Illini Basketball 2018-2019

Status
Not open for further replies.
#1,201      

pruman91

Paducah, Ky
With a revolving door roster and hopes we find better talent in the front court, I am hoping this is not going to be a real concern.

I inherited a staff of 80 agents years ago after my company fired the previous sales manager and I had a revolving door, trap door and elevator shaft to get rid of the deadbeats there...

Bu has had 1 season and 7 games into the second yr...If we were doing great he still would be at OSU...and the transferred players would still be here..

Old saying in sales
" change is necessary for growth ".....Lets hope BU changes from time to time as he proceeds further in his coaching at UI.....
And lets hope that the players change and eliminate the bonehead plays we have seen the last 1+ seasons
 
#1,204      

Epsilon

M tipping over
Pdx
I inherited a staff of 80 agents years ago after my company fired the previous sales manager and I had a revolving door, trap door and elevator shaft to get rid of the deadbeats there...

Bu has had 1 season and 7 games into the second yr...If we were doing great he still would be at OSU...and the transferred players would still be here..

Old saying in sales
" change is necessary for growth ".....Lets hope BU changes from time to time as he proceeds further in his coaching at UI.....
And lets hope that the players change and eliminate the bonehead plays we have seen the last 1+ seasons

My point wasn't to lament change though, but rather to say that given the changes happening and that we hope to happen going forward, that whether we redshirt Kane or not will likely make little difference to the outcome of the program.
 
#1,206      

Illini_1979

Oregon
I have been impressed so far with the efforts of Giorgi B. Looking forward to three more years. I am wondering how much of an impact OA's coaching may be having on him. Wasn't he supposed to be a developer of bigs?
 
#1,211      
Braggin' Rights is literally the only game this year I care about anymore.

I just want that one.
 
#1,212      

Deleted member 649710

D
Guest
For those who fret over the state of our program and fan base, get a load of what Alfordball has done to UCLA. This shot was taken by me at tonight’s game about a minute before halftime. Most meager crowd I’ve ever seen at Pauley. They literally were giving away tix for free on Gold Star and couldn’t fill more than a third of the seats. And the weather was fine. Sad.

57AB8258-5FF6-4CD8-891E-2D55F7017F69.jpeg
 
#1,213      

Tacomallini

Washington State
For those who fret over the state of our program and fan base, get a load of what Alfordball has done to UCLA. This shot was taken by me at tonight’s game about a minute before halftime. Most meager crowd I’ve ever seen at Pauley. They literally were giving away tix for free on Gold Star and couldn’t fill more than a third of the seats. And the weather was fine. Sad.

View attachment 3825
hope you moved in for a better seat after snapping this pic
 
#1,214      
Posted this in game thread but more apropos here: This team has a bunch of glue for the project but not enough pieces to make it work....personally I am in corner of Tevian as a potential “gem” if he can ever get out of doghouse and learn college game.
 
#1,215      
so 6 games in i think it’s time to give an early assessment of the season.

For starters, a lot of our preseason predictions have seemed to be way off. Going into the year I expected a lot more out of Jones, Kane, and Kipper. So far, Kane has played maybe 10 minutes? Kipper has been nonexistent when it seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to step in and be a centerpiece. Especially since Jones, who i thought would be able to take Kippers spot at the 4 by late January/February has not been as advertised, and now suspended. Plus, outside of the Gonzaga game, Trent has been just okay for him. Obviously the concussion and ankle held him back for 1.5 games or so, but hope he can start being a real “go to” guy, and once the guys start to gel more, can be more of a floor general like he was late last season.


On the other hand, AJ has been very consistent, and given the amount of power-5 teams we have played, has been outstanding. Kid is going to go out a fighter, and is slowly becoming one of the favorite illini EVER solely on what he has been through in his tenure, and the progress and leadership he has shown. Atta boy AJ, I think we can all agree that he has really meant a lot to this program on and off the court, need more like him. Ayo has been alright, shows flashes of excellence but still makes freshmen mistakes, is clearly still trying to make the transition from CPL to high major basketball, but i think he will be really good by the end of the year on both sides of the ball. Feliz, has been exactly what i expected, can get to the lane, and is a dog on defense and is able to run the offense. Although, needs to get a floater or pull-up game going, he isn’t super athletic and is small. If i had to be honest, would rather have Tejon in there, that kid could really finish at the rim, and both play similarly defensively, but that’s another story. Damonte has quietly had a very nice year and is such a stat stuffer. He looked the most aggressive offensively i’ve ever seen him in the second half vs Notre Dame, driving to the lane, getting fouls, making smart plays defensively, looking to create offensively, and is easily one of our best passers. I’d start Ayo Trent Damonte AJ and Geogi right now. Georgi, kid has been terrific. Had a few tough games, but overall, if you told me he’d score in double figures against Notre Dame, Gonzaga and Georgetown going into the season, I’d be doing the Freddy. OA has shown already that he can really develop bigs, and quickly. He is going to be a very good four year player for us, and it might sound crazy, but he has the footwork, IQ, ballhandling and if could be consistent from 3, to be in the NBA one day. Then Griffin. Man, i tried to tell myself going into the season to not get exited about him, but i thought he had a TON of potential to not only be a good 3-4 year player, but to play early on. Kid has the size, length, iq and shot to be an all-conference player as an upperclassman. Love his game!

