All Things Alex Illikainen Recruitment Thread: UPDATED 11/12/18: Illikainen leaves UW

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Not saying this will be the case but I think AI is more likely to miss MN than say someone like Vaughn. So it could help.

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die hard gopher said:
And Kyle Washington and Mitch McGary.
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I wonder what kind of a student Illk is? Quite often these guys go to prep schools not just for the basketball. A lot of these prep schools also serve as "get well" (academically) destinations.

I don't know who Kyle Washington is, and have no idea what kind of student Illk is, but it's pretty well known McGary struggled academically in HS and @ Michigan, and Brewster was a soft landing spot for him.
 


SelectionSunday said:
I wonder what kind of a student Illk is? Quite often these guys go to prep schools not just for the basketball. A lot of these prep schools also serve as "get well" (academically) destinations.

I don't know who Kyle Washington is, and have no idea what kind of student Illk is, but it's pretty well known McGary struggled academically in HS and @ Michigan, and Brewster was a soft landing spot for him.
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You don't know who Kyle Washington is? I understand you're live in Illinois but he was the only top 100 Minnesotan in the 2013 rankings. Played for Benilde before transferring and committed to NC State.
 


die hard gopher said:
You don't know who Kyle Washington is? I understand you're live in Illinois but he was the only top 100 Minnesotan in the 2013 rankings. Played for Benilde before transferring and committed to NC State.
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Had heard the name before, but that's about it. If he's at NC State he must be a good player. I don't follow HS hoops enough to know any names other than the really big ones.
 

BarnBoy said:
Every Top150 recruit thinks he is going to make it to the NBA. That's what this is all about. So Alex or Vaughn or X or Y or Z transfers to a basketball farm their senior year and gets marginally better. Compare that to finishing out your senior year, cementing your legend, breaking every record in the books, setting the stage for life after basketball. You've already got the offers.

I wish kids could see that talent gets found and it MIGHT be more rewarding to play for the hometown team. If a kid wants to get away, can't see anything wrong with that. But for Top150 talent to transfer away just because they think the grass will be greener...

Unfortunately, I don't think any recruits give a damn about their in-state legacy, which sucks donkey balls. Knowing what I know now about life, etc, I would milk that local legend thing for all it's worth. I would love to be a Top150 and play for the Gophers. But we are old men and women that see the bigger picture.

Can't blame any of them. And it's very easy for us to judge.
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Alex may indeed have NBA aspirations (whether they be realistic or not), but for most of these kids and their parents the more immediate goal is the D1 scholarship, and transferring to play better competition to improve for D1 play is now all in the game. It's why there's been the proliferation of AAU, travel baseball, soccer academies and big time football camps that draw kids from all over the country that didn't exist 15-20 years ago; the draw of the scholarship is driving kids to do things (like transferring from their hometown schools and leaving their legacies unfinished to major in basketball at prep school factories) they would never have dreamed of even a decade ago.
 

Disheartening to hear the news on this. I always figured he was the most likely Gopher out of the 'big' name guys. Doesn't seem too likely now....
 

BarnBoy said:
Every Top150 recruit thinks he is going to make it to the NBA. That's what this is all about. So Alex or Vaughn or X or Y or Z transfers to a basketball farm their senior year and gets marginally better. Compare that to finishing out your senior year, cementing your legend, breaking every record in the books, setting the stage for life after basketball. You've already got the offers.

I wish kids could see that talent gets found and it MIGHT be more rewarding to play for the hometown team. If a kid wants to get away, can't see anything wrong with that. But for Top150 talent to transfer away just because they think the grass will be greener...


Unfortunately, I don't think any recruits give a damn about their in-state legacy, which sucks donkey balls. Knowing what I know now about life, etc, I would milk that local legend thing for all it's worth. I would love to be a Top150 and play for the Gophers. But we are old men and women that see the bigger picture.

Can't blame any of them. And it's very easy for us to judge.
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Well Stated!
 




This may sound harsh, but every time one of these kids "transfers," they might as well take out an ad in the home town paper stating "I'm more important than the team." The glorification of the individual - which I believe is a natural outgrowth of the AAU movement, where the focus is on the individual, not the team. Pad your stats, get the scholarship.

I know of a player in SW MN who started at one school; "transferred" to another school when his parents "moved," and then "transferred" back to his original school when his parents "moved" again.

I would have much more respect for a player who stayed at his original school and played out his career with the kids he grew up with. If you're good, you'll get the scholarship.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
This may sound harsh, but every time one of these kids "transfers," they might as well take out an ad in the home town paper stating "I'm more important than the team." The glorification of the individual - which I believe is a natural outgrowth of the AAU movement, where the focus is on the individual, not the team. Pad your stats, get the scholarship.

I know of a player in SW MN who started at one school; "transferred" to another school when his parents "moved," and then "transferred" back to his original school when his parents "moved" again.

