Pregame: Illinois vs Kansas City, Friday, November 11th, 8:00pm CT, BTN

[BfosterL]

Many make the argument that it wasn't Thomas but the guy who held the position before him....

Nah. Gunther wasn't the best but he also had some great hires. Thomas makes Gunther look like Josh Wittman. I'll never forget watching Mike Thomas chew out the Hilton front desk staff when checking in before bragging rights because his suite wouldn't be ready for another 30 minutes. That was year one

 

[hiberto]

And criticism (see Boeheim's comments trashing the B1G because of lack of recent tournament success).

yes Boeheim has made the tourney 33 times in his 46 years coaching but only has 1 national title courtesy of a future basketball hall of famer in Melo. hope we pound them in the ACC B1G challenge

 

[soupy17]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1590870014600818688

Gotta know what Trent said to Sencire there

 

[IllinoisssssssVarsity]

Gotta know what Trent said to Sencire there

“Ima need you to stop copying me”

 

[rtbritt]

Not to drag this out...but the "damage" was done before Groce got here. Weber had the chance to take this program to another level after the success of Self and the 2005 run. Just look at what BU is doing without making it past the 2nd weekend. Win the B1G three years straight and turn a couple of huge recruiting wins into a string of them.

Weber literally took the 2005 success, bound and gagged, threw it in the trunk of his car, drove it out past Bement, and dumped it in a corn field.

Then went back with gasoline and a match and incinerated it. After taking an axe to it. With malice.

Then he held a funeral.

Huh...I did drag that out.

BEAT THE CHIEFS OR WHATEVER GO ILLINI!!

My early childhood memories take offence! lol. (we used to live next to a cornfield in Bement)

I'm from Bement!

 

[skyIdub]

Gotta know what Trent said to Sencire there

“Cash”

 

[illiniguy]

I'm from Bement!

Well, looks like we have most of the town here then.

 

[the national]

One man destroyed illini sports and his name is Mike Thomas he single handedly killed illini sports for a very long time

 

[IndyILL]

Soooo... who hired Mike Thomas?

 

[splitter]

True, along with Champaign-Urbana…AND just about everything else
in the Midwest.

not here - lots of soybeans around me

 

[doowink]

Soooo... who hired Mike Thomas?

 

[john1952]

After hiring Beckman and Groce, it is suprisig he lasted as long as he did

 

[splitter]

Gotta know what Trent said to Sencire there

like your hair - where's your headband?

 

[Da88]

Before the game. They announced it as we left SFC last night. People should be in their seats by 7:15 if they want to see the banner raising

Main gates open at 7:00 (hour before tip), that seems like a small window to get a bunch of people in by 7:15 ceremony. I plan on being in line early.

 

[sitka]

Main gates open at 7:00 (hour before tip), that seems like a small window to get a bunch of people in by 7:15 ceremony. I plan on being in line early.

let's sell this place out tonight!!!1

 

[nichi]

not here - lots of soybeans around me

grew up walkin beans and detasslin seed corn. They go together. Corn takes nitrogen outa the soil, beans puts it back in. Most corn & bean farmers use a rotation plan. Heps with pest control too.

 

[mydosburns]

Main gates open at 7:00 (hour before tip), that seems like a small window to get a bunch of people in by 7:15 ceremony. I plan on being in line early.

I think the ceremony is at 7:30. They want to try and get people in their seats by 7:15 if i'm not mistaken.

 

[sully]

can't wait for the game tonight.

GO ILLINI!

 

[PIT_ILL]

This. Groce was a mid-major coach, paid $2 million less than BU a year, who staff probably also cost a small fraction of what we are now spending. I certainly don't think Groce is the same level of coach as BU, but had he had the support of Josh Whitman for his tenure here, I think he would have looked a lot better.

It would have been interesting to see what Groce could have done at that time with this administration and NIL. You have to remember he was viewed as a pretty high level recruiter under Matta at OSU. Groce had his shortcomings but he also had some really bad beats on the trail that could have made his tenure much different.

 

[illini0440]

It would have been interesting to see what Groce could have done at that time with this administration and NIL. You have to remember he was viewed as a pretty high level recruiter under Matta at OSU. Groce had his shortcomings but he also had some really bad beats on the trail that could have made his tenure much different.

Groce was terrible at playing the game(in recruiting)

 

[Ramrod2010]

Groce was terrible at playing the game(in recruiting)

Hence the bridesmaid image that plagued the program.

 

[WillyG42]

I wonder if Webber has cut his hair yet??

 

[RichardKeenesCousin]

I'm from Bement!

Is there still a group that refers to themselves as the Bement Bunch?

 

[Battle89]

I wonder if Webber has cut his hair yet??

 

[WyattEarp]

I wonder if Webber has cut his hair yet??

He should of been smarter about it.
He should have done the Johnny Cash-thing and just worn black…as a way of thumbing his nose at the man. He could of gotten away with that, too. He could of /should of kept it going.

Unless he planned on moving to Silicon Valley and working on some start up out of his garage or something…lol
You can’t be a Sports broadcaster in America looking like some aging hair metal
dude.
Iwanna say I saw him on one of those:
“Meet and greet, look who’s joining the broadcast team” deals and his ears were
lowered for that. I think he wimped out BIGTIME.