All in all, I really liked what a poster said, we have the pieces, we just need to find a way to glue everything together. There’s real talent and potential in this roster, and this schedule is only going to force them to develop quickly. As long as they can stick together, so it’s up to Underwood and Co. to invest in some Elmurs 😉

Also, let’s calm down on the Underwood sucks talk. Anyone who didnt have orange tinted glasses knew this team was going to struggle out of the gate, and if you expected a 20 win season than you’re drunk on the kool aid. This year is ALL about building to try and find ways to win close games, get guys experience, challenge ourselves, and be ready to be competitive in 2019-20 which we CAN and should be.
 
#1,216      
Rebuilds take awhile but the Illini also need to win some games this year especially at home to create some excitement in the program. The next few games loom big if can't get a couple of those we are really look at a bad start to the season and that will potentially hurt attendance down the road. Also in this day and age when so many players transfer I think the time you get to turn your program around is a little less then it was in the past. Players are much more willing to transfer out of programs that weren't winning in the past so you can lose players that 20 years ago would have stayed. It also makes a faster turn around possible as you can bring in players that are immediately ready to play instead of freshman something Fred Hoiberg did at Iowa State to turn the program around quickly. Underwood will need some to show some significant progress as the year goes on and at the very least compete for a tourney bid next year or the program is in big trouble. We are currently looking at basically a 10 year stretch of not very good basketball for the Illini and the program is not thought of very well nationally at this time.
 
#1,218      

ILL in IA

Iowa City
Rebuilds take a while yes, but they don't have to in basketball like they do in football. We need 1 or 2 dudes that are just better at basketball then most other guys and bam, we are back.
 
#1,220      
People who preach "rebuilding" don't even understand what rebuilding in basketball means.

First, we were an NIT team pretty much for the entire previous coaching regime and we all thought it was not enough. The goal was talking an NIT team and making it a consistent NCAA team. That does not necessitate driving the program to the bottom before supposedly commencing some miraculous ascend.

Second, and more importantly, rebuilding in basketball takes players with consistent recruiting and infusion of talent. Is recruiting going well? C'mon... consistent good recruiting does not mean consistently bad fall (and even empty) classes, it does not mean taking wild shots in the Spring and running out of scholarships, it does not mean that the majority of your own recruits (Smith, Alstork, Vesel, Ebo, Higgs, Kane... or even Jones and De La Rosa currently) do not pan out.

Rebuilding means consistency, and consistency does not mean just hitting a good season when we make the NCAA like we have done in the past (2012-13, 2008-09, etc.) under the previous regimes that failed. Some fans who preach "rebuilding" are just blindly hoping for that, which I believe may indeed happen with Frazier/Ayo in the next couple of years. But what are the elements of "rebuilding" beyond that? Talent infusion? Recruiting? The state of the program right now (beyond the losses) does not indicate real elements of rebuilding.

Of course, we can ignore all that and we can all blindly preach "patience" and "rebuilding," it is only year 2. We may eventually hit an NCAA tournament season and we can all celebrate, maybe even raise a banner "Made NCAA Tournament."
 
#1,221      
People who preach "rebuilding" don't even understand what rebuilding in basketball means.

First, we were an NIT team pretty much for the entire previous coaching regime and we all thought it was not enough. The goal was talking an NIT team and making it a consistent NCAA team. That does not necessitate driving the program to the bottom before supposedly commencing some miraculous ascend.

Second, and more importantly, rebuilding in basketball takes players with consistent recruiting and infusion of talent. Is recruiting going well? C'mon... consistent good recruiting does not mean consistently bad fall (and even empty) classes, it does not mean taking wild shots in the Spring and running out of scholarships, it does not mean that the majority of your own recruits (Smith, Alstork, Vesel, Ebo, Higgs, Kane... or even Jones and De La Rosa currently) do not pan out.

Rebuilding means consistency, and consistency does not mean just hitting a good season when we make the NCAA like we have done in the past (2012-13, 2008-09, etc.) under the previous regimes that failed. Some fans who preach "rebuilding" are just blindly hoping for that, which I believe may indeed happen with Frazier/Ayo in the next couple of years. But what are the elements of "rebuilding" beyond that? Talent infusion? Recruiting? The state of the program right now (beyond the losses) does not indicate real elements of rebuilding.

Of course, we can ignore all that and we can all blindly preach "patience" and "rebuilding," it is only year 2. We may eventually hit an NCAA tournament season and we can all celebrate, maybe even raise a banner "Made NCAA Tournament."

Last year’s class gives reason to preach rebuilding and patience. I don’t understand the purpose of your post. Illinois will be perpetually bad? You want Underwood fired? Or just a general disdain for optimism?

Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to try to shame the few optimistic Illinois fans that are left.
 
