I think we understand that Weber is likely to lose his job shortly. I don't need to see any reason to revel in it.

I think Reggie Theus is exactly the kind man that should be interviewed for the job. I think Lorenzo Romar and Johnny Dawkins should be considered as well. You need somebody that has credibility with these big time recruits. These kids dream about playing in the NBA. We need someone that can sell these kids on going to the U of I to prepare for that dream. For all the great things Bruce brought to the table he couldn't get the players he needed to compete.

Do you mean our squad that can't shoot particularly well, knows how to pass, or dribble the ball ? ? :confused:

I would assume there aren't many for a couple of reasons. The first being if they play for any length of time, they have lost a large amount of time to learn the business. So their "competition" has been learning their craft while the NBA is cashing hi paychecks. There are also a lot of things at the college level beyond basketball and they would have no experience with that.

Secondly, I think great players are generally less prepared because they haven't really absorbed other parts of the game. Just looking at Jerrance Howard, I see a guy that learned early that the NBA was not his future and even playing much in college was becoming less likely, so he sat and learned. He learned all the crap that you have to deal with. He scouted games. He developed game plans. He recruited guys. He's done the grunt work that guys in the NBA couldn't have done even if they wanted to. I also think it is tough for former players to dial back their egos and expectations to do the things necessary at the college level.

I like it! :thumb:

Yeah, not all the NBA coaches get the talent that Phil Jackson had to work with. Not giving Reggie a pass because I have no idea how good of a coach he is, but as someone pointed out that Pitino and Cal both did poorly in the NBA, although there may be other factors contributing to their success at the college level. :gossip:

In the NBA they lose their competitive advantage. Their opponents are getting paid too! :laugh:

A case could be made for Romar, but Johnny Dawkins?:confused: Credibility with big time recruits? In four seasons at Stanford, he has never finished higher than 7th in a weak conference and has yet to make the NCAA tournament. He is 30-42 in conference play. He has recruited a total of 3 RSCI top-100 players, the highest ranked player at No. 38. Sorry, I don't see it.

For context, Mike Montgomery made it to the NCAA tournament his last 10 years at Stanford, making it to at least the 2nd round every year in that stretch, and having years with a Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet 16 finish. Montgomery's replacement at Stanford, Trent Johnson, made it to the NCAA tournament 3 out of his 4 years at Stanford, including a sweet 16 finish his last year.

I don't get the Romar and Robinson love. The Pac10 is abysmal. I just looked at WA's record and maybe I missed something, but they are 22-10 and I don't see a single win of consequence on their record this year, and they just won the Pac10 regular season. I thought maybe their 2 wins over AZ were significant, but then I drilled down on AZ's record and the best team they played was Gonzaga and they got spanked. Wasn't Sean Miller at AZ supposed to have uber-talent at AZ, like 4 top 10 kids, or is that next year?

Theus just doesn't seem right to me, and if WWW is involved, NADA! But the O&B fur was a thing of beauty...

So, it seems to me the best options out there for us (in no order) are SS, the Marquette guy, Stevens, maybe Johnny Dawkins, Mark Few (haven't really seen anyone mention him; maybe he's too old now!). If we hired the Marquette guy, we'd have the added bonus of reducing Marquette's recruiting success in the region, while improving our own.

Grant's record doesn't do much for me, so he's off my list.

I don't know how it would/could happen, but I think it would be great to have Deon Thomas as an AC for bigs.

I just hope we get the best guy for the job, not the best black guy.

Maybe we could bring the Chief in to coach hoops for a while?!

Stevens isn't leaving Butler and has given no indications that he will leave. Maybe if Duke or North Carolina comes calling.

