like Nunn...I mean, he's just sitting there.
But good points.

Yeah in the 8 yrs I've been around I don't think they've had a D1 transfer I wonder if it's something Billy and them just don't do where would the girls program be had they not gotten Braun and Blumer.

26 ppg is great from Kendrick Nunn; and if you look at his production at Illinois, it was pretty darn good there too. But there was that whole domestic abuse problem with Nunn at Illinois that sealed his fate in C-U. I know we have different university BOTs, but I'm not sure that would have looked very good having Nunn get booted from one State school just to land at another. I'm happy it appears Kendrick has done well with his second chance and I think a little distance did him well.

As for Mark Smith, completely different story. It doesn't look good for U of I any way you cut it. But, Mark Smith could still be an upper level Power 5 guy. The physical tools are there. He just never got comfortable in Underwood's pressure defensive system. Picked up fouls too quickly and never allowed him to get into an offensive flow. But, I'd be surprised if he didn't land at a Power 5 school. I think Missouri would take him just from a recruiting STL perspective.

Lastly, I don't think the "we got Covington here, we should get Smith here" holds any real weight. Completely different pedigree of player at this point still. We will see though, maybe in 3-4 years we'll realize they are the same type of player / talent.