#1,222      
People who preach "rebuilding" don't even understand what rebuilding in basketball means.

First, we were an NIT team pretty much for the entire previous coaching regime and we all thought it was not enough. The goal was talking an NIT team and making it a consistent NCAA team. That does not necessitate driving the program to the bottom before supposedly commencing some miraculous ascend.

Second, and more importantly, rebuilding in basketball takes players with consistent recruiting and infusion of talent. Is recruiting going well? C'mon... consistent good recruiting does not mean consistently bad fall (and even empty) classes, it does not mean taking wild shots in the Spring and running out of scholarships, it does not mean that the majority of your own recruits (Smith, Alstork, Vesel, Ebo, Higgs, Kane... or even Jones and De La Rosa currently) do not pan out.

Rebuilding means consistency, and consistency does not mean just hitting a good season when we make the NCAA like we have done in the past (2012-13, 2008-09, etc.) under the previous regimes that failed. Some fans who preach "rebuilding" are just blindly hoping for that, which I believe may indeed happen with Frazier/Ayo in the next couple of years. But what are the elements of "rebuilding" beyond that? Talent infusion? Recruiting? The state of the program right now (beyond the losses) does not indicate real elements of rebuilding.

Of course, we can ignore all that and we can all blindly preach "patience" and "rebuilding," it is only year 2. We may eventually hit an NCAA tournament season and we can all celebrate, maybe even raise a banner "Made NCAA Tournament."
This post is like a dashboard light - you're telling us something is wrong, but not what is wrong nor how to fix it. I and I'm sure others agree with you on many of your points, just not the "holier than than thou" tone. Nobody likes the results thus far, but they are not unexpected for reasons you list above, among others. IMHO, the product on the court (with some exceptions - half court offense being one of them) is better today than it was 2 years ago. And . . . I believe two years from now we'll be better than we are today. I can't tell you what we'll look like, but I believe we have the results to be a consistent NCAA team within two years.
 
#1,223      
you're telling us something is wrong, but not what is wrong nor how to fix it.

Huh? Did you even read? Or even read any of my posts?

"Rebuilding in basketball takes players with consistent recruiting and infusion of talent." Unless you fix recruiting and start consistently recruit well without leaving huge obvious gaps (like our frontcourt currently), there is no rebuilding. And consistency is key, because the window of opportunity (i.e., our backcourt) closes as time progresses. You are hallucinating if you contend that recruiting is going well right now and even results on the court are not that great either (with an obvious correlation).
 
#1,224      

mattcoldagelli

The Transfer Portal
This post is like a dashboard light - you're telling us something is wrong, but not what is wrong nor how to fix it. I and I'm sure others agree with you on many of your points, just not the "holier than than thou" tone. Nobody likes the results thus far, but they are not unexpected for reasons you list above, among others. IMHO, the product on the court (with some exceptions - half court offense being one of them) is better today than it was 2 years ago. And . . . I believe two years from now we'll be better than we are today. I can't tell you what we'll look like, but I believe we have the results to be a consistent NCAA team within two years.

But this honestly should not be taking that long. You do not need 3-4 years to turn a basketball program around - this isn't football, where we see the "burn it down, then build it up" which necessitates stacking recruiting classes to get upperclassmen at key contributing positions. Further, with the increasingly lax transfer rules, you're just not going to get that time. Players are going to bail, especially under a coach as tough as Underwood. That style can flourish when it's resulting in wins. When you struggle to get to 15 wins? Not so much.

"Get better players" is obvious to the point of being unhelpful, but that is the number one thing that needs to happen. Recruiting is not where it needs to be, no matter how many diamonds we are pulling out of the Austrian Basketball League.

As for what can be done now - I dunno, maybe tweaking a defensive approach that currently allows any opponent to get a layup or a trip to the FT line at the time and place of their choosing? We cannot stop anybody. It's an emergency that has the chance to take a season that could be middling-but-with-signs-of-encouragement and tank it into a fanbase-poisoning nosedive. Time to get over the pride and try something different.
 
#1,225      
Last year’s class gives reason to preach rebuilding and patience. I don’t understand the purpose of your post. Illinois will be perpetually bad? You want Underwood fired? Or just a general disdain for optimism?

Optimism has nothing to do with being delusional. On the contrary, I do not believe that Illinois is destined to be perpetually bad, I actually believe that Illinois as a program has great, really great untapped potential. I just don't believe it will happen with just blind faith. The way you do it is by looking at what was the underlying talent level in the 80s and 1999-06 and try to achieve that with consistent recruiting rather than blind faith that we can do it with miraculously discovering diamonds in the rough better than other programs or BU outsysteming and outsmarting the rest of BIG and national coaches.

When blind "hope" fades, then we tend to hear all the excuses that recruiting is not possible, that everyone else cheats, that our location is bad, and we do not have the resources. If you believe those, then you believe that Illinois will indeed be perpetually bad because I can tell you for sure that our location will not change and UI is not likely winning the lottery of academic and AD budgets anytime soon.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.