Jeremy Werner on Yahoo Sports Radio

Per Jeremy Werner

Bruce Notes:
*Bruce Weber is gone, said "yeah" when asked if it was a foregone conclusion that Weber was gone.
*How quick will it happen? Expecting it to happen tomorrow. Doesn't see why they would let him coach in the NIT, prolonged purgatory. Maybe over the weekend.
*Thinks Bruce might have been too honest.
*Was in tears in the locker room after the game
*Doesn't know if Bruce wants to take the "ego hit" of going back to SIU

Team Notes:
*Illinois is one of the worst passing teams in the country
*Brandon Paul has tried to replicate 43 point game ever since the Ohio St. game
*What everyone else is saying about Leonard. Not enough touches, probably was going to go pro regardless of Weber status.

Interesting listen, only about 11 minutes.

and how likely is it that Duke or UNC job will be open in oh say next 10-15 years?

Well, Coach K and Roy Williams are both pretty old.

Yep. K is 65 and has had his share of health problems, Roy Williams is 63. It wouldn't be a shock if both jobs came up within 5 years or so.

I think it is unlikely that UNC or Duke go "out of the family" for their next Coach. UNC has a great family to chooose from, and Coach K will view it as part of his legacy. Also think it is unlikely that Stevens leaves the midwest at least as long as his kids are in school, and they are young. I don't want to claim "inside information" but I know people that know him. He is a midwesterner through and through, knows himself better than most people do, and is comfortable in his own skin. If we would get him we would have him for decades, he would win the right way and make the university proud. In twenty years our program would look like Duke now.
We are the best job close to Z-ville Indiana that is likely to be open while his kids are in school. We are a great academic school where he can recruit the kind of kids he wants to win with. I think he would listen to a pitch.

Re: Stevens, it's worth entertaining the possibility (dare I say likelihood) that his star will never be brighter than it is right now. 5 years is a long time, he could easily hit a rough patch, string together a few average teams and see his up and comer status scooped by the new hotness of the day.

Like Kate Upton has upstaged,, aaaahh, what's her name?

Stevens could be the next Bill $elfless.

Hence me saying "it does not matter what we post", but thanks for reiterating my point mr. cool.

My post was in response to someone asking "why are you all leaving out Brad Stevens?"

I answered his question.

1.) Because it doesn't look like we are going to go seriously go after him. (I'm sure MT will at least make a call. That wouldn't hurt anything).

2.) Even if we were to really go after him, it appears as though he would decline.

Therefore, there is no point in listing his name down a hundred times on here, even though we would all like to have him. The likelihood of him coming is not good.

And you are right, it doesn't matter who we post. MT isn't reading these boards.

I'm probably going to post a more times today, if you would like to nit pick a sentence or two out of each of them, that would be great!

The infamous non-committal committal.

Well I don't know if hes "smart" enough to be at Illinois. Doesn't he know the highest you can go is 100%

Well, he didn't say anything he would have to take back later. He obviously knew he would get the question at some point, so his comments were likely well thought out beforehand. Not sure it means much at this point, but he knows it is coming.

One thing to think about with this hiring is that IIRC Guenther never dealt with agents. If any of the candidates in this go round have agents it probably raises the ante but also allows for preliminary communication without the candidate being directly involved.

I like Theus in the discussion for a new coach
 

If RT is our coach that's an opportunity to keep JH and groom him to UI HC. This is an opportunity to develop internal succession and a UI-based coaching tree.

I know other coaches could do the same but, since RT isn't currently coaching, I see RT as HC being the best opp for us to develop effective internal succession.

Watched replay of UI/Syr from 89 the other night. I want Flying' Illini 2.0., sustained. That's our identity. I think we can get there with RT.

No problem, and again he is not my #1 choice.

Looking at it from a different angle, with Theus having played and coached in the NBA, that could be a positive in my opinion. Maybe he has a better understanding of what these kids are thinking and feeling and a better understanding of how to deal with these types of players and situations having experienced it himself for almost 20 years.

Sometimes a kid might be more willing to listen or buy in if a guy who has been there before (at their ultimate goal) and gives them real life experience on how to get there and what is the best way to go about it. Could also provide interesting perspective as he has been both a NBA player and HC and assistant, so he sees it from multiple angles on what it takes to get there and succeed.

Boom!

11:00am CT Press Conference Today