[SuperJon]

Remember, Manson is the one that thinks none of these freshmen will ever be contributors on our team if we're going to be good.

[jcmanson]

Remember, Manson is the one that thinks none of these freshmen will ever be contributors on our team if we're going to be good.

[flamesbball84]

Remember, Manson is the one that thinks none of these freshmen will ever be contributors on our team if we're going to be good.

If none of these freshmen are going to be contributors on a good team, then Legion isn't going to be much of a help. If he can't even put up numbers in garbage time against bad teams, he isn't going to be good enough to be a major contributor on a low to mid major D1 team, much less carry a team on his back.

[jcmanson]

Remember, Manson is the one that thinks none of these freshmen will ever be contributors on our team if we're going to be good.

If none of these freshmen are going to be contributors on a good team, then Legion isn't going to be much of a help. If he can't even put up numbers in garbage time against bad teams, he isn't going to be good enough to be a major contributor on a low to mid major D1 team, much less carry a team on his back.

I never said he'd be our savior. I said he couldn't hurt us and he wouldn't.

[flamesbball84]

Remember, Manson is the one that thinks none of these freshmen will ever be contributors on our team if we're going to be good.

If none of these freshmen are going to be contributors on a good team, then Legion isn't going to be much of a help. If he can't even put up numbers in garbage time against bad teams, he isn't going to be good enough to be a major contributor on a low to mid major D1 team, much less carry a team on his back.

I never said he'd be our savior. I said he couldn't hurt us and he wouldn't.

So now you are bringing down your standards simply to the point "he won't hurt us"? Whatever happened to bringing in players who are most definitely going to HELP? Anyone who thinks adding players because "they won't" the team is a man who has no business being a college head basketball coach. If a coach settles for players that "won't hurt" the team rather than putting in the hard work to get players he thinks will help the team is a man I never want to be coaching my favorite team.

Everything Legion struggles with LU struggles with - shooting, defense (not all the time with LU, but they have against mostly all of their quality opponents), and turnovers. Why add another person to the mix who continues to do the things that are losing games now? That's a waste of a scholarship and will not help the future of the team whatsoever, not unless he shows an earth shattering amount of improvement.

[lusparky]

I seriously don't see Legion coming to LU and I don't know who would. I was at UK when he played there and he couldn't handle Gillespie, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt but when he couldn't handle Webber in Illinois, it's not the coach, it's the guy. I don't think there are many teams that are going to stand in line for Legion.

[flamesbball84]

I seriously don't see Legion coming to LU and I don't know who would. I was at UK when he played there and he couldn't handle Gillespie, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt but when he couldn't handle Webber in Illinois, it's not the coach, it's the guy. I don't think there are many teams that are going to stand in line for Legion.

Exactly. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go D2 - a lot of D1 programs aren't going to want to deal with him and he will have to get a special waiver just to be able to transfer to another D1 to begin with. If he goes D2, he can play right away. I'm sure his mother will have a vision from God or some nonsense and his mother will tell him which school to go to amongst the ones that are interested.

[ballah09]

funny reading the UILL boards they have different opinions of him

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=169&f=2616&t=5365411

As an Illini fan I want to thank Alex for all the effort he put in as an Illini and to wish him the best in all his future plans. Things didn't work out the way we all wish they could have, but all reports that I have seen were that Alex was a dedicated, hardworking player and a good teammate.

[flamesbball84]

Of course, you can go on that board and find people who say the polar opposite too, so what's your point?

Unfortunately, Legion has shown little ability to compete at this level. Praying that he goes off soon is just that...praying. There is nothing to suggest he'll come around anytime soon. I feel bad for the guy.. but I've seen no signals he will get his game anytime soon. Hate to say it, and it seems cruel, but I think he about run out of opportunities to show his stuff.

I think Weber has the right starting five. Sure, there are some issues but not enough to change up the starting five. If Legion had shown ANY sign of being a player for us, I'd maybe see this as a possibility. But, even in the chump games so far, Alex simply has not played well - and that's unfortunate for us and him.

If Legion had proven on the court that he has the tenacity and toughness that this team lacks, I would agree, then play him..... but he hasn't shown that either. No scoring, no ballhandling, no intensity...... I don't see an upside with playing him. At least with the freshmen, you can the benefit of experience..... which will only help us in the future, not hurt us.