I would have much more respect for a player who stayed at his original school and played out his career with the kids he grew up with. If you're good, you'll get the scholarship.
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I'm sure Alex will be up at night sad that he lost your respect. Seriously though, Alex doesn't owe Grand Rapids anything. He gave them three good years. I'm sure Alex has NBA aspirations and his choices now can greatly affect that dream. How can you blame a kid for wanting to improve as a player by going up against tougher competition? You'll be glad he chose Brewster if he ends up coming back here and playing college ball anyways.
 

DeathClutch said:
I'm sure Alex will be up at night sad that he lost your respect. Seriously though, Alex doesn't owe Grand Rapids anything. He gave them three good years. I'm sure Alex has NBA aspirations and his choices now can greatly affect that dream. How can you blame a kid for wanting to improve as a player by going up against tougher competition? You'll be glad he chose Brewster if he ends up coming back here and playing college ball anyways.
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+1
 




Pretty positive interview. Hope he ends up playing SF for the Gophers!
 


I don't think it was meant that he'd be a SF in college. I took it as he wouldn't be the tallest guy on the floor anymore so he'd have to find ways to develop his game to become more of a stretch 4.
 

silky said:
I don't think it was meant that he'd be a SF in college. I took it as he wouldn't be the tallest guy on the floor anymore so he'd have to find ways to develop his game to become more of a stretch 4.
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"Alex Illikainen: I am going to be small (forward) in college. I have got to be able to shoot. I have got to be able to drive and defend."

I'm pretty sure he meant he'd be a SF in college.
 

WindyCityGopher said:
"Alex Illikainen: I am going to be small (forward) in college. I have got to be able to shoot. I have got to be able to drive and defend."

I'm pretty sure he meant he'd be a SF in college.
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I think you are right, I think playing for Pulley really opened his eyes to what the competition will be, he isn't going to play PF in the pro's and probably figures that if he has a chance it will be at SF.
 

jovs said:
I think you are right, I think playing for Pulley really opened his eyes to what the competition will be, he isn't going to play PF in the pro's and probably figures that if he has a chance it will be at SF.
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He's a long shot to play pro basketball in America. As for college, he has plenty of size to be a PF. Not enough athleticism to play the 3.
 

I think Alex can be a productive player at the high major level, but I do not see him as a SF. As others have mentioned, he's probably not mobile enough to regularly defend true perimeter players, and I don't think he's skilled enough with the ball on the away from the bucket. His shot looks really nice at this point, which I think would make him a good face-up 4, but I just don't see that translating to being a 3 at the next level. I wonder if that's what he wants to do, or if it's what some of the coaches are telling him he would be?
 



silky said:
I don't think it was meant that he'd be a SF in college. I took it as he wouldn't be the tallest guy on the floor anymore so he'd have to find ways to develop his game to become more of a stretch 4.
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I kind of thought the same thing. The fact that "forward" was in parenthesis makes me think Chris Monter thought that's what Alex implied, but I'm not so sure that's what Alex meant. I would be interested to hear from Chris on this quote. I definitely think Alex is best suited as a stretch 4 in college.
 

comparisons

GophersOnTheRise said:
He's definitely a stretch 4. Being a good shooter doesn't make you a 3.
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Anyone that has seen him play mutlitple times. How does he compare to say Rick Rickert a 6-10" face up 4 who could shoot ball, handle, but needed a lot of strength?
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Minnesota's Alex Illikainen (2015) showing range from 3. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NBPATop100Camp&src=hash">#NBPATop100Camp</a></p>— Top 100 Camp (@Top100Camp) <a href="https://twitter.com/Top100Camp/statuses/479777635246301184">June 20, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Go Gophers!!
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
He's definitely a stretch 4. Being a good shooter doesn't make you a 3.
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Szczerbiak wasn't all that athletic and he played SG. Their's room for shooters, may not be a star but there is always a need, not that he is at Szczerbiaks level, but he isn't bad, if he gets open he is pretty deadly.
 

jovs said:
Szczerbiak wasn't all that athletic and he played SG. Their's room for shooters, may not be a star but there is always a need, not that he is at Szczerbiaks level, but he isn't bad, if he gets open he is pretty deadly.
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I'm confused. Did you think I was questioning his shooting or overall ability? I think he is a good shooter and player. He'd fit in well here at the 4.
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
I'm confused. Did you think I was questioning his shooting or overall ability? I think he is a good shooter and player. He'd fit in well here at the 4.
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No I agree with most of what has been posted, I think his skill set matches that of a college 4 pretty closely, but it seems to me he has NBA aspirations, what kid doesn't, based on going to a prep school to concentrate on basketball indicates to me that he is taking that seriously, watching him in the EYBL he really looked over matched physically in the post, he has great moves, is physical etc. but at the NBA level I just don't see him at the 4, focusing on his perimeter game would better prepare him for that, at Grand Rapids he plays the post, at Brewster he will probably focus on the perimeter more.
 

march madness said:
Anyone that has seen him play mutlitple times. How does he compare to say Rick Rickert a 6-10" face up 4 who could shoot ball, handle, but needed a lot of strength?
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Ive seen him a few times. Much stronger and more physical than Rickert. I would say slight shooting and edge to Rickert, but Illikainen does have a very nice stroke from outside. I think stretch 4 is his spot though probably not quick enough to guard the slashing SF.
 

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