Coaching Carousel

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#476      
Henson, Kruger and Self got plenty. Recruiting the last four years has more closely resembled the Weber years than the previous 2+ decades.

Let's not lower the bar because of Groce's incompetence.
Henson, Kruger, and Self were the head coaches. I am talking about losing the best recruiting assistant in the country. I think that is the point you are missing.
 
#477      
Henson, Kruger, and Self were the head coaches. I am talking about losing the best recruiting assistant in the country. I think that is the point you are missing.
It’s definitely a blow to lose Coach O and he brought in some great recruits and is probably the best recruiter in the country. That said, he wasn’t bringing Boogie Cousins or Anthony Davis here. I’m fairly optimistic we can land a solid assistant who probably has different ties but can continue our level of recruiting without too much drop off. Consistently landing top 100ish kids with the occasional top 50 should be replicable.
 
#478      

BMoreIllini

Baltimore, MD
Rap73: “Is there anyone on this forum who, if they were not an Illini fan, not take a job at Kentucky over Illinois if the pay was somewhat equal?”

YES. Or, put another way, YES-YES-YES. It’s this... ‘Thinking That Kentucky Is The Greatest Thing In The Universe” that puts programs like the Ilini always trying to play catch-up. The Illini do NOT have to take a back seat to ANYONE.

Or, said another way, if projecting the idea that a program is somehow deficient is the Central Vision of the program, then the program will always be a 'Lessor'. It all comes down to the thought process of the individual and what they choose to believe (or 'settle for'). If a guy really wants to be somewhere else, so be it and good for him. But The Illini have a proud history of legacy success that does not have to take a back seat to anyone.
This is such a bad take because you're not putting your bias aside or seeing the reality of the college basketball landscape. Let's say you work at Blackberry, a well respected tech company who's best years were 10-20 years ago, but things are looking up (BB is heavily involved in auto/self driving tech now), and Google offers you the same position at twice the pay. Blackberry matches the offer, but it's still Google. It's much easier to turn the position at Google into a higher position at another company and it's more prestigious, looks better on the resume, and has more resources. It's not a hard decision to make if your bias is put in check.

The fact is that there will always be companies (or in our case basketball programs) trying to play catch up, to think that's not the case is not living in reality.
 
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#480      

sacraig

The desert
Is there anyone on this forum who, if they were not an Illini fan, not take a job at Kentucky over Illinois if the pay was somewhat equal?

It's a good point. I'll pretend that I wouldn't if only because I don't want to live in Lexington. But if I weren't an Illini fan and, say, Duke came calling, I'd probably go to Duke.
 
#481      

Illinivek23

Gurnee
Brad has been around a long time and the real thought of OA leaving has been present long enough to have a great short list put together.

With the season we just had, makes virtually everyone attainable. Can't wait to see who we are able to bring in to keep this train rollin'!
 
#482      
And another question may be why the Kentucky coaches left. Were they creaned? Did they see the writing on the wall? I really think that we will be better off with the new coaches that Brad brings in.
They clearly saw Hutch in practice this year and knew they would no longer be needed. Miller advised them.
 
#483      
So a week or so ago Illinois was congratulated for putting all of its chips in the middle of the table in order to retain the two coaches. I applauded the move, and interpreted it as meaning Illinois strongly desired to keep them here. So what happened? Illinois obviously wanted to keep them here. Did Kentucky roll out more money, tapping into its wealthy alumni or basketball fanatics base? If that's all it was, then I find it disappointing that we couldn't come up with enough $$ to match or better the Kentucky offers. If it was something else, then Underwood and Whitman must have been blindsided, because why would they have upped the ante if the assistant coaches were dissatisfied for reasons other than pay? I do not put much stock in Kentucky's basketball tradition as being that big a factor. So many "institutions" have faded or shifted in recent years - in sports, business, etc.
 
#484      
The highest points of our program in recent memory correlate with Chicago area recruits being highly important members of our team.
And how many have spurned us for headscratchers as well.

We have pulled less than 2% (my guess, but if someone had the time, it may be less than that) of 4-5☆ recruits in the last 14 years from Chicago.

I will guarantee Adam Miller/MIF camps are not going to do us any favors for the next 10+ years.

Yes, we continue trying, but also have to get the best of what we can.

I would say we have had more overall success with players not from Chicago than from Chicago. Ayo and who else? Adam Miller is not a Chicago kid, he was brought there to win a state title by MPHS and I'd bet if IHSA did homework, something would have turned up in that situation.

No, we don't stop altogether but we CANNOT rely and beat our heads against the wall to get Chicago. Every program out there says Chicago is the most political, what can you do for me city to recruit.
 