Fact of the matter is, his performance on offense hasn't been near as good, and his defense isn't any better. It's a no-brainer. Play the freshmen.

Start Legion and it shows we've given up on the season.

I mean there is no aspect of legion's game that belongs on the court outside of a low level mid major, if you dont thinks so then you are blind or havent watched much basketball.

Starting a player who has done next to nothing in his playing time to date except shoot almost every time he gets the ball and misses most of them, etc., does not make a lot of sense.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=169&f=2616&t=5347042&p=2

Legion was overrated and could only look for his shot... nothing else.

I don't have any ill feelings toward Alex. Just frustration about the inability to translate those glowing reports from practice into anything useful during games. Part of that is Alex not being a consistent shooter and part is Alex not excelling in any other part of the game and finding a niche.

Possibly the most overhyped player in Illinois history.

Mr. Legion was giving more than adequate opportunities to earn starting minutes - especially this year. He had all summer, and the benefit of all of last year, in order to learn the defensive rotations and the intricacises of the motion offense. He was never able to put it all together. I don't know if his confidence is that fragile, or if he isn't able to focus on the non-scoring parts of the game, or if he just doesn't have those skills. But, he can't complain about lack of opportunity.

Legion didn't play because every time Weber put him in, he was a possession killer -- either through turnovers, bad shots, etc. For whatever reason, Legion just never found his shot.

I wish him the best, but he is going to have to learn more than just how to shoot the ball.

His inability to generate much offense was troubling last year but it seemed during the summer he turned the corner but in game situations he'd underachieve again and was never very good on defense and couldn't find his stroke.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=169&f=2616&t=5363208&p=8

It is in some ways mystifying. He often rattled off long streaks from the arc in practice but never was able to carry that pure-shooting skill into games. When he "smelled the popcorn," he choked on the salt. He never seemed to play loose and relaxed. He rushed shots, perhaps because he lacked the mobility and ball-handling skills to free himself and perhaps because he felt immediate offense was the only way he could impress the coaches. He constantly was reminded of his defensive shortcomings.

http://www.illinihq.com/news/mens_baske ... _transfer/

[ballah09]

um, majority of their fans and his team said the exact opposite of what your saying.


but i'll ignore them and take your word, d2 player w/ bad attitude, lazy w/ no dedication

[lusparky]

The majority of Texas Tech's fans think Leach is a good guy too, so you can't always believe the fans.

[ballah09]

ok ignore all the reports of everything disclaiming what your saying

"We're going to miss him," center Mike Tisdale said. "He worked his butt off in the summer, and he just kind of got in a slump and it didn't work out for him, and I wish him well."

Lies

[flamesbball84]

um, majority of their fans and his team said the exact opposite of what your saying.


but i'll ignore them and take your word, d2 player w/ bad attitude, lazy w/ no dedication

Do you honestly expect his teammates, who I assume at least some if not all are his friends, to bash the guy to the media? Please tell me you aren't really that blind of how players work the media...

As far as fans go, you obviously didn't look very hard on the Illinois scout board.

[ballah09]

so you know him personally?

[flamesbball84]

ok ignore all the reports of everything disclaiming what your saying

"We're going to miss him," center Mike Tisdale said. "He worked his butt off in the summer, and he just kind of got in a slump and it didn't work out for him, and I wish him well."

Lies

Do you really expect him to go to the media and say stuff like he was a cancer, lack of talent, bad attitude, etc.? No former teammate and possible friend would do that unless they were a classless ahole. I can't believe you are this blind to how college players are instructed to talk to the media.

[ballah09]

im done

it's so obvious you hate the kid.

[ToTheLeft]

The "foe" feature on the board. Live it, love it, use it. I haven't read a shuk post for months now. It's incredible.

[flamesbball84]

im done

it's so obvious you hate the kid.

It's not hate. The kid is just not a quality D1 player. He's been given chance after chance after chance to prove he can play in D1 and he has consistently failed to produce when given the opportunity. That's not an opinion, that's not hate, that's fact.

[Rocketfan]

The "foe" feature on the board. Live it, love it, use it. I haven't read a shuk post for months now. It's incredible.

+1

[flamesbball84]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/good ... fiu-123109

Going to FIU. Unless he gets a special exemption he'll only be able to play for one semester since he used up his red shirt year when he transferred to Illinois.