#485      
Henson, Kruger, and Self were the head coaches. I am talking about losing the best recruiting assistant in the country. I think that is the point you are missing.

My mistake. Jimmy Collins, Rob Judson and Norm Roberts all brought in considerably more top 30 recruits than Orlando Antigua's grand total of zero.

Repeating that he is the best recruiting assistant in the country doesn't make it so.
 
#487      

skyIdub

Winged Warrior
At the risk of having yet another post removed, the elephant in the room in my humble opinion is that the issue may not be with Whitman or BU but is above the both of them??? Just pointing out, for discussion purposes only. The University's commitment to the athletic program has been mixed at best. The athletic program does not operate in a vacuum. Just sayin' Maybe totally off base, but maybe not. If we are going to speculate, at least this speculation ought to be on the table.

There is zero doubt that recruiting will be "easier" for OA and Chin at UK....both academically and...ahem...financially.
 
#488      

The Sprouting Divot

Invisible and Bulletproof
Miracle Mile
Did Kentucky roll out more money, tapping into its wealthy alumni or basketball fanatics base? If that's all it was, then I find it disappointing that we couldn't come up with enough $$ to match or better the Kentucky offers.
You're both surprised and disappointed that we couldn't outbid the school that has no problem paying its head coach almost $10m per year?

Am I reading that correctly?
 
#489      
Am I the only one that when I hear "we have to win Chicago, or get someone with Chicago ties." my blood pressure rises? Dating back to Jimmy Collins, how many Chicago kids have we gotten? We have done very well without Chicago kids and NEARLY everyone of them expected us to turn the program over to their family control because we owed them. We don't owe anybody anything. We owe the kids that want to come to the U of I something and that is an opportunity. You either take it, or you don't.
Chicago is not worth the trouble We’ve never gotten the best ones anyway. If we can’t get Chicago’s best without having a guy with “connections” then move on. There is a whole world out there! Thinking we have to have Chicago in order to be successful is an outdated joke! I don’t care if they are even from Illinois as long as they can play and WANT to be here!
 
#490      
And how many have spurned us for headscratchers as well.

We have pulled less than 2% (my guess, but if someone had the time, it may be less than that) of 4-5☆ recruits in the last 14 years from Chicago.

I will guarantee Adam Miller/MIF camps are not going to do us any favors for the next 10+ years.

Yes, we continue trying, but also have to get the best of what we can.

I would say we have had more overall success with players not from Chicago than from Chicago. Ayo and who else? Adam Miller is not a Chicago kid, he was brought there to win a state title by MPHS and I'd bet if IHSA did homework, something would have turned up in that situation.

No, we don't stop altogether but we CANNOT rely and beat our heads against the wall to get Chicago. Every program out there says Chicago is the most political, what can you do for me city to recruit.
Just perusing through the players who have banners in the rafters:

Dee Brown. Luther Head. Kendall Gill. Nick Anderson. Deon Thomas. Kenny Battle (Aurora - still Chicago area). Ken Norman. Eddie Johnson.

Thats 8/13 players who played since the 80s to get a banner.
 
#491      
This board ought to consider that given the sudden exodus of the entire coaching staff, the problem just might be Brad Underwood.
I think when all the rumors and innuendos have been laid to rest, we will find the one and only motivation will be, as usual, MONEY.
 
#492      
I agree it just seems weird. Assistants leave from time to time and I can get over that but 2 at the same time sort has me thrown off. I can't recall 2 assistants leaving one program for the same other program ever. It just feels odd.
Antigua's return makes sense. I'm genuinely surprised at Kentucky's interest in Coleman. He's done a very good job at Illinois, but his CV looks a little light for Kentucky.
 
#494      
There is zero doubt that recruiting will be "easier" for OA and Chin at UK....both academically and...ahem...financially.
Sure especially one and doners, not sure that way of winning games is working so hot anymore there, we shall see.
 
#495      
Just perusing through the players who have banners in the rafters:

Dee Brown. Luther Head. Kendall Gill. Nick Anderson. Deon Thomas. Kenny Battle (Aurora - still Chicago area). Ken Norman. Eddie Johnson.

Thats 8/13 players who played since the 80s to get a banner.
Last 10 years, how many?

We can't continue to live 30+ years in the past! Players we are recruiting are 18 years old and don't care about 1989 or 2005!
 
#498      
Chicago is not worth the trouble We’ve never gotten the best ones anyway. If we can’t get Chicago’s best without having a guy with “connections” then move on. There is a whole world out there! Thinking we have to have Chicago in order to be successful is an outdated joke! I don’t care if they are even from Illinois as long as they can play and WANT to be here!
The masked mamba would like a word